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How do we end/leave our ministry lives?

By Rev. Deborah Streeter As I prepare to move east to an independent living place in the Albany New York area, near my son and his family, I have pondered and prayed about letting go of my ministry persona and life. For 15 years I have belonged to two churches here on the central coast, La Selva Community UCC where I officially hold my ministerial standing, and Pacific Grove Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, where I most often worship, in both settings as Minister of Blue Theology, connecting faith communities and ocean issues. Many NCNC churches have taken part in…
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Our Whole Lives is turning 25 years old soon!

By Lauren Jewett The first edition of the first Our Whole Lives comprehensive sexuality education curriculum was published in the year 2000, which means Our Whole Lives is about to have a milestone birthday, celebrating 25 years in 2025! To celebrate this amazing milestone - 25 years of Our Whole Lives - the OWL Advisory Committee (on which I serve) and other UCC folx passionate about Our Whole Lives have been working hard to mark this amazing milestone, with a resolution at Synod, and a goal of having 25 Our Whole Lives facilitator trainings hosted by UCC-affiliated groups in 2025.…
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We want your youth to come to IMMERSION 2025: SF!

By Rev. Lauren Jewett Register Here and read below for more information about this awesome event! The Youth and Outdoor Ministry team has been working hard for months to vision and plan for our next conference-wide youth event! IMMERSION 2025:SF will be held at The Waller Urban Retreat Center, which is owned and operated by our siblings in the United Methodist Church. The Waller Center is located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and is a fantastic location for a weekend youth event! It has a commercial kitchen, full-size gym space, dorm rooms, and a beautiful chapel space for evening worship. We…
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Rev. Lauren Jewett is our new ACM for Youth, Young Adults, and Education

By Rev. Lauren Jewett This week begins my role as the Associate Conference Minister (ACM) for Youth, Young Adults, and Education here at the Northern California Nevada Conference. I am thrilled to begin this new role and am so proud of this conference for taking a courageous and spirit-filled step towards serving the needs of our youth and young adults, who are very much the present of the church, not merely its future. A little bit about me: For the past three years I served as Director of Spiritual Engagement and Campus Minister at CA House, one of the UCC’s…
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Chocolate Fest at the Congregational Church of the Peninsula UCC

By Micki Carter Ah, church fundraisers! Now there’s a topic that can keep church leadership gnawing on ideas (good, bad and awful) for eons! In 1983, a group of 10 from the Congregational Church of Belmont met on the deck of my house in San Mateo to come up with a fundraiser with overlapping goals. It needed to: Raise money — but not from members who already gave a lot. Grab the interest of the community. Benefit community organizations like food banks and shelters. Be classy! Beer festivals kept coming up but somehow that didn’t sound all that appropriate for…
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Join the Conference and National Setting for the 2024 All Church Read

In this tumultuous election year, we can’t help but feel in our bodies and spirits the weight of the conversations and choices that await us. As some embrace divisive rhetoric and threatening language and behaviors toward our siblings nationally and globally, perhaps you, too, find yourself longing for ways to stay grounded and connected to the faith and values that motivate you. Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries of the UCC National setting are hoping that our 2024 All Church Read will provide just these kinds of resources for such a time as this.   You are invited to journey…
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Authorized Ministers’ Retreat 6/5/2024

Authorized Ministers Retreat 6/5/2024 at First Congregational Church UCC, Fresno NCNC UCC Authorized Ministers and NCNC UCC Members in Discernment are invited to come a day early for the Authorized Ministers Retreat. Register here.  Schedule for Authorized Ministers Retreat. Authorized Ministers 1 Day Retreat 2024 Wednesday June 5th 8 a.m. Breakfast 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m Conference Listening Session 11:30 a.m Break 12:00 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. Preaching and discussing Ceasefire in the Middle East/Gaza/Palestine led by Jim Mitulski OR Enneagram for Clergy led by Casey Tinnin 3:30 p.m. Social Hour (Painting, Games, Sipping, Puzzles etc.) 5:15 p.m. Communion-Closing Worship…
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Camp Tamarack Volunteers Needed

Come to Camp Tamarack and make a difference God’s grace is laid before us to honor, love and praise The mountains, trees, the birds, the bees All play their parts…come see The shining faces of children, muddied by dirt and sweat The small stuff tomorrow, Today please commit To open air and laughter, to sunshine, fun and prayer. Commit to our future leaders, to their spirit, they are our heirs To the promise of progressive faith, bold and proud We stand together, so let us all lend, not just our voices, but our hands. K. S. Lindsey Camp Tamarack Needs…
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Black Wealth Builder Update

By Jeanne Strauss, Bay Association Moderator Representatives from at least 14 churches attended the BWB Information Session on January 16, where we shared ideas and plans for implementation of the Black Wealth Builders Resolution. If you were among the attendees, you may receive a follow-up phone call from Rev Barry Cammer (925-352-7101). Whether or not you were there, please feel free to reach out to Barry for more information. The process for becoming a BWB Congregation is explained in this document. In short, the primary requirements are: ·  Undertaking church-wide study and education on systemic racism in our country and its ongoing economic…
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Who’s Your Neighbor? Being Church at BART

SPIRITUAL TOUCHSTONE Being Church at BART by Rev. Dr. Melinda V. McLain On Ash Wednesday, a local group of clergy braved the rain and wind to offer the blessing of ashes at BART during the evening rush hour. Since I came to Mira Vista (now The Good Table UCC) in 2014, this is only the third time we have gathered at El Cerrito Del Norte station to offer ashes to commuters because pandemic concerns made us stop this public offering for three years. This year, we were one Lutheran, one Presbyterian and two UCC pastors. I heard on the clergy…
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