Keeping Us Connected in Christ"
Northwest Ohio Association,
United Church of Christ
February 2, 2005
The UCC is seeking to continue the God is Still Speaking
campaign by airing the TV commercial on network and cable TV during March.
The air time is not being paid for by OCWM contributions. In order to air the
commercial, there is the need to raise $1.5 million by Feb. 21. Churches, youth
groups, individuals have been urged to contribute $500 “shares” for this
exciting venture. 3000 shares will be needed to reach the goal. However,
contributions of all amounts are welcome! To date, $23,000 has been received.
Contributions can be made directly on-line; pledges can be made to be paid over
a chosen amount of time. For more details, go to www.ucc.org.
The Ohio Conference Tom Paton awards for
accessibility will not be granted this year. The awards will be made every two
years.
There will be a Pre-Retirement Seminar presented by
the UCC Pension Boards, April 18, 10 am – 5 pm at the Dublin Community Church.
This is for pre-retired clergy, spouses, and lay employees who are part of the
UCC Pension program. Details will be mailed directly.
There will be a seminar for those who are already
receiving pensions from the UCC Pension Board. This includes retired
clergy, clergy spouses, widows, widowers, retired lay employees. This will be
held on April 19 at Dublin Community Church, 11 am – 2:30 pm. Details will be
mailed directly.
GREAT NEED for CLEANUP
KITS to replenish the Cleanup Kit inventory. Last August about 2000
kits were shipped to Florida which was most of the stored stock. Now, here in
January, there is major flooding in southwest, central, and southeast OHIO and
we are not ready to respond with needed supplies.
Each Clean- up Kit includes:
A large container of Clorox Cleanup, (no other cleaners)
a scrub brush
a wire brush
a pair of rubber gloves
a large heavy duty sponge
some plastic trash bags
a common household bucket
a personal note
All ingredients should be placed in the bucket which then
fits into a 12”x12”x12” box .
Drop off points are being established to collect Cleanup
kits close to your area.
-
Sandusky Valley Region- College Hill UCC, 7632 St. Rt. 4, Bloomville
contact Rev. Randy Ross at
419-284-3744
- Lakeshore Region –
Nu-Vizion Christian Fellowship, 2014 Cherry St., Toledo
contact Pastor Will Stuart at 419-241-9358
-
Auglaize Valley Region –
In December, the
UCC Financial Development Ministry
mailed churches eight “articles” which may be used to promote Planning Giving
and the stewardship of accumulated assets. These can be used as bulletin
inserts or in church newsletters. Many of our churches were blessed by previous
generations thinking about how they could continue to provide support for their
church. This is an opportunity for the current generation to think ahead to
insure that their church continues for future generations.
A Ministerial
Partner Training event
will be held April 27-28 in Columbus. This event is offered for UCC and DOC
ministers who would like to seek Ministerial Partner Standing to serve in the
other denomination.
General Synod
Delegates being sought.
Because of recent resignations, NWOA is seeking to fill two delegate positions
to attend General Synod July 1-5 in Atlanta, Georgia. We need an ordained male
clergy and a youth of high school age. If you are interested or know someone
who might be, please contact the Association Office.
Seeking nominations
for the UCC Council of Youth and Young Adults.
The Council has 22-26 youth and young adults whose purpose is to “communicate,
coordinate, advocate, and network” on behalf of the youth and young adults in
the UCC. This is a 2 year term, requires 1 meeting a year and 1 conference
call/online meeting a year. Council members connect with other youth more
regionally. NWOA is seeking to nominate a youth - no younger that junior
high/middle high age but will not be older than 18 or graduated from high school
before July 2007. Elections are held by the youth and young adults attending
General Synod (July 1-5, 2005; Atlanta) and the nominee must be present at
General Synod (either as a visitor or a delegate). To suggest nominations,
please contact the Association office.
Taco Bell Boycott.
In 2001, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, joined several other
denominations and organizations to support the boycott of Taco Bell.
Why? Because Florida farm workers picking tomatoes for Taco Bell earn the same
amount today as they did 25 years ago. In addition to fair pay, farm workers
seek safe working conditions and dignity in their job. At the end of this email
is a letter from Edith Rasell of the Justice and Witness Ministries, United
Church of Christ with encouragement for people to be involved.
The Rev. Bennie
Whitten
has agreed to serve as Acting Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministries.
This follows the resignation of Olivia White. Rev. Whitten is a retired UCC
minister who served as Massachusetts Conference Minister.
Washington United
Church of Christ in Cincinnati Seeks Summer Staffers
For
more information, contact Laurel Humes at 859-655-6100 ext 6401 or 513-681-4322
(evenings)
Youth trip to the
Ukraine
Sycamore UCC will be holding an informational meeting for youth interested in
visiting the Ukraine this summer. The meeting will be Feb. 7 at 7 pm at the
church.
RECENT
EMAIL & MAIL CHANGES and ADDITIONS
If your personal (or church)
email address or mailing address has recently changed, let us know!
Ted & Rev. Marge Mair-Hansen
PO Box 848
Grand Blanc, MI 48480-0848
h) 810-695-3615
tednmarge@comcast.net
Rev. Darryl W. Kistler
Campus Minister, Heidelberg
College
310 East Market St.
Tiffin, OH 44883
dkistler@heidelberg.edu
Prayer
Requests
Deadlines
and Meeting Dates
Upcoming
February
1
Church & Ministry
1 Lay School: New
Session begins 7:15 pm
3 Orientation for
Pastors new to NWOA, 10 am – 1 pm (CANCELLED)
3 Small Church
Cluster, Republic UCC, 7: 30 pm (soup at 7 pm)
5 Orientation for
General Synod delegates, Community UCC, Dublin, 10 – 3 pm
7 Sandusky Valley
Church Professionals, Heidelberg College, 10 am through lunch
7 Witness &
Proclamation MT, 5 pm
8 Maumee Bay
Church Professionals, Millbury, 9-11 am.
Pre-Lent:
Call to Communion.
10 Auglaize Valley
South Church Professionals, Lima Memorial Hospital, 11:30 am
10 Sandusky Valley
RCT, College Hill, Bloomville; 5 pm.
12 Flight School
13 Installation of
Rev. William R. Nirote at St. John UCC, Defiance, 3 pm
13 Installation of
Rev. Don Corbin at Memorial UCC, Toledo
15 Personnel
Committee, 9:30 – noon
15 Lay School
16 Lakeshore
Clergy/Church Professionals Fremont Holiday Inn 11 am.
February 25-26, 2005 – Living
Waters-Great Source of Life, A National Council of Churches Eco-Justice
Training in the Great Lakes. Sylvania UCC, Sylvania. Join us for this
interfaith training on water issues as well as workshops focusing on the Great
Lakes region. The training day held at Sylvania UCC on Sat. from 8:30 – 3:30 pm
includes lunch, theological underpinnings, and workshops. An evening kick- off
interactive event of faith and water mixers will be held on Friday, starting at
6:30 pm. More details at
www.nccecojustice.org
The Coalition
of Immokalee Workers (CIW) – the Florida farm workers who called the
Taco Bell boycott
– has some important events coming up. I send this note in hopes that we can
support them in this struggle for justice.
The CIW will hold their annual cross country "Truth Tour" in March culminating
with a major Rally on Saturday, March 12, in Louisville, Kentucky, outside the
headquarters of Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell. Martin Sheen and
Kerry Kennedy (Robert F. Kennedy's daughter) will be keynote speakers.
It would be terrific if some folks from Ohio could go to this. It is a critical
time in the boycott. Momentum is building (see below) and a large turnout in
Louisville will signal strong support for the boycott and farm worker justice.
I would welcome your input on how to encourage people to go and be supportive of
them. Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) is willing to make some small
amounts of money available to cover the cost of gas, etc., if people were
willing to drive. We could try to arrange car pools from Cleveland, Columbus,
and Cincinnati. The CIW has agreed to find housing in Louisville for anyone
who needs it. We could also fund (if money is necessary or helpful) some
meetings to educate people about the issue and try to mobilize support for the
farm workers.
Ohio events: Boosting participation in the Louisville rally is the main
priority. However, the farm workers will be traveling through Ohio (on their
way from Florida to Louisville – they're not taking the shortest route !).
People not going to Louisville could support and participate in the rallies
and/or educational events in Cincinnati/Dayton on March 2, Cleveland/Akron on
March 3, and Columbus on March 4. The CIW is also looking for groups in each of
these three areas to take a lead role in hosting the workers, planning events,
etc. Would any of our churches be willing to do this?
JWM would be happy to support local efforts and events in any way we could –
with small amounts of money, my presence, UCC resource materials, etc. (There
are many resources on line at
http://www.ucc.org/justice/boycotts/tb.htm including fact sheets,
flyers, and a bulletin insert. I could also send you our UCC Taco Bell boycott
button.) I look forward to working with you on this.
Louisville: In addition to the Rally on Saturday, there are many other events
planned for Louisville. On Friday, March 11, the day before the Rally, there
will be a Conference on Fair Food. Other fun events will take place throughout
the week of March 7-12 including a Reverse Reality Tour (where farm workers will
see where and how Yum executives and share holders live) and a human chain from
Yum Brands to the Unified Foodservice Purchasing Coop, the giant food purchasing
company that buys food for all five of Yum Brand's restaurant chains.
The boycott is growing. In the final months of 2004, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Cal
State University, San Bernardino joined with over 20 other colleges and
universities to "Boot the Bell." New boycott endorsements have come from Bonnie
Raitt, the nine-time Grammy winner and world-renowned social activist, and
American poet, essayist, novelist, philosopher, and Kentucky farmer, Wendell
Berry. Student-led efforts to remove or block Taco Bell from doing business on
campus are heating up at Boise State University and Portland State University.
Background: Florida farm workers picking tomatoes for Taco Bell earn the same
amount today as they did 25 years ago. Adjusted for inflation, their pay is
just one-third the level it was in the late 1970s. In addition to fair
pay, farm workers seek safe working conditions and dignity in their job. Yum
Brands, with revenue of $24 billion annually, is the largest fast food company
in the world. In addition to Taco Bell, Yum owns Pizza Hut, KFC (Kentucky Fried
Chicken), A&W, and Long John Silvers. The UCC General Synod endorsed the Taco
Bell boycott in 2001.
Religious support: The Taco Bell boycott is supported by many national
religious bodies including the United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the American Friends
Service Committee, Alliance of Baptists, Pax Christi International and US
affiliates, and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the (U.S.A.). The
boycott has also been endorsed by Bishop John J. Nevins of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Venice in Florida, the National Farm Worker Ministry, the Episcopal
Migrant Ministry, Agricultural Missions, Church Women United and many regional
and local religious bodies.
New information about the Rally and Truth Tour will be available on the CIW
website http://www.ciw-online.org/tz_site-
revision/breaking_news/2005dailyupdates.shtml or contact them by
email at workers@ciw-online.org.
Thanks for all you do for justice.
Edie
Edith Rasell
Minister for Labor Relations and Community Economic Development
Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ
700 Prospect Ave. East, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
phone (toll free): 866-822-8224, ext 3709 fax: 216-736-3703
email: raselle@ucc.org
The work of Justice and Witness Ministries is funded, in part, through
contributions to the Neighbors in Need offering.
