COM-D Update: Growing Our Ministry to Churches in Transition

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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Communities of Practice

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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Do You Want to Be Retired or Exempt?

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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Seventy-Five Years of Faithfulness

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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Have You Heard? Climate Hope Affiliate being organized in the East Bay

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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Our Whole Lives Facilitator Training

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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Los Angeles Area Wildfires

By Rev. Michael Dack In recent days, wildfires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 14,000 structures (including the historic Altadena Community Church UCC), and charred more than 60 square miles. The fires are still burning and weather conditions remain extreme – posing the danger of new fires. At a time like this, our hearts go out to our southern neighbors, we lift up our prayers for everyone who is impacted, and we look for concrete ways to respond. As the NCNC Disaster Response Coordinator, I want to share some resources and information…
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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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