A young family may bring a favorite photo of a beloved grandparent. A parent may offer the favorite dessert of a deceased child. A widower may leave a bouquet of flowers. In Mexican culture, these simple acts are part of the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, traditionally held Oct. 31-Nov. 2 […]
“A told B and B told C, ‘I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.’ … Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Will there be enough room?” Last spring, snatches of story floated through the air of the Media Center at Bay Haven, a magnet school in Sarasota, Fla. Kindergarteners sat in rapt attention as […]
Old and young, new neighbors or long-time residents — every Wednesday morning at 11 a.m., they don walking shoes and meet at United Church Outreach Ministry’s (UCOM) offices in Wyoming, Mich., for a jaunt around the neighborhood. The walking club was the brainchild of UCOM staff. When a weekly “Sit and Be Fit” class led […]
Surprises are always at the forefront when UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries faculty lead Nollau To You seminars. Two recent versions of the one-day, serving leadership training sessions were no exception, particularly because both included new ways of bringing the event to UCC-related constituencies. From July 31 to Aug. 2, CHHSM held […]
At Crossroad Child & Family Services in Fort Wayne, Ind., a Defiance (Ohio) College student is gaining hands-on experience and assisting staff in her chosen field. Emmaus Homes in St. Charles, Mo., is advancing a program to strengthen relationships between clients and volunteers. United Church Homes, based in Marion, Ohio, is holding workshops featuring narrative […]
Some 25 years ago, St. Louis-based Unleashing Potential (UP) started the William Diersing Scholarship Fund to help lower-income youth and families in St. Louis further their academic goals. In June, eight UP program participants were honored as this year’s fund recipients. At an awards ceremony June 10, Darlene Sowell, president and CEO, presented the $1,500 […]
Delegates to the United Church of the Christ’s Thirty-Second General Synod, meeting in Milwaukee, Wis., today (June 22) approved a resolution recognizing opioid addiction as a health epidemic, ensuring access to treatment and pharmaceutical corporate responsibility. The Resolution of Witness passed with 97 percent — 629 votes — in favor, 11 opposed, and 8 abstaining. […]
Each day, in UCC churches across the country, pastors and lay leaders serve their congregations and communities. Often, that service includes helping neighbors and family members deal with the effects of the current opioid crisis. To help shed additional light on the crisis and paths for treatment and solutions, the UCC Council for Health and […]
Every day, the staff at UCC-related UCAN in Chicago works hard to help teens turn their lives around through counseling, advocacy, family and individual social service programs, youth leadership development, and education. But on June 6 at UCAN’s 20th annual Youth Leadership Awards, the staff and the wider Chicago community had the chance to hear […]
A terrific idea has turned into a successful program and partnership for UCC-related St. John’s Community Care in Collinsville, Ill. St. John’s is partnering with We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym in nearby Edwardsville to host intergenerational music classes called Grandfriends. We Rock The Spectrum is a gym where children of all abilities can play […]
