By posted by Joy Davis
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Prayer Cross at Skyline UCC

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By Cheryl Jones I first observed this prayer cross in 2022 in Memphis. My 92-year-old mother had been hospitalized for surgery. When I entered the hospital, I saw the cross near the entrance. Paper and pens were available for anyone who wanted to write a prayer and leave it on the cross.  I thought it would be a great idea for churches too, and thought about how to make that happen at my church, Skyline UCC in Oakland. It would be a place for all who come through our doors to bring their prayers. After a while I began to…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Sun Day Electric Vehicle Car Show at Niles Discovery DOC UCC

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Niles Discovery Church, 36600 Niles Blvd., Fremont, will host a public Electric Vehicle Car Show on Sunday, September 21, 2:00-4:00 in their large parking lot. This is part of their celebration of Sun Day, a nationwide celebration of clean energy spurred on by people who remember the first Earth Day in 1970. “September 21st was picked for two big reasons,” explained the Rev. Jeffrey Spencer, pastor at Niles Discovery Church. “First, because it’s the solar equinox – one of the two days of the year when all of the world gets an equal amount of sunlight, showing how the sun…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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It’s Another Day’s Journey and I’m Glad

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By Rev. Dr. Davena L. Creer-Jones Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow! Wow! We had a meaningful time of presence and travel over the last six weeks. Welcome back home, staff, Conference Delegates, Conference Council Members, and all those who traveled as representatives of Christ and the Conference. Thank you, NCNC UCC Family, for your lifted prayers as the Conference Staff traveled. We appreciate your patience in waiting for responses to telephone calls, text messages, and emails. MeLinda LaViene and I are currently in the office this week and next, so again, please allow us a few extra days…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Proud to be an American Immigrant

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By Rev. Kathryn Schreiber Pastor of Berkeley Chinese Community UCC The chorus of Lee Greenwood’s patriotic song, “God Bless the USA,” begins with: “I’m proud to be an American…” And this year, that sentiment lands differently, doesn’t it? We are proud of our nation and the inspiring stories of our ancestors, but we are also very troubled by decisions and actions made by those we’ve vested with authority; they have failed to represent our values and dreams for our children and their families. I’ve been remembering a Dorothy C Wong Senior Center field trip to Monterey Bay a few years…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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COM-D Update: Growing Our Ministry to Churches in Transition

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By Rev. Laurie Manning The Committee on Ministry for Churches in Discernment is entering an exciting new phase as we expand our capacity to serve NCNCUCC congregations. New Leadership, Fresh Vision We're celebrating the transition of committee leadership to Rev. Penny Nixon whose experience and passion for supporting churches in discernment will guide COM-D into its next chapter. We're grateful for Rev. Kelly Colwell’s dedicated service as chair during this foundational year and excited about the fresh perspective Penny brings to our ministry. (Committee members are: chair Rev. Penny Nixon, Rev. Kelly Colwell, Rev. Jim Mitulski, Rev. Laurie Manning and…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Communities of Practice

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A Community of Practice (COP) as defined by Etienne Wenger are “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”  Not all communities are COPS; for example, a neighborhood is considered a community, but not a COP. COPs have three defining characteristics. The Domain: The COP’s identity is defined by a shared interest and their commitment to ongoing development of competence in ministry (in a variety of settings). Topics, issues, and concerns form a common domain of interest that creates a bond among participants.…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Do You Want to Be Retired or Exempt?

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By Rev. Charles Ensley, Committee on Ministry Section B After serving UCC congregations in Upstate New York and Southern California for forty years, I retired in 2013. We moved north to Sonoma County to be near grandchildren. National guidelines now require clergy with Retired standing to maintain their standing in the Conference in which they reside. So, I transferred mine from Southern California Nevada Conference to NCNC UCC. We joined Kenwood Community Church, and before long I found myself on Committee on Ministry, Section B, which is responsible for ministerial standing. (I had been on Committees on Ministry in every…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Seventy-Five Years of Faithfulness

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When Congregationalist missionaries first reached the San Francisco Bay Area during the Gold Rush (from Hawaii because it was closer), they established First Congregational Church in San Francisco in 1850. They also founded the College of California, which became U.C. Berkeley; the Young Ladies Seminary which became Mills College and Pacific School of Religion. Mira Vista Congregational Church was founded on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950 by seventy charter members, meeting initially in member’s homes and then at 7075 Cutting Boulevard in El Cerrito, CA. In 1957, The Congregational Christian and Evangelical and Reformed denominations merged to become the United Church of Christ, a protestant denomination deeply committed to ecumenism…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Have You Heard? Climate Hope Affiliate being organized in the East Bay

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We know that “crisis” is probably a weaker word than we really need when we talk about the “climate crisis.” The fact that we’re in a crisis doesn’t change the additional fact that, as people of faith, we have climate hope. Now, imagine working with other United Church of Christ people – and maybe people from other denominations and faith traditions – in a local group that is networked with other United Church of Christ affiliates to build climate hope and action across the country. Who are the people who can help make this a reality? I have volunteered to…
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By posted by Joy Davis
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Our Whole Lives Facilitator Training

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Register Now for the Our Whole Lives Grades K-1 and Grades 4-6 Facilitator Training hosted by Danville Congregational Church from Friday March 14th through Sunday March 16th! As we face continuing attacks on both reproductive freedom and LGBTQIA+ rights, people of all ages need access to accurate, inclusive, body-positive, values-based, and comprehensive information about bodies and relationships. If you or your congregation is looking for ways to meet this moment with prophetic courage and empowering action, getting trained to facilitate OWL is a fantastic opportunity! The training is open to anyone over the age of 21. Participants are not required to…
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