“A NEW MILLENNIUM: An Agenda for Change”

Cleveland, Ohio – April 28-30, 2000  

How wonderful it always is to gather each year with support staff colleagues from all over the United Church of Christ.  In addition, this was the year we once again met at the National UCC Headquarters at 700 Prospect Avenue.  The network meets in Cleveland in “non-Synod” years and is hosted by local Conferences in “Synod” years.

We come together for fellowship, sharing, inspirational experiences and continuing educational opportunities.  We also conduct the business of our organization.  This year once again met goals and objectives and left us all refreshed and renewed as we returned to our responsibilities around the country on behalf of the UCC in local churches, in associations, in conferences and in the national setting.

  Our hosts this year were the UCCOSSN staff of the Ohio Conference.  Working with the national offices, they provided space for our activities, food for our bodies and fellowship and worship that fed our souls.  Workshops throughout the weekend, provided us with ideas, answered our questions and gave us many resources to take back to our jobs.

  “Changes Which Affect Profile Distribution” led by Rev. D. Gene Kraus of OCLL; “Building a Procedures Manual” led by Marilyn Aston. CAC, and Barbara Burden, UCC Insurance Board; “Events Planning” lead by Florence Coppola, meeting coordinator for national UCC events; “Stress Management” led by Rev. Jim Cunningham who gave us the tools needed to attain a calm perspective during times of high stress; “Church Website-Get us to the Church OnLine” led by Fran Long Administrative Coordinator for Zion UCC in Florissant, Missouri and last, but certainly, not least, “Eye Appeal – Attractive Flyers, Bulletins and Newsletters” lead by Laura Keough, Administrative Assistant for the Southern Association of the Minnesota Conference.

We also elected officers for our organization for the first time, established future meeting dates and hosts and adopted the first draft of a set of “By-Laws” for the UCCOSSN. (Most of this information can be accessed on this website.)

We also mourned the loss of a good friend and colleague, Loucinda Graves, Administrative Assistant for the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ. The 2000 Annual Meeting was dedicated to her memory.

Here are some visual impressions of our time together.