Table of Contents 

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: admin@vermontucc.org

Message from the Conference

The Vermont Conference Office will be closed December 24th thru January 5, 2026. If you have an emergency, you can reach Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak at (802) 505-3980

_{Latest News}

As we enter a year of critical importance in the struggle for climate justice, the UCC is holding a Climate Action Commissioning Service. Gather with us as we faithfully prepare ourselves to take action in the coming year. Our preacher will be the Rev. Jim Antal, author of "Climate Church, Climate World." Rev. Antal currently serves as the Special Advisor on Climate Justice to UCC General Minister and President. Even if you cannot make the live event on Wednesday, January 14^th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT, still register, and we will send you a recording. Register today!

United Church of Ludlow's Pasta Supper Raises over $3000 for World Hunger

 The United Church of Ludlow’s Stuffed Shells to Stuff Hungry Bellies dinner raised over $3,000 to fight hunger both in the world and in our own backyard, thanks to the generosity of a number of regional organizations.  

The church at 48 Pleasant Street hosted the dinner on Sat, Nov. 22, in cooperation with the Ludlow Rotary Club, the Okemo Valley Women's Club, and Black River Good Neighbors. Participants feasted on stuffed shells, salad, bread, and dessert, with in-person dining and take-out options. 

"We are grateful to the many volunteers and donors who helped make this dinner to fight world hunger possible, and to the people who dined and generously supported the effort to help the many hungry people in the world," said Pastor Michelle Fountain. “It is heartbreaking to know that while there is so much food in the world, there are still people starving. We hope that this small effort will inspire others as we share our faith through action." 

Proceeds were split between the United Church of Ludlow and the Ludlow Rotary Club. The church donated its share to two organizations that support world food needs: World Central Kitchen and Action Against Hunger. The Rotary will distribute the other half locally to help with food insecurity. 

Interfaith Letter Calling for Peace and Cooperation

Pastor Michelle Fountain

United Church of Ludlow

Frustrated with the current state of division and injustice in our country, I crafted a letter to the editor calling for peace and cooperation. In the spirit of working on that, I reached out to faith leaders from Springfield to Pittsford asking if they would join me in this effort. I was pleased to make a connection to the Rutland Area Interfaith Council who were open to the idea and I worked with Rutland Jewish Center Rabbi Michal Woll from the Council to edit the letter, which was sent out to local media sources this week. You can see the diversity of faith leaders in the signature line at the end of the letter below. I have received a confirmation from the Rutland Herald that they will run this in the next week. 

While it is just a letter, our hope is that it inspires others to pause before disparaging others and to practice kindness, leading with love across differences. I invite others to start similar conversations in your communities. Might you use this as a foundation to work from to send a similar message?

UPDATE on Resolution of Compensating Black Musicians/Lyricists by way of Support of Black Music:

In keeping with the resolution passed at this year’s annual meeting, the Justice & Witness Ministries Committee has designated the Green Mountain Gospel Choir as the recipient of funds donated by Conference congregations to support Black musicians/lyricists for 2025. An interracial, multigenerational, and interdenominational choir founded by Rev. Arnold Thomas, this choir is in its second season. Congregations are invited to send their donations to the Conference office so they may be pooled with others’ gifts and sent to the choir in one lump sum.

Donations may be sent to the Conference office at:

Vermont Conference, UCC

36 North Main Street

Randolph, VT 05060

Please note in the memo the designation of "Green Mountain Gospel Choir fund."

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!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HORTON CENTER

Wishing you a very merry Christmas filled with the light of God's love! 

Already planning ahead for 2026? Registration for the next summer season opens on January 1st. Be sure to check out the full season lineup of programs on our website: www.hortoncenter.org/sessions

As 2025 winds down to a close, so does Horton Center's Annual Appeal. Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated and help make the ministry of Horton Center possible! We are just $5,500 away from reaching our goal for donations in 2025. Make an online donation by clicking HERE. 

Questions about Horton Center? Visit us online (hortoncenter.org) or email Tivvi Pare, Executive Director (tpare@nhcucc.org). 

The United Church of Dorset and East Rupert has created a website: truthjusticevt.org with four foci:

(1) to provide reliable resources (podcasts, books, seminars etc.) for those looking for ways to promote truth and justice (environmental, racial, immigration, legal rights, etc.)

(2) to post events where people can connect with others and take actions (e.g. marches, postcard campaigns);

(3) to provide worship events where we can renew our faith and resiliency so we do not return evil for evil but maintain compassion; and

(4) to provide opportunities for people all along the political spectrum to come together to find understanding and common ground and resist rage baiting.

We hope you will include truthjusticevt.org on your website so other UCC congregations can make use of the website's information, share information and news of events, and, perhaps, join us for various worship and common ground building events.

Hymnals to Donate

The North Bennington church has 80 "Hymns of Truth and Light" hymnals from the First Congregational Church of Houston, Texas along with 80 NRSV Bibles that they would like to donate to a Vermont Conference church. If you are interested, please email Penny at loonsbenn@comcast.net.

Looking for ways to enhance your worship services or Christian Education program?

Teeny Tiny Church Services offers a range of resources to meet your congregation's needs, whether you have a pastor, rely on supply preachers, or have lay leaders presiding at worship.

Here's how we can help:

For Preachers:

•  Lectionary Leads: (now free!) Get inspired with links to sermons, websites, exegesis (in-depth analysis) and images to create meaningful worship experiences.

For Congregations without ministerial leadership:

     Planning Worship Services:

• For one Sunday: A non-seasonal Sunday service complete with a sermon to be read, a bulletin to print and familiar hymns ($50)
• For a series of Sundays; lectionary-based worship services, with or without a full sermon to be read, in consultation with your musician. ($75-100 per week)

     Long-Term Support:

• Seasonal Worship Planning: ($150 per session + travel, if applicable) We can collaborate with you on Zoom or in person to plan worship for an entire season. Resources include materials for lay preachers and sermon scripts tailored to your congregation. We'll also help you work with your musician to create engaging worship experiences.

 Faith Formation Resources for very small groups:

• If you have a couple of kids who come to church, we have resources for weekly, or “as needed” faith formation that can happen however you gather them. If you have a small group of adults who like to study together, we can adapt resources to fit your needs. ($100 includes an initial consultation to get a sense of what you need, and resources, including lesson plans, for a year’s worth of activities) 

For more information, contact: 

Rev. Leigh McCaffrey at teenytinychurchservices@gmail.com

Payment: We accept checks and PayPal

Let Teeny Tiny Church Services help you nurture your congregation whatever size it is! 

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/

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

PRAYER CONCERNS

Please keep Rev. Marjorie MacNeill and her wife, Carole Carlson in your prayers. Marjorie fell

last Friday and fractured bones in her leg and ankle. She is facing surgery and rehab. While she

is not up for visits, cards, emails and texts are welcome.

Address: 71 Drew Lane, Shelburne VT 05661.

Email: seekrvt@mac.com.

Please hold George O'Grady and Elise Foster O'Grady and family in your prayers as George is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Continued prayers for Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen and family as he continues his treatment for cancer.

Please hold Rev. Lahoma Howard, pastor of the United Community Church of St. Johnsbury, and her family in your prayers as they grieve the death of Lahoma’s mother. 


Please pray for Patrick McKerley, son of Rev. Kim McKerley, who is undergoing treatment for colon cancer. Kim is the retired pastor of Bethany Church, Randolph.


We offer our prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Peter Amidon. 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.

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

Loss of a Beloved Son

Dear Friends and Colleagues of the Vermont Conference,

It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that we share the news of a tragic loss in our Conference family. Pastor Michael Mario and his wife, Heidi Mario, have lost their son, Andrew David Mario, who was killed in action on December 3rd while serving as a combat medic in Ukraine. 

Andrew, 33, of Brattleboro, died while assisting an international brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard in the Donetsk region. Andrew left for the war-torn country last summer, driven by a deep conviction and a "fiery passion for social justice," to make a meaningful contribution to the people of Ukraine. His parents have noted that he was fully aware of the great risk he was undertaking.

We extend our deepest, prayerful support and sympathy to Rev. Mario, Heidi, and their entire family during this unimaginably difficult time.

Please hold Rev. Mario and Heidi, and all those who loved Andrew, in your prayers. May God's peace comfort them, and may Andrew's heroic and compassionate commitment to service be a blessing to his memory.

These are the words Michael shared with us about his son:

Andrew's peripatetic life, driven by an adventurous curiosity and strong moral sense, led him to go to Ukraine to give of his skills to aid the people whose struggle so resonated with his sense of justice. John 15:13 states that "Greater love than this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friends."  Andrew died while saving lives in the Pokrovsk area, where the heaviest fighting has been occurring. We are told that, within the Ukrainian forces, it is stated 'Only lions go to Pokrovsk.' He had a lion's heart.

You can read more about his life in this story published by VTDigger.

Details regarding a memorial service are being planned for the spring in Newfane, Vermont.

Condolences may be sent to:

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ 

77 Main St, Springfield, VT, 05156

With God's Peace,

Lynn & Paul

Save the Date & Cont. Ed Resources

We’ve just concluded another successful semester of Ministry21, and already I miss the interactions with that wonderful classful of curious, energetic, and courageous souls!

If you’re someone who feels a draw toward deeper involvement in ministry, whether as an authorized minister or a highly engaged layperson, consider going deeper with Ministry21 in 2026! Registration for our two winter/spring classes is still open ~ sign up now for one or both options using this link to the Ministry21 webpage.

Meeting People Where They Are: Exploring Context, Theology, and Ministry that Propels us into Ministry Beyond the Walls of the Church: taught by Rev. Gayle Murphy. Gayle says, “More and more, people aren’t coming to the church ~ so how do we go out to meet them with stories of God, of faith, and healing love? How do we build meaningful community with people who may never cross the threshold of our sanctuaries?” Not just strategies ~ this class will delve into the theological underpinnings of our presence in the world outside the church walls. (https://www.nhcucc.org/ministry-21/meeting-people)

Pastoral Care and Pastoral Ethics: taught be Rev. Jonathan Hauze. No matter the size of a congregation, it will be full of the walking wounded: people who know grief, who experience existential confusion, who face short-term or long-term challenges. Providing pastoral care within the congregation and wider community requires a combination of skills, self-awareness, empathy, and solid boundaries. Through explicitly theological writing, poetry, and shared discussion, this class will build leaders’ confidence in the area of pastoral care. (https://www.nhcucc.org/ministry-21/pastoral-care)

Classes begin in January, and spaces are somewhat limited. Sign up now!

For more information, contact Rev. Susie Webster-Toleno, VT Conference Dean of Ministry21: vtdean@min21.org or 802-579-8356

(Ministry21 is grateful for funding from the Brown Endowment of United Church Funds)



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Art of Preaching begins January 7, 2026

Using two texts by Rev. Dr. Henry Mitchell and by Rev. Dr. Martha Simmons, participants will go through the components of a sermon as they prepare to write two sermons. The components include: the behavioral purpose, lectionary preaching, genres, holistic encounters, sermon outlines, introductions, celebrations, and title.

PATHWAYS Winter 2026 Schedule, Six-week courses beginning on January 7

Introducing the Old Testament (Dickinson/MBS)**   

Environmental Literacy in God's Creation

Environmental Ethics     

Stories of Christian Saints and Sinners

Faith Formation (Children, Youth,Adults)

Art of Preaching

Supervised Ministry IV

Making Sense of Theology

Theology of Gender and Sexuality

**(Introductory Level 1 Bible Course based on The Exploring the Bible Dickinson Series by Rev. Anne Robertson, published by the Massachusetts Bible Society.)

UCC History and Polity 12-week course also begins January 7, 2026.

Go to the PATHWAYS website (pathwaystheological.org) to learn more and to apply for this and other courses.

 Welcome, Farewell, and Blessings

Pastoral Transitions

VERMONT UCC CLASSIFIEDS

The Barton United Church in Barton, Vermont is seeking an organist and choir director for Sunday morning services and a few special services. The J.W. Steere pipe organ has been recently renovated. Per diem compensation commensurate with experience. Please send resume to:



Barton United Church

Attn: music committee

P.O. Box 306

Barton, Vermont 05822

For a response to question call 802-525-3084


^{Youth Ministry Coordinator}

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

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Local Churches Requesting Proof of Tax-Exempt Status

 New Self-Service Tool for 501(c)(3) Group Exemption Letters!

We are excited to share news of a significant update that makes it easier and faster for our local churches to prove their tax-exempt status. The Office of General Counsel has launched a new self-service tool that allows eligible churches to immediately download their 501(c)(3) Group Exemption Letter.

 What is the New Tool?

Previously, obtaining this letter was a manual process handled by the Office of General Counsel. Now, most churches can get the letter instantly, which is useful when:

• Applying for grants.
• Confirming your tax-exempt status for banks or other institutions.
• Helping donors verify your 501(c)(3) status.

 How to Access Your Letter

If your Local Church has UCC Standing (Schedule 0) and is Active in the Database and Directories, you can easily download your letter:

Option 1: Quick Access (No Login Required)

1. Go to the UCC.org website.
2. Navigate to the Resources section.
3. Look for the heading “Request 501(c)(3) Group Exemption Letter.”
4. Follow the link to search for your church and download the letter.

Option 2: Access via Database and Directories (Login Required)

Churches who are logged in to the Database and Directories can also download the letter from that page.

 Bonus Feature for Logged-In Churches: Churches logged in to the Database and Directories will also have the option to claim their church's profile on Candid (formerly Guidestar). This is a valuable opportunity, as many donors and grant-making organizations use Candid to verify the 501(c)(3) status of organizations.

 A Quick Reminder

To ensure your self-service letter is accurate, this is a great time to verify your church's name and address are up to date in the Database and Directories! While this tool is a great convenience, if your church needs personal assistance with a letter, the Office of General Counsel is still available to help as they have in the past.

We hope this new tool proves useful to your ministry!

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.

How to Contact Vermont Conference Staff

Conference Minister: Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak at: lbujnak@vermontucc.org

Associate Conference Minister: Rev. Paul Sangree at: psangree@vermontucc.org

Ministries Coordinator ackie Lingelbach at: jlingelbach@vermontucc.org (search & call, ministerial standing, pulpit supply list, etc.)

Office Administrator: Jenni Grout at admin@vermontucc.org

(event registration, financial, governance other business)

Disaster Ministries: disasterministries@vermontucc.org

Dean of Ministry21: Rev. Susie Webster-Toleno at: VTDean@min21.org

Connect with us on:

visit our website at http://www.vermontucc.org/