Weekly E-News Summer Edition | |  | | |
1) Message from the Conference
2) Latest News
3) Around the Conference
4) Prayer Concerns
| | |
5) Save the Date & Cont. Ed Resources
6) VTCUCC Classifieds
7) UCC News
| | DEADLINE for E-Kit News must be received by Tuesday of each week. Please send any and all information please email: admin@vermontucc.org | | Message from the Conference | | |
Dear Beloved Community in the Vermont Conference,
It was, I think, at General Synod in 2005 that I first heard the song, I Need You to Survive by Bishop Hezekiah Walker performed by a transgender gospel choir associated with City of Refuge UCC in Oakland, California.
I need you, you need me, we are a part of God’s body
I won’t harm you with words from my mouth
I love you, I need you to survive
You are important to me, I need you to survive.
I still remember how powerfully this experience moved me and got me thinking about the connections that tie us together across differences, the “tie that binds.” There are so many words, actions, thoughts, events that kill us figuratively and literally. Life is so fragile. What if the antidote to all this violence is knowing deep in our souls that we need each other to survive? Perhaps this is true in two ways. In order to survive, we need each other. In the words of Paul in I Corinthians 12, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you” nor the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” One Body! However, we also need each of us, each person to survive, to thrive, to make it. No one left behind.
Isn’t this the heart of the gospel? Somehow, in a season of political violence, hateful rhetoric and enemies everywhere, what if we really truly understood and acted as if I need you to survive?
God bless you!
Lynn
| | CLERGY CONVOCATION REGISTRATION IS NOW ACTIVE!
| |
*******Registration deadline is September 29th!*******
| | |
Gatherings for Creation
VTIPL is excited to host two Gatherings for Creation this fall! Join us for two half-day workshops, featuring forest bathing, eco-spiritual formation, and workshops on how to respond to this moment of widespread change and transformation as people of faith. All are welcome! Click here for more information.
| | ****PLEASE NOTE***
The event on Oct 18th in Brattleboro has been postponed due to its overlap with the Celebration of Life for Bishop Ely. | |
Boundary Awareness Training: A Contemplative Approach – Fall 2025 Offerings
A boundary awareness training meant for members in discernment and authorized ministers of the UCC. Please check with your Committee on Ministry if you are unsure this would meet your required boundary training requirements.
Thursdays September 25 OR November 13, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST via Zoom and the Damascus Project Learning Network.
| | |
UCC Webinar on the EPA’s Dismantling of Environmental Protections
At a time when the head of the EPA is dismantling the protections that safeguard our environment and public health, the UCC is hosting a national webinar featuring some of the best legal and policy experts on the EPA in the country. They will address not only what has happened but also what can be done to take moral action in this moment. Speakers will include Ann Carlson from the UCLA School of Law, Jen Duggan from the Environmental Integrity Project, and Chitra Kumar from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Even if you can’t make it for the scheduled time of Wednesday, October 8th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT, still sign-up and a link to the recording will be sent to you. Register now!
| |
UCC Wellness Ministries Responds to the Confusion About Vaccinations
UCC Wellness Ministries promotes well-being within congregations and the communities they serve by developing and sharing helpful resources for individuals, including navigating healthcare options for themselves and their families.
We have attached a document titled "UCC Wellness Ministries Responds to the Confusion about Acetaminophen and Vaccines" and encourage you to share it widely.
State legislators are making decisions regarding public health, and individuals need to know where to seek guidance.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at WellnessMinistries@ucc.org/
| | ACTION ALERT: Gaza Food Relief -from Charlotte Congregational VT: | | WORLD COMMUNION RESOURCES FOR LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS! | |
| | |
2025 Suggested Offering Date: World Communion Sunday October 5th
The Neighbors in Need offering supports ministries of justice and compassion, with one-third of the offering given to the Council for American Indian Ministries and the remaining two-thirds supporting UCC justice ministries.
While many of our churches collect the offering on part of World Communion Sunday, contributions to this offering can be collected on any Sunday during the calendar year. Thank you for your support and generosity!
| | | | |
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
(Please let us know what your Congregation is up to by sending an email to VermontConference@gmail.com .
You may just see yourself or someone you love in the eKit or our Facebook page!)
| | Yale Divinity Alumni Award! | | |
Congratulations to the Rev. Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas who has been chosen by Yale Divinity School as the 2025 recipient of its Alumni Award for Distinction in Congregational Ministry. This award is given to a lay or ordained individual who has shown exceptional pastoral competence in the work of developing the ministry and mission of local congregations.
Arnold served as pastor of the Williamstown United Church and of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Vermont as well as serving on the pastoral staff of Riverside Church in New York City. He is also a past Conference Minister of the Vermont Conference, UCC.
| | More Pictures from Pride Parade! | | |
To the Congregations of the Vermont Conference United Church of Christ
From the UCC of Middlebury
August, 2025
Every year our Board of Missions and Social Concerns makes donations on behalf of our congregants to local nonprofits that make a difference doing healing and justice work in our community. This year we made the decision to seek out an organization that is focused on helping Immigrants and Refugees coming to Vermont.
To that end, we are donating $800 to the Vermont Afghan Alliance (VAA), and we suggest that you make a gift too if you have a community support program like ours. Here is why we think VAA is deserving of support from all of us in Vermont.
Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021, Vermont has Welcomed more than 600 Afghan allies who risked their lives to assist our military personnel on the ground during the long conflict. Just last year VAA provided direct services to 300 of these new Vermonters:
· Employment: 99% have secured long-term jobs with a living wage and health benefits
· Housing: 95% have secured long-term housing
· Driver’s license: 95% who completed the driver training program got a license
· Language learning and interpretation: helps all of our new neighbors thrive
· Legal: All VAA clients came here through valid immigration or refugee channels, and are helped to navigate their way to citizenship
You can learn more, and see their recently released annual report, at www.vtafghanalliance.org/
All of our Afghan-American neighbors are sending money home to relatives, hoping to be re-united with them in our brave little state. But new immigration regulations are making VAA’s job more and more difficult. And the third year of a federal grant is uncertain, creating a $256,000 budget shortfall.
With resilience, VAA is pursuing a new strategic plan and exploring new revenue sources, which we hope will include the Vermont UCC Conference. You can support them at Vermont Afghan Alliance, 60 Main Street, Suite 102, Burlington, VT 05401, or online at https://bit.ly/VtAfghan
Perhaps it boils down to this. Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Blessings to you all,
Middlebury UCC
Board of Missions and Social Concerns
Justice, Compassion and Love Team
Questions? Email wstugis44@gmail.com
| | |
United Church of Ludlow Disaster Hub
We at the United Church of Ludlow have completed our Disaster Hub and are ready to get them where needed should a disaster strike in Vermont. Thank you for the $3000 grant that helped us complete the hub. We will likely continue to add a few more buckets and supplies as we can.
| | |
JWM Recommends Ways to Amplify our Presence around Justice
Many people of faith in the Vermont Conference of the UCC are extremely concerned about the assaults on social justice by the present federal administration. Many of our Vermont churches are taking action to witness to our faith values and to speak out against these injustices, from rallies in Montpelier to weekly roadside demonstrations in local towns.
The Justice & Witness Ministries (JWM) Committee encourages all UCC members in Vermont to strengthen our outreach work and to emphasize our faith-based public witness. Upcoming opportunities are the Labor Day rallies on September 1 and the Burlington Pride Parade Festival on September 7. If you attend these rallies, please indicate that you are UCC and that you’re speaking for our church’s faith and values. A suggestion is to attend the rallies with other congregation members and carry signs identifying your congregation and your faith.
JWM also encourages observance of Sun Day, a time of action to support clean energy, over the September 20-21 weekend. To help us prepare, JWM sponsored a webinar on Thurs, Sept 4 at 6:30 pm and is planning a webinar to follow up on the presentation by Rev. Marvin Ellison and Rev. Carter Heyward on our response to Christian Nationalism on Thurs, Oct 16 at 6:30 PM. Details on how to register for this webinar will be in a future E Kit.
Now is the time for all of us to get involved in action for justice!
UCC resources
VT UCC resources
| | |
Help with Research Project about Healthcare Access in Vermont
Rev. Laurie Krooss, pastor of Second Congregational Church in Londonderry, VT is asking for our help on behalf of her son, Matthew, who is a med student at UVM:
My name is Matt, and I am a third-year medical student at The Robert Larner College of
Medicine at the University of Vermont. As a native Vermonter, I am passionate about
rural healthcare in our amazing state! I am helping UVM's Center for Biomedical
Innovation to assess the need for remote health technology in rural areas of Vermont. If
you have 10 minutes, please read about our project and take our survey about your
experiences and opinions on remote health technology!
Project information:
We are the Center for Biomedical Innovation at the University of Vermont. Our mission
is to design, evaluate, and deploy health technologies and systems with a focus on rural
healthcare. Your input will help us understand the healthcare needs and opinions of
rural Vermonters. This survey aims to assess your attitudes towards healthcare
accessibility and the implementation of health screening technologies at easily
accessible public sites in rural community settings. Examples include general stores,
libraries, schools, houses of worship, and town halls - all with provision for privacy. Your
responses are anonymous, and recorded information is deidentified. This information
will contribute to improving healthcare services in your community.
Take our survey:
https://redcap.link/UVM-SPHT
| | |
Please keep the family and friends of the Rev. Larrimore "Larry" Crockett in your prayers. Larry died on September 10, 2025. Arrangements for a memorial service are pending. More information will be provided as available.
We ask your prayers for Peter Amidon, his family and the greater community as he continues in home hospice. Peter and Mary Alice have been long-time musicians at the Guilford Church and are known throughout the Conference for assisting small churches and small member choirs with their music programs, including how to use the entire congregation as a choir. Peter was also instrumental in founding and providing music for hospice choirs throughout Vermont and beyond.
We offer our condolences to our siblings in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont on the recent death of Bishop Tom Ely. Tom retired as Bishop of the Vermont Diocese in 2019. Bishop Ely was known as a champion for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality as well as being an advocate for sensible gun control.
Our hearts are with The Rev. Tracy Weatherhogg and her family following the unexpected death of her husband, Rev. John Weatherhogg. We ask that you keep them in your prayers. We will share additional information as we receive it.
Our dear friend and colleague Carrie Bail's husband, Darius Jonathan, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. You can make an incredible difference by considering becoming a living donor or by simply sharing his story. Please visit nkr.org/XAX634 to learn more about Darius and how you can help save a life. Let's spread the word and help him find his match! #KidneyTransplant #LivingDonor #HelpDarius #MedicalFundraiser #ShareToSave
| | |
Save the Date & Cont. Ed Resources
| | |
Apple Crisp Day - Fall Open House on the Mountain (September 27th)
RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/v8zvWCrX9MKwGHrr7
The site and trails will open for your enjoyment starting at 9am and ending at 5pm.
You are welcome to come on your own, bring a friend, or bring your family! Come enjoy the foliage from a rocking chair on Madison Porch or take a hike up to one of the ledges and take in the view from up there. Bring everything you need for a picnic lunch, a book, a craft, your hiking boots, a musical instrument, or whatever else you need to make your day enjoyable. Horton Center will provide restrooms, coffee/tea/water, and delicious homemade apple crisp, of course!
| | |
WELLNESS MINISTRIES VOLUNTEERS SERIES
The fall Orientation of Wellness Ministries Volunteers Series will be offered on Tuesdays, September 23rd - October 28th 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET.
This 6-session series prepares you to share information about Wellness Ministries within the UCC, a process to orient volunteers, and the development or enhancement of current health and wholeness ministries within the congregation and the community.
As a service to congregations registration for the series is free. Register now:
https://UCC.zoom.us/meeting/register/LpP0-b4fT6urwU3fNxHMqA/
Registration is limited to ensure a more personalized experience for individuals.
All reading materials are found on the 2025 Wellness Ministries Toolkit flash drive, available at the UCC Resources Store - https://www.uccresources.com/
Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions because each one provides the foundation for the next session. However, we understand that sometimes that is not possible.
If you have questions please e-mail wellnessministries@ucc.org.
| | |
Home About Us Programs For Authorizing Bodies Contact Us Donate
Living the Heart of Progressive Christian Theology (Level One) begins October 8, 2024
What are the essentials of the Christian faith? How do you understand the realm of God, salvation, and the message of Jesus? What is Christianity’s role in the pluralistic role? These are foundational questions for Christian life and theological formation. Over the next six weeks, you will explore, reflect on, and discuss these aspects of Christian theology from a progressive perspective. You will be asked to trace how your theological understandings have evolved because of church experience, study, and growth. You will also consider these topics and integrate them with the course work already completed in the PATHWAYS program.
PATHWAYS Fall 2025 Schedule, Six-week courses
New Testament Hermeneutics 10/8/2025
Practicing Our Faith in the Public Square 10/8/2025
Living the Heart of Progressive Christian Theology 10/8/2025
Ecological Theology 10/8/2025
Preaching Liberation Theology 10/8/2025
Introduction to Spiritual Health (Pastoral Care) 10/15/2025
Go to the PATHWAYS website (pathwaystheological.org) to learn more and to apply for this and other courses.
| | |
Welcome, Farewell, and Blessings
Pastoral Transitions
| | |
Pastor's Death
August 19, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Reverend Robert Maury Hundley on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Rev. Hundley’s life was defined by his commitment to his faith and community. A graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1969, he was ordained on November 8, 1970, with his ordination sermon delivered by UCC President Avery Post and his seminary classmate, Scudder Parker. He was ordained at the Second Congregational Church of Hyde Park.
His ministry spanned 55 years and included many roles:
- Instructor and Chaplain at Johnson State College in Vermont.
- Associate Clergy at the Manhasset Congregational Church in New York.
- Chief of Staff of the Narcotics Committee for the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Chaplain at the Soldiers Home, Silver Spring, and Bethesda, where he served with some Episcopal Churches at the invitation of UCC Clerics & Episcopal Bishop Nathan Baxter and Bishop John Chane.
We recently celebrated his 55 years of ministry at this year's the Annual Meeting.
Our hearts and prayers are with his wife, Joy, and his family and friends during this difficult time. We will update you when we have more information.
Sincerely,
Paul
| | | | |
We are saddened to share the news of the unexpected passing of Rev. John Weatherhogg. Please hold John's wife The Rev. Tracy Weatherhogg and his family and friends in your prayers during this difficult time. A
celebration of his life is being planned on Saturday, Aug. 23rd at 2 pm at Grace Church, Rutland. We will provide more details as they become available.
| | |
Mission and faith identity support
Applicants should demonstrate full support of the mission, values, and faith orientation of the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, UCC and the United Church of Christ as a welcoming, historic, and progressive Christian faith community. The applicant will unreservedly support the church’s identity as an Open and Affirming (i.e. LGBTQ+ affirming) congregation. For more details regarding the position, please visit our website: https://www.fccej.org/v5/who-we-are/work-with-us/ FCCEJ is an open and affirming church, serving all in the spirit of Christ.
Please send resume and cover letter to: welcome@fccej.org
| | |
Free Choir Robes
12 in various adult sizes, royal blue, white trim, washable.
Please call 802-525-3607 or 802-525-4465
Barton United Church Trustees
| | FOR MORE CONFERENCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | |
Important Announcement Regarding Federal Grants
| | |
The United Church of Christ's Office of General Counsel has issued an important notice for all local churches considering applying for federal grants, including the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Recent changes to grant terms and conditions may include requirements that could impact a church's ministry and theological positions.
These new terms may require recipients to cooperate with immigration officials, avoid promoting certain diversity and equity programs, and refrain from participating in boycotts related to Israel.
It is crucial for local churches to review all grant terms carefully to ensure that accepting federal funds does not compromise their mission or the principles of the separation of church and state.
For more information and to read the full article, please follow the link below.
| |
| |
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
UCC global partners bring the world to World Communion Sunday resources.
| | | |
| |
Jimmy Kimmel v. the FCC
Author Sara Fitzgerald writes on the Kimmel-FCC fallout, and how the UCC continues to fight for media justice.
| | | |
| |
History is Here
UCC GMP writes about the importance of history, and what actions taken today can mean for the future in this week’s On My Mind Today.
| | | |
| |
Take the Survey!
Share your thoughts about General Synod 35. Deadline is 9/30.
| | | |
| |
Celebrating Neighbors in Need Grant Recipients
Join UCC National Staff in celebrating the recent recipients of the Neighbors in Need grants, including a breakfast program for children and a LGBTQIA+ safe space.
| | | | | | |
Join the Movement toward Racial Justice
The United Church of Christ invites you to participate in the Join the Movement Campaign, a three-year initiative that recognizes local churches’ works towards racial justice. Together, we can advocate for all people to live without acts of violence or structures and systems that harm God’s human creation.
| | | | |
Global Ministries is a joint witness in mission between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Join us in our mission to receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ by joining with global and local partners to work for justice, reconciliation and peace
Become a Global Mission Church!
| | |
Thank You for Your Support!
Our Churches Wider Mission Basic Support, Association Dues, and
Friends of the Vermont Conference make this communication possible.
| | | | |
