Newsletter

March 6, 2025

issue # 10

"Blessing Always"

Association Minister Message

Rev. Daniel L. Busch

     REMINDER. The Lenten season is a REMINDER that life is a journey with unlimited possibilities, transitions, and temptations. We begin Lent on Ash Wednesday; Lent REMINDS us of how mortal we are by hearing the striking words “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.” Even though life has beginnings and endings, the gift of eternalness overcomes the limitations of the world. It is what happens between the beginning and end that is filled with mystery and possibilities. Birth affirms God’s artistic handiwork in creation’s kaleidoscope, a mixture of simple to the complex. Birth is a REMINDER that our lives are connected, webbed together, interconnected, and needing others and the creation to have a productive and constructive life. Death’s power ends with the gift of the eternalness of resurrection.

     As we begin our Lenten journey, we are REMINDED of temptations and wilderness experiences. “Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted (tested) for forty days by the devil.” (Luke 4:1-2). Temptations from forces around us or from others are easy to blame for why we do evil or have troubled lives. However, we are REMINDED that our own desires, wants, and narcissistic actions produce evil, disharmony, and sins to ourselves and others. We are tempted to be powerful, rich, physically fit, influential, and popular by any means. Lent REMINDS us as spiritual people that what we have is really not ours but are gifts to us from God to be caretakers/stewards of our lives and God’s creation..

     “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” REMIND us of and symbolize that we are mortal, not gods, and it is God who transforms us to be godly people. Lent is a season of self-examination, a period of correction (forgiveness) and affirmation as having both human and divine gifts. We are REMINDED of all the brokenness in our lives and that God promises to make all things new now and forever. Healing and forgiveness from God enable transformation and a renewed life of a “new heaven and a new earth” over and over again and again. Scripture REMINDS us, “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from (Jesus) until the next opportunity.” (vs. 13). With God’s help, we can find BLESSINGS ALWAYS.

Travel with Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister

Mar. 9-First UCC, Sandusky at 10 a.m.

Mar. 16-Calvin UCC, Toledo Farewell to Mary Wood at 10:30 a.m.

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

The UCC Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD) is now collecting data for the 2024 UCC Yearbook! You can create an account to enter statistics in the new UCC Database and Directories through Friday, March 21. PLEASE NOTE: Since this is a brand new system, there may be unexpected issues - updates will be provided as they are received!

Your church can download 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.

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, Rev. Marge Mair-Hansen

Please keep in your prayers

Mark Bishop is in the hospital. Please keep him 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

There is scholarship money available. To access the scholarship form visit https://www.ccinoh.com, from the home page select Ministries, then children & youth, then Christian Youth Fellowship, then CYF retreat, this page will have info for the Winter Retreat, with the Flyer and a link for the scholarship form. 

Disaster Response Network Update

Many of us have the folks affected by the California wildfires on our hearts and minds. With 27 confirmed deaths, dozens more missing, over 45 square miles burnt, and tens of thousands under evacuation orders, the question of “How can we help?” is one that our Heartland Conference Disaster Response Team often hears. Another question that is often asked is, “Has it affected any of our UCC churches and members? 

It has indeed affected thousands of our UCC brothers and sisters, with one example being the Altadena Community Church, a historic UCC church that not only served the faith community, but housed community outreach programs as well. The pictures shown below, are the before, and tragic aftermath of the fire that destroyed the church. 

So how can we help? There are two ways we can best help at this time. The first is through direct giving at support.ucc.org. Financial support is the most critical at this point in time. The other way to help, is to continue to support the Church World Service buckets & kits program. Our Heartland Conference has been strong supporter of creating buckets & kits, and continuing to do so helps both tornado, hurricane, and fire disasters…among others. The lists have been updated, and can be found at cwskits.org. Additionally, we have re-established our CWS Depot at the Disciples of Christ Camp Christian, located about 10 minutes north of Marysville, Ohio. 

Your Heartland Conference Disaster Response Team will continue to monitor ways to assist in these disasters. Please keep everyone affected by recent disasters in your prayers, as we continue to serve others. 

Kevin Gehres 

Heartland Conference Disaster Response Coordinator

We have officially launched the UCC's 2025 Climate Hope Art Contest for children and youth. Our theme this year is “Planting Seeds of Hope.” We’ll accept art submissions from February 2nd to March 14th. Like last year, we will have winners for different age groups and an overall winner who will receive an all-expense paid trip to visit Washington, DC with a parent or guardian. (Last year's winner had two members of congress personally ask her for a poster of her artwork, so that they could hang it in their offices!) The winning art will additionally serve as the logo for UCC Climate Hope advocacy work throughout 2025.

Register now for your church to participate!

We will send you a PDF of the art contest page on which artists will create their masterpieces. We are looking forward to seeing the amazing creativity and talent of our children once again.

With gratitude for each of you,

Sue Mueller

Lead Climate Hope Organizer

United Church of Christ

Attention Members in Discernment!

Brown Scholarship Application Available

The Richard and Helen Brown Endowment for Church Leadership provides funding for students seeking a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree or equivalent. Potential Brown Scholars must demonstrate at least a year of active membership in a United Church of Christ (UCC) church and maintain a GPA of at least 3.0.

For those interested in becoming a Brown Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year, eligible candidates may submit an online application beginning December 1 each year. The deadline to submit applications is March 1, 2025. Click here to apply for the scholarship.

To learn more about Brown Endowment Continuing Education Grant, please contact us at brown@ucfunds.org.

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.

Reclaiming Scripture

General Synod 35 keynote speaker is a minister at the intersection of faith and civic engagement.

Your generous gift makes our ministry possible.