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Archived Events and News Previously Posted on the CMA Website
in, for or through MAY 2005
(Posted 02/28/05 - 05/31/05)
PART TIME INTERIM PASTOR: EDEN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH UCC, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago church with 144 members in gentrifying area seeks part-time interim with
skills in outreach and conflict resolution. Parsonage available.
If you would like to have your profile forwarded to this congregation, please contact
Rev. Michael Denton at CMA by email
or by phone at 312-939-5918.
Have you or someone you know been affected by cancer?
It's Time to Break the Silence
CAN-CER-VIVE Ministry Proudly Presents
More Than a Conqueror: A Breast & Cervical Cancer Symposium
In Honor of the Life and Legacy of Mrs. Alzata C. Pincham
Saturday, May 21, 2005; 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Atrium at Trinity
United Church of Christ, 400 West 95th Place, Chicago, IL 60628
Join Us & BE EMPOWERED:
- Learn how Cancer Impacts the Black Community
- Get the Facts about Early Detection & Screening
- Understand the Link between Nutrition & Cancer
- Hear the experiences of Breast & Cervical Cancer Survivors
- Participate in Educational Workshops led by Medical Professionals
Continental Breakfast & Lunch will be served.
CALL 773-962-5650 (Mailbox 830) to REGISTER
Sponsored by The Illinois Department of Public Health Center for Minority Health Services
Download a Flyer
The Next YMN Gathering is Thursday, May 19th at 6:30p and will be a
POTLUCK PICNIC for YMN members and families at St. Peter's parsonage, 2805 North
Linder Street in Chicago. RSVP to Rev Kerry Walker at 773-283-1118 or at
revwaller@sbcglobal.net
TUESDAY, MAY 17: ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL FOR JEFF CARLSON
This message comes from Rev. Wayne MacPherson, Dean of Cluster #2
Grace, mercy peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Cluster Two, acting on behalf of the entire Chicago Metropolitan Association of the
United Church of Christ, will hold an Ecclesiastical Council for Mr. Jeffrey Carlson,
candidate for ordination in the United Church of Christ, on Tuesday, May 17th at 7:00
p.m. at St. Pauls UCC, 2335 N Orchard St, Chicago 60614 (773-348-3829; corner of
Fullerton and Orchard, one block east of Halsted). Validated parking is available
in the Children's Memorial Hospital Garage on Lincoln south of Fullerton.
Jeff Carlson is a Licensed Minister in CMA and Associate Pastor at St. Pauls United
Church of Christ. He has also served as the Secretary of Cluster #2 for the past three years.
Per the CMA requirements for an Ecclesiastical Council, a quorum will consist of lay
delegates from one-third of the churches in Cluster #2. Since we have fifteen churches
in Cluster #2, a quorum will consist of five lay members from five different churches
in Cluster #2.
Nevertheless, all voting clergy in CMA may vote in the Ecclesiastical Council as may
voting delegates from every church in CMA. All CMA clergy and church delegates are invited
and encouragedd to attend.
An Ecclesiastical Council is the last step in the ordination process in the United
Church of Christ. To reach this stage, Jeff has completed three years as an In-Care
Student in the Chicago Metropolitan Association and has met with both the Ordination
Subcommittee of the Church and Ministry Committee and the full Church and Ministry
Committee, both of whom recommended him for ordination in the United Church of Christ.
St. Pauls UCC will be sending a copy of Jeff's ordination paper to the churches within
Cluster #2. Please read his paper carefully. Part of the Ecclesiastical Council is
an examination of the candidate based, in part, on the ordination paper.
We are experimenting with having an Ecclesiastical Council on a weeknight. This is
standard procedure in some clusters but is a new way of doing things in Cluster #2,
which tries not to live by the familiar church motto, "We've never done it this way before."
We would like to know in advance if we will have a quorum present on this occasion
because, if there is no quorum, we cannot hold the Ecclesiastical Council.
Please call me at 773-281-6480 or send an e-mail to me at
bethlehemucc1@netzero.net
to let me know if you will be attending the Ecclesiastical Council. I am asking the pastors of churches in our cluster to make every effort to have a lay representative from your church at this event. I will be contacting pastors personally but would appreciate your efforts in informing us of your participation in this important cluster event.
Jeff has served our Cluster faithfully. An abundant turnout at this event would be a wonderful way to show our appreciation for the work Jeff has done for this cluster by keeping all of us informed about events in the cluster, the association, the conference and in the wider church. Your attendance, of course, does not commit you to automatic approval of Jeff's candidacy for ordination. But we're asking for your faithful participation in this important process in the on-going life of our church.
4th Annual Walk for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine
Sunday, May 15 at 12:15 pm
Assembly in Ridgeland Commons Park, Lake Street & Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, IL
Gathering Program
Walk
Potluck Buffet/Program
End the Occupation!
Stop all violence from both sides!
Support the nonviolent peacemakers in Israel & Palestine!
Join together with Palestinians, Israelis, Christians, Jews, Muslims and
secularists to affirm our solidarity with the Palestinians and Israelis who
are working to establish a true and lasting peace based on justice. Join us
as we demand changes in U.S. policy and call upon our leaders to be honest
brokers in pursuing a just resolution to this tragic conflict.
We will begin the Gathering Program at Ridgeland Commons Park at 12:15 with
a welcome message and opening program of speakers and performers. Following
the gathering program, we will step off on the Walk for a Just Peace on a
route approx. 1 mile in length in Oak Park. Then we will gather at Pilgrim
Congregational Church (460 W. Lake St.) for the Potluck Advocacy
Buffet/Program, featuring more great speakers, performance, food, music,
fellowship, and advocacy opportunities.
Speakers and performers for the rally and post-walk potluck:
Ali Abunimah: Co-founder of Electronic Intifada; vice-president of Arab
American Action Network; analyst, public speaker, and writer.
Eyas Alhoumouz: Co-founder of Al Awda; board member of Chicago Palestine
Film Festival.
Kevin Coval: Jewish poet and performance artist who has performed around
the world; member of the National Poetry Slam Team.
Avner Efendowicz: Yesh Gvul activist and reserve officer in the Israeli
army who refuses to serve in the Occupied Territories.
Emily Hauser: American-Israeli writer, published in a wide range of
Israeli and American publications since the early 1990's.
Jimmy Johnson: Researcher and organizer for the Israeli Committee Against
House Demolitions, recently returned from 5 months in Jerusalem and West
Bank.
Michael D. Levin: Extraordinary jazz wind player, appearing with the New
Quartet.
Mansour Aziz Mansour: Palestinian journalism student who organizes
nonviolent protest actions against construction of the separation barrier in
the West Bank.
Advocacy Buffet and Potluck: Please bring a potluck dish to share. Activism
requires all kinds of nourishment; we'll share the table as we share our
hopes.
Please Bring Signs and Banners: The organizers of this interfaith walk for
peace reject all anti-Jewish and anti-Arab language and symbols. We are
committed to nonviolence in word and deed and our goal is to stand against
all hatred and to give witness to the dream that all people of faith and of
secular commitment can come together in the cause of peace with justice in
Israel and Palestine.>
Information: Call (312) 427-2533 x18 or email
justpeace1@aol.com
Sponsoring Organizations:
(list in formation)
- American Friends Service Committee
- Bustan L'Shalom
- Church Network for Education on Palestine
- Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine
- Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine - Elmhurst Branch
- DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition
- End the Occupation Coalition - Northern Illinois
- International Solidarity Movement - Chicago Chapter
- Jewish-Muslim PeaceWalk
- Jewish Peace Fellowship
- National Lawyers Guild - Chicago Chapter
- Northern Illinois Conference End the Occupation Task Force
- Not in My Name
- Oak Park Club of the Communist Party
- Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice
- Pax Christi Illinois
- The Rebuilding Alliance
- St. Giles Family Mass Community Action for Justice Committee
- Social Action Committee of the Third Unitarian Church
- Students for Justice in Palestine (Univ. of Chicago)
- Support Sanity
- Tikkun - Chicago Chapter
- United Muslim Association of Oak Park
- U. S. Campaign to End the Occupation
- Visions of Peace with Justice in Israel/Palestine
- West Suburban NOW
Organized by the Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine.
Download a PDF Flyer
SUNDAY, MAY 15: GENERAL SYNOD ISSUE DISCUSSION MEETING
Every two years, the United Church of Christ comes together for a national gathering
called General Synod. This year's gathering will occur the first week of July in
Atlanta, GA. For five days, representatives from conferences and associations from
throughout the denomination pray, study, discuss, debate and discern how to best be
the church in this present day and age. A large amount of this time is spent
reflecting on several pronouncements and resolutions that both establish suggested
guidelines for the wider church as well as speak to the church about a variety of
social issues.
On Pentecost Sunday (May 15th) from 2:30pm - 5pm at Trinity Community Church UCC in
Berwyn (7022 Riverside Drive - a map can be found at
www.tccucc.com)
you are invited to hear more about these pronouncements and resolutions as well as
give feedback about these items to many of the General Synod delegates who will be
representing the Illinois Conference from the Chicago Metropolitan Association.
This year's resolutions and pronouncement are sure to engender a lot of discussion
and debate at General Synod. They include:
a resolution supporting marriage parity for same-sex couples
a resolution calling for disinvestment in Israel
a pronouncement that suggests multiple paths to ordination beyond just the traditional four years of undergraduate education and three years of seminary education
The goal of the meeting on the 15th will not be for the delegates to defend or disagree
with these resolutions but to simply present them and then hear your reflections.
They will take the feedback you give with them to Atlanta to be included as a part
of the discernment process that will take place there.
This year's synod is paper free so these resolutions will only be found on-line at
www.ucc.org/synod.
Although all the resolutions are not online yet, they are all scheduled to be as of
April 21st. Please bring copies of these resolutions with you on the 15th of May.
Doesn't it seem appropriate that, on the day we celebrate the "birthday of the church,"
we are also able to reflect on who God is calling our denomination to be in this time
and this place?
Peace, Mike
Rev. Michael Denton, Association Co-Minister for The Chicago Metropolitan Association of
The Illinois Conference of The United Church of Christ.
SATURDAY, MAY 14: CTS COMMENCEMENT
This year's Commencement. to be held at Hyde Park Union Church in Chicago, is part of
the Seminary's 150th anniversary being celebrated all year long under the theme:
Making New History..
Throughout the year there will be a series of events and projects highlighting
various key individuals, stories and other aspects of CTS' history, as well as
lifting up the present day commitments and goals of the seminary.
CTS was founded in 1855 by the Congregational churches of seven Midwestern states to
train pastors for ministry on the new frontier. CTS continues to prepare women and men
to preach, teach and lead today's congregations to do God's greater justice and mercy.
For more information on the 150th Anniversary events and interesting highlights from
150 years of Making New History, visit the CTS website at:
www.ctschicago.edu.
Chicago Theological Seminary
5757 S. University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
773-322-0200
Chicago Theological Seminary
Annual Castañeda Lecture
Thursday, May 12, 2005, 5:30 pm
The Rev. Dr. Joanne Marie Terrell, associate professor of ethics and theology, will
be the speaker for this year's Castañeda Lecture at CTS. Her topic is Straight
Up on the Down Low: African American Women and HIV/AIDS. The Lecture will take
place in the Graham Taylor Chapel at Chicago Theological Seminary
5757 S. University Av, Chicago, IL 60637; 773-322-0200
AFSC Chicago: Annual Event
Thursday, May 12th, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Chicago Office of the American Friends Service Committee will be presenting
their Speaking Truth to Power award to Rev. Calvin Morris of the Community
Renewal Society, and to Charlie Richardson and Nancy Lessin, founders of Military
Families Speak Out. Come enjoy great food and live music from the Michael Levin
Trio and bid on fabulous silent auction items.
Location: Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox (just off the Wilson exit of
the Edens Expy.)
Contact: Will Benton 312-427-2533 or
wbenton@afsc.org
SATURDAY, MAY 7: CMA SPRING MEETING
CMA's Spring Business Meeting will be held at First Baptist Congregational Church,
1613 West Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612 (312-243-8047)
Saturday, May 7, 2005 - beginning at 8:00 AM
The meeting will include:
Election and installation of new council and committee members;
Reception of a new church into CMA;
A proposal from the Association Council to revise the CMA Constitution and Bylaws;
A resolution from the Church in Society Committee to form a task force to study a new
reorganization plan being considered by the Illinois Conference which would abolish the
five associations including CMA and transfer all functions and powers to the conference.
Our worship service will feature The Rev. George Daniels, Senior Pastor of First Baptist
Congregational Church, as preacher.
We will also acknowledge and celebrate the history of our host church. Chicago Theological
Seminary was founded there 150 years ago, The Community Renewal Society and many African American
educational institutions were also founded at this church. The First Baptist Congregational
building was a part of the Underground Railroad. The church contains the largest enclosed
pipe organ ever made. For more information about our host church and its history visit
their website.
The afternoon before the meeting, CMA will host an Open House Reception in honor of
The Rev. Elizabeth Bueschel on the occasion of her retirement as In Care Consultant to
CMA and to express our appreciation for her many contributions to the life of our Association.
The reception will be Friday, May 6, 2005, between 3:00 and 6:00 pm, at the CMA offices at
332 South Michigan Ave, Suite 510, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Please RSVP to CMA by May 3rd
at 312-939-5918 or by email to: cma@cmaucc.org.
Everyone is welcome at the meeting. We especially encourage laypersons to be part of
this historic event. For the business session, each CMA church may have two voting
lay delegates. All ordained, commissioned and licensed ministers with CMA standing may vote.
Our meeting will begin with registration and continental breakfast at 8:00 am and end
after lunch. The registration fee of $15 ($5 for CMA In Care) includes breakfast,
snacks and lunch.
A registration form has been mailed to all churches, clergy and
friends in CMA and is also available for download below. Please register only one
person per form, making copies as needed. Early registration will be appreciated;
deadline is April 22nd.
Download information about the meeting here:
Official Call Letter
Registration Form
Directions to Meeting
Invitation to Reception
Re-organization Resolution
Cover Memo for Proposed Revised Constitution
Index for Proposed Revised Constitution
Proposed Revised Constitution
Linda Jaramillo Nominated
(archived 5/5/05)
Ms. Linda Jaramillo has been identified as the candidate of the Search Committee
to fill the position of Executive Minister for the UCC National Justice and
Witness Ministries Office in Cleveland The Executive Committee reviewed
the Search Committee’s work and affirmed its selection of Linda as the candidate
to forward to the Board for confirmation.
The full Board will consider Linda’s selection when they meet just prior to the
General Synod in Atlanta. If approved, Linda will become the nominee to be
presented to the Synod for call by election as Executive Minister of Justice and
Witness Ministries and as an Officer of the United Church of Christ. If elected,
she will begin her service on October 1.
Linda Jaramillo is a distinguished member of the United Church of Christ, serving
in a number of leadership capacities. She has been a delegate to and assistant
moderator of the General Synod, a member of the Executive Council and the Board
of the Office of General Ministries, President of the Council for Hispanic Ministries,
Co-Convener of COREM, and a member of the Boards of the Commission for Racial
Justice and the Coordinating Center for Women in Church and Society. She has
served as Moderator of the Central Pacific Conference and as moderator of Ainsworth
United Church of Christ in Portland where she is a member. Currently Linda is
a student at Pacific School of Religion. In her professional life she has extensive
management experience in state and country funded programs in Head Start, migrant
services, Hispanic services, violence prevention, and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
Theatre Performance Benefits Wellington UCC
Once again Wellington will be teaming up with the TimeLine Theatre for a benefit
performance of their next production. You won't want to miss the world premier of
"Martin Furey's Shot" by Chicagoan Maureen Gallagher.
Date: Wednesday, May 4; Performance begins at 8:00pm; a reception will follow
Suggested donation: $35
For reservations contact: Barb England at 773-764-7142 or by email at:
b.england@sbcglobal.net
Written by veteran Chicago actor Maureen Gallagher, MARTIN FUREY'S SHOT takes us
into the life and work of a photojournalist as he moves between his home in Chicago
and the violence of the war zones he covers. Martin tries to balance the horrors
he has seen in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and pre-election South Africa with the
normalcy he is expected to return to with his family and girlfriend. With his
fellow photographers, Martin captures the struggles and dreams of a nation awaiting
Nelson Mandela even as his own life falls apart.
All proceeds will benefit the mission and programs of the Wellington Avenue United
Church of Christ. WAUCC is an open and affirming congregation, supporting work of
social justice globally and locally.
Pay Parking Available:
- Illinois Masonic Medical Center - 836 W. Wellington (3 blocks west)
- Mid-City Parking - 3118 N. Broadway (2 blocks north)
Nominations for General Synod Awards
The UCC Justice and Witness Ministries is seeking nominations for General Synod awards.
At this year's UCC General Synod XXV in Atlanta, GA (July 1-5), the Board of Directors of
Justice and Witness Ministries will present five awards at our JWM Dinner to individuals
who have done exemplary work in the area of justice. The five award categories are:
Local Church
Clergy
Laity
Grass Roots Organization
Youth/Young Adult.
If you know a church, grass roots organization and/or a person who has done commendable
work for peace and justice, fill out a nomination form and send it to:
Amritha Perumalla
Email: perumala@ucc.org
Fax: 1-202-543-5994
To download a PDF version of the nomination form to print and fax,
click here.
Nomination forms are due by May 1st; award recipients will be announced by May 15th.
Fine Arts for Kids of Logan Square
Spring Gala Benefit May Day Celebration
When: Sunday, May 1st 2005, 5:00 to 8:00PM
Where: Glade Memorial Hall, 2640 W. Altgeld, Chicago
Admission: $25 Donation Tickets
Info: 773.782.9471
Complimentary beverages and hors d'oeuvres will be served. The gala will feature a
silent auction and an exhibition of student artwork. There will also be performances
by student and invited artists and Vaudeville Underground.
Come join us as we celebrate the work of our kids and raise funds for our program and
for facility improvements for our host partner, Nazareth UCC in Chicago.
For more information, take a look at our
Flyer
SUNDAY, MAY 1: WORSHIP ALIVE! WORKSHOP
Worship Alive! continues its tradition of bringing some of the very best worship
practitioners and trainers from around the world to Chicago area churches.
This workshop is entitled Altar-ing the World with Dr. Heather Murray Elkins
and it will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2005 at the United Church of Rogers Park in Chicago.
Altar-ing the World is a process of transformation that takes place whenever we
encounter the Holy in the ordinary and our human experience is altered. To lift up
commonplace things for holy use requires a willing to practice the four-fold action
of a sacramental life: to lay hands on the created world and lift it up, to bless God,
to break open the meaning, to share the mystery. Together we will explore how we do
this together in congregational worship.
Dr. Heather Murray Elkins is associate professor of worship and liturgical studies at
The Theological School and Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University.
She began her teaching career as an instructor in the first bi-lingual independent
school on the Navaho Reservation. During her pastoral career she served as a local
church pastor, a truck stop chaplain, a university chaplain, and an academic dean.
She has written Worshiping Women: Reforming God's People for Praise (Abingdon) and
co-edited Word, Table, and Song: Essays in Celebration of Howard Hageman, (Scarecrow
Press). She is presently working on Tangible Evangelism: Getting Our Hands on Good
News and Buying the Farm: Appalachian Stories, Sermons, and Structures and a book
with Kathy Black on Wising Up: Women, Ritual and Aging.
This workshop is part of the Worship Alive! workshop series that provides resources
and training in multicultural worship for justice-seeking congregations. Plan to bring
a group of persons from your congregation.
More information on Worship Alive! workshops is available on the United Church of Rogers
Park's web site.
To receive a brochure or ask any questions contact Mark Bowman, Worship Alive! Coordinator,
at 773-316-8892 or at worshipalive@comcast.net.
Note that registration costs will be the same as last year: $100 for all 4 workshops;
$35 for one workshop in advance & $45 at the door; a group of 3 or more persons from
the same congregation or seminary can take at 20% discount.
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