Exciting Opportunities to serve the Michigan Conference

The Michigan Conference Board of Directors (BOD) is looking for you!

There is one open position for At Large representation on the Board of Directors. An At-Large rep must be a member at a local UCC church in the Michigan Conference. The Nominating Committee is committed to upholding the by-laws and policies of the National United Church of Christ and the Michigan Conference regarding diversity requirements. The preferred candidate for this position would be a lay person who would be elected at the 2024 Annual Meeting in November.

The Nominating Committee is also accepting nominations for Michigan Delegates for General Synod. Delegates would hold the position for the 35th (2025) and the 36th (2028) Synods. The 35th General Synod is July 11-15, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.

We encourage you to apply and/or share the Nomination Forms with others.

We’d love to have you as part of the team!!

Conference Staff offers four monthly drop-in Caring Clergy Community Groups

These groups meet on Wednesday from 12:00noon - 1:00pm

Pastors and MIDs may join these Caring Clergy Communities on Zoom any time.

First Wednesday Leadership Lunch with Lillian Daniel

Second Wednesday Book of the Month with Jenn Ringgold

Third Wednesday Clergy Cafe with Cheryl Burke

Fourth Wednesday Spiritual Practices for Pastors with Lawrence Richardson

Member in Discernment (Second Thursday and Third Monday) and Retired Clergy Cafe (First Thursday) are also available for drop in.

DMA Special, Single-Topic Meeting

Detroit Metropolitan Association Meeting to be held via Zoom at 6:00pm on Thursday, September 12, 2024

A Quorum is needed to conduct the important and necessary business of voting on a resolution for the upcoming MI Conference meeting to bring the churches of the Eastern Association into the Detroit Metropolitan Association. The DMA Linking Board and the Eastern Association have already voted to support the resolution that the churches of the Eastern Association join the Detroit Metropolitan Association expanding the boundaries of the DMA to include the churches of the EA. Details have been sent via email to clergy and churches.

Fall Event for Children and Families

Autumn Paws is hosted by Gathering of Our Imagination, a group of Southwest Association UCC Churches in Berrien County, joining together to serve local youth and families, with a particular focus on students in K-6th grade.

On Sunday October 6, 2024 from 3:00pm-6:00pm Elementary school children and their families will have the opportunity to "pause", and have some Fall Fun with Paws for Humanity.

Find out more and message your RSVP

Second Annual Great Lakes Collaborative Retreat

Six United Church of Christ conferences and three United Church of Canada regions were represented at Cedar Valley Retreat Center, near West Bend, Wisconsin August 18-20, 2024. Mike Mulberry was the representative for the Michigan Conference at this second annual gathering of the Great Lakes Collaborative. Valuable time was shared around meal tables and campfire, learning, sharing stories and in worship, singing songs, and creating momentum for the movement fighting fossil fuels. Read the full press release HERE.

Rev. Mulberry also recently collaborated with members from Pilgrim Congregational UCC in St. Joseph and St. Paul's UCC in Watervliet and leaders of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi to show the movie Bad River at the Pokagon Band's Community Center. As a result, the Pokagon Band is now organizing around climate justice work. Thanks to the Southwest Association leadership for its grant to make such a ministry possible!

~ submitted by Michael Mulberry, written by John Helt, edited by Jenn Ringgold