MACUCC: Blogs

Writing as a Tool for Community Engagement

12/1/2019

December 2019—Volume 29, Number 12 Copyright @ 2019 by Dana Horrell Writing can help church leaders in their efforts to reach out to the community. Typically seen as a solitary activity, writing may seem like the opposite of active engagement. Yet writing creates a space for reflection that could benefit even the most hands-on activist. The journal, the mission statement, the memo of understanding, and the program history can help teams in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of ...

Seizing the Opportunity to Re-Imagine

Susan Townsley

11/21/2019

You’ve probably been reading about church decline and the rise of the Nones, Dones and SBNRs (Spiritual But Not Religious) in the news. Here is just one such article: In US, Decline of Christianity Continues at a Rapid Pace, Pew Research Center, Oct. 2019 Charlie Kuchenbrod and I are among those who respond to calls from local churches when the evidence of numerical decline and institutional ill-health begin to mount. We began to wonder together about how to deploy resources to churches ...

What To Do with the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Landing

Debbie Gline Allen

11/19/2019

What do we do with the parts of our congregational history that include colonialism and slavery?

"Unless" - Looking at an alternative to Fossil Fuel

Lois Happe

11/12/2019

"Our dependence on fossil fuel, if left unchecked, will eventually render much of our world uninhabitable." — Rev. Lois Happe

What's a Pray-Ground?

Debbie Gline Allen

11/12/2019

A Pray-Ground in a service of worship allows children to feel connected to the rest of the Body of Christ.

Breathe and Push and Breathe and Push

Kurt Walker

11/4/2019

Choosing to actively engage in a community of faith is a lot like childbirth. It is about pushing and breathing. Constantly. Consistently.

Community Accountability in Restorative Justice

Brenda Nolan

11/4/2019

Free public presentation on restorative justice and dialogue with Lauren Abramson, 1-3:30 PM Saturday, November 16, in Boston. For more information and to register, go HERE. The Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ Restorative Justice Task Team, in collaboration with Unity Circles, is bringing Lauren Abramson, Ph.D., to Boston on November 16, for a presentation and dialogue on community accountability and restorative justice. Unity Circles was founded in 2012 by Valleria ...

Learning to Love Variety in Worship Song Selection

The Parish Paper

11/1/2019

Andrea, music director at The Blue Note Church, straps in and prepares to select song ideas for the worship team to consider as it prepares for Sunday. She decides to pick some of her favorites that match the week’s theme. Letting out a big sigh and worried that her congregation might be stuck in a musical rut, she grabs her satchel and heads to the meeting.

Three Things I Wish Every Church and Pastor Knew About Being Prepared

Donald Remick

10/28/2019

Friends, every fall emergency services focuses on disaster preparedness and fire prevention. For years I have spent part of my ministry in the field of Disaster Preparedness and Recovery. I have served as the coordinator of a Long Term Recovery Group for northern Massachusetts. I have ministered as a fire department chaplain and on a Critical Incident Stress Management team. I have trained in a variety of disaster and trauma response programs. And I know that disasters are going to come ...