Call to the Fall Annual Meeting

September 10, 2008

To: Lay Delegates from Local Churches
Youth Delegates from Local Churches
All Authorized Ministers of the Conference
All Officers of the Conference
Moderators of Associations
Former Moderators of the Annual Meetings
Board of Directors and Committees Named in the Bylaws

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

This comes to you as the Call to the Fall Annual Meeting (Part II of the One Hundred Forty-first Annual Meeting) of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ (Connecticut Conference of the Congregational Christian Churches) to be held at

Central High School
1 Lincoln Boulevard, Bridgeport
Friday, Saturday: October 17-18, 2008

The meeting is hosted by the churches and ministers of the Fairfield East Association. This is the second and final mailing on the Annual Meeting.

Remember that all sessions are open to registered visitors as well as delegates, so be sure to tell others about the events of the two days! Our theme for the meeting is “Nurturing Generosity.” The Keynote Speaker will be The Rev. Stephen Gray, Conference Minister of the Indiana Kentucky Conference. Rev. Gray has served as Associate Conference Minister in the Penn Northeast Conference and the Massachusetts Conference. He has also served on the staff of the National Setting of the United Church of Christ. In addition to his Conference Minister duties he is the chair of the Development Committee of the Council of Conference Ministers. One of his passions in ministry is a theology of abundance and a conviction about the power of giving to transform our lives.

Registration is available on-line here. Pre-registration for meals must be received no later than Sunday, October 12 online and Friday, October 10 by mail.

Registration will begin at 4:00 pm at Central High School. Those attending the Authorized Ministers’ Lunch may register before that event for the Annual Meeting. There will be two Informational Hearings on Friday afternoon, a reception hosted by Hartford Seminary in honor of their 175th Anniversary, and dinner will be at 5:15. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm. The Conference Minister’s Address will be at 8 PM.

Hospitality: Please check our website (www.ctucc.org) for information about child care, special needs and bed-and-breakfast arrangements.

Ordained ministers celebrating their 50th and 25th anniversaries of ordination will be honored at the Friday clergy luncheon at United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, 877 Park Avenue, Bridgeport.

A Worship Committee, led by our Conference Preacher and Chaplain, the Rev. Peter Allen of Monroe, has planned our worship experiences. We invite members from congregations of area churches to attend the major celebrative worship service on Saturday afternoon at 1:15 PM. Included in this service will be the Installation of The Rev. Da Vita McCallister as Associate Conference Minister for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Offerings will be received at the at the Friday evening worship service for Silver Lake Conference Center scholarships, and at the Saturday afternoon worship service for Challenged Conferences of the United Church of Christ.

The following business will be discussed and acted upon:

1. Actions Recommended by the Board of Directors of the Conference
   1. Consent Agenda
      Our Board of Directors uses a method in their meetings called the “Consent Agenda.” Attached to this Call are the items on the Consent Agenda with an explanation about a Consent Agenda.
   2. Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM)
      OCWM Goal for 2009
      Suggested Action: Upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Conference adopts a Basic Mission Support Goal of $2,201,680 for 2009.
   3. Distribution of Monies
      Suggested Action:
      Upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Conference adopts the following distribution of monies received for the Connecticut Conference and the ministries of the United Church of Christ during 2009:
      1. Basic Mission Support monies to be divided on the basis of 37% for the Conference and 63% to the United Church of Christ nationally for distribution among the ministries according to the payment schedule adopted by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ;
      2. Investment income to be used entirely for Conference work unless otherwise stipulated by the donor;
      3. Special support, capital and emergency appeal monies to be designated entirely to the purposes for which they were authorized.
   4. Per Capita Contributions
      Suggested Action:
      The Board of Directors recommends to the Conference that per capita contributions for 2009 be increased to $6 per member to be used entirely for Conference work.
   5. The budgets will be adopted for 2009. The budgets will be presented and acted upon on Saturday.
      1. Proposed 2009 Budget for the Missionary Society of Connecticut
         Suggested Action: Upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Conference adopts the 2009 Proposed Budget of $4,205,292 for the Missionary Society of CT, and the Conference grants to the Society the privilege of revising the budget during the year as funds are available and needs arise.
      2. Proposed 2009 Budget for the Trustees of the Fund for Ministers
         Suggested Action: Upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Conference adopts the 2009 Proposed budget of $542,238 for the Trustees of the Fund for Ministers, and the Conference grants to the Trustees the privilege of revising the budget during the year as funds are available and needs arise.
2. Resolutions and such other actions that may come before the meeting.

When we assemble at Central High School we will be the Body of Christ worshipping, praying, deliberating, and making a witness to Jesus Christ. Come prayerfully, thoughtfully, and enthusiastically to seek God’s wisdom for our common mission as the United Church of Christ in Connecticut.

Sincerely in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree
Conference Minister

Enclosures:

• Consent Agenda (PDF)
• “What’s Happening?” (HTML | PDF)
• Proposed 2009 Budget for the Missionary Society of CT (PDF), and Proposed 2009 Budget for the Trustees of the Fund for Ministers (PDF)
• Per Capita Memo (HTML | PDF)
• Bylaws Revision (PDF)
• List of Ordained Ministers celebrating 50/25 years of ordination (PDF)
• Hospitality Flyer (HTML | PDF)
• Flyer on Authorized Ministers’ Event (PDF)
• Hotel flyer (PDF)
• Directions to Central High School and United Congregational Church of Bridgeport (HTML | PDF)
• Registration and Meal Reservation Form (PDF)