Current Issue |
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Staff |
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Eric S. Anderson Minister of Communications and Technology 860.761.7102 webmaster@ctucc.org |
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Drew Page Media Assistant 860.233.5564 drewp@ctucc.org |
WINDSOR -- You never know where a relationship will take you. In the case of the First Church in Windsor UCC, a partnership with the Farmington River Watershed Association is taking the congregation of 500 members into a significant riverfront cleanup project as part of Mission 4/1 Earth. "Our church overlooks the river, and our property goes right down to the river," said the Rev. Rick Huleatt, senior pastor of one of the oldest churches in the country. "So we decided -- what can we do to help?" 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- The Connecticut Conference Minister Search Committee and Board of Directors announced March 4th the recommendation of the Rev. Kent Siladi, the Florida Conference Minister and a former Regional Minister in Connecticut, to be the next Conference Minister. The Conference will hold a Special Meeting on April 20th at the First Church of Christ in New Britain, at which time Conference ministers and delegates will be asked to formally vote to extend the call to him. 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- The Wildman Farm was known throughout its region as a successful and efficient operation. Location, weather and soil favored the reliable production of the corn, oats, soybeans, and livestock typical of the Upper Midwest. In one challenging year, my grandfather declared, "We've always had a crop. 'Guess we always will." The 2012 growing season strongly challenged my grandfather's assumption. 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- If you're not distracted by the moustache in my photo, you'll notice the glasses. I've worn corrective lenses since I was six. My parents knew they needed to have my eyes checked because, when the family took car trips, I stopped announcing the exits on the highway. I couldn't read the signs. 04/12/2013
WOODSTOCK -- The First Congregational Church UCC of Woodstock (Hill Church) will culminate fifty days of earth care with a celebration concert of the Missa Gaia/Earth Mass by Paul Winter on Sunday, May 19. "This is a wonderful piece that incorporates calls of wolves, whales, and other animals into the music," said choir director Ted Bradley. "It's a perfect way to wrap up our seven week focus on earth care!" 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- Did you know that there is an active Green Movement in our Connecticut Conference churches? It takes various shapes and forms. In some churches it has been a part of the congregational landscape for a long time, while in others it is a brand new phenomenon. 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- Among the stories of congregational plans for Earth care during the 50 great days of Mission 4/1 Earth, there are these: 04/12/2013
GLASTONBURY -- In this edition of Youth Speak, Connecticut Conference Media Assistant Drew Page interviews Piper Swinton, age 15, from the South Glastonbury Congregational Church UCC, Glastonbury. 04/12/2013
GRANBY -- Granby, Connecticut. Forty-one square miles of rural beauty. A town where over one-quarter of the land will be forever preserved as open space. A community where, according to some local folklorists, horses and cows outnumber people. It's no wonder, then, that the members of the First Congregational Church UCC of Granby have embraced Mission 4/1 Earth in a big way. 04/12/2013
LEDYARD -- For sure, children can be excused for thinking that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. But when young adults have similar issues, this is of concern to all of us. Last year an organization called LEAF (which stands for Linking Environment and Farming) did a survey in the United Kingdom. They questioned 2,000 16-23 year olds. These young adults were asked to match up images of staple foods -- such as milk, butter, bacon, and oil (in the UK bacon and butter are staple foods) -- with where those foods come from. Four out of ten young adults did not connect milk as coming from cows. 04/12/2013
LEDYARD -- On a Sunday in February, the First Congregational Church UCC of Ledyard hosted the first in a series of educational events on genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food and GMO labeling practices. This discussion was sponsored by the Connecticut Conference's Environmental Ministry Team as part of their efforts to fulfill a resolution calling for the study of GMO labeling passed at the 145th Annual Meeting of the Conference last October. 04/12/2013
COLUMBIA -- In an effort toward environmental awareness, Columbia Congregational Church has been looking at God's world in a number of ways leading up to and including the Mission 4/1 Earth campaign. Some are continuing, some completed, and others still in the planning stages. 04/12/2013
HARTFORD -- Because I drive a lot in the course of my job as Associate Conference Minister for Generosity Ministries for the Connecticut Conference, I hear a lot of news radio -- both the actual news shows and the commentary that fills the time slots in between. 04/12/2013
SHARON -- Environmental stewardship is not a new idea at Silver Lake Conference Center. At the beginning of each week during the summer, and on Friday nights for our weekend guests, we ask our friends staying with us here in God's Backyard to be conscious of their energy use. If you're the last one out of the room, turn off the light. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Use just one paper towel to dry your hands. Start out with a smaller portion of food to avoid waste. You can always take seconds! 04/12/2013
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