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| Jim Morgan |
The Wider Church Ministry office covers many fronts. I suppose that’s what makes it “wider.” Mission Interpretation and Communications, as well as Conference staff liaison to our Disaster Response Committee, Korean and Colombian Partnerships and Wider Church Ministry Team are all part of the job. Here are just a few of the year’s highlights.
Mission Interpretation includes visiting with local churches to help them better understand our stewardship of the financial resources they share with the Conference and national settings of the church through their giving to Our Church’s Wide Mission (OCWM). I invite you to call on me for such a visit with your church.
2006 was a very heartening year for OCWM in Connecticut, as we received more than seven percent above projected contributions. This giving allowed us to share an additional $100,000 with the national setting. As you read through this Annual Report, please remember that much of what you see described and what we do as we “walk with” local churches in your name as the Connecticut Conference of the UCC is made possible by your giving to OCWM.
Along with the bi-monthly production of ConnTact and regular issues of Conference Call, the communication front saw an exciting initiative linked to the UCC’s golden anniversary celebration. Drawing on writers from across the denomination, we produced a series of 37 worship bulletin inserts, featuring reflections addressing the UCC’s history and heritage, our theological roots, our mission and ministry legacy and the unique polity of the United Church of Christ. We hope they opened discussion and celebration in your church of who we are today and what our witness stands for.
Disaster Response continues to be an important part of my work. In the past year, our commitment to relationship with three partners along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has deepened and strengthened. Back Bay Mission was the site of 23 separate mission trips from our congregations, and some churches are signed up for trips as far ahead as 2009. We also were able to raise funds to help fulfill our second year’s commitment of $30,000 to support the ministry of Central Congregational Church (CCC) in New Orleans. And many churches continue to send work teams to Florida, where need remains following hurricanes of 2004. The volunteer leadership of the teams focused on Back Bay, CCC and the Florida Conference of the UCC has joined together to develop an Ambassadors program equipped to inform local churches about how they can help. A DVD, “Helping Hands, Healing Hearts” was produced by Conference staff to support this outreach. Your prayers, funds and labor continue to make a difference as we respond together to our Christian call to witness and mission accompaniment.
