Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6b
The members of the UCC Ministry Team go forth by faith, trusting and relying on Him who is the Head of the Body in a denomination that bears His holy name.
1. Byfield Parish Church Stays in the Denomination
2. The Team and The Mission Statement
3. What we have been doing
4. Pulpit Prayer of Faith
5. Pastor Referral Network
6. Listening Session
7. First Ever UCC Ministry Team Conference
8. Essex Association Women's Fellowship: Byfield Parish Church to Host Semi-Annual Meeting
9. Links
At the May 2006 annual meeting, the congregation voted to continue our UCC affiliation. Unbeknownst to us, other UCC congregations in the Massachusetts Conference were waiting for the outcome of our vote.
"We all shouted, Hooray! Share our joy that Byfield Parish Church decided to stay in the denomination."
These are the words of Kathy Olmstead, Essex Association Board Member and secretary of Rowley Congregational Church reporting on the response of the Board when they learned of our decision.
The UCC Ministry Team is the group that was established by the elders following the annual meeting last May. The team consists of five members from the congregation: Jim Harrell, (chairman), Don Hudson, (recording secretary), Doug Dawes, Malcolm Fowler, Nancy Cumming, and our pastor, Bill Boylan. The two elders liaisons to the team are Dan Tymann and Henry Richenberg. The five members have committed to a twelve month position. We are a small team within a larger team that is every member and friend of Byfield Parish Church.
The team agreed on the following mission statement: Our mission is to design and implement strategies to affirm the historic gospel in the UCC, particularly in and between United Churches of Christ by monitoring the denomination and by regular communication with the Byfield Parish Church.
The reason for this newsletter is to invite participation, share news and events, and to share what God is doing in His work of revival and renewal in our denomination. We anticipate an abundant harvest! Let's labor together.
The team has met two times per month starting in October 2006. We are busy trying to answer the big questions such as, who are we, individually and as a team, and what does God want us to do, individually and as a team? We have been seeking God for a mission statement. We have spent time sharing our personal stories of how we were called to the team. We have sought God's will, direction, and inspiration in prayer and we are firmly committed to continuing this practice.
We have turned to our pastor to give the team an overview of the denomination's history and present-day organization with particular focus on the Essex Association. This has given the team an understanding of how the denomination started and how it is organized today. Bill also shared his analysis of membership and finances of Essex Association churches. More on this under item #5, Pastor Referral Network. The Massachusetts Conference churches are highly regarded among UCC pastors and administrators. To pastor a church or to secure a leadership position in the conference is viewed as prestigious. In other words, our conference is being watched closely and we have an opportunity to influence many with the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
The team agreed to reinstate weekly prayer from the pulpit for a sister church in the Essex Association. At Bill's suggestion, each pastor in the rotation is being contacted during the week to ask for specific prayer requests. This is an opportunity to reach out to our sister churches and share the love of our Savior in a personal and direct way! The response from the churches contacted thus far has been very warm and receptive. Consider adding these churches to your prayer time. Thank you for your prayers!
o January 7 - West Gloucester Trinitarian, Gloucester
o January 14 - First Congregational Church, Georgetown
o January 21 - First Parish Church, Newbury
o January 28 - First Congregational Church, Rowley
o February 4 - Groveland Congregational Church, Groveland
o February 11 - Second Congregational Church of Boxford, W. Boxford
o February 18 - Belleville Congregational Church, Newburyport
o February 25 - Central Congregational Church, Newbury
o March 4 - First Church, Ipswich
o March 11 - First Church of Christ, Bradford
o March 18 - First Congregational Church, Haverhill
o March 25 - Riverside Memorial Church, Haverhill
o April 1 - Pilgrim Congregational Church, Merrimac
o April 8 - Union Congregational Church, Amesbury
o April 15 - Main Street Congregational Church, Amesbury
o April 22 - The Congregational Church, Topsfield
See list of all Essex Association churches under #9 below.
The UCC Ministry Team is taking on the administration of the Pastor Referral Network. The PRN formed in response to an expressed need among churches that were looking for pastors who preach the full counsel of God. It is an outgrowth of Biblical Witness Fellowship. PRN is a key component of our church renewal effort. From the website,
"The Pastor Referral Network is a referral service for congregations in the United Church of Christ and others of Reformed, Evangelical, Congregational, Christian heritages helping to connect pastors and churches of like mind and spirit."
For a full description of the PRN, check out http://www.pastorreferralnetwork.com/ .
On January 6, members of the team attended a UCC Massachusetts Conference sponsored Listening Session. We were delighted to have Allan Trefry and Miriam Boylan join the team at the South Church, Andover session. There were about 35 people in attendance. Our consensus was that the event was a great opportunity to "meet and greet" other men and women in our denomination and build a personal network. We have a resource in each other. While there were differences among us, there was no animosity from anyone, but rather, a sense of wanting to find common ground on which to build our fellowship. We shared what Christ did and has been doing among and in each of us at Byfield Parish Church. This was our first UCC "field-trip" and the team agreed it was a success. Session leaders are now analyzing feedback from sessions from all over the state and will present their findings to the UCC Massachusetts Conference Board who will develop a plan to increase church vitality.
The team will be sponsoring our first conference at Byfield Parish Church on Sunday, April 22, 2007. We will be hosting a group of women from India who will tell their faith stories with a focus on women and the gospel in India. They are in the states as guests of Glad Tidings India, formerly known as Bibles for India that we support through our missions budget. This event is open to all members and friends of Byfield Parish Church. We are actively encouraging sister UCC churches to attend. This is a wonderful opportunity for inter-church fellowship. Other exciting conferences are in the planning.
Byfield Parish Church to Host Semi-Annual Meeting
The UCC's Essex Association Women's Fellowship will hold its semi-annual meeting at Byfield Parish Church on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Miriam Boylan is the program coordinator and she is pleased to announce The Reverend Beverly Weinhold as guest speaker. The event runs from 9:30am to 1:00pm, including lunch-all for $5.00. All women are invited. Church affiliation is not required. Consider inviting a friend who is from a sister UCC church. Reservations are required. Please contact Minda Fowler at 978-352-2022.
www.biblicalwitness.org/ Biblical Witness Fellowship, Candia, NH www.pastorreferralnetwork.com/ Pastor Referral Network, Georgetown, MA www.ucc.org/ National UCC denomination website, Cleveland, OH http://www.macucc.org/ UCC Massachusetts Conference website, Framingham, MA