Welcome to the Southwest Wisconsin Association of the United Church of Christ.
Interim Associate Conference Minister
 |
| Rev. Dr. Kent Ulery |
Easter Sunrise atop Cadillac
Mountain
Associate Conference Minister
in a spring so unseasonably warm and early one might think Maine was a southern
state. Purple crocuses already had come and gone. Yellow daffodils smiled in
full bloom. No coats were required outside. If ever Meg had a chance to get me
atop Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise, this was it.
“downeast” Maine, Cadillac Mountain stands in Acadia National Park. At 1532
feet it isn’t that tall, just tall enough to be the highest point along the North
Atlantic seaboard. It’s an easy drive to the summit where, on any particular
day, you can become the very first person in the United States to see the sun
come up.
“I have an idea,” she said. “Let’s go to an Easter sunrise service on top of
Cadillac Mountain.”
exactly sharing in her excitement. “Meg,” I groaned, “the sun won’t be up for
another three hours. We’re less than an hour away. What makes you think there
will be a sunrise service there, anyway?”
she exclaimed. “You know that highway. It’s narrow and twisting and under
construction. With all the traffic, we need to get going.”
shower, and we were off, making good time since we were the only car on the
highway. Arriving at the base of Cadillac Mountain we encountered a barricade
and understood why. “Closed for the Season” read the sign
Harbor. No lights brightened any church. Too soon for the summer tourists to
arrive, the locals were sleeping in this Easter morn. So we parked along the
shore. As the sun rose over the ocean, we read the Easter story and sang “Christ
the Lord is Risen Today.” Just the two us.
McDonald’s in Ellsworth for breakfast. The person behind the counter was the
sister of the seminary’s librarian. Feeling foolish, we told her of our
venture. Obviously she was a real Mainer, while we were still from away. “That
road opens April 15th,” she said. “Never earlier, no matter how nice
the weather.”
Easter breakfast. The restaurant was near full, none of us dressed in our
Easter finest. These weren’t church people. They weren’t even C&E people.
But they, too, were among those for whom Christ died and rose from the dead.
way to reach them with the Good News of Easter?
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ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOUTHWEST ASSOCIATION
Saturday, May 5 at First UCC, Sauk City
“Recreating the Association” Presenter Richard “Dick” Hamm
Richard L. Hamm is Executive Administrator for Christian Churches Together, a role he has held since 2007. He is a frequent writer and speaker in areas of church renewal. A certified coach through Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching, Dick’s passion is to help church institutions shaped mostly in the 20th century to become effective in mission in this “post-modern” era. He has worked extensively with both congregations and middle judicatories. Dick served as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada from 1993 to 2003 after 23 years as a pastor in Indiana, Kansas and Missouri, and three years as a regional leader. He is the author of books 2020 Vision for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), From Mainline to Front Line, and most recently, Recreating the Church.
8:30-9 Registration
9-9:30 Opening Worship
9:30 am Plenary: Current Cultural and Generational Shifts and Implications for Congregations, Associations, and Conferences
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Small Group discussion
11:30 am Plenary: Responses to small groups
12:40 am Break for Lunch
1:30 pm Business Meeting
2:00 pm Closing Worship
2:30 pm Adjournment
The registration form will be on-line we will get the details to each church through the Southwest Association of the Wisconsin Conference e-mail list.