Imagine opening your call agreement and unexpectedly finding that your compensation package includes a jar of honey and a pound of locusts. No pension details. No housing allowance. No benefits. Just insects and sweetener.

Most clergy would call a special board meeting. John the Baptist called it lunch.

Advent always invites us to picture the unexpected. A prophet in the wilderness announcing peace. A child born under a borrowed roof brings salvation. God’s work moving forward in ways that do not match our expectations, budgets, or timetables.

This week, as we focus on Advent peace, we remember that the peace of God does not always arrive in polished form.

Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s article.

In May 2024, I stepped into the title Rev. Dr. Derrick Elliott. Hearing it spoken aloud felt unusual at first. Titles can sound formal until you begin to feel the story they carry. Over time, I realized this title connected me to a long line of Black folks who have used names, roles, and language to speak dignity into life when the world would not.

During the First Week of Advent, we light the candle of Hope. Hope asks something of us. It calls us to practice it, speak it, and live it. In many ways, Black honorifics grew out of that same work.

Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s article.

Advent, the season of Jesus the Human, invites us to slow down and reflect on the deeply relatable aspects of his life. Before he preached, healed, or walked on water, he was a baby—vulnerable, dependent, and wrapped in the same fragile humanity we all carry. Advent marks the beginning of the story that reminds us Jesus faced every challenge we face: uncertainty, loneliness, hope, joy, fear, and the longing to be understood. In this sacred season, we are reminded that God chose to draw near to us by becoming one of us.

In my keep-it-simple theology, Jesus didn’t complicate things. He didn’t come to burden us with rules or create spiritual hurdles. Instead, he showed us how to live in harmony with one another, how to embrace compassion, and how to stay connected with the divine presence we call God.

Click through to keep reading Gordon’s article.

There comes a moment in every believer’s journey when God places a calling, an assignment, or an opportunity in front of us — and we must decide whether we’re going to tiptoe into it or step forward with a bold, unapologetic YES.

Now, let me be clear: saying yes to God doesn’t mean you suddenly stop being nervous, unsure, or overwhelmed. Oh no. Sometimes that YES comes with shaking hands, a racing heart, and a whole lot of “Lord, are You sure You meant me?” But something shifts the moment we stop doubting and start agreeing with what God already spoke over our lives.

My YES, this season has stretched me. Seminary stretches me. Ministry stretches me. Office leadership stretches me. But instead of shrinking back, I’m learning to stand tall in the assignment — because if God called me to it, then He already equipped me for it.

Confidence isn’t pretending we have everything under control. Confidence is remembering Who does.

Click through to keep reading.

From Katie Allred in the Church Communications Facebook Group:

Hey friends, quick warning for your teams.

A church I’m connected with was targeted this week by a TikTok creator. They called the church office pretending to be a mom with a hungry baby who needed formula right now.

The receptionist responded the way a lot of our teams would:

• She explained they didn’t have formula on site

• She immediately pointed the caller to several local food pantries the church partners with that DO stock formula and help families every day

The caller was secretly recording.

They then posted the audio with a headline like:

“Church turns away starving baby”

The video blew up.

Now the church is getting:

• Thousands of angry comments

• A wave of 1-star Google reviews from people who’ve never been there

• Trolls piling on across platforms

All of this is happening during a federal government shutdown, when:

• SNAP benefits are being delayed, cut, or thrown into chaos for millions of people

• Families who depend on those benefits are legitimately terrified about how they’ll feed their kids this month

So we’re in this strange moment where:

• Real need is rising, and

• Outrage content is farming that pain for views.

And your front desk team is standing right in the middle of it.

Read some helpful tips from this church communications pro—click through to read the article and get a link to a helpful script.

UCC Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries is thrilled to extend our Love is Louder offerings to include The Book of Love! Within this first edition are the voices of our wider church offering their poetry, devotional reflections, and liturgy with Gospel of inclusion embodied.

Download the Book of Love here

Last week, Dr. Gloria and I discussed the teachings of Jesus Christ and how they have endured for more than 2,000 years. She made a lightbulb moment that stuck with me, which I plan to use in a sermon or Bible study: “That alone should instill faith.” (You would think the lightbulb should have been on already, lol!)

You know she’s right! The words and wisdom of Jesus have carried through wars, cultural shifts, and generations of change. They still call people to love, compassion, justice, and hope. That kind of lasting truth shows the living presence of Christ among us.

I love that the United Church of Christ gathers around that very same faith. We don’t rely on rigid rules or identical beliefs. We stay connected through our shared trust in Jesus, who is the head of our church: the very same Jesus, the One who teaches us to love God and our neighbors. In a world full of noise and distraction, His voice still speaks through Scripture, community, and acts of service.

We live in a time when many people post, protest, and speak out, but fewer put faith into practice.

(click through to keep reading)