February 1, 2022 Community Connections
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Sharing Endeavors
Rev. Arthur Ritter, Moderator
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We are getting closer to our June Annual Meeting and Conference and plans are falling into place. The theme of this year’s meeting is “The Daring Endeavor of Being Church.” Using that theme, what were once known as workshops will be called “Sharing Endeavors.” Delegates and attendees will have the opportunity to attend Sharing Endeavors to learn, to share, and to take back promising ideas to their churches.
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Our Sharing Endeavors will include sessions led by our speakers, Debie Thomas: The Story We Live In, and Justin Berkobien: Cultivating Missional Intelligence. We are partnering with the Interim Ministry Network for presentations on holy church transitions and “Stuck on Pause.” The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving will present a plenary session on “Engaging the Shifting Landscape of Religious Generosity.” Other Sharing Endeavors will focus on Music, Technology, and Church Culture.
Make your calendar and make your plans to join us in Brookfield, WI, June 24-27.
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We Are Grateful
Jodee Lord, Vice-Moderator, Chair, Board of Directors
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On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your bountiful support and generosity to the Shared Ministries Fund.
Your donations help with the daily operations of the NACCC, making it possible to provide valuable programs and services to local churches.
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The NACCC fiscal year ends on March 31st. There is still time for your church to make its annual contribution to the Shared Ministries Fund. As of today, 59% of our churches have made a contribution. A reminder letter was mailed in January and a follow-up call will be made to those churches that haven’t yet given.
We are grateful to each of you and look forward to continuing working with you in the Congregational Way.
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Beyond the Chili - For the Common Good
Laura Hamby, President, Congregational Foundation Board of Governors
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Mission: The Congregational Foundation supports the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, its ministries and programs, through a commitment to current donors and development of prospective donors.
Our church is one of ten faith communities that come together to support those without homes in our area. Our primary revenue is an annual chili cook-off. There’s plenty of chili, cornbread, beverages, live music, fun, and good-natured competition. Beyond the chili, there is a fellowship and goodwill, fueled by the common cause of serving people in our community. Nothing beats the feeling of coming together in love.
The Fair Share campaign is similar. Churches come together to provide educational programs, church resources, fellowship opportunities, mission opportunities, and administrative support for Congregational churches. I know churches where people look forward the call for Fair Share. Individuals give their Fair Share and many give extra, to see if their church total this year meets or bests last year’s total. The Foundation invites you and your church to accept the challenge, the responsibility to go beyond the giving, where there is the common cause of serving people in our NACCC. Nothing beats the feeling of coming together in love.
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Carrie Dahm, Meeting Planner, Vendor Manager, and Assistant to the Executive Director, completed her long tenure with the NACCC on January 31. Graciously and efficiently, for nearly three decades, Carrie supported the Association through multiple transitions in our volunteer leadership structure. She worked with seven executive secretaries/directors and oversaw arrangements for 25 annual meetings in 16 states and virtually. As our Leadership Team considers ways to recognize Carrie’s myriad contributions to the NACCC, we offer our gratitude and wish her Godspeed.
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January included a long weekend in Phoenix, Arizona where I worshipped at Congregational Church of the Valley in Chandler and enjoyed a meal with the minister and three members of the Congregational Church of Sun City. These two congregations are in tune with each other and make life richer for their neighbors in the Valley of the Sun.
Follow along on the Listening Tour Page
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Our Contact Information
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
8473 S. Howell Ave
PO Box 288
Oak Creek, WI 53154
(414) 764-1620
http://www.naccc.org
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