“Church is not where my spirituality began again—it is where I continue to practice it, alongside others seeking connection, meaning, and healing.”
Click through to read Gordon's full article.
Read MoreWhy I Go to Church Now
Conference News
A New Year: Presence That Grounds Us - 2026
In this article, you’ll find:
A reflection on the close of the Christmastide season and the beginning of a new year.
The introduction of the SWC 2026 theme: Presence That Grounds Us.
A reaffirmation of the Conference’s commitment to C.A.R.E.S. and walking alongside congregations and leaders.
A look ahead to the Annual Meeting, the CARES Pilgrimage of Presence, and other opportunities for connection.
A word of gratitude for the faithful service of Holly Herman and her role in sharing the stories of our churches.
Passing of Ruthanne Cochran
Ruthanne Cochran passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 16, 2025 in Annapolis, at the age of 91. She had moved to Maryland in August of 2024 in order to receive full-time care from her niece Nancy Reece.
Ruthanne's funeral and burial will be held on January 10th in Scottsdale, where she will be interred with Edward and Dwight. Here are the details:
Hansen Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary and Cemetery
6500 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
12:00 p.m. - Visitation
12:30 p.m. - Celebration of Life
Paradise Memorial Gardens
9300 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
2:00 p.m. - Graveside service
In accordance with Ruthanne's wishes, guests are requested to dress in color, with colorful shoes. In lieu of flowers, she asked that a donation be made to a needy child atshoesthatfit.org.
The family has added pictures to a Google Photos album you can view here.
Epiphany and New Year’s Resolutions: So…How’s That Going?
A few days into the new year, many of us are already taking stock. Some resolutions still feel steady. Others may be wobbling a bit. That is often how beginnings go. We start with hope, meet real life quickly, and then discover what we truly need as we move forward. January 6 meets us right there, offering a moment to pause, breathe, and remember that God walks with us into this new year.
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s article.
Read MoreA New Year Reflection on Theodicy
The day of Christmas has come and gone, but the Church continues to live in Christmastide. While the world quickly packs away decorations and moves on, the season of Christmas continues to invite us to linger with the mystery of God made flesh.
As we stand at the edge of a new year, many of us carry more than we expected. Alongside gratitude and hope, there may be grief, unanswered prayers, lingering illness, broken relationships, or deep uncertainty about what lies ahead.
This season, after Christmas, is a natural time to name a tricky but honest faith question. If God is loving and good, why does suffering still exist?
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s full article.
Read MoreTax Webinar for Church Leaders on January 15
Are you up to date on tax changes?
Preparing for tax season is essential for church leaders, whose unique financial and housing allowances require specialized knowledge and up-to-date guidance.
The Pension Boards is pleased to partner with Church Law & Tax to help UCC clergy, lay workers, or employer organizations navigate the annual tax season with up-to-date information for the 2025 tax reporting year. Take advantage of this exclusive opportunity at no cost to you.
Learn what church leaders need to know as they prepare for the upcoming tax season.
Get expert insights on federal tax developments affecting churches.
Get information on changes prompted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Advent of Love: What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Tina Turner once asked, “What’s love got to do with it?” The question lands close to home for clergy and congregations, especially during Advent. We all are aware that ministry can move quickly this time of year. Our calendars become filled, expectations rise, and the work can feel relentless. However, Advent pauses us long enough to ask what truly grounds all of it.
The love at the heart of Advent shows up in ordinary faithfulness. It takes shape in our relationships, shared leadership, and the life of our congregation walking together. Clergy live this love through steady presence, thoughtful preaching, and pastoral care offered in both visible and unseen ways. Congregations embody it through patience, generosity, and commitment to one another, even when the path feels uncertain.
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s article.
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Your Deposits Create Opportunities - Join Now!
When you save with Generations United Federal Credit Union (GUFCU), you’re not just securing your future — you’re helping to build someone else’s.
At GUFCU, every dollar you deposit fuels the UCC community. We don’t just hold your money. We put it to work where it matters most.
Save with purpose.
Invest in people.
Strengthen your community.
Your Deposit Creates Opportunities for Others — and that’s banking that matters.
Click here to open an account today. Start a ripple effect.
Call Member Support at 646-422-7275 or email info@gufcu.org.
Learn more at gufcu.org.
Read MoreAdvent Joy and the Gift of Exempt Standing in the Southwest Conference
When I began discerning my call to become a clergyperson in the United Church of Christ, I was blessed and had the joy of being surrounded by retired clergy who mentored, guided, and encouraged me. Now, as I sit in the Southwest Conference office and review the list of clergy celebrating their ordination anniversaries, I am reminded again of the impact these ministers have made. Their faithfulness shaped congregations and communities, and their influence continues to reach far beyond the years of their formal service. Their presence helped form my call, and their legacy continues to guide and inspire the life of the church.
As we continue our journey through Advent and light the candle of Joy, we recognize God’s presence in every season of ministry. Joy rises not only in beginnings but also in those faithful chapters that come to a natural and meaningful close. Here in the Southwest Conference, 36 ordained ministers currently hold Exempt Standing. These individuals served congregations, chaplaincies, classrooms, military units, hospitals, and mission fields with devotion and heart.
Exempt Standing reflects a distinct form of joy.
Click through to read more of Dr. Derrick’s article.
Read MoreClergy Book Study
Join a collaboration between the Decentering Whiteness Task Force and Communities of Practice in offering a conversation over zoom about Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings’ stirring book: After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging.
Our conversation will be an opportunity to revisit and reflect upon our own theological formation and how whiteness shaped that formation. With Jennings’ prompting, we will ask: how can we become better stewards of belonging in our expressions of faith?
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Be part of NM Interfaith Power & Light's pilgrimage
Through her role at New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, Pastor Clara at First Congregational in Albuquerque will be walking a “pilgrimage for our shared home” with other IPL staff members from Carlsbad to Santa Fe in January. It will be a 25-day walk and she will participate in about 15 days total. The walkers will arrive on February 5th at the New Mexico State Capitol for Climate Action Day. “This walk is born out of the incredible urgency we feel to take bold and symbolic action for our shared home in light of the terrible climate policies at the federal level and the stranglehold of oil and gas interests in our state politics.” You can read more about it here.
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Getting to the Root: 2025 reflection
Each month, UCC experts unpack a complex justice issue through our Getting to the Root series. This month, the UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy team reflects on this past year to consider what we accomplished, what we learned, and what we continue to hope for as we move forward. You can read the full reflection here.
Read MoreLocal Churches and First Amendment Rights
On September 25, 2025, the President of the United States released a Presidential Memorandum titled Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence. The memorandum asserts that political violence is being organized by anti-fascists, which the memo defines as those who support “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.”
Click here to read the full article by Heather Kimmel, General Counsel for the UCC.
Read MoreHoney, Locusts, and the Work of Peace
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.
Read MoreAdvent Became Real to Me
Growing up in church, I always heard about Advent. The candles, the colors, the readings — all of it.
But to be honest, it didn’t fully click for me back then. I knew about Advent, but I didn’t really understand the depth of it.
It wasn’t until I started working for the Southwest Conference UCC — right in the middle of my seminary journey and reconnecting with God in a deeper, grown-woman kind of way — that Advent came alive for me. Suddenly, these candles weren’t just “church tradition.” They became personal. They became invitations to slow down, breathe, reflect, and pay attention to what God is doing in me as much as around me.
And let me tell you something else I didn’t realize right away:
My role as Executive Assistant is ministry — not just a job.
Click through to read Shandrika’s article.
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UCF Stands Up for Responsible Investors, Plus Q3 Fund Fact Sheets Are Here
UCF SUES TO BLOCK ENFORCEMENT OF TEXAS LAW
UCF, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and Ceres filed a lawsuit on November 10 to block broad enforcement of a new Texas law that threatens investors’ ability to receive expert, values-aligned guidance. CLICK HERE to read why we feel this action is vitally important to faithfully serve our clients’ missions.
TOWN HALL RECORDING AND FUND FACT SHEETS
The Q4 2025 Town Hall recording is now available, and you can view it by CLICKING HERE. Also available are updated Fund Fact Sheets as of 09/30/2025. CLICK HERE to view them. Fund Fact Sheets provide detailed and essential data and metrics such as fund performance, asset allocation and top ten holdings. We encourage you to share these resources with your Investment/Endowment Committee members or anybody else who may benefit.
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PATHWAYS Winter 2026 Schedule
Six-week courses beginning on January 7
**(Introductory Level 1 Bible Course based on The Exploring the Bible Dickinson Series by Rev. Anne Robertson, published by the Massachusetts Bible Society.)
Read MoreHonorifics as a Source of Hope
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.
Read MoreAdvent: The Season of Jesus the Human
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.
Read MoreFeeling Confident with My YES
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.
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