June Message from Conference Minister Rev. Lorraine Ceniceros
We are already in the middle of 2025! And for many of us, the world still feels just as unsteady as it did right after January 20th.
I know I’ve written about this before, but it’s worth revisiting.
Last week, I was in a meeting with six bishops from various mainline denominations. Our conversation turned to a challenging and important question: As leaders of Synods and Conferences, how do we speak honestly and faithfully about what’s happening in our country?
One of them offered this grounding truth: “Governments change, but our Christian values stay the same.”
That stayed with me. It led us deeper, to the question: What are our core values?
Because if we can name even one Christian value we live by, we’re far less likely to lose our way when the storm hits.
We all know that feeling. Laws change. Leadership shifts. Priorities get reshuffled. Things that once felt steady begin to wobble. In those moments, we are invited to pause and ask:
• What are the values that guide me?
• What grounds me when the world feels unsettled?
For Christians, the answer doesn’t come from headlines or polls. It comes from Jesus.
The values we see in him, love, compassion, justice, humility, and mercy—aren’t seasonal or situational. They’re not just admirable ideas; they’re ways of living we’re called to practice daily. These aren’t political talking points. They’re deep, enduring truths rooted in Scripture, meant to anchor us through every season of life.
When you think about your own life, your family, your work, your community, how often do outside forces try to pull you in different directions? Our faith gives us something stronger than the winds around us. It gives us a foundation.
Scripture reminds us of the values that shape a Christian life:
• Love and Compassion – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
• Justice and Mercy – “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy.” (Micah 6:8)
• Care for the Marginalized – “Whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
When we hold to these values, we can move through uncertainty with courage and clarity. We can speak up when others stay silent. We can offer grace when it’s hard. We can stay rooted in love, even when fear and anger are close by.
Here in the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference, we are blessed with churches that live out these values in faithful, visible ways.
While visiting Fellowship Congregational Church in Tulsa, OK for their 75th anniversary service and picnic, I witnessed a congregation deeply committed to care, for every person. They’ve created a place where people belong, not only in worship, but in their daily life together in the wider community. Their values are not just spoken; they’re practiced.
I also spent time learning about a courageous 2017 decision made by Mayflower Congregational UCC in Oklahoma City. On October 1st, after ten months of learning from Dreamers, immigration attorneys, the UCC Insurance Board, Dream Action Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, and after holding many congregational meetings, Mayflower voted to join the sanctuary movement, fully aware of what that commitment would require.
Even though they haven’t had to house anyone, Mayflower has stayed active: organizing four years of interfaith immigration justice prayer vigils (outside of an undercover ICE office, the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office, and Senator James Lankford's OKC office); offering respite for individuals being pursued by law enforcement; accompanying immigrants to ICE hearings; hosting legal clinics; and providing financial support to immigrants in need. They didn’t just take a vote. They’ve continued to live their values, every step of the way.
These two congregations remind us that being Christian isn’t just about belief, it’s about how we live. It’s about creating spaces where people feel seen, safe, and valued.
That witness matters deeply, especially as the legislatures of Oklahoma and Kansas continue to pass laws that target the most vulnerable—laws that harm trans youth, restrict education and reproductive care, and make life harder for immigrants.
But in the midst of those storms, churches like Fellowship and Mayflower remain centered. They are the eye of the storm—calm, steady, and rooted in love.
And that is our call too.
• What values are shaping your life right now?
• Where are you being called to show up with courage and care?
• Are there ways you can live more fully into the teachings of Jesus in your daily choices?
Let’s keep asking these questions—not just once, but over and over again. Not just as individuals, but as a community of faith. Let’s keep checking in—not only about what we believe, but how we live.
Because the world will always change. But the values of Christ still hold.
With gratitude for your faith and witness,
Lorraine