Personal Finance for Christians Workshop

 Steve Clapp will be hosting a workshop on April 29 at the Wisconsin Conference on Personal Finances.  More information to follow -

RSVP

Making Sense of Lent

Prepare for Easter by signing up to receive our daily devotions written by

Wisconsin Conference Pastors and Laity

• Soul Search 
• Repent 
• Reflect
• Rededicate Yourself

Events

 
New Church Planter Discernment Workshop February 25, 2011

Turn Around Church Weekend
February 26-27, 2011

Annual Meeting 2011

June 10-12, 2011

GLAUCE Fall Event

Fall 2011 - Date TBA

For a complete listing of our events and committee meetings, please see our calendar.

by Rev. Vicki Warren, Pastor

Almost eight years ago I sat down with the members of the Church Council of Trinity UCC in Portage to talk about becoming their pastor. I was nervous - they were nervous - we were all nervous. And the question came up: what's your perspective on the church and homosexuality? I knew it would. This had already been a divisive issue here at Trinity. I had

Trinity UCC, Portage

given long thought to how I would answer. My life experience and my seminary education left me no way to skirt the issue really. The doors and the heart of the church must be open and inclusive of all people - gay, straight, young, old, male, female - folk of all colors and persuasions are to have access to the love of God in Christ because that's what Jesus' call says - come, follow me. No "you and you", but "not you" stuff from Jesus. We always add those qualifiers - not Jesus.

When the question came that is pretty much what I said as I looked around to gather up my stuff and head out the door. And then - I tuned in to what was being said around me and became astounded. We hope that can happen down the road. We would like to see that happen here. We have had some trouble over this but we really feel that in not-too-many years it could happen. Eyes were serious but smiles played around the edges of faces and I stopped getting ready to leave and began thinking I might just be able to stay.

A few months later I was asking individual folks what they thought and we have been talking about what it means to be an inclusive church ever since - individually for a few years, then together in Council off and on, then seriously reading a book The Children Are Free by Rev. Jeff Miner and John Connoley and studying the issue as a Council over the last couple years. Rev. Gail O'Neal was tireless in her support of us as we worried and wrote emails and held on to her words of encouragement and hope. We lost two or three people along the way - a sadness and a knowing that - while we would not turn back when such things happen - we know that we still have not got it right.

About a year ago we brought the question directly to folks several times during worship. Last April we were blessed by a congregational conversation during worship with Rev. Mary Ann Neevel from Plymouth in Milwaukee about their experience of this journey. A month later we voted and when the vote was tallied we had many more votes than the percentage we had thought necessary to pass our Open and Affirming statement. A couple people stayed home so as not to vote no - a piece of grace and love in itself. One person there that morning abstained. Everyone else said yes. Tears fell. Smiles abounded. Laughter and joy tickled the rafters and fell around our ears.

We have not gone public about this decision in "on-purpose" kinds of ways but that conversation is bubbling and God only knows where we will go with it. :~)  I hope I'm around to see it.

YOU could become the next member of the Summer Communities of Service (ages 19-30) or the year-long UCC Young Adult Service Communities (YASC) (ages 21-30)

·Intentional Community

·Hands-On Direct Service/Justice Advocacy Opportunities

·Faith Conversations

·Leadership Development with Host Congregation Apply by February 15 - Summer Communities of Service

 
Apply by March 15 - UCC Young Adult Service Communities (YASC) year-long  

Questions?  Contact Mary Schaller Blaufuss, Executive, UCC Volunteer Ministries at 216-736-3214;

blaufusm@ucc.org OR Tonya Adams, Administrative Assistant for Program at 216-736-3216; adamst@ucc.org  

Watch The Video

The goals of the partnership are to increase awareness of Palestinian Christians, pray for and support the Lutheran church in Bethlehem and offer opportunities to travel to the Holy Land and meet people whose lives are affected by the ministry of the church.

Bright Stars of Bethlehem is a partnership between the Southwest Association of the Wisconsin Conference and the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem which began in 2003.  Their pastor, Rev. Mitri Raheb, was the featured speaker at a workshop prior to Annual Meeting in 2009.

 
This Bethlehem partnership has been an important vehicle to help us understand the global nature of faith.  The Wisconsin Conference would like to widen the circle by inviting others to an online exploration and association.