Conference News

Sunday's conference-wide worship service: watch and download

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Sunday's conference-wide worship service: watch and download

Much appreciation to all who helped to create and shape the beautiful and inspiring all-conference worship service during Annual Meeting! Thanks to all who attended and for your kind words in the Facebook comments and emails. Coming together for worship was wonderful!

If you missed it, or want to watch it again or download the video, we got you!

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Both resolutions at Annual Meeting passed

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The Awakening to Racial Justice was renamed A Southwest Conference Resolution on Restorative Racial Justice: Decentering Whiteness In Our Churches and Society. It passed:

  • 93% yes

  • 6% no

  • 1% abstain

The International Decade for People of African Descent resolution passed:

  • 98% yes

  • 1% no

  • 1% abstain

As soon as the final drafts are available, we’ll send them out and post them on the website.

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Webinar series slated to help craft communications strategy to inspire giving and engagement begins Oct. 7

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Webinar series slated to help craft communications strategy to inspire giving and engagement begins Oct. 7

Creating a communications strategy to inspire engagement and generosity is often a daunting task for faith communities. That’s why two expert communications teams are collaborating in a series of fourth quarter webinars to provide the tools that church leaders can use and adapt to their individual settings.

The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the United Church of Christ Office of Philanthropy, Technology, Identity, and Communication (OPTIC) are joining forces to present these four webinars, with the first scheduled for Oct. 7. Providing knowledge and skills for congregational leaders in key areas of organizational and mission effectiveness and nonprofit administration, the webinar series emphasizes strategic communications for development, stewardship, and related planning, management, and leadership activities.

The free webinar series is aimed at congregational, judicatory, and UCC agency leadership, both clergy and lay.

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Farewell to a leader: Ecumenist, advocate, preacher

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Farewell to a leader: Ecumenist, advocate, preacher

The Rev. Avery D. Post, president of the United Church of Christ from 1977 to 1989, died Monday, Sept. 7, at Kendal Retirement Community in Hanover, N.H. He was 96.

Through a career that also included heading the UCC’s statewide body in Massachusetts and pastoring local churches in three states, Post was known as an ecumenist, an advocate for social justice, and a skilled preacher. He led the denomination through years that included Cold War peace dialogues, racial-justice activism and support for emerging movements for women’s and LGBTQ rights and inclusion.

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Children and Youth Speak: Your Vote Matters — A UCC Webinar

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Children and Youth Speak: Your Vote Matters — A UCC Webinar

With the climate crisis and the struggle against inequality, the younger generations have served as today's prophets in provoking a global reckoning of the dire situation faced. As the November 3rd elections approach, children and youth are raising their voices again with a moral urgency as they awaken us to how much is at stake. This webinar will present children and youth from ages 10 to 18 who have a message and perspective that needs to be heard before those older than them vote. Register now!

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UCCB- An Open Letter to the Church

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UCCB- An Open Letter to the Church

Noting that the United Church of Christ is “among the whitest Christian denominations in America,” the church’s leaders are launching an assessment of “racial diversity, equity and inclusion” throughout the church.

The United Church of Christ Board of Directors announced the assessment in a Sept. 1 “letter to the wider church” and began seeking consultants to the process by posting a request for proposals at the UCC website. The letter was signed by UCC Board Chair Yvette Wynn and the three national officers of the church, the Revs. John Dorhauer, Traci Blackmon and Karen Georgia Thompson.

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Neighbors in Need (NIN) 2020

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Neighbors in Need (NIN) 2020

This year, special consideration will be given to projects focusing on serving our immigrant neighbors and communities. The United Church of Christ’s history is rooted in supporting justice work and the Southwest Conference encourages all SWC churches to participate in this important cause. We invite your congregation to renew its commitment to Neighbors in Need on Sunday, October 4th. This date coincides with our Virtual Annual Meeting and an appeal will be made during the all-conference worship service that morning.

All of this year’s resource materials are downloadable here.

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UCF Awards Over $100K to Conferences for Clergy Support

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UCF Awards Over $100K to Conferences for Clergy Support

United Church Funds (UCF) announced that Brown Endowment grants of over $100,000 has been awarded so far this year to 13 United Church of Christ (UCC) conferences. These grants will allow these conferences to implement support programs and leadership development for authorized ministers who are addressing and responding to the crisis and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and protests for racial justice.

The Southwest Conference wrote for and received a $10K grant from the Brown Endowment Fund to provide active authorized ministers with traumatic stress debriefing and support.

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