Conference News
PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc., invites you to consider its Progressive Christian theological education courses. PATHWAYS exists to offer a range of stimulating, accessible, and affordable online progressive Christian resources for church leaders, faith explorers, pastors, and those discerning various vocations and callings within and outside the church community. In PATHWAYS online courses, the class size is small!
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Churches will be hearing from the UCC national setting soon, informing them of federal government incentives that will cover 30% to 80% of a church's solar installation. For most churches that own their own building, it is now to their financial benefit to go solar, regardless of whether they need financing or options that require no upfront costs. Even churches with roofs that prohibit installations can explore parking lot canopies, ground mounted solar, or community solar gardens.
Check out this new UCC resource webpage to learn about the government incentives and an array of resources for going solar.
According to research done by a recent Yale graduate, 746 UCC churches have been identified as eligible for an additional 10% payment from the federal government for a solar installation because of the economic and environmental characteristics of their community. These churches will be notified of their eligibility.
Go explore the new solar resource webpage now!
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From the NCC President/General Secretary, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie:
The NCC staff is busily engaged in preparing for the much anticipated 2023 Christian Unity Gathering in Nashville, Tennessee, October 9–12. I invite you to join us and invite your friends and colleagues to join us as well.
Read MoreEnhance your impact and connection to your community!
A discussion with TikTok and Facebook sensation Rev. Timoth (@RevTimoth) on how you can enhance your social media presence for ministry.
Does the person who answers the phone at your Local Church know what to do if the caller is a reporter from the local news network? What if your office administrator or pastor receives an email from a reporter asking for information on a recent crisis in your church? Perhaps your church and pastor have recently parted ways less than amicably, or some members of the community are unhappy with the church’s recent decision to sell its property or close its preschool. United Church of Christ Local Churches have attracted media attention in many ways. If a Local Church is unprepared for a media inquiry, the pastor and church leaders may experience panic, have their focus turned away from their ministry in a time of great need, or damage the reputation of the church or create legal liability for the church through their reactions. But if a church has a media relations plan, it can take advantage of media inquiries to tell the story of the church’s ministry from the church’s perspective.
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Please join us on Sunday, September 17, 2023 for the Ordination to Ministry in the United Church of Christ of Rhonda Newby-Torres.
Services will be held at First Congregational United Church of Christ: 2801 Lomas Blvd NE Albuquerque NM 87106 at 4 pm (New Mexico time).
Clergy are invited to wear red or festive stoles. The service will be followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall.
Read MoreJohn and Janet Leung, members of the former First Congregational Church - Flagstaff, have 47 New Century Hymnals to give away along with an accompanist edition. They are moving in the near future, and really want to find a home for them. They will be able, depending on where the destination is, to either deliver or ship them to anyone interested. It's preferred that they all go to the same destination if possible.
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All Southwest Conference clergy are invited to attend the 2023 Clergy Retreat!
Monday, October 31 at noon through Wednesday, November 1 at 11 am at Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona
Our theme is “Rest Is Resistance” based on the book of the same title by Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry. We hope you’ll come to the clergy retreat to be refreshed, renewed, and RESTED.
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Are you interested in learning how to better repurpose, finance and manage your church properties? UCC’s partners at Church Building & Loan Fund are hosting a two-day virtual conference on September 21-22 that provides churches with resources on how to do just that.
Attending churches can learn and grow alongside CB&LF staff, loan partners, capital fundraising executives, building professionals and other experts to become the best stewards they can be.
Attendees must register before September 20th at 12pm ET: https://web.cvent.com/event/03c4dfed-e9a8-4094-8b83-fd73533e5628/summary
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Join Rev. Derek Terry, Coalition Program Director, in a discussion of Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. This book is the text famously carried around by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from his graduate school days until the end of his life. This work was used to shape the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's through the leadership of people like Dr. King.
Join us as we read and discuss Jesus and the Disinherited through a queer lens and consider how the theology shared in this text could be used to inspire new activism for the rights of the LGBTQIA+SGL community.
Registration is free and the discussion will be on Zoom. Register here.
Donations are welcomed (but not required) when you register! Please share widely with your circles and encourage your communities to read and join the discussion.
Read MoreThe United Church of Christ’s 34th General Synod, held June 30-July 4 in Indianapolis, included historic moments, joyous reunions, communal prayer and faithful witness.
Many of these have been captured in a newly released highlights video, showcasing the impact and significance of this year’s gathering. Watch the 17-minute condensed version or the extended version.
Read MoreNeighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion in the United States.
In 2023, the Neighbors in Need “BEHOLD!” theme continues. This year’s focus is on environmental justice. Plastics, electronics, and other non-compostable wastes are being shipped across, and even tossed into, our waterways, launched into space, as well as buried in landfills. As people of faith, we believe these egregious acts are sinful and unholy. We must be better stewards of our planet!
Join us by promoting this year’s NIN “Behold!” campaign at your church. As you may recall, one-third of the offering supports Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds are used by Justice and Witness Ministries to provide grants to UCC churches and organizations as well as supporting a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.
While many of our churches collect the offering on October 1, 2023, as part of World Communion Sunday, contributions to this offering can be collected on any Sunday during the calendar year. We thank you for your support and generosity.
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Cost per person: $370
If a church sends a team of 5 or more, cost per person is $299
Limit 24 people
Brian Buford has decades of experience as a university administrator, activist, consultant, and award winning former director of The LGBT Center at the University of Louisville. Join us in this virtual discussion as he shares ideas for how churches can support LGBTQ+SGL college students in today's difficult social and political climate.
Read MoreThe ECC Truth and Reconciliation Communion invites you to attend this sponsored event in September.
Join the discussion of The 1619 Project, A New Origin Story, by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Find out what the controversy is all about! How will this book inform your ministry and everyday life?
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Applications for the United Church of Christ’s 2024 Justice and Local Church Ministries grants, which support the work and mission of local churches, are now open. The deadline for congregations to apply is Sept. 15.
“From immediate financial aid to churches in crisis to seed funding for justice advocacy and innovative programs, the opportunities are boundless,” said the Rev. Aaron Wade, who — as the UCC’s minister for congregational leadership development — oversees the denomination’s grants and scholarships program. “For new church planters, we offer comprehensive health, dental and pension support, securing your church’s sustainability for the future. For faith communities affiliated with the United Church of Christ, our CASA grants stand ready to fuel your impact with coaching and financial assistance.”
Read MoreComing up soon:
Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
Climate Hope Cards Prayer Service
Centering Environmental Justice at the EPA
Friday, September 8 - Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Chapel Rock Retreat Center in Prescott, Arizona
The Arizona Disciples Women’s Ministry is inviting all who identify as women in the Southwest Conference to their annual fall retreat!
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MID Rhonda Newby-Torres was unanimously approved for ordination at her Ecclesiastical Council on July 30. Her ordination will take place at her home church, First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are unable to attend in person it will also be held virtually. It is scheduled for Sunday, September 17th at 4 pm New Mexico & El Paso time, 3 pm Arizona time. More information will be available soon.
Read MoreICYMI: A special interview with the UCC's first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as the GMP. Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson.
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