Have you ever wished your church could make a statement or endorse an action in a timely manner when no congregational meeting is scheduled? Church of the Good Shepherd, Carbondale, Ill., adopted a Witness for Justice policy which enables them to do just that, thanks to modern communication methods. The statement or endorsement is first approved by the Justice and Witness Team and presented to the pastor and the president of the church council. The message is then sent out to church members by electronic mail, along with background information and explanation. Active members without e-mail are contacted by phone. If the need for response is not immediate, the issue is also shared through the church newsletter. The message includes contact information and a deadline for responding. If the issue requires more than a simple agree or disagree, alternative suggestions are allowed, which are then passed on so everyone can be part of the discussion. Agreement of 75% of the responses to the final format is needed for approval. If approved, the statement or endorsement is disseminated to the appropriate bodies and the final result reported to members by e-mail and the newsletter. Good Shepherd has used this policy to seek endorsement of a Smoke-Free Carbondale resolution, which a local group presented to the City Council.

When Old First UCC in Springfield, Mass., decided to close its doors after 370 years in ministry, there were a few questions to be answered. At the top of the list was how the church would honor its legacy and who would be the beneficiary of the sale of its property and liquidation of about $1.8 million in assets. With a spirit of generosity, the congregation has donated substantial financial resources to many ministries, including more than $250,000 to the UCC’s New and Renewing Churches Endowment Fund. The church, which opened in 1636, officially ceased worship at the end of 2007. Upon closing, they voted to give back to the community and help partner ministries. An advisory council met monthly to wrap up the loose ends of church business and traverse the difficult legal process of dissolving a nonprofit corporation. They distributed the church proceeds during the last half of 2009. (Continued on August 27)

The Rev. Paul Nixon spoke with a passionate clarity during his visit to the UCC national offices in downtown Cleveland last week when he said bold vision and unwavering witness require an unmistakable sparkle.

(Continued from August 24) “One never knows what the next day will bring,” said Sherry. “There is a deeply rooted grief over the loss of this building that has served so many for so many years. This was a beloved building for so many people.” Sherry moved to Cleveland in 1989 when the national offices were relocated from New York. “We joined Euclid Avenue shortly thereafter,” said Sherry. “My installation services took place there. The church has meant and means a great deal to us.” Sherry marveled at the immediate support received from “so many UCC people and beyond. There is such a commonality of faith, an ability to support people in times of loss. Though we grieve, we continue to trust that God will help us find a way forward. In that trust, we hope, indeed, to see a brighter tomorrow.” The church accepted an offer of worship space at a recently vacated Methodist Church building nearby. Fire destroys Cleveland’s historic church in Cleveland by United Church News staff reports Leon Bibb, news anchor for Cleveland’s ABC affiliate, is a longtime member of the church. “That’s just the building. The church is the people,” Bibb said in an early morning interview. “Maybe God is still talking to us.”

When: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7pm to Wed Sep 15, 2010 8pm  EDT

Event Status: confirmed

When: Wed Sep 1, 2010

Event Status: confirmed

When: Sat Aug 28, 2010 2pm to 3pm  EDT

Event Status: confirmed

Just over a month after its rollout, Faith Practices is drawing enthusiastic reviews from subscribers praising the simplicity of its use and the depth of the reflection it provides. To date, 73 churches have subscribed to the resources.

Expanding its seven-year partnership with Grand Valley State University, St. John’s United Church of Christ in Grand Rapids, Mich., opened its doors this summer to the university’s School of Communication.

A massive fire apparently ignited by lightning has claimed the historic structure that housed the Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC in Cleveland. Clevelanders awoke Tuesday, March 23,2010 to TV news reports that the impressive stone structure –– home to a diverse, multiracial congregation tucked within the sprawling Cleveland Clinic medical center campus –– had been destroyed. Although there were no significant injuries in the blaze, one firefighter was treated for an eye injury. In addition, eight patients at two adjacent Cleveland Clinic buildings were moved because of smoke in the hospital’s ventilation system, and the street was closed due to fear that the front of the building would collapse. Founded in 1843, Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC was one of the first racially integrated churches in Cleveland. The congregation has about 200 members, including the Rev. Paul H. Sherry, UCC president from 1989 to 1999, and his wife, Mary, who have attended Euclid Avenue for the past 20 years. (Continued on August 25)

For the price of a used car, about $5,200, life-saving medicines and tests could be provided to some of the world’s poorest people. The National Spiritual Council of Churches in Haiti (CONASPEH), a long-time partner of Global Ministries, operates a clinic in Port-au-Prince where physical exams and basic first aid care are provided. The problem is, most people are too poor to afford lab testing and, even if the tests are run, patients must return to the clinic for the diagnosis and treatment. The cost of the tests, the medicine and the return trip are unaffordable for most people in Haiti. Through Global Ministries private donations have supplied a mobile laboratory project which includes equipment and supplies to test for common life threatening diseases in Haiti such as malaria, TB, anemia, HIV and others. The supplies fit into a small suitcase, equipped with a solar panel for use in places without electricity. The kit is used by the Bentrots, our missionaries, in rural areas outside of Port-au-Prince.

Back to School! It’s August—time to buy one last ice cream cone at the corner stand on the way to get school supplies. If there’s a child or teen in your life, there’s something more you can do this month to prepare them for school, and beyond that, for adulthood. In the midst of back-to-school purchases, invest some time talking about financial decisions. Young children need to know a safe place to carry lunch money and how much lunch costs at school. Teens need to learn how to balance short-term and long-term desires. College students face a dramatic increase in financial responsibilities and choices. In a time of record-high credit balances and bankruptcies, young people can use guidance more than ever. If handling money seems like an odd topic for the church to raise, think again. Gospel reports of Jesus’ ministry reveal that he talked about money and possessions more than anything else except for love! Learning the wise use of our assets is part of the faithful Christian life. Children learn about money at home. Think back to your own childhood. Maybe money was never discussed in your family; you learned to be secretive about finances. You might have been encouraged by a parent to set aside some money for college; you learned that saving can bring rewards. Perhaps your parents fought about money a lot; you learned that money is a source of power, controversy and pain. Money messages like these come from daily life. Busy parents don’t often give much thought to what they’re teaching by their own actions. This month, be intentional about the money messages in your household. Talk about the ways we use money and how to make those decisions. Consider together what the instruction of Jesus means for money management in your family: see Matthew 6:19-21 and 24.

Oh Baby! The pastor of First Congregational Church of Bethel, CT was getting a haircut from the same hairdresser as they had for many years. They would always play catch-up on what is new in their lives. The pastor was telling “Anthony” about a recent sermon and some of the other causes near and dear to their heart, the Daily Bread Food Pantry and how the number of grocery bags full of food distributed has increased from 60 bags a week to over 200 bags a week. Concern was expressed that so many people are finding themselves in such difficult financial straits and how there was need to provide more food for the pantry. As the bill being paid, Anthony reached behind the counter and pulled out an envelope marked “Food Pantry”. He handed the pastor fifty dollars and told them to do whatever I thought was best. What a gift! “My daughter Sara and I went shopping the next day and bought $50 worth of baby food,” said the Rev. Lori Cipot. This baby food was then delivered to the Pantry just in time to distribute food to over 75 people. God does work in mysterious ways!

After seven years of worship, The Villages (Fla.) UCC now has a building to call home.

Although 25,000 participants and 2,500 media members gathered last month in Vienna, Austria, for the 28th International AIDS Conference, the numbers are just not adding up, according to one UCC executive.

Created in response to a 2005 General Synod resolution calling for a church-wide praise song book, a diverse group of musicians, pastors and theologians were given the task of bringing the project to life. Initially, a contest was held to generate interest in the song book, with two songs -- "Hush" by James F.D. Martin and "You Are" by Mark Unbehagen -- selected as winners. Over a two-year period, hundreds of songs were evaluated, both from previously published sources and new submissions. More than 100 of the songs have not been published previously. The 217-song collection includes music of praise that encompasses traditional religious vocabulary but also explore non-traditional, contemporary religious images, said the Rev. Susan A. Blain, minister for worship and spiritual formation and a member of song book's advisory team. "Praise music is a memorable, melody-based composition that is musically accessible without being simplistic," Blain said, reading from the advisory team's 2007 statement that guided their work. Singing at the dedication was led by Amanda Powell, music director for the contemporary Alive360 worship service at Federated UCC in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. “These are praise and worship songs that speak to the covenantal values of the United Church of Christ, along with attention to expansive language and theological challenge and depth," Ressman said at the time of the song book's unveiling at General Synod 2009 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Celebrating the culmination of four years of work, the UCC's national staff dedicated the denomination's new expansive-language "Sing! Prayer and Praise" song book at its fall all-staff day in Cleveland just one year ago. The morning service marked the beginning of a day of volunteering at work sites throughout the city as a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the UCC national setting's 1989 move to Cleveland. "We send it into the world!" said the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president, as he presided over a litany of dedication for the song book with about 200 staff members crowded into the first-floor Amistad Chapel. "We pray in hopes that 'Sing!' will be a continued source of inspiration to many." "A true labor of love is a true labor in community," said the Rev. Kimberly Whitney, minister for community life at the UCC's Church House, after recognizing staff who had shared various roles in the planning, production, publication and promotion of the book. Whitney paid special tribute to the leadership of the Rev. Scott A. Ressman, the UCC's minister for worship, music and liturgical arts, who edited the project and convened its advisory team. (Continued on August 20)

Members of the World Council of Churches will convene at UCC national offices in Cleveland Aug. 26-29 to discuss rationale for continued ecumenical engagement in churches' attitudes and responses to racism.

The National Spiritual Council of Churches of Haiti (CONASPEH) is the umbrella organization for the country’s 5,000 Protestant churches. This Global Ministries partner advocates for its member churches, and also develops projects in health care and education. Its medical clinics provide patients with physicals and first-aid care. CONASPEH purchased a mobile laboratory that provides the diagnostic testing that patients currently can’t afford. The mobile lab also helps train nurses. At the same time, CONASPEH’s Collège André gives scholarships to students for the advanced study of medicine and other sciences. The school offers a basic curriculum, plus courses in informatics, typing, plastic arts, and music. It fills a deep void in Haiti: education is free and compulsory for children between 6 and 11, but cost prevents many students from attending school. CONASPEH provides a way for people in Haiti to access health care and education.

The youth of the Florida Conference’s Southeast Region will be among members of the state’s 100 UCC churches holding community worship Sunday, Aug. 22, which has been designated “Disaster Recognition Day” in support of those affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.