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UCJCI Update

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SRMC Kidsquake 2019 Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
	The UCJCI’s Southern Regional Mission Council (SRMC) hosted their ninth (9th) annual Kidsquake and Reading Competition on November 16, 2019 at Ridgemount United Church! The one hundred and forty-eight (148) Church School students who registered for the event participated in the areas of music, speech, dance, reading and poster competitions. Twelve (12) church schools across the Region participated. They included: Blue Mountain, Sunbury, Mineral Heights, Bryce, Ridgemount, Andrews Memorial, Happy Grove, Ebenezer, Salem, Hyde Park, first time entrant Longville Park Mission, and Lowe River United Churches. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Moderator’s Visit to NERMC (Cluster 3) Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
	The Moderator of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Gordon Cowans, paid his first official visit to Cluster 3 of the NorthEastern Regional Mission Council (NERMC) on September 29, 2019. This was part of a schedule of ten (10) visits being paid by the Moderator across our four (4) Regions during his two-year term in office. This visit to our congregations in Portland was comprised of a worship service at Buff Bay United Church, led by Pastor Clyde Shaw. All UCJCI congregations in the Cluster were represented, amounting to a capacity-audience. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Leadershift from Pleasing People to Challenging People You cannot lead people if you need people. Pleasing people is not the same as leading people. You might have, at some point, defined leadership as, “Make people happy and they will follow you.” You might have continually asked yourself one question: “Is everybody happy?” But if you’re a leader, the answer is no. You can never make everyone happy. And wanting to do so is a setup for disappointment or failure. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Lucea United Church Hosts Public Lecture on Good Parenting Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
	Scores of residents in Hanover were engaged in a public lecture on good parenting, hosted by Lucea United Church on November 19, 2019! The event, held at Bioprist in Lucea, was organized by the church’s Family Life Ministries in celebration of National Parent Month (November), under the theme, “ Be the Positive Influence :Saving the Youth of Your Community”. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Walk Slowly Through the Halls One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is spending too much time in their offices and not enough time out among the people. Leaders are often agenda-driven, taskfocussed, and action-oriented because they like to get things done. But leadership is a people business. If you forget the people, you’re undermining your leadership, and you run the risk of having it erode away. Then one day when you think you’re leading, you’ll turn around and discover that nobody is following and you’re only taking a walk. please click here for more information (PDF file)

UCJCI Launches New Training for Lay Leaders Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
	The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands has launched a newly designed and reenergized training for lay leaders , to equip members for kingdombuilding. All members of the UCJCI who perform voluntarily in leadership roles in various ministries are lay leaders. LEADERSHIP CORNER -From Soloist to Conductor One of the first and most important shifts anyone must make to become a leader is from soloist to conductor. You can be a successful person on your own, but not a successful leader. Zig Ziglar said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” It may require a focus shift from wanting the entire orchestra to serve you and your agenda, to acting like a conductor who works to bring out the best in everyone around you. You will find that the increased effort to first focus on others and add value to them increases the energy of those you lead—and it will increase your energy while you are leading them. You will discover that it is wonderful when the people help their leader, but it’s even more wonderful when the leader helps the people please click here for more information (PDF file)

The UCJCI’s Ordination Service 2019 Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
	Thursday, November 14, 2019 was a memorable day in the life of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Two (2) of our young people, Laddia D. Young and Alex D.C. Hayden were ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacraments at Ridgemount United Church, Mandeville, Manchester! A moving service it was, that challenged Revds. Laddia and Alex - with the exuberance, freshness and vigour of the young - to a life of dedicated service in the mission of Christ. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Why Every Leader Needs to Leadershift Good leaders adapt. They shift. They don’t remain static because they know the world around them does not remain static. As leaders we can’t drag our feet or take loo long making assessments. We have to change, reread our situation, and change again. And continue changing. How does a leader do more than just hang on and survive in such an environment? The key is to learn how to continually make leadershifts. What is a leadershift ? It is an ability and willingness to make a leadership change that will positively enhance organizational and personal growth. please click here for more information (PDF file)

The Chetolah Mel Nathan Education Centre Gains Ground Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
	Built by The Scott Foundation in 1994, in collaboration with then Minister of St. John’s United Church, Rev. Dr. Maitland Evans, and his team, the UCJCI’s Mel Nathan Preparatory School (the first inner city preparatory school in Jamaica) merged, on September 1, 2018, with Chetolah Park Infant and Primary School, to become The Chetolah Mel Nathan Education Centre, and the institution beams with promise! LEADERSHIP CORNER -The Vision Challenge What would you rather do? See your own vision put into action and come to fruition? Or help others fulfil theirs? For people who want to lead, the answer is usually the former. Leaders see possibilities and they want to seize them. Most of the time they would rather work to fulfil their own vision than someone else’s—unless that other leader’s vision is really compelling and captivating. Leading from the middle, however, means that you will be asked to become a champion for a vision other than your own. In fact, the reality is that all the people in an organization other than the top leader are going to be asked to fulfil a vision they didn’t generate. please click here for more information (PDF file)

We Celebrate Church School Month!! Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
	We celebrate Church School’s Month in November, under the theme, “Transformers for Christ — The Mission is Possible!” Through this theme, the Children’s Ministry Commission sought to combine the theme of this year’s Vacation Bible School, “Transformers for Christ”, with the Synodical sub-theme for this Quarter, “The Disciple in Mission”. This theme combination was chosen as a way of assisting and encouraging our church school children to engage in evangelistic mission among their family members, neighbours, classmates, friends, and even those who may be considered their enemies. LEADERSHIP CORNER The Fulfilment Challenge of Leadership Wherever people find themselves in life, they usually possess the natural desire to move up. They want greater recognition. They want to make more money. They want to live in a better home. They want to advance and improve. Leaders are no different. They want to move up rather than stay put. They want to make a greater impact. They want to be at the front of a pack or the top of an organization, especially early in their lives and careers. But is being out front really all that’s it’s cracked up to be? I think the answer is yes and no. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Youth Encounter 2019 Deepens the Faith of Participants Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
	The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands held our inaugural “Youth Encounter” on Heroes’ weekend, October 18-21, 2019 at Knox Community College Cobbla Campus, Manchester! It was a time in which Youth of our Church, between ages 18 and 25, immersed themselves in the presence of God and enjoyed holistic nurturing, without the rigours of a regular camp programme. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Leadership and the Multi-Hat Challenge Wearing many hats is a predicament faced by most leaders in the middle of the organization. While it’s true that people at every level of an organization have strong demands placed on them, leaders in the middle experience pressures that others don’t. Here’s what I mean: People at the Bottom of An Organization When people are first starting out at the bottom of an organization, they usually perform a limited number of tasks that are assigned to them. Those tasks may be challenging. They may be physically or mentally demanding. They may require great skill. But most of the time, they require only one “hat”. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Elmslie Memorial Family News November 2019 Tuesday Oct 29, 2019
	SERVING AND SOUP by John Epp The Wednesday morning congregation continues to meet for fellowship and worship in the Elmslie Church Hall. Usually 30 people attend each week out of a rota of 60 people. After the worship service, hot soup is served, and later the congregants depart with a modest bag of groceries. Those congregants who do not ‘need’ the groceries are invited to take a bag to pass to a person in need. UCJCI Lay Leadership Training Programme The UCJCI has created a new Lay Leadership Training Programme and the Rev. Norman Francis from Jamaica will be visiting Council from November 1st - 5th to launch the programme in Cayman. The programme will be delivered in three modules and be certified by the International University of the Caribbean. All persons wishing to be trained in the Lay Leadership Programme are invited to attend the meeting to be held on November 2nd, along with the members of Council. Details of the course are available from the Council office. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Moderator’s Official Visit to CIRMC Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
	The Moderator of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Gordon Cowans, paid his first official visit to the Cayman Islands Regional Mission Council (CIRMC) from October 9 to 16, 2019. This was part of a schedule of ten (10) visits being paid by the Moderator across our four (4) Regions during his two-year term in office. Leadership Corner Leadership and the Ego Challenge “ True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost,” Arthur Ashe. True leadership is the same. It’s normal for any person to want recognition, and leaders are the same. The fact that leaders in the middle of the pack are often hidden—and as a result they don’t get the credit or recognition they desire and often deserve—can be a real ego buster. The challenge is to be a team player and remain content while contributing. please click here for more information (PDF file)