Answering God’s call to build a just world for all,
we commit in our shared life to:
Live the love, unity, and compassion of Jesus
“I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)
Rev. Dave Long-Higgins
Transitional Conference Minister
Dear Friends in Christ,

    Last month I introduced to you the new articulated “Why, Calling and Covenant” for the conference which has been affirmed by the association governing bodies and the Conference Board of Directors.  During this past week, as I attended virtually the Synod meeting of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (in Germany) and a global pre-conference on mission, this part of our covenant which I have shared above was very much on my mind.

 
What is CAMP?
Fun, Faith, Community!

 
CAMP is for everyone: young, old, and everyone in between.

Contact Jill Frey, Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries, at [email protected] or 740-901-0734 for more information.
Jill Frey
Executive Director, Outdoor Ministries
Faith Adventures Last Call!! 

Sign up by Sunday, June 6th to ensure this session is a go!
Do you know of someone who is 9-11 years old who would like to come to camp and experience it all, without a special focused theme?

This is a great first time camp experience and it will be a small group. 

Minimum must be met by June 6th or session will be cancelled.
Click on the video below to hear Synod 2021 Administrator, the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, update you on the latest General Synod preparations. Join us July 11th-18th!
This year, with our updated "Why, Calling and Covenant" (read it here: https://heartlanducc.org/.../Heartland-Conference-Why...) and our new Conference logo, we'll look at the building blocks of our Conference's mission and explore the theme: Say "YES!"

In this year's Annual Gathering logo, we have pulled out all the component parts that make up our Conference logo design (the overlapping circle design) and will consider how they represent the work of our Conference, Associations, congregations and partners.

We'll meet September 24 & 25! Mark your calendars and be ready for more information, including registration links, to be shared in the near future.
For several decades, SARA, Sharing America's Resources Abroad, has been a ministry of the Heartland Conference fostering mercy, justice, and healing, for many around the world. On June 5th at 10:00 am you are invited to a virtual mission trip to Eastern Europe and other parts of the world to hear stories of transformation and the challenges of a changing world. Maybe you have been on a SARA mission pilgrimage yourself or maybe you are hearing of SARA for the very first time. Either way, you are invited to join in the joy of the journey for a one-hour experience on June 5th at 10:00 am via zoom. Register today by clicking on the image above.
If your church has Evangelical Synod and/or German Reformed roots, then We invite you to celebrate June 13th as Heritage Sunday. In June 1934 the Evangelical Synod and the Reformed Church joined to form the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Heritage Sunday is an opportunity to raise awareness of and appreciation for our historical roots and support the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society (ERHS) at the same time.
ERHS is the repository of archival material from our churches, missions, clergy, publications and covenantal partners and has locations at Eden Seminary and Lancaster Theological Seminary. 

The link will provide a liturgy that draws on three of the historical worship books for a service that is true to Evangelical and Reformed roots. General Prayers from the E&R Book of Worship are also included. All language has been updated (except for Trinitarian references). Feel free to check it out via the link below. You’ll also find additional resources for your use.

Link includes:
·      Full liturgy (with scripture lessons, creed and sermon left open)
·      General Prayers
·      Bulletin covers 
·      Bulletin inserts with information about ERHS 
·      Hymn Suggestions
·      QR codes to include for easy donations 
·      Links to historical German Reformed, Evangelical Synod, and E&R worship
books
Click below for a short video by General Minister and President John Dorhauer that can be included in services.
UCC Webinar—Taking a Stand with Indigenous Water Protectors
Buses and carpools are being organized from around the country to go to the headwaters of the Mississippi in Northern Minnesota, so that people of conscience can join Indigenous-led nonviolent actions to stop the expansion of a massive oil pipeline. While not all of us can go in person, all of us can act in other ways to support this vitally important cause.

The Line 3 Expansion is a tar sands oil pipeline project under construction that, if completed, would cross a hundred waterways. It would also pass near the border of multiple Native nations and across hundreds of miles of treaty-protected land, which those communities depend on for drinking water and wild rice gathering. In the UCC’s next Creation Justice Webinar, we will learn more about Line 3 and what faith communities can do to stop it.

Featured speakers will include the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs from the Minnesota Council of Churches, Nina Berguland from the Youth Council and IndigenousCouncil for Earth Guardians, and Joe Meinholz from Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Even if you can't make the webinar’s scheduled time on Monday, June 14th, at 1 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording of it. 
The United Church of Christ Racial Justice Ministries presents
 Juneteenth 2021 Celebration with Stories and Sacred Music

Friday, June 18, 2021, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery in the U.S. The original legal declaration was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln which instituted Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led thousands of federal troops to Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed.

Listen to lives of African peoples through 4-genres of storytelling and music. Experience the long history of first peoples despite the interruptions, setbacks, and tragedies. Journey with us through sacred music, spoken word, and creative expressions of joy, sorrow, and praise. African descended people have resisted, revolted, protested, and fought for their freedom and right to exists as God intended since the beginning of human existence. In the 21st century, COVID-19, state sanctioned law enforcement murders, and white nationalism and vigilante threats and acts of violence continue to impact people of African descent nationally and globally. And Still We Rise!
Join the United Church of Christ Musicians Association online for workshops, worship services, a wonderful concert, vendors and networking. We will be virtually hosted by the First Church of Christ, Congregational, UCC in the historic town of Glastonbury, Connecticut.