This resource is a gift from the Rev. Kelly Colwell, an authorized minister in the NCNC who created the original Prayer Cycle as part of her Member in Discernment process in advance of ordination. It has been updated by Conference staff to reflect changes since the original resource was published. We continue to be grateful for her spiritual leadership and the ongoing legacy of her nurturing a common prayer life for our Conference inspired by our covenant.
In the UCC, we are a denomination of sacred promises.
Rather than laws, rules, or strings, we are bound to each other by the covenant we make with each other. More than a collection of local churches, richer and more creative than a structure, stronger than a ministerial, we bind ourselves as local churches into Associations, Conferences, Regions, and even a Denomination through covenants. Covenants are the shape of our relationships to each other, and while we maintain nearly total autonomy for local churches to act, we also call on each other to respect the actions of all other settings of the church. Our 1959 Statement of Faith names the ultimate source of all our covenants:
“You bestow upon us your holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races…”
We proclaim that God has bound us in covenant with each other at every level of our denomination. We proclaim that God has given us to each other for mutual benefit, as we have written in our statement of covenant. God has brought us together to support each other, to challenge each other, to appreciate each other, to help each other, to share our dreams and visions with each other. Our faithful God is continually calling us to be in closer and more faithful relationships with each other across the Conference.
In these relationships, we can truly rejoice in each other’s blessings and weep for each other’s sorrows. We can raise money for each other when tragedy strikes, invite each other to share events and experiences, offer each other resources, teach each other our best practices. We can bear witness to each other about what God is doing in our own midst. Sometimes we can bear witness to what we see God doing in our neighbor’s context, helping each other recognize the presence of the Holy One. We can be rightly proud and grateful for our rich relationships within our Conference. We are in covenant with each other, and we are bound to live up to the promises we have made to each other.
One of the promises we have made is to pray for each other.
Prayer Cycle
- At the very simplest, you might simply name the settings in prayer during yourSunday worship service, perhaps during the Prayers of the People or PastoralPrayer.
- You might also simply choose to list the prayer cycle in your bulletin, asking yourcongregation to lift those settings up in prayer.
- An additional option would be to build in a regular section of your worship service:the lighting of a candle or the singing of a simple refrain, saying “We are in community with Elm United Church of Christ in Daly City and Hudson Memorial Church in Fresno this morning as we worship, and we lift them up to God.
- You might project the names and pictures of the congregation during the announcements, naming them as our prayer partners for this week.
2022-23 Prayer Cycle
Week Beginning | Church 1 | Church 2 | Church/Other Ministry |
---|---|---|---|
Jan. 8, 2023 | WOODSIDE Village UCC | SANTA CRUZ Peace UCC | All Members in Discernment and those considering authorized ministry |
Jan. 15, 2023 | FRESNO First Congregational UCC | MILL VALLEY Community Church of Mill Valley UCC | All retired authorized ministers |
Jan. 22, 2023 | SAN RAFAEL First Congregational UCC | SUNNYVALE Congregational Community UCC | All those in our conference who minister with children and young people |
Jan. 29, 2023 | OLYMPIC VALLEY Squaw Valley Chapel UCC | OROVILLE First Congregational UCC | The Northern California and Nevada Conference ministers, staff, and committee members |
Feb. 5, 2023 | BERKELEY, Grace North Church | CLOVIS United Japanese Christian Church UCC UMC | Members of our Conference who serve on boards and committees of the wider UCC |
Feb. 12, 2023 | SANTA ROSA First Congregational UCC | HAYWARD Eden UCC | Leadership in the Bay Association |
Feb. 19, 2023 | PALO ALTO First Congregational UCC | OAKLAND, Faith Community UCC | Leadership in the Golden Gate Association |
Feb. 26, 2023 | MARINA, Penina Ole Ola | SUNNYVALE Filipino-American UCC | Leadership in the Santa Clara Association |
Mar. 5, 2023 | SACRAMENTO Pioneer Congregational UCC | SEBASTOPOL Community UCC | Leadership in the Sacramento Valley Association |
Mar. 12, 2023 | DALY CITY First Cong. Christian Samoan CCCAS UCC | SEASIDE, Malamalama Fou UCC | Leadership in the Sequoia Association |
Mar. 19, 2023 | MODESTO College Ave. Congregational UCC | SAN FRANCISCO Chinese Congregational UCC | The ministry of Camp Tamarack |
Mar. 26, 2023 | ANGELS CAMP Union Congregational UCC | FAIRFAX Community UCC | Our full communion partners in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Northern California Nevada Region |
Apr. 2, 2023 | PESCADERO Community UCC | MURPHYS First Congregational UCC | Our full communion partners in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Sierra Pacific Synod |
Apr. 9, 2023 | SAN CARLOS, Kalavaria Reformed CCCSA UCC | SAN MATEO Congregational UCC | Our full communion partners in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyteries of Nevada, Redwoods, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Jose, and Stockton |
Apr. 16, 2023 | FREMONT United Church of Christ Fremont | OAKLAND Skyline Community UCC | Our full communion partners in the Reformed Church in America, Central California Classis, City Classis |
Apr. 23, 2023 | NORTH FORK Grace Community UCC | PETALUMA United Church of Christ | Our full communion partners in the United Church of Canada |
April 30, 2023 | BERKELEY Chinese Community UCC | HAYWARD, Satauro O Le Ola UCC | Our full communion partners (kirchengemeinschaft) in the Union of Evangelical Churches, Germany (UEK) |
May 7, 2023 | SAN MATEO College Heights UCC | OAKLAND First Congregational UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the United Methodist Church, California-Nevada Conference |
May 14, 2023 | MARINA, Ola Fou – New Life Church | LOS ALTOS Foothills Congregational UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa |
May 21, 2023 | PITTSBURG Community PCUSA UCC | BERKELEY First Congregational UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa |
May 28, 2023 | SAN FRANCISCO St John’s UCC | SAN FRANCISCO Light of Life/First Samoan Congregational UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico (IEUPR) |
Jun. 4, 2023 | LOS GATOS Skyland Community UCC | SAN CARLOS Community UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the Alliance of Baptists |
Jun. 11, 2023 | SAN JOSE Cong'l Church of Almaden Valley UCC | FOSTER CITY Island United Church UCC | Our ecumenical partners in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church |
Jun. 18, 2023 | AUBURN First Congregational UCC | HAYWARD United Church of Hayward UCC | Our ecumenical relationships in the World Council of Churches |
Jun. 25, 2023 | SAN JOSE New Community of Faith ABC UCC | SAN FRANCISCO Pilgrim Community UCC | Our ecumenical relationships in the World Communion of Reformed Churches |
Jul. 2, 2023 | LEMOORE La'au Ole Ola Cong’l. Christian CCCS UCC | SAN JOSE Urban Sanctuary | Our ecumenical relationships within the National Council of Churches in the United States |
Jul. 9, 2023 | CEDARVILLE Surprise Valley Community UCC | SAN JOSE, Epenesa Fou CCCAS UCC | Our local ecumenical relationships |
Jul. 16, 2023 | SAN JOSE Cosmopolitan Evangelical UCC | LOOMIS Loomis Basin Congregational UCC | Staff and leaders in our National Setting |
Jul. 23, 2023 | SONOMA First Congregational UCC | TULARE First Congregational UCC | Conference Inclusion Task Force (CITF) |
Jul. 30, 2023 | LA SELVA BEACH Community UCC | OAKLAND Plymouth UCC | Committee on Ministry, Section A (Initial Authorization for Ministry) |
Aug. 6, 2023 | DANVILLE Congregational UCC | STOCKTON First Congregational UCC | Committee on Ministry, Section B (Support & Oversight of Ministers) |
Aug. 13, 2023 | PITTSBURG First Congregational UCC of Antioch | SUISUN CITY Suisun-Fairfield | Committee on Ministry, Section C (New & Emerging Churches) |
Aug. 20, 2023 | KENSINGTON Arlington Community UCC | FREMONT Niles Discovery Church DOC UCC | Committee on Ministry, Section D (Covenant Support with Churches) |
Aug. 27, 2023 | SUNOL Little Brown Church of Sunol | DALY CITY, Samoan Cong'l Church of Jesus Christ | Committee on Ministry, Section E (Accountability for Ministerial Ethics) |
Sept. 3, 2023 | SACRAMENTO, Christian Cathedral UCC (in care) | OAKLAND Bayview Samoan CCCAS UCC | NCNC Justice & Witness Ministries |
Sept. 10, 2023 | OAKLAND, Ministerio Latino New Church Start (in exploration) | SAN BRUNO St John’s UCC | LODI United Congregational Christian DOC UCC |
Sept. 17, 2023 | TIBURON Community Congregational UCC | CAMPBELL Congregational Church of Campbell UCC | SAN BRUNO First Filipino-American UCC |
Sept. 24, 2023 | SAN JOSE First Congregational UCC | EL SOBRANTE The Good Table UCC | PLEASANT HILL Hillcrest Congregational UCC |
Oct. 1, 2023 | CARMEL, Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula | WEAVERVILLE, Trinity Congregational UCC | FREMONT Filipino-American UCC |
Oct. 8, 2023 | SACRAMENTO Sierra Vista Community Church UCC PCUSA | SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Faafouina Cong'l Church | WOODLAND St John’s UCC |
Oct. 15, 2023 | PORTOLA VALLEY Ladera Community UCC | BENICIA Community Congregational UCC | OAKLAND/ALAMEDA First Samoan Cong. |
Oct. 22, 2023 | KENWOOD Community UCC | EUREKA United Congregational Christian Church UCC/DOC | BELMONT Congregational Church of Belmont UCC |
Oct. 29, 2023 | MARTINEZ First Congregational UCC | SACRAMENTO, Marshallese Ministry UCC (in care) | REDDING Pilgrim Congregational UCC |
Nov. 5, 2023 | SAN LORENZO San Lorenzo Community UCC | SAN JOSE Tafatolu CCCAS UCC | Students, faculty, and staff at Pacific School of Religion |
Nov. 12, 2023 | EL CERRITO Sycamore Congregational UCC | ORINDA Community UCC | Students, faculty, and staff across the Graduate Theological Union |
Nov. 19, 2023 | CLOVERDALE United Church of Cloverdale UCC | SAN FRANCISCO First Congregational UCC | Students and chaplains at UCC and ecumenical campus ministries in our Conference: San Francisco State, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz |
Nov. 26, 2023 | OAKLAND City of Refuge Community UCC | RENO First Congregational UCC | UCC chaplains in hospitals and hospice settings |
Dec. 3, 2023 | ALAMEDA First Congregational UCC | ELK GROVE Elk Grove Congregational UCC | UCC Chaplains in prisons and jails |
Dec. 10, 2023 | SACRAMENTO Parkside Community UCC | FRESNO Community UCC | UCC Military chaplains |
Dec. 17, 2023 | REDWOOD CITY First Congregational UCC | SANTA ROSA First Samoan/Wellspring UCC | In gratitude, we pray that our covenant be upheld and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. |
Dec. 24, 2023 | ALTURAS Federated Community UCC | RIPON First Congregational Church | Participants and ministers at the San Francisco Night Ministry and other ministries to poor and unhoused people |