Make sure to "View Entire Message" to see all the January News! | | bringing Michigan Conference UCC pastors and churches closer together and closer to God | | Michigan Conference Staff Response to MN | |
A Call to Action: Palm Sunday Path (March 29th @3pm)
Congregational Training February 12th 6-9pm, online or in person (Pilgrim UCC, Lansing).
| | Feb 4th, 2026: Leadership Lunch | |
Leadership Lunch
The Black Utopians
February 4th, 2026 12:00 PM ET
Join Lillian in conversation with author Aaron Robertson about his book, The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America.
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024, the book includes historical reflection on The Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, MI. We are excited to invite Aaron to gather with us!
| |
Watch LIVE on YouTube @12noon
and watch recordings ANYTIME!!
| |
Palm Sunday Path: A Journey along the way of Justice
March 4th, 2026 12:00 PM ET
Join members of the Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team, Rev. Cheryl Burke, and Rev. Dr. Lawrence Richardson in conversation about the regional momentum to plan a faith based act of non-violent resistance on Palm Sunday.
"Defrocked": Author Discussion with Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel
April 1th, 2026 12:00 PM ET
Join Lillian in conversation with Bishop Will Willimon about her newest book, Defrocked: Good News from a Bad Pastor for a Better Church.
| | Peacemakers Youth Winter Retreat | |
Michigan Conference Youth Winter Retreat
January 31- February 1, 2026
| | Our immense gratitude to the staff, youth, and entire congregation at Haslett Community Church for hosting the 2026 Michigan Conference Youth Winter Retreat!! With a theme of "Peacemakers," 34 youth and 13 adult leaders, joined Director of Faith Formation, Jennifer Ringgold, for 24 hours of connecting with one another and the wider church. They created 40 Birthday Kits for the Food Pantry at HCC, explored innovative and contemplative spiritual practices, ate a ton of amazing food, spent hours on roller skates, slept on classroom floors, and woke up to worship together on Sunday morning. Stay tuned for more pictures, videos, and reflections in the 02.16.2026 Funday Monday Newsletter. | | Upcoming Book Release by Lillian Daniel | | | |
April 7th Book Release by Lillian Daniel
To prepare for the launch of her new book, Defrocked: Good News from a Bad Pastor for a Better Church, Lillian Daniel describes her upcoming novel as focused on redemption, accountability, and the human side of faith leadership under scrutiny.
Preorder now
| | 2026: Free Stewardship Webinar Series | | |
February 25th, 7:30-8:30pm Eastern – "OCWM Special Offerings Orientation for Mission Teams"
Join Rev. Rachel McDonald, Generosity Officer for OCWM and Special Mission Offerings, to learn how to confidently promote and celebrate wider giving in the UCC. Explore how a yearly cycle of Special Offering gifts provides a curriculum of generosity—already built into your church calendar!
| | |
Upcoming:
March 25th, 7:30-8:30pm Eastern – "Understanding Your Why"
Being able to effectively communicate your purpose as a congregation is a vital step in animating generosity.
Join Rev. Kent Siladi and Rev. Wendy Vander Hart to explore why your “why” connects to giving and processes to help you discover and effectively communicate it.
| |
| | |
Hosted by Rev. Andrew Warner, CFRE
This free Stewardship Webinar Series is hosted by Rev. Andrew Warner, Michigan Conference Director of Finance and Development.
See the 2026 Schedule of Stewardship webinars for more information.
| | | | |
Calling High School Students! Apply now to be part of a UCC Youth-Centered Week of Advocacy in Washington D.C. June 14-19, 2026.
Application deadline is Sunday February 22, 2026 at 9:00pm.
Learn more and Apply here.
| |
2026 Mitten Project Trainings For ALL Churches
Your congregation is invited to participate in all five FREE, 2026 Mitten Project Events.
| | 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. | | |
The Michigan Conference has received a grant of $1,250,000.00 from Lilly Endowment Inc. for the Michigan Conference Mitten Project.
If you have questions about funding or programming related to the Mitten Project, contact Program Director, Jenn Ringgold. jenn@michucc.org 517.258.2165
| | |
Calling Michigan Conference UCC youth and young adults ages 16-21. Apply now to be part of a trip to experience the incredible ecumenical partnership that we share with our German Partners in Evangelish-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland. Application deadline is Sunday March 15, 2026 at 9:00pm.
Learn more and Apply here.
| | Additional Conference News | |
|
The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, Michigan Conference Minister
Upcoming Schedule & Worship Visits
February
8th: Montreat, NC
March
8th: Cleveland, OH Council of Conference Ministers
15th: Seattle, WA Pacific Northwest Conference UCC Keynote
22nd: Preach - First Congregational UCC, Harrison
29th (Palm Sunday) Preach - St. James UCC, Saline
LINK TO 2025 - 2026 DATES
Contact lisa@michucc.org to schedule a visit
| | | |
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
-
For a complete list of searching UCC churches in Michigan click here
Installations
- First Congregational Church will celebrate the Installation Service for Rev. Aaron Rieder on February 22, 2026 at 3-5pm, located at 410 N Broadway St, Union City, MI 49094.
| | |
Boundary Training: March 2026
Cheryl Burke will be hosting Boundary Training in March - Instead of one all-day event, there will be Two hour training sessions on March 3rd, March 10th, and March 17th from 7:00 - 9:00p. Please plan on attending all three sessions.
Register Now For March Boundary Training
| | | | |
Tax Exempt Status Questions For Churches
As churches navigate the responsibility for answering questions about tax-exempt status, please see the letter from Heather Kimmel, General Counsel at the National Setting of the UCC, and reach out to MC staff for questions.
| | Local Church, Mission Area Team, and Association News | |
Proposed Unified Committee on Ministry Informational Online Sessions
Cheryl Burke will host two online informational meetings for those desiring to learn more about the proposed Unified Committee on Ministry, its purpose, and applications.
For more information, visit the Michigan Conference Committees on Ministry website.
| |
|
March 22nd - The South West Association will meet for its Spring Meeting in Portage. Time details are forthcoming.
April 12th, 3-5pm - The United Northern Association will be held at First Congregational Church, 218 W. 2nd St. Gaylord, MI 49375.
April 25th, 9am-1pm- The Detroit Metro Association will meet for its Spring Meeting at Hope United Church of Christ, 35127 Garfield Rd. Clinton Township, MI 48035. The guest speaker will be Rev. Dr. Lawrence Richardson.
April 26th - The Grand West association will hold its Spring meeting. Time and location details are forthcoming.
May 2nd - The Covenant Association will hold its spring meeting. Time and location details are forthcoming.
| | | | | |
MI Clergy Shares Experiences in Minnesota
"Minneapolis showed me that effective resistance isn’t spontaneous—it’s learned, practiced, and disciplined. People don’t just show up brave. They show up prepared. All of us have the power to love our neighbors by stepping out to protect them. Sometimes we need to lend one another the courage to do it."
-Rev. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans
For more of her story, click here.
| | | We recognize this story as a representation of a number of Michigan UCC Clergy who travelled to Minnesota in late January for peaceful and civil protests with the people of Minnesota and faith leaders from across the country. | | |
Vital Growth Ministry Area Team
Are you interested in church vitality? Has your church done innovative things to connect with the people in and around your community? The Vital Growth Mission Area Team would like to connect with you. We are looking for people interested in sharing time, resources, and ideas with Michigan Conference UCC churches.
Shared resources include: Grant funds, Faithful and Welcoming, Open and Affirming, New Church Development, and Lay Leadership Development.
| | | |
If this is something you or someone you know would be interested in, please contact Rev. Greg Watling (920-472-9172) — chair of the Vital Growth Mission Area Team or Rev. Dr. Lawrence T. Richardson — Associate Conference Minister for Church Vitality and Transitions, for more information.
“The Vital Growth Mission Area Team is directed to strengthening and revitalizing local congregations and clergy. It will assist local congregations and clergy in social networking, evangelism, marketing, and promotion of the U.C.C. identity. It will assist congregations in addressing growth issues. The Vital Growth Mission Area Team will initiate new church starts.” -Michigan Conference UCC Bylaws, Article VIII, Section D
| |
We Want to Hear from YOU!
Use THIS FORM to share your
joys, concerns, news, events, and resources
with the Michigan Conference UCC!
| | Wider-Church UCC News, Events, and Resources | | Park Church Offers Scholarships for UCC Pastors | Anyone involved in ministry or church leadership is eligible to apply. This may be a pastor serving a congregation, a hospital chaplain working on a certificate, a church musician or a religious educator participating in professional development or continuing education. In the ecumenical spirit of the Fetty’s, the scholarship is open to people across Christian traditions to apply. The submission Deadline for a 2026 Grant is May 31, 2026. | | Brown Endowment Scholarship for Prepared and UCC Pastors | |
The Brown Endowment Scholarship is now independent of the Common Application beginning with the 2026-2027 application cycle. Exciting times!
Applications for the Richard and Helen Brown Endowment for Church Leadership will open on December 1, 2025, for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The submission deadline is March 2, 2026.
| | |
In 2025 the Michigan Conference awarded the following grants:
New Church grants to 3 churches for a total of $40,000.
7 Revitalization grants for a total of $11,200.
11 Ministerial Assistance grants for a total of $5,500.
1 Emergency Assistance Grant for a total of $1,000.
11 Bertha Dayton grants for a total of $22,000.
2 Sabbatical grants (two pastors and their two churches) for a total of $4,000.
3 Community Outreach grants for a total of $6,000.
5 Technology grants for a total of $9,000.
3 Continuing Education grants for clergy for a total of $4,500.
| | |
Palm Sunday Path Resources
A broad coalition of clergy, congregations, denominational leaders, and faith-based organizations has launched the ""Palm Sunday Path"" initiative. As Christians, we stand for healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger. We stand for telling the truth and honoring the dignity and worth of every child of God. Register for an online training to participate in the march in Lansing on Palm Sunday (March 29th @ 3pm).
Free Lenten Tool Kit
Access the Lenten Tool Kit for a preaching series that will allow you to focus on the character of Jesus and his vision for transforming the world, as well as prepare hearts and minds for an act of civil and peaceful procession to the Capitol on March 29th.
Rev. Michael Young wrote a letter of response to recent events. Read it here.
- Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team (PIMAT)
| | |
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 | | Damascus Project Course Offerings by Michigan Conference Staff | |
Course Offering: Invitation to Explore Generosity
6 synchronous online meetings, as well as additional self-paced learning between sessions, will be offered to explore fiscal transparency and the importance of donor care for both laity and clergy.
Cost for MI congregational members: $100
Synchronous Zoom Seminars on Wednesdays Feb. 11, 25, March 11, 25, and April 15, 29 from 6:30-8:00 PM CST. Additional self-paced learning between sessions.
Register Here
| | |
Planned Giving: A FREE Resource To Create A Will
Through our partner FreeWill, you can create or update your will in about 20 minutes, completely free and fully
secure.
You'll also have the option to include a legacy gift to your congregation, Michigan Conference UCC, or another charity as a lasting act of love that ensures your faith continues to shape lives long after your lifetime.
Your gift costs nothing today, but creates a legacy of compassion, justice, and hope for future generations.
| | |
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
and TAG us @michiganucc
so we can like and share your posts!!
| | |
equipping pastors and congregational leaders
through ministries of support, guidance, and leadership development
| | |
This Monthly Newsletter Communication
is made possible
by your contributions to
Basic Support
of Our Church's Wider Mission
michucc.org
| | | | |
