Church House, Cleveland, Ohio
April 27 - 30, 2006

Friday Opening Worship – Cally Rogers-Witte (Cally Rogers-Witte is the new Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministries and was voted to the Collegium at General Synod 2005. Cally was also the Southwest Conference Minister.

Saturday Morning Worship – Rev. Mark M. Milligan (Rev. Mark Milligan is the pastor and teacher of Zion United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri)

Sunday Morning Worship – Hans Holznagel (Hans Holznagel is the Assistant to the Collegium for Community Life in the National Setting of the United Church of Christ.
 

Former President of Andover Newton Theological School and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and currently Interim Minister at First Congregational Church in Elyria, Ohio.
 

Friday, Session One Workshops

A. How to Say “No” Without Feeling Guilty! by Jim Cunningham
How many times have we said “yes” to some request and then walked away and said to ourselves, “Why did I say ‘Yes’?” Or, we said ‘No,’ but felt really guilty or bad for saying ‘No’! We will explore why we say ‘Yes’ too often; one’s right to say ‘No’; and, how to say ‘No’ without feeling guilty! Jim Cunningham is associate pastor of the Bath United Church of Christ and former healthcare chaplain.

B. The Spirit of Place by Dr. Kimberly Whitney
Attending to senses, space and place, at home, in gardens and parks, and in the office, too, nurtures contemplative and community spiritual life. This hands-on workshop with time for art, reflection, prayer, and conversation will include multicultural and interfaith resources to nurture spirituality at work and home with a sense of place. Dr. Kimberly Whitney, Minister for Higher and Theological Education, works with the colleges and seminaries of the United Church of Christ. She studied and taught in areas related to sense of place in theology, ethics, and pastoral care at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and continues to write and teach about these themes.

C. Converging Worlds by Peg Slater
A discussion about closing the gap between ministries in the United Church of Christ. How can the local church, associations, conferences, and national settings of the Church share gifts, skills, and resources in order to create a more faithful Church? Peg Slater has been an active lay leader, a local church pastor, and now serves in the National setting at the UCC as the Minister for Diversity and Inclusion with the Parish Life and Leadership Ministry Team.

FRIDAY, SESSION TWO WORKSHOPS

A. No News Is Bad News by Ben Guess
Learn more about the UCC’s National Newspaper, United Church News, and how it can be better utilized to strengthen your congregation’s ties to the wider church. The Rev. J. Bennett Guess is the UCC’s National News Director and Editor of the United Church News.

B. Liturgical Arts and Dance by Melissa Lopez
Liturgical arts and dance enhances our personal spiritual practices as well as our traditional worship experiences.
Come and explore the many ways in which our senses deepen our understanding of the divine. Melissa Lopez is Sacred Movement Director at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Elyria, Ohio.

C. Honoring Our Diversity, Honoring Ourselves: Balancing Work And Personal Belief In The Inclusive United Church Of Christ by Ted Goodfleish
How do we do our jobs when there is perceived ethical/moral/social conflict? How do we defend ourselves on the job against insult (accidental or otherwise) to our personal beliefs, comfort levels, or identity? Share your concerns and experiences and learn how others blend assertiveness and diplomacy in the office. [Send Ted your stories ted_goodfleish@yahoo.com] Ted is secretary for Justice and Witness Ministries and a licensed pastor of the Western Reserve Association of the Ohio Conference.

SATURDAY, SESSION THREE WORKSHOPS

A. Making Sanctuary by Christy Trudo
You have a role in making your church an open and welcoming place for others, and at the same time, a safe space for yourself and your work. It can be challenging to do both. We’ll talk about this balancing act and share your ideas and solutions. Christy Trudo is the Minister of Parish Life, and works with congregations’ lay leadership to help make the church a sanctuary.

B. Walking The Ancient Paths by Rev. Mark M. Milligan
This session will focus on rediscovering an ancient spiritual tool, the labyrinth. We will briefly review the history of the labyrinth, types of labyrinths, and discuss how it has recently become a popular tool for spiritual growth. We will be exploring many ways it can be used for both communal and personal worship. There will be a hands-on time as we experience labyrinths firsthand. The Rev. Mark Milligan is pastor and teacher at Zion United Church of Christ in Florissant, MO.

C. Records, Records Everywhere! by Bridgette A. Kelly
Cleaning out the office and don’t know what to do with all this ‘stuff’? Learn the basics of how to determine what to keep, for how long, and what to do with all that ‘old stuff’! Bridgette Kelly is the archivist and records manager for the National Setting of the United Church of Christ.