An email update.... Keeping Us Connected in Christ"
This newsletter is brought to you by your OCWM Contributions
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The office will have limited staff from
May 24 to June 1 during staff vacation time.
Also CLOSED on May 29 observing Memorial Day
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"Blessings Always"
Rev. Daniel L. Busch
Association Minister Message
May 24, 2023
CHAOS. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” (Acts 2:3). Just before speaking to a group at a meeting or just before worship “officially” begins, there is an attempt by the speaker to get people to conclude all conversations to begin a meeting or worship. Sometimes “it’s like herding cats,” CHAOS with speaker being impatient and conversations disrupted. Attending an event can be CHAOTIC if you cannot understand the language of the speaker or hear someone speak using words that are not part of your vocabulary.
The very first Pentecost Day was at first very CHAOTIC. Fifty days after the resurrection a crowd gathered who still were talking about and discussing the events of Easter morning, the Day of Jesus’ Resurrection. Even to gather together would have been CHAOTIC, for fear of both the Roman conquerors and the Jewish religious leaders. Followers of Jesus would be suspected of threatening the “order of the day” and they would be subject to arrest that could lead to death. Luke, the writer of Acts, is witness to the day of the miraculous account of GOOD CHAOS that began the birth of the Christian Church.
As followers of Jesus Christ, what CHAOS are we suspected of doing that is thought to be disruptive? Yet it is the Spirit leading us to transforms evil into resurrection hope. Do we hear the voice of God calling us to be agents of the power of love and resurrection faith that results in welcome, reconciliation, peace, goodwill, and hope? The apostles were thought to be disrespected Galileans or drunk. (Peter said it was too early in the morning for them to be drunk; he should be in our communities.) This Pentecostal message was so powerful that Luke writes “that day about three thousand persons were added” (2:41) to become the foundational community of faith, the church, of Jesus Christ. By their actions, the Christian Church was established to witness to the power of resurrection that make all things new. It is GOOD CHAOS that transforms death into life, fear into affirmation, and indifference into purpose. “Christ is risen…Christ is risen INDEED.” We are called to be change-agents of love in this movement of God’s Spirit through acts of love so that CHAOS is overcome by resurrection confidence. BLESSINGS ALWAYS.
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Travel with Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister |
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May 28 - Preaching at St. Paul UCC, New Bremen 10:15 am
June 4 - Preaching at Salem UCC, Kenton and celebrating an Ordination Anniversary 10:30 am
June 11 - Preaching at St. Paul UCC, Wapakoneta and celebrating an Ordination Anniversary 10:15 am
June 18 - Preaching at St. Paul's UCC, St. Marys and celebrating an Ordination Anniversary 10:00 am
June 24 - Preaching at First UCC, Marblehead and celebrating the 150th Church Anniversary 10:30 am
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On Sunday, May 7 Rev. Darryl Hamm (center) was installed as Pastor at St. Paul UCC, Oak Harbor. Pictured with Rev. Hamm is Rev. Daniel Busch (left) and Pastor John Paputza (right).
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Ordination Anniversary Celebration
Rev. John Mummert will be honored for his 50th Ordination Anniversary by the congregation at Salem UCC, Kenton on Sunday, June 4 during the morning worship beginning at 10:30 am.
Rev. Gale Gebhart will be honored for his 35th Ordination Anniversary by the congregation at St. Paul UCC, Wapakoneta on Sunday, June 11 during the morning worship beginning at 10:15 am.
Rev. Jeanette Tangeman will be honored for her 25th Ordination Anniversary by the congregation at St. Paul's UCC, St. Marys on Sunday, June 18 during the morning worship beginning at 10:00 am
Church Anniversary Celebration
On Sunday June 25th First UCC, Marblehead will celebrate their 150th Church Anniversary at 10:30 am during morning worship.
Farewell
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Prayer Concerns/Request
Continuing prayer for: Dee Schroer, Rev. Marty Stiffler, Rev. Daniel Johnson, Rev. Bob Jencks, Rev. Jim Garner, Rev. Michael Darling, Rev. Hafidha Saadiqah, Rev. Don Corbin, Pastor Bill Kerr, Rev. Adrian Sunday, Marcy Miller, Carolyn George, Rev. Randall Forester, Don Clark, Rev. Gale Gebhart, Rev. Don Giesmann
Marilyn Buchman, a long-time member of St. John UCC, Defiance, completed her transition from this earthly life while asleep in her home at Glenn Park Assisted Living Center under hospice care, May 14. Marilyn and her husband, Randy were long-time volunteers of the Association and Conference. A private service will be held with immediate family in the future. Please hold the family in your prayers.
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THE CHALLENGE IS ON
2023 buckets & hygiene kits
collected with-in the
Heartland Conference
Collecting through September
NWOA Offering Assistance
For every bucket filled by your church,
the NWOA Disaster Gift Account will pay you to fill another bucket,
matching your cost up to $75 per bucket.
Hygiene Kits will be included with this matching cost up to $12 per kit.
Request extra funds by contacting NWOA Office
@ 419-447-8323
or by emailing joan@nwoa.org
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Church World Service (CWS)
Disaster Kit Collection
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Deliver to the NWOA Office, 416 Wentz Street, Tiffin
or to Templed Hills Camp Depot
Call the Association Office to arrange delivery
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"Don't forget to do good and share with those in need". Hebrews 13:16 |
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CWS Emergency
Cleanup Buckets
You can help make the road to recovery easier with a CWS Bucket filled with essential home recovery supplies.
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CWS Hygiene Kits
You can make sure that someone has the hygiene supplies they need to start their day out right.
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CWS School Kits
You can give children the classroom essentials they need to learn, dream big and reach for the stars.
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CWS believes that miracles happen every day because of our generous donors and volunteers. When you share a CWS Kit, you show a tremendous amount of love and support to our neighbors around the world, and you help to transform lives. |
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THANK YOU
FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
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2023 OCWM Giving Goal - $285,000
(Goal approved at the 59th Annual Meeting)
OCWM Offerings through April - $57,768
CHURCH TREASURER
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Next Class
"Preaching"
September 12, 2023
(6:30 pm - 9:00 pm via Zoom)
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Chicken BBQ - Drive Thru Only
Trinity UCC, McCutchenville
Sunday, June 11th Cost $12 each
11:30 am to 1:00 pm
1/2 chicken + 2 sides of homemade potato salad, baked beans or applesauce and a roll
Call the church at 419-981-5808 by June 7th to reserve your ticket.
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"5 for 5" Church
Celebration at the Annual Meeting
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Trinity UCC
McCutchenville
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Church News, pictures, events, etc.....
Summit to office@nwoa.org by Tuesday 9:00 am.
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El Salvador Coordinating Team
News from Dr. Medardo Gomez, Bishop
Salvadoran Lutheran Church
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Just after the Annual Meeting, this letter was received....
Dear brothers and sisters from the United Church of Christ
in occasion of Pastor Christian Chavarría visit, I want to take the opportunity to send you this letter that reminds you of our history of our relationship. Surely some of you do not know about that time but, if there is someone who remembers it, I would like you to hear that here the history of the church in its golden pages are the memories of our very beginnings or our fraternal meetings.
A war had passed, we received you like angels in the post-war period, it was time to recover from all the damage that a war leaves in a country. The Gilberg spouses as missionaries each time they came they had the attention to visit us, several times they were accompanied by the organization SARA, that allowed us to get to know each other much more, becoming through God a sister church that is not only written in an agreement but also heart and a true love of mutual sharing of prayer and accompaniment due to our need for peace. We are a beautiful country with great social, political and environmental problems. We yearn for peace so much that even a verse from our national anthem says: “from the peace in supreme happiness, El Salvador always dreamed noble, obtaining it was his eternal problem, preserving it is his greatest glory.”
There is a department (province) called La Paz (peace), several monuments are dedicated to peace, finding that spirit of peace, we could see in our brother and friend Daniel Busch a man of peace, and here we call him Our Bishop of peace.
Pastor Christian brings our love and sharing and update of the work of the church, the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod, the situation of the country and our hope. By the way, on Sunday May 7th, we celebrated and dedicated to God, worship for the Day of Faith and Hope, which reminds us of the history of pastoral care for the victims of the war who were displaced and a refugee shelter was built that it was called Faith and Hope.
With fraternal love
Dr. Medardo Gómez, Bishop
Salvadoran Lutheran Church
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***From the NWOA Stewardship and Generosity Ministry Team |
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Your Stewardship and Generosity Team is gathering stories of the many ways that churches make real their practices of Stewardship and Generosity. Read below current mission happenings.
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If you want to jump start your thinking about Stewardship and Generosity, our 5 videos collection of topics covered with noted consultant Don Hill is available. As you click on the resource page, a short synopsis of each video is available. Can be used effectively in small group settings or you can take a segment for use in worship.
Permission is granted for the churches of Northwest Ohio Association to use the series as they wish with proper credit given."
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The Stewardship and Generosity Team continues to work hard at finding ways to give you and your church resources for enhancing the giving of your congregations. We encourage you to explore the following links:
To donate to Ukraine:
Resources from the Heartland Conference
Conference Stewardship Newsletter
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Year-Round Stewardship Resource |
Promoting generosity throughout the year is the best way to teach giving and generate financial support for your ministry and mission. "Because of You" is a year-round stewardship resource with practical tools, sermon and worship guides, and faith formation activities for all ages. Learn more at uccresources.com.
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Setting Resolutions:
The Monkey or the Pedestal
Author Rev. Andrew Warner
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Every January, I set personal and work goals. I love this process of thinking about what I accomplished in the past year, what I hope to do in the year ahead, and what concrete steps can get me there. I also appreciate that the beginning of Lent, the start of a new program year, and many other points throughout the year let me restate my goals!
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***From the NWOA Witness and Proclamation Ministry Team |
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Stay informed through Facebook page
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SoLight Design
by Alice
Annual Meeting Highlight
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Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Dear friends in Christ and fellow “light-bringers” to the world
It is my great pleasure to bring you good news of how we can help to put lights on stands that will give light to everyone around it as our Lord Jesus indicated in His “Sermon on the Mount.” Only these lights are not just for homes as Jesus mentioned. These lights are for children who have been injured in body, mind, and in spirit because of the war in Ukraine and where their current “home” is a hospital. These are lights that bring peace in the midst of terror when night falls and there is no electricity to bring these children and the staff comfort in the midst of all the trauma that they have faced and continue to face.
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***From the Pastoral Relations Working Group
of the NWOA Church and Ministry Team
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Covid Resources
The coronavirus pandemic has revealed and exacerbated places of pain and injustice throughout our institutions and communities, and clergy have borne the weight of this. The Pastoral Relations working group has listened to the pain that exists in our local clergy and have been trying to pay close attention to mental health and family concerns. Included here are links to resources for clergy and churches to be aware of. Read more
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Anti-Racism & White Privilege
Attached to the end of the newsletter is an additional list of available resources.
We hope that these resources meet the needs of pastors looking for resources to begin conversations regarding anti-racism within their congregations. If you have other ideas for how we may assist in bringing resources / training to you regarding this topic, please contact Nanette Warnecke-Flood at Nanettef@syctelco.com
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Seminary Scholarships - apply today! |
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The Heartland Conference is delighted to offer scholarship support to emerging leaders who are seeking authorization for ministry through the Heartland Conference of the United Church of Christ. The application process is open until Friday, June 16th and decisions are made by the end of June. |
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Tuesday, May 30, 3-4pm ET on Zoom
Rev. Beth Long-Higgins leads a conversation to identify how our churches are affected by ageism and to generate age-affirming alternatives. There is no cost. Click here to register to let us know you plan to participate and to be emailed the Zoom link prior to the event.
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For the past 15 months, a task force has been reviewing and making revisions to the constitution of the Heartland Conference. This was in response to a goal established by the Conference to provide clarity and simplicity to the organizational structure and operation.
We are sharing the draft of the proposed substitute constitution with you and invite your questions and comments. Over the next month we want to invite input so that what is ultimately put before the membership for approval has been vetted and is reflective of the membership.
The task force welcomes comments and questions about the revisions.
Please feel free to share your observations and concerns in one of the following ways:
• Participation in one of the Zoom discussion sessions:
May 15th, 7:00 pm
May 18th, 3:00 pm
May 24th, 7:00 pm
June 3rd, 9:00 am
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Click the button below to find links to the following:
A side-by-side draft document, showing the existing constitution on the right and the revised constitution on the right, aligned in such a way to identify the changes.
An explanation of the review process and an outline of the significant changes and justification for those changes.
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All Experience Levels Welcome! Training will be provided!
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Who? Volunteers across the Heartland Conference
What? Gather to participate in a “Help Build Hope” house build
When? August 25 (Cut Team of 25) & 26 (Build Team of 120)
Where? Camp Templed Hills, Bellville, Ohio
Why? Sponsored by our Disaster Response Team partnering with Crossroads Missions and Habitat for Humanity. This house will then be trucked to a TBD destination in Ohio, WV, or Kentucky.
How? Help Build Hope will provide a structure that enables individuals with varying skill levels to have a fulfilling time of service through team building.
So? Place this on your calendar and watch for registration information in then Heartland Conference Fast Five & email blasts. Disasters have no timeline or agenda…they just continue. So…come help with this project and Make a Difference!
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Climate Justice at Templed Hills!
This year at Templed Hills, we are partnering with our siblings
across the denomination to take action for Climate Justice!
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We want all of our campers to learn about creation and what they can do to help protect it. We will also be participating in the UCC Climate Hope Justice postcard initiative.
Thanks to a grant from the national setting of the UCC, we have an opening for a Climate Justice Fellow this summer.
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Do you know of a young person, 18 or older, who would like to spend part of their summer at Templed Hills making a difference in the Global Climate Crisis? Click here for a flyer to share, or contact Jill Frey at jill@heartlanducc.org or 740-901-0734.
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The Heartland Conference Veterans Network
Offers Memorial Day Liturgies!
Recognizing the need for a balance to honor those who have given their lives in wartime while not celebrating war itself, the Veterans Network offers liturgies for use in worship.
If you are interested in more information about this network that is forming in our life together, please contact, Rev. Dr. John Schluep at warriorsjourneyhome@gmail.com
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Bivocational clergy are invited to join on June 15th at 10am for an informal Zoom chat to make connections with other multivocational colleagues.
We'll share common experiences and explore the possibility for further networking. Bivocational ministry can be challenging, but it doesn't mean you have to do it alone. The Rev. Rachel McDonald will be leading the gathering.
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN OHIO
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
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We are pleased to announce that this year's Adult Conference will welcome members from The Heartland Conference United Church of Christ to join us in the week's festivities. Our theme is "All Things in Common." Throughout our week together, we will have several opportunities to find the "things in common" with our honored guests. The conference is held at Northwest Christian Church in Columbus, Ohio, from June 19 – June 23, 2023. The Vesper Speaker for the evenings will be the retired UCC minister, Rev Loey Powell, and Disciples of Christ's Rev. Dr. Donald Gillett, II will be our Bible Lecturer for the weekdays. Early in the week, DOC's Regional Pastor, Allen Harris, and UCC's Rev. David Long-Higgins will have a forum discussing the UCC/DOC Ecumenical Partnership. Later in the week, we will get another chance to find our "things in common" with the LGBTQ community when DOC's Regional Elder, Rev Judy Alston, leads a forum titled "We are One." READ MORE
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Save the Date - 2023 Interim Training |
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United Church of Christ General Synod 34 - Registration Open! |
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Dear Friends of the Heartland Conference,
As May is Mental Health Month, members of the Heartland Conference Mental Health and Accessibility Network are offering their voices and experience to raise awareness regarding a variety of mental health concerns. Each Wednesday their voices will be shared via short videos that you can share with your congregations. Mental health concerns are among the leading health concerns in our country and the world. I hope you will be inspired by their testimony and that your church community will consider how it might be an oasis of welcome, inspiration, support, and engagement (WISE). Please click on the video below to hear their words of wisdom and experience.
Blessings on the WISE journey,
Pastor Dave
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UCC Webinar—Seizing an Opportunity:
Strengthening EPA Protections in 2023
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As UCC congregations across the country embark upon collecting thousands of signed postcards for the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Climate Hope Cards campaign, this webinar will cover how the coming months at the EPA present a significant opportunity to save thousands of lives, address societal inequalities, and put the United States on a path to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on June 14th at 1 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!
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May is Strengthen the Church Month |
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The Strengthen the Church (STC) Offering reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to cooperatively build up the UCC. The Heartland Conference and the National setting equally share the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations.
Your generosity to Strengthen the Church (STC) provides the funds that allow The Heartland Conference to Support the development our Ministry Networks and support our General Synod Delegates.
In the National setting funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. By your generosity to this offering, you build up the Body of Christ.
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Mission Moments
Use Mission Moments every week to tell a story about your congregation’s connection with the wider church. Each issue – which is designed to be inserted with your newsletter or Sunday worship bulletin – is an effective way to inform your members about what they make possible through their gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission.
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Are you looking for a way to restore your soul in these difficult times? The Academy for Spiritual Formation has transformed my life. I am recommending to you an amazing opportunity this coming September 17-22, 2023 at the St. Joseph’s Retreat Center in Tipton, IN.
I am excited about this September 5-Day Academy because it features two incredible “faculty”, who will be leading the curriculum sessions on the theme Cultivating Compassion. Having an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with Dwight Judy and Kwasi Kena is something you will cherish the rest of your life.
Please do take a close look at this opportunity and consider investing 5 days in your life in Christ. I think you’ll be blessed beyond anything you could ever ask or think.
My email address is below. I will be happy to tell you in more detail what you might expect. The Academy for Spiritual Formation is an affirming and inclusive, sacred time and space for clergy and laity who hunger for a deep spiritual experience in a diverse, ecumenical, and intentional community.
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Your generous gift makes our ministry possible |
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Stay Connected
Rev. Daniel Busch, Association Minister
cell: 419-934-5386 email: dlbusch@nwoa.org
Joan Davidson, Office Manager/Search Coordinator email: joan@nwoa.org
Deb Long, Bookkeeper
email deb@nwoa.org
OFFICE PHONE 419-447-8323
Fax # eliminated.
Send documents to office@nwoa.org
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