Newsletter

February 26, 2026

Issue # 8

CHURCH IDEA OF THE WEEK -  "A verse a week"

The pastor and/or bulletin writer can pick a "verse of the week" for the bulletin, or bulletin board, and/or for the church newsletter. 

Sometimes the verse comes from the pastor's Sunday sermon or the verse relates as a focus for something special. A church recently

included the following verse in their bulletin on God's guidance: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own

Understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Please see link below for the 2026 Compensation Guidelines.

Biography of the Week

Elizabeth “Beth” McKibben-Nee



Beth McKibben-Nee’s life has brought her full circle. A native of Crawford County, Beth was raised on a farm south of Sulphur Springs, Ohio, and grew up in the UCC. She is the oldest of five siblings, two of whom are ordained ministers pastoring in the Heartland Conference. For 20 years, she has been married to Patrick “Pat” Nee, a Florida native and new member of the NWOA Church and Ministry Team. The couple lived in Florida and North Carolina before settling in Seneca County and joining Trinity UCC in Tiffin, Ohio.

After graduating from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, Beth served as a second grade and sixth grade science teacher in central Florida. She then earned a master’s degree in Library & Information Science at the University of South Florida while serving as a middle school media specialist. Her first public library position was as Youth Services Manager for the Osceola Library System in Florida. Subsequently, she and Pat moved to Raleigh, NC, where she again taught sixth grade science and worked as an elementary school media specialist. Their paths next led them back to Florida, where Beth spent time as Community Outreach & Event Coordinator for a small, independent bookstore. Eventually, she was employed in the Nassau County (FL) Public Library System as a branch librarian, a library cataloger, and Assistant Library Director. During this time, Beth began to sense a call to ministry and completed a three-year spiritual direction formation program with Audire: The Central Florida Foundation for Spiritual Direction. She enjoyed this work but ultimately felt called to pastoral ministry.

Beth has a deep love for Jesus, God’s people, and Creation and is dedicated to service. She is currently a Member in Discernment with the NWOA and a licensed minister who was recently called as pastor to First United Church of Christ, Congregational, in Marblehead. She is a spiritual director and full-time student at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. Her educational interests include biblical studies, ecotheology, and spirituality, most notably Celtic spirituality. Beth is a perpetual teacher who embraces learning, and she loves to hear people’s stories and tell them some of her own. She enjoys crafting, watching movies, reading, and spending time with Pat and their rescued Bassett-mix, Freckles. But, most of all, Beth is thrilled to be engaged in God’s work in a place where her roots run deep and is grateful for the unfailing support and encouragement that she finds throughout the Association.

*If you need directions, please contact Kim: kim@nwoa.org

HEARTLAND INDIANA-KENTUCKY CONFERENCES HOLD RETREAT IN DAYTON ON FEB. 21

Those interested from the Heartland Conference (formerly Ohio Conference), and the Indiana-Kentucky Conference met at St. John's UCC in downtown Dayton on Feb. 21.  Members of the two Conferences staff and interested board members of Associations in the three states met for a listening and discussion retreat. The purpose was to discuss past, current, and future cooperation together.  

There were about 70 who attended Saturday's retreat.  Friday night Feb. 20 was an informal time for dinner, fellowship, and devotions for a couple of hours that about half were able to attend. Then Saturday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. To 3:30 was the actual retreat and business session.  Everyone was divided into small groups. The hired consultant paid for by a Lilly Foundation grant, objectively asked questions that were discussed and charted about opportunities, joys, and future potential for churches, Conferences, and Associations.  Would merging the Conferences be good? How could the Conferences and Associations in the three states cooperate more? Would forms of sharing functions together be helpful? Attendees were open, honest, respectful of different points of view. The retreat ended with communion and with prayer. A variety of clergy and laypersons attended.  

Statistics shared included reports on a decline in the number of churches, members, and finances in the UCC and in our regions. 

Attending from the Northwest Ohio Association were those who voluntarily signed up: Darla Metz, Ed Heilman, and Jerry Fenske. Don Giesmann was there as Association staff person. 

No definite decisions or actions were taken. All of the information from past listening sessions in person, on zoom, in writing, statistics, and this retreat's notes will be reviewed and a design team will be established to make suggestions for the future. Thanks were expressed to the consultant, the host church, and all who were involved.