Voices United for Hope

Breathe. Pray. Remember. Hope. Act. These were the watchwords at “Voices United For Hope,” a pre-election community event held on Sunday, October 27, at St. Paul’s UCC in St. Paul.

Eight UCC metro churches gathered for a time of drumming, singing, praying, hoping … a time of solidarity, connection and friendship. This is a perilous time for our country. Still, we carry the Christ-light for one another and out into the world. Thanks be to God for the collaboration of our congregations: Cherokee Park United Church, Clark-Grace UCC, Falcon Heights UCC, Hazel Park UCC, Macalester Plymouth United Church, St. Anthony Park UCC, St. Paul’s UCC, and UCC New Brighton! And thanks be to God for the MN Conference UCC for funding the event.

Clergy not pictured: Rev. Matthias Peterson-Brandt, Amy Wick-Moore

Minnesota Conference UCC History

The 1860s: Multiple Wars and Their Aftermath

"We look to you of the Northwest to finally decide whether this is to be a land of slavery or of freedom. The people of the Northwest are to be the arbiters of its destiny.” – Gov. William Seward (R-NY), speaking in St. Paul on Sep. 18, 1860, of Minnesota’s impact on the upcoming election.

One of the fascinating aspects of our Minnesota Conference history has to do with how our forebears and their neighbors at times challenged white supremacy and at times reinforced it. Consider, for example, how the violence of the 1860s impacted us. At a time when Minnesota simultaneously fought both the Civil War and the U.S.-Dakota War, our spiritual ancestors went from robust church planting to a near halt.

Twenty-one of our 109 churches still in existence were founded between 1851 and 1859. Between 1861 and 1865, though, only one still extant church of ours was founded: First Congregational Church (now New Journey UCC) in Hutchinson. That congregation, founded by women in January of 1862, dealt with an incident sometimes known as the Battle in Hutchinson just a few months into their existence during the U.S.-Dakota War. Townspeople tore down log cabins to build a stockade in which they locked themselves for safety, all in the first year of our congregation’s life there.

Continue reading Transitional Conference Minister David. B. Lindsey's full article on this critical period for the Church. As he says at the conclusion, "More than 160 years have passed since the conclusion of the Civil War and the U.S.-Dakota War, yet their legacies continue to shape our contexts for ministry …"

From Border to Belonging: A celebration of commitment, compassion, and community across the US/Mexico borderlands

Who: Young adults between the ages of 19 and 29

When: January 15-19, 2025

Where: The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ | Sahuarita, Arizona

Size: Group limited to 12 participants

Cost: $250 (includes flight, ground transportation, shared lodging, and meals)

Each young adult registration is subsidized by $650 from the Ashley Endowment of the Minnesota Conference UCC.

REGISTER by November 15, 2024

The United States-Mexico borderlands has always been a beautiful mix of culture, language, cuisine, economies, and people. It has also been a place of struggle, high and low temperatures, a fragile environment, and the push and pull of immigration.

The Borderlands is the perfect place to explore the arts, touch the culture, and have deeper conversations about the complicated issues that collide here. We hope you will come and explore with us all the possibilities.

Join other young adults from the Minnesota Conference and an intergenerational community of people from around the U.S. for this annual gathering hosted by the community of the Good Shepherd UCC. Following are some highlights of Common Ground on the Border:

• Thursday is a day of engaging field trips to immerse ourselves in the culture, life, and issues along the US/Mexico border.
• On Friday we will have keynote addresses in the morning, classes in the afternoon, and a great dinner followed by an amazing concert.
• On Saturday we will have keynote addresses and a festival in the morning, classes in the afternoon and another great dinner followed by a Special Evening with civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.

We will fly from MSP to Phoenix Wednesday morning, January 15, and will return Sunday night, January 19. The group will stay together in an Airbnb in Tucson, and programs will be hosted by The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita.

Questions? Contact Rev. Kevin Brown, Association Conference Minister, or Rev. Sheri Nelson, Director of Outdoor Ministry.

Provide Your Input into the Conference Minister Search

Please share your views in a survey that should take about 5 minutes and only has 6 questions. Even if you have attended a listening session, we hope you will take a moment to complete the survey as there are questions in the survey that were not asked at the listening sessions. TAKE THE SURVEY HERE.

We hope to see many of you for our in-person listening sessions in Greater Minnesota:

• Peace Church Rochester, November 2, 9 am–noon
• New York Mills, Monday, November 4, 6:30-8:30 pm

Generosity Officer Position Available at the Conference

Our temporary Generosity Officer Keren Lowell will wrap up her service with the Conference at the end of September. Thanks to Keren for her hard work and dedication! We are now accepting applicants for the permanent position of Generosity Officer (25 hours per week) to lead our fundraising efforts in collaboration with the Conference Minister and the Development Committee. If you know someone who loves the UCC and would be a good fit for the position, please send resumes to Transitional Conference Minister David Lindsey at davidl@uccmn.org.

Unique OWLs Course Launches in Early 2025

Four weekends in 2025: January 24-26, February 21-23, March 21-23, and April 11-13

REGISTER HERE!

We are excited to offer this unique course specifically designed to engage people of faith to examine how sexuality education and ministry intersect, and to explore the Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith lifespan curricula. At the end of this unique experience, participants will be poised to facilitate Our Whole Lives at any level. This course is evaluative and experiential in nature and will include four weekends in early 2025 as well as zoom meetings in between the weekend learning times. Participants must be available for all sessions. The course is facilitated by Rev. Amy Johnson and Rev. T. Michael Rock.

Deadline Approaching for 2024 Annual information Review Form

Have you yet to complete your 2024 Annual Information Review form? The end of the year is fast approaching and you still have time to complete this yearly requirement. It keeps our records up-to-date assuring our covenantal relationship is maintained accurately. It’s easy to do online and will only take a few minutes to complete. ACCESS THE ONLINE FORM HERE. If online is not an option for you call the Conference office at 612-871-0359 Ex. 8 to request a paper form be sent to you.

Partner News & Events

Sacred Reckonings Training Offered

Are you or your congregation interested in learning more about reparations and how you might explore a reparatory process? Do you want to know more about what spiritually grounded truth-telling might look like? Are you interested in knowing how to act in solidarity and followership of Black and Indigenous movements for justice? Then please join us for a Sacred Reckonings: White Settler-Colonizer Churches Doing the Work of Reparation training!

The next training is ONLINE:

Nov 22, 5 pm – 8 pm 

Nov 23, 10 am – 4 pm 

MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

DOWNLOAD A FLYER

Joys & Concerns

TWO UPCOMING ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCILS

Ecclesiastical Councils are an opportunity for our member churches to participate in the Conference’s discernment for our candidates for ordination. Please join in this important process. We must have a quorum for candidates to move forward in their process. Please reach out to See Chang, COM administrative assistant at with questions or for more information. 

The Committee on Ministry will host an Ecclesiastical Council for Dustin Moretz on Sunday, November 3, at 3:00 pm. Delegates and guests are invited to join in person at Macalester Plymouth United Church (1658 Lincoln Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105) and via Zoom at this link. Read Dustin’s ordination paper here and learn more about Dustin.

The The Committee on Ministry will host an Ecclesiastical Council for Christopher Bonhoff on Thursday, November 7, at 6 pm at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1919 La Salle Ave in Minneapolis. Delegates and guests are invited to join in person and via Zoom at this link. Read Christopher's ordination paper here.

You are invited to the installation service celebrating Nora Elliott's covenant relationship with Union Congregational in Elk River, 1118 4th Street NW on Sunday, November 10, at 3:00 pm. The Installation service will be hybrid. Join virtually through this link.

A celebration of life for Rev. Richard “Dick” Eick will be held at The Congregational Church UCC of Rochester on Saturday, November 9. Visitation begins at 10 am, service at 11. The service also will be live streamed on The Congregational Church's Facebook.

Upcoming Conference Events

• November 2, 9 am–noon, In-person Conference Minister search listening session, Peace Church Rochester
• November 4, 6:30-8:30 pm, In-person Conference Minister search listening session, New York Mills
• November 23: Covenant Day, Peace UCC, Duluth

• Check out the employment opportunities portion of our website for all open positions.
• Send story ideas, insights and more to communications@uccmn.org. COMMAntary is published on Thursdays; submissions are due the Tuesday prior to publication at noon.
• The Conference website offers a wealth of resources related to faith formation, racial justice, and more.

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