Pre-Sabbatical Letter from Michael W. Caine,
Regional Conference Minister

Thursday, 1. February 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I write today with news that's important for us all:

1. thanksgiving for your good efforts on 2006 support of "OCWM,"
2. arrangements for my sabbatical leave from 2. February to 2. June 2007.

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First, thanks to all of you! New York Conference again fulfilled the Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM) commitment made to the national setting of the UCC, to fund their ministries across the nation and around the world. We were able to meet this spiritual goal we'd set for ourselves ALMOST easily, thanks to your generosity.

This faithful accomplishment comes from the Conference's tight fiscal discipline of its own spending, but also from the generosity of its member congregations' giving.

Though coming into 2006, many of our churches again-- as had been the case for many years before-- reduced their commitments for OCWM giving, by year end our congregations had exceeded what we expected. This had already been true for the Suffolk Association in 2005, and for both the Suffolk and the Metropolitan Association in 2006, where you all exceeded the commitment by 107% and 105% respectively. (Those percentages translate into tens of thousands of dollars of gifts we had not counted on!)

So first of all, let me thank you, for the NY Conference and for the national setting of the United Church of Christ... and from all whose lives our ministries touch.

We know our congregations still face tight budgets themselves. And neither the NY Conference nor the United Church of Christ are out of the woods yet. But maybe these two Associations are forerunners, showing us the way to turn the corner. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors!).

It is truly a sign of great hope, that instead of shorting OCWM at the end of the year, you all exceeded your promises. I see in this:

• recognition of the importance of our ministry together,
• an appreciation for the NY Conference's wise stewardship of resources, and
• a response to our asking, as a spiritual commitment, for a greater portion of support for OCWM from what local church members entrust to your congregations.

If your church's ministry and giving would be strengthened by knowing more about OCWM, we still offer our OCWM presentation "It's Who We Are," now available to governing bodies and whole congregations in a new and improved version. If you want to schedule a visit for this purpose, please contact the SE Regional office.

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Second, I am almost out the door on my sabbatical! I rejoice that I serve a church dedicated enough to supporting its ministers to offer me this blessing. Ministry is demanding; I try to do my best in service among you; I am looking forward to a break-- the rest and relaxation.

I will be on sabbatical from Friday, 2. February, returning on Saturday, 2. June 2007. During that time, the Rev. Susan Gibson will serve as my part-time sabbatical interim. I pray this experience will be both a blessing for Susan as she explores a new setting for ministry, and for you all as you experience new gifts and graces in the guise of an Interim Regional Conference Minister.

I will point out, however, that one of the NY Conference's wise stewardship disciplines is only to replace me part-time! That means, Susan will not have nearly as many weekly hours as I do (and she also works as a adolescent psychiatric nurse). She will be assisted, of course, by my Conference colleagues, who, as I am the last to take sabbatical, have become adept at coverage.

Still and all, please understand: a contribution you can make to my getting to get away is understanding that the absolutely necessary will get done, but less pressing items may have to wait for my return.

Here's how I am asking you to help out:

• for general inquiries and for Metropolitan Association business, please contact Ms. Louise Manigault, the Metro. Association's Executive Administrator at uccnymetro@aol.com or 718.898.9210. If Louise cannot handle your request, she will connect you with the right leader or committee.
  
  
• for Suffolk Association business, please contact the Rev. Ann Van Cleef, who serves as Moderator, at pastorannsutton@yahoo.com or 631.323.2665.
  
  
• for Conference ministry (having to do with search and call, assistance in pastoral relations, congregational conflict mediation, new churches, people considering ministry, preaching invitations, etc.), please contact the Rev. Susan Gibson at sgibson_931@comcast.net or 845.207.9071.
  
  
• of course, you may, as always, contact our Conference Minister, Geoffrey Black, for assistance at geeblack@aol.com or 315.446.3073. My absence will offer Geoffrey an opportunity to work more closely with certain situations in both Associations.

So what will I be doing? I am going to spend the first part of my time with family friends (from the first church I served in East Harlem ) in Managua, Nicaragua, enjoying the tropical weather and working on improving my Spanish.

While I am there, I will also continue-- though in relative more peace and with a greater ability to focus-- developing the retreats and materials for "Casting Your Nets on the Other Side," NY Conference's new initiative for net increase in mission, members and money. (Check it out at www.castingyournets.org .)

Modeling good boundaries, I will be out of sight and out of contact. That means that you cannot expect responses to phone messages and e-mail until June! But you will be in my prayers.

And I already look forward to catching up with you when I return, as we will be getting ready to go to NY Conference Annual Meeting and the 50th Anniversary General Synod in Hartford , Ct. June 22-26. (If you haven't registered and secured a hotel reservation, go right now to our page: UCC's 50th Anniversary - "Count Me In".)

In these four months I will be away:

be well,
help one another,
treat all God's children with love, and...

Godspeed,

Michael