Wisconsin Conference Life Newsletter
June 1, 2022
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Spring grants fuel four congregational projects, Creation Care work |
Four congregations and the Wisconsin Conference Creation Care Team have been awarded funding by the Conference’s Catalyst Grant program. The projects:
- Neillsville UCC received $1,500 to support a community feeding program that provides one meal a month to residents dealing with food insecurity.
- Prescott UCC was awarded $5,000 for Building an All-Inclusive Community, which strives to educate residents about systemic racism and build a culture of inclusion.
- St. John’s UCC in Merton received $3,000 for the Western Waukesha County Resettlement Project, a collaboration of six UCC congregations working with Lutheran Social Services.
- Olivet Congregational UCC in Columbus received $4,000 for Loving Lunches, which during the summer provides food to children who receive free lunches during the school year. The project is an interdenominational collaboration.
- The Conference Creation Care Team was awarded $5,000 that the team will use to fund projects at the congregational level.
Catalyst Grants are awarded twice a year to encourage innovative ministries that change lives in the wider community. Projects that align with the Conference’s core initiatives in the areas of racial justice and care for creation are encouraged to apply. The deadline for the next round of Catalyst Grants is Sept. 30.
For more information about Catalyst Grants, email Mary Kuenning Gross, grants and scholarship coordinator for the Wisconsin Conference. And watch Wisconsin Conference Life to learn more about the recently funded projects.
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In this issue: Scroll down to find these articles |
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Register now for ‘Grace and Gigabytes’ discussion series |
The Damascus Project will host a series of virtual discussions about “Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture,” by Madison author Ryan Panzer. The book examines opportunities for the church in a culture being shaped by technologies like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
The group will gather weekly by Zoom at noon on Tuesdays June 14, 21 and 28 and July 12 and 19. On July 26, the group will participate in a live virtual discussion with the author from noon to 1:30 p.m. Cost to participate in the discussion group is $15. Register here. The book is available at a 30 percent discount at the Fortress Press website. Use discount code PANZER30.
Panzer has spent his career in the worlds of church leadership and technology. He earned a master of arts from Luther Seminary while simultaneously working for Google. He works as a learning and leadership development professional in the technology industry, as a speaker and writer on digital technology in the church, and as a lay leader at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Madison, where lives with his wife and two children. For more, visit ryanpanzer.com.
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Pastor, author Mitri Raheb to speak in Madison |
The Rev. Mitri Raheb, author of “The Politics of Persecution: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire,” will speak about the book at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3, at Midvale Community Lutheran Church in Madison. A book-signing will follow Raheb’s talk. To attend, register here or at the door.
Raheb is founder and president of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and is the former senior pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The university receives support from Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a U.S. nonprofit and partner organization of the Wisconsin Conference.
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Celebrating the Lay Academy, embracing the Damascus Project: What’s next? |
This year’s Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting will include a celebration of the 26 years during which the Lay Academy transformed and equipped the saints of the Wisconsin Conference. Wisconsin Conference Life is taking a look back at this beloved program, whose success has shaped the Damascus Project and enabled us to transition from in-person to online delivery of the curriculum and the sense of community that helped make the Lay Academy so special. In this essay, the Rev. Dr. Tisha Brown, director of the Damascus Project, reflects on how the DNA of the Lay Academy will inform and guide the new online learning platform. |
I hope you have appreciated this opportunity to look back on the transforming and equipping work of the Lay Academy. This ministry of learning, faith growth and leadership development has touched hundreds of lives and affected individuals, congregations and our Conference in immeasurable ways.
Our final reflection on the history of the Lay Academy is an opportunity to shift our gaze to the Damascus Project and consider how the Wisconsin Conference’s decades-long commitment to transforming and equipping the laity and its mission to support, resource and connect congregations and clergy is finding fresh expression in the Damascus Project. This transition reflects an understanding among Wisconsin and Minnesota Conference leaders that an increasingly digital culture demands a different way of doing ministry and being the body of Christ. If we are to remain in conversation with our culture, our willingness to embrace the best of what technology offers is our most important resource.
The first and most important thing to note is that the Lay Academy’s capacity to transform and equip the saints of God for ministries of all kinds is being deepened, broadened and expanded by the opportunities online learning platforms offer for connection, collaboration and creativity.
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Discerning and Deciding: Bold Climate Action
Do you wonder how best to use our time and energy in pursuing policies to combat climate change? That’s the question at issue in an upcoming webinar offered by the national setting of the UCC. The webinar, “Discerning and Deciding: Bold Climate Action,” will feature three leaders in the climate movement: Keya Chatterjee of the U.S. Climate Action Network, Miranda Ehrlich from the Sierra Club, and Jean Su from the Center for Biological Diversity. Can’t attend in person? Sign up anyway, and you’ll receive a recording of the event.
Time: Noon Central
Date: June 8
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Attending Annual Meeting? |
Deadline to purchase meal tickets is June 1
Tickets for meals during the Annual Meeting need to be purchased directly from the Green Lake Conference Center. If you haven’t already, please call the Conference Center directly at 920-294-3323 and say you’re with the Wisconsin Conference UCC. Because of supply chain issues, no meal tickets will be sold after today, June 1, or during the meeting.
Help build a communal altar
Is there an object that embodies your congregation’s welcoming, inclusive, supportive and engaging ministries since the last time we gathered in person? Maybe a special chalice or prayer shawl? Or how about a piece of artwork or a photograph that captures your congregation’s work over the past two years? Whatever you choose, bring it to the Annual Meeting, where attendees from each congregation will use these items to build a communal altar during the Opening Litany on Friday, June 10. The items will be returned on Saturday, June 11.
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Donate to Strengthen the Church, build the body of Christ |
On Pentecost Sunday, the “birthday” of the church, most congregations will receive the Strengthen the Church Offering, which reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to cooperatively build up the UCC. Conferences and the national setting share equally in the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. The funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. By your generosity to this offering, you build up the body of Christ.
As God calls our congregations to be the church in new ways, your generosity will plant new churches, awaken new ideas in existing churches and develop the spiritual life in our youth and young adults. Download materials for this offering here.
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Make plans now for OWL training |
Clergy and lay leaders who plan to offer an Our Whole Lives program in their congregations are invited to three days of facilitation training from Aug. 26 to 28 at the Daycholah Center in Green Lake. Our Whole Lives, or OWL, is a comprehensive human sexuality curriculum for elementary-age children through older adults, developed by the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association. The August training is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin and Minnesota conferences, in partnership with the national setting of the UCC.
Cost is $375 for a shared double-occupancy room, meals and training for UCC participants and $450 for non-UCC participants. A limited number of private rooms are available for $475 for UCC participants and $550 for non-UCC participants. Commuter rate (meals and snacks included) is $275 for UCC participants/$350 for non-UCC participants.
Facilitator training will be offered at the elementary, youth and adult levels. Each participant may participate in training for just one age level, so consider sending a team to be trained to start or expand the OWL program in your church.
Questions? Contact Lisa Hart, associate conference minister for faith formation and justice ministries.
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A New Turn: Hybrid Faith Formation |
Join the Association of United Church Educators for a virtual conference on hybrid faith formation. Click here to learn more about the workshops and program.
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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
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Searching churches
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First Congregational UCC in Lake Mills is searching for a pastor. Details
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To see all searching churches, click here.
Installations and ordinations
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Rev. Julia Burkey was installed at Orchard Ridge UCC in Madison on May 22.
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.
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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.
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Tending 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.
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Ignite Your Fire, Feed Your Soul,
Build Your Faith... In Nature's Sanctuary
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Note: The Parish Paper will end after the June 2022 issue.
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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
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