NORTHWEST WORD NOVEMBER 2022

Milestones

Teri Hansen Ordination

      Therance (Teri) A. Hansen will be ordained to the Christian Ministry on Sunday, November 13. The service will take place at First United Church of Christ in Colby, Wisconsin, located at 111 South Second Street. The Reverend Rob MacDougall will preach for the occasion, and the Reverend Donald Bouman will administer the rite of ordination.

      Light refreshments will be served following the service. Clergy are asked to bring vestments and red stoles to process and are asked to arrive a half-hour before the service.

      Teri Hanson has served as the Licensed Pastor of First UCC in Colby and Christ UCC in Athens since 2013. She worked with the Division on Church and Ministry to create an alternative path to ordination. She came to the Athens and Colby churches with a background in the Lay School of Ministry in the Northwest Wisconsin Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Added to his was further education at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota. Earlier, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with a major in Political Science.

     At her Ecclesiastical Council on October 7, clergy and churches from seven Northwest Association congregations unanimously approved the Church and Ministry Division’s recommendation to ordain her to Christian Ministry.

      Her husband Kevin owns and operates funeral homes in Colby, Abbotsford, and Owen. Their daughter Tabitha is a music student at Penn State University.

MacDougall, Hansen, and Myers standing in front of the alter at Athens UCC

Forty people from seven Northwest Wisconsin Association churches gathered at Christ United ChurchTeri Hansen’s Ecclesiastical Council. Pictured left to right are Rev. Rob MacDougall, Associate Conference Minister, Hansen, and Rev. Chris Myers, who chairs the Church and Ministry Committee.

A smiling woman wearing glasses, Dana Caldwell

Rev. Dana Caldwell

   The Reverend Dana Caldwell began serving as Pastor of Amery Christ United Church on November 1. Ordained in 2020, Rev. Caldwell comes to Amery after several years of work as a Hospital Chaplain. The Northwest Association welcomes Caldwell to its common life. 

News about an installation service will be announced in coming

weeks.

Save the Date - MacDougall


A celebration of Dr. Rev Rob MacDougall's service to the Northwest Association and retirement will be held Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Frist Congregational UCC, 420 Wilson Ave, Menomonie, WI.

Details will follow as known.

Peace UCC Dorchester


Peace United Church of Christ in Dorchester celebrated its last service of worship on Sunday, October 7. 

Pictured left to right are Patti Steevens, a licensed pastor who organized the service, Kurt Rankl, an active lay leader of the congregation, and Rev. Doris Ruben, who served as the congregation’s pastor for eight years before retiring at the beginning of August.

Three smiling people, two women wearing stoles, one man
2 smiling men in suits, two girls in white dresses and flowered headbands


Dear friends in Christ, 


The Northwest ACM Search Team and I are thrilled to share the news that the Rev. Michael Jones has been called to join the staff of the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ. Michael will begin work as associate conference minister for the Northwest Association on Jan. 23. He currently serves as pastor of St. John UCC in Arlington Heights, Illinois. 


Many thanks to search team members Erin Webster, Betsy Miller-Ruben, Teri Hansen, Don Bauman and Phil Milam. The team interviewed five candidates over Zoom and subsequently invited three finalists to Eau Claire for in-person interviews. All the candidates were highly qualified. Our discernment was guided by the Holy Spirit and by prayer, and Michael emerged as the unanimous choice because of his strong relational gifts, significant experience in Church and Ministry leadership and conflict resolution, and pastoral qualities of listening, bridge building, theological anchoring and vision setting. 


Michael (top left in photo) and his husband, Blake, and their two young daughters will move to Eau Claire in January. An Ohio native, Michael received a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Indiana University and a master of divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He previously served as a pastor in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Michael has chaired the Chicago Metropolitan Association Church and Ministry Team for five years and has worked in other association and Illinois Conference roles as well. In his free time, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, playing the piano, singing and studying history.


Please join me in welcoming Michael and his family to the Wisconsin Conference.


In faith,

 

Franz Rigert

Overwhelmed with Joy - background young girl and Christmas tree

The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross

and the Emergency Fund

“Overwhelmed with joy!” Matthew 2:10


Suggested offering date December 18, 2022

The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees.

United Church of Christ congregations and members have blessed the Christmas Fund with their generosity for many years. This year, your care and compassion will be especially appreciated by those servants of the church who are facing a time of need. Thank you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-v5dO7NP7s&t=3s (Please, copy and paste into your browser.)

Damascus Project


Damascus project is a shared ministry between the Minnesota and Wisconsin Conferences of the UCC. The Damascus Project exists to nurture vitality within the body of Christ by transforming the people of God through theological study and equipping them for effective leadership within their congregations and communities. We are a community of lifelong learners committed to walking together and participating in transformative conversations in the life of faith and leadership. We learn together so that we are better equipped to love each other, nurture the body of Christ and transform the world.

·      Visit our website at www.the-damascus-project.org to find out more about us.

·      Add your name to our email list so you can stay up to date.

·      Explore our course offerings for clergy, lay leaders and seekers.

·      Join the online community on the Damascus Project Network by creating a free account.

Virtual Leadership Forward Meeting

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm


Recognizing the importance of good leaders for our congregations and the opportunity to equip our leaders for creative ministry, the Wisconsin Conference is launching the Leadership Forward Campaign. This campaign will strengthen leaders through the Damascus Project, expand the Catalyst grants available to congregations, and care for clergy in every stage of their pastoral career. Join us for an opportunity for pastors and lay leaders to learn more about this campaign. Together, we can make a difference in strengthening the UCC in Wisconsin because Leadership Matters.


Registration at https://www.wcucc.org/event/virtual-leadership-forward-meeting-2/.

Other Resources



Pulpit Supply - Top link at https://www.wcucc.org/associations/northwest-association/

Association Webpage - https://www.wcucc.org/associations/northwest-association/

Association Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nwwaucc

Conference Webpage - www.wcucc.org