Women Making a Difference was the theme of the 77th Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Women of the UCC, held May 7 at the First Congregational Church of Cheshire. Thirty-five girls of the United Girls' Choir (Elm City Choir) opened the meeting with their beautiful voices. In her keynote address, Rev. Delle McCormick, minister of Church Life and Leadership of the Barrington, Rhode Island Congregational Church told of her work with the women in Mexico.
And they asked, "When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick, and in prison, and ministered to you, and Jesus answered, even as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me."
Thirty women of the State Board gather at the UCC Conference Center on the first Tuesday of each month to worship, study and plan for carrying out the work of the CT Women. The meeting opens with the lighting of the Spirit Candle, a tradition started by past president, Sue Waldron, and is followed by this song, which suggests our Christian congeniality within our diversity.
Bless be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love We Worship, we Study and Service we render With blessings from our God above.
This year the focus of the State Board has been three fold. The Study team presented the Mosaic Series, "Sisters Born of Hope, American Indian Women in the UCC", a study suggested by the UCC National Women's Ministry. Native American women have been heard at gatherings of CT Women District meetings, and in March the Study team of the State Board sponsored a guided tour at the Pequot Indian Museum.
Our Program and Resources team continues to investigate methods by which we can make a difference in our inner city schools.
At the suggestion of Kathy Burton of Church World Service, the Service Team accepted the Challenge of promoting a "Safe School" Project in Kenya. The State Board agreed to the goal $15,000 to assist the Wangu School in the slums of Nairobi, one of ten schools that are a part of the African Initiative of CWS. The Wangu School has nearly 2,000 students, with 80 to 100 students per room. Like so many schools in Africa, there are few desks or chairs, books or other teaching aids, no plumbing facilities or clean water. The children often come to school hungry, yet they come to learn.
This year, our antiquated by-laws of the organization were revised and updated. The Board held a one-day planning Retreat/Share In at the South Congregational/First Baptist Church of New Britain last September, a potluck Christmas lunch at the Conference office in December, with the conference staff as our guests, and a second Retreat/Share In in June, this time at the First Congregational Church of Andover.
God is still speaking, and the Connecticut Women of the United Church of Christ are listening as we continue to accept the challenge of faithful lives as Women Making a Difference in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
