Associate Conference Minister Michael Jones will leave his post at the end of January to become senior pastor of First United Church of Oak Park, Illinois. Conference Minister Franz Rigert announced the news in an email to the Conference. “Michael has served us faithfully, diligently, and joyfully,” Franz wrote. “Over the past three years he has endeared himself to the Conference staff and to pastors and lay leaders across the Northern Region.” For the past eight months, Michael also has served as part-time pastor of Plymouth UCC in Eau Claire. A search for the next Northern Region ACM will begin immediately.

With the end of 2025 less than six weeks away, please help our finance office by submitting payments in a timely manner. Among them are OCWM Wisconsin Impact, formerly known as Basic Support, special mission offerings, and association dues. The deadlines:

• Individual year-end gifts. Contributions are deductible in the year made. Checks must be made out with a 2025 date and be postmarked by Dec. 31 for credit in 2025.
• Churches’ year-end gifts. These must arrive no later than Jan. 9. Please mark your gift as intended for 2025 by including a 2025 remittance form or by clearly identifying what you are remitting for 2025. Access the remittance form. 



Please send payments to Wisconsin Conference UCC, W1000 Spring Grove Road, Ripon, WI 54971.

Mark your calendars now for 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, when St. Peter’s UCC in Kiel will host the choirs of four UCC churches for the annual Sing Joy holiday concert. In addition to the choir from St. Peter’s, participating choirs will come from Bethlehem in Kiel and First Congregational and Salem in Plymouth. There is no charge to attend the concert, but a freewill offering will be donated to the Wisconsin Conference. St. Peter’s is at 424 Fremont St. in Kiel.

If you’re a high school student or college-age adult, make plans today to attend the Winter Soulstice Retreat, planned for Jan. 16-18 at Daycholah Center. Winter Soulstice provides space for participants to experience faith in community and to grapple with how to live out our faith in the world. Wisconsin Conference favorite Andra Moran will provide the music. An early-bird rate is available through Dec. 12. If you need financial help to attend, email Lisa Hart, associate conference minister for faith formation and justice ministries.



Register for the 2026 Winter Soulstice retreat.

The Revs. Tara Barber and Anissa Glaser-Bacon of the UCC’s ministerial support team will offer boundary training in January specifically for ministers serving in specialized settings. Specialized ministries require particular attention to boundaries within the ministry setting and home church that are challenging and different from those observed by ministers serving as local church pastors. This training, scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, will provide opportunities for ministers to reflect on best practices and personal growth. Register today.

Just in time for Advent, the Damascus Project has released a set of worship resources specially designed for small town and rural churches that rely on lay leaders to plan and preside at worship and share preaching responsibilities…. The deadline to submit workshop proposals for the 2026 Conference Annual Meeting is Nov. 30. Learn more and submit your proposal. . . . “Hope, Fears, and Realities: Religious Leadership and AI” is the theme of the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference of Churches, to take place Tuesday, Dec. 9, at First Congregational UCC in Appleton. . . . Dec. 15 is the deadline for all authorized ministers to complete the Annual Information Review form. . . . There’s still time to sign up for the Wisconsin Conference Civil Rights Tour scheduled for Feb. 1-6. Learn more and claim your spot today.

• Conference website homepage
• Online event calendar
• Facebook page

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