Newsletter

February 20, 2025

issue # 8

"Blessing Always"

Association Minister Message

Rev. Daniel L. Busch

       FRET. “Do not FRET because…” (Psalm 37). Other words for FRET are upset, worry, and fuss. Parents FRET at times when children are hurt, sick, in pain, or mistreated by other children. Parenting has many joys, sorrows, anger, frustrations, celebrations, and exhaustion while watching and supporting children growing up, often too fast or not fast enough. In the faith community, there is FRETTING over money matters, membership statistics, and faith interpretations.

     Words of faith, particularly from the Bible, remind us that God is our refuge, rescues us, and offers ways of calm in times of FRETTING. Looking closely at this Sunday’s lectionary readings, there is an unstated theme of people of faith agonizing over matters that cause conflict. In Genesis 45, after being sold into slavery and becoming powerful in Egypt, Joseph is reconciled with his brothers when they come to Egypt to get food. The brothers FRET, fearing retribution from Joseph, but Joseph embraced them with love. Joseph helped Egypt survive a famine, and the act of reconciliation saved his family. In 1^st Corinthians 15, there is FRETTING over the understanding of resurrection with its powerful spirit of eternalness. In Luke 6, Jesus preaches the power of love, compassion, and forgiveness that overcomes the hassles of condemnation. These passages enlighten us to understand power as gifts of compassion, forgiveness, and love in action.

     The psalmist’s images are affirming: “Trust in the Lord and do good…Tale delight in the Lord (enjoy the Lord).” Trusting God does not necessarily mean that all is fine, but that God will be with us in all conditions of life. God never abandons us, and FRETTING does not have the last word. Fear does not affirm us because it is only concerned with chaos. God’s unconditional love for us changes us and offers embrace in times of estrangement. A whole new world opens up to us when we love our enemies, do good to those who hate, curse, and mistreat us. God calls us to be instruments for good, turning FRETTING into service and compassion, hatred into love, peace, and justice, and separation into reunion. BLESSINGS ALWAYS.

Travel with Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister

Feb. 23-Zion, Fireside at 10 a.m.

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.

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. These were updated, so please re-download if you have already saved the previous version! 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, please contact Kim Nye, Northwest Ohio Association kim@nwoa.org

Celebrations / Changes

Word has been received from El Salvador that they have elected a new bishop,

Rev. Guadalupe Cortez de Huezo on Thursday, December 5th, 2025. Installation will be held on Sunday, January 12, 2025. Our prayers & blessings to her.

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:

Rev. David Voll was in the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.

Wilma Farmer was in the hospital. Please keep her 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)

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

With the release of his new book, Yes, Love, Thank You: Meditative Prayers and Pictures to Blossom Your Heart, the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins and the Rev. Cassidy Hall sit down to talk about prayer, spiritual practices, and new entryways into our interactions with the Divine.

Ministry Within Wildfires

As California wildfires continue, so does the call to care for one another.

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.

Your generous gift makes our ministry possible.