May Message from Conference Minister Rev. Lorraine Ceniceros
Across the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference, spring is bringing not only warmer days and blooming landscapes but also new stirrings of the Spirit in our churches and communities.
On a bright and breezy Sunday afternoon, members and friends of Community United Church of Christ in Carbondale, Kansas gathered to dedicate a newly constructed labyrinth and surrounding gardens. Set on the church’s rural grounds, this sacred space is a gift to the congregation and the wider community, a place for prayer, quiet reflection, and sacred wandering. Rooted in ancient Christian tradition and open to all, the labyrinth invites walkers to slow down, listen deeply, and draw closer to the Holy. We give thanks for the vision and faithfulness of this small but mighty congregation and celebrate the blessing this new space offers to the region.
At the same time, we hold in prayer the congregation of Rolling Hills United Church of Christ in Salina, Kansas, as they enter a time of faithful discernment about the future of their ministry. Like many communities of faith, Rolling Hills is listening for God’s call in a season of change. Through worship, deep conversation, and community engagement, they are asking important questions: Who are we now? What is God inviting us to become? What legacy do we hope to leave? These are not easy questions, but they are holy ones—and they remind us that even when the path is uncertain, we are never walking alone.
As Rolling Hills UCC continues its discernment about the future, the congregation would like to offer several worship items to the wider Conference community. Available items include:
A baptismal font
An altar cross
Candle holders
A variety of hymnals, including The New Century Hymnal, The Pilgrim Hymnal, and the 1979 edition of The Hymnal of the United Church of Christ
If your faith community is interested in any of these items, please contact me at lceniceros@kocucc.org, and I will connect you with a member of Rolling Hills UCC.
This month, we joyfully celebrate a significant milestone for one of our Members in Discernment, Demetra (Dee) Moore, who will graduate May 17 at 11:00am with her Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary.
Dee has faithfully served as the licensed minister at Community United Church of Christ in Carbondale, Kansas, where her pastoral leadership, compassionate presence, and deep commitment to the life of the church have been a blessing to the congregation and the wider community. Her graduation marks the culmination of years of study, discernment, and growth—and the next step on her journey toward ordination in the United Church of Christ.
We give thanks for Dee’s ministry, her courage in following the call, and her contributions to the ongoing vitality of the church in rural Kansas. Please join us in praying for Dee as she continues to listen for the Spirit’s guidance and prepares for all that comes next.
Well done, Dee, and congratulations from your K-O Conference family!
We also give thanks for all those in the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference who are marking graduation milestones, whether from high school, college, seminary, continuing education programs.
Each graduate carries with them not only the knowledge they’ve gained but the hopes, prayers, and love of their families and communities that have supported them along the way. We celebrate your achievements and honor the dedication, resilience, and faith that brought you to this moment.
Whether you or your loved ones are discerning your next steps, preparing for a new chapter, or simply taking time to savor this accomplishment, know that your conference family is cheering you on. Your gifts are needed in this world—and we are excited to see where Spirit will lead you next. Congratulations, graduates! May your path be guided by grace and lit with purpose.
For those who have been wondering, we’re pleased to share that the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Saturday, November 8. The exact time is still to be determined, but we hope this early notice helps you plan ahead.
In preparation, we’ll be hosting late summer gatherings throughout the conference, echoing the spirit of our past Holy Conversations. These sessions will offer space for congregations to connect, reflect, and contemplate together, only on what is but also on what might be. The insights and reflections from these gatherings will help shape our Annual Meeting agenda and enrich our collective discernment.
Our virtual format allows us to come together for worship and the work of the conference without the need for travel, making space for wide participation and shared leadership across our diverse communities.
Stay tuned for more details in the coming months. We look forward to seeing you—online and in spirit—as we continue our journey together.
Last but certainly not least, we’re excited to share that the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference has partnered with Central Seminary in Overland Park, Kansas, as part of their work with the Thriving Congregations Initiative, generously funded by the Lilly Endowment.
As part of this partnership, we are inviting clergy and lay leaders to a Listening Session at 3:30pm on Saturday, June 22, hosted at First Congregational Church in Manhattan, Kansas.
The purpose of this session is to gather insights and experiences from local churches—to better understand the unique challenges congregations are facing today and how those challenges vary by location, size, and denominational context. Your voice and perspective are essential to shaping meaningful support for the future of ministry in our region.
I will be reaching out to congregations in and around the Manhattan area with personal invitations, but if your church leadership is interested in participating, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Let us come together to listen, learn, and lead with faith and hope.
As a conference, we are bound together not only by covenant but by care. So, whether you are dedicating something new, discerning what comes next, or planning for the future, may you feel the prayers of your siblings in faith walking with you.
With hope and gratitude,
Lorraine