|
Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here!
Got news to post in Faithful Fridays? Send it here!
If your newsletter is clipped by your email service you won't see the complete newsletter unless you click the link at the very end of the message to view Outdoor Ministries, Local Churches, Resources, Learning Opportunities, Calendar and Employment Opportunities.
| | |
Open and Affirming (ONA) Sunday : “We Shall Not Be Moved: Rooted in Love, Justice, and Affirmation”
UCC Open and Affirming Coalition
Sunday, June 28, 2026
In a time when LGBTQ+ people, especially our trans and nonbinary siblings, continue to face fear, exclusion, and political attack, this year’s theme is a declaration of faith, courage, and belonging.
Free worship resources include:
• Theme introduction and worship framing
• Call to Worship
• Opening Prayer
• Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Grace
• Communion liturgy and prayers
• Sermon pathways and preaching ideas
• Children’s Moment
• Music suggestions, including hymns, freedom songs, and queer joy music
• Benediction and sending words
Access the full Open and Affirming Sunday worship resources here.
| | |
Navigating Interfaith In Tumultuous Times
Public Fellowship Showcase
InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary
June 29, 2026 at 6:30 pm CT
Free Virtual Event
We are currently experiencing a pandemic of toxic polarization. This increasingly contagious habit of dismissing the moral judgment of those with different viewpoints is tearing at our social fabric. While we would rarely assume someone of a different religion lacks moral integrity, we often view those who disagree with our politics as monsters or fools.
Through the Navigating Interfaith in Tumultuous Times Fellowship, the InterReligious Institute at CTS brought together a cohort of rising religious leaders and social media influencers to build skills in navigating difference and engaging difficult conversations.
Join us for this public showcase as cohort members share reflections from their learning journey, model approaches to difficult conversations, and explore how dialogue can help build understanding in divided times.
Register here.
| | |
Commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the USA
with Sermons from the Revolutionary Era
Zoom on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 from 12 - 1 pm CT
Join Dr. Tricia Peone, New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director, for a virtual tour exploring sermons from the Revolutionary era. Print and manuscript sermons illustrate how Congregationalists explored and defined the meaning of liberty while navigating the violence and destruction of war.
The tour will also investigate how Congregational Library & Archives’ collections reveal the ways Congregational ministers interpreted their own role in shaping memory of the Revolution. Email any questions to programs@14beacon.org.
The event is FREE to all, but registration is required: Register here..
| | |
New book from one of our Colectivo UCC familia: Interpreting the Amistad Trials: How Interpreters and Translators Make and Shape History
This book retells the well-known nineteenth-century story of the Amistad from the view of the interpreters and translators, showing how essential they were to the events of the case.
Through this case study, Jeanette Zaragoza de León, an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ (UCC), proposes a methodological framework, the Interpreting and Translation Filter (ITF), for researchers who may encounter one of these linguistic mediators in their primary sources.
Click on the website. And, if your budget allows, consider purchasing the book:.
Request that your local and/or University library orders Interpreting the book for its collection. This is important, particularly since many libraries are now acquiring most books based on request.
Forward this email or post a link to the book on social media and recommend this book to a friend or colleague. Personal recommendations are so important for spreading the word.
Email Jeanette Zaragoza de León to let her know that you plan to use this book in a class – if it work out, she would be happy to zoom in to answer questions from students.
Create a book event or lecture invitation. Email Jeanette Zaragoza de León to let her know if you want to plan an event at your institution or at your favorite bar or cafe. So far, there are is one in New Haven, on June 6; and two in Philadelphia, July 17. and July 19.
| |
Your Vote, Your Voice: 2026 Voter Empowerment Guide - National Council of Churches | |
Download the Guide 2026 Voter Empowerment Guide: Your Vote. Your Voice.
A nonpartisan voter empowerment guide from the National Council of Churches USA for local congregations.
Built for faith leaders preparing their congregations to vote in the 2026 election.
| | | | |
Because You Shared, Hope Showed Up
Church World Service (CWS) Thanks You
Before summer officially begins, we wanted to reflect on and share what congregations and volunteers have already made possible together in 2026.
Again and again, you've shown up with compassion, generosity and care for neighbors facing difficult moments. Thank You!
Your Impact so far in 2026:
| | Because of generous congregations and donors, support was ready when it was needed most. Today, and every day, we celebrate and give thanks for the faithful volunteers who make this ministry possible. | |
The life cycle of CWS clean-up buckets: Congregations support flood response from Hawaii to Ohio - United Church of Christ | |
In April, 100 emergency clean-up buckets arrived at Ewa Community Church UCC in Oahu in an effort to aid flood recovery efforts there.
Watch for a Bucket Assembly Day for the entire Illinois Conference!
| | | | |
'United in Spirit,
Diverse in Sound'
UCCMA Biennial National Conference
www.uccma.org
July 8–11, 2026
First Community Church in Columbus, Ohio
Conference 2026: United in Spirit, Diverse in Sound will offer workshops, worship services, concerts, optional activities and networking to church musicians and worship leaders.
The First Community Church of Columbus, Ohio, which is affiliated with both the Disciples of Christ (DOC) and the United Church of Christ (UCC), will host the conference. Attendees will have access to a wide range of activities designed to refine musical skills and provide valuable resources and ideas for expressing God's Spirit creatively, especially during challenging times. This in-person event is open to all.
Scholarship Opportunity!
The John Stansell Fund is available to UCCMA and UCC members who wish to attend our national conference for the first time but may be limited by financial constraints. For more information or to apply for scholarships, contact Eric Dundore, UCCMA President.
Detailed information here.
Register here.
United Church of Christ Musicians Association
| | |
This seven-part summer webinar series begins in June and continues twice each month through August.
Check out the upcoming June webinar descriptions and register today!
For additional details about each summer session, scan the QR code above or
click here.
Dates and topics of the remaining sessions:
Session 5: August 5
Leadership Skills
Session 6: August 19
Money & Ministry
Session 7: August 31
Employer Support
| | |
Session 4: July 28
2:00 pm CT
Sustainable Investing
Clergy and lay leaders increasingly seek alignment between their faith commitments and their financial decisions. By understanding how their retirement assets can contribute to positive change, ministry professionals gain tools to shape a more just and resilient world—now and in their future years of service.
This session is suitable for Younger clergy and lay workers, justice‑minded leaders, and mid‑career ministry professionals
Topics Include
Sustainable investing, ESG, and justice-oriented retirement planning.
Register Now.
| | |
Session 3: July 16
2:00 pm CT
Mid-career Check
What’s Working, What’s Not, and What Needs to Change Now
Mid-career leaders often navigate the most complex intersections of ministry and life: family responsibilities, congregational demands, aging parents, debt, and long-term planning pressures.
This session is suitable for mid-career clergy & lay employees ages 45+.
Topics Include
Mid‑career pressures
Competing life demands
Recalibration indicators
Participants will
Name core stressors
Assess energy drains
Clarify next steps
Register Now.
| | |
Cornerstone Fund -How We Made an Impact in 2025
We know that when individuals and organizations come together to invest with purpose, they become a powerful force for good — and 2025 was a great example.
We’re excited to see what the remainder of 2026 brings for the Cornerstone Fund and our clients.
You can download the report here.
| |
|
Facing Local Church Challenges Today
Association of Interim Ministers (AIM)
Retreat / Conference
September 30 - October 1, 2026
Pilgrim Park Camp and Conference Center
26449 1340 N. Ave, Princeton, IL 61356-8790
Save this date! The 2026 AIM Retreat will focus on bringing the skills of trained intentional Interim Ministers to smaller churches in transition.
Rev. Eric Quinney-Burnard, our presenter, has experience inspiring local church leaders to lead their congregations in growth. This allows a single Interim Minister to consult with multiple congregations that would otherwise not be able to afford this informed guidance. Attendees will leave with an in-depth understanding of what challenges our local churches face today, the problems they pose, and practical pastoral responses to them.
This event is intended to enrich the lives of all clergy, as well as lay leaders and anyone involved with church ministry.
Rev. Eric Quinney–Burnard has been ordained for over 40 years. In that time, he served in a variety of capacities, from small to large congregations in urban, suburban, and rural communities. He served in single and multiple-staffed congregations. He has served in single–parish, dual–parish and tri-parish. For much of his 40 years, he has been engaged in Transitional Ministry of some form.
Contact Rev. Tom Cici.
| |
Run with Purpose. Join Team CWS!
2026 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Church World Service is proud to be an official charity partner of the 2026 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on November 7, 2026. Through Team CWS, participants can run either the Half Marathon or Full Marathon while raising funds to support CWS programs around the world and the local work of CWS Indianapolis.
Team CWS runners receive a racing singlet or t-shirt, coaching support from Olympic Trials qualifier Evan Gaynor, access to a private race-day tent, a pre-race team meal, and fundraising support from CWS staff.
Learn more and register: Half Marathon or Full Marathon
Turn your miles into meals, resilience into refuge, and compassion into concrete change.
Download flyer here.
| | |
|
Flamy Grant Lakeside Lodge Concert
Tower Hill Camp
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Doors 6:30 / Show 7:00 pm
The shame-slaying, chart-topping drag queen singer/songwriter brings her sparkle to Sawyer, MI for a one-of-a-kind concert!
The concert will be in Edwards Lodge; guides will be on site to direct you where to park upon arrival. Space is limited; please purchase one ticket per person. Tickets are pay-what-you-can ($25 suggested donation). Very light refreshments will be available. Guests are welcome to BYOB.
FLAMY GRANT
After her history-making debut at #1 on the Christian music charts (yes, you read that correctly!) and a recent Best Album nomination at the 2026 International Folk Music Awards, Flamy Grant is bringing a show that’s equal parts sanctuary and spectacle to small towns across the Midwest.
This isn’t your average singer-songwriter with a guitar. Flamy serves award-winning songs, eye-popping style, and open-hearted stories in one extraordinary evening that will set your soul ablaze. Expect blistering vocals that soar as high as her wig, laugh-out-loud anecdotes from a recovering evangelical, and vivacious energy that only a Billboard-charting drag queen can deliver.
Get your ticket here.
| | |
2026 Season Tower Hill Camp and Retreat Center
-
HUG Camp July 5-10, completed 4th-11th grades, $550 Directors: Carol Currier-Frighetto and Donna Boyko. HUG Camp is a place where God Helps Us Grow memories and friendships that lasts FOREVER! Double the fun by bringing a friend!
-
HUG Tenderfoot July 8-10, completed K-3rd grade, $330 Director: Tom March. HUG Tenderfoot gives younger campers the opportunity to experience camp in an abbreviated timeframe suited for their age group! Meet new friends and interact in a very welcoming environment!
-
Godstock Camp July 19-24, completed 3rd-9th grade, $550 Directors: Jamie Kirscher and Theresa Graben. Godstock is a week-long camp where youth can make life-long friendships while connecting with nature and their faith. Activities including campfires, sports, games, beach time, archery, worship, and more.
-
Godstock Tenderfoot, July 22-24, completed K-3rd grade, $330 Directors: Cindy and Allen White. Campers will engage in activities both with and separate from the larger Godstock campers. Activities: crafts, games, beach time, worship and more.
-
Brush Harbor Retreat for Clergy of Color, October 1-3, $250/person Retreat Leader: Eyvette Jones-Johnson. As Clergy, you constantly pour into others; our job is to pour into you. Come to connect deeply with your peers surrounded by the healing power of nature. Learn, write, release, and laugh out loud! Give yourself the gift of renewal and remembrance. Participant registration
| |
Creation Care Camp
Tower Hill Camp
August 3 - 6 , 2026
| | |
The Great Lakes Creation Collaborative Retreat 2026
At Waters’ Edge: Sacred Relations
United Church of Christ & United Church of Canada
August 23 at 4 pm to August 25 at 11 am
Five Oaks Retreat Centre
1 Bethel Rd, Paris, ON, CANADA N3L 3E3
The Great Lakes Collaborative (GLC) is a network of people from all of the UCC Conferences that touch on a Great Lake, as well as our partners in the United Church of Canada.
The focus is on creation care, especially the sustainability and care of the Great Lakes and other bodies of freshwater. This is the GLC’s 4th Annual Event and the first one hosted by the United Church of Canada.
For more information:
Kathy Douglas, kathymdouglas@hotmail.com, cell: 519 441 0656 (Canada) or
Lisa Hart, Lhart@wcucc.org, cell: 608-438-1571 (US)
Register here.
| | |
Tower Hill Camp Announces
2026 Summer Staff!
Tower Hill Camp & Retreat Center
From left to right, Bridget is new here to Tower Hill, but learned of us through her brother who was on staff last year. Kaylee is part of the Lombard church and grew up coming to Godstock. Lily returns from last year and is leading the summer staff this year. Zac came to Tower Hill through Bridgman Band Camp.
Now entering our 103rd year of bringing guests “out of the ordinary, into the sacred” we stand proud of our history offering a camp experience that fosters growth, empathy, and a glimpse of nature that truly changes lives. Come, be part of our story that continues to build here at Tower Hill.
| | Local Church News & Events | | |
Rev. Christopher Grundy in Free Concert at St. Paul's UCC to Celebrate 150 years
Saturday, July 18, 2026
5 – 6 pm CT, free meal follows
40W720 Plank Road, Elgin 60124
St. Paul's United Church of Christ is pleased to announce a free community concert on Saturday, July 18, 2026. This free concert and community meal is part of our 150th year of celebration and is hosted by our 150th anniversary fund.
The all ages event will feature songwriter Christopher Grundy leading us in songs of faith, love, and justice.
An optional Diaper Drive will support St. Paul's Diaper Ministry. Diapers sizes 1 - 6 gratefully accepted.
Following the concert, guests can enjoy a free meal of hotdogs, chips, and popsicles. Gluten-free options available.
Click for information or call St. Paul's at 847-628-6118. Click to download poster.
| | Resources & Learning Opportunities | |
Preparing for July 4th Worship: A Workshop to Resist Christian Nationalism - Wisconsin Council of Churches | Join the Clergy Emergency League and the Wisconsin Council of Churches for a 90‑minute workshop to help clergy and congregational leaders prepare faithful, grounded worship and preaching for the July 4th weekend. | | | |
In God We Trust: The Origins of Christian Nationalism
Friendship Press
This new publication is a sweeping exploration of the historical, theological, and cultural roots of Christian Nationalism in the United States and beyond. Drawing on scripture, history, and contemporary voices, In God We Trust challenges readers to confront the dangers of merging religious identity with national destiny. Author Jimmie R. Hawkins advocates for the recovery of a prophetic Christianity that transcends political boundaries, an authentic faith rooted in justice, humility, and love.
Download free sample.
Ships September 1, 2026: Pre-Order here.
| The Japanese word, Enkei, means “view to the future.” At Enkei Resolutions we seek to span obstacles that will help you reach the future you envision | 2026 Racial Justice Training | | |
Interested in COP Group for Entrepreneurs?
Are you an entrepreneur serving in a specialized ministry unrelated to chaplaincy or local church ministry and looking to gather with others for support and accountability? I want to create a Communities of Practice group for those for whom local church ministry or chaplain groups do not fit their specialized ministries. If interested, email me at dweible@enkei-resolutions.com. The yearly facilitation cost will be $350 for 10 sessions and have scholarships for those who do not have funding available from other sources.
Healthy Conflict Workshop
October 20, 6 to 10 am CT via Zoom
The Healthy Conflict for Strong Churches workshop looks at the anxiety our systems are facing, invites curiosity as to what that anxiety might be stirring for us, and offers healthy conflict practices that can further our mission and ministry.
This workshop will focus on embodied practices, tools and resources that church leaders may use to create strong teams that can not only address conflict in their leadership body in a healthy way but then use that conflict to engage the change and transformation.
Cost is $65/person and a reduced rate of $30/person is offered for churches sending three or more people. Register here. If you plan to register three or more from the same church, email me for a special registration link.
2026 Boundary and Racial Justice Trainings
All trainings are spread out over two days from 7 to 11 am CT each day
Here are the remaining 2026 training dates and registration links. There are still openings but register soon. Registration closes when limits are reached.
Boundary Training
Dates: September 8 & 9; November 5 & 12; November 17 & 18
Register here.
Level 1 Racial Justice Training
Dates: August 24 & 26; October 27 & 28
Register here.
Level 2 Racial Justice Training
Dates: August 11 & 18; September 29 and October 13
Register here.
Please note: You must fill out BOTH the registration form and complete payment to register. After filling out the form, the link to pay will pop up. Many of the trainings fill up long before the deadline to register and if I have not received both a registration form and a payment, I will offer your space to someone on the waitlist. If you register and do not attend, I can move your registration to another training but cannot offer a full refund. Up until 1 week before the training, I can refund your fee (minus processing fees).
| | |
Stewardship Webinars
Wisconsin Conference UCC
6:30pm to 7:30pm -(not recorded)
Aug. 26 – Narrative Budgets
A narrative budget translates the line items of a traditional budget into a story of how your congregation makes a difference in the world. It can be a helpful tool for a stewardship campaign or annual meeting. By telling the story of our congregations’ impact, we can inspire generosity in our donors. Rev. Chad Tanaka Pack of the Southern California Nevada Conference will lead the presentation. Register here.
Sept. 23 – Gen Z and Generosity
Most churches can have up to five generations of people present in them. Studies show that there is a diversity in the way generations approach generosity. A “one size fits all” approach to engaging givers will fall short if it does not account for those differences. Join Rev. Bonnie Bates in a conversation about generational variety in giving patterns with a particular focus on reaching members of Gen Z. Register here.
Oct. 28 – Thanking People
Gratitude is one of the most powerful stewardship practices. Thoughtful and sincere thank-yous deepen donor relationships and express appreciation that builds trust, loyalty, and long-term support. Join Rev. Ruth Edens in a discussion about strategies to show every donor that they are valued and inspired to give again. Register here.
| | |
Ordinations, Installations, and Ecclesiastical Councils
June 28: Service of Installation for Rev. Joe Gastiger. 3:00 pm at Mayfield Congregational Church in Sycamore. Prairie Association.
Meetings
Jun 30: Conference Creation Care Team Meeting. 10:00 am at the Conference Office.
Jul 2: PA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
Jul 2: Annual Celebration Planning Committee. 4:00 pm via Zoom.
Jul 11: Conference HR Meeting. 9:30 am via Zoom.
Jul 13: Conference Nominating Meeting. 7:00 pm via Zoom.
Jul 19: WA Council Meeting. 3:30 pm via Zoom.
Jul 21: Finance Committee Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
Jul 21: WA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
Jul 21: CMA Council Meeting. 6:30 pm via Zoom.
Jul 27: EA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 11:00 am via Zoom.
Jul 27: FVA Council Meeting. 6:30 pm via Zoom.
| | | |  | |
Contact Us
Mon-Fri 8:30 - 4:30
708-344-4470
| | |
| |
You are receiving this message because you are listed on our Conference email list, one of our leadership/committee email lists, or because you previously subscribed to receive our e-newsletters.
This communication is made possible by your contributions to
Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM)
This NEWSLETTER is published by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1840 Westchester Blvd, Suite 200, Westchester, IL 60154. The Rev. Dr. Terrill Murff, Interim Conference Minister; the Rev. Sarah Lohrbach, Editor. Copy may be sent to: sarahlohrbach@ilucc.org.
| | | | |
