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.

Mike Denton Meditation

Mike's Favorite disciple is Peter...he is telling his favorite Peter stories... from the water stories, to the Transfiguration, and many more...this one called Peter, this Rolling Stone among us...Jesus says I will build my church.

And here today we have another story of Peter in Acts 9:36-43. He gets the call to come to the aid of another disciple, Tabitha. Peter may have not realized how special this disciple was until he showed up and saw the impact of this woman's life. Mike thinks Peter had no idea what he would do when he asked others to leave the room and spends time with the "dead Tabitha". In this kind of moment, have you ever faked it....sometimes we don't know what we will say until it is coming out of our mouth. What got in to him to tell Tabitha to sit up?

I love Peter because he is like the United Church of Christ. We do this all the time in the UCC...we have resolutions for everything and we don't really know where it is going. Many of our local churches with little or no money step out in faith to do what they must when it makes no sense. We are a heady exasperating mix in the UCC and it is wonderful.

When the UCC first did the Ad campaign years ago...it made no sense...it was expensive, where would the money come from....and then as it was banned from many stations....it was spread and shown over and over again for free...we could not have known. It was crazy and it worked.

Now we are doing it again with this Web viral Ad...did we know how this would work out...NO and now it has had more than 100,000 views.

Here we are in this church and this conference....in that in between space...we are called into those edgy places where others dare not go. When we get them, like Peter we don't know what we will do....when we get there we pray and the words, the response comes and before you know it.....
The End

Thank You to Conference Staff

Rev. Mike Denton, Conference Minister
Arelene Hobson, Executive Administrator
Michele Johansen, Accounting Manager
Randy Crowe, Managing Director, N-Sid-Sen
Deeg Nelson, Managing Director, Pilgrim Firs

A Standing ovation was given to the staff after Mike gracefully spoke to all the good each person on staff does every day.

Thank You All!
Write your comments of appreciation by adding a comment below.

Video of Conference Minister's Report

Enjoy the Video of the Report of Conference Minister Mike Denton's Report to the delegates of the 2009 PNCUCC Annual Meeting. Yes, we know this report was previously posted BUT then it was only in audio. Now, it is complete with the video in two parts.





Mike has been Conference Minister of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ since January 2008.

Conference Minister's Report

On Saturday morning of Annual Meeting, our Conference Minister Mike Denton offered a 15 minute report on the Conference. This report is a traditional part of PNCUCC Annual Meetings. Click on the link below to hear Mike's report:

Conference Minister's Report -- Rev. Mike Denton