UCC set to receive Vision Church of Houston as newest church start
April 27, 2012
Joining a gradually growing number of Korean UCC congregations, Vision Church of Houston UCC will be received April 28 as a church with standing in the Houston Association of the South Central Conference.

United Church Funds board member takes leading ‘Stand Against Racism'
April 26, 2012
Sylvia Ferrell-Jones is a UCC member on a mission, and that mission is the YWCA's "Stand Against Racism," an annual nationwide event held each April that addresses the root causes of racism and encourages conversation across diverse communities.

Supreme Court deliberates SB 1070 as prayerful witness for Arizona marches on
April 26, 2012
Quoting the gospel of John at the conclusion of a 48-hour vigil held outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the Rev. Felix Carrión emphatically reminded those in prayerful witness –– and in opposition to Arizona Senate Bill 1070 –– that there is always enough room for our neighbor.

Churches, individuals invited to name new United Church Board nominees
April 26, 2012
As the United Church of Christ lives into the plan for Unified Governance, individual members and churches are invited and encouraged to name potential nominees for the new United Church Board.

Michigan church families come together for youth camp
April 24, 2012
A cheer went up Saturday morning when the sun finally came out from behind the clouds, shedding its warmth on the 70 volunteers gathered for a work weekend at recently reopened Camp Talahi in Brighton, Mich.

New Orleans UCC church lives into the concept of 'one church'
April 24, 2012
'We are unified, and we'll continue to be,' said the Rev. Chris Mereschuk, who has served one year as settled senior pastor of the combined congregation that is Central St. Matthew UCC in the post-Katrina era of New Orleans.

UCC leaders present vision plan at Annual Consultation
April 23, 2012
More than 150 attendees including conference ministers, local church pastors and national staff gathered April 16-17 as the United Church of Christ’s Collegium of Officers presented its vision plan for the national settings –– including bold inspirational goals and some initial implementation strategies –– during the UCC’s Annual Consultation at Chicago Theological Seminary’s new LEED-Silver certified facility.

First woman named Lancaster president to be installed April 28
April 19, 2012
Making history as the first woman appointed president in the 187-year history of UCC-related Lancaster (Pa.) Theological Seminary, the Rev. Carol E. Lytch will be installed April 28 at a ceremony in the Barshinger Center at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

UCC recruiting a few young journalists to supplement NYE news efforts
April 19, 2012
Are you a good writer? Have an eye for photography, good with a video camera or always documenting life with your cell phone? The United Church News staff is now recruiting student talent attending the National Youth Event at Purdue University July 10-13, in Lafayette, Ind., to contribute to the news effort.

Arizona UCC members prepare for D.C. trip as Supreme Court SB 1070 hearings draw near
April 19, 2012
Bearing witness to the injustice of their state's anti-immigration law, UCC members from Arizona will be among a large gathering expected next week in Washington, D.C., when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in the case of United States vs. Arizona.

Tornado-damaged UCC church in N. Carolina thankful for timely response of Insurance Board
April 17, 2012
The Rev. Donald Thompson plans to feel like part of one church for a long time. As senior pastor of the Sanford, N.C., church damaged by a tornado, he praised the Insurance Board for a gesture that has made his congregation appreciate being supported by the larger UCC church.

Cornerstone matching scholarship funds help make NYE experience possible for more youth
April 17, 2012
Now that 'Dancing With the Stars' champ and Iraq war survivor J.R. Martinez has signed on as keynote speaker for the UCC's National Youth Event 2012, event organizers' next critical step is finding funding for youths who need it the most.

Collegium members to meet church leaders in Puerto Rico to explore rebuilding relationship
April 16, 2012
Four members of the UCC's Collegium of Officers will travel April 20 to Puerto Rico to explore the potential of rebuilding a relationship between the denomination and the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico (the United Evangelical Church of Puerto Rico and former Puerto Rico Conference of the UCC).

UCC's Mission:1 receives DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Award
April 13, 2012
Mission:1 awarded "Best of Class" in the Public Relations, Advertising Campaign category during the Religion Communicators Council annual conference in Philadelphia.

Pilgrim Place project inspires college class
April 12, 2012
The next Martin Luther King? Cesar Chavez? Mother Theresa? At UCC-relatedPilgrim Place, in Claremont, Calif., the consensus is that these people are out there, already doing good work. The question has always been: "What can we do to help this next generation of social activists? How can we pass on the legacy of making a difference in the world to those just starting out."

Peace witness, baptisms create connection of blessing at UCC Connecticut church
April 12, 2012
In a Sunday service designed to observe the end of the Iraq War, First Church Congregational UCC in Mansfield Center, Conn., solidified on March 25 its standing as a peace-witness church with two separate acts: a gesture by two men from warring countries symbolizing the end of the war in Iraq, and the baptisms of two of the church's youngest members.

'Dancing' champ, war survivor Martinez to give keynote at National Youth Event
April 10, 2012
J.R. Martinez is on a roll. And now he is coming to National Youth Event 2012.

2030 Clergy Network looks toward future by making most of social-media tools today
April 10, 2012
For a 7-year-old, the 2030 Clergy Network shows commendable maturity. Since 2005, the network –– designed and developed to connect and support clergy under age 40 –– has been blossoming bountifully, an emerging example of how the UCC continues to grow as one church.

UCC Central Pacific Conference camp to help teens explore 'Hunger Games'
April 10, 2012
Using the current box-office smash film "The Hunger Games" as its basis, the Education Ministry Task Force of the UCC's Central Pacific Conference is holding an event to help teenagers explore their life choices.

UCC teen's birthday guests celebrate by giving a boost to her favorite causes
April 10, 2012
Emma Weihe hosted 17 classmates for her 16th birthday party and didn’t receive a single gift. That’s because the student at Revere High School in Richfield, Ohio, and member of Bath United Church of Christ in suburban Akron, donated the $125 that her guests brought to the celebration.