Newsletter

May 1, 2025

issue # 18

"Blessing Always"

Association Minister Message

Rev. Daniel L. Busch

FOLLOW ME. When I was in elementary school, a game we played was “Simon Says.” Someone was chosen as Simon who instructed others in the line to do something. After hearing “Simon says,” players did what was instructed. If someone did not FOLLOW the instructions and moved without hearing “Simon says,” that person was out of the game. The last player standing was the winner.

     There are fishing stories in the Gospels depicting FOLLOWING Jesus. In John 21, it is noteworthy that about ten days after the resurrection, seven of the disciples are together probably pondering what had just happened to their leader Jesus. “Simon Peter told them, ‘I’m going fishing.’” (21:3). Resurrection still hadn’t made a difference in their lives, and they returned to their occupation of fishing. Throughout the night they fished and caught nothing—SCARCITY. Their livelihood depended on catching fish, and after putting in long hours without any success fishing, disappointment and weariness prevailed.

     Jesus appears to them on the shore, but they did not know it was Jesus. Jesus asks, “CHILDREN, have you caught anything to eat?” (21:5). CHILDREN(!!!): New to the faith, beginners as disciples, and not yet fully accepting their call to resurrection ministry. As children of faith they had not yet realized the unlimited possibilities before them. Fear. Confusion. Who was this Jesus that they FOLLOWED for three years and they still were not comprehending their call to ministry? Then the man on the shore tells them, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. So they did, and there were so many fish they couldn’t haul in the net.” (21:6). ABUNDANCE. Then Jesus and the disciples had a meal together, reminiscent of the Passover Meal.

     We, too, have gotten into our boats of comfort, not hearing Jesus ask us, “Do you love me?...FOLLOW ME.” We are called to be the Body of Christ, a community of faith, hope, and love. Jesus calls us, like Peter, to “feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep.” Jesus calls us be His minds, voice, hands, presence, and feet to make this world as God would intend it to be. FOLLOWING Jesus is transformational as we share our gifts and graces with one another. BLESSINGS ALWAYS. 

Travel with Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister

May 4, 2025-Mark Bishop Farewell-St. Paul UCC, Wapakoneta 10:15 am

May 11, 2025-First UCC, Marblehead at 10:30 am

May 18, 2025-First UCC, Marion at 11:00 am

May 25, 2025-St. Paul UCC, Wapakoneta at 10:15 am

June 1, 2025-Presbyterian, Defiance at 9:30 am

St. John's, Defiance at 11:00 am

June 22, 2025-Wapak



Prayer Concerns / Request

Continuing prayer for: Dee Schroer, Rev. Daniel Johnson, Rev. Jim Garner, Rev. Don Corbin, Rev. Randall Forester, Rev. Gale Gebhart, Rev. Don Giesmann, Rev. David Culp, Peggy George, Rev. Diane Christopherson, Rev. David Voll, Rev. Adrian Sunday, Rev. Patrick McKinney, Regena Mummert, Rev. Mike Ebersole, Susan Bishop, Lenore Kure (Car Accident-home recovering).

From Kim Nye, NWOA Office Administrator

Please keep my husband & our family in your prayers. He is home from the hospital recovering & has another journey ahead. Please keep him in your prayers.

Celebrations

Nancy Smith and Barbara Osborn were recognized as authorized lay ministers of Zion UCC in Bettsville on Sunday April 27, 2025. 

At the NWOA 62nd Annual Meeting, the Becoming WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) resolution was passed. This means that the NWOA made a public commitment to involve people with mental health experiences in all aspects of the association's activities and events.

I pledged to be the NWOA's WISE facilitator to guide congregations through the WISE process. To begin, you can open the link to the resolution. Notice there are links to resources on page two. Also, there are additional resource pages from the Hearland Conference and the United Church of Christ.

https://www.nwoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wise-Complete.pdf

I am available to answer your questions and respond to your comments about Becoming WISE.

Please feel free to reach out to me.

Fred Coulter

Witness & Proclamation Ministry Team

419 260-7076

fcoulter@defiane.edu 

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

Are you new to Camp Christian, or sending your child to Camp Christian for the first time this summer? Would you like to check it out before, so you have a picture of what to expect? Or maybe you haven’t been to Camp in a while and would like to see what’s new? Then our CampOpen House is for you!

Saturday, May 3rd, from Noon to 2pm, come check out camp!  There will be walking tours, “hayride” style tours, and plenty of time to get a sense of what Camp Christian is all about. See the cabins and dining hall, walk the grounds, check out the vesper spots.

We want your summer experience at Camp Christian to be a great one! So, come check it out and get excited! Please contact ccio@ccinoh.org if you have any questions.

Save the Date! Winter Clergy Retreat

SAVE THE DATE for a retreat for authorized ministers in the Heartland Conference (UCC) and the Ohio Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), to be held at Camp Christian, January 13-15, 2026. The retreat will feature a variety of workshop options along with plenty of time for rest, renewal, worship, and conversation with colleagues. Registration information available soon.

Click on the Video above to Meet our Delegates!

Beth Gedert, Ella Davis, & Suzy Lefelhocz!

Over the next few months we will be introducing you to our Heartland Conference General Synod delegates! These servants of the church are giving of their time and energy to serve on our behalf in the national assembly of the United Church of Christ.

We encourage you and your congregations to support them financially through this year’s Strengthen the Church offering.  Strengthen the Church is the one national offering for which the Conference can retain half of what is given for needs within our conference community.

The cost per delegate is around $1,800 to register, house, feed, and provide transportation. Each delegate’s registration fee has been paid from Conference funds and a stipend is being given to each delegate by the Heartland Conference and National UCC. Yet this stipend will not completely cover a delegate’s costs.

You may give by clicking the button below or using the QR code.

Short videos, featuring our delegates, are available for use in worship and other media platforms to aid in your promotion of this special offering. Bulletin inserts and slides for projection are coming soon!

Your generous gift makes our ministry possible.