“Transformation: Changing from Glory into Glory” will be the theme of the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, scheduled for June 6-7 at Green Lake Conference Center. The theme draws on 2 Corinthians 5:17, in which St. Paul writes: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” The theme also acknowledges an anticipated change in the structure of the Conference itself: the dissolution of our current associations and the emergence of a network of ministry “hubs” across the state that advance the work of the Conference.

“In the whirlwind of changing times, God’s love remains constant though never stagnant,” Conference Minister Franz Rigert said in explaining the choice of theme. “The Holy Spirit is transforming the Church, and we are agents of this movement. In Christ, we are emerging into a new glory of liberating and loving, uniting and collaborating, and generously sharing our ministry resources.”

Registration for Annual Meeting 2025 is expected to open Feb. 24. Here are some of the highlights you can expect:

Keynoter will be the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. A theologian and writer, she is the first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as leader of the denomination.

Preacher at the closing worship on Saturday afternoon will be the Rev. Jen Patricca Bloesch, pastor of Community of Hope UCC in Madison. Annual Meeting will conclude after worship.

Saturday-evening options will be dinner at Green Lake Conference Center or a cocktail-and-appetizer reception at nearby Daycholah Center.

Wellness time will be built into the meeting schedule. Among the options will be nature walks and yoga.

Online registration will be available for attendees looking to book their stays at Green Lake Conference Center.



“So, We Did This Thing,” a one-day intensive workshop, will precede Annual Meeting. The workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 5 at Daycholah Center. The Rev. Laura Wright will facilitate a series of presentations by ministry leaders whose work has evolved with our changing church.

Is your congregation on the smallish side? If you are a member, lay leader or pastor of a church with typical worship attendance of 30 or fewer, consider joining the Small Church Working Group, which formed last fall to provide a forum for discussion of the unique challenges and rewards of small-church ministries. Among the facilitators of the group is the Rev. Beth Voigt, the three-quarter-time pastor of First Congregational UCC in Tomah. It’s the smallest church she has served.

Small congregations “tend to be resilient (and) go with the flow,” Beth said. “This is a congregation where we have no young people but a wealth of institutional knowledge. They really don’t sweat the small stuff. They also are incredibly welcoming. They don’t care if you sit in their pew. If anyone new comes, they overwhelm them.” Her congregation’s outreach includes support for a community meal program, shelter and local Pride efforts.

The congregation’s challenges include a constitution, bylaws and committee structure created for a much larger congregation, plus a tendency to leave basic administrative tasks in the hands of one person. The recent retirement of a longtime office manager, for example, meant “no one else knows how to do anything,” Beth said. “I think that happens in a lot of small churches.”

It takes savvy to lead a small congregation. “We often see these small churches as starting places,” she said. “But you need good mentorship and coaching to understand them. And these congregations don’t want to be a steppingstone.”



The Small Church Working Group meets by Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 25. Join the conversation.

The Wisconsin Conference Immigration Working Group will host a virtual conversation from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 27 about how people of faith can respond to the current immigration crisis. Facilitators will be the Rev. Breanna Illéné, director of ecumenical innovation and justice initiatives for the Wisconsin Council of Churches, and the Rev. Noel Andersen, the UCC’s minister for immigration justice. 



Register today.

If your congregation is studying the issue of a just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, check out the virtual conversation scheduled for noon on Saturday, Feb. 22 with Usama Nicola, a Palestinian activist, who will discuss what life is like where he lives in the West Bank.

If 30 percent of Wisconsin Conference congregations engage the issue of a just peace in the Middle East, the 2025 Conference Annual Meeting will vote whether to adopt the Declaration for a Just Peace Between Israel and Palestine adopted at the UCC’s 2021 General Synod. If your congregation already has studied the issue, please let us know by completing this brief form.

Learn more and register for the conversation with Usama.

The Conference Creation Care Team will host a gathering of Creation Caregivers from eastern Wisconsin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 15 at Pilgrim UCC in Fond du Lac. The event comes nearly five years after the 2020 Annual Meeting at which the Conference adopted the decade-long Kairos Call to Action. Since then, the Conference Creation Care Team has provided resources for climate action through the Kairos Newsletter, helping connect people across the Conference and encouraging collective action in the public sphere.

The March event is designed to provide feedback to the Creation Care team about the effectiveness of its efforts and to generate ideas for the next five years. It will build on the work done at a similar regional event held last fall in northwest Wisconsin. Attendance is free.



Register today.

Palestine Justice Working Group

The Wisconsin Conference work group educates UCC members about the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations and advocates for justice for all Palestinians. The group meets by Zoom on the fourth Monday of each month. Meetings are open to all.  

Time: 7 p.m.

Date: Feb. 24

Register now

Dreaming God’s Dream: Planning for Year-round Stewardship

An introduction to the Stewardship Theme Materials for 2025 with an overview on how churches of all sizes can use them to promote stewardship throughout the year. This webinar focuses on practical steps to move from a brief annual campaign to a year-round plan that continually engages and inspires.

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Date: Feb. 26

Register now

Supportive Ministries conversation

The Supportive Ministries Team offers two opportunities each month to join a discussion of topics raised in its monthly Becoming the Beloved Community newsletter. The next conversations will take place by Zoom at noon and 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 6. Subscribe to the newsletter.

Register here for the noon discussion

Register here for the evening discussion

Morning prayer and reflection

Join the Rev. Teri Hanson and one of our associate conference ministers for a time of prayer and reflection at 8:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month. It’s a good opportunity to start the month with 20 minutes or so of centering yourself in the Holiness of God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. All are welcome.

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Date: March 6

Join in here

Beyond Robert’s Rules: Best Practices for Church Governance

Join Associate Conference Minister Rachel Bauman and Andrew Warner, president of the Wisconsin Foundation UCC, for a conversation about good governance for local congregations. We’ll look at best practices for the roles of boards and pastors and financial controls and ways to make your meetings more effective.

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Date: March 26

Register 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