Our Calendar
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Announcement: In consideration of the health concerns surrounding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the IA, NE, and SD Conferences and the national setting of the UCC recommend that in-person, large group events be canceled and postponed for the time being. If you make any changes to your event please contact Aidan Spencer at aidan@ucctcm.org. At the recommendation of UCC HR, your conference staff may not be attending events in their regular capacity for their own health and the health of others.
For more information and Conference support through this time, look at our COVID-19 resources.
Ministers' moments
Tuesdays & Thursdays
at 12:00pm CT
Before submitting an event, please consider it’s timing and size in relation to the pandemic.
Submit an Event
Fill out the Submit an Event Form to share an event or program for the wider Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences of the United Church of Christ.
NOTE: Please consider the timing and size of the event in relation to the current pandemic.
Event Follow-Up
How did your event or program go? We’d love to hear about it and help others hear about it too. Share your stories and photos through the Event Follow-Up Form.
As part of the United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote campaign, Plymouth UCC in Des Moines is holding a series of educational Zoom webinars on “Creating God’s Kingdom on Earth”. This is the fourth webinar in the series. Speakers will re-imagine a better world – for economic security, the environment, public safety, and for welcoming migrants and refugees.
Webinars are scheduled on Zoom from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays from September 9 through October 7. Follow this link to join each of the webinars https://zoom.us/j/96425536868. No preregistration is needed. All are welcome!
- September 9 – Reimagining a Better World After COVID-19 – Lessons Learned from the Great Depression. Speakers: Sheena Thomas and George Dorsey, A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy leaders.
- September 16 – Re-imagining an America with Economic Security. Speakers: Natalie Robinson and Ayisha Al-Hassan, Co-Chairs of the Iowa Poor People’s Campaign.
- September 23 – Re-imagining a World that Cares for Creation. Speaker: Rev. Brooks Berndt, UCC Minister for Environmental Justice.
- September 30 – Re-imagining an America that Welcomes Immigrants and Refugees. Speakers: Noel Anderson, UCC National Immigration Collaborative and National Grassroots Coordinator, Church World Service and Alejandro Ortiz, Community Organizer, American Friends Service Committee.
- October 7 – Re-imagining Public safety. Speaker: Erin Lain, J.D., Ph. D., Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion, Professor of Law, Drake University.
PLEASE take some pictures and send them to us in .jpg format. We want to tell your story on our website picture scroll. Be sure to have anyone in the pictures sign-off on picture releases.
The offering for Neighbors in Need is taken on October 4th, but donations can be given at any time by donating online.
Supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States, including the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM), justice and advocacy, and direct service projects supported by Justice and Local Church Ministries.
We will have a time of opening prayer and a super short business session followed by a chance for folks to join one of two breakout sessions designed to help you with your ministry during this time of transition for many, and being church in new and creative ways in the midst of Covid-19. People outside of the association are welcome to attend the break out sessions as well!
Our breakout sessions at 2:30 pm are:
Transitioning Well – by Rev. Jeff Nelsen
Jeff does his ministry from the National UCC setting and will lead a presentation with time for Q&A about healthy approaches to pastoral transitions, both from a congregational viewpoint and pastoral viewpoint. Ending well and beginning well are important times in the life of the church.
Ministry in the Midst of Covid-19 – by Rev. Eileen Gebbie and Hannah Hannover
Come share your ideas and learn from Rev. Eileen as she shares what hurdles their congregation has faced in the months since Covid-19 began, what has worked well, and what hasn’t in areas ranging from worship, to outreach, to stewardship. Learn from Hannah as she shares how she has changed how effective ministry with young people is done in the new landscape of social distancing
We hope you will join us on Oct. 4th for this time of fellowship and learning together!
The Zoom Log-ins for each of the meetings:
Business meeting:
Topic: Northeast Iowa Fall Meeting
Time: October 4, 2020 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87442608658
Meeting ID: 874 4260 8658
One tap mobile
+13126266799, 87442608658# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Transitioning Well:
Time: Oct 4, 2020 02:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84494625142
Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Ministry in the Midst of Covid-19
Time: Oct 4, 2020 02:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
As part of the United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote campaign, Plymouth UCC in Des Moines is holding a series of educational Zoom webinars on “Creating God’s Kingdom on Earth”. This is the fifth webinar in the series. Speakers will re-imagine a better world – for economic security, the environment, public safety, and for welcoming migrants and refugees.
Webinars are scheduled on Zoom from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays from September 9 through October 7. Follow this link to join each of the webinars https://zoom.us/j/96425536868. No preregistration is needed. All are welcome!
- September 9 – Reimagining a Better World After COVID-19 – Lessons Learned from the Great Depression. Speakers: Sheena Thomas and George Dorsey, A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy leaders.
- September 16 – Re-imagining an America with Economic Security. Speakers: Natalie Robinson and Ayisha Al-Hassan, Co-Chairs of the Iowa Poor People’s Campaign.
- September 23 – Re-imagining a World that Cares for Creation. Speaker: Rev. Brooks Berndt, UCC Minister for Environmental Justice.
- September 30 – Re-imagining an America that Welcomes Immigrants and Refugees. Speakers: Noel Anderson, UCC National Immigration Collaborative and National Grassroots Coordinator, Church World Service and Alejandro Ortiz, Community Organizer, American Friends Service Committee.
- October 7 – Re-imagining Public safety. Speaker: Erin Lain, J.D., Ph. D., Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion, Professor of Law, Drake University.
This two-year course is designed for clergy, parish nurses, Stephen ministers, chaplains and others involved in pastoral care ministries. Meeting monthly, participants learn about areas critical to effective pastoral care, and receive support, encouragement and consultation on their work. Participants will reinforce what they already do well and integrate new knowledge and skills into their ministries.
Dates and Time: 12 noon – 3 p.m. monthly, every second Thursday beginning September 2019 and ending June 2021 (No class July and August)
Tuition: $650 for each of the two years, plus a $50 non-refundable registration fee. To discuss a payment plan option for tuition, please contact Diane McClanahan, the Center’s Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life.
2nd Saturday (every month) at Iowa Conference Office; 9:00am-2:00pm; Contact is Ellis Arnold at ellis@ucctcm.org.
Framed through the lens of clergy health and wellness, join in for a not-so-typical clergy boundary training. Through both presentations and small group collaborative learning with case studies written by our pastors, participants will focus on several key areas for balance and wellbeing in their ministry. Areas of focus include:
- Dealing with difficult people
- Tools for mindfulness and spiritual disciplines
- Compassion fatigue, burnout and the effects of secondary traumatic stress
- Financial wellness and financial planning
- Preventing and responding to harm and harassment
- Working through stressful and changing times
This training fulfills the Boundary Training requirement for maintaining UCC ministerial standing in all Associations of the Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences.
Questions? Contact Rev. Ellis Arnold, ellis@ucctcm.org.
Attending completely online events is new to most of us and can feel a bit intimidating, but have no fear because you can practice with us ahead of time! Test out the Zoom Webinar and Zoom Meeting platforms, connect with staff, ask questions, and learn about helpful Zoom features and settings. We will be on call prior to the start of the practice session in case you need support while entering the Zoom space. Questions? Contact Aidan Spencer at aidan@ucctcm.org.