A Pastoral Letter on Clergy Renewal & Sabbath

Dear Ministerial Partners,

The last few years have been exhausting for our authorized ministers serving the local church and in specialized ministries. The pandemic changed how we serve our people and forced many to pivot quickly into new ways of doing ministry. At this point, it feels like we are on the other side of the peak of pandemic and yet the enervation remains. 

The Alliance of Associate Conference Ministers and the Council of Conference Ministers have witnessed the weariness experienced by our authorized ministers and have come together to offer a pastoral letter of care and concern for our colleagues. Grounded in the words from Matthew 14:23, the need for rest and renewal for our leaders who serve God’s people is uplifted. Also provided are resources for clergy and their congregational leaders to consider in making the space and time for clergy renewal. We pray our words allow your exhaustion to be seen and hope to empower you to claim the space for sabbath renewal.   

Blessings,

The Illinois Conference Ministry Leadership Team

The Respect for Marriage Act Signed into Law

The Respect for Marriage Act is now law. In a dangerous time, President Biden's signature yesterday was a sign of hope for LGBTQ families across America. The law protects the right to marry if the Supreme Court overturns or weakens its 2015 decision establishing marriage equality as a federal right. A reversal by the Court would allow dormant laws and constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage to go into effect in the 35 states that have adopted them. However, the law signed Tuesday will require those states to recognize marriages contracted in the 15 states (and the District of Columbia) where marriage equality would still be protected under state law. 

Many Open and Affirming congregations advocated for the Respect for Marriage Act, and played an outsized role in moving marriage equality laws forward in many states. We may need to rekindle this movement if lawsuits challenging our freedom to marry reach the Supreme Court.

On December 14, Diana Butler Bass published an article titled, "Protest, Pride, Pew, and Presidential Pen" reflecting on the role of Christian clergy, faith leaders, and churches in the movement for LGBTQ+ justice. Click the button below to read her poignant reflection.

Nollau Leadership Institute

The Nollau Leadership Institute is the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries' (CHHSM) signature program with more than 250 attendees in its 20+ years.

Grounded in the health and human service organizations of the United Church of Christ, this program offers a unique space in which to experience leadership formation. Each year, Nollau brings together a community of leaders committed to creating a just, caring, and compassionate world. Such values deepen during the program, as participants grow in their leadership skills from a place of belonging. Cultivating this connection between others, the world, and within themselves is the heart of the Nollau experience.

Through in-person retreats, online interactions, and peer mentoring, Nollau provides leadership formation through a variety of learning modalities and within a community of practice. Small group work, journaling, art, embodiment, and spiritual practices are all part of the program alongside the interactive didactic sessions. The program culminates with a capstone project and consecration as a Diakonal Minister at the CHHSM Annual Gathering.

Trinity Leadership Fellows

Trinity Church Wall Street, an Episcopal parish in New York City, invites you to apply to be a Trinity Leadership Fellow and join a diverse cohort of emerging leaders on a two-year journey of faith-inspired, values-driven, and community-oriented learning and mentorship. The Trinity Leadership Fellows Program is for individuals seeking to deepen the mindsets and skills needed to effectively lead organizations and serve communities in contemporary society, while also building lifelong supporting peer and mentoring relationships.

This non-residential, free program will prepare professional and community leaders who are people of faith, as well as ordained leaders across faith traditions with the mindsets and practical skills they need to energize and empower their congregations and communities in ways that heal divides and disrupt injustice. The experience will offer fellows an opportunity to learn from leading scholars, experts in the field, and mentors interconnected through their faith and Trinity’s core values. Fellows will build life-changing relationships with like-minded peers who share the passion for faith-driven leadership that produces positive change in our world.

You are invited to the Completion of Ministry Worship Service for First United Church of Christ of Forest Park this Sunday, December 18 at 11:00 AM. Please RSVP to forestparkucc@yahoo.com if you plan to attend.

We give thanks and celebrate the faithful ministry that has taken place in and through First UCC over the last 157 years!

You are receiving this message because you are listed on our Conference email list, one of our leadership/committee email lists, or because you previously subscribed to receive our e-newsletters. PLEASE NOTE: if you unsubscribe from this email you will no longer receive our monthly newsletter.

This communication is made possible by your contributions to

 Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM)

FAITHFUL FRIDAYS is published by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1840 Westchester Blvd, Suite 200, Westchester, IL 60154. The Rev. Molly Carlson, Conference Minister; Sarah Lohrbach, Editor. Copy may be sent to: SarahLohrbach@ilucc.org.