July 1, 2023 Community Connections
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AMC: The Daring Endeavor of Being There
Rev. Arthur Ritter, Moderator
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We come together once a year for the Annual Meeting & Conference. We enjoy each other’s fellowship. We worship, learn, and are inspired, and then we have to go home. But that is the point – to take the ideas we learned and the conversations we had and share them with our churches and colleagues in those places where those words and ideas are needed. I encourage each of you who attended, either in-person or virtually, to do that. Also, twist a few arms to come next year to share in that joy! This was a wonderful meeting and I thank all of you for your support. I love this association, and I love being a part of it with all of you. Moments like this make it so worth it. Thank you to you all.
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Surprise Board of Directors’ Citations!
Jodee Lord, Vice-Moderator, Chair, Board of Directors
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Each year, the Board of Directors presents a Citation to an individual in the NACCC for their exceptional leadership and service to the association. This year, while the board deliberated on whom to honor, two names emerged: Jim Waechter and Laura Hamby. Both individuals have demonstrated unwavering commitment to the NACCC over the years and are highly deserving of this award. Now arises the question of who will write the citations. Given their mutual familiarity, we decided to approach Jim and Laura separately, without their knowledge, and requested them to write the citation for each other.
With Jim present via Zoom, and Laura in person at the Annual Meeting & Conference, they were both asked to present the other’s citation, neither of them knowing that they would also be receiving one. Both displayed genuine surprise and expressed heartfelt gratitude.
We extend our deepest appreciation to both Jim and Laura for their unwavering support and dedication to the NACCC.
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Continuing Generosity
Varn Philbrook, Congregational Foundation Board of Governors
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The Congregational Foundation (CF) provides fund development, planning and communications in support of the work of your National Association of
Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC). The Board of Governors (BoG) have the fiduciary responsibility to ensure that all gifts and invested funds are managed well, allocated in accordance with donors’ wishes, and to help ensure that our Ministry Councils are adequately funded.
Through the generosity of all our past and present donors, the CF distributed $320,684 to the NACCC for this past fiscal year. For the new, upcoming fiscal year the CF will fund the budget with $204,410 in support of the ministry councils which also includes the Center for Congregational Leadership and those General Expenses associated with council management.
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NACCC Seeks Magazine Editor
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The NACCC is looking for an Editor who will oversee all aspects of The Congregationalist, a magazine sponsored by the NACCC supporting and furthering the Congregational Way.
Special thanks to outgoing editor, Marianne King who was recognized at the Annual Meeting & Conference in June and will collaborate with the new editor on the December 2023 issue.
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Listening Tour Interruption
Rev. Dr Ashley Cleere, Executive Director
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During a pause in the Listening Tour, our executive director joined in the 25th-anniversary celebration of Faith Community Church in Franklin, Wisconsin on June 11. (photo left)
The following week, she worshipped at Mayflower Congregational Church of Lansing, Michigan. Mayflower received 14 new members, including Congregationalists from two nearby NACCC churches that recently closed: Plymouth Congregational Church of Lansing and First Congregational Church of St. Johns. (photo below)
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On Wednesday, June 28, Ashley enjoyed a BBQ dinner, walk in the woods, and the final worship service of the NAPF/HOPE conference. Each small group presented her with a poster created to share their experience with the wider NACCC community. (Click photos to enlarge)
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Our Contact Information
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
8473 S. Howell Ave
PO Box 288
Oak Creek, WI 53154
(414) 764-1620
https://www.naccc.org
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