Make sure to "View Entire Message" to see all the June News! | | bringing Michigan Conference UCC pastors and churches closer together and closer to God | | Positive Patriotism: June 4 at noon on Zoom | | |
Leadership Lunch
June 4, 2025
12noon - 12:45 PM
Join Lillian, Lawrence, and Andrew from our conference staff as they wonder about flags in the sanctuary, and material like the National Anthem and poetry by Langston Hughes. With the approach of Flag Day and Independence Day we will investigate the complexity of being a faithful patriot.
watch LIVE on YouTube @12noon
and watch recordings ANYTIME!!
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July 2: RESOLUTIONS at General Synod
Join Lillian along with Michigan Conference delegates as they prepare for the business of the church to be voted on at General Synod July 11-15 in Kansas City, MO.
Aug 6: Michigan Conference Mitten Project Join Lillian, Lawrence, and Jenn as they offer insights and invitations for the 2026 program year, knitting together children and adults in worship and prayer.
| | Call to 2025 Annual Meeting | | Rev. Cheryl Burke on Sabbatical | |
Cheryl Out of Office until September 1
Rev. Cheryl Burke, Associate Conference Minister for Clergy Care and Formation, is on Sabbatical from June 1 - August 30, 2025. During this time of rest and renewal, Cheryl will be focusing on Group Discernment to assist Committees on Ministry in the Michigan Conference when she returns.
| | | Cheryl will not be checking emails or monitoring any communications during this time. If it is not an emergency, please email her after September 1. (You can even schedule non-urgent emails to send on September 2nd or 3rd) If you have an issue that is an emergency or time-sensitive, please contact Lisa Soulliere in the Conference Office. Lisa can be reached at 517.258.0038 or lisa@michucc.org and will forward requests to someone who can help during this time. | | German Partnership - Youth Programming | |
Youth Ambassadors for German Partnership - August 2025
The Michigan Conference UCC will be hosting 11 youth and 3 adults from Pomerania in August.
August 18 - 21
TWO spaces remain for youth (age 16-18) to travel to Washington DC August 18-21 to meet and host our German Partners while we tour DC together.
August 22 - 24
There are 12 remaining spaces for youth (age 15-18) to spend the weekend (Friday 08.22 - Sunday 08.24) with German Partners at Tower Hill Camp and Retreat Center. The weekend will include activities at camp and worship at a church in Southwest Michigan.
August 25 - 28
Local churches will be hosting the group for dinner and youth activities each night before they return to Germany. Thank you to First Congregational UCC in St. Joseph, and Portage UCC, who already have plans in the works. Stay tuned for additional details, and join us for dinner if you can!!
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Cost to travel to DC is $100 per youth plus plane ticket
Cost for the weekend at Tower Hill is $50 per youth
Cost to join an intergenerational dinner event August 25-28 is FREE
| | | | Additional Conference News | |
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The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, Michigan Conference Minister
Upcoming Schedule & Worship Visits
June 1, 2025 Preach - Zion UCC, Baroda
June 8, 2025 Preach - Portage UCC, Portage
June 22, 2025 - Preacher at Defiance College Pride Event, Ohio
July 9 - July 16, 2025 UCC General Synod, Kansas City, MO
July 20, 2025 Preach - United Church, Big Rapids
LINK TO 2025 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, including church anniversaries, with commmunications@michucc.org
Searching Churches
- First Congregational Church of Chelsea is searching for a part-time pastor Details
- First Congregational Church United Church of Christ in Grand Blanc is searching for a part-time pastor Details
- Bostwick Lake Congregational UCC in Rockford, MI is searching for a part-time associate pastor Details
- First Congregational Church in Muskegon is searching for a full-time intentional interim pastor Details
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For a complete list of searching UCC churches in Michigan click here
Ordinations
- A service of Ordination is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 1:00pm for Rev. Stephanie Niemela at Edgewood United Church, East Lansing. Stephanie will be installed as Associate Pastor for Disability and Mental Health Justice at Peoples Church of Flint.
- A service of Ordination is scheduled for Sunday July 6, 2025, at 3:00pm for Rev. Kathy Heisler at Salem United Church of Christ, Albion
Ecclesiastical Councils
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An Ecclesiastical Council is scheduled Sunday June 22, 2025, at 3:00pm for LaToya Young at Hope United Church of Christ - 35127 Garfield Rd, Clinton Twp, MI 48035. LaToya Young is a Member in Discernment of the Detroit Metropolitan Association.
In Memoriam
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Rev. William Bertsch died on February 28, 2025. Services were held at the Presbyterian Church of La Porte on March 8, 2025 and the conference office was notified in May. Rev. Bertsch served in the Southwest Association of the Michigan Conference. He retired in 2000 and moved to Indiana in 2014. Additional details about his life and ministry can be found HERE.
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Mitten Project Timeline Updates
knitting together child and adults in worship and prayer
June
● Development of cohort application, needs assessment, and engagement evaluation tools
July
● Send Conference-wide needs assessment
● Application opens for churches to apply for funding and cohort participation (Deadline 12.01.2025)
August
● Leadership Lunch Zoom for information about Mitten Project engagement for churches, leaders, and families
● Publish 2026 Mitten Project Program Calendar
● Send Initial Children's Ministry engagement survey
| | | Cultivating Generous Congregations | |
Download Flyer
Discounted pricing for Michigan, Heartland, and Wisconsin Conferences
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Wednesday June 25 - 7:30pm ET
Together for Tomorrow: Helping People Talk about Planned Giving
While a significant wealth transfer occurs as each generation passes, many congregations and ministries remain unprepared to promote planned giving options. Only 5% of people leave a charitable bequest even though nearly a third of people would if asked or invited to consider one. This workshop will share key concepts and practical tools to help you create an action plan for your congregation or ministry to promote planned giving.
REGISTER HERE
| | Association and Local Church News | |
Learnings to Share from DMA
The Detroit Metropolitan Association Meeting on May 17 featured keynote and panelist conversation with several leaders in Michigan centered on justice and the meeting theme of Courage, Covenant, and Care: Moving Forward Together. With the help of staff and the tech team at First Congregational Church of Rochester, they have recordings available for sharing on YouTube until July 1.
You can view Wayne State professor, Peter Hammer's presentation “Multi-racial Democracy v. Authoritarianism” and also view the panel discussion featuring Stephanie Lange (LBGTQ issues) and Melanie Harner (Immigrant Rights)
Meeting Resources
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Great Lakes Creation Collaborative Retreat
August 24-26, 2025
Centered on the Great Lakes as our sisters and mother, The Great Lakes Creation Collaborative now spans six UCC Conferences and The United Church of Canada. In our Third Annual Retreat, "A Watershed Moment," we continue to focus on how we might move to action and advocacy.
Participants will receive a free six-week curriculum which leads them to action and advocacy with their own local body of water, discern with Biblical scholar and environmental activist, Ched Myers, and hear from a national activist plans during the second Summer of Heat and the big movement for mid-September.
Come to Tower Hill not only to have your heart and mind know kinship with Lake Michigan, but to stretch your soul for your local water and the waters of God's good earth.
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Download Flyer
Thanks to PIMAT and the Southwest Association for their grants to make this event a reality.
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UCC Women of Michigan
Fall Gathering Sept 5-7, 2025
The GATHERING is a weekend of retreat, renewal, relaxation, and recharging. It is a time to greet old friends and make new ones. Lake Huron Retreat Center is located on the shores of Lake Huron. The accommodations are comfortable and the food is scrumptious and abundant.
In short, it’s your weekend. Come and enjoy!! Registration Deadline is June 25
Download Flyer and Registration Form
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Does your church need a website? Or maybe you have one, but it’s really 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 NEW 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
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We Want to Hear from YOU!
Use THIS FORM to share your
joys, concerns, news, events, and resourceswith the Michigan Conference UCC!
| | Wider-Church UCC News, Events, and Resources | | |
The Into the Deep: Womxn 2 Womxn series aims to be an intentional space to embrace the wide spectrum of womanhood that exists throughout the denomination.
REGISTER HERE
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A national day of climate action has been called for September 21st, and we are mobilizing people faith for it now. Learn more about how you and your congregation can organize for local involvement with this free webinar:
REGISTER HERE
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Partners In Building virtual two-day conference. There will be presentations and workshops on land use, repurposing resources, fundraising, the future of ministry, and more. Join in to see how your church can "transform communities through spiritual entrepreneurship and community development.
RECEIVE UPDATES
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Whether you are a lay person seeking theological enrichment, a lay leader seeking training, a member in discernment seeking coursework, or a clergy person seeking to fulfill standing requirements or gain training in transitional and interim ministry, The Damascus Project may have something for you.
Check out Summer and Fall Line Up
| This year's All Church Read invites all people across the UCC to imagine the kind of world that could be created if every local church became a hub of justice-making in it's community. | | | |
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
2025 Open and Affirming National Gathering, happening July 9-10, 2025, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, MO—just before the United Church of Christ General Synod!
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Kansas City Convention Center
301 West 13th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
July 11, 2025 – July 15, 2025
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Every two years, General Synod brings together thousands of faithful members of the United Church of Christ for inspirational worship, conducting the business of the church, formal church witness, and fellowship with friends.
REGISTER AS A VISITOR NOW
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