Later this month I will conclude a 10 month interim role as the Senior Minister of United Church (Marco Island, FL): a congregation affiliated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and the United Church of Christ. This year long journey has afforded the congregation an opportunity to process the past, understand the present, and prepare for the future. I firmly believe it will enable the new settled minister to begin well from day one knowing that folks Read More …
United Church of Christ
Spiritual Prodigies (#1437)
Vince Amlin, associate minister at the United Church of Gainesville (Gainesville, FL), recently suggested that we need more spiritual prodigies. More specifically, he wrote The Church could use a generation of spiritual prodigies. The UCC needs them. The world needs them – kids hungry for a second helping of soul. So What? I agree wholeheartedly with Amlin that the church is ready to benefit from a new generation of spiritual prodigies. I wonder, however, what it is that your local Read More …
Sermon: More Than Showing Up (#1406)
Sermon Text: Matthew 22:1-14 Sermon Excerpt: I still remember the first sermon I ever preached. Actually, I remember the preparation far better than the actual message . . . Thankfully no parishioners were exposed to or harmed by my effort. During the spring semester of my freshman year in college, I took an introductory course on preaching. The goal was to learn how to prepare a sermon, and how to deliver it. When it came time to actually work on our own sermons the first Read More …
UCC Files Landmark Lawsuit (#1405)
By now I hope you have heard that earlier this week the United Church of Christ filed lawsuit arguing that North Carolina marriage laws limit ministers' choices, violate the principle of "free exercise of religion" upon which the church is built, and restrict the freedoms of religion and expressive association guaranteed in the First Amendment. The following 2 1/2 minute video message from Geoffrey Black, President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ, provides a helpful Read More …
Declining Worship Attendance (#1398)
The United Church of Christ is a lot like other mainline Protestant denominations in terms of general trends in worship attendance. In general the long term trend is toward fewer congregations featuring fewer present in worship. The UCC's Fall 2013 Statistical Profile notes that more than 7 in 10 congregations have an average weekly worship attendance of less than 100 individuals compared to just over 6 in 10 a decade earlier (an increase from 62.8% to 70.4%). Not only are small Read More …
Labyrinth Dedication (#1379)
Two days ago, on a beautiful sunny 80 degree afternoon, the outdoor labyrinth at the Naples United Church of Christ was dedicated in a simple but moving service. In keeping with the intentionally public always welcoming placement of this new labyrinth the service was open to all and concluded with an invitation to linger and walk. So What? The Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, founder of Veriditas and the world's foremost expert on the labyrinth, was present to lead an all day workshop prior to Read More …
Progressive Identity (#1377)
Many people think of the United Church of Christ as a progressive Protestant denomination. Since it is a congregational tradition, it is important to note that this tradition features congregations and members with views all across the theological continuum. Individual congregations that claim progressive as a core part of their identity should be intentional in communicating that message. Recently I encountered an exemplary example of how to tell the progressive story well on Read More …
Extravagant Welcome Reality Check (#1369)
The United Church of Christ is known for providing an extravagant welcome to all people. Individual congregations expend considerable energy striving to live this out every Sunday morning when they gather for worship. Recently J. Bennett Guess, executive minister of the UCC's Local Church Ministries, shared an experience of the denomination's national offices falling short of providing an extravagant welcome. The Troubling Situation Every year half a million people Read More …
Review of The Non-Violent Radical (#1358)
Meet the Author Charles McCollough is an ordained United Church of Christ minister with a Ph.D. in theology, and an extensive background in art. He worked for many years on the national staff of the UCC in the areas of adult education and social justice. While pursuing that work, he studied sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Johnson Atelier, the Princeton Association, and Mercer College. McCollough has taught and/or served as an artist in residence in numerous seminaries, Read More …
Congregational Age (#1349)
While I was well aware the United Church of Christ includes many historic congregations that were founded long before the denomination itself was created in 1957, I was surprised to learn that nearly 7 out of every 10 current congregations were organized before 1900 (69.1%). Even more alarming is the fact that only around 1 in 10 were organized during the last 32 years (9.6%). So What? Congregational age matters. While a denomination can benefit from congregations with Read More …