Little Brown Church will host the Saturday, Oct. 2, fall retreat for the Women’s Network of the Northern California Nevada Conference of UCC on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register, go to ncncucc.org; pull down programs, click on Women’s Network, then click on fall retreat. Print the form and send it to the registrar. Or just print the last page of this newsletter and send it in. Questions? Ask Mary or Robin.

The Women’s Network calls this a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to hear Dr. Margaret Bendroth, executive director of the Congregational Library in Boston, speak about the history of the UCC. Here’s the description of her workshop on “Growing Deeper Roots.”

“We have a nationally known expert from Boston coming to share her wisdom and insight on the grand and wonderful tradition that is the UCC. Our church has been leading the way in this country since its founding with women always in the forefront even from the earliest days. The past is not always (but sometimes) about the ‘bad old days.’ How do we keep our deep and distinctive traditions as UCC people yet build on broader spiritual resources that work today? Come learn how to grow deeper roots by Re-Traditioning so that our faith and our church will flourish in our world today with vision, vibrancy and vitality. Come and continue the legacy of leadership into the 21^st century.”

Other features of the retreat are:

"Healing Through Music: A Sing-a-Long Workshop" featuring Stephanie Gameros, Singing Chaplain, University of California-San Francisco Medical Center. “Share powerful stories of how music brings healing to those in special need of care. Reflect on ways music brings spiritual and physical healing in your own life. Be ready to have fun in this hands (and hearts)-on sing-a-long workshop."

“Hands to Work, Hearts to God” with the Rev. Kathleen Morgan, Intentional Interim, Pacific Northwest Conference. “Let your creativity flow with the symbols of hearts and hands. Bring some hand tracings from your family or congregation to create sacred art for your home, church and Women’s Network. Listen to and share stories of how the spirit used those hands to change hearts. A potpourri of fabrics, samples and patterns will be available.” Pastor Morgan is described as “an accomplished seamstress, an arts and crafts junkie, a registered nurse and an ordained UCC minister who is an intentional interim from the Pacific Northwest Conference.”

“Save Your Stuff!” with LBC member Susan Ewing Haley and co-leader Margaret Bendroth. Susan is Supervisory Curator/Archivist with the National Park Service in San Francisco. “Learn how to preserve and protect the history of your church and your family’s cherished items, from liturgical art to crumbing paper records. Consult with two experts on the best way for preservation so that future generations will be able to cherish, learn and understand what is important to family and faith.”