According to the calendar, Summer is coming to an end, but even as the weather in Kansas and Oklahoma might reflect that change, we know the fall season will soon be upon us because Annual Meeting is almost here!

The United Church of Christ is pleased to award First Congregational Church, UCC in McPherson, KS with a $250 matching grant for your fundraising efforts and commitment to assemble the following kits, to be distributed by Church World Service (CWS)

Following the Clergy Retreat, we moved to Fellowship Congregational Church for my Installation service, which began at 4:00pm.

Connections, connections, connections. This theme is continually showing up throughout the conference as I meet with pastors and congregations. This is also the theme at the forefront of our conference leaders’ attention as they get to know me, and I strive to get to know them personally.

By now you are aware of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

When I served in the Conference setting I would often meet with leaders after the worship service. When we would gather sooner or later I would ask them, “what is your ‘why’”? Why does your church exist in the first place? Why has God formed this church?

There is so much pain and anguish happening in our world. Often it is difficult to know where to put our attention and our energy. If we do focus on an individual cause, we might wonder: will we ever be able to make a difference?

Cathedral of Hope UCC practices what they preach.

The Conference is grateful for the Reverend Gina Woods, who serves as the Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care at Fellowship Congregational UCC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gina will begin serving the Conference as the Local Church Representative for the state of Oklahoma. Thank you, Gina!

The Ministerial Excellence, Support, and Authorization team will continue to offer live Zoom trainings for Committees on Ministry and others throughout 2022.

Now is a good time to talk with the Cornerstone Fund about low-cost loan options that will directly improve your facility and potentially strengthen your congregation.

As the Registrar for the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference UCC, I have had a bird’s eye view to the work of the two Committeees on Ministry of the Conference – and it’s been a privilege to witness.

My time with our local churches continue as I travel across the Conference each Sunday to worship with and connect to our congregations.

Last November as I was preparing to relocate to Kansas, I enrolled and attended the Kansas Leadership Center’s program Your Leadership Edge (YLE)at the invitation of the Conference Council chairperson, Bobbie Henderson.

Last month, the Conference of Conference Ministers Gathering in Cleveland reflected to me, in a very real way, the importance of the connections we have with one another and the significance of making new connections in our life and work.

These last few weeks I have been contemplating the importance of ongoing connections and support for one another. I witnessed the embodiment and importance of these connections this last week at the gathering of the Cabinet of Conference Ministers in Cleveland.

A Risk Champion is a person who works with the Insurance Board and Conferences to set a good example, to encourage and inspire church leaders, employees and volunteers to make positive changes that help create and maintain a safe ministry for all.

Has something ever weighed on your mind so much that it kept you up at night? Have you ever longed to have somebody with whom you could talk things through?