The Occupy Movement: A Prayer of Confession and Commitment |
Justice Resources |
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Connecticut Conference staff composed and circulated this prayer in solidarity with the Occupy movement in October, 2011. |
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Click here to download or view "The Occupy Movement: A Prayer of Confession and Commitment" |
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Resources for Thinking About Working for God Sunday 2011 (Word version) |
Youth Ministry |
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All congregations within the Connecticut Conference are invited to Celebrate TAWFG Sunday. We have selected October 9th but you can feel free to choose any Sunday within the month of October to celebrate. This document includes ideas for churches which have young people considering a vocation, and ideas for those who do not at this time, as well as elements to use in Sunday worship. |
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General Association 2011 Moderator's Address |
Interfaith and Ecumenical Resources |
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The Rev. Laura Westby's address to the 2011 General Association, on the theme of new directions for the Church in a changing culture. |
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Click here to download or view "General Association 2011 Moderator's Address" |
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Resources for Thinking About Working for God Sunday 2011 (PDF version) |
Youth Ministry |
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All congregations within the Connecticut Conference are invited to Celebrate TAWFG Sunday. We have selected October 9th but you can feel free to choose any Sunday within the month of October to celebrate. This document includes ideas for churches which have young people considering a vocation, and ideas for those who do not at this time, as well as elements to use in Sunday worship. |
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New Beginnings Application |
Church Leadership Development |
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Application for congregations considering a New Beginnings Assessement |
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Crossroads: New Beginnings Brochure |
Church Leadership Development |
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Information about Crossroads New Beginnings Assessment process. |
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Click here to download or view "Crossroads: New Beginnings Brochure" |
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MissionInsite: Community Information for CTUCC Churches |
Church Leadership Development |
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MissionInsite is a community information tool available to congregations of the Connecticut Conference UCC. |
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Click here to download or view "MissionInsite: Community Information for CTUCC Churches" |
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Planning a Missionary Visit in Your Congregation |
Global Concerns |
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For local congregations requesting or receiving a missionary visit. Having a missionary come to your church can be an exciting opportunity to educate the congregation about what's happening in global mission through the Global Ministries missionaries that you support. Some intentional planning makes the experience a memorable one for all. |
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Click here to download or view "Planning a Missionary Visit in Your Congregation" |
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Connecticut Conference Clergy and Lay Professional Enrichment Grants Program |
Church Leadership Development |
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The Clergy and Lay -- Professional Enrichment Grants Program is a grant program of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ. Under the conditions of the gift, the Connecticut Conference will award grants to clergy and lay professionals serving local churches, including interim pastors, for the purposes of continuing education, professional enrichment, spiritual refreshment, self-care, and related activities. The particular focus of the grant money will be individuals serving in situations where continuing education dollars may be limited or where other factors hinder the clergy or lay professional from being able to participate in professional enrichment activities. |
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Facebook for Churches: the Care and Feeding of a Page |
Arts and Expression |
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A few years ago, a church needed a website to be "found" in the real world as well. With 51% of Americans using Facebook, a local church needs a presence there, too, to be discovered in the real world. This guide covers the creation and use Facebook's Page feature, which gives churches that place and presence. |
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Click here to download or view "Facebook for Churches: the Care and Feeding of a Page" |
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Local Church Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Guidelines |
Church Administration |
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The United Church of Christ local churches may use this plan as a guide when preparing their own disaster plans to guide emergency actions prior to, during and after any emergency. Preplanning is the key to being ready for any disaster. The steps taken before and immediately after an event will have a positive effect on how the members of your congregation respond in the event of a disaster. Many hazards do not lend themselves to prior notice. Therefore, this plan will address both prior notice events and no notice events. Realizing that each of our member churches is different, this document provides guidance to help you formalize your congregation's plan. |
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Click here to download or view "Local Church Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Guidelines" |
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2011 Pastors' Salary Guidelines |
Church Administration |
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This resource, approved in September 2011 by the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors, provides local church leaders with useful guidelines to determine a pastor's compensation. It recommends a minimum annual salary of $37,500 for full-time pastors, with formulae to increase the amount based on years of experience and the membership of the church. There are also guidelines for the compensation of associate pastors as well as consideration of housing, insurance, and professional expense issues. |
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Click here to download or view "2011 Pastors' Salary Guidelines" |
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2011 Address of the Conference Minister |
Conference Life |
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Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman's address to the Fall 2011 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference. |
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Click here to download or view "2011 Address of the Conference Minister" |
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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2011 |
Conference Life |
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This description of the Conference's activities in 2011 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members. |
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Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2011" |
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Christian Educators Salary Guidelines (CAUCE) |
Church Administration |
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The Connecticut chapter of the Association for United Church Educators (CAUCE) has prepared this compensation recommendation for full and part time Christian Educators employed by local churches. |
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Click here to download or view "Christian Educators Salary Guidelines (CAUCE)" |
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Internet Safety Guidelines |
Church Leadership Development |
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Authored by a team of Connecticut Conference web and youth workers, this document offers guidelines and foundational questions for local churches developing policies for appropriate communication using digital means, including social networking and "traditional" church web sites. The document considers adult to adult as well as adult to youth relationships. |
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Safe Church Online Links |
Church Leadership Development |
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An ongoing collection of resources related to safety practices for churches in digital media, ranging from their own web sites through social networking to protecting their office computer information. |
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2011 Pastors' Salary Guidelines Resources |
Church Administration |
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This page provides links to the two components of the 2011 Pastor's Compensation guidelines: the guidelines resource, which offers comprehensive information about clergy compensation issues (still in preparation; the 2010 document is currently linked); and two Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (in .xls and .xlsx formats) allowing for easy calculations based on the recommendations. There are spreadsheets both for covenants providing a parsonage and for covenants providing a housing allowance. |
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Click here to download or view "2011 Pastors' Salary Guidelines Resources" |
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Green Action Steps for Churches |
Global Concerns |
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Action steps that can be taken by local churches to reduce their impact on the Earth's resources. Completing 80% of the steps in any of the three stages achieves recognition as a Green Church in the Connecticut Conference from the Environmental Ministry Team. |
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Click here to download or view "Green Action Steps for Churches" |
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Changing Lives: That's Our Church's Wider Mission |
Stewardship |
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These days, we are all especially careful about how we use our money, and that includes our giving. For many people in the United Church of Christ, giving to the church is a deeply held value. And even when circumstances change, giving remains faithful. |
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Click here to download or view "Changing Lives: That's Our Church's Wider Mission" |
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Church World Service Kit Guide 2009 |
Caring Ministries |
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Church World Service's brochure on how to prepare, collect, and send their disaster response kits. |
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Click here to download or view "Church World Service Kit Guide 2009" |
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In Our Shoes Program Startup Manual |
Youth Ministry |
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A guidebook for creating a chapter of "In Our Shoes," the anti-bullying awareness program developed by King Street United Church of Christ in Danbury. |
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Click here to download or view "In Our Shoes Program Startup Manual" |
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Considerations for Church Website Design: Three "W's" and an "H" |
Arts and Expression |
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A church's website is its manifestation in a widely traveled and increasingly busy world: the public Internet. For people unfamiliar with a congregation, it may be the first place they learn what a church is about. For some, it will be the entry into relationship; for others, it will be a place to reinforce their commitment. Many considerations come into play when a congregation designs or re-designs its website. This essay covers just four of them: touchstone questions that must be asked and answered each time, whose answers will guide the manifold choices which spring from them. They are the critical three W's (and an H). |
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Click here to download or view "Considerations for Church Website Design: Three "W's" and an "H"" |
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Silver Lake Scholarships |
Conference Life |
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This brochure describes the summer conferences program of Silver Lake Conference Center, and the importance of financial support for the scholarship programs that allow young people whose families have limited means to participate in this life-enhancing experience. It describes some of the ways that local churches and individuals can help make make building the next generation of leaders for the Church and the world possible. |
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Handbook for a Conversation on Race |
Justice Resources |
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A resource developed by the Massachusetts Conference UCC in conjunction with the visit of the Freedom Schooner Amistad to Boston in 2003. |
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Click here to download or view "Handbook for a Conversation on Race" |
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Endowment Management Workshop Handouts |
Church Administration |
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The handouts provided by the Associate Conference Minister for Endowment Ministries when leading a workshop on healthy endowments for churches. |
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Click here to download or view "Endowment Management Workshop Handouts" |
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Religious Giving in Tough Times |
Stewardship |
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The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, part of the Philanthropy Center at Indiana University, offers these insights and practical suggestions for congregations and other not-for-profits during times of financial stress and upheaval. |
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Click here to download or view "Religious Giving in Tough Times" |
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Recycling Resources |
Global Concerns |
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From the Environmental Task Force of the United Church on the Green: a list of donation sites and recycling centers. Though primarily oriented toward resources in the New Haven areas, this list is useful to people all over the state. |
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Special Commission on Conference Sustainability Report |
Conference Life |
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The Special Commission on Conference Sustainability presented its report to the Conference Board of Directors in September, 2010. This is a summary of that report, and has links to the full report and to a response to it related to endowment. |
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Click here to download or view "Special Commission on Conference Sustainability Report" |
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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2010 |
Conference Life |
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This description of the Conference's activities in 2010 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members. |
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Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2010" |
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Tools for Effective Church Management |
Church Administration |
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A collection of documents developed by Ken Ulmer, former Connecticut Conference Associate Conference Minister for Administration, for use by local churches in supporting their programs and ministries. The collection includes sample forms, policy statements, financial tools, position descriptions, and more. this is a superb resource for any local church. |
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Click here to download or view "Tools for Effective Church Management" |
MSWord |
Is Your Church Ready? |
Church Administration |
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If the fire alarm rings during a Sunday morning Worship Service (assuming, of course, that your church has a fire alarm system), is an evacuation plan in place? Do you know which exit to take from the Sanctuary? Is anyone prepared to direct visitors and to assist those with mobility problems to an exit? Has the Church School had a fire drill? Do the teachers know what to do when the alarm goes off? Do you know who the Emergency Management Officer is in your community? Is your church prepared to respond to a community-wide disaster? Is there a plan in place with the rest of the faith community in your town so resources are shared and not duplicated? These are just a few questions that every congregation needs to answer. The Local Church Check List will help you get started on an assessment of your church’s preparedness in case of an emergency or community disaster. |
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Safe Church Resources |
Church Leadership Development |
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This page contains links to resources useful in developing, implementing, and maintaining abuse prevention policies in a local church. |
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Partners in Education |
Christian Education |
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Partner In Education are Christian educators, trained by the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries to assist local church leaders in creating new recipes for Christian education using a variety of fresh, innovative combinations of homegrown ingredients. |
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Resources for a Sacred Conversation on Race |
Justice Resources |
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On May 18, 2008, many pastors across the UCC will preach on race in hopes of beginning a sacred conversation. These resources are offered to facilitate those discussions. |
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Click here to download or view "Resources for a Sacred Conversation on Race" |
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Resources on Racism at ucc.org |
Justice Resources |
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Click here to download or view "Resources on Racism at ucc.org" |
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Sacred Conversations on Race: Commitment to Change |
Justice Resources |
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"Our goal is to create a beloved community," said the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, "and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a qualitative change in our lives." This brochure offers those interested in engaging in Sacred Conversations on Race with ideas for next steps, which will help make progress toward personal commitment, congregational commitment, and community commitment to a better society. |
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Click here to download or view "Sacred Conversations on Race: Commitment to Change" |
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Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches |
Justice Resources |
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This page describes in more detail the 2008 resource "Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches," and provides a link to download the PDF version of the curriculum. |
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Click here to download or view "Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches" |
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Giv2 Description and Training Manual |
Youth Ministry |
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Giv2 is a CORPS of youth and adults GIVING back to our community in response to the GIFTS of God. Giv2 is designed for middle and high school youth in grades 7-12 who want to explore our faith through SERVICE and FELLOWSHIP. The Training Manual attached to the description provides complete information for using this program of partnership and service. |
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Click here to download or view "Giv2 Description and Training Manual" |
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Against the Death Penalty |
Justice Resources |
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A letter from Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman on why he opposes the death penalty. |
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Death Penalty Abolition Resources |
Justice Resources |
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Since 1973, the Connecticut Conference has publicly opposed the death penalty in the state and in the nation. The resources on this page are tools in the effort to end the death penalty in Connecticut, in the United States, and eventually throughout the world. |
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Click here to download or view "Death Penalty Abolition Resources" |
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Primer for Discernment Process |
Conference Life |
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This primer provides the information needed to participate in the dialogues on moral imperatives, expressions of faith, and responses to contemporary circumstances, within and beyond the Connecticut Conference. Please review the guidelines carefully; for assistance in preparing resolutions, contact the Resolutions Committee through the conference office. |
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Click here to download or view "Primer for Discernment Process" |
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Spirit Calendar Archive |
Spirituality and Prayer |
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An archive of the Spirit Calendar, the Connecticut Conference's weekly theological reflection and prayer resource, distributed via email through the FIDO system. This archive goes back to the beginning of 2007. |
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Cool Congregations Carbon Footprint Calculator |
Global Concerns |
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The Regeneration Project and the Center for a Sustainable Economy have created this easy-to-use calculator for evaluating a congregation's impact on the atmosphere through carbon emissions. There is a calculator for households to use as well. |
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Click here to download or view "Cool Congregations Carbon Footprint Calculator" |
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A Biblical Persepctive on the Environment |
Global Concerns |
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A Bible study compiled by the Rev. Martha M. Nilsen of the First Congregational Church UCC of South Windham. |
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Click here to download or view "A Biblical Persepctive on the Environment" |
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2010 Address of the Conference Minister |
Conference Life |
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In his address to the Fall Session of the 2010 Annual Meeting, the Rev. Charles L. Wildman reflects on the changing nature of mission and the challenge and promise of the Connecticut Conference. |
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Click here to download or view "2010 Address of the Conference Minister" |
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