Make sure to "View Entire Message" to see all the November News! | | bringing Michigan Conference UCC pastors and churches closer together and closer to God | | December 3rd - Leadership Lunch | |
Abide in Advent Grounding ourselves in silence and prayer
December 3, 2025 12:00 PM ET
December 3rd Leadership Lunch:
Abide In Advent
Join Lillian in conversation with Rev. Cheryl Burke, Associate Conference Minister, to learn about how silence and prayer keep us grounded in all seasons of life. Our time together will focus on these two spiritual disciplines for grounding and self-care during Advent.
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watch LIVE on YouTube @12noon
and watch recordings ANYTIME!!
| | January 7th Leadership Lunch: How to Begin When Your World is Ending. Join Conference Minister Lillian Daniel in conversation with Rev. Molly Baskette. Rev. Molly Baskette (she/her) is a Bay Area-based spiritual professional and self-described “transformation junkie.” Co-Senior Minister of First Church Berkeley UCC, she also writes books about spiritual growth, parenting, grief and post-traumatic thriving, with an expansive faith and a bit of cheek. she has a keen interest in helping people find joy, healing and community both during and after the hardest things that happen in the course of human living. | | The Michigan Conference Mitten Project | |
2026 Mitten Project Cohort
During the five years of the Mitten Project, 48 churches will have the opportunity to receive $5000.00 in funding for local church program implementation.
We are excited to share that 11 churches have applied for and will receive funding and support as the 2026 Cohort. These cohort churches will design and implement programming to engage children ages 0-12 in worship and prayer and intentionally connect with the daily lives of children and families.
It is with great joy and excitement that we share the churches who will have Implementation Teams in the 2026 Mitten Project Cohort:
Kalamazoo First Congregational Church (UCC)
Hope United Church of Christ
First Congregational Church of Battle Creek
St. Paul United Church of Christ, Chelsea
Cadillac First Congregational Church UCC
Salem United Church of Christ - Farmington
Trinity United Church of Christ Northport
First Congregational Church of Rockford
Fellowship Chapel UCC
St. Stephens Community Church UCC
Bethel United Church of Christ, Manchester
The 2026 Mitten Project Cohort is a diverse representation of churches from across the Michigan Conference UCC. The expansive innovation present in each program proposal is incredible. It will be an exciting year to watch their work unfold and directly impact the children in their communities and churches.
Letters of Agreement have been sent for Congregational approval and funds will be sent to each Congregation in January 2026. 2027 Cohort Applications will open in July 2026.
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2025 Worship Engagement Survey
We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm with which the Michigan Conference and our local churches have engaged so far with the Mitten Project!! To hear from over 660 people in congregations across the state has given us an excellent starting point to create experiences that will reflect the gifts, voices, faith journeys, and needs of all generations as we move forward. A report of initial findings was shared in the November Faith Formation Funday Monday Newsletter. Training opportunities in 2026 will be directly informed by what has been shared by individuals in the Michigan Conference. You can find the the schedule of 2026 Training Opportunities HERE.
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| The Michigan Conference has received a grant of $1,250,000.00 from Lilly Endowment Inc. for the Michigan Conference Mitten Project. This 5-year program invites congregations to engage children and families in ways that deeply connect faith practices and community so that all of us, in each generation, can leave church more deeply connected with the spiritual and ready to find the sacred in our everyday lives. | | |
Contact Program Director, Jenn Ringgold, with questions or for additional information
jenn@michucc.org 517.258.2165
| | Celebrate! 2025 Grant Allocations | |
Celebrating 2025 Funding for Local Churches
In reporting for the Annual Meeting, the total amount of grants allocated to local churches and clergy in 2025 from the Michigan Conference was $98,700.00.
Stay tuned for reports and updates from individuals and churches who received grants as they share the creative ways they are utilizing funding for vitality, outreach, technology, sabbaticals, and more.
The Unified Grant Application Form is on the Michigan Conference Website under Scholarships and Grants. Emergency funding is allocated as needed. Other applications are reviewed twice per year with deadlines of March 15 and September 15.
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Additional Advent Resources:
Trans Advent Series
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Trans Advent: Featuring Rev. Dr. Lawrence Richardson
Trans Advent is a 2025 devotional from Unbound that centers on and uplifts the voices of trans people of faith during the Advent season. It offers weekly commentaries and reflections from various trans Christian authors that explore themes of hope, peace, joy, and love through a trans and queer lens. The devotional aims to provide a spiritual shelter and a message of unconditional divine love and affirmation for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the face of societal and religious challenges.
Follow along this month with weekly readings, or read Week 3 of Trans Advent now, as Rev. Dr. Lawrence Richardson meditates on the persistent joy found in living authentically and working for justice.
| | Relive Annual Meeting 2025 by viewing the YouTube Recordings: | | Additional Conference News | |
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The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, Michigan Conference Minister
Upcoming Schedule & Worship Visits
December
7th: Council of Conference Minister’s Retreat
21st: Preach - First Congregational Church, UCC, Rockford
January
11th: Preach - Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids
LINK TO 2025 - 2026 DATES
Contact lisa@michucc.org to schedule a visit
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Conference Transitions
The Conference Transitions feature appears in the monthly Michigan Conference Newsletter. Please share your transition information with commmunications@michucc.org
Searching Churches
- First Congregational Church of Chelsea is searching for a part-time pastor Details
- St. John's United Church of Christ in Grand Rapids is searching for a part-time pastor Details
- First Congregational Church of Muskegon is searching for a full-time senior pastor Details
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For a complete list of searching UCC churches in Michigan click here
| | | 2026 Michigan Conference Youth Winter Retreat | | |
Youth in grades 6-12 will gather along with chaperones from their local churches for the opportunity to connect with one another and the wider church on January 31 - February 1, 2026 at Haslett Community Church in the Lansing Area. Cost is $30.00 per person.
Meals, snacks, programming, recreation, sleeping space, and worship will be provided.
"Peacemakers" Retreat starts at 10:00am on Saturday and ends after worship on Sunday
Includes: service learning with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Exploration of the local area, dinner, programming, Bible study, 'midnight' Communion, overnight lodging at Haslett Community Church, continental breakfast, worship, and boxed lunch to go.
| | Local Church, Mission Area Team, and Association News | |
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PIMAT offers SDPC Grant
PIMAT is proud to share the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference stands out as the premier gathering place to hear the prophetic voice of the church and the preaching of the Gospel.
This year the 22nd annual SDPC event will take place in Chicago Illinois from Monday Feb. 23rd
through Thursday February 26th at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
“Join us for a week of plenaries and workshops speaking to the conditions we face and offering
framing and real-world tools for emerging and seasoned faith leaders as well as social justice and community activists to navigate the issues of this present moment.”
If you would like to apply for scholarship funds, please complete the Application for grant approval.
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We Want to Hear from YOU!
Use THIS FORM to share your
joys, concerns, news, events, and resources
with the Michigan Conference UCC!
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Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
and TAG us @michiganucc
so we can like and share your posts!!
| | Wider-Church UCC News, Events, and Resources | | Advent Resources For the Season | | |
Advent is a deeply meaningful season for the global church and local faith communities, as it represents a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
For individual Christians, this time is crucial for spiritual discipline, emphasizing a renewed focus on faith, hope, peace, and joy in anticipation of the Lord's arrival. The practice of reflection, scriptural reading, and quiet contemplation during Advent is vital for cultivating a posture of spiritual readiness, helping believers to slow down and deepen their relationship with God amidst a busy world.
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A curated resource list can provide valuable guidance for lay leaders and clergy, offering structured materials like readings, devotionals, and worship ideas to enrich their communities' observance of the season.
UCC Advent Resource List
UCC Abolition Advent Calendar
United Church of Canada Advent Series 2025
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PIMAT Presents: What is Palm Sunday Path?
A broad coalition of clergy, congregations, denominational leaders, and faith-based organizations has launched the "Palm Sunday Path" initiative to counter rising authoritarianism, hate, and Christian nationalism in the United States. Alarmed by the current political climate, participants aim to act in a new way as the church, standing for core Christian values like supporting the sick and hungry, and welcoming strangers.
The movement is framed as a "March on Washington" and "Confessing Church" moment, involving a series of mass actions across the country to stand against politics that promote hate, fear, greed, and division.
What are the Steps of this Plan?
Step 1: Palm Sunday afternoon, March 29th, 2026
March in St. Paul, other regional centers, state Capitols, and cities to proclaim God's values and contrast them with the dominant politics of injustice, much like Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
Step 2: Sustained Action on Medicaid Cuts, SNAP Benefit Cuts, and Immigration
Take disruptive local action on thousands of county boards simultaneously to fight for healthcare, food benefits, rights, and fair elections, following the example of Jesus overturning tables in the Temple.
Step 3: July 3rd Action
Culminate in a mass action in Philadelphia on July 3rd, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, to contrast with the planned military parade in Washington D.C. and declare that there is another way to protect the vulnerable and uphold freedom of speech.
What can we do now?
A Zoom call is scheduled for Friday, December 5th, 2025, to begin coordinating the actions within Michigan. The call is from 10AM-12PM Noon Eastern time; please register and join us.
- Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team (PIMAT)
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Book of Worship Update Survey
Who is the UCC - today and tomorrow?
Pilgrim Press
The UCC's identity—our history, our ways of being, our sense of community—is expressed uniquely through the Book of Worship.
Our collective identity grows & shifts with every new church start or merger, with every service of ministerial authorization by an Association, and with every General Synod vote to affirm a full communion agreement.
So who are we as the UCC today?
What kind of community do we want to be tomorrow?
And how should our Book of Worship reflect our evolving identity?
We seek your input!
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Surveys are available now on bookofworship.org for all users of the Book of Worship and will remain open for feedback through December.
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Information is also available on bookofworship.org about the submission of new content for potential publication in the updated Book of Worship.
- We look forward to your input, with great appreciation!
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Does your church need a website? Or maybe you have one, but it’s outdated?
UCC Everywhere (UCCE) is a program at the national setting of the United Church of Christ that builds easy-to-use, affordable, and modern websites for local churches. Their team helps you get everything set up so there’s no hunting for the tools and programs you need. Knowing that many churches have tech-savvy members, you can either put in the content yourself or work with our team for an additional fee to finish the setup. They also have tutorial videos to teach you how to make changes and offer ongoing customer support.
Check out the UCCE website for First Congregational UCC of Onekama then visit ucceverywhere.org to learn more or reach out to Customer Support Specialist, Aidan Spencer, via email at ucceverywhere@ucc.org or phone at 216.736.2185
| View learning opportunities for the Fall and Winter from the Center for Transformational Leadership of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC HERE | | Generations United Federal Credit Union | | If you are looking to partner with a credit union, the UCC Pension Board has created the Generations United Federal Credit Union, which may be able to offer lower CD rates compared to banks. It was designed to serve and empower United Church of Christ members and the broader community. Learn More at GUFCU.org. | | |
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