Friday Morning Workshops

Friday Morning Workshops are 90 minutes long. There is no registration for these sessions.
Just follow the signs in the church to find the workshop you're interested in attending.

Click on a title below for a description of that workshop.

9:00 -10:25

Boundary Training...

for Lay People - Sara Weatherman

Everyone who works or volunteers in a church setting is in ministry - a role that conveys ethical responsibility and expectations. Learn about the relative risks of sexual misconduct in various settings and how to reduce that risk. Learn about boundaries training and screening for volunteers. See examples of policies, and get resources for developing policies and procedures in your congregation. Take home a list of useful websites and organizations for further information.

for Retired Ministers - George Worcester

Retirement is not a simple thing for ministers who suddenly find themselves in a different role in the life of a congregation. This is true whether or not ministers continue as a part of a local church they have previously served. This is an opportunity to review the ministers code of ethics with respect to boundaries, and to consider all those difficult areas where relationships are tested in a congregational setting where multiple ministers reside. 

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La Foret Master Plan Unveiled!
Ralph Townsend

Learn about La Forets plan for the future. A question and answer session designed to inform participants on our Master Plan. We will review the plans details and answer any questions or concerns. We welcome anyone who has a passion for La Foret.

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Church World Service: Indonesia
Melinda Campbell

We often think of Church World Service as a non-governmental service organization that we support - but CWS also has lots to give to your congregation: opportunities for group bonding (CROP Walk), for community identity (supporting global outreach in partnership with other local communities), and for the joys that making a concrete difference toward social justice - in other words, acting out the values Jesus models for us! - brings us all.  Melinda Campbell, a Partner in Education, just returned from a trip to Indonesia with CWS.  She will show us some of the many varied projects that we support through CWS, and also explore the ways supporting CWS can bond and direct congregational action.

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Planned Giving to the RMC
Endowment Trustees

You’re invited to attend this workshop to learn all about the exciting new ENDOWMENT FUND OF THE RMCUCC that was established as a separate 501 (c)(3) corporation in late 2008. Its purposes are to develop a Planned Giving program for the Conference and to invest the endowment funds that are currently under its management.

You’ll learn about the fund’s five mission accounts:Mission and Ministry of the Conference itself; Children, Youth and Young Adult Ministries; Church Revitalization and New Church Starts; Rocky Mountain Housing; and La Foret.

You’ll learn how funds are invested and annual distributions are made. Plus, you’ll hear about planned giving opportunities. The Fund currently has $632,000 invested through the national United Church Foundation.

This new Conference entity has its own Trustees, Harley Tripp, Larry McCullough, Linda Mansfield, Mike Maus, Maurine Hale, Robb Lapp, and Tom Rehling, several of whom will lead the workshop.

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“Faith Practices” New Sunday School Curriculum
JoAnne Bogart

"Faith Practices" is a new project of the United Church of Christ which will provide educational resources for worship, learning, and serving, on 24 faith practices. Modules on four practices of faith will become available each year for six years. They will be available for on-line distribution and use by local churches beginning in September 2010. After a brief introduction to this project, we'll engage in a Community Process whereby participants can contribute ideas for a few of the modules.  We invite you to learn about this new program and help us shape this new exciting set of resources at the same time.

Rev. JoAnne Bogart, Boulder, Colorado, UCC  Education Consultant serving the Western Region of the UCC.

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Association Church & Ministry Committees
Carol White & Jeff Bogart

This workshop is primarily for those who are leading, serving on, or may become members of their Association’s Committee on the Ministry.  The workshop will introduce participants to the purpose of this committee, how it accomplishes its purpose and an overview of the resources available to the committee, including the Committee on the Ministry Toolkit provided by our national UCC Parish Life and Leadership team.  There will be time to share experiences, ask questions and learn from each other.  This workshop is sponsored by the RMC Clergy Parish Conference Ministry Team.

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Loss Prevention / Insurance Seminar
Matthew Huntingdon & Carl Kotheimer

Where’s the risk? EVERYWHERE!  Churches are exposed to more diverse sources of loss than any business. Join us to learn four essential risk management tools to save your church from potential losses. When done, you will know the benefits and limitations of insurance. You will be able to apply alternative methods of avoiding, transferring, minimizing and mitigating losses for your church. You will be empowered to save your church the heartache and financial consequences of a loss! The program will touch specifically on property, fine arts, fidelity, liability and workers’ compensation issues, but priority will be given to the specific interests of participants.

Carl Kotheimer, CPCU, ARM  Director of Loss Control & Claims for the UCC Insurance Board
Matt Huntington CLU, LUTCF Rocky Mountain Conference Local Agent for the UCC Insurance Board

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10:35 - 12:00 noon

Exemplary Youth Ministry
Faith Nurturing Committee

Members of your Faith Nurturing Ministry Team will present different aspects of the Lily Foundation funded “Exemplary Youth Ministry Study.” Discover what today’s youth desire from the church, what changes churches have successfully navigated to engage youth in a more meaningful manner, assessment tools, and the role which  the spirit and culture of local congregations play in shaping vital youth ministry.  Participants will receive a brochure with a printout estimating the number of vital youth in your church, and have the opportunity to sign up for a follow through program.

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The Art of Parables
Charles McCollough

Charles McCollough will present a PowerPoint program from his latest book, The Art of Parables showing how to use images and interpret the parables in their social justice context in church worship and education programs.

After Charles McCollough completed his PhD in at Drew. He worked as the director for adult education for the United Church of Christ (UCC). Then he served on the national staff of the UCC as an advocate for social justice. He also has taught art and social ethics in colleges and seminaries. Meanwhile, McCollough pursued his love for art, studying sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Johnson Atelier, and Mercer College. He has been resident artist at three seminaries which have his works on permanent display. He has had numerous solo exhibits in Washington, New York, Boston, and the Princeton, area. He is the author of seven books.

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Prison Ministry: Holy Boldness on the Fringe
Joanne Buchanon Brown

"I was in prison and you visited me..."
What do Jesus' words have to do with us in the UCC today? Come and see what is happening in an adventurous ministry at Denver Women's Correctional Facility, sponsored by First Congregational UCC, Parkview Congregational UCC, and First Plymouth Foundation. Joanne Buchanan-Brown, prison chaplain in care with the Metro Denver Association and Linda Groth, prison ministry volunteer, warmly invite you into an experiential workshop to broaden your understanding of ministry at the furthest fringes of society. Hear the first-hand story of a released offender and how the ministry she received while in prison profoundly impacted her life. Mary Mortensen, Director of Prison Congregations of America, may be joining us as well. Warning--as you participate in this event, it is likely that the words from Hebrews 13:3, "Remember those who are in prison as though you were in prison with them" will come alive to you in a startlingly new way! How knows, you might even want to get involved…

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Finding our Voice for Comprehensive Health Care Reform
Linda Mahan, Elinor Christianson, MD & Nancy Niero

Policies of the United Church of Christ proclaim that “health care for all” is a priority. Based on our belief that health care is not only a human need but also a human right, it is a moral imperative to transform the health care delivery system by making it inclusive, accessible, affordable and publicly accountable. (General Synod 18)

Fast forward 18 years…Forty- seven million people are uninsured and rapidly rising costs send tens of thousands into bankruptcy yearly.  The system is unsustainable.  Legislators at the state and national level are bringing all parties to the table to discuss health care reform. 

How do we as people of faith enter into the deliberations?  What vision of an equitable, affordable and sustainable system can we imagine for our future?   Which resources and organizations can support our education and advocacy efforts?  As the Rocky Mountain Conference (and General Synod) consider a resolution calling for support of national single payer health care reform and the advancement of health equity this workshop will empower you to act as an individual and lead your congregation.

Linda Mahan, a member of Plymouth Congregational Church in Fort Collins is active with state and national health care reform work through the League of Women Voters and Health Care for All Colorado.

Elinor Christianson, MD is a retired physician and an active member of the Kirk of Bonnie Brae Church.  Her medical career in Colorado includes work in inner city maternal and child
health clinics, college health ( University of Denver), teaching at CU medical school and rural clinic physician. She is one of the founders of Health Care for All Colorado, serving as
its president for three years, and now as president of HCAC Foundation.

Nancy Niero graduated from Iliff School of Theology in 2009 with a Master's degree in divinity and is a member of Park Hill Congregational Church.  Nancy has had two prior careers as a journalist and a public historian.  She works as a part-time program administrator for Health Care for all Colorado and will pursue a position as a chaplain.

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General Synod Visitor and Delegate Orientation
George Worcester

General Synod 27 begins on June 26th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It will be a time celebration, worship,  and business as the whole church gathers to make decisions about the future of the United Church of Christ.  This workshop will orient delegates, visitors, and any others to this event.   If you want to know who will be the speakers, how business comes before the gathering, and what to expect from the time together, this is the place to find out.

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Loss Prevention / Insurance Seminar
Matthew Huntingdon & Carl Kotheimer

Where’s the risk? EVERYWHERE!  Churches are exposed to more diverse sources of loss than any business. Join us to learn four essential risk management tools to save your church from potential losses. When done, you will know the benefits and limitations of insurance. You will be able to apply alternative methods of avoiding, transferring, minimizing and mitigating losses for your church. You will be empowered to save your church the heartache and financial consequences of a loss! The program will touch specifically on property, fine arts, fidelity, liability and workers’ compensation issues, but priority will be given to the specific interests of participants.

Carl Kotheimer, CPCU, ARM  Director of Loss Control & Claims for the UCC Insurance Board
Matt Huntington CLU, LUTCF Rocky Mountain Conference Local Agent for the UCC Insurance Board

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