Faith Practices: For Worship, Learning and Serving
• Materials are not dated and can be used over-and-over in
an endless number of ways.
• Always available, accessible content and attractive
presentation.
• Adult
• Young Adult
• Youth and Children
• Workshop Rotation
• Worship
• Confirmation
2008 Annual Report
Volunteer Ministries
UCC Volunteer Ministries is part of the national ministries of the United Church of Christ. Mission Trip Groups serving within the United States can connect with host sites here and access preparation and post-service commitment materials. UCC Young Adult Service Communities (YASC) and Summer Communities of Service provide intentional communities for service and leadership development. Partners in Service volunteers serve full-time for a period of 1-12 months in a mission setting within the United States.
Finances
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Budgeting
How your church builds and presents your "church budget" – and even what you call it – can motivate increased generosity.
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Borrowing
Concrete guidance for church leaders charged with borrowing money.
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Fundraising
Generous giving in the church does not happen automatically when a person joins a congregation. Part of the mission of the church is to form its members to be givers in life, as well as in the congregation.
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Investing
Concrete guidance for church leaders charged with investing church funds.
Effective church finances will advance your mission. Effective financial practices will enhance trust, grow giving, and free people's energy and creativity to focus on mission. This is your one-stop "how to" resource section for Church Finance leaders, especially:
• in smaller churches without paid professional financial management staff
• volunteers called to serve in financial management and oversight roles
Your Conference is a primary resource. It connects with church practices and resources in your area, as well as state regulations. Many have Church Finance resources on their websites or available through their offices.
Do you have resources you can share to enhance this site? Are there other resources you'd like to see? Send an email message to Doris at powelld@ucc.org.
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UCC Disaster Ministries
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UCC Ebola Response
UCC Disaster Ministries engages and supports partners in the fight against Ebola.
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UCC Typhoon Haiyan Recovery Underway
Recovery efforts have begun as UCC Disaster Ministries supported partners work in farming and fishing communities to repair and rebuild homes as well as support livelihoods through the distribution of seeds, fishing boats and equipment.
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UCC Disaster Ministries Responds to Spring 2014 Storms
Tornadoes, flooding and severe storms have left dozens of communities devastated. Support the UCC Disaster Ministries response through giving to the "Emergency USA" fund.
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Disaster Ministries volunteers Rebuild in Oklahoma
Volunteers rebuild lives and homes through the ministry of presence and love.
PrefixFirst Name Last Name
Position
Organization
Address 1
Address 2
City,STZip
555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
email@adress.com
PrefixFirst Name Last Name
Position
Organization
Address 1
Address 2
City,STZip
555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
email@adress.com
Presenters
FEATURED PRESENTERS
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ (Cleveland, OH)
Ecumenical commitment, concern for equal justice, African-American empowerment, and community improvement have shaped Rev. Black's ministry in the church and in the communities in which he has lived. His passion for jazz and love of liturgy were the inspiration and vision for this conference.
Rev. Black was elected General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ in June 2009. Prior to that he served from 2000 to 2009 as Conference Minister of the UCC's regional New York Conference and previously as a Minister for Church Life and Leadership with the then-Office for Church Life and Leadership. He has also served as Pastor of the Congregational UCC of South Hempstead (N.Y.), assistant chaplain at Brown University, associate minister of St. Albans Congregational UCC in Queens, lecturer at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and Protestant chaplain at Adelphi University.
During his tenure as a local church pastor, Black also was active in Association and Conference life, serving on several committees and holding a number of elected offices. He served on the Ordination and Standing Committee and the Committee on Church in the Metropolitan Community of the New York Metropolitan Association. He was chairperson of the New York Conference Commission on Mission Priorities and also served as moderator of the Conference.
His ministry includes working with organizations such as the Nassau Coalition for Safety and Justice, The Long Island Interracial Alliance for a Common Future, and the Amistad Cultural Center of Long Island, which he co-founded.
Black is married to Patricia Williams-Black. They have one daughter, Makeda Black, who resides in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Rev. Dr. Henry T. Simmons, Pastor, St. Albans Congregational UCC (Queens, NY)
Dr. Simmons began his ministry as Associate Minister for Peoples Congregational UCC, Washington, DC. He has served as pastor of the Mayflower Congregational UCC, Detroit, MI and on the evangelism and church development staff of the former United Church Board for Homeland Ministries. He has been Senior Minister of the St. Albans Congregational UCC in Queens, NY since March 1991.
St. Albans Congregational UCC is located at the edge of Addisleigh Park, a community in which jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Milt Hinton and Lena Horne once resided. Dr. Simmons' personal love of the arts, particularly jazz, moved him to use this music medium as a tool for evangelism first in regular Sunday worship and, since 2001, through monthly Jazz Vespers Communion Services.
Rev. Dr. Dwight Andrews, Senior Minister of First Congregational Church UCC (Atlanta, GA)
Associate Professor of Music Theory and African American Music at Emory University
A Detroit native, he holds Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees from the University of Michigan, a Masters of Divinity degree from the Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Yale University. He has taught at Rice, Yale, and Harvard Universities. The roles of educator, artist, and pastor are well aligned with his holistic advocacy of ministries devoted to the whole person - mind, body, and soul. Under his leadership, the membership at First Church has grown and the foundation for the next century of service has been carefully laid. As a musician, Andrews has appeared on over 25 jazz and ‘new music' recordings.
Andrews has served as musical director for the Broadway productions of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, and Seven Guitars, and the Broadway revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom featuring Whoopi Goldberg and Charles S. Dutton. Andrews was the first Quincy Jones Visiting Professor of African American Music at Harvard University for 1996-1997 and Artistic Director of the 1998 National Black Arts Festival. He is the creator and host of a new television magazine entitled Art and Soul, which explores the religious and spiritual perspectives of well-known artists from a variety of different disciplines. His present research examines the musical and spiritual path of six jazz masters - Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, and Albert Ayler.
Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr., Senior Pastor, Covenant United Church of Christ (South Holland, IL)
Adjunct professor of ministry and D. Min. advisor at McCormick Theological Seminary
Anointed, gifted, leader, teacher, virtuoso, maestro, scholar, theologian, professor, revivalist, activist, entrepreneur, counselor, friend, and pastor are just a few of the words that describe the Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he is a well respected and loved pastor and musician. Known for his phenomenal and heart-provoking saxophone playing, Rev. Smith is an equally gifted preacher who is sought out for revivals across the country. His unique ability to combine his music and his invigorating interpretation of the gospel message has brought hope and encouragement to God's people everywhere. In 1996 he accepted God's call to pastor Covenant United Church of Christ, a new church start in South Holland, IL. Since that first Sunday, Covenant has grown by leaps and bounds now standing as the fastest growing and one of the largest churches in the United Church of Christ with over 3000 members.
Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Langston University, a Master of Education in Music degree from the University of Memphis, and Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Dr. Smith serves as an. Currently Dr. Smith serves on the Advisory Board Alliance for Christian Media and as a Trustee at McCormick Theological Seminary. More important than all of these, Dr. Smith was a loving husband to his late devoted wife and partner in ministry Barbara Westbrooks-Smith, and the father of three children Lauran, Dr. Ozzie III, and Brian.
Rev. Paul Hobson Sadler, Jr., Pastor, Mt. Zion Congregational Church United Church of Christ (Cleveland, OH)
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Paul Hobson Sadler attended Howard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He continued his education at the Howard University School of Divinity and earned the Master of Divinity Degree. Rev. Sadler has served United Church of Christ congregations in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Louisiana and Chicago, Illinois, where he served three years as Associate Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ. Rev. Sadler was host and executive producer of an award winning Christian talk show, Reaching Out, on cable television in New Orleans. Rev. Sadler currently serves as Pastor of Mt. Zion Congregational Church United Church of Christ, one of the oldest African American Congregations in Cleveland, OH. He also serves as President and Chairman of Creative Arts Ministries, a nonprofit ministry consulting firm, where he oversees their programmatic efforts to use the creative arts to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Considered a leading expert in the field of African American church growth, Rev. Sadler is widely sought after to provide seminars, workshops and lectures in seminaries, local congregations and denominational gatherings. Rev. Sadler is an eloquent preacher who is gifted with a resonant bass voice that he uses to sing and preach to the glory of God. He has performed in the theater, on the concert stage, and has appeared in several films.
Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs, Executive Director of CLUE-California
The Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs is the executive director of CLUE-California (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), a statewide faith-rooted organization, that advocates for worker and immigrant rights, quality education, and health care. He is also an ethics instructor for the California Department of Justice’s Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) program for law enforcement executives, including police chiefs, sheriffs, and commanders.
Cribbs is the former of pastor of San Marino Congregational United Church of Christ in Los Angeles and Christian Fellowship Congregational UCC in San Diego. He was president of the Ecumenical Council of San Diego County. On staff with Common Global Ministries, Art traveled to more than 20 countries, itinerated and accompanied global partners who visited the United States. He served as the executive director of the United Church of Christ Office of Communication and has an extensive background in broadcast news and talk radio. As president of Pacific Media Ministry, a television production company in San Diego that produced local and network programs, he won an Emmy Award for “Stories of the Soul: Life after 9/11,” and was nominated for an Emmy for “Changing Faces of AIDS.”
He is a jazz-spoken word artist and has written two original plays, including Awaiting Judgment©, which brings together 20th century theologians and social activists Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a fictional dialogue inside a prison cell. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley in political science, Master of Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from the Claremont School of Theology.
The Oîkos Ensemble, directed by Rev. Cliff Aerie
The Oîkos Ensemble includes James Wediman (piano), Glenn Holmes (bass), Ricky Exton (drums), Angela Lynard and Arianna Aerie (vocalists)
A consortium of gifted musicians celebrating stories of transformation and enlightenment from around the world, the Oîkos Ensemble transcends musical boundaries, painting vibrant soundscapes with the brush stroke of jazz improvisation affirming the human family as one, global ensemble. Oîkos offers creative worship, "Blessings on the Journey" concerts and multimedia celebrations for faith communities, regional/national gatherings, festivals and concert series. Oîkos has performed at more than 300 gatherings receiving unanimous applause.
Oîkos has led worship and offered concerts at congregations in 18 UCC Conferences, appeared at General Synod, National Youth Event, ¡Missionworks! and Regional Seminarian gatherings. In addition they have led worship at 8 UCC Conference annual meetings, 6 Association meetings and a variety of programs at the UCC national setting. Led by founder and saxophonist the Rev. Clifford Aerie, the Oîkos Ensemble has been acknowledged as innovators on the vanguard of creative ministry and worship renewal. Grammy Award winner Paul Winter says, "I salute Cliff Aerie and the Oîkos Ensemble for their inspired music and mission. They are serving the world with their song."
WORKSHOP LEADERS
Currently, Cliff directs the Resident Artist Ministry for the UCC Missouri Mid-South Conference, working with artists and congregations in worship renewal, spiritual formation and mission outreach. His Jazz Nativity productions have received rave reviews in St. Louis and Kansas City. He is currently planning the 2013 production season.
Tribe of Judah - House Band & Music Ministry Team
Tribe of Judah is an intergenerational, energetic and diverse praise and worship ensemble. The group's name is derived from one of the great biblical tribes of Israel. The word "Judah" in Hebrew means praise. This denotation is one of the visionary goals of the ensemble filled with spirited and anointed young adults seeking to praise and worship God through music ministry.
Tribe of Judah experiments with rock, hip-hop, traditional and contemporary gospel, R&B and beyond. The group is out of the box with innovative pizazz and flavor while also contemplative and attentive to timeless hymns and melodies. Tribe of Judah has mastered the art of fusing musical genres to create one sound of praise. The group will not only lead NYE 2012 in musical ministry during plenary and worship, but also co-facilitate workshops, energizers and activities throughout the youth event.
Tribe of Judah's diverse repertoire of musical scores will also include samplings from UCC's 'Sing! Prayer and Praise' song book.
Join the NYE All Strings Jam Session. Download your sheet music to perform with us at Purdue!
NYE - Forms and Policies
Covenant Forms
NYE 2012 Youth Covenant Form
NYE 2012 Adult Covenant Form
Medical Forms
NYE 2012 Medical Release Form
Safe Church Policy
Safe Church Policy Concerning Abuse Prevention
Safe Church Self-Disclosure Questionnaire
Technology and Media
Media Release Form
Step by Step Guide for National Youth Event 2012 Registration
Getting Started
The primary contact should be the first person to begin the registration process for your group. If you are not attending, select “Registrar – Not Attending”. After you submit your information, you will be prompted to “Add Attendee”. Add your group’s “Adult Group Leader”, the main contact who will be physically present during NYE.
Adding Attendees
As you enter your attendees, you must enter your group name the same each time. Entering the same name for your group helps insure each attendee is assigned to the same residence hall.
Questions and Information Requested
You will be prompted to answer questions regarding your groups travel information, such as expected arrival and departure information and method of transportation.
Please enter the total number of Youth and Adult attendees associated with your group. You are not held to this number. It will be used for the NYE Staff planning purposes.
Emergency Contact(s)
The next series of questions refer to Emergency Contacts. We require at least one emergency contact per attendee. Only one is required. We ask the relationship to the attendee.
Housing and Roommate Requests
We ask that you match your attendees with roommates within your group. Purdue University Residence Halls only allow two attendees per room (2 youth or 2 adults). Roommate requests must be mutual and noted on each person’s registration. Adults will have the opportunity to purchase an upgrade to a single room for an additional $75. Roommates can be assigned at a later date but no later than May 21, 2012.
Special Needs
In order to provide a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees, please provide complete answers to the Special Needs section. We will ask the following questions:
• Do you serve as a special needs caregiver for an attendee? What is that person’s name and are they an adult or a youth attendee?
• Do you require a special needs caregiver? What is that person’s name and are they an adult or a youth attendee?
• Identify any special needs: mobility, medical, dietary, allergies, or other. Please select all the boxes that apply to that attendee. A text box will appear for you to provide details about these needs.
Workshops and Service Projects
Workshops and Service Projects are being added as they are confirmed. We will ask attendees to select their preference. Service project placements are limited to one day of service projects to provide an opportunity for other attendees to share in this experience. This policy will be strictly enforced.
Policies, Terms and Conditions
Each attendee must agree to adhere to the policies of United Church of Christ and Purdue University. The Adult Group Leader accepts responsibility for insuring that all attendees, parents and guardians associated with the group are familiar with the UCC Safe Policy, Covenants, Media Release Form and the terms and conditions required for registration. The forms are posted on this registration, on the main registration page as well as the www.ucc.org/nye website. Electronic signature is acceptable on all forms. A hard copy of the Medical Release Form will be required to travel with the Adult Group Leader. The forms may be downloaded and either emailed to NYE2012@purdue.edu or uploaded to the attendees registration.
Payment and Adding Additional Attendees
The payment page is next. If you are registering without payment, please select the check option. A minimum payment of $100 is required per attendee. You will be asked to add another attendee. You will repeat these steps for each attendee with slightly different questions for adults and youth. If you need to add registrations after your initial batch, just register them as attendees. You will not need to register yourself again.
Please refer to your confirmation letter for your group name. You will need to refer to your group by this name in all correspondences.
