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'Good Things come to those who wait'
Former New Hampshire minister Mike Bone joins staff
at First Congregational UCC of Greeley.

After a vote this past April, First Congregational Church of Greeley called the Rev. Dr. Michael Bone to join as Associate Minister. Rev. Bone came to Greeley from Nashua, NH, where he served as Minister of Christian Education for Pilgrim Congregational Church, as well as the Director of Educational Ministries for the Community Church of Durham, NH.

Bone was ordained in the Southern Baptist Church in 1987, having earned his M.Div. from the Northeastern Baptist School of Ministry, a satellite campus of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served two Baptist congregations before leaving the ministry to begin what he thought would be a new career in academia or seminary teaching. While working on his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University Graduate School, he worked part-time for a UCC church in Christian education. It was then that he realized that God was calling him once again to ministry.

Bone joined the staff in mid to late June, after completing his commitment to his New Hampshire churches. He moved to Colorado with his wife, Billie, and twin daughters, Sarah and Anne (who graduate from high school this spring). Their son, Ben, may also relocate.

" There is a saying that ‘good things come to those who wait.’ We as a congregation have waited a long time for the arrival of our new Associate Minister,” said Kim Barbour, Chair of the Search Committee. “When our search committee was appointed nearly two years ago, we knew our work would not be easy or quick. Early on, we determined that our need was for a ‘specialist’ -- someone with particular skills and interest in working with youth and families. In the minds and hearts of our search committee, Mike Bone is the specialist we've been seeking. As you get to know Mike and to work with him in the youth and family ministries, we know that you will be blessed as our committee has been. We give thanks to God for Mike's acceptance of our call.”