Feb. 6-March 6: UCC Polity
10am-noon Saturdays click here for details

Feb. 7-10: Clergy Retreat,
Waunita Hot Springs Ranch (register here)

Feb. 11: Iliff School of Theology Annual Awards Banquet, Denver

Feb. 13-21: Salt Lake Interfaith Week (click for details)

Feb. 17: Bridges of Hope, Zoe's, 715 10th St., Greeley (click for details)

March 7: Celebration of ONA Status, Vista Grande Community Church, Colorado Springs (details)

April 16-18: Building An Inclusive Church,
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver, co-sponsored by UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns (click here for details)

June 11-13: RMCUCC Annual Meeting, La Foret Confrence & Retreat Center

July 11-17:Contemplative Life Camp, La Foret (register through youth camps)

Aug, 5-8: CrossRoads in the Wilderness, Ward CO, retreat sponsored by Men's Leadership Alliance
click here for details

Response to Haitian Earthquake

The UCC, Global Ministries and Church World Service have responded quickly to the devastation in Haiti following a major earthquake January 12. More than $650,000 has been collected to aid in immediate and long-range assistance. An update from Susan Sanders, team leader of the UCC Global Sharing of Resources Ministry, answers many questions, such as how to donate, what to send and more. Click here.

• Donating via text message is now available for UCC contributions. Similar to the system that has allowed the Red Cross to bring in millions of donations, the UCC mobile text program asks users to text the word LOVE to 25383 to have $10 added to their mobile phone bill and donated to the Haitian relief effort. Using Mobile Commons, which also works with non-profits like the ACLU, OxFam, Care, Habitat for Humanity and many others, the UCC hopes to build a database of mobile numbers to be used for emergency information. To To join the UCC's mobile-texting database, simply text the word UCC to 69866.
• Church World Service is in desperate need of baby and hygiene kits for those being resettled in Haiti; Click here for the CWS website.
• Faith Community Church has organized a group assembly for the kits on Feb. 15 (President's Day). American Furniture Warehouse has donated the use of a semi to transport kits to Little Rock headquarters so supplies to create the kits are needed. Drop off new items at 6228 S. Marshall Street, Littleton or click here to see how to participate.
• Send donations to Wider Church Minisitries marked in the memo portion "One Great Hour of Sharing - Haiti " to the National UCC, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland OH 44115. If you want your church to get OGHS credit for your donation, either send it to your church or write the check to RMC with Haiti and the name of your church in the memo portion.
• A Denver-based nonprofit and former RMCUCC Mission Partner, Lambi Fund, is coordinating "second-responder" efforts to help the people of Haiti rebuild. Mobile phone donations can be sent by texting: ‘Send $(whatever amount) to give@lambifund.org’ to 729725 (PAYPAL). Details on plans for rebuilding can be found at www.lambi.org.

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Help in Our Own Backyard

While the needs of the earthquake-shattered Haiti are certainly overwhelming, there are people here in the U.S. still struggling from the aftermath of natural disasters. To address this need, Wider Church Ministries' National Disaster Ministries has organized an ecumenical rebuild in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   Volunteer work groups are invited to spend a week between April 12 and May 21 repairing/rebuilding homes damaged by the 2008 floods – long term recovery is indeed a marathon not a sprint.  We are seeking groups of 10-12 people for each week to bring their gifts and skills to Cedar Rapids. Pam Small of Evansville, IN is serving as the volunteer coordinator for the project and can be reached at:  psmall66@gmail.com; cell phone:  812-453-3995. 

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UCC on YouTube

Rev. Dee Lundberg of Casper UCC tells the story of her church in a new video posted to YouTube.com. In the general video, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky9E1w-nlGE, several church members explain why they attend Casper UCC. "It is someplace I feel comfortable," says Linda Nix, "and that's saying a lot because I have looked for a long time for somewhere I wanted to share that experience." Said member Max Funk: "The doors are always open, and I have never felt that before." Another video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyLu66Fbcqs focuses on the church mission. "We have no business being a church if we're not out there in the wider community helping out," Dee says.

Metro Denver Association Offering Polity Course

• A 5-week course on UCC polity will be taught by Rev. Malcolm Himschoot
  10 am-noon on five Saturdays from February 6-March 6
• The course will provide an introduction to the faith, polity, practice and identity of the United Church of Christ.
• Available to those not enrolled as degree-seeking students at Iliff School of Theology or lay people interested in knowing more about the subject.
• Not-for-academic-credit course satisfies the Polity half of the minimum Polity/History requirement by the Ministry Council of the Metropolitan Denver Association.
• Click here to view a flyer with more details.
  

Have You Seen It?

We've launched our e-newsletter--make sure you get yours by signing up to the left. This new issue offers tips for transforming an inward-focused church and a look at the Interfaith Week in Salt Lake City. If you didn't see one in your in-box, sign up to the left then click here

What I Learned in Summer Camp

A YouTube video from the American Camping Association features a range of famous people talking about what they learned from their summer camp experiences. Whether the impetus to do well enough in school to earn another summer or the confidence of having the best Tarzan yell, camp offers something for everyone. Click here to view.

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