Wisconsin Conference Life Newsletter
September 21, 2022
|
|
Diana Butler Bass to kick off Leadership Matters series |
You still have time to register for the virtual kickoff of Leadership Matters featuring Diana Butler Bass, one of the nation’s most trusted commentators on religion and culture. She'll appear virtually from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Leadership Matters, a collaborative initiative of the Damascus Project and the Wisconsin Conference Leadership Forward Campaign, is an 18-month series of conversations with experts concerning best leadership practices. The series is designed for clergy and lay leaders, and it will include ample space for sharing of resources and support. Watch for additional details, including how to register, in forthcoming issues of Wisconsin Conference Life.
Butler Bass, the author of 11 books, will explore questions that include:
- How can we be innovative leaders as the church emerges from the pandemic?
- How have the church and world changed, and how might we respond?
- How do we continue to Be the Church in an increasingly post-Christian culture?
|
|
In this issue: scroll down to find these articles |
|
Get ready for Advent with the Damascus Project |
|
Advent is the season when the church prepares for Jesus' birth. The Damascus Project is offering a series of lunchtime lectures to help preachers and faith formation and youth ministry leaders with their own preparations for the season. The lecture series, which will feature a variety of interpretive voices, is scheduled for noon on five consecutive Wednesdays from Oct. 19 to Nov. 16. Participants will receive videos of these conversations and be able to join an online cohort for sharing of resources and ideas. Cost of the series is $40. Register today. |
|
‘Dog Whistle Politics’ subject of virtual book study
|
Our friends in the New York Conference invite you to a virtual book study of “Dog Whistle Politics,” Ian Henry Lopez’s account of how politicians use veiled racial appeals to win support. The book links two central themes prominent in U.S. politics today: the decline of the middle class and the Republican Party's increasing reliance on white voters. The discussion will take place on Zoom from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Central time on four consecutive Wednesdays from Oct. 12 to Nov. 14. The book study is sponsored by the Center for Racial Justice, which is affiliated with the New York Conference of the UCC. Click to register. Attendees are asked to read the preface and first two chapters before the first session.
|
|
ONA Coalition webinars offer support, best practices |
Is your congregation taking its first steps towards becoming Open and Affirming? Are you a longtime ONA church seeking to revive your commitment to LGBTQ+ justice? Or are you looking to inject new life into your faith community? Wherever you are on your journey, the UCC’s ONA Coalition has a webinar for you. Introductory webinars show how to lead congregations to an ONA decision in ways that build consensus and reduce the risk of conflict. ONA Next webinars provide best practices for church growth. Click to learn more about these and other webinars from the ONA Coalition.
|
|
Daycholah to host Creation Care 101 retreat |
Does your congregation have a Green Team? Or are you just starting your Creation Care ministry? Wherever you are on your journey, you’ll enjoy Creation Care 101, a retreat co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Conference UCC Creation Care Team and United Church Camps Inc. scheduled for the first weekend in November at Daycholah Center. Subtitled “Cross Pollination: Joining Hearts and Hands to Help Save the Earth,” the retreat will bring the Creation Care Team together with UCC members from across the Conference to share ideas and provide mutual support.
The retreat, intended for individuals ages 18 and up, starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, and runs through 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, with an optional extension to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Click here for more information and to register for the Friday-Saturday option and here for the extension to Sunday.
|
|
Narrative Budgets: Telling your Story by the Numbers
A narrative budget translates the line items of a traditional budget into a story of how your congregation makes a difference in the world. It can be a helpful tool for a stewardship campaign or annual meeting. By telling the story of our congregations’ impact, we can inspire generosity in our donors.
Date: Sept. 28
Time: 6:30 p.m.
What does it mean to be immigrant-welcoming in 2022?
The Wisconsin Conference's Immigration Working Group is inviting congregations around the state to a conversation about the many ways we are living into our 2017 resolution to be an Immigrant Welcoming Conference. A discussion of what we are doing now--sponsoring refugees, accompanying asylum seekers, raising money, advocating for reform, and partnering with resettlement and other agencies to provide volunteer and financial support--will lead into ideas for specific actions for congregations to take or explore.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Date: Sept. 29
|
|
Concert to celebrate Janesville congregation’s 175th anniversary |
First Congregational UCC in Janesville will host a concert to celebrate the church’s 175th anniversary at 2 p.m. Sept. 25. The anniversary concert had been scheduled for May 2020 but was postponed by the COVID pandemic. The concert will include the premiere of a commissioned work by internationally known composer Elaine Hagenberg as well as the playing of the church’s historic Tower Chimes. The performance will also include a festival choir, handbell choir, brass quintet, strings, flute, organ and piano. Admission is free.
First Congregational Church organized in 1845. Among those who have spoken or worshiped at the church are Abraham Lincoln, Frances Willard, Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ralph Bunche and Jesse Owens.
|
|
Learn how federal funds can help your church go solar |
The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act makes it possible for nonprofit organizations, including churches, to receive reimbursement from the federal government equal to 30 percent of the cost of a solar-energy installation. A UCC webinar will help you navigate the law and learn how it can benefit faith communities. Register here.
|
|
Save the dates for youth ministry conversations |
Plan to join the Rev. Trayce Potter, the UCC’s minister for youth and young adult engagement, for monthly youth ministry leader conversations starting in October. These hourlong Zoom events will occur on the fourth Monday of each month. At 4 p.m. Central time on Oct. 24, a representative of Wonder Space will talk about innovation in youth ministry. The Cornerstone Fund will discuss financial literacy for young people at 4 p.m. on Nov. 28.
Registration information will be available in late September. Questions? Email Lisa Hart, associate conference minister for faith formation and justice ministries.
|
|
Daycholah Center to host ‘Native Children Hostage’ |
The Alliance for Justice will host a three-day immersion event Oct. 7-9 at Daycholah Center in Green Lake that will explore ways Native American children were used to disrupt and destroy Native culture through boarding schools, out-of-home placements and other practices. The event is part of a continuing effort by the Alliance to identify ways local congregations can respond in faith to calls for justice from Wisconsin’s Native American communities.
The highlight of the event will be a virtual keynote by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and one of two Native American women ever to serve in Congress. Daycholah sits on land originally inhabited by the Ho-Chunk, and the name itself is the original Ho-Chunk word for Green Lake. Click here to register for the event. Cost is $300 for those age 12 and up. For scholarship information, check with your local congregation and the UCCI scholarship application. You can share this event on your bulletin boards by using this flyer.
|
|
Help others by donating now |
The General Fund of the Wisconsin Conference helps us connect, support and resource pastors, leaders, and congregations. Your gift allows the Conference to provide relevant and timely help during the pandemic and beyond. Donate to the General Fund
|
|
Searching Churches
-
Emanuel Church UCC in Hales Corners is searching for a pastor. Details
-
First Congregational UCC in Oconomowoc is searching for a pastor. Details
-
To see all searching churches, click here.
New Calls
-
Rev. Carol-Anne Reynolds has been called as pastor at Hope UCC in Sturgeon Bay, effective Sept. 14.
Installations and Ordinations
-
Rev. John Cofield was installed at the United Church of Christ in Pittsville on Sept. 18.
The Conference Transitions feature appears monthly in the Wisconsin Conference Life. Please share your transition information, including church anniversaries, with the newsletter editor by emailing Nola.
|
|
The Kairos Call to Action Newsletter was created to support the efforts of congregations, families and individuals who want to be a part of the UCC’s Kairos Call to Action. Through this newsletter the Conference Creation Care Team will provide resources for study and worship, encourage advocacy on behalf of climate justice, and help congregations find and connect with partners who share this common concern and commitment.
|
|
Renewing the Soul of the Beloved Community is a communication dedicated to sharing resources and tools, wisdom and insight for congregations and individuals navigating these challenging days. Created by the Conference Supportive Ministries Team, this publication will highlight resources to aid in steering your path forward.
|
|
Ignite Your Fire, Feed Your Soul,
Build Your Faith... In Nature's Sanctuary
|
|
Join the Conference-wide Creation Care Team!
Are you passionate about Creation Care? Want to connect with others who are taking action to care for the earth? The Creation Care Team's primary focus is to encourage, support and provide resources to congregations in the Wisconsin Conference as they do what they can to care for creation. If you would like to be a part of this team, or for more information on the Creation Care Team, contact John Helt. You can also go to the Creation Care webpage to learn more.
|
|
Is your church considering an Open and Affirming Process? The Wisconsin Conference has a committee to help! Please feel free to use us as resources for your discussions and preparations. Contact Laura McLeod of the Wisconsin Conference UCC Committee on Ministry with LGBTQ Persons.
|
|
Get Involved! A Conference-wide Racial Justice Task Force gathers resources and encourages congregations to engage in conversations around race. If you and your congregation are interested in participating in this group, you are welcome. Contact Lisa Hart get involved.
|
|
This newsletter is made possible by contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support.
Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ
4459 Gray Road | DeForest, WI 53532
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
