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.
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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 MoreAre 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).
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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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.
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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.
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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 MoreJoin 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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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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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 MoreOn 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 MoreImagine 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.
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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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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 MoreIn 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, 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 MoreThere 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.
Read MoreIf a Local Church has UCC Standing (Schedule 0) and is Active in the Database and Directories, they can go to the UCC.org website, and under Resources, there is a heading “Request 501(c)(3) Group Exemption Letter.” (Or simply click this link and bookmark it!) This link is directed to the Office of General Counsel webpage and a button, which allows churches to search for their church and download a letter with the church’s name and address on it. This is also useful for donors who are attempting to verify a church’s 501(c)(3) status. Churches do not have to log in to Database and Directories to download a letter.
Read MoreThis week I’ll be in New Mexico for the second half of the SWC clergy retreat. Picture a group of pastors trying to rest, reflect, and figure out which suitcase the snacks ended up in. I will be out of the office for a bit, but I’m still around in spirit; just with fewer emails and more time to breathe.
Retreats always seem to hit right when the holidays start rolling in. While folks are planning dinners and checking flight times, clergy are pulling out Advent materials, hunting for the extra candles, and hoping the office copier behaves at least until Christmas Eve. Stepping away for a few days helps me settle my mind before the busy season arrives.
Thanks for your patience while I’m gone. As clergy, we should look after each other, keep the church lifted in prayer, and try not to let all the committees meet on the same day. I’ll be back soon, ready for the season ahead, and probably carrying a few too many leftover retreat snacks.
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On Sunday, November 9, we had the honor of worshipping and ordaining Rev. Sonja Haller.
What a sacred and joy-filled moment for all of us! After worship, we gathered to capture the smiles, the tears, the family love, and the community that stands with her. Surrounded by her beautiful family, her church family, her pastor Rev. Dr. Tom Martinez, and our Associate Conference Minister Rev. Dr. Derrick Elliott, the Spirit was truly in the room.
We also extend our deep appreciation to COM A and their representatives present today—thank you for your wisdom, presence, and support in this meaningful milestone.
Rev. Haller, we celebrate you.
Your calling is clear. Your light is steady. Your heart is ready.
And yes, the best is yet to come.
“Being confident of this, that the One who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 1:6
Congratulations, Rev. Sonja Haller. We are rejoicing with you.
Read MoreFrom 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.
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