Parable of the Talents Worship Service Available
Dear colleagues,
Attached is a full video and print version of a worship service for your use, provided by the Council of Conference Ministers. The theme revolves around the Parable of the Talents, and it would fit nicely in this season of Thanksgiving (either of the next two Sundays), though I encourage you to make use of it whenever is best for you and your congregation. You may also choose to use some of the components of this service – available both in print form or video. We hope this is provides a little reprieve through this long and seemingly endless journey of COVID-19 and socially distanced ministry.
I've just previewed this inspiring service and I highly recommend it.
Grace and peace to you, and please do all you can to stay well and to tend kindly to yourself!
Franz
Worship resources available here:
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INVITATION
Join us for first NW Association fellowship on zoom. We will begin with an opening devotion and break into small groups for conversation. Grab your coffee, a cookie or two and join us we gather together as the great NW Association. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday December 17 @ 7:00p.m.
Register in advance for this meeting:
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Facebook - You Tube - Livestream |
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Interested in joining one of the churches in the Northwest Association for worship (virtually)?
You can find a listing on the Association webpage.
We'd be happy to make any corrections or additions to the list.
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No question, 2020 is affecting all aspects of our lives in ways we never imagined. Due to the pandemic, emergency financial needs of a significant portion of Americans have increased dramatically, especially in less populated areas. The Northwest Association of the Wisconsin Conference is primarily a rural area. Rural areas and small towns were already struggling compared to larger population areas before COVID-19 appeared. |
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Medical costs are expensive no matter where you live. Living in a rural area costs even more. These include traveling longer distances to access health care, whether driving to routine appointments or emergencies that require an ambulance . Rural hospitals have struggled financially for decades and some have closed. Six townships in Northern WI might not have ambulance services of any type on January 1, 2020, due to financial issues. The current surge of COVID-19 is the most geographically dispersed yet, and it is hitting hard remote counties that often lack a hospital or other critical health care resources. The cost of ambulance transfers, especially by air, are phenomenal.
Our world is turned upside down! Lots of worries and “what if” with all of this uncertainty. Where do we find some comfort and peace? As the followers of Christ we turn to our faith, our “spiritual first aid kit”….pastors and lay workers of our churches.
How can congregation members thank them during these financially challenging times?
Answer: The UCC Christmas Fund special offering December 20, 2020.
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The Reverend Bill Clyma shared how the Christmas Fund helped him: “Retirement came a little earlier than I expected, then came open heart surgery, a long recovery and delays getting Social Security worked out. When my health recovered, but my finances didn’t, a grant from the emergency fund made it possible for me to move to the place where I wanted to spend my retirement years.”
The UCC 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!
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November is Native American Heritage Month |
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The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. – NCAI |
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For those of you looking for some reliable sources of information about Native American history and current issues, I highly recommend the following resources:
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NCAI (http://www.ncai.org/) The National Congress of American Indians is the oldest organization that represents the interests of tribes and communities in the United States. You can find information on just about every issue that tribes and communities face today. They post policy positions, current legal proceedings, resources, conferences, initiatives, news and updates.
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NARF (https://www.narf.org/ ) The Native American Rights Fund is a non-profit organization that uses existing laws and treaties to ensure that U.S. state governments and the U.S. federal government live up to their legal obligations. It is a great resource for keeping up with everything legal that can impact tribes. They do excellent background research on things like residential schools, voting obstacles for Native Americans, etc.
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NDN Collective (https://ndncollective.org/) is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. “Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms. Storytelling is a central feature of our organizing work. We lift up stories of Indigenous movement-building, we disrupt false narratives, and we produce content to build Indigenous power.” This is a relatively new resource and I find them to be on the cutting edge of defining “decolonization.” Their primary issues are climate justice, racial equity, and educational equity. They have a blog, videos, podcasts and press releases. You can sign up to get updates on action you can take.
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IllumiNative (https://illuminatives.org/) is an initiative, created and led by Natives, to challenge the negative narrative that surrounds Native communities and ensure accurate and authentic portrayals of Native communities are present in pop culture and media. Everything about false narratives, invisibility and erasure of Native peoples. This is a new initiative arising from national research work done by the Echohawk Consulting Firm, Reclaiming
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Native Truth ( https://rnt.firstnations.org/ ) and includes guides for Native Americans (https://www.firstnations.org/publications/changing-the-narrative-about-native-americans-a-guide-for-nativepeoples-and-organizations/ ) and for their allies (https://www.firstnations.org/publications/changing-the-narrativeabout-native-americans-a-guide-for-allies/ ).
Karen A. Miller, Secretary/Treasurer,
The Alliance for Justice, Inc.
(Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians) Alliance for Justice, Inc.
8870 W Mission Rd Black River Falls, WI 54615-6412
https://alliance4justice.org
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UCCI
UPCOMING EVENTS
2021
EXTENSIVE ART WORKSHOPS & RETREAT SPACE AVAILABILITY!
Cedar Valley
2021
AMAZING MULTI-GENERATIONAL EVENTS & RETREAT SPACE AVAILABILITY!
Moon Beach
2021
ENGAGING YOUTH EVENTS & RETREAT SPACE AVAILABILITY!
Pilgrim Center
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Help Plan the 2021 Conference Annual Meeting!
Got 3 minutes? Completing this quick survey by Monday, Nov. 9 will let us know what you’d like to see at the 2021 Annual Meeting. At this time, it’s uncertain whether the meeting will be in-person or virtual.
However, the planning team is considering a range of possibilities for how to structure the meeting and what content might be most valuable to participants. We’d appreciate your input so we can create an event that you will find valuable and inspiring. Thank you for your help! Click here to take the survey.
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Online Ministry Support
The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in Wisconsin. United Church of Christ congregations, along with churches of many other denominations, have been working to offer worship and spiritual care in ways that do not put church and community members at risk for infection. These offerings are mostly coming through online technologies, an area of expertise that many pastors and congregations may not be very well-versed in. We are sending you this document as a resource as you navigate various online options for your ministries.
Listed below are three consultants you can contact for online assistance regarding online platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Zoom and website postings; video, sound equipment, FM transmitters, and computer program recommendations; ways of recording and livestreaming worship, studies, activities, etc. These consultants may require fees and reimbursements, each will have their own fee schedule, churches will need to make arrangements to cover these costs.
The WI Conference continues to make grants available for congregations adapting to new ways of being in ministry as a result of the pandemic. These grants can be written to cover consulting fees, computer programs and technology equipment that help churches move into new ministry opportunities. Contact the WI Conference office to receive a Covid Emergency Grant application.
Consultants
This is obviously not an exhaustive list of persons who can assist churches, they are individuals who have agreed to be available.
This highlighted video link will connect you to an introductory online technology video created by Michael Loomis, we hope you find it helpful:
Peace and wellbeing in this liminal time for churches and our world.
Please contact Rev. Rob MacDougall, Associate Conference Minister
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Sermon Camp is fully online, runs from January 11 to February 19, 2021, and costs $299. Experience what participants describe as "the class I wish I had in seminary," "the exact sermon-writing refocus I needed for this time in my ministry," and "salve for my soul."
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