Newsletter

March 20, 2025

issue # 12

"Blessing Always"

Association Minister Message

Rev. Daniel L. Busch

  MERCY. While living in Pennsylvania, nearby were several Amish and Mennonite communities. They had their own way of doing things, including choosing or rejecting “certain modern technologies.” One sad event happened when a so-called drifter/stranger stopped at a local Amish school house, shot and randomly killed a grade school child and ran away. Later, after being found, the man was put on trial and convicted of the killing. At the conclusion of the court session, the judge gave the family time to make any comment, The parents responded by telling the man that they forgave him. It became nation-wide news of the parents forgiving the man. Various news organizations contacted the parents as they were leaving the Court House asking why they would forgive the man. The parents stated that their Chrisitan faith taught them to have MERCY, even though the pain of losing a child was overwhelming. If they did not offer MERCY, the anger they would have toward the man would become life-draining and gnaw at them making their lives miserable. Their faith taught them that they would not be able to receive forgiveness for acts/sins they had done if they could not forgive someone else.

     Jesus told a parable of planting a fig tree that had not produced fruit in three years. The owner says, “Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?” (Luke 13:7). The gardener pleads with the owner to give it “one more year…” The gardener saw potential in the tree. How often have we been given MERCY, one more chance to turn things around? Failure, disappointment, collapse, and letdown time and time again. Yet God never gives up on us, others encourage us, and the possibility of renewal and purpose can offer a “harvest.” The Lenten Season is a journey to receive hope, love and resurrection. The words of Frederick William Faber’s hymn declare, “There’s a wideness in God’s MERCY, like wideness of the sea; there’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty…If our love were but more faithful, we would gladly trust God’s word; and our lives would show thanksgiving for the goodness of our God.” BLESSINGS ALWAYS.

Travel with Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister

Mar. 23-Calvin UCC, Toledo at 10:30 a.m.

Mar. 30-St. Peter's UCC, Millbury at 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Apr. 6-St. Stephen, Sandusky at 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.

Apr. 27-Zion, Bettsville at 9:30 a.m.

Now Open! UCC Yearbook Reporting

UCC Yearbook Reporting - Deadline Extended

The UCC Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD) is now collecting data for the 2025 UCC Yearbook! You can create an account to enter statistics in the new UCC Database and Directories through Friday, April 11. PLEASE NOTE: Since this is a brand new system, there have been unexpected issues - updates will be provided as they are received!

Your church can download the new instructions and visit the Yearbook reference page with the buttons below. An email with further details has been sent. If you have any questions, need a hard copy of instructions or data forms mailed to your church, or would like a PDF version of the data forms to complete on your computer and return to our office, please contact Kellie Ramirez, Association Information Management and Media personnel, at registrar@livingwaterone.org.

**Just a friendly reminder that registration is open online. To register click below.**

Prayer Concerns / Request

Continuing prayer for: Dee Schroer, Rev. Daniel Johnson, Rev. Jim Garner,

Rev. Hafidha Saadiqah, Rev. Randall Forester, Rev. Gale Gebhart, Rev. Don Giesmann, Rev. David Culp, Peggy George, Rev. Martin Stiffler and family, Rev. Diane Christopherson, Rev. David Voll, Pastor Amy Kinney, Rev. Adrian Sunday, Rev. Patrick McKinney, Regena Mummert, Pastor Amy Kinney, Rev. Marge Mair-Hansen

Please keep in your prayers



Mark Bishop was in the hospital & is recovering. Please keep him your prayers.

We have received word that Marilyn Homeister is in Hospice care. Please keep her & her family in your prayers.

MONTHLY ARTICLES

NEIGHBORS IN NEED 2024

"BECAUSE OF YOU OUR CHURCH CHANGES LIVES"

"WHAT IS OCWM AND WHY DOES IT MATTER"

The Stewardship and Generosity Team continues to work hard at finding ways to give you and your church resourcess for enhancing the giving of your congregations. We encourage you to explore the following links:

To donate to Ukraine:

Global Partners - Heartland Conference UCC (heartlanducc.org)

Resources from the Heartland Conference

Generosity & Stewardship - Heartland Conference UCC (heartlanducc.org)

Time, Talent and Treasures

TimeTalentandTreasures.docx

Stewardship Ideas

Epiphany Greetings to you from your NWOA Stewardship & Generosity Team! At our last meeting we were sharing stories of ways our current or previous churches engaged our congregations in activities that promoted Stewardship. While we could fill numerous pages with stories, I have been asked to choose a sampling to include in a brief article for this month’s Vine.

           Mission Moments are used at a number of our churches including Sylvania UCC. These are given in worship. Whenever there is an opportunity to talk about an experience that has made a positive difference in some way, it is shared with the congregation. Examples might be people sharing after a Habitat for Humanity workday, or helping out at Grace Community Center in Toledo.

           While Mission Moments are scheduled in advance, Concerns and Celebrations are shared spontaneously by people in worship. These would involve recent experiences that the church was involved in that were especially meaningful to someone. They allow others to see the church at work and to see firsthand the impact those activities have on their members and friends.

           St. John’s UCC Tiffin engage their children in a stewardship exercise that teaches both the children and the adults the importance of sharing their God given gifts with others. They have a monthly Noisy Offering collected by the kids whereby coins are tossed into cute pails held by smiling children who say thank you to everyone.

           During Vacation Bible School, Buckland UCC receives a coin offering from the children each day that is donated to various charities.

           These are but a few of the many stewardship stories we shared. We pray these may assist you in the ministry you provide in your local church setting. Blessings as you journey into this new year and explore ways in which to continue the ministry that is vital to your congregation and beyond!



In Christ’s Service,

Stewardship & Generosity Ministry Team

Stay informed through Facebook

www.facebook.com/groups/593773784349506

TEAM ARTICLES

Back Bay Mission Long-Term Volunteer

Solar Powered Lantern by Alice Chun

From the Pastoral Relations Working Group

of the NWOA Church and Ministry Team

Spiritual Directors

Learn more

Anti-Racism and White Privilege

Learn more

We hope that these resources meet the needs of pastors looking for resources to begin conversations regarding anti-racism within their congregations. If you have other ideas for how we may assist in bringing resources/training to you regarding this topic, please contact Nanette Warnecke-Flood at nanettef@syctelco.com

READ ON FOR MORE RESOURCES

Did you know that in 2024 the Heartland Conference received requests for financial assistance for 50% more than the amount we had available in our Campership Endowment fund?    Thanks to the donation of several individual donors, we were able to cover all the requests. 

Did you know that request for financial assistance from the Heartland conference for summer camp has increased each year?

We anticipate the requests for 2025 will be more than last year and once again more than we have currently available from our Campership Endowment Fund.  With the increase in fees we anticipate the need to be even greater than the past.

Did you know that we have a 2025 Campership Campaign with a goal of collecting $20,250.00 by the end of April? As of March 11, 2025, we are only 6% to our goal. If we raise more than we need for this year’s campership requests, we will put the additional money in the Campership Endowment Fund or future need.

Please consider donating to our 2025 Campership fund campaign today! We typically give a maximum of 60% of the camp session fees. If you are looking for an amount to give, consider:

·       Your $372 donation will support one camper for a full week of camp

·       Your $186 donation will support one camper for a half week of camp

·       Any amount you can give is appreciated.  

Click here to donate online. Or send a check to the Heartland Conference, PO Box 1230, Worthington, OH 43085 and please write Campership 2025 in the memo or include a note indicating your intent to donate to the 2025 campership fund.

Thank you so much for your support for Heartland Conference Summer Campers!

One Great Hour of Sharing® is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ within Love of Neighbor.

One Great Hour of Sharing Sermonette by

Minister and Team Leader of Global Hope, Andrew Long-Higgins

Your Heartland Conference Disaster Response Team continues to work at responding to a variety of needs within the Heartland Conference. At our annual organization meeting in February, we identified 4 priorities for 2025:

1. CWS cleanup buckets/hygiene kits/period packs, with our goal being 2,500 units

2. Continuation in training and creation of an Emotional & Spiritual Care Team

3. Church Preparedness focus and resources

4. Inventory Local Church resources so as to be able to provide a wider scope of assistance

   As you can see, we are not shy about addressing daunting tasks! We are fortunate, in that our Partnership with the Ohio Assembly, Disciples of Christ, has continued to grow...with DOC members joining our Disaster Response Team! However, to accomplish these goals, it will also take additional financial resources to ship/deliver CWS buckets & kits...it will take additional financial resources to provide the adequate training and ultimate deployment for our E&S Care Team members...well, you get the jist! Thus, if your church would be willing to add DR Ministries to its Mission Outreach offerings, or to the list of Mission Endowment disbursements, that would result in our heartfelt appreciation.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me as listed below. Blessings in Mission. 

Kevin Gehres 

Heartland Conference Disaster Response Coordinator

gehreskb@gmail.com

(419)203-2776

Mission Moments

Use Mission Moments every week to tell a story about your congregation’s connection with the wider church. Each issue – which is designed to be inserted with your newsletter or Sunday worship bulletin – is an effective way to inform your members about what they make possible through their gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission.

Your generous gift makes our ministry possible.