Momentum is building across Wisconsin for Palm Sunday Path actions. In Madison, for instance, hundreds of Christians are expected to gather from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, for a public liturgy at the state Capitol. The gathering will include prayer, song, anointing and a peaceful walk around the Capitol to proclaim the way of Jesus: Heal the sick. Feed the hungry. Welcome the stranger. Similar events are planned across the state. The Path is a movement of church leaders who have decided that this is the time for Christians to stand up to rising authoritarianism and Christian nationalism, Thousands of Christians are expected at Palm Sunday marches across the country.



Find your local Palm Sunday Path gathering.

With Annual Meeting 2026 just three weeks away, we know you’re eager to receive the worship materials you can use if your pastor is going to be away on Sunday, April 12. Not to worry: We expect them to be available any day. The materials are intended to make it easy for pastors to be gone but can be used on a different occasion. In the meantime, make sure your congregation is represented at Annual Meeting by getting your delegates and visitors registered today. And don’t forget about the one-day Intensive Workshop, “Rooted and Reaching: Connecting Within and Beyond the Local Church,” set for Thursday, April 9, at Daycholah Center. Annual Meeting will take place April 10-11 at Green Lake Conference Center.



Register for the Thursday Intensive Workshop.

Register today for Annual Meeting 2026.

Reserve your room and meals at Green Lake Conference Center.

Join the Wisconsin Conference Palestine Justice Working Group from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, for a “Listening to the Heart” discussion with Elana and Bassam, two individuals who are experiencing the day-to-day realities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Elana will share her story of befriending Palestinians and then losing her soldier son. Bassam will discuss his experience of going to prison as a child and later losing his 10-year-old daughter. The discussion will take place on Zoom.



Register for the March 19 event.

Download the flyer.

Generosity is a response to God’s gift of life: God the Giver has blessed us with an abundance of resources and opportunities to share those gifts with others. But how well do we explain why we give within our congregations? In this webinar, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, the Revs. Kent Siladi and Wendy Vander Hart will explore the power of discovering and articulating our “why,” and how it connects to developing a compelling case statement for giving in our congregations—an essential step toward strengthening the culture of generosity in the church.



Sign up for “Understanding Your Why.”

The fourth annual UCC Earth Summit will take place at noon on Saturday, April 25, by Zoom. Keynoter will be the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Samuel, a highly regarded justice advocate and pastor of Victory for the World Church in Decatur, Georgia. The 2 1/2- hour event also will include a panel discussion entitled “Power to the People: Energy Justice for an Equitable Future.” Among the panelists will be Shalanda Baker, who headed the Office of Energy Justice and Equity at the Department of Energy during the Biden Administration, and Chandra Farley, chief sustainability officer for the city of Atlanta. The summit will originate from First Congregational Church of Atlanta.



Register for the Earth Summit.

Registration is open for the 2026 Great Lakes Collaborative Retreat, scheduled for Aug. 23-25 at Five Oaks Retreat Center in Paris, Ontario. The event is expected to draw participants from the United Church of Canada and from UCC conferences in the Great Lakes Region. Theme of the retreat is “At Waters’ Edge: Sacred Relations.” Attendees will hear from Adrian Jacobs, senior leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Questions? Email Kathy Douglas of the United Church of Canada or Lisa Hart, associate conference minister for faith formation and justice ministries.



Learn more and register.

The Small Church Working Group will meet on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. today. Register to attend. . . . The next deadline to apply for a Catalyst Grant from the Wisconsin Conference is March 31. These grants are designed to help churches get innovative new ministries off the ground. Learn more about the Catalyst program. . . . April 1 is the deadline to sign up for “Youth Voices: Bold Faith,” the program that will take 10 Wisconsin Conference high schoolers to Washington this summer to learn the ins and outs of faith-based advocacy. To register, email Lisa Hart of the Conference staff. . . . Activist and author Sister Helen Prejean will speak at the 10 a.m. service on April 12 at Brookfield Congregational UCC. Watch the livestream of Sister Helen’s message.

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The Wisconsin Conference UCC is an Open and Affirming Conference, WISE for Mental Health Conference and an Immigrant Welcoming Conference.

Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ

W1000 Spring Grove Road, Ripon, WI 54971

mail@wcucc.org

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