September 15, 2024 - The Messenger - National Association of Congregational Christian Churches

September 15, 2024 – The Messenger

NACCC

NEWS

Recent Calls & Ordinations

Mission Partner Updates

The
Congregationalist

Order Advent Devotionals

We’re Hiring!
Executive Director

Sharing Vitality Grants

Thoughts: Who Are Our Mission and Outreach Partners?

Rev. Dr. Barry W. Szymanski, Interim Executive Director

There are seventeen groups worldwide that are partners or affiliates of the NACCC for financial assistance, either through budgeted funds from the NA/MOMC or direct donations from member churches and individual donors. Every dollar contributed through the NA to one of these missions is delivered to them in full. There are no service fees.

You may ask what happens if you make a donation to a specific mission partner: they receive 100% of what you give. You may ask what happens if you donate to “The Mission Partners of the NACCC”: the Mission and Outreach Council (MOMC) determines how your donation should be allocated.

The NA also collects and distributes funds for needs outside of our dedicated mission partners and affiliates. The most recent of which being for Spencer, Iowa, where flooding devastated the city and surrounding communities. When you donate toward a specific relief fund, the intended recipient receives 100% of what you contribute. When you donate to “The OGHS Fund,” your donation ensures that relief funds are available when needed, to be allocated by MOMC as needs arise.

For more information, visit our Mission and Outreach Partners webpage. If you have questions about our mission and outreach work, please contact our Missions Coordinator, Julie Robie at jrobie@naccc.org.

A Time of Transition…

This week, we say goodbye to Andrea McCall, the NACCC’s treasured Executive Assistant, who departs our Association for the call of the Montana mountains. Her talent, vision, wisdom, and diligence have enabled the NACCC to succeed and progress in her time with us. Our gratitude for her work is immense, and we wish her all the best in this new chapter.

In her stead, we welcome Sarah Sobecke as our Interim Executive Assistant. Sarah will support our staff, boards, councils, and member churches by keeping us connected with one another, maintaining the organization of our resources, and much, much more.

Sharing Vitality Grants

Rev. Robb Tarr, Vitality Ministry Council

One of the hottest topics for churches to discuss today is “vitality.” How do we get it, sustain it, or recapture it? There are member churches currently exploring these questions in exciting ways. The NACCC Vitality Ministry Council wants to support these endeavors to see what they can inspire.

In 2025, the NACCC Vitality Ministry Council is offering 10 one-time grants to active member churches (or cohorts) of $2,500 each to support new or expanding ministries that are exploratory, ambitious, collaborative, and generative, and so enhance the vitality of the local church.

The two main goals of these grants are to 1) boost ministries that have otherwise felt out of reach or unattainable due to cost and 2) provide a platform to share what you’re doing with fellow churches. If your church has an idea that you believe could benefit yourselves and others, check out the Sharing Vitality Grants webpage to apply.

Mission and Outreach Spotlight: Iowa-Nebraska Association

Julie Robie, Missions Coordinator

The youth members of the Iowa-Nebraska Association of Congregational Christian Churches have been busy this summer providing aid and support worldwide!

When flooding hit Spencer and Sioux Rapids, Iowa, these young people acted quickly to aid in relief efforts, sandbagging for two days and cleaning out impacted homes for the rest of the week.Their service work didn’t stop in Iowa, though, as a group of students traveled all the way to Honduras to provide mission aid there, too.

At the 2024 NAPF & HOPE Youth Conference in Spokane, Washington, youth attendees from the Iowa-Nebraska Association, among others, aided the work of Habitat for Humanity, 2nd Harvest, and Our Place in bringing resources to local community members in need. Plus, their members participated in the 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference shared mission project, assembling more than 200 care bags and cold cups to provide hygiene and cold and flu treatment items for the Union Gospel Mission.

We celebrate these generous and industrious young people of the Iowa-Nebraska Association and the adult leaders who support them in their excellent work.

Event Calendar

September 18, 12pm-1pm CT

Webinar: Celebrating Your Church’s Anniversary

Get inspired for your next church anniversary with tips and tricks for a memorable commemoration! Click here to learn more about the event or to register to attend.

September 25, 6pm-7pm CT

Webinar: Plentiful Gifts

Learn more about Plentiful Gifts – a free program for nurturing lay gifts and leadership in small congregations! Click here for more information or to register to attend.

October 17, 2pm-3pm CT

Webinar: Cultivating Generosity

An interactive seminar offered by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. To sign up, please contact Kristin Ward.

Share Your Voice

Contributions for December’s giving-themed issue of The Congregationalist are open now! From personal reflections to theological commentaries, poetry to photography, book reviews to lyrics – we want to share your thoughts, images, and creations on the pages of our magazine. Submissions can be emailed to Editor Maggie Helmick by October 15th.