March 20: ArtsFest, Washington Park UCC, Denver, 6-8 pm, featuring music by Luke Rackers and silent auction of artwork by members

March 20: Multimedia Concert with Walkin Jim Stoltz, presented by Colorado Interfaith Power & Light, 7:30 pm, University Park Methodist, 2180 S. University, Denver (details)

March 23: Song-Camp Concert and Family Dinner, Parkview Congregational, Aurora (details)

April 8-11: UCCOSSN Annual Meeting, Cleveland (agenda)

April 16-18: 12th Annual MacKenzie Lectures, featuring Professor Sallie McFague, First Congregational UCC, Boulder (details)

April 16-18: Building An Inclusive Church,
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver, co-sponsored by UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns (click here for details)

April 19-May 21: Intercessory Prayer, online retreat with Jane Vennard (click here for registration and information)

April 23-25: James W. White Lecture: Loving God and Loving Neighbor in the Mystical Tradition featuring Bernard McGinn, Colorado College and First Congregational UCC, Colorado Springs (details)

June 11-13: RMCUCC Annual Meeting, La Foret Conference & Retreat Center

June 13: 50th Anniversary Celebration, Eastlake First Congregational UCC

June 28- July 1: UCC Musicians Network Annual Conference, Denver (details)

July 11-17:Contemplative Life Camp, La Foret (register through youth camps)

Aug, 5-8: CrossRoads in the Wilderness, Ward CO, retreat sponsored by Men's Leadership Alliance
click here for details

Yearbook & Pledge Forms Waaaaaay Overdue

Less than 60 percent of our member churches returned the necessary Yearbook Forms and Pledge Forms requested in December. Without your input, the conference cannot adequately plan its programs for the coming year. We've asked again and again, so now we are hoping a little public humiliation will prompt the scofflaws to move forward. Reports can be sent by fax to 303-980-6695 or by email to lorraine@rmcucc.org. We are now up to 75 percent -- let's do better!
These churches still have not turned in Yearbook or Pledge Forms:

Response to Earthquakes

The UCC, Global Ministries and Church World Service responded quickly to the devastation in Haiti following a major earthquake January 12 and again with the Chilean event February 28. More than $1 million has been collected to aid in immediate and long-range assistance. Click here for details on the UCC efforts.

• Donating via text message is now available for UCC contributions. Similar to the system that has allowed the Red Cross to bring in millions of donations, the UCC mobile text program asks users to text the word LOVE to 25383 to have $10 added to their mobile phone bill and donated to the Haitian relief effort. Using Mobile Commons, which also works with non-profits like the ACLU, OxFam, Care, Habitat for Humanity and many others, the UCC hopes to build a database of mobile numbers to be used for emergency information. To join the UCC's mobile-texting database, simply text the word UCC to 69866.
• Send donations to Wider Church Minisitries marked in the memo portion "One Great Hour of Sharing - Haiti " to the National UCC, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland OH 44115. If you want your church to get OGHS credit for your donation, either send it to your church or write the check to RMC with Haiti and the name of your church in the memo portion.
• A Denver-based nonprofit and former RMCUCC Mission Partner, Lambi Fund, is coordinating "second-responder" efforts to help the people of Haiti rebuild. Mobile phone donations can be sent by texting: ‘Send $(whatever amount) to give@lambifund.org’ to 729725 (PAYPAL). Details on plans for rebuilding can be found at www.lambi.org.

---

Help in Our Own Backyard

While the needs of the earthquake-shattered Haiti are certainly overwhelming, there are people here in the U.S. still struggling from the aftermath of natural disasters. To address this need, Wider Church Ministries' National Disaster Ministries has organized an ecumenical rebuild in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   Volunteer work groups are invited to spend a week between April 12 and May 21 repairing/rebuilding homes damaged by the 2008 floods – long term recovery is indeed a marathon not a sprint.  We are seeking groups of 10-12 people for each week to bring their gifts and skills to Cedar Rapids. Pam Small of Evansville, IN is serving as the volunteer coordinator for the project and can be reached at:  psmall66@gmail.com; cell phone:  812-453-3995. 

---

UCC on YouTube

Rev. Dee Lundberg of Casper UCC tells the story of her church in a video posted to YouTube.com. In the general video, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky9E1w-nlGE, several church members explain why they attend Casper UCC.

Casper is not the only church using the new social media -- Rev. Hal Chorpenning at Plymouth Congregational UCC in Fort Collins records and posts on You Tube a weekly message to viewers. See his March 3 message here.

What I Learned in Summer Camp

A YouTube video from the American Camping Association features a range of famous people talking about what they learned from their summer camp experiences. Whether the impetus to do well enough in school to earn another summer or the confidence of having the best Tarzan yell, camp offers something for everyone. Click here to view.

Access all Archived News Articles.