Be The Small Church

by Rev. Rob MacDougall

 

The UCC "Be The Church" identity material is deeply engaging for many of us. It is one of those unabashed proclamations about who we are as God's people in the UCC. It has a mindfulness quality to it, not stressing the past nor hoping for the future, but living/serving/being in the now.

 

Each church, each pastor, each congregation member can affirm the many listed elements of what it means to be the church--ah, but living them out in each particular life and context, that's where the church begins looking more and more like a patchwork quilt. Each church, pastor, member discovers and embraces what being the church means to them and there is no place where this is more true than in small churches. Small, faithful churches are ones that let go of trying to be things they are not and embrace who they are. While each church has its particular life, if I were to make a bumper sticker that began with "Be The Small Church" the list of proclamations might include the following:
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Seated in a canoe, all I can see is vivid sunshine and blue sky above, tall green rice stalks on my right and left, and my ricing partner poling us along. I use my ricing sticks to guide a handful of stalks over the canoe and give the top of the plants a tap. A burst of rice kernels shower into the canoe and into the river. It's wild ricing season in northern Wisconsin, and the harvest has been spectacular at our favorite spot.

 

A few years ago I recall hearing the Parable of the Sower told again during our church service. I've always considered this such a marvelous and simple object lesson. But when I heard it this time, my mind went from the familiar scenes of the seed falling on the path, on the rocks, among the thorns, and in the good soil, to the question "What about the seed that falls on water?"
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In the wake of flood and tornado damage throughout Wisconsin, and in anticipation of hurricane Florence's landfall on the southeast coast, we extend prayers to all affected. Chris Schoenwetter serves as the Wisconsin Conference disaster information coordinator, offering updates and keeping us connected to the relief support offered through our national UCC. Thus far, a few of our churches have suffered minor damage, though several families within our congregations have endured significant damage. As always, we welcome your gifts to "disaster relief."

3 Great Loves is a multi-year national UCC initiative to lift up the stories of local churches and affiliates surrounding the Love of Creation, Love of Neighbor, and Love of Children. You can learn more about the 3 Great Loves at the UCC 3 Great Loves website, and share your own 3 Great Loves story! The UCC is sharing 3 Great Loves stories in their KYP (Keeping You Posted) newsletter, which you can find here.

In July the local Bright Stars of Bethlehem chapter brought our partner Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb to Madison where he spoke at several venues around the city. At First Unitarian Society, Mitri talked about hope in the shadow of the barrier wall that surrounds Bethlehem making the "little town" even littler. And throughout the West Bank there is a network of Israeli settlements and a system of Israeli-only roads that connect these settlements to Israel proper, taking land and precious resources away from the Palestinians. This matrix of settlements and roads cuts farmers off from their fields and Palestinians from their family and friends in "neighboring" towns. One could easily feel hopeless living in these isolated enclaves but the work of our partners in Bethlehem give hope not only to the Palestinian but to those of us who have the opportunity to hear and see what God is doing today in the land where our savior was born.

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Gather up your youth groups! Plan to attend one (or more) of these youth camps this program year.

More information on the retreats

October 9-11, 2018

The GLAUCE Conference is just around the corner...don't miss out!

 

GLAUCE is an excellent opportunity for clergy and lay leaders who are invested in faith formation to network and be resourced. This year's theme is Standing Together: A Sacred Conversation on Race. Our keynote speaker will be the Rev. Traci Blackmon, Executive Minister for Justice and Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ. The event will also be a great opportunity to connect with people from around the Great Lakes Region of the United Church of Christ.

Conference flyer

Conference registration

October 2018 - May 2019

Baraboo

October 5, 2018, 9:00am - 3:00pm

Cedar Valley near West Bend

Sometimes called secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue is prevalent among those serving the needs of others. Compassion fatigue is particularly common among highly sensitive persons, a significant percentage of caregivers. This retreat will focus on the wounded healer's self-care and protection: early warning signs and strategies for sustaining a healthy mind and spirit.

Searching Churches

New Calls

• Rev. Ernest Huntzinger has been called as interim pastor at St. Mark's and St. James in Cleveland, effective July 1, 2018.
•  Rev. Ruth Bradshaw has been called as pastor at Olivet Congregational UCC in Columbus, effective September 1, 2018  
• Rev. Moira Finley has been called as pastor at St. John's UCC in Black Creek, effective September 1, 2018. She will continue to serve as pastor at Trinity UCC in Shiocton and St. John's UCC in Cecil as well.  
• Rev. Thomas Schroeder has been called as interim pastor at Bethel UCC in Elkhart Lake, effective September 1, 2018. 
• Rev. Susan Stull Carr has been called as interim pastor at Trinity UCC in Brookfield, effective September 1, 2018.
• Rev. William Rishel has been called as interim pastor at St. Paul's UCC in Malone, effective September 1, 2018.  
• Rev. Stephen Davidson has been called as interim pastor at St. Paul's UCC in Oshkosh, effective September 3, 2018.  
• Rev. Kathryn Rust has been called as interim pastor at Williams Bay Congregational in Williams Bay, effective September 4, 2018.

Installations and Ordinations

• Rev. Topher Mehlhoff was installed at First Congregational UCC in Rhinelander on September 8, 2018.

• Redeemer UCC in Sussex marked their 50th Anniversary on September 9, 2019. Congratulations!

• Rev. Deborah Tyler serves Community UCC in Elkhart Lake; a different pastor was incorrectly listed at this church in the last Wisconsin Conference Life. We regret the error.

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.