SAVE THE DATE
Northwest Association Annual Meeting,
Saturday, April 17
Zoom 9:30 - noon
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Daylight Savings time begins March 14th
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Wisconsin Primary Election
Tuesday, February 16
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Join one of the churches in the NW Association in virtual worship
(please help us update this list)
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Join us for Immigration Justice Reset
Feb 16, March 16, April 20
Sponsored by the WCUCC Immigration Working Group
What does President Biden's ambitious and progressive immigration policy agenda mean for immigrants and their allies? How can you and your congregation get involved? To learn more, join the Immigration Working Group for "Immigration Justice Reset", a three-part Zoom workshop series that will explore what immigration policy (and reality) may look like in 2021 nationally, on the border, and in Wisconsin. The series will begin on February 16 with a conversation featuring Noel Andersen, the UCC & CWS Grassroots Coordinator for Immigrants' Rights, the Rev. Randy Mayer of Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, Arizona, Katie Adams, Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues in the UCC's Washington, D.C. office, attorney Linda Zuba, and representatives from Al Otro Lado (https://alotrolado.org/) who will talk about the work they are doing with family reunification. Workshops will be held on February 16, March 16, and April 20 (all Tuesdays) from 6:30-8pm.
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Immigration Working Group (IWG) introduced the 2017 Wisconsin Conference Resolution inviting our churches to become “Immigrant Welcoming” so that we might be inspired to practice the Old Testament mandate to welcome the stranger as well as follow Jesus who went out and healed the most desperate people of his time. Everyone is invited to our monthly zoom meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 1pm. Contact Lisa Hart to be added to our email list. To find out more about our work, check out our webpage and please join us for our upcoming workshops.
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Greetings in the light and love of Christ,
Earlier today I came across that little gem of a passage in Philippians where Paul writes, “Be not anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Honestly, my reaction today was, “Ok, Paul, for starters how about we try not to be anxious about everything, and then work toward not being anxious about anything!” These are very challenging times, as the level of pandemic fatigue mounts. Stresses. Fears. Isolation. Impatience. There is a cumulative factor now as we mark a full year of the pandemic and, sadly, soon-to-be a half million deaths in the United States. So many have suffered grief, illness and economic devastation.
Yet, I’m mindful that the second half of this passage (Philippians 4:6-7) brings comfort and reassurance . . . “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So, let’s be gentle to each other and kind to ourselves. Let’s give our worries over to God, best we can. Let’s fixate our eyes not on the despair of today but the promise of tomorrow, and our energy not on the angst within but on the love we can so freely share.
Below, I offer a few updated guidelines and resources that may be helpful to you as we move into the season of Lent and the anticipation of springtime:
1. COVID Guidelines
The Wisconsin Council of Churches (WCC) has issued a guiding document called COVID Returning to Church as well as an accompanying webinar. We are deeply grateful for the work of WCC Executive Director, the Rev. Kerri Parker. We also encourage you to continue paying attention to the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov. Over time, as vaccinations increase we expect the number of coronavirus cases to continue to decrease. As we move into the spring season, there will be further guidelines as to when we believe it is safe to begin re-gathering in larger numbers. At that point, congregations will need to pay careful attention to health and worship protocols and exercise caution in terms of any changes in the trajectory of COVID cases.
Remember, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services continues to urge all people to HELP STOP THE SPREAD:
- Stay home when you can
- Wear a mask whenever you are indoors (other than home)
- Keep 6 feet apart
- Wash your hands regularly
2. Vaccinations
3. Lent Worship Service
Here is a full Sunday worship service provided by members of the Conference Ministerial Staff. The music features a band called Karma’s Mailbox. The scripture passage and worship theme are about healing, and it is designed to be used any Sunday during the season of Lent.
4. Video on COVID dynamics in the Church
Five Active Dynamics Every Church Must Address is an insightful video from Mark Tidsworth, Pinnacle Leadership Associates. Mark has been an exceptional consultant for the Wisconsin Conference over several years. In this 15-minute video Mark addresses 5 effects COVID-19 has on congregational life: Longing, Fear, Grief, Adaptation, and Vitality. This is a wonderful conversation starter for small groups, Church Councils, Staff Teams, or larger virtual gatherings.
I pray that you will stay warm and well during this cold snap, and may the God of every blessing and all grace be with you!
Shalom,
Franz
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40-Day Lenten Practice: Strengthening Emotional Stamina to Counter White Fragility
Presented by the Damascus Project
Registration ends Feb 12, 2021
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Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Christianity: Sharing our faith stories to increase understanding and respect,
Offered by the Wisconsin Conference UCC Christian Education/Faith Formation Commission and Lakeland University’s Ulrich Center for Faith, Ethics and Justice.
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Generosity Learning Opportunities
are available for those interested in building stronger annual pledge campaigns in your congregations.
With 22 years as a local church pastor and a history of success connecting people’s passions with generative opportunities and initiatives, Rev. Andrew Warner shares best practices and a wealth of experience with workshop participants. Check out the webinars!
Also, sign up for the Generosity Forward e-newsletter HERE to learn about new ideas, best practices, and training opportunities around congregational fundraising.
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SAVE THE DATE
Northwest Association
Annual Meeting
Saturday, April 17
Zoom 9:30 - noon
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One Great Hour of Sharing Offering By Terry Dukerschein, Ladysmith UCC
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The United Church of Christ’s One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering (OGHS) provides aid for victims of disasters and refugees worldwide. We have all been affected adversely by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Poor people with limited job flexibility, cramped living quarters and less access to medical care have been affected even more. The most vivid analogy I heard from one of my friends at church, Kim Rogers, is that deaths related to COVID 19 in the US in late fall and winter have been comparable in daily numbers to 6 full Jumbo jets crashing each day. Economic damage due to effects of COVID-19 is also huge, hard to even estimate at this point in time. For example, already vulnerable Spanish-speakers (due to immigration status and low wages) face greater hardship in the St. Louis, Missouri area. They have been unable to apply for government relief funds. Contributions from UCC Disaster Recovery and Response and the ecumenically supported organization Refugio have been assisting families who lost their jobs, dealt with illness, or lost their housing. This included help with food, clothing, housing, car and utility payments.
Record numbers of severe storm events that scientists attribute to effects of weather and climate change also created an unprecedented need for disaster relief nationwide and worldwide. In Wisconsin and surrounding Midwestern states, we had flooding, high winds, and hail cause damage from multiple powerful storm systems. For example, golf-ball sized hail in May created about $80,000 of damage to buildings on our farm in 6 minutes. Fortunately, we have good insurance, but poor people do not.
Out West drought was the climate problem, and wildfires raged over larger areas for longer times than past wildfires ever have. Oregon wildfires in 2020 were among the most destructive on record. At least 11 people died and 40,000 were evacuated. More than a million acres burned and thousands of homes were destroyed. UCC Disaster Response and Recovery was able to grant $20,000 To the Central Pacific Conference, UCC and to leverage additional aid to victims via 3 more organizations. Wildfire smoke also traumatized people in Oregon and most Western states. For example, poor air quality forced many, including our children and grandchildren near Denver and San Francisco, to stay inside their homes for weeks except for very brief essential errands outside. We in Wisconsin experienced social isolation due to taking precautions related to COVID-19, but at least we could relieve our isolation by meeting up with close friends and trusted family members for socially distanced worship, gatherings, hiking, biking, fishing, and camping outside. They could not for 2 months or more.
Effects of climate change and COVID-19 continue into 2021, and your contributions to the March 21 OGHS offering will replenish funds used in 2020 and be effectively and efficiently used to help victims of COVID-19 and victims of weather and climate-related disasters in our nation and worldwide in 2021. Please give generously.
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OUR CHURCH’S WIDER MISSION IN A WORLD IN FLUX |
When I think of the purpose behind Our Church’s Wider Mission, I can’t help think of my conversion experience. Oh, yes, UCCers can have conversion stories. I came from a scientifically orientated family, so after 3 years of questioning brought on by campus life and my most fervent prayers not being answered, I decided to turn my back on God and concentrate on other things. I was particularly contemptuous of songs about “God’s loving arms.” But little by little God turned me right around until one day, I felt God coming in at me from all sides, opening my eyes to all the little miracles occurring all around me despite steep odds. In that moment I felt surrounded by God’s care. That’s when I knew what those songs meant about “God’s loving arms.”
The things that the Wisconsin Conference, which receives 75 % of our gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission, has done for us in the face of the Covid and climate crises has left a powerful impact on me because it reminds me of that conversion experience. Why? Because of the ways the WI Conference has tried to shield our churches and help them survive the worst effects of Covid 19. Every possible direction that Covid could impact us was carefully worked out, starting with early warnings, guidelines to protect us, grants to afford the technology needed to achieve worship and fellowship needs, help reorienting ourselves to the technology, as well as dealing with loss and grief and changes in the people around us. To top it off, our Conference gave practical advice on the ins-and-outs of keeping up finances, finding the most affordable grants and loans, gave pastors a chance for respite with on line worship services, that were not cookie-cutter but could be shaped into the needs and personality of many different types of churches. The ultimate effect to me was honest, uplifting love and care coming in from all sides no matter who we are. What better way to show that the Church does care in a way that reminds me of the open arms of God. That’s what makes me give to OCWM. How about you?
But our personal world up close is not the only one that needs to be held together. We are tucked into a womb that is bigger than Covid and very fragile. Our gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission helps the Conference and national offices reach out to protect that womb so it doesn’t eject us. That womb is what we call “the environment.” We are surrounded by all we need to survive, earth to stand on, air to breathe, atmosphere that protects us and brings us rain for the food we eat. God gave us the responsibility to take care of it—to be co-managers with God and, in doing so, make alliance with people who are different from us, who suffer when there is poor management. Co-managers with God! When you think of it, what an honor! If we wound it or poison it, our world will shift and shake and flood and get too warm and we’re stuck inside it. Already last year had a record number of billion dollar climate disasters. The Conference’s Creation Cares Team is providing us with concrete opportunities to lower our carbon footprint and other damage we do to our environment before we get stuck in an earthly home too dangerous to live in and that can happen in less than 10 years. In addition Wisconsin Conference Creation Care Grants of $9585 were awarded to 10 churches for practical solutions--solar panels, environmentally beneficial planting, replacing carbon based fuel guzzlers with energy efficient equipment, LED lighting, reducing the use of plastics by offering reduced cost renewable options.
Help protect us from a world in flux with a 2021 gift to Our Church’s Wider Mission.
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