The Rev. John Helt, a member of the Conference History Committee, helped coordinate the relocation of two key artifacts that occupied places of honor at the former Conference office at the Trost Center in DeForest: a bell and baptismal font from the former Friedens UCC in Milwaukee. The bell now sits outside the new Conference offices at Daycholah Center, and the font is housed at Middleton UCC. Here, John, a former Friedens pastor, celebrates the history behind these items.

The bell and baptismal font that for 30 years greeted visitors to the Trost Center in DeForest have found new homes.



The bell hung in the tower of Friedens Church in Milwaukee from 1906 until 1983. On Easter 1983, this bell and four companion bells at Friedens were rung with such Resurrection enthusiasm that mortar, brick and stone began to crumble, falling to the street below. Wooden framing inside the tower had rotted, and the bell tower and its soaring spire were held aloft only by several layers of brick.

The intersection of 13th Street and West Juneau Avenue was closed to traffic. A large crane moved the spire to the center of the intersection. The bell was also removed, and the shortened tower was capped off. The bell was kept in storage until the new Wisconsin Conference offices were completed 10 years later in DeForest. There, the bell welcomed guests to the Frederick R. Trost Center for the next 30 years. That property was sold in 2023, and the Conference headquarters relocated to the Spring Grove Lodge at Daycholah Center. The Friedens bell followed.

Read the whole story

Carla Myers has joined the staff of the Wisconsin Conference as office coordinator, succeeding Sue Taylor, who retired.

A resident of DeForest, Carla holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an associate’s degree in computer information systems from Madison College. She has worked in a variety of positions in the public and private sectors, managing databases and information systems, training others in workplace technology, and serving internal and external customers. Outside work, she is active in her church and volunteers with a number of community organizations.

“Carla brings a strong administrative skill set, great technical experience, and the spiritual gifts of compassion, gentleness, and abiding faith,” said Conference Minister Franz Rigert. “We feel fortunate to have found her and already blessed by her presence.”

Carla was drawn to the job, she said, by "the firsthand reports of a kind and supportive staff and the purpose of continuing God’s work with us." She is looking forward to learning about the Conference and the wider UCC.

As it happens, Carla and Sue are longtime friends and part of a tight-knit group that styles itself the Wacky Women of Waunakee. “She is fabulous,” Sue said of her friend.

You still have time to sign up for two exciting wintertime learning opportunities offered by the Damascus Project, the online educational ministry of the Minnesota and Wisconsin conferences.

Starting Jan. 11, “The Pandemic Pivot: What We Learned That Will Lead Us Forward,” part of the Damascus Leadership Skills track, will invite clergy and lay leaders to assess the best ways to lead in this moment. Instructor will be the Rev. Dr. Elena Larssen of the UCC’s Office of Philanthropy,Technology, Identity and Communication. Learn more and register.

Beginning Feb. 22, Associate Conference Minister Michael Jones will lead “UCC History and Polity,” a course designed for clergy and lay people on the Faith Foundations track. Register today.

Meanwhile, registration is now open for the spring cohort of "Exploring Implicit Bias." The class fulfills the anti-racism training requirement for authorized ministers.

Are you a high school or college student looking for a break from a busy schedule? Are you interested in exploring your faith – and having some fun at the same time? Check out the Winter Soulstice Retreat set for Jan. 26-28 at Daycholah Center in Green Lake.



An early-bird rate of $240 for each participant is available through Jan. 7. After that, the rate rises to $250. Registration closes on Jan. 12. Winter Soulstice is sponsored jointly by the Wisconsin Conference and United Church Camps Inc. Questions? Email Lisa Hart, associate conference minister for faith formation and justice ministries, or call her at 608-438-1571. Learn more and register.

The Conference finance office continues to wrap up 2023 business. If your congregation still has an outstanding gift due for 2023, please make sure it arrives at the Conference office no later than Jan. 9. Indicate that the payment is intended for 2023 by including a 2023 remittance form or by clearly identifying the amount you are submitting for 2023.

Please send payments to Wisconsin Conference UCC, W1000 Spring Grove Road, Ripon, WI 54971. Timely payments will help us manage the volume of payments that arrive in the final weeks of the year.

Questions? Email Finance Manager Tracy Hauge.

Faith formation leaders who work with children, teens and young adults have a new opportunity to sharpen their understanding of the New Testament, thanks to a pilot program to be offered this spring by Eden Theological Seminary.



“Contextualizing the New Testament” is the first offering in Eden’s Ministry Formation Cohorts program. The format allows participants to complete digital content on their own timetable while meeting four times online for a facilitated conversation. The content was created by the Rev. Dr. Raquel Lettsome, a professor of New Testament and womanist biblical interpretation at Eden. Click to learn more and to register.

Join the Immigration Justice Work Group

Are you concerned about the immigration crisis? Consider joining the Wisconsin Conference Immigration Justice Work Group, which works to stay informed on the issues and to support local congregations in their work with refugees and immigrants. The group holds an hourlong Zoom meeting on the second Tuesday of each month.

Time: 1 to 2 p.m.

Date: Jan. 9

Join the meeting

UCC climate webinar: Building momentum ahead of 2024 elections

Recent headlines have highlighted "waning enthusiasm" among voters who have helped propel environmental justice champions into office in the past. This webinar will explore what can be done to encourage those grounded in their values to vote and make a difference in 2024. Can’t make the scheduled time? Sign up anyway to receive a link to a recording of the webinar.

Time: Noon Central

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 10

Register now

Conversation with the Supportive Ministries Team

The Supportive Ministries Team will host an hourlong Zoom conversation with ministry colleagues from around the Wisconsin Conference to explore questions that can “Nurture the Soul of the Beloved Community

Time: Noon

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 7

Register now

Save the date

Feb. 6-7: LeaderWise Boundary Training Course (online)

June 7-8: Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting at Green Lake Conference Center.

July 17-20: 2024 Great Lakes and West Central Regional Youth Event at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. 

Each year, the national office of the UCC asks every congregation to provide annual church information online. Why is this information requested? Here are 12 important reasons.

The Data Hub will open at 11 a.m. on Jan. 4 and will be available through March 6.

To avoid potential delays, please be sure to enter your information as soon as possible. For instructions and helpful documents, click here. Please do not contact the National Setting. Deadline for reporting is March 6. 

The conference also requests church officer data. To submit, fill out this survey online. 

Thank you for providing this important information. Need more details? Check your snail mail -- each church was mailed a packet of information about Yearbook data for 2024. You can also email Nola Risse-Connolly for help.

Searching churches

• Emerald Grove UCC in Janesville is searching for a pastor. Details
• Interim ministry openings
• To see all searching churches, click here.

Wider church searches

• Current openings at the national United Church of Christ

New calls

• The Rev. Lex Liberatore has been called as pastor of First Congregational UCC in Platteville, effective Jan. 1.

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.