SOUTHEAST AREA NEWS

Serving

Detroit Metropolitan and Eastern Associations

Updated July  24, 2008

Southeast Area summer office hours:  Tues - Fri 10:00 AM to  3 PM
Email: seamichucc@att.net

See the Southeast Area Office page for other office information.

After 10 years here as Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Henrietta S. Andrews a retired on May 31st. Then Rev. Dr. Kent Ulery, the Michigan Conference Minister, moved to Bangor, Maine to become the President and Professor of Pastoral leadership at Bangor Theological Seminary June 30th. We wish them well.  They will both be missed.  But as we look forward to the future, the Rev. Cheryl Burke, Associate Conference Minister for the Central Southwest and Covenant Associations has stepped up temporarily to handle the Conference Ministers duties as well as her own.

The Rev. Herman Haller is temporarily the Associate Conference Minister for the Detroit Metropolitan Association and the Rev. Sherry Schacht is temporarily  the Associate Conference Minister for the Eastern Association.

All of these are temporary positions. The Conference Board of Directors has officially selected Reverend Judith Youngman as the new Transition Interim Conference Minister! Please note Judith will begin her tenure as Transition Interim Conference Minister September 1, 2008. 

Take a minute to look through your new Directory .  Please send all questions and changes to the Southeast Area office (See the Southeast Area Office page for contact information). Please change Rev. Andrews' contact numbers and email to Rev. Haller's herman@michucc.org for DMA and Rev. Schacht sherry@michucc.org for Eastern.  Thank you.

Our Office Summer hours are 10am to 3pm Tuesday through Friday until September 2nd.

The next Newsletter will be coming out in September. The deadline for articles and meeting updates is August 22nd.

Job Opportunity: Nativity United Church of Christ in Livonia is looking for Sunday school teachers. These are paid positions.
Contact Kath Lathers at the church 734-421-5406 or email contact information to Kath at: nativityucc@provide.net

One person can make a difference in this world, even an eleven year old boy.

Nate Schmidt has begun working towards a rather large goal; he has started a drive to provide a winter coat for anyone in need. This makes him a rather remarkable kid. But for him it isn't about being remarkable, it's about providing for those in need.

To date he has gathered over 200 coats, and thinks he could do even more if he gets additional help from his community. It is, after all, only July.

This all started when Nate's father, Bill Schmidt, worked with Miss Poole of the Salvation Army helping the homeless. He spent a day on the bread truck with Mitty. Sharing his experience and its impact had an even larger impact on Nate. The thought of anyone not having the basics, the things it took to survive, became unacceptable to him. Nate can imagine not having a warm winter coat, and doesn't want that for anyone.

Sharing Nate's dream are Carrie and Jason Leach, owners of Stables Bar in Livonia. They held a coat drive unbeknownst to Nate, and the response was over whelming. Nate then asked Riley and Hoover schools in Livonia to help. The staff and students did not let him down.

Nate is asking for additional help, even if it just one coat, it makes a difference. Perhaps other businesses would be willing to do what the Leaches did, or other schools are willing to have a coat drive and/or donate the coats from their lost and found. Perhaps you have another idea to help the coat drive. Nate's contact for donations is: Nativity Church 9435 Henry Ruff Rd Livonia, MI 48150 734-421-5406 nativityucc@provide.net

 

JOINT FALL ASSOCIATIONS MEETING - OCTOBER 25, 2008

The Joint Fall Associations Meeting will be held on October 25th at First Congregational UCC in Rochester.  Please mark your church calendars and inform your delegates. 

This years theme will be: “Come now let us reason together, as one family of God.”

(More information will be posted as it becomes available).

 

The Detroit Metropolitan Association Spring Meeting held Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Bushnell Congregational UCC was well attended.

The Theme: Injustice in Health Care: Who Will Survive? Who Will Decide? How Will We Respond? attracted many.
The Keynote Speaker was Rev. Linda Walling, Executive Director of Faithful Reform in Health Care


Rev. Linda Walling addressed the issue of "Injustice in Health Care" and the panel (Ron Beford, Mary Martin, Dr. Herbert Smitherman, Mary Ellen Howard & Barbara Baylor) addressed "How We Will Respond." by answering question from attendees read by Dr. Paul von Oeyen.

The Reinhold Niebuhr Youth Award was presented to 17 year old Tatiana Hortig (She will turn 18 on May 17th) by Mr. Charles Lentz, Chair of the Division of Congregational Life.

Followed by Tatiana's reading of her essay, which can be read below.

The Bible is to love
By Tatiana Hortig

The most important lesson taught in the Bible is to love, love your God, love your neighbor and love yourself. In my opinion an all loving God is the foundation of Christianity. It explains that even if we are not perfect, if we turn to God, we will be received. It teaches acceptance of all people, and leaves no room for discrimination. And it is an example for how people should live their lives. Even all the commandments could be boiled down to love. If you love your parents, you would not disrespect them. If you love your spouse, you would not cheat on them. If you truly loved God, you would not use his name in vain or believe in false gods. And if you loved your friends and neighbors, you would not rob them of their possessions, lie to them, or kill them. The lesson of love is one that I can with security say I will carry with me for the rest of my life no matter where it takes me.

One great way to teach the younger generations about the Christianity and faith is through summer camps. They give a separation from everyday life that makes it possible for youth to learn about their faith and themselves. Since my first year at UCC Camp Talahi, I have fallen in love with it. Every year campers come and learn more about themselves, God, and the community. They feel comfortable learning about their faith and expressing their love for God. Most important of all they are comfortable with themselves. They don’t experience the insecurities that they do in school or in their communities, and they get to truly be themselves. Since that first year at camp I have never missed a summer and I plan on continuing to come to camp every summer. The only difference will be that I will return as a counselor and hopefully in a 2009 as health officer. As a counselor I will get to be the camper’s adult figure, to whom they can come for advice or help. We get to guide their journey in faith throughout the week and help them enjoy all the fun we have at camp. Later on as health officer I will be able to be part of the wonderful staff that keeps Talahi going every year and give back to Talahi that which it has given to me over the last eight years.

Down the road I plan on becoming a doctor. First I was going to pursue a degree in Mathematics and possible become a programmer or researcher of some sort. However, the more I thought about it, I noticed that these jobs would not be as rewarding as a job where I could work with people every day and make a difference in the community. Every doctor at one point in time says that they chose the field because they wanted to make a difference, and as redundant as it must seem, it is probably true. There is something so wonderful about being able to give every patient your best try at improving their lives and maybe even saving it. And I would consider this a great way to pass God’s love onto others.

 

The next  Meeting of the Eastern Association Council

Tuesday, September  23rd
at
Congregational UCC
73966 S. Fulton St.
Armada
FELLOWSHIP SUPPER at 6:30 PM

To be followed by business of the Eastern Association.

Please call Congregational UCC Armada at (586) 784-5901 to let them know how many people to expect for dinner.
And Remember- Every member of every church in the Eastern Association is welcome to attend this meeting.  

Check out the Southeast Area Calendar for other meeting schedules, events and office closings.

DIVISION OF CHURCH AND MINISTRY

The Division of Church and Ministry now meets at Congregational Church of Birmingham UCC in Bloomfield Hills on the First Thursday of each month.

 

DIVISION OF MISSION OUTREACH: The Next Meeting will be held on June 18th 7 PM at the Evangelical Homes in Sterling Hgts.

Visit the new Division of Mission Outreach Website www.SeaMiOutreach.org for more information and other events.


 
 
United Church of Christ, Southbury Announcement
Press Release
Halos and Hammers - Where Faith Meets The Road! 
Mission Trip 2008 - Rockford, Illinois
We are headed to Rockford, Illinois to assist the
Rockford Urban Ministries Work Camp during the week
of July 12-19, 2008.
 
This will be our first urban mission trip.  We are excited about
the opportunities offered by this work camp experience.
 
To learn more about the Rockford Urban Ministries Work
Camp, please visit them at RUM.
Mission Trip 2009? 
 
Can we help you in the summer of 2009?
 
Halos and Hammers is an independent group designed to provide assistance to communities that never dreamed of receiving assistance.  We will work with your community to identify work projects, provide the work force to accomplish those projects and supply many of the materials to make miracles happen.
 
To learn more about what we can do for you, please visit our website for Mission Trip Application Information
A picture is worth a 1000 words - 
a video is priceless!

 
To view what we accomplished on our 2006 mission trip to Volusia County Florida, click here 2006 Mission Trip Video and then click on the link to the video.
 
To view what we accomplished on our 2007 mission trip to Waldo County Maine, click here 2007 Mission Trip Video
 
 
Quick Links
United Church of Christ, Southbury
Youth Ministry Committee
283 Main Street North
Southbury, CT 06488
 
(203) 264-8807
(203) 264-1283 fax
 
email:

 
 

 

Enrich your Nursing Home Ministry -
Provide a Sunday Worship Service once a year to the Evangelical Homes Sterling Heights

UCC Monthly Worship Sunday at
Evangelical Home in Sterling Heights.

Help Barbara Stephens and St. Paul UCC of Warren meet the spiritual needs of the residents at the Sterling Heights Evangelical Home.  Join with St. Paul UCC Warren so we can provide a monthly UCC Sunday afternoon worship service to the residents at the Sterling Heights Evangelical Home.

Once a year – provide a Sunday Worship Service from 2 – 2:30pm.

Enrich your Nursing Home Ministry with a commitment to providing one of the monthly worship services at the Evangelical Home in Sterling Heights.

Either the first or last Sunday of the month are available for UCC churches interested in supporting UCC Worship Sundays at the Sterling Heights Evangelical Homes.

Contact Barbara Stephens to schedule your day: 586-268-3232.

Check out the new Back Bay Mission website.

See UCC Women of Metro Detroit Page for their calendar of events for 2007

For link to the Michigan Conference website.

For link to United Church of Christ National website

The Samaritan Counseling Center:

Samaritan Counseling Center Of Southeastern Michigan
Seventh Annual Charity Golf Outing
Friday June 20, 2008
The proceeds of this golf outing subsidize our therapy programs.

10:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. Registration
10:30 a.m — 11:45 a.m. Driving Range (free of charge)
11:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. Lunch on the Grill
12:00 p.m. Shotgun Start—Scramble Format
6:00 p.m. Steak Dinner on the Grill with Awards and Raffle

Links of Novi
50395 Ten Mile Rd.
Novi, MI 48374
248-380-9595

Registration Form : Copy, complete and Return to Samaritan Counseling Center

Name _________________________________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________ City/Zip________________________________
Phone _______________________________ Email __________________________________________
$130 per golfer/includes cart, lunch, dinner & awards (A portion of the fee may be tax deductible.)

Name(s) of Golfers                                          Dinner Only Guests/$25 each
1. ___________________________ $_______ 1. ________________________ $________
2. ___________________________ $_______ 2. ________________________ $________
3. ___________________________ $_______
4. ___________________________ $_______

I would like to become a sponsor:
Beverage Cart Sponsor ($250) $_______               Hole Sponsor ($130) $_______
Even if you cannot join us to play, you can make a tax deductible gift. $___________
Your name will be printed in the program.

Make checks payable and mail to: SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER
29887 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48336

To charge, circle one: VISA MASTERCARD
Name on card ______________________________ Card Number _____________________________
Signature ___________________________________ Exp. Date ________________________________

SCC   Phone: 248-474-4701     Fax: 248-474-1518

Visit their website Samaritan Counseling Center of Michigan for more details,  registration forms and other events.

Individual churches with Special Programs open to the public include:

First Congregational Church UCC
1315 N. Pine St, Rochester, MI 48307 248-651-6225

On-going groups/activities open to the public...
First & third Thursdays 7 pm.-Careers in Transition -- support for those who have lost jobs or who are seeking career change
4th Thursday Call for times-Caregivers' Support group -- a support and sharing group for those caring for ailing family members or other loved ones
3rd Monday-Peace x Peace group -- a women's group focusing on world peace.
3rd Thursday-MOMS Club -- a support and activity group for moms with preschoolers
Most Mondays & Thursdays 7:30 pm-STEP (Parenting classes) (registration required)
Every Monday 7:30 pm-OA (Overeaters' Anonymous)

 

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