Annual Meeting Events

A Thumbnail Guide to Annual Meeting

[More Complete Guide]

Friday

1:00 p.m. Authorized Ministry Event: "Nourishing the Spiritual Life of your Congregation"
3:00 p.m. Registration & Displays Open
4:00 p.m. Reception for 25/50 year ordinands
5:00 p.m. Buffet Dinner
6:00 p.m. Hearings on Resolutions
6:45 p.m. Orientation of Delegates
7:00 p.m. Call to Order
8:05 p.m. Conference Minister's Address
9:00 p.m. Fellowship Reception sponsored by our Seminaries

Saturday

All day - Youth Mission Event
8:15 a.m. Registration & exhibits open
8:30 a.m. Orientation of newly registered delegates
9:00 a.m. Call to Order
10:00 a.m. Budget Presentation
Noon Women's Fellowship Luncheon
1:00 p.m. Seminars
4:00 p.m. Prayer at the Amistad
5:45 p.m. Dinner
6:45 p.m. Call to Order
8:00 p.m. Conversation with Davida
9:00 p.m. Congregational Café Coffee House

Sunday

9:00 a.m. Call to Order
9:30 a.m. Silver Lake Report, Action on the Budgets
1:30 p.m. Hymn Sing
1:45 p.m. Festival Worship, Communion and Installation of Officers

Blessing the new Amistad

On Saturday afternoon, we will all travel to Mystic Seaport to offer our Conference's blessing on the replica of the Amistad, now approaching launch time.

Buses will carry us directly from our workshops (or from Ocean Beach Park) to Mystic and then bring us back to Ocean Beach for dinner. No private cars will be able to go to Mystic because they are having a special event which will use up all their parking. Free admission will only be available to those riding in our buses.

Amistad under construction Construction of the Amistad is expected to be finished in the spring of 2000. When it is finished, the Amistad will be an educational ambassador, teaching lessons of history, cooperation and leadership to Americans of all ages, interests and cultural backgrounds in the many ports she will visit.

In 1839, the original Amistad, a slaver, was overtaken by a group of Africans, led by Cinque. Kidnapped from their homes in the area of Sierra Leone, the Africans ended up on trial for their lives in New Haven. Members of our churches in New Haven supported them, and their defense was ably organized by Congregationalists Simeon Jocelyn, Roger Sherman Baldwin, Lewis Tappan and John Quincy Adams. When the Mendi won their freedom, the members of First Church, Farmington and what is now Faith Congregational, Hartford, and the leadership of James W. C. Pennington, Faith's pastor, among others, helped the Africans eventually return to their homes in Africa.

Annual Meeting is Fellowship. . .

And we are planning some great times to get together...

Friday Night:

For the second year, the Seminaries of the UCC in New England will be sponsoring a reception following the Friday business session. Plan to stay around, meet and greet, schmooze and check out the displays.

Saturday Night:

A Coffee House is being planned by Drew Willard, associate pastor of the Mystic Congregational Church. Check with Drew (860-536-4259) if you'd like to perform.

Meal Times:

You can eat in the main room, right at the table where we do our work, or you can sit in the display area with some new friends, or (weather permitting) you can go outside on the boardwalk. No matter where you eat, mealtime is a great time to get to know folks from all parts of our Conference.

There Are Going to be Workshops, Too

(or are they seminars?)

Well, whatever they're called, they are opportunities for us to get together, learn, and just be with one another.

Again this year, we also will offer the option of taking some time to relax and meditate on all you've seen and heard so far in the meeting.

Workshops (or seminars) are still in the process of being developed. Here is a preliminary list:

Women's Fellowship Event
UCC 101
Boston Seafarer's Society
Making Prayer Shawls
Refugee Resettlement
Paper Cutting Tapestries
Shifting Models of Ministry
Partnership with Columbia
Adult and Family Literacy: Simple Tools, Winning Strategies
A Walking Tour of New London
Arts and Ministry
Train-watching
Visiting the Connecticut College Arboretum
Partnership with the PROK

More workshops coming! For full details watch this site, or see the next Delegate mailing.

All Workshops will take place following our box lunch on the beach. Buses will take us to workshop locations, and then from the workshop sites directly to the Amistad celebration at Mystic Seaport. No private cars will be able to go to Mystic Seaport, due to a special event there, no parking is available. Free admission will only be available to those riding in our buses.

Youth in Mission at Annual Meeting!
Y'all Come. . .

Calling All Youth! Youth of our Conference will gather in New London on Saturday, October 16, to spend the day in one of several work projects.

Young people are invited to sign up for a day working with Habitat for Humanity, or with a local meal site, or at Mystic Seaport.

After a day of service, you will join the rest of the Conference to dedicate the new Amistad with prayer, eat dinner, and share what you've done with all the delegates.

For more information, contact Merrillyn Garcia, Specialist in Youth Ministry, 860-233-5564 ext 709 or merrillyng@ctconfucc.org

The Third Annual Resourcing Event for Authorized Ministers

Nourishing the Spiritual Life of Your Congregation

Friday, October 15, 1999
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

led by The Rev. Alice Mann, Alban Institute Consultant

Location: to be announced
Registration Fee: $10

Attend this event and then stay for the reception honoring those who have been ordained 25/50 years.

You are Invited

to a reception celebrating 25/50 years of ordained service

4:00 P.M., Friday, October 15

Location to be announced

Ordained Fifty Years: Zdenek F. Bednar, J. Stanton Conover, Robert L. Edwards, Rafael Garcia-Mely, William L. Graffam, Ernest S. Heeren, John I. Samsvick, J. Gorman Smith III, Willard E. Thomen

Ordained Twenty-five Years: Chester C. Copeland, Laurie W. Etter, Genia M. Haddon, Frank P. Haggard, Hartford C. Inlow, Mary-Lynn Ogletree, Richard C. Sears, Anthony P. Szilagyi, Jr., John A. Thursby

Women's Luncheon

Sponsored by The Connecticut Women of the United Church of Christ

When: 12:00 noon, Saturday, October 16th

Where: First Congregational Church of New London, 66 Union Street, New London, CT

Speaker: The Rev. Marti McMane, singer/storyteller

"Stories to Stir the Soul"

Please check the box next to "Connecticut Women's Luncheon" on your Conference Annual Meeting Meal Registration form.

The cost for a box lunch will be $9.00; bus transportation will be provided. Plan to board the bus from Ocean Beach to First Church promptly at 11:45 a.m.

Annual Meeting Index: