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Thursday, December 18, 2025

Dear Association Community, 

I hope this finds you well, and thriving in the season of Advent! 

As the year draws to a close, the Association looks back with gratitude over all of the events of 2025. 

This year, the Staff and I will be providing an Annual Report for the year of 2025. This is to share back to the Association the use of your congregation’s powerful funding gifts through Our Churches Wider Mission. We are happy to be able to celebrate all of the ministry that we do together on the regional level! You can expect that report to be available digitally via the newsletter in the last week of January. 

To me, our ordinations and installations are not only landmark days for our churches and pastors, but are also heartfelt symbols that demonstrate that our essential ministries of the association are flowing; Search and Call services and our Committee on Ministry are humming along. 

In Living Water, however, we are blessed to be able to do more than the traditional Association essentials of Search and Call and Committee on Ministry. I look forward to sharing photos and stories about the thriving of our three programmatic priorities: Vitality and Development, Faith and Action, and the SPIRE Center (education and connection). 

Understandably, much of the adjudication ministry of the Association is conducted with discretion, and will not show on an annual report. With prayer, the Association supports the leadership calls of leaders in the UCC with informed and caring counsel. What does that mean?

• Confidential consultations with members on every subject under the sun, as the author of Ecclesiastes might say…this consultative ministry is available for both both lay leaders of Local Churches and Authorized Ministers (our two categories of Association Membership), individuals and groups. 
• Advising on church operations, including but not limited to, personnel, finances and insurance, building matters, philanthropy, governance, transitions, church growth and decline, and we can assist with access to legal counsel. 
• Program advising on any part of Local or Wider Church life, from global relations, interfaith work, youth ministry, music ministry, UCC-colleges-seminaries-and-camps, community organizing, social justice issues and programs, community impact ministries, and if we don’t know the answer, we know who in the UCC can help you. 
• Crisis management, so please keep us in your prayers. 
• Referrals to the Committee on Ministry, as ecclesial work is a shared work. 
• Vocational discernment work with ministry leaders and potential ministry professionals. 

I like to think that regional ministry is like good filmmaking; when done well, the effort is invisible. The audience doesn’t think “Gosh, how did they get the right sound editor” or “The key grip really nailed the shadows in this shot”... You think, “What a great movie. What a great story!” 

Together, this Association is living the great story of the Gospel. There is heartbreak and triumph, growth and perishing, and a persistence of heartfelt hope that is truly inspiring. It is a still-speaking story, and one that is gloriously told by the choir of voices which populate the Association- 356 Authorized Ministers, 135 Local Churches, as-yet uncounted UCC-served chaplaincies, and six national UCC agencies - all working together to uplift a Just World for All. 

Please know that you’re in my prayers during this peak season of The Church. If you have a chance, send me pictures that you have permission to share. I would love to see the paraments and poinsettias, the gift baskets, the Jingle All the Way 5k, the many meals served, and the dancing pageant sheep: agm@livingwaterone.org. 

Joy shared is doubled, so thank you for sharing the joy of your Advent and Christmas with your UCC neighbors in the Living Water Association. 

With prayers for peace on Earth,

Elena Larssen

Christmas Open House -

Thanks for Dropping By!

Association Office Closed for Holidays

The Association Office will be closed from Wednesday, December 24 until Monday, January 5. Staff will work remotely December 26, 29-31 and January 2! Email will be the best way to reach us. There will not be a newsletter next week, but there will be January 2 edition - you are welcome to submit ads or articles to be included by noon on December 30. Thank you!

Community of Practice Open Enrollment

Greetings to All!

The Living Water Association is proud to offer a Community of Practice program to our authorized ministers and lay professionals of the United Church of Christ. Communities of Practice (COP) are a dynamic part of our Association’s emphasis on cultivating healthy leadership for our churches, chaplaincies, and UCC agencies.

While many of our ministry professionals have active groups, the Association is pleased to offer Open Enrollment for LWA Communities of Practice this November and December. We are also seeking evaluation of your COP experience. Communities of Practice are small, trusting groups of ministry professionals (including faith formation directors, music ministers, etc) that meet together on a monthly basis to support one another and sharpen the practice of ministry.

Each has their own trained facilitator. COP groups can meet on zoom or in person; each commits to a three year cycle of meeting regularly. COP’s gather around a theme or geography, meaning that one could match with a group from churches in a specific geography, chaplains, pastors to youth, pastors of small membership churches, and so on. COP’s also tend to have their own “personality.” Some are designed for contemplative practices, some like book studies, and many engage in case studies and troubleshooting ministry matters.

◦ Are you interested in joining a COP?

◦ Do you need a new COP, maybe you’ve moved or changed jobs?

◦ Would you like to be considered to serve as a facilitator?

Please complete this survey to share your evaluation of the COP program and share your needs/interest in the COP program. Cost is currently $200 per year, paid by the congregation; scholarships are available from the Association. Open Enrollment ends December 19th, and the staff plans to sort new groups in January. To dwell with kindred is a blessing; please be in touch to let us know of your COP plans and interests.

Elena Larssen

Thank you for giving to Our Church's Wider Mission. Your generous gifts to OCWM ensure the continued ministry of the Association! Please note that you do not have to wait for the deadline in order to give. We appreciate receiving your gift anytime. The sooner the better!

The deadline for 2025 OCWM and 5 for 5 giving is December 31, 2025. Please be aware that for these donations to be counted for the 2025 year it must be postmarked by December 31, 2025. You can also make your donations online through our website giving link to meet that deadline.

5 for 5 Giving is credited to the year in which it is received regardless of when it was collected in your church. If you are normally a 5 for 5 church and want to be sure that you have given to all 5 during 2025, please send an email to financialadmin@livingwaterone.org, and our Association Bookkeeper, Machelle Miller, will be glad to verify that for you.

Watch the Virtual Longest Night / Blue Christmas Service in Fellowship

at the Church in Silver Lake, 2951 Kent Rd., Silver Lake, OH 44224

Saturday, December 20^th, Cookies and Fellowship start at 6:30PM and the service broadcast begins at 7:00PM. We are holding space for those who would like to watch the virtual Blue Christmas service in fellowship. For those who are grieving or struggling at this time of year, find comfort with others as we honor our grief in beloved community. There will be in person pastoral support available after the broadcast.

Contact Lisa at office@churchinsilverlake.org for more information.

The Tapestry of Unity is a collaborative interfaith art installation created by Women’s Interfaith Spiritual Heritage (WISH) and the Akron Area Interfaith Council (AAIC). Nearly one hundred participants from twenty-three distinct faith groups came together to weave prayers, hopes, and dreams into one united work of art — a living symbol of the strength found when our communities become the warp and weft for one another.

Accompanied by a journal of reflections and shared recipes from the gatherings, the Tapestry of Unity invites viewers to experience the beauty of spiritual diversity woven together in friendship and peace.

The exhibit has already been displayed at: First Congregational Church of Akron, Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, Akron Art Museum Senior Summit, Bath UCC, Trinity Lutheran Church (Kent), and St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church (Akron)

Upcoming displays include:

• John Brown House, Summit County Historical Society (on display now until January 10)
• Unity Chapel of Light
• Akron History Center

Now scheduling showings for January through March (limited dates) and after April 1.

Congregations or community spaces interested in hosting this inspiring interfaith exhibit are invited to contact WISH at neowish2020@gmail.com or call Margaret Maurer 330-628-0313.

At Community Congregational UCC in Amherst

Thursday, December 18 – Music at Bath Concert Series

Burning River Brass “Christmas Around the World”

7:00pm in the Sanctuary

The Burning River Brass returns to The Bath Church (3980 West Bath Road, Akron; 330-666-3520) for a splendid holiday program! With a touch of tradition, a dash of jazz, and a healthy measure of festive cheer, the Burning River Brass presents Christmas concerts with a little something for everyone – delightful time-honored carols from around the world to their very own Big Band Nutcracker – you’ll be singing along in no time. It’s the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit! 7:00PM on Thursday, December 18! Physically accessible. Ample parking. Freewill Offering. American Sign Language interpretation! www.musicatbath.org

Help us STUFF THE STABLE on December 14 from 1-4 p.m. and December 18 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Church of the Redeemer UCC (23500 Center Ridge Road in Westlake) will be collecting non-perishable goods to donate to Westlake Community Services. Simply drive up our driveway, drop off your donations, and help us fill our outdoor stable to feed our neighbors this holiday season! Contact Rev. Kim Nagy at pastorkim@corucc.org with questions.

Are you looking for a resource to deepen your Advent journey or to use in your congregation? I have created an Advent Reflection Booklet, with a prayer for every day during the Advent season. Reflections are based on Lectionary readings, and they begin the Monday before Advent, November 24^th. Many of the reflections this year are conducive to labyrinth-walking.

If you would like a booklet, please email reverendsusi@gmail.com. I would be happy to send you a pdf to print, or a word document.

Blessings on your Advent journey!

Rev. Susi Kawolics

Need someone to fill in on a Sunday? Check out the pulpit supply list! Recommended compensation: $200 for one service (minimum $175); $275 for two services (minimum $250); mileage at $0.70 or current IRS rate.

What is NEXT Steps?

This is non-financial “retirement” planning for anyone who is contemplating this life transition. We explore what this time of life means through the integrated lenses of spirituality, gerontology, theology, and psychology to engage a deeply personal process of reflection and discernment.

Developed and led in partnership by Eden Theological Seminary and The Center for Abundant Aging with United Church Homes, this program is more than a course—it’s a community, a movement, and a call to live fully into the next chapter of your life.

Start the new year with inspiration and connection! The Abundant Aging Ministry Network (AAMN) invites you to our very first online gathering—a space for clergy and older adults to learn, share, and grow together.

Our conversation will focus on Ministry with Individuals and Families Living with

Dementia, featuring two incredible leaders:

• Bonnie Burman, President of the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health, dedicated to transforming care and life for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

• Salli Bollin, Executive Director of MemoryLane Care Services, supporting adults with memory loss and their caregivers in northwest Ohio.

Together, we’ll explore practical ways congregations can offer meaningful support,

including:

✔ How to communicate with those living with dementia

✔ Resources for families and faith communities

✔ Preventing escalation and fostering calm

✔ Understanding non-verbal communication

Bring your questions and ideas—your voice will help shape this important conversation! Register online today to reserve your spot. A Zoom link will be sent with your confirmation.

Let’s begin this journey together— because ministry matters at every age and stage of life.

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Heartland Conference Networks!

The Christmas Fund

The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees.

The Christmas Fund is one of the UCC’s special mission offerings. Churches are encouraged to hold an offering on a suggested day in December each year or select a date that works for them. Advent worship resources are created each year for congregations. 

The Christmas Fund is managed by the Pension Boards. 

Get more information here.

Click on the logos below for information and registration details for upcoming continuing education and lifelong learning opportunities provided by our partner schools and centers of learning!

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