Tag Archives: UCCDM Board

Widening the Welcome Conference Recordings

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Widening The Welcome


Listen to and view the events of Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All, September 24-26, 2015, Hartford, CT, hosted by the United Church of Christ Mental Health Network and Disabilities Ministries. We’ve posted videos and audios from the 5th national United Church of Christ Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All Conference 2015.

The opening worship and the keynote speakers are posted as video files; while the workshops are posted as audio files.

These are posted on the Widening the Welcome 2015 playlist within the WtW channel on YouTube.

UCCDM Welcomes New Directors to the Board of Directors

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In late June 2014, the UCCDM Board of Directors issued a call for self-nominations for the UCCDM Board of Directors. Twenty-three nominations were received. Five persons have been invited to join the current UCCDM Board of Directors. The new UCCDM Directors fills three vacated seats and two new seats to bring representation on the Board to twelve Directors. Three persons from those who self-nominated have been asked to join the Board of Directors for the class of 2015-2021. Another Nomination cycle is not expected until 2017.

A total of eight out of twenty-three nominees were invited to Join the UCCDM Board of Directors. Of the twenty-three nominees: 35% are male and 65% female; 52% are lay persons, 17% are ordained, 13% are commissioned, and 17% declined to state; 4.4% were young adults. Of the eight persons invited to serve on the UCCDM Board 37.5% are male and 62.5% female; 25% ordained; 12.5% commissioned; 50% lay; and 12.5 % declined to state; 12.5% are young adults.

New Board of Director terms will start in November 2014. The 2014-2015 UCCDM Board of Directors will welcome five new Directors. Danielle Rochford of the Vermont Conference and Rev. Anthony Sullivan Jr. of the Illinois Conference will join the Director Class of 2015. Rev. Nancy Erickson of the Nebraska Conference and Minister of Communications Brenda Waleff of the Penn Central Conference will join the Director Class of 2017. Mrs. Rachel Chapman of the Southern California Nevada Conference will join the Director Class of 2019. The addition of these new Directors will alter the composition of the UCCDM Board of Directors for 2014-2015  making the 2014-2015 Board 25% male and 75% female; and 66.6% ordained, 8.3% commissioned, 25% lay persons; and 8.3% young adult.

Three of the current UCCDM Board of Directors will rotate off the Board in October 2015. Persons who self nominated in 2014 have been invited to fill the Board of Directors seats opening in 2015 as follows: Mr. Paul Fogle of the Penn Central Conference will join the Director class of 2019 to even out the Board rotations; Mrs. Terry Martinez of the South Central Conference and Mr. David Ridings of the Nebraska Conference will join the Class of 2021. Danielle Rochford of the Vermont Conference and Rev. Anthony Sullivan Jr. of the Illinois Conference are eligible to extend their service on the UCCDM Board of Directors to the class of 2021. The 2015-2017 UCCDM Board of Directors is projected to be composed of 33.3% male, and 66.7% female; and 41.7% ordained, 8.3% commissioned, 50% lay persons; and 8.3% young adult.

The current UCCDM Board of Directors is eager to welcome the new Director starting in 2014 and 2015. The new Directors will bring to the Board new experiences of disability, including a person with Autism, persons who use power chairs, persons with hidden disabilities, family members of people with developmental disabilities, as well as HIV/AIDS advocates to the Board. The newly named Directors also bring a wealth of skills to the Board including fundraising, communication, inclusive camps, event planning, fiscal management, and web development.

 

UCC Disabilities Ministries Seeks Nominations for Board of Directors

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The UCC Disabilities Ministries Board’s Nominations Committee is seeking people who are passionate about disability ministry who would like to serve on our Board.  Our Board is made up of people with disabilities, professionals who work in the disability field, and family members of people with disabilities. Our mission is to encourage our denomination to create worship and meeting places, programs and leadership, classes, and activities that are accessible to all (A2A) and welcoming and inclusive of all persons with disabilities.

Some of our short term goals include increasing our voice and presence from the pews to the national planning boards; development of curriculum and programs for people with intellectual disabilities; building the Kreyer Scholarship Fund for students with disabilities who wish to pursue theological education; and increasing our web and social media presence.

Someone interested in serving with us should be someone who is a member of a UCC church, regularly reads, responds to, and is comfortable with using email; can devote a minimum of ten (10) hours a month to this work, which includes a monthly conference call meeting of about 90 minutes to two hours. The Board also meets in person annually, usually over a two day period to set goals and plan for the year; annual meeting is schedule by the Board and recently has been occurring in the fall. A Board term is six (6) years and includes a willingness to make a financial commitment to our disability ministry each year.

Some of the specialized gifts we are seeking this year are:  web and social media development skills, creative, effective fundraising talents, event planning skills, financial skills, writing and editing expertise, and having a Bold Voice. Above all, we welcome all those with a great passion for disability ministry.  In exchange, we offer you an opportunity to learn new skills and experience personal growth and knowledge of the workings of our denomination.

We encourage interested candidates to visit our website at http://www.uccdm.org to learn more about us. Located there are Board updates, our blog, and the application.  We look forward to hearing from you soon! The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2014.

 

“Widening the Welcome” Conference Presenters Make Important Trip to the White House

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Rev. Alan Johnson and Rev. Craig Rennebohm of the UCC Mental Health Network and UCC Disability Ministries Board of Directors traveled to the White House to meet with President Obama and others during the White House Conference on Mental Health. As a UCC representative to the White House Conference on Mental Health, Rev. Johnson was encouraged to join with the newly formed UCC Mental Health Network to help reduce stigma around mental illness. Rev. Johnson has long been involved with the leadership of the Widening the Welcome Conferences. Both Rev. Johnson and Rev. Rennebohm will be continuing their work to reduce the stigma of mental illness within our churches and wider culture by presenting workshops at the upcoming fourth “Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for ALL” Conference.

There’s still time to register for the one day Widening the Welcome Conference, June 27th in Long Beach, CA. Click here for Widening the Welcome Brochure and Registration

The Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroder, Founder Mental Health Ministries, will be one of two keynote speakers at Widening the Welcome. We’d love to have your congregation join the UCC movement of inclusion of people of varying disabilities, apparent and unapparent, including those with mental health challenges.  Please, if at all possible, have a member of your congregation attend the Widening the Welcome Conference so together we can continue to extend God’s extravagant welcome to all people.

Watch Alan’s trip to the White House for this momentous occasion: http://youtu.be/i0zbJI9rQEU

Submitted by Rev. Alan Johnson; edited by Rev. Kelli Parrish Lucas

A Tribute to Ryan Mathews by Rev. Jeanne Tyler

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Ryan Mathews

Trumpet guy
Blew his horn
Transformed his mind
His heart set on Jesus
And all the rest of us:
The blind, lame , the depressed the out of mind
Trumpet Guy in a power chair
dissected Hebrew and Greek
thr

ew words around like notes
knew people’s hearts: tender and true
Trusted in ancient words as in
covenant care community commitment
Trumpet Guy
Rev. Jeanne Tyler