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 | | November 5th - Leadership Lunch | |
Dying to Give? How Planned Giving can Impact your church
November 5, 2025 12:00 PM ET
November 5th Leadership Lunch:
Dying to Give?
Join Lillian in conversation with Rev. Andrew Warner, Director of Finance and Development in the Michigan and Wisconsin Conferences, to learn about ways that Planned Giving can impact the stewardship and budgeting process in local churches.
| | December 3rd Leadership Lunch: Abide in Advent time for church leaders to be in conversation with Conference Minister Lillian Daniel and Associate Conference Minister Cheryl Burke about living into the season of Advent with care and intention. | |
watch LIVE on YouTube @12noon
and watch recordings ANYTIME!!
| | Michigan Conference Mitten Project | |
2026 Mitten Project Cohort Application
OPEN NOW thru November 14, 2025
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. 12 Implementation Teams will be chosen each year in 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Cohort Church Implementation Teams for 2026 will be announced in the December 2025 Monthly Conference Newsletter. Letters of Agreement and 2026 funds will be sent in January.Find out more HERE
The calendar of events for 2026 Cohort participation can be found HERE
Detailed 2026 Cohort Program Proposal Instructions can be found HERE
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2025 Worship Engagement Survey
As of October 30, 2025 (44%) 60 of 138 Michigan Conference UCC churches had at least one person fill out the 2025 Worship Engagement Survey and over 650 surveys have been submitted.
We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm with which the Michigan Conference and our local churches have engaged!! To hear from so many 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 will be available in December, and training opportunities in 2026 will be directly informed by what has been shared by individuals in the Michigan Conference.
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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
| | Deadline Extended: 2025 Grant Allocations | |
Don't Leave Money on the Table
Are you looking for grants to cover continuing education costs, technology upgrades, sabbaticals, or community outreach event costs? Plan ahead and fill out the grant form. The Grant deadline has been extended to December 1st, 2025 in order to allocate remaining funds to UCC leaders and congregations for the Michigan Conference. More to come in 2026!
Want to learn more? Read up on the available grants and how to apply for them.
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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.
| | Relive Annual Meeting 2025 by viewing the YouTube Recordings: | | Resources For Resolutions | | Following Up One Month After Annual Meeting | | |
It happens to all of us - we go to a conference, convention, or training, intending to bring great content back home to apply to our work and ministry, but when you return to the daily grind, some of those great resources get lost in the mix.
That's why we are following up on the two resolutions passed at Annual Meeting this year. Both Resolutions are centered around inviting in groups of people that in other circles and denominations, may not be as welcomed or even safe. Some churches would close their doors to them, but in Michigan, the "United" Church of Christ is not just about the unity that historically created our denomination, it can also serve as a reminder that although we are not uniform in nature, appearance, style, or even music preference, we are united in the radical love of Jesus Christ.
Take a look at these two resolutions focused on providing radical welcome:
| | Additional Conference News | |
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The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, Michigan Conference Minister
Upcoming Schedule & Worship Visits
November
November 16, 2025 Preach - UCC, Midland
November 23, 2025 Preach - First Congregational UCC, St. Joseph
December
7th: Council of Conference Minister’s Retreat
21st: Preach - First Congregational Church, UCC, Rockford
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 UCC in Alpena is searching for a full-time pastor Details
- 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
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For a complete list of searching UCC churches in Michigan click here
Installation Services & Covenant Celebrations
- A Covenant Celebration is scheduled for Rev. Lynn Fry on November 9th at 3pm at Trinity Church UCC - 103 North Warren St. Northport, MI 49670
- An Installation service is scheduled on November 16th at 3pm for Rev. Amy Ruhf-Brien at the United Church of Big Rapids - 120 S State St Big Rapids, MI 49307
Ecclesiastical Council
- An Ecclesiastical Council is scheduled November 16th at 3pm for Melanie Johnson at First Congregational UCC - 345 W Michigan Ave. MI 49007.
In Memorium
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The Rev. James Bidle died on January 2, 2025 at the age of 97. He was ordained and ministered for over 50 years at the First Congregational Church of Muskegon, MI; First Congregational church of Vermilion, OH; First Community Church of Columbus, OH; and First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, IL. Additional details about his life and ministry can be found here.
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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 | | |
Fall Meeting(s):
- November 16th at 2pm - South West Association will meet at First Congregational Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49007
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Crafting Christmas: One Pastor's Way of Celebrating the Holiday
Rev. Dan Barnum-Steggerda has enjoyed working with his hands for most of his life. What started as designing hook rugs and woodworking with his dad in his youth evolved into an enjoyable (and productive) hobby, which he uses to bless others year around. This includes crafting everything from motivational stone art to 8 foot tall Christmas trees from wood pallets. Over the last few years, Rev. Dan's projects have also included cedar star toppers, window sash picture frames, and flower beds for his wife, Lucinda.
Rev. Dan's talents are not limited to crafting; he is also available for pulpit supply!
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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.
| | | | Union Church Celebrates 145th Anniversary | | Union Church Celebrated their 145th Anniversary on October 19, 2025 with a wonderful choir and service to honor the occasion. Congratulations, Union Church! | |
We Want to Hear from YOU!
Use THIS FORM to share your
joys, concerns, news, events, and resources
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| | Wider-Church UCC News, Events, and Resources | | |
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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