News

Church News You Can Use

Oct 01, 2024

October 2024 Monthly Newsletter for the Michigan Conference UCC

More Annual Meeting Details (Online Registration ends 10.14.24)

and ‘spooktacular’ Fall Events and Resources (including Advent prep…)

Share the link with your local churches and leaders

and join us for a fantastic Fall in the Michigan Conference 🍂🧡🎃

Sep 03, 2024

Fall into important updates and events with the September Monthly Newsletter

 

Registration is now open for the 2024 Annual Meeting  https://michucc.breezechms.com/form/AnnualMeeting2024

and here is a video invitation featuring members of the Planning Team

 

BOD is looking for folks interested in representing the Michigan Conference

AND Vitality Day is THIS Saturday!!

Aug 06, 2024

Are you and members from your local church coming to Vitality Day?

Saturday September 7, 2024 from 10am-3:00pm

Participate onsite (lunch included) or online through Zoom with livestream and chat commenting.  Cost of registration includes a copy of the book Gone for Good.

Gone for Good will be the Book of the Month discussed on November 13, 2024 via Zoom

Want to know more about what’s happening this fall in the Michigan Conference UCC?

Jul 02, 2024

Call to Annual Meeting and more…

Read the Full Call to Meeting HERE

 

Lodging at Crystal Mountain

You can book and reserve lodging at Crystal Mountain.

• Call the Reservations Department at 1-855-520-2974 and reference group number 46L8YR

• Book online using this link Book Online Here

The group number and the dates of the event will automatically populate.

Arrival and departure dates may be altered as needed

Jun 05, 2024

Check out our upcoming line up for Leadership Lunch events including
HELP! Our Church Bylaws are Killing Us and HELP! Our Church Building Budget is Out Of Control
And see the recording of our JUNE Pride Month Leadership Lunch “Widening the Welcome with Pronouns in Church”

Recaps of our recent visit from German Ministry Partner Dr. Gerrit H Marx and Clergy Retreat, a recording of a recent webinar about Solar Panels for Churches, Antiracism Training, Regional Youth Event, and great local church stories about two churches under one roof and steeple removal.

If you have a story to share, make sure to send it to us!!  SHARE YOUR STORY
Make sure you “View Entire Message” to see ALL the June News, including wider church and National Setting upcoming events.

Apr 30, 2024

This month includes a note from the Treasurer of the Board of Directors and the BOD Nomination Form, a special prayer from the Southwest Association Minister, upcoming onsite and online opportunities for connection, justice, educational initiatives AND MORE!!!
Make sure you “View Entire Message” to see ALL the May News.
Star this email in your inbox for reference all month long.
If you didn’t get it in your inbox, SUBSCRIBE NOW so you don’t miss out on Conference News!!
If you have a story to share, make sure to send it to us!!  SHARE YOUR STORY

Apr 02, 2024

Make sure you “View Entire Message” to see ALL the April News.
Includes a special letter from the President of the Board of Directors and opportunities to serve on the Board.
Star this email in your inbox for reference all month long.
If you didn’t get it in your inbox, SUBSCRIBE NOW so you don’t miss out on Conference News!!

Mar 05, 2024

Introducing New Clergy Care Groups of the Michigan Conference

Pastor Support Survey results confirmed that our pastors need and are interested in connecting for renewal, learning, wellness, and support.

Clergy Care Groups (CCG’s) are one of the ways that the Michigan Conference will address this need. These groups will be relational and may be formed as affinity groups with a focus, or as general gatherings geographically. An email will be sent directly to pastors and clergy for Group Registration. Group topics, days, times, and locations will be chosen by facilitators and listed for Registration. Space will be limited, and groups will require at least 5-6 group members to begin. Please sign up as soon as possible if you are interested in being part of a group. As space allows, we will invite our colleagues from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Michigan Region.

Proposed groups currently being formed by facilitators are; Spiritual Deepening, Spiritual Issues in Retirement, New Clergy Mentoring, Preaching Workshop, Health and Wellness, Rural Progressive Presence, Mindfulness, Peer Support, Chaplains, Engagement in Retirement, Circle of Friends, Senior Pastors of Multi-staff Churches, MIDs, Multigenerational Ministry, Clergy Cafe and more.

If you are already part of an existing support group that you would like to have listed for others to join, if you would like to facilitate a new CCG group, or if you have other ideas for clergy care, contact Rev. Cheryl Burke, Associate Conference Minister of Clergy Care and Formation, cheryl@michucc.org 517-292-3102

Pastors, be on the lookout for an email coming soon.

Groups will being in April.

Feb 06, 2024

During the month of January, Conference Staff asked Michigan Conference Pastors to share priorities and strategies for how the Conference can help to equip, encourage, empower, and connect them in ministry.

The most common areas of interest were:

LGBTQIA+ (42%)

Multi-generational Ministry (36%)

Worship Resources (34%)

Racial Consciousness/Antiracism (34%)

Centering Prayer/Spiritual Practices (34%)

Part Time Ministry (32%)

Chaplaincy and Alternative Building Use were also mentioned frequently.

As email was the most common preferred method of communication (73%), we will continue to share information in the Newsletter via email, and reach out directly as more specific opportunities are created for Pastoral Support in 2024.

 

Jan 02, 2024

Over the last year and a half of visiting local UCC churches in Michigan the Conference Ministerial Staff Team is convinced that our 2024 priority must be the care of our pastors. We are reorganizing our staff so that our new Associate Conference Minister Lawrence Richardson can recruit clergy for Michigan churches through Search and Call, and our long term Associate Conference Minister Cheryl Burke will focus her wisdom and experience in the area of caring for the ministers and MIDs we already have.  We are starting this process by asking pastors what they need through this short survey?

 

Sign-Up Here