2005 Warning Against Attempts to Remove UCC Churches

This letter from March, 2005, sent by the Conference's senior staff to over 1200 lay and ordained leaders in Connecticut, warns of attempts to pull UCC churches out of the denomination.

Click here to download or view "2005 Warning Against Attempts to Remove UCC Churches"

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2006 Narrative Budget

This tri-fold brochure briefly describes the ministries which happen because of local church contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support, and shows the allocation of funds as decided by the Annual Meeting of the Conference.

Click here to download or view "2006 Narrative Budget"

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2007 Connecticut Conference Annual Report

In the United Church of Christ's 50th anniversary year, we came together, inspired by our theme "Let It Shine!" Our first 50 years as the UCC in Connecticut have shown the world a united and uniting church, "Created by God, Called by Jesus Christ, Guided by the Holy Spirit." We are a people who listen for the still-speaking God, a church committed to Christian community marked by the pursuit of justice, reconciliation, and peace. Now in a fitting link to our first 50 years, we embark with renewed purpose, as we "Let It Shine... In the the Future!"

Click here to download or view "2007 Connecticut Conference Annual Report"

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2007 Narrative Budget

This tri-fold brochure briefly describes the ministries which happen because of local church contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support, and shows the allocation of funds as decided by the Annual Meeting of the Conference.

Click here to download or view "2007 Narrative Budget"

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2008 Address of the Conference Minister

Conference Minister the Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree's address to the Fall Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference, entitled "Wilderness, God, Joy."

Click here to download or view "2008 Address of the Conference Minister"

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2008 Annual Report of the Connecticut Conference, UCC

Click here to download or view "2008 Annual Report of the Connecticut Conference, UCC"

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2008 General Association Moderator's Address

The Rev. Kathy Peters' address to the 299th General Association.

Click here to download or view "2008 General Association Moderator's Address"

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2009 Annual Report of the Connecticut Conference, UCC

Click here to download or view "2009 Annual Report of the Connecticut Conference, UCC"

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2009 Narrative Budget

This tri-fold brochure briefly describes the ministries which happen because of local church contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support, and shows the allocation of funds as decided by the Annual Meeting of the Conference.

Click here to download or view "2009 Narrative Budget"

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2010 Address of the Conference Minister

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.

Click here to download or view "2010 Address of the Conference Minister"

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2011 Address of the Conference Minister

Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman's address to the Fall 2011 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "2011 Address of the Conference Minister"

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2012 Address of the Conference Minister

Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman's address to the Fall 2012 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "2012 Address of the Conference Minister"

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Annual Meeting 2008: Growing Beyond the Reluctant Steward

The Rev. Stephen Gray's presentation to the Authorized Minister's Event at the 2008 Fall Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference encourages the participants to move from beyond reluctant to enthusiastic stewards of the financial gifts given by God.

Click here to download or view "Annual Meeting 2008: Growing Beyond the Reluctant Steward"

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Come to Summer Camp! Silver Lake Poster

A dynamic poster, suitable for display, for churches wishing to feature the summer offerings at Silver Lake Conference Center.

Click here to download or view "Come to Summer Camp! Silver Lake Poster"

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Connecticut Conference 2010 Spending Plan: OCWM

What is OCWM Basic Support? In the United Church of Christ, though the congregation is the fundamental unit of mission, we affirm that outreach and mission is never just local. We are connected to one another, across boundaries of neighborhood, class, race, and national border. Our Church's Wider Mission is the name we use to describe the shared work we do as a United Church of Christ denomination through our Global Ministries, Connecticut Conference, national ministries, and UCC-related institutions. This work is made possible through generosity of UCC congregations. Each year every congregation decides how much of its members' financial support will be shared with the larger church as a gift for OCWM Basic Support. Congregations send their OCWM gifts to the Connecticut Conference, which sends 63 percent to the national and global ministries of the UCC. The balance--37 percent--supports the Connecticut Conference ministries, in combination with Per Capita Income, Friends of the Conference Contributions, and income from unrestricted endowment funds dedicated for the Conference?s general support. This 8.5 x 14 fold-over brochure gives a snapshot of the Connecticut Conference's ministries and the way in which OCWM gifts are allocated to them.

Click here to download or view "Connecticut Conference 2010 Spending Plan: OCWM"

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Connecticut Conference Resolutions

A searchable database of the social resolutions voted by the Connecticut Conference's clergy and delegates at its meetings since 1970. Each resolution is available in PDF format.

Click here to download or view "Connecticut Conference Resolutions"

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Connecticut Conference Timeline 1956-2009

A snapshot of significant events in the life of the Connecticut Conference from 1956, when the Conference accepted the Basis of Union, to 2009.

Click here to download or view "Connecticut Conference Timeline 1956-2009"

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Constitution and Bylaws of the Connecticut Conference

This document describes the structure by which the Connecticut Conference makes its decisions and carries out its ministries.

Click here to download or view "Constitution and Bylaws of the Connecticut Conference"

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Creative and Redemptive

Hans Holznagel's keynote address to the Fall, 2007 Session of the Connecticut Conference Annual Meeting.

Click here to download or view "Creative and Redemptive"

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For Your Welfare, Not For Harm - Fall 2012 Keynote Address

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive for Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ, offered powerful and reassuring words to those gathered for the CTUCC Annual Meeting on October 20, 2012. "Christian communities," he said, "remind one another that both life's struggles and joys, our problems and their solutions, are riding together on the same bus, and they are always indistinguishable when Christ is invited into the midst of us."

Click here to download or view "For Your Welfare, Not For Harm - Fall 2012 Keynote Address"

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Greetings from the Kyung-Ki Presbytery

The full text of the greetings extended by the Rev. Moonhee Kim, Secretary of the Kyungki Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea.

Click here to download or view "Greetings from the Kyung-Ki Presbytery"

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Guess Who's Coming for Baptism

The Rev. Denise Esslinger's sermon excited the delegates at the May, 2006, Annual Meeting, with its incisive, sensitive call for inclusion of all people in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Click here to download or view "Guess Who's Coming for Baptism"

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IRS Investigation: A Test of Church's Faith?

An essay on the 2008 IRS announcement of an investigation into the appearance of US Senator Barack Obama at the 2007 UCC General Synod in Hartford by Davida Foy Crabtree. Originally published in the Hartford Courant on March 2, 2008.

Click here to download or view "IRS Investigation: A Test of Church's Faith?"

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Justice and Witness Ministry Brochure

A tri-fold brochure which briefly describes the Justice and Witness ministry of the Connecticut Conference, including contact information for those involved in a variety of social justice issues at the state and national levels.

Click here to download or view "Justice and Witness Ministry Brochure"

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Keynote Address: From the Myth of Scarcity to the Reality of Abundance

The Rev. Stephen Gray thoroughly engaged his hearer's with this address to the Fall, 2008, Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "Keynote Address: From the Myth of Scarcity to the Reality of Abundance"

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Let it Shine... Into the Future!

The full text of Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree's address to the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Conference.

Click here to download or view "Let it Shine... Into the Future!"

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MInistry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC in 2006

This brief description of the Conference's activities and ministries through the 2006 calendar year is primarily intended for local churches to include in the annual reports they provide to their members. A PDF version of the report is available via a link on the web page version of the report.

Click here to download or view "MInistry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC in 2006"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC in 2007

2007 was a year of significant accomplishment for your Conference, as we took major steps on several fronts with initiatives that promise to inspire our churches for years to come.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC in 2007"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2009

This description of the Conference's activities in 2009 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2009"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2010

This description of the Conference's activities in 2010 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2010"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2011

This description of the Conference's activities in 2011 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2011"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2012

This description of the Conference's activities in 2012 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2012"

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Mission Partners of the Connecticut Conference

A part of the 2007 Annual Report, this document contains contact information and web site addresses for a number of the Connecticut Conference's mission partners around the state and the nation.

Click here to download or view "Mission Partners of the Connecticut Conference"

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Mission Partners of the Connecticut Conference

A part of the 2008 Annual Report, this document contains contact information and web site addresses for a number of the Connecticut Conference's mission partners around the state and the nation.

Click here to download or view "Mission Partners of the Connecticut Conference"

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Press Release: Spring 2007 Annual Meeting

An account of the Spring Session of the 2007 Annual Meeting at Silver Lake Conference Center, intended for the use of local churches in their newsletters. Microsoft Word and RTF versions are linked from this document.

Click here to download or view "Press Release: Spring 2007 Annual Meeting"

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Primer for Discernment Process

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.

Click here to download or view "Primer for Discernment Process"

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Racism, Experiences of the African-American Church, and Trinity UCC Resources

A collection of resources related to issues of race, racism, liberation theology, and the mission and identity of the United Church of Christ, offered to help local congregations understand the spring 2008 controversies surrounding Trinity UCC of Chicago and retiring Senior Minister the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.

Click here to download or view "Racism, Experiences of the African-American Church, and Trinity UCC Resources"

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Resources for Silver Lake Sunday 2006

Resources available for Silver Lake Sunday, suggested for October 29, 2006, include worship materials, reflections on the day's readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, children's moments, and the theological foundation of outdoor ministry.

Click here to download or view "Resources for Silver Lake Sunday 2006"

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Resources for Silver Lake Sunday 2009

Join congregations around the Connecticut Conference in celebrating the life-enriching ministry of Silver Lake Conference Center on January 25, 2009. The resources are suitable for use on other dates as well.

Click here to download or view "Resources for Silver Lake Sunday 2009"

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Serving as a Delegate in the United Church of Christ

The document reflects on the responsibilities of those who serve as delegates from local churches to other settings of the United Church of Christ, with a particular emphasis on service as a delegate to the Conference. Written by Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree.

Click here to download or view "Serving as a Delegate in the United Church of Christ"

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Silver Lake Scholarships

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.

Click here to download or view "Silver Lake Scholarships"

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Special Commission on Conference Sustainability Report

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.

Click here to download or view "Special Commission on Conference Sustainability Report"

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Talking Points on Trinity UCC and Jeremiah Wright

These talking points by Ben Guess address possible questions raised by several scurrilous email messages circulating on the Internet that attack Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Pastors may find them useful in conversations with parishioners.

Click here to download or view "Talking Points on Trinity UCC and Jeremiah Wright"

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Talking Points: Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and Trinity UCC

These "talking points" address questions raised in the spring of 2008 about Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and its pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.

Click here to download or view "Talking Points: Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and Trinity UCC"

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Talking Points: The Black Church Prophetic Tradition

These "talking points," provided by Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, address media accusations in March 2008 against the church and its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., setting his leadership in the contexts of prophetic preaching in the African-American church, American racial history, and the congregation's setting of inner-city Chicago.

Click here to download or view "Talking Points: The Black Church Prophetic Tradition"

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The Living Waters Award

This page describes the Living Waters Award, presented each year to a lay person or persons who has demonstrated what it means to live their faith in daily life.

Click here to download or view "The Living Waters Award"

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The UCC Ad of April 2008: Bulletin Size

On April 2, 2008, the United Church of Christ took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to describe this unique and precious expression of the Christian Church in America. This PDF prints to size appropriate for insertion in local church bulletins.

Click here to download or view "The UCC Ad of April 2008: Bulletin Size"

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The UCC Ad of April 2008: Letter Size

On April 2, 2008, the United Church of Christ took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to describe this unique and precious expression of the Christian Church in America. This PDF prints at letter size.

Click here to download or view "The UCC Ad of April 2008: Letter Size"

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Thirst Quenchers

The Rev. Peter Allen, pastor of the Monroe Congregational Church UCC, preached this sermon to the assembly at the October 2008 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "Thirst Quenchers"

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Touch the Earth Lightly

The full text of the Rev. Peter Sawtell's keynote address to the Spring Session of the Connecticut Conference Annual Meeting, May 12, 2007. Rev. Sawtell is Executive Director of Eco-Justice Ministries, and spoke on the ethical and spiritual necessity of living in ways that are more gentle to the Earth.

Click here to download or view "Touch the Earth Lightly"

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With the Eyes of Your Heart Enlightened

The full text of Bob Chase's address to the Nov. 4, 2007 gathering at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, celebrating the close of the UCC's 50th anniversary year.

Click here to download or view "With the Eyes of Your Heart Enlightened"

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