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March 5, 2020
In this Issue
News
Eager Peacemakers
The Christian Art and Practice of Reconciliation in Divisive Times
Faith-based/non-profit office space for rent
MCC in the world
Upcoming Events
Compassionate Caregiving
7 Steps to Protect Your Faith Community
Going to the Dogs: Canine Lessons on Volunteer Engagement
Freedom Seder
Challenging Islamophobia
How Change Comes to Your Church
ISAIAH Clergy & Religious Leader Training
Turning Hearts from Hate to Healing
Volunteer opportunities with new refugees
Earth Day Sunday
Resources
COVID and congregations
Remember to add litter to your shopping list
Climate change is a divine response to tyranny
Sermon illustrations: Giraffe Heroes
Grants
Collaborative Inquiry Teams
5 other grants
Employment
3 positions
Looking Forward
Finance & Sustainability Conference
An Evening with Rob Bell & Peter Rollins
Church Anew: Master Class in Communication
2020 Duluth Lynching Remembrance
Beyond Our Region
Ecumenical Advocacy Days
News
Eager Peacemakers
One element of a Respectful Conversation ™ is the training table facilitators receive. What's remarkable about it is how eager your recruits are to use their peacemaking skills again. A recent appeal to trained facilitators to fill-in at the last minute for an unexpectedly large conversation earned over a 25% response rate!. By hosting an MCC Respectful Conversation ™ you can boost enthusiasm for peacemaking in your fellow disciples and your mission field. Schedule an empathy-building facilitated, structured Respectful Conversation™ on the 2020 election or another topic today.
The Christian Art and Practice of Reconciliation in Divisive Times
March 24, 6:30pm
United Theological Seminary, St. Paul
Is the church called to reconcile political rifts caused by impeachment proceedings? Have Americans become antinomist in our pursuit of prosperity and power? Join a panel discussion featuring Rev. Dr. Curtiss DeYoung, MCC executive director and author. Rev. Dr. DeYoung's talk will include respondents United professors Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler, Hebrew Bible, Rev. Dr. John Lee, professor and director for spiritual formation, Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, professor and director for social transformation, and United alum Rev. Elizabeth Macaulay, lead pastor of Christ United Church of Christ in Rochester. Register here.
Faith-based/non-profit office space for rent
When your social entrepreneurship start-up goes from needing to meet every so often to requiring a shared space to work, think about the Minnesota Church Center. Nonprofits wishing to locate near Downtown Minneapolis, Loring Park, and Eat Street in a building with on-site parking, professional reception staff, and a café should consider 1,000-1,500 square feet of office space available in the Minnesota Church Center. The building was highlighted by the Downtown Journal as a “treasure to see,” and the Franklin Terrace Café is readily praised. Contact MCC's Chief Operating Officer Doug Swanson at (612) 230-3201 for leasing details.
MCC in the world
Minnesota Council of Churches staff are often out in the community speaking at events and engaging people of faith to build the common good. Find us here...
- March 5: Jim Bear Jacobs, Healing and Reparations, St. John's Lutheran, Northfield
- March 22: Curtiss DeYoung, How to Begin Reconciliation, Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
- April 5: Curtiss DeYoung, preaching, Park Avenue UMC, Minneapolis
- May 17: Curtiss DeYoug, preaching, Bethesda Baptist, Minneapolis
- June 11: Jerad Morey, Respectful Conversations, Minnesota Annual Conference, Sioux Falls
Upcoming Events
Compassionate Caregiving
March 5, 10:00am – Noon
Augustana Lutheran Church, West St. Paul
What are the personal benefits, as well as the individual challenges of caring for another person? Beginning with an overview of caregiving from a Biblical perspective, this program focuses on the importance of caring for one’s own physical, emotional, and spiritual life while caring for others. Participants will be given tools for real-life application as they reflect on the role of caregiving in their own lives. Learn more.
7 Steps to Protect Your Faith Community
March 5, 10:30am – Noon
Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis
Now more than ever houses of worship need to plan, prepare, and protect from those that intend to cause harm. The question is, how do you do that when all people are welcome and the focus is on community, faith and religion? Kingswood Security Consulting and St Mark's Episcopal Cathedral have partnered together to bring you an event that answers these very questions. Register here.
Going to the Dogs: Canine Lessons on Volunteer Engagement
March 9, 1:30pm-3:30pm
United Theological Seminary, St. Paul
"How do you get all those dogs to walk so nicely together?!" One dog walker, 14 dogs, Travis Salisbury will offer a fun and humorous presentation about how "leading the pack" taught him more about volunteer management. Participants will explore five key qualities in their role as “leader of the pack” and how to engage adaptive action to walk their pack and maximize the mission of their organization. The presentation will highlight the best practices from the eight MAVA volunteer leadership modules (capturing motivation, designing position descriptions, managing risk, recruiting, supervising, positioning for success, measuring impact, and recognition/retention). This session is perfect for those new to the profession as well as those wishing to re-engage skills in a fun, interactive environment. For more information or to register visit: www.mavanetwork.org.
Freedom Seder
March 15, 2:00pm-5:00pm
Mt. Zion Temple
Jewish Community Action invites interfaith community members to join the 20 th Annual Freedom Seder, share the story of Passover and connect it with modern struggles for liberation. Learn more here.
Challenging Islamophobia
March 17, 8:30am – 4:30pm
Augsburg College, Minneapolis
This conference aims to inform and equip participants to effectively challenge Islamophobia in their personal lives and work settings. Topics include Islamic feminism, Islamophobia and the media, intersections of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and white nationalism/supremacy, impacts of Islamophobia and hate, and Greater Minnesota challenges. Breakout sessions will address challenges of Islamophobia-based bullying, responding to hate in Minnesota, and Interfaith Response networks. Learn more and register.
How Change Comes to Your Church
Saturday, March 21 - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
St. Andrew's, Mahtomedi
Many congregations recognize their need to bring about change in order to become or remain vital, both spiritually and organizationally. They have a sense of what they need, and what might keep them from changing. But they don’t know how to change. "How Change Comes To Your Church" draws on the practical experience, stories, and examples from two experienced church leaders. Patrick Keifert and Wesley Granberg-Michaelson have helped scores of congregations as well as larger denominational organizations identify key elements that are a necessary part of transformational change. The program focuses on the important work of changing church culture, with innovative spiritual practices that establish the foundation for durable, missional change. The cost is $99 (includes book) for one or $249 for a group (bring as many from your church as you want; includes 1 book) Learn more. (via SPAS News & Events)
ISAIAH Clergy & Religious Leader Training
March 26, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Macalester Plymouth UCC, St. Paul
Clergy and Religious Leaders from every corner of Minnesota gather to spend the day gaining clarity on ISAIAH’s collective vision, receiving the necessary tools to step further into the kind leadership that is bold but joyous, building relationships to create a level of cohesiveness that is sustainable, collectively discussing what’s at stake in inaction and last but not least, wrestling together about the internal obstacles when deciding to act in a powerful way. Register here.
Turning Hearts from Hate to Healing
March 26-29
Various Locations
Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin, a faith leader and peace practitioner whose published academic words have focused on the role of religion in peacebuilding and conflict, will be speaking at multiple events in the Twin Cities.
- “Restorative Justice in Dealing with White Nationalism” // March 26, 5:30-6:30pm // Hamline Mitchell School of Law, St. Paul // No RSVP required
- “Religion and Conflict” // March 27, 7:15pm // Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka // Register by March 16 at http://bit.ly/gopin-dinner
- “An Advanced Guide to Peacebuilding” and “Continuing the Conversation about Peacebuilding” // March 28, 9:30am – 2:15pm // Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka // No RSVP required
- “White Nationalism” // March 29, noon – 1:30pm // Wayzata Community Church // No RSVP required
Make a Difference
Volunteer opportunities with new refugees
Do you have daytime availability and an interest in welcoming new Minnesotans with refugee status? New Cultural Orientation Workshops are being conducted weekday mornings at four different Twin Cities locations. The classes are led by an instructor, and volunteer assistants help the class run smoothly. If you would like to meet new Minnesotans in a consistently scheduled way, this is the perfect opportunity for you! For more information, or to fill out an application, please visit our website.
Earth Day Sunday
The 2020 Earth Day Sunday toolkit from Creation Justice Ministries will equip your faith community with preaching, teaching, prayer, and action materials for the 50 th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Learn more and download it at www.earthdaysunday.org.
Resources
COVID and congregations
During the Spanish Flu, Some Minnesota vicinities required churches to close worship, but then to open as surge capacity for patients unable to find hospital beds. In Europe pastors were asked to keep their sermons short and limit Sunday School to five minutes. Communication about the disease was sometimes contradictory and government decisions made with public health in mind were often contested. There are a number of resources for churches grappling with public health decisions today:
Remember to add litter to your shopping list
You may have heard that some congregations are “cat” churches that don’t care whether the clergy like them, and others are “dog” churches who are eager to please and receive affection. Did you know that your faith tradition can be used to predict whether you are a cat or dog owner*? A study reported on in the Star Tribune says Mainline Protestants and atheists are more likely to own cats, and Catholics and evangelical Protestants are more likely to own dogs.
Climate change is a divine response to tyranny
Ched Myers writes that we can look to Exodus and Revelations to adopt a scriptural perspective on climate change: "Biblical judgment oracles are 'good news' because they unveil inconvenient reality in order to stimulate repentance — the struggle to “turn around” our personal and political history of captivity. May we help overturn the rule of “the carbon Pharaohs” ( Rabbi Arthur Waskow) through communal change and public witness (see a pilgrimage, march and resources at the Mennonite Creation Care Network), becoming Beloved Community with Creation!"
Sermon illustrations: Giraffe Heroes
Life is full of illustrations to put the exclamation point on scriptural principles. One resource is Giraffe Heroes, stories of people who lived with courage. The database is searchable by occupation, age, location and other categories of the targeted lives. It states, "Here you can find the stories of hundreds of real people who have stuck their necks out for the common good."
Collaborative Inquiry Teams
Up to $135,000
Apply by April 1, 2020
Louisville Institute’s Collaborative Inquiry Team (CIT) program supports teams of four to eight pastors and professors who propose projects to strengthen the life of North American Christian congregations. Teams spend 18 to 36 months exploring together a living question currently confronting church and society. Learn more here.
Other grants
National Clergy Renewal Program, up to $50,000, apply by April 1
Thriving in Ministry Grant, up to $1M, Inquire by April 17
Emerging Leader Grants, up to $15,000, rolling deadlines
Facility Completion Grants, average $7,500, ongoing
Employment
Other Faith Community Postings
Looking Forward
2020 Nonprofit Finance & Sustainability Conference
April 14, 7:30am - 4:30pm
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center
Leadership is about strong relationships, emotional intelligence, and team work. At the same time, leadership is about fiscal transparency, ethical decision making, and taking a long-term view. At this year's Nonprofit Finance & Sustainability Conference, you'll have an opportunity to focus on both sides of your leadership brain. Learn more here.
An Evening with Rob Bell & Peter Rollins
Monday, May 11 - 7:00-9:00pm
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie
Hear inspiration, challenge, hope, and promise from two of the best tellers of good news! Peter Rollins and Rob Bell have struck a friendship that spans comedy and preaching, faith and creativity. Rob Bell has been profiled in The New Yorker, toured with Oprah, and in 2011 Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He has also risked much to carve out a more welcoming gospel. Peter Rollins is an acclaimed philosopher, theologian, and comedian from Northern Ireland. With skill and aplomb, Rollins lilts the gospel by shattering barriers and awakening souls. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Learn more.
Church Anew: Master Class in Communication
Monday, May 11-Tuesday, May 12
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie
Church Anew, a ministry of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, welcomes clergy, church staff and volunteers to learn better communication tools from world class communicators. Rob Bell has been profiled in the New Yorker, has toured with Oprah and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine in 2011. Peter Rollins is an acclaimed philosopher, theologian and comedian from Northern Ireland. Workshops will cover turning an idea into a book, communications and feelings, an actor's trick bag, listening with emotional intelligence and more. Early bird pricing by March 15 is $169 per person; group registration discounts for five or more are available. Learn more.
2020 Duluth Lynching Remembrance
June 15, 6:00pm
Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, Duluth
On June 15, 1920, nearly 10,000 participants and onlookers lined the streets of Duluth as these three men were lynched. The community all but covered it up. Photos, articles, and stories were stored away and remembered by few. The men themselves were buried in unmarked graves. It took over 70 years for the story to be revisited as a community. A group of historians, educators, and activists located their graves and began to remember those men each year. The Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Committee was formed. An effort was made to erect a memorial at the intersection where these men were lynched. 10,000 residents and visitors are invited to the memorial to listen to Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. Learn more about the event.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days
April 24-27
Washington, DC
Join us for this important gathering of Christian advocates and activists. As we gather together in 2020, we will join in worship, delve deeply into the pressing issues of the day, and lift our voices by speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill. Further, EAD 2020 will be an opportunity for advocates to connect with each other, build networks and recharge their batteries for the ongoing struggle for global justice and peace.
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