CMA ARCHIVES - JUNE 2004


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Barbara Skelley

We are saddened to inform you that Ms. Barbara Skelley has pased away. Barb was a faithful servant of Christ and the church. Her witness was one of dedicated steward of all entrusted to her and most of all the Faith. She served on the Conference Stewardship Team for more than fourteen years. Barb was recognized for her service by the national church and received Honored Lay Women recognition in 1999 at General Synod. Working with her was a wonderful delight. Guided by the Spirit that was in Christ she was always willing to give and to serve, traveling long distance to communicate a stewardship message, using her time and resource to attend national and local stewardship events and on the go until the Maker called her to the heavenly place. We give thanks for the life and witness of sister Barbara Skelley and ask that you hold her family in your prayers. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 29 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Ronan/Moore/Finach Funeral Home on the corner of 3rd and Oak Street in DeKalb. The funeral will be Wednesday, June 30 at 3:00 p.m. at 1st Congregational UCC in DeKalb. (From The Rev. Jorge Morales)

(Posted 12/17/03; removed 6/30/04) CHURCH ORGANIST, CONGREGATIONAL UCC, Arlington Heights

Single service each Sunday with choir rehearsals before and after; Allen organ, new Yamaha piano and clavinova; week-to-week substitutes needed in the interim; $125 per week; phone for information (evenings): 847-891-8768; Fax resume to: 847-392-6624 or send by email to: conguccah@aol.com

(Posted prior to Dec 2003; Removed 6/30/04) CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP LEADER, Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ, Oak Lawn

Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ of Oak Lawn has re-opened its search for a Contemporary Worship Leader:

The church is seeking a dynamic person to attract new worshipers and members through a weekly contemporary worship service. The Contemporary Worship Leader will plan and lead the 11:15 a.m.Sunday service in consultation and cooperation with the senior pastor.

The person must have the ability to lead the praise band and congregation in singing; must be able to engage the congregation in the worship experience and offer meaningful prayers; be responsible for selecting appropriate music and conducting the praise band and vocalists in rehearsal; must demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the theological perspective of the United Church of Christ.

Time commitment involves 9:00 am - 12:30 pm on Sunday for rehearsal and service, plus some preparation and consultation time during the week. Contact Rev. Peggy McClanahan at Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ at 708-422-4200 for more information.

JUNE 28 - JULY 1: DR. NANCY REEVES

Dr. Nancy Reeves, a Canadian clinical psychologist, spiritual director and author whose books are distributed by Pilgrim Press in the U.S., will be in the Chicago area in June for two presentations:

Saturday, June 26 2004, 9 am - 4 pm, Dr Reeves will facilitate a workshop entitled I'd Say Yes God, If I Knew What You Wanted at: The Well Retreat Center, La Grange Park IL.

Monday, June 28 - Thursday, July 1, 2 - 4:30 pm each day:
Grief and Spirituality training course at Retreats International's Institute for Adult Spiritual Renewal; Dr. Reeves will be the instructor.
St. Mary's College, South Bend, Indiana
www.retreatsintl.org
574-247-4443; 800-556-4532

Dr Reeves is the author of:

I’d Say Yes God, If I Knew What You Wanted, ISBN 1-896836-46-1.

Found Through Loss: Healing stories from scripture and everyday sacredness, ISBN 1-896836-49-6 (contains 2 CD’s).

A Path Through Loss: A guide to writing your healing and growth, ISBN 1-896836-48-8.

The Midwife’s Story: Meditations for Advent Times, ISBN 1-896836-59-3.

The 2005 Christian Path Calendar; This is a one page a day calendar containing quotes from Christian women and men from the 1st Century to the present day. The quotes follow the liturgical year and speak to tenets and practices of Christianity. Many Christian denominations are included. Suggestions for using the calendar as a daily spiritual practice are listed at the back.

For more information, visit www.nancyreeves.com.

Chicago Palestine Film Festival

The third annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival runs from June 4 - June 27, initially at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and then at the Southwest Youth Collaborative beginning June 18. The selections this year include 20 films by Palestinian, Israeli, American and European filmmakers. This powerful program of features, documentaries, and shorts will be shown in English or Arabic, Hebrew, German or French with English subtitles. The festival selections feature numerous North American premieres and one world premiere film.

The Chicago Palestine Film Festival began in 2001 with a mission to promote films by Palestinian filmmakers and films about Palestine. It is the first and largest Palestinian film festival in North America.

For a complete schedule and updated information visit the festival website regularly or call the festival hotline 312-873-4401.

SUNDAY, JUNE 27: NEW CHURCH CELEBRATION

Family of Faith United Church of Christ and Harvard Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, will be celebrating their merger and the birth of a new church, Harvard Family United Church of Christ, on Sunday, June 27, at 2:00 p.m., at 1045 S. Kenilworth in Oak Park. All of our brothers and sisters in the Chicago Metropolitan Association and the Illinois Conference are invited to join us. For more information, please call 708-383-4032.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26: SCREENING OF TOO FLAWED TO FIX

In honor of the tireless efforts of the many members of the Wellington Avenue UCC congregation working to end the Death Penalty, especially Elizabeth Benson and Jackie Rivet-River, the church we will be screening the Emmy winning documentary Too Flawed To Fix on Saturday 26, 2004 at 7pm at the church. A Reception will follow.

This film, directed by Ms. Rivet-River, chronicles the history of the Death Penalty in America highlighting the precedent setting actions of ex-Governer George Ryan of Illinois.

We are asking for a donation of $20.00 to continue to support Ms. Benson in her work as one of the leading activists against the Death Penalty, to support Ms. Rivet-River's next project (a film about Kathy Kelly co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness), and for Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ's Ministry of Peace and Justice. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ is located at 615 West Wellington Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; 773-935-0642

Fri, June 25 — 47th Anniversary of the United Church of Christ

JUNE 14-17: INTERIM MINISTRY NETWORK CONFERENCE

The Interim Ministry Network's 24th Annual Conference will be held at Pheasant Run Conference Center, 4051 East Main Street, St. Charles, Illinois. For full details and registration: Click Here

National Church Associates Gathering

Tuesday, June 15

This is an invitation from Rev Scott Matheney, Chaplain at Elmhurst College, and from the National Church Associates (NCA) to all CMA Youth Ministers.

The first gathering of the NCA will be hosted by Scott Matheny at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Av, Elmhurst, Illinois, on Tuesday, June 15, 2004, from 10:00a - 4:00p with lunch included (come at 9:00a for a lite breakfast). The cost is $15.

The Speaker/Preacher will be Rev Walter Bruggemann

This new venture is for UCC clergy that are involved or seek to be involved in connecting higher education with their local settings; a key component of what ministers do in youth work. The program offers time to reflect on the subject matter that Walt will present along with time to talk about the needs of the church in the context of our young people.

Please RSVP to Scott Matheny at Elmhurst College at 630-617-3025 or at hscottm@elmhurst.edu. Also contact him with questions about the event or about the National Church Associates program.

Illinois Conference Annual Meeting

The Illinois Conference annual meeting was held June 10-12, at Elmhurst College, and included a celebration of the conference's 40th anniversary. Three worship services were included in the three day gathering, with featured preachers Rev. Dr. Sterling Cary, Conference Minister Emeritus; Rev. Dr. John Thomas, UCC President and General Minister; and Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Senior Pastor of Trinity UCC, Chicago.

Conference Minister Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman was reelected to her second four-year term. Resolutions on Christian Zionism and partnership with a church in Angola were adopted. A resolution on uranium depletion was tabled.

There was considerable discussion about dwindling church OCWM contributions to the Conference and the UCC and how to cut significant amounts from the Conference and Association budgets for next year. Delegates were asked to vote in a straw poll to indicate their choice for one of four suggested ways to cut the 2005 budget. 52% of delegates (79 votes) refused to select a cost cutting option and voted instead to make no reductions at all, a choice which may be difficult for the Conference Council to implement without additional funds being found.

To read the information sheet distributed to delegates about the 2005 conference budget and the four cost cutting options, click here. 48% of the delegates (74 votes) did choose one of the cost cutting options as follows:

Option 4 - 18% (27 votes)

Option 1 - 15% (23 votes)

Option 3 - 10% (16 votes)

Option 2 - 5% (8 votes)

The meeting also voted that, even though the 2005 budget would be adopted by the Conference Council in the Fall, the 2006 budget would be presented to the full Conference Annual Meeting next June for adoption.

ILLINOIS CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING
CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY

Thur, June 10 - Sat, June 12
You can still register at the door for the Illinois Conference annual meeting to be held Thursday-Saturday, June 10-12, at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Av, Elmhurst, Illinois.

This year's annual meeting will also include a celebration of the conference's 40th anniversary. Three exciting worship experiences are planned to help celebrate:

Thursday, June 10, 7:00 p.m., the Rev. Dr. Sterling Cary, Conference Minister Emeritus, preaching. This service will also include a parade of local church banners.

Friday, June 11, 7:30 p.m., the Rev. Dr. John Thomas, UCC President and General Minister, preaching. Communion will be shared by all.

Saturday, June 12, 10:00 a.m., the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Senior Pastor of Trinity UCC, Chicago, preaching.

There's no need to register for the whole meeting to attend these worship services. Just come!

In terms of business, our Conference Minister, the Rev. Dr. Jane Fisler Hoffman, is up for reelection to her second four-year term. Resolutions on Christian Zionism, uranium depletion, and partnership with a church in Angola will also be discussed and voted on.

This meeting will also include discussions about the dwindling church OCWM contributions to the Conference and the UCC and how to cut significant amounts from the Conference and Association budget for next year. It is critical that CMA be well represented at this meeting in order to be part of the discussion of how our budget will be cut.

Annual meeting is also a time for renewal and connecting with friends. A FREE wine and cheese fellowship time Thursday night is sponsored by the UCC Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns. A Friday night speakers reception is also in the works. Special luncheons are planned by Illinois Maya Ministries, retired clergy, and the Conference Mission Partners. LOTS of youth activities will be going on as well.

All of these activities plus location and parking information are spelled out in the blue registration booklet that was mailed to each church by the Conference office. You will be able to register at the door. You must register to be able to vote in the business sessions.

Health Fair for Seniors

Friday, June 11

A Health Fair That Goes A Few Steps Further - For Seniors

Not so long ago we witnessed hundreds of seniors in our city die from a simple heat wave. They died because they were alone and, too often, afraid. Afraid, sometimes of their neighbors and sometimes of the institutions designed to help them.

Not only is this isolation dangerous for seniors, it also makes them a difficult community to reach out to and support. We think we can change this by building a new kind of working relationship between:

our neighborhood seniors,

our neighborhood churches,

our community organizations, and

our city's public and private senior support services.

A New Kind of Health Fair

The Senior Ministries Network of the Community Renewal Society, in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Chicago Department on Aging, and Advocate Healthcare is exploring a new kind of "health fair." It is so new that calling it a health fair might not even apply. The fair will seek to bring a healing, neighborly presence into the lives of seniors - a presence that addresses their fears with trust, and their isolation with caring community.

This health fair will:

reach out to seniors through word of mouth from neighbors, family, and friends;

identify which government financial aid and services a senior is eligible to receive;

screen seniors, free, for a wide variety of diseases; and

help with screening follow-up.

Screening follow-up will:

provide access to affordable medical services;

provide hook-ups to primary care physicians; and,

provide connection to a network of senior mentors.

A Mentoring Network: Building a Bridge Between Your Church or Organization and Neighborhood Seniors

The network of mentors, created by a neighborhood coalition of churches, community organizations, and senior services, will seek to strengthen seniors in their relationship with healthcare and other service institutions. For a variety of reasons these places worry some seniors and so, they avoid them - and that leads to their separation from resources that should be helping them. The network will be made up of volunteers, connected to senior resources, who will build personal relationships with individual seniors.

Mentors will:

help seniors follow-up on the health fair screenings to make sure they get lab results from a primary care physician;

help seniors deal with the information these results provide, helping the senior feel secure in the knowledge that their self-interests are guiding follow-up, and that they are in control of the situation;

help seniors access resources within the public support systems available to them to deal with survival issues and;

be a comforting neighborly presence when a senior visits institutional resources that may be worrisome.

Tasks for the health fair and mentoring network partners will include:

using their members and relationships to attract seniors to the event by word of mouth;

providing volunteers to become part of the outreach work in building both the network and the health fair;

providing volunteers that will participate as mentors, working with seniors through the health fair's screenings and into a health care relationship with a primary care physician, and on into a self-reliant relationship with the healthcare system; and

providing a base for volunteers within their own organization to work with isolated seniors over the long term, as an expression of their organization's mission.

How we'll manage this is still a question of resources, on-going design, and commitment. We're working with communities of faith, non-profits, private health systems, and city agencies to explore relationships that can help make it work. The first step is identifying a willingness to explore - to explore the boundaries of our mission as community organizations, agencies and churches, and to explore new relationships that might help us build a more loving community for our seniors.

We're planning to hold the health fair on June 11th at 1st Church of the Brethren which is located on the northeast corner of Congress and Central Park in Chicago.

For more information and to join the project contact: Lee Little at the Bethany Brethren Community Center, 425 S. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60624; 773-533-9799

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