United Church Outreach Ministry
Inspirational, motivational, soul-feeding … and just plain fun. These are some of the words used by attendees to describe the recently concluded 83rd Annual Gathering of the UCC’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries, held virtually March 2-4, 2021. Attendance records were shattered at the three-day event: some 335 CHHSM members and friends registered…
Read More
In a keynote address punctuated with a call to self-examination and implementation of change, the Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker — director of contextual education at UCC-related Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo. — urged attendees to CHHSM’s 83rd Annual Gathering to return to their ministries prepared to find new ways to transform lives.…
Read More
For frontline nonprofits like United Church Outreach Ministry in Wyoming, Mich., colder weather and the holiday season always means finding new ways to meet the basic, ongoing needs of clients. But with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic throwing a spanner in the works, adaptability has been key. “UCOM is nothing if not flexible,” says the Rev.…
Read More
The staff of United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) in Wyoming, Mich., recently received a special honor. Heart of West Michigan United Way surprised the UCC-related organization with a United Way Partner of the Year Award. While UCOM receives funding from United Way — it had already received $60,000 for each of three years, 2020-2023 —…
Read More
From phone calls, online chats and social media postings to Zoom, Skype, and Facebook video gatherings, CHHSM members are adapting to almost daily changes in health care requirements while serving their residents and clients. “The world changes overnight,” says Chris Cox, president and CEO of Hoyleton Youth & Family Services in Fairview Heights, Ill. “Plans…
Read More
From a pre-conference visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel — where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated — to the Rev. Traci Blackmon’s stirring words during the closing worship, the UCC’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries’ 82nd Annual Gathering left attendees moved, inspired, and recommitted…
Read More
by BettyBeth Johns, community development manager, United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) in Wyoming, Mich. Alexandra’s UCOM journey began with a small letter-sized poster hanging in the food pantry: If you want to learn to take charge of your financial future, sign up for FREE financial literacy classes here at UCOM. Something sparked in her. She…
Read More
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…
Read MoreJoin Our Mailing LIst
