As announced earlier, the Heart of Texas Association will be meeting via Zoom on Saturday morning, May 16th. Sign-in begins at 10 am, the meeting begins at 10:30, and we intend to be done at noon or a little after. We will have some extra security in place with a way to sign up to attend through a website link in order to prevent “Zoom bombing” harassment. You will need to sign up to attend in advance so we have the list of people coming, and then you will get the meeting Zoom link. (Sounds complicated but it is easy.) If you do not know how to use Zoom, please email me ([email protected]) before the meeting date so we can help you know what to do or have a friend walk you through it. As primary agenda items, we will be having the Ecclesiastical Councils of Kerry Kirtley and Arlene Turner whose ordination papers are already available on our Association website, http://hotaucc.org/. We believe it will be more important than ever to for our churches to speak about their lives together in this challenging time as we share ideas and lift one another up. We will be posting all of the documents for the meeting, including the agenda, financial report, past minutes, and any other written reports on the Associaton website, and we ask that you download those and read through them before the meeting. (It is harder to read them during the meeting while you are on Zoom.)
The South Central Conference Annual meeting will happen online on Saturday, June 13th in order to do the business of the Conference. The SCC will be sending out information on how this will work. Major items on the agenda will include voting on bylaw changes (posted on our Association website); meeting our new Consulting Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Campbell Lovett; elections; budget approval; and perhaps more that I am not presently aware of. Campbell Lovett has already been working with many of us with his wise and caring counsel, helping bring resources on applying for CARES Act money and fundraising to our churches, as well as beginning to be a pastor to us, in this difficult time.
Our Committee on Ministry met by Zoom for the first time during March. The Committee interviewed Kerry Kirtley and Arlene Turner, recommending them for ordination and, as it turns out, giving them a good rehearsal for their online Ecclesiastical Councils. The Committee also voted to license Brett Hart, who is a member of St. Peter’s Coupland and is serving as their minister while Martin Garrison is on sabbatical. Brett has come to the UCC with about 30 years of ministry experience and a similar amount of experience as a high school science teacher. He left his last church position to begin the Serene Disciple Project at the home he shares with his wife at Egret Isle Farm near Coupland. The Serene Disciple project continues, and you can learn about this unique ministry at https://egretislefarm.com/about-us/. We welcome Brett!
As I close, I lift up our churches, ministers, and all who are working in creative and challenging ways to do ministry now. Let’s continue to pray for each other and support each other. I also lift up a giving opportunity. The Christmas Fund, run by the Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ, is now responding to many requests for emergency help for pastors and church staff. If you would like to know more or donate, go to https://www.pbucc.org/index.php/art-ma-landing/opportunities-for-giving.
Blessings in Christ, Liz Nash, Association Minister
