Massachusetts Conference Edition

Return to main page
Read National Edition
Subscribe to printed version - free!
Read the UC News Spotlight E-Newsletter

Share your views and visions at a Listening Session in January

December 2006 / January 2007

The Rev. John Hudson, chair of the MACUCC Listening Steering Committee, has a message for everyone in the Conference: “This is your opportunity to help shape our collective future as the United Church of Christ here in Massachusetts. It is in and through our church leaders and members – lay and ordained – that God is still speaking.  And all of you are encouraged to attend one of the January listening sessions now being planned.”

The sessions will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2007 and Saturday, January 20, 2007 (Snow date: Saturday, January 27, 2007).  Both morning and afternoon options are being planned in many locations throughout the Conference.  “Please pencil these dates in your calendar,” he said.  Further details will soon be released.

These listening sessions are a key component of the restructuring process which the Conference Board of Directors initiated in May 2006.  The purpose of this process is to better align the Conference resources to nurture local church vitality and the covenant among the churches.  Conference resources include: Conference Financial Resources; Deployment of Conference Staff; Use of Volunteer Time (Board, Committees, Commissions); Confer-ence land/buildings.

“This is truly an opportunity for us to experience a revitalizing time of growth,” observed Hudson.  “We are hoping that pastors, key leaders and active members from every church will be able to attend one of these sessions. This personal feedback is essential.  And for those who can’t attend one of the sessions in person, we are developing email and white mail response systems.”

Increasing church vitality lies at the core of this restructuring process.  Over the past five years, the Conference leaders have identified five areas in which church vitality can be measured: Worship Attendance; Mission Outreach; Faith Formation (of children, youth and adults); Stewardship; Our connection to the wider UCC.

Rev. Hudson indicated that those who attend the sessions will be asked to reflect on and share their responses to the following questions.

Question 1: Based on the five areas of vitality mentioned above, where do you want your church to be in five years?  Please be concrete and use measurable objectives if possible.

Question 2: How can Conference resources be deployed to help your congregation get from where your congregation is now to where you expect to be in five years?

Question 3: Keeping in mind the four resources of the Conference mentioned above, how has the conference blessed your ministry in the past?

The Listening Steering Com-mittee will analyze feedback from these sessions and will present their findings and recommendations to the Board of Directors in March 2007.  These will be used by the Board of Directors, along with other research and input, to develop a restructuring plan that will be brought to the Annual Meeting either in June or September 2007.

Hudson encouraged, “Please go to the website (www.macucc.org) and sign up to receive email updates on the listening process.  We look forward to seeing you in January.”

The Listening Steering Committee includes: Paul Adkins, Liz Aguilar, Jim Antal, Candi Ashenden, Cindy Worthington-Berry, Sylvia Ferrell-Jones, John Hudson (chair), Hooks Johnston, Bette McClure, Terry Martinson, Peter Meek, Mike Penn-Strah, Carol Yelverton, Peter Wells, Jonathan Wright-Gray.

For more details and updated information, visit http://www.macucc.org/xnews/listening.htm.