The Rev. Franz S. Rigert was named as one of the 2015 Distinguished Alumni at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary's 158th Commencement on May 15, 2015. Each year Garrett-Evangelical chooses two alumni to be honored as Distinguished Alumni. One alumnus is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alumnus is chosen from alumni who graduated over 25 years ago.

Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison
August 21-23, 2015
 

Training Educators to teach Human Sexuality to 7th-12th Grades
 

Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive, kindergarten through adult sexuality education curriculum series. It provides youth with accurate information on sexual health, human development, sexual behavior, relationships, and personal skills in the supportive setting of their faith community. This workshop trains teachers in how to teach participants about sexuality in age-appropriate ways. The workshop will focus on the curricula for grades 7-9 and 10-12.

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Saturday, September 19, 2015

Plymouth Church UCC, Milwaukee 

$15 for youth, $40 adults (early bird $30 thru 7/31)

 

Reviving Justice offers a re-commitment to Justice Work through deeper learning, music-filled worship, and unique opportunities to build new connections here at home and on a national level. Part of our goal is to re-ignite action neeed to address inequalities in our communities. For many, our faith calls us to this work - to be a Good Samaritan, to feed the poor, to be the change we want to see.  
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A small working group from the Wisconsin Conference UCC, concerned about immigration issues, has been meeting to stay informed about the current immigration situation in our country and to look at ways that we can be responsive to the situation in Wisconsin. We hope to share information and provide resources to help congregations and individuals become aware of ways they can respond faithfully to the situation. The following statement was recently released by faith leaders in response to a court decision regarding family detention of immigrants.
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The Bethlehem Partnership Working Group, organized in spring 2014, seeks ways to share information with churches in the Wisconsin Conference about the work of our partner church, Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, and about the struggles and hopes of Palestinian and Israelis who are working for justice and peace. We have spoken at several churches in our Associations, written articles for the Conference and Association newsletters, and sponsored a trip to Israel/Palestine in spring 2015. As part of our continuing effort to increase awareness of our partnership and in response to the national UCC World Ministries Board Middle East Initiative, we invite you to consider the following ways to learn about the partnership.  

 

"It has helped me feel more confident, more supported, and better resourced."    --COP participant

 

Don't go it alone! Communities of Practice Peer Learning Groups provide the sustenance that your ministry needs in order to be effective well into the future.  There are groups for geographic areas as well as specialty, such as pastors nearing retirement, licensed pastors, or newly ordained pastors.  Groups are led by trained facilitators and run from September through May.

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by Deanne Allen 

 

The theme for Synod 2015 was Finding God in Unexpected Places, based on the verses from Genesis 28:15-16. In his dream God reassures Jacob that the covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac would be kept through Jacob. When he awoke, Jacob says, "Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it." Jacob's words remind us that we encounter our Still Speaking God in unexpected places and moments.

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Come to Annual Meeting in 2016 to sing! Does your church have a reall GOOD choir? Is your choir director the reason they sing so beautifully? Send your director and your choir to Annual Meeting next year to sing for everybody!! Be the Annual Meeting choir at the 2016 Annual Meeting! Contact Mugs McFadden at serendipity33@frontier.com or at 262-339-8690. Need to convince your director or choir? Use this flyer.

 

The dust has settled and the paint has all dried, which means Mission Camp 2015 is completed and in the books! June 29th through July 3rd was another amazing Mission Camp at Pilgrim Center. Over 30 individuals volunteered during the week. Some arrived Sunday and stayed through Friday while others stopped by for the afternoon. A majority of the labor and financial resources came from Rural Church Fellowship (Northeast Association) congregations and individuals; however volunteers came from other congregations in Wisconsin and Iowa. We would like to thank these individuals for taking the time to grow and strengthen our ministry and community.  Some of their accomplishments included replacing Oak Mound Lodge's exterior steps and repairing its chimney, replacing a non-usable door in Oak Mound Lodge's upper lounge, staining and painting, installing soffit and fascia on the bathhouse and Folsom Cottage, electrical efficiency upgrades in several buildings, and spending a day in the community painting and landscaping.

 

The staff at Pilgrim Center is amazed and exceedingly grateful for the generosity of this group. We have tentatively penciled in July 5th -8th 2016 for this event next year. Watch our UCCI calendar for more details.