"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

       When hate spurred on by fear rears its ugly head, some in our churches may experience tension over how to live as people of faith when our "hospitality to strangers" leaves us feeling like "sheep in the midst of wolves." How do we maintain our focus on the ministries of the church when terror lurks at the door?

       In Matthew's Gospel Jesus acknowledges the hardships his disciples will face, and purposefully sends them into their mission field. Jesus also gives them practical advice: "be wise as serpents." In essence, Jesus tells them to use their intellect, employ common sense, and to assess and prepare for the situations they may encounter. The training that will be offered by the Michigan State Police on October 27, 2015 is one opportunity for our churches to prepare ourselves for the very real threats of the world. As we continue to reel from the shock of the massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina, we have the responsibility to honor our commitments to God, and the saints that have gone before us, to do the work of ministry even as we train and teach one another in matters of safety. Jesus also wanted his disciples to be "innocent as doves." I think he was admonishing them to not allow their hearts to become calloused by the harshness of the world. Let us continue to be gentle, kind, and loving as we engage in the ministry and mission of the Church, even as we are mindful of the wolves seeking prey.

       May the Holy Spirit remind us that God created and loves both sheep and wolves, and may we be blessed with a wise and discerning spirit to know one from the other.

God bless and keep you.

Rev. Dr. Renee C. Jackson

We extend our deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in the loss of their Pastor Clementa Pinckney and eight of their church family. As the body of Christ, we weep in pain and prayer with you in the aftermath of this horrible act of violence. Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured. Each loss is close to us; we just learned that the beloved cousin of one of our UCC national staff persons was one of the victims.

Mass killings such as these are heart-rending under any circumstances. They are made even more tragic when they happen within the walls and safety of sacred space. The heart of our nation must break wide open to feel the pain of our divisions. The body of our nation must turn itself inside out to expose the sickness of our collective culture. The soul of our nation must cry out in agony and lamentation at this time. We appeal to the United Church of Christ family and the entire nation to pray without ceasing for justice and peace to prevail.
 

We rely on God's abiding love, the presence of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit as we know that God wraps the entire AME family in a blessed embrace. When one part of the body is injured, the whole body suffers.
 

Dear God of many Names, we come to you in our time of grief. Help us dear God to understand how such tragedy occurs in the midst of your beloved family. Because you have made us One Body, help us dear God to reach across the lines which divide us. At this time, we ask for special prayers for our beloved family in Charleston, South Carolina and all who connect to them in life and spirit. Keep them close to your heart dear One and protect them with power of your Holy Spirit. We pray all this in the blessed name of Jesus the Christ, our Rock and our Redeemer. 

Pray without Ceasing,
Geoffrey, Ben, Jim, and Linda
 
Rev. Geoffrey Black, UCC General Minister

Rev. Dr. Ben Guess, Executive Minister of UCC Local Church Ministries

Rev. James Moos, Executive Minister of UCC Wider Church Ministries 

Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister of UCC Justice and Witness Ministries 

As the people of several African-American churches that caught fire across the southern United States survey the damage and work to rebuild, the United Church of Christ is stepping in to assist, in a show of support for and solidarity with those church communities.

"Our nation as a whole and African-American churches in particular have experienced deep pain over the shooting deaths at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. That pain has been compounded by the burning of a number of African-American churches in the south since the attack," said the Rev. James Moos, executive minister of UCC Wider Church Ministries. "We in the United Church of Christ want to show our solidarity and support as, together, we continue to work toward racial justice."  READ MORE

The Covenant Association of the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ invites applications for grants that advocate for the support of students in higher education settings.  Please submit a 1-2 page description of the plans for ministry in a specific setting.  How will the funds be used? If you have received a grant within the last year, please include an additional page indicating how ministry was impacted in that setting by the gift. Be sure to include the ways outreach includes ecumenical diversity and specific UCC involvement of students, faculty and staff.
 

Grant applications must be submitted to the Higher Education Advocate, Rev. Dr. Julie J. Kilmer at jj_kilmer@msn.com  by September 1, 2015. Please note that grants are limited to one gift per setting per year. Amounts of each grant will vary, depending upon number of applications, need and previous funding patterns. Amounts generally range from $500-$2,500.