Saturday Night Worship Sermon

The sermon in this worship was shared by Gail Crouch, Mike Denton, and Kimmy Elias reflecting on the theme of the Annual Meeting, "Connections, Reflections, Directions". The scripture read before the sermon was I Peter 1:3-9 .

Saturday Night Worship Music

If you like powerful Organs and Big Choirs then you will love the music from this worship. Douglas Cleveland, Organist and Music Director from Plymouth UCC, Seattle is on the organ in the University Presbyterian Church. Heidi Blythe, Director of Music at University Congregational UCC, Seattle is directing the choir as well as the Brass Quintet and the Jazz Combo.

Here is the Bulletin for this Worship:

And now the Video....published at http://pncuccam.blogspot.com

Opening Affirming Resolution and Vote

Earlier I posted the Saturday morning hearing concerning the Opening and Affirming Resolution.

Here is original resolution:

Here is final language voted on:

Here is video of the Hearing:

And, here is the video of the formal presenting, discussion, debate, and vote on the resolution:

Plenary Session 2 & 3: Saturday Afternoon

This was definitely a packed gathering time. Following an opening prayer the Technology and Information Report was presented by Kathleen Hosfeld who contracted by the Conference to make recommendations to the Conference.

Then the Nominations slate to fill Board of Directors and Committee positions was presented for a vote. The Financial picture for 2010 was presented followed by a vote on the 2012 budget. Then, the CLSA name change resolution and the Open & Affirming (part 7-9 of this playlist but also pulled out and posted earlier).

And there is more...after a short break we heard the Camp Reports, Conference Minister Mike Denton's report, an Installation of all elected people, passing of the Moderator's cross & gavel from Kristine Zakarison to Brandon Duran. Finally, there was recognition of new clergy, retiring clergy, and students in discernment.

What an afternoon!

Video of Open & Affirming Resolution Hearing

Here is the video of the Open & Affirming Resolution hearing held Saturday morning April 30 in the Sanctuary of University Congregational UCC. This of course led to a vote in the afternoon on the resolution that passed without any NO votes.



All Videos can be watched at http://pncuccam.blogspot.com

Da Vita MacCallister Keynote Address

Rev. Da Vita MacCallister came all the way from the Connecticut Conference where she works for the Conference in Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Hopefully, you saw on this Blog the workshop she did on Friday and the sermon during worship Friday night.

She woke us up Saturday morning following our devotion time with this great keynote talk:

Final ONA Language

Wanted to make sure that everyone had the final language from the "Therefores" in the Opening and Affirming Resolution passed at Annual Meeting on Saturday. There were a couple changes from the proposed language.

ONA Final Language

Mike Denton Speak to Us

The Conference staff was given great thanks for their good work by Mike has he addressed our gathering.

Thanks to:
Arlene Hobson, who runs the Conference office and is there for all of us
Michelle Johanson, our Church Accountant
Randy and Deeg our Camp Directors

University Congregational United Church of Christ our host for this event were thanked by Mike for all their good work. This is the first time in more than ten years that an Annual Meeting was held in a church. There were difficult moments and complications but with everyone's good work and spirit, it has been done and done well.

Mike is pleased that whether he is sick or not -- we have built momentum that the work of the Conference has been spread out and does not depend on just him. The Conference as a movement is growing. We are not structured like a business or even other denominations -- our institutions are meant to support the "movement" with the Spirit that makes us a Conference at its best.

The UCC Environmental Justice Center is an example of what we can do working with our National institutions to make a movement happen.

If we do it right....many things we do will move from being institutional driven to movement driven.

"Appropriate Resistance" is needed within the institutional life of our church. I want to hear more about this.

Most effective churches are no more than 1/3 institutional and no less than 2/3 a movement. This is beginning to happen in the Conference as well. This is a time for the rise of movements.

Effective leadership today entails knowing how to move between institutions and movements and use the technology tools to build relationships. Mike pointed to Youth Minister from this host church Margaret Irribarra as one who is showing new ways to do this.

Mike says, "Sisters and Brothers, I am excited about where some of these roads might take us."

Add your comments...what did I miss from Mike's talk.

Camp Reports

Randy Crowe, Managing Director of N-Sid-Sen and Deeg Nelson, Managing Director of Pilgrim Firs have both given their reports. We are blessed to have to great camps in this Conference.

Check them out on the Web:

N-Sid-Sen

Pilgrim Firs

And the ONA Vote....

The delegates of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ has voted after many years to be Opening and Affirming to all Gender Identities and Expressions. The room following this unanimous vote has broken into applause...quite loud in applause.

Now...Kristine leads us in a prayer about our chain of love...with many voices...it takes time...but here we are gathering as your people. In the name of Jesus Christ...Amen

Budget As Approved Earlier

Here is link to the Budget...I got this up fast so if something doesn't look right...let me know.

2012 Budget

Budget Presenting

The hearing agreed to the budget with one change...adding some youth and young adults funding - $2,500.

The budget has funding for Associate Conference Minister, to support implementation of the improving of technology, and significant increases to Educational Ministries including youth and young adults.

Also, better funding for Seattle University program where we have many students while maintaining our support to PSR.

I will get this budget link up as soon as I have it.

The Budget passed overwhelming!

Current Business

Following the Technology Report, we continue on with some in the trenches decision. There was a unanimous vote for the nominations slate that I posted earlier today. There was an addition or two that I will post later.

Now we are hearing the financial report from Treasurer Martha Baldwin.

2010 Finances

I am getting depressed

This report about our very lagging use of technology in this Conference. We are in bad shape....so many churches without Websites...or use of other online tools for making connections. What do you think...how can we better use technology for connecting in Conference ministries....linking east and west....and just being part of things and not feeling disconnected.

What can we do? Let's share! What would you like to see?

Conference Tech and Information Report

Kathleen Hosfeld is presenting the Conference Communications Technology and Information Report. Kathleen was commissioned by the Conference to study how we use technology in the Conference and make improvement recommendations. Here is a link to her on screen presentation:

Kathleen's Slides

ONA Opinions Out There!

Let's hear it out there are here in this room....what do you and your churches think about our Conference declaring itself Open and Affirming.

Add your comments to this post or send in a Twitter with hashtag #pncucc

ONA Resolution Hearing -- Right Now

If you are watching live...you are seeing the hearing for the resolution that this Conference be Open and Affirming. Here is the Resolution:

ONA Resolution

The resolution is also on page 41-42 of Annual Meeting booklet.

Plenary Session 1 Begins

The business of this Annual Meeting is underway! Moderator Kristine Zakarison is conducting the business. Susan Andriesen just talked about the Nominations. Now we are in break but here is the slate of Nominations.

Nominations

Our Task as Church: Discernment

The unique gift the church offers is DISCERNMENT. Our direction is to offer and mentor discernment...so that together connected across our diversity we can transform the world. The task of church is to discern gifts for the transforming of the world.

We are called to find the convergence between God's Call, the World's Needs, and our Passions.

We can not do it alone. We have the compassion to stir up the gifts. We can't stop believing that God expects...we are capable...that it is doable...for the world to be a better place.

Enthusiasm and Stirring it Up in Church

Church is the place where we can stir it up. Remember, God expects us to stir it up and transform the world. To do this...we need to have connectional church so we can do it together....stirring it up together.

DaVita reflecting on how we do this together. It begins by understanding how we connect, communicate, and use technology. Those born before 1980 use technology to support our relationships. We got used to do things one at a time. Even our exposure to the diversity of the world came one thing at a time.

Those born after 1980 relate to the world in a different way....liking to receive things multiple ways at the same time....as DaVita said this those young ones were hollering in joy and recognition. This group uses technology to form relationships! -- Not just to support relationships.

Post 1980 did not grow up in a world with Church in the center. Today there are more ways to do 90% of what we do and do it better. Someone shouted out --"It is true - it sucks but it is true!"

The Pre 1980 people don't know how to count membership because we count Sunday morning. The post 1980 people are seeing their connection differently. Church seems so slow....one thing happening at a time....and we look down on those who text in worship because they need to do more than one thing at a time.

We may need to stir it up in different ways for a new time...in ways that acknowledge our Pre and Post born 1980 folk.