E-Connections

January 2010

 1.  Parish Paper January 2010

January 5, 2010

The January 2010 issue of The Parish Paper is now available.  This is a two page newsletter edited by Herb Miller, Lyle Schaller, and Cynthia Woolever. Each edition will discuss issues, share ideas, or offer insights on an area of parish ministry. The topic for the January issue is: “Become Comfortable with Conflict: Step One to Move Beyond It.”

You can find it on the MMS website here.

Below are some additional instructions on the use of The Parish Paper:

Our organization’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES:

1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site.

2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.

 2.  Join UCC's urgent response to Haiti earthquake

January 13, 2010

This message was forwarded from the UCC national office.

Dear Friends,

The United Church of Christ has launched an emergency appeal for Haiti after a major earthquake struck the country yesterday. Thousands of people are feared dead and countless have been left homeless.

The need is massive. Your gifts are needed to support immediate and long-term relief.

The 7.0 quake struck 10 miles southwest of the capital just before nightfall on January 12. Our Global Ministries personnel, Kim, Patrick and Solomon Bentrott, have reported to us that they are safe.

It is still too early to know the full extent of the damage, but we are expecting very high loss of life, widespread destruction of homes, schools and other buildings, and major damage to key water, electricity and road systems.

Funds from the UCC's One Great Hour of Sharing are being rushed to our Haitian partners to support their initial emergency response. However, your generous donations are needed to provide the greatest level of support for the victims of this terrible disaster.

Your prayers and monetary support are needed. Here is how you can help.

The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ

The Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte
Executive Ministries
UCC Wider Church Ministries

P.S. If you or your congregation prefer to make your gifts off-line, please send checks to "Wider Church Ministries” and marked in the memo portion "OGHS – Haiti Earthquake Relief" to Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115; or send through your respective Conference office.

 3.  Welcoming Rev. Don Bizer

January 14, 2010

The Missouri Mid-South Conference is pleased to announce that the Rev. Don Bizer has accepted the call to serve as the Interim Director of Outdoor Ministries. Rev. Bizer, a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary, brings a wealth of outdoor ministry experience to the interim position in our conference. After graduating from Eden, Don was called to serve as Director of Outdoor Ministries and Manager of Pilgrim Lodge with the Maine Conference, UCC, a position he held for 5 years. Prior to that he served as the interim Director of Outdoor Ministries and manager of Dubois Center with the Illinois South Conference, UCC; as the interim manager of Camp LaForet with the Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC; a season on the staff of Geneva Point Center in New Hampshire, a camp, retreat and conference center of the National Council of Churches; and numerous summers and seasons on the staff of Camp Mo-Val.

In addition to his experience in outdoor ministries, Rev. Bizer is also a trained intentional interim and has served as the interim positions here in the Missouri Mid-South Conference with Friedens (Peace) UCC, New Melle, and most recently with St. Paul, UCC, Old Monroe. While living in the Boston metropolitan area of Massachusetts, he completed interims with First Congregational Church, UCC, of Stoughton, MA and as an Associate Pastor with Christ UCC, Brockton, MA.

Rev. Bizer lives in St. Peters, with his wife, Priscilla, and their daughter, Lianna.

Among other activities, he enjoys playing a round of golf or two here and there; dabbling in yard work and gardening; feeding and watching birds; and especially enjoys time with family and friends. The Bizers are members of St. John's UCC (Wolfrum Road), St. Charles.

Don will begin his ministry with us on January 16 and will begin working at Camp MoVal on January 19. Please join in welcoming Rev. Bizer to our conference staff and to our outdoor ministry program at MoVal.
 

 4.  Staying Connected to the Wider Church

January 19, 2010

Dear partners in ministry,

Last year, the Missouri Mid-South Conference office discontinued our long-running monthly publication The Courier. Upwards of 14,000 households received this newspaper. Now that we have switched to The eCourier, our mailing list is much less extensive. We have received feedback from members at churches in our conference that they feel disconnected from the wider church and we would like to extend an invitation for members to join our mailing list. Please include the following announcement in your church bulletin or newsletter.

Staying Connected to the Wider Church
Last year, the Missouri Mid-South Conference discontinued our long-running newspaper The Courier. In its place, we now publish a weekly email newsletter called The eCourier. We invite you to join our mailing list by emailing a request to mms@mmsucc.org. If you are unable to receive email, then you can still stay in touch—each church office and pastor receives our weekly newsletter which they may distribute to you. If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Evans in the MMS office at (314) 918-2605.

 5.  Passing of Myrtle Froeschner

January 22, 2010

Myrtle was the wife of Robert Froeschner, long-time Pastor of St. John's UCC on Grand and Lee. She passed away on January 20. Visitation will be 1-8pm on Sunday, January 24, at Buchholz Mortuary (1645 Redman Ave, St. Louis County, MO. 63138, 314-741-7400). Service at 10am on Monday, January 25, at St. Johns (4136 N. Grand Blvd).

Myrtle was also Mimi Anderson’s mother. Mimi is a very active lay person at Eden UCC in Affton. Mimi is also on the Camp Mo-Val Board of Directors and has directed Primary and Discovery Camp for the past dozen or so years. Mimi’s husband Gary was on several Conference committees in the 80s and early 90s.

You can view the complete obituary here.
 

 7.  Passing of J. Joe Trower

January 22, 2010

J. Joe Trower of Jefferson City died Mon. Jan. 18, 2010.  After serving as Pastor of the Memphis, Mo. Presbyterian Church he moved to Jefferson City to become Regional Director for CROP in which capacity he served 30 years.

He was an active volunteer for Festival of Sharing and many other service organizations.  He enjoyed quilting, history and genealogy.

Visitation 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Friday, Jan 22, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, 324 Madison, Jefferson City. Services to follow at 7:00 p.m.

Family suggest memorials to Church World Service or Heifer Project. 

 8.  Tax Workshop

January 28, 2010

CLERGY TAXES Jack Batten will offer his annual workshop on income tax for clergy on Friday, February 19, 9am to noon. There are many new credits for purchasing homes, cars and for educational purposes, so don’t miss it. The workshop will be in Press Room 240. There is no cost, but please sign up in the Dean’s Office. For more information, contact Chris Davis, cdavis@eden.edu or 314-918-2547.