Member Relations

Make Your UCC Conference Your Ally

Amid the demands of service, staff relations, crisis interventions, financial management and the rest, the relationship between our CHHSM ministries and the Conferences of the United Church of Christ can easily move down the list of priorities. Yet that relationship can be pivotal to such vital non-profit concerns as volunteerism, fund-raising and marketing.

Meeting on August 13 at Cape Albeon in St. Louis, leaders of CHHSM member ministries in Missouri and Southern Illinois were blessed with the presence of Conference Ministers Sheldon Culver (Illinois South) and Jeff Whitcomb (Missouri Mid-South). Both shared fully in the day's discussions and were grateful to hear first hand about the good work being done by CHHSM ministries in their respective Conferences and about the programs CHHSM offers to our member ministries.

During the meeting, Shelly Culver made a note to herself to find out if the Illinois South Conference website is linked to all the CHHSM member ministries in the Conference and to the CHHSM website. Jeff said he would do the same. Their enthusiastic commitment stirred questions in my mind.

Is your UCC Conference website linked to your ministry's website? Do you receive and read Conference mailings? Does your ministry have a visible presence at the Conference's annual meeting? Has your ministry invited UCC members from throughout the Conference to visit and learn more about the faith-based services you provide?

Has an article about your ministry appeared in the Conference newspaper in the last six months? Is the CHHSM logo evident on your ministry website? Does it appear on your ministry publications? If you need an easy-to-use electronic CHHSM logo or help making contact with your Conference newspaper editor, please talk with Rebecca Wilson.

Conferences and CHHSM ministries will mutually benefit as UCC members--especially the church's new and younger members--learn about the breadth of services being provided by CHHSM ministries. So I encourage you to make your UCC Conference your ally so UCC members may be inspired to more fully embrace your ministry.

Bill Johnson