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Annual Meeting to feature Word, Worship, Wonder: Declare it Boldly!

March, 2004

Be ready to speak out boldly! The 205th Annual Meeting, to be held Friday and Saturday, June 11-12 at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, will focus on communicating the gospel in the 21st century. The meeting’s theme of Word, Worship, Wonder: Declare It Boldly! is built on the fourth initiative of our Conference’s Vision for Renewal and Growth and will engender much dialog of interest to UCC congregations.

“‘ How do we communicate the Good News to each other and the wider community?’ is an underlying question to be answered at the meeting,” said Joanna Bickford, who staffs the Annual Meeting Planning Committee. In anticipation of an abundance of delegates and visitors, more opportunities, activities, speakers and workshops are planned than in recent years.

Ron Buford, developer of the “God is still speaking” campaign, will give the keynote address and present workshops both days. As Public Relations and Marketing Manager of the national UCC, he works within the Proclamation, Identity, and Communications Ministry of the church. With marketing and public relations experience in the corporate world, Buford wrote a booklet called “The Power of Invitation and Welcome,” launched the website www.stillspeaking.com, and produced an award-winning commercial for cable TV, “You Belong,” on UCC identity.

Also featured at the meeting will be new offerings provided as part of the Pastoral Excellence Program. These include an expanded clergy gathering on Friday morning, and a luncheon at Willits-Hallowell on Saturday for members of Church and Ministry committees.

Speaking at Friday’s gathering will be Anthony B. Robinson, pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC, in Seattle, and author of four books, including Transforming Congregational Culture, and Words for the Journey: Letters to Teenagers About Faith and Life (Pilgrim). He is an adjunct faculty member of Seattle University’s School of Theology, where he teaches in the Sustaining Excellence in Pastoral Ministry graduate program. During his ministry, Robinson has been active in interfaith dialogue, refugee resettlement, HIV/AIDS ministry, low-income housing development, and in advocacy for public education. Robinson also will lead a workshop on Saturday.

The driving goal of the meeting will be to consider how and when to “Declare it Boldly!” Workshops will explore a wide variety of topics including music as a form of communication, use of email to build networks of parish care, and communicating Christian faith in the workplace.

Four workshops will focus on chapters being written for a new publication, Pastor to Pastor: Encouraging Excellence…Just for the Heaven of It. This book, funded and sponsored by the Pastoral Excellence Program, will make its debut during the 205th Annual Meeting. Book-signing will be held Friday and Saturday. Editors are retired ministers Erwin R. Bode and William B. Abernethy.

“The schedule is designed to accommodate clergy and laity who need to return to their church on Sunday,” said Bickford, the Associate for Administration. “For the second year we are having worship after dinner, with the formal parts of annual meeting over by 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Those who wish may stay over on Saturday night.”

Several resolutions will be introduced during plenary sessions. Text of the resolutions and registration materials are available on the Annual Meeting page.