United Church of Christ
By Alissa Paolella Rhonda Farley was tired to the bone. She had spent the past several years waking at 4 a.m. daily to help care for her aging mother. With the assistance of her grown son, Rhonda was providing around-the-clock care for her mother, Georgena, who was experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. But…
Read MoreThe Rev. John “Jack” A. Smith — the second administrator of UCC-related Plymouth Harbor in Sarasota, Fla. — died June 4, 2019, in Plymouth Harbor’s Smith Care Center, named for him. He was 93. Smith was Plymouth Harbor’s administrator from 1972 until his retirement in 1989. Early in his tenure, Plymouth Harbor was struggling to…
Read MoreEdith A. Guffey is Conference Minister of the UCC’s Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. Prior to serving the conference, Guffey was Secretary (1991-2000) and Associate General Minister (2000-2011) of the United Church of Christ. Recently, she shared these thoughts via the conference’s e-blast. We reprint them here with permission: I was going to just let it go; after…
Read MoreThe Rev. Donald Edgar Ellerman, UCC minister and resident of UCC-related Fairhaven Senior Services in Whitewater, Wis., died July 9. He was 68. A graduate of Quincy High School, Ellerman enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1969 and was honorably discharged in 1973. While stationed in Italy, he met his wife, Gladys E. (Leason)…
Read MoreEarlier this month, the Rev. Kenneth Samuel’s UCC Daily Devotion titled “Beyond Bravery” was published. The scripture verse from Matthew 10 is one I am familiar with and have heard in church and as the subject of more than one sermon. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. You will be handed over…
Read MoreMany faith-based service organizations struggle with how to offer benefits and retirement pensions to their employees in an effective, just way. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find providers that understand church-related organizations’ priorities. For CHHSM members, the Pension Boards United Church of Christ (PBUCC) offers both understanding and multiple solutions. “PBUCC has been in existence and…
Read MoreThe Rev. John H. Thomas, former UCC general minister and president and retired Chicago Theological Seminary faculty member, recently lifted up the work of UCC predecessors — now part of CHHSM — during a sermon on Luke 24:13-16,28-31 at Epiphany UCC in Chicago. These are his words, reprinted with permission: The women and men who…
Read MoreAmong the first things people notice about Magee are his stunning blue eyes and gentle nature. Magee, an 8-year-old registered American Paint horse, is the newest member of the Equine-Assisted Therapy program at UCC-related Hoffman Homes for Youth in Littlestown, Pa. On June 25, Magee completed his trial period and officially became part of the…
Read MorePart family reunion, part education and information session, part network building … and a lot of fun and hard work. These sentiments express the overall reaction of CHHSM members participating in CHHSM’s first-ever presenting sponsorship of the UCC’s General Synod, held June 21-25 in Milwaukee, Wis. As presenting sponsor, CHHSM’s Synod presence helped introduce the…
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