General Synod (GS), the national meeting of the UCC, will be held in Milwaukee June 21-25. This is the first time it has been held in Wisconsin! And we're making it easier for you to attend!

 

There are a number of different ways for you and your church members to participate:

 

Free Events on Sunday

On Sunday, June 23, there will be a number of free, open to the public events at GS:

Buses are being chartered to enable members and friends to get to Milwaukee for the public worship service on Sunday afternoon, June 23 (the cost of these buses is being supported by the Southwest Association):

 

Columbus. Olivet UCC Columbus, and First UCC, Sauk City, are jointly sponsoring a bus that will leave from Columbus. The cost is $15. Contact Rev. Ruth Wagner Bradshaw to reserve your spot ( [email protected] or (920) 623-5140).

Madison/Middleton. A bus will be leaving from Middleton Community UCC at noon and will return in the evening. The cost is $15. Contact Rev. Jim Iliff to reserve your spot ( [email protected] or (608) 215-8924).

Monroe. A bus will be leaving from St. John's UCC, Monroe, at 10 am. Additional stops may be scheduled, depending on sign-ups. The cost will be $25 (but may increase, if multiple stops are required). It will depart approximately 10:00 a.m. (again depending on our route) and return sometime in the evening. Contact them at [email protected] or (608) 325-2165.

Platteville/Verona. A bus will be leaving First Congregational UCC, Platteville, at 11 am and stopping in Verona at Salem UCC at noon. According to Rev. Zayna Thomley, the bus costs "$15 to $25, whatever you want to pay." Contact Zayna to reserve your spot ( [email protected] or (608) 348-6578).

 

Attend

GS begins on Friday afternoon, June 21, and will continue until Tuesday evening, June 26. Here's the GS website: https://www.synod2019.org/en/uccsynod2019

 

For those who have never attended GS, here's a helpful orientation video:

https://www.synod2019.org/en/uccsynod2019/about

 

Keynote speaker Saturday morning will be Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City . The true story takes place in Milwaukee and chronicles our broken housing system. Evicted was the "Go Big Read" at UW-Madison and wider community in 2016-17; many of our church members took part. It is also the Synod Big Read. Desmond is a former faculty member and graduate student at the UW-Madison. A study guide is available at wcucc.org/allchurchread .  

 

Preachers include the Rev. Kaji Spellman Dousa, senior minister of Park Avenue Christian Church New York City, and contributor to the StillSpeaking Daily Devotional; the Rev. Traci Blackmon, the UCC associate general minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries; the Rev. Sharon Lee MacArthur, acting pastor of Berkeley (CA) Chinese Community UCC; and the Rev. Amy Butler, senior pastor of The Riverside Church, New York City.

 

Scholarship money is available to assist with the cost of registration. Please contact Rev. Joanne Thomson to apply ( [email protected] or (608) 846-7880).

 

Volunteer

There are a variety of volunteers needed to work as parking and hotel lobby attendants, distribute hospitality gifts, assist with special events, etc. Volunteers register for Synod at a much-reduced rate of $60 and then have access to all events during the entire five-day meeting.

 

Click on this link to volunteer: wcucc.org/synodvolunteer.

 

Please share this information with your congregations

and encourage them to attend!