NEW & RENEWING CHURCHES

1. NEW & RENEWING CHURCHES LCM/CVD-03-12-A RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FALL 2011 Presentation formatted by Gloria Otis

2. We are UNITED in our DIVERSITY to love and serve in God's world. If you are looking for a church where ALL are welcomed and included in our worship and community; if you have suffered rejection because of who you are; if you have become indifferent with churches who seem disconnected from the real pressures and issues of our life and world, then we may be the church you are looking for! "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!"

3. That LCM enter into covenant with the Indiana -Kentucky Conference to support the new Euro-American , ONA and A2A church, Bluegrass United Church of Christ, Lexington KY in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

4. Join Us! We are the first and only Hispanic congregation that is Open and Affirming within the United Church of Christ in Upstate New York: proudly Christian and proudly progressive.• We are a Hispanic congregation within Pilgrim-St. Luke's United Church of Christ.• We are Christ-Centered.  We embrace inclusiveness and compassion without prejudice or discrimination.• We are inclusive.  All are welcomed, no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, Christ has a place for you in God's Kingdom here and now.• We are committed "to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God."  (Micah 6:8) Puerto Rican Day Parade

5. That LCM enter into covenant with the New York Conference to support the new Hispanic and ONA church, Iglesia Unida Nuevo Camino United Church of Christ, Buffalo NY in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

6. United Church of Chapel Hill No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. Welcome Pastors: Jill and Richard EdensAssociate Pastor for Children’s Ministries: Susan SteinbergAssociate Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministries: Jenny Shultz Associate Pastor for Spanish Language Ministries: David Mateo We are a United Church of Christ congregation. We invite people of every age, race, marital status, sexual orientation, means, ability and spiritual tradition to join us in the love of God and neighbor: through worship, dedication to education and commitment to service. We are an Open and Affirming congregation promoting marriage equality and invite members from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and  transgender) community to participate fully in the life and work of this church.  We are committed to working towards social justice and economic justice. Worship service Sundays at 8:45 AM and 11:00 AM Servicio de Adoracíon en Espanol los sabados a las 6:00 PM Church School (all ages) at 10:00 AM Nursery provided Saturday Evening Spanish Service Iglesia Unida de Cristo, as the Spanish-speaking part of our larger congregation, meets for praise, prayer, and Bible study. David Mateo is the pastor for Iglesia.  Iglesia meets on Saturday evenings at 6 pm in our Assembly Hall for worship.

7. That LCM enter into covenant with the Southern Conference to support a Special Hispanic ONA ministry, Iglesia Unida of Chapel Hill United Church of Christ, Chapel Hill NC in the amount of $20,000 over18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

8. United Church of Christ New Covenant UCC maintains it’s “covenant” with the United Church of Christ, a denomination of 5,600 churches and 1.2 million members. The UCC is progressive in it’s approach to living out God’s mandates in the present age, determined to exact social justice in this world, and extravagant in it’s welcome for all people. One of the UCC’s core messages is…”Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we”. Welcome Pastor Reverend Brian Murray, Th.M. New Covenant Community UCC P.O. Box 1874Owings Mills, Maryland 21117410-925-9561 pastor@newcovucc.org

9. That LCM enter into covenant with the Central Atlantic Conference to support the new African-American, A2A and Stillspeaking church, New Covenant United Church of Christ, Owings MD in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.

10. About The Community Church of Washington, DC is "A Church for All People." Established by Senior Pastor, Aaron Wade. General Information VisionOur vision is to be an expression of God’s Love in the world. We are a diverse and inclusive church, a place of unconditional love that inspires all individuals in our community. Partnering with the Holy Spirit and the community, we are committed to fighting to eradicate social ills that oppress God’s children, preventing them from experiencing a fulfilled life. MissionGod calls this church to be a progressive church where individuals realize their power, abilities and responsibilities to self, community and God. We do this by being a place that continually seeks to understand God’s word and love.As a Christ centered ministry, we are an active part of the community locally and abroad. Our work is to be both priestly and prophetic, in all things showing forth the Love of God as we aid in bring forth the Beloved Community.We are called out to be “a chosen people” regardless of socio-economic or educational backgrounds. We are made up of the educated and the uneducated. Our congregation is a combination of the haves and the have not’s; the economically disadvantage, the under-class, the unemployed and the employable. Those who have amongst us combine forces with the least amongst us to become agents of change for God.Contact information: communitychurchwdc@gmail.com .

11. That LCM enter into covenant with the Central Atlantic Conference to support the new African-American, A2A and Stillspeaking church, The Community Church United Church of Christ, Washington DC in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

12. Bethany United Church of Christ Embracing The Community We are a congregation of the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Members of the Western North Carolina Association of the UCC Southern Conference Jesus taught that God invites all people, including society’s outcasts, to enjoy seats at God’s table. Our congregation seeks to demonstrate that vision by intentionally welcoming individuals and families of every age, race, marital status, sexual orientation, means, ability and spiritual tradition to join us in the love of God and service to our neighbors. We are committed to working toward social and economic justice as we embrace our community. "Changing Lives" is more than a slogan or phrase; it is the lifeblood of ministry and mission in the United Church of Christ. Bethany UCC seeks to serve God in innovative ways. God continues to form us through new people among us, offering a multicultural mosaic that reflects all of creation.  We celebrate our common ground, while honoring our differences. OUR FAITH IS OVER 2000 YEARS OLD...OUR THINKING IS NOT! In our worship we use language and imagery that reflect the wonderful diversity of the image of God in humanity and all creation; that transcend the exclusive language of the church’s past. We urge you to join us in the journey toward God’s justice and peace for all people – in this neighborhood, this city, and the world. Come, be our guest, worship and celebrate with us.

13. That LCM enter into covenant with the Southern Conference to support the renewing Euro-American, A2A and Stillspeaking church, Bethany United Church of Christ, Claremont NC in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

14. Desert View United Church of Christ "evolving spiritually, valuing diversity, seeking justice" 11160 Montwood Drive, El Paso, TX 79936   map   915-593-1169 [p]   915-594-2828 [f]   email Desert View United Church of Christ is a spiritual community that is diverse, welcoming and growing. Members, participants and visitors come from different religious traditions, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and economic situations. We are a people of diverse spiritual gifts, abilities, ages, sexual orientations, genders and theological perspectives. What draws us together is the really good news of Jesus the Christ (God's anointed one). We will likely express our sense of that good news with rich and colorful variety. But we'd likely agree that the gist of Jesus' message is that God is love, we are loved and called into loving and just relationships, and God lavishes us with gifts to hone and share for the common good. We'd also agree that no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. As a new member of the congregation recently put it: "If you took Jesus with you out of your last church, bring him here, you're both welcome." (David Johnson) Jesus wore sandals to church; dress however you wish. In the United Church of Christ we do not insist that everyone must think alike or conform to a particular theological perspective. You are welcome to participate in all aspects of any worship service that you would find meaningful. Come as you are! Worship is at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings and on other special occasions in the Christian calendar.

15. That LCM enter into covenant with the Southwest Conference to support the renewing Multiracial Multicultural, ONA, A2A and Stillspeaking church, Desert View United Church of Christ, El Paso TX in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

16. Oak Creek United Church of Christ Kettering, OH Phone #: (937) 434-3941Fax #: (937) 434-5964Email the Church Office: office@oakcreekucc.netEmail Rev. John Konz, Pastor: john.konz@att.netEmail Rev. Terri L. Tyson, Associate Pastor: terri.tyson@territyson.comwww.facebook.com/OakCreekUCC We are a traditional church with a progressive theology. We believe that God is still speaking and that we have much to learn from many sources in addition to the canonical scriptures. We believe that God is reached through many means, not just through the path of Christ that we follow. Here on our web site you will find sermons from July 10th, 2011 to August 28th, 2011, outlining what our beliefs are as progressive Christians to traditional subjects.  We are a Progressively Christian Church, and therefore Open and Affirming. “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here!”

17. That LCM enter into covenant with the OHIO Conference to support the renewing Euro-American, ONA and A2A church, OAK CREEKUnited Church of Christ, Kettering, OH in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

18. St. Peter's Evangelical United Church of Christ1225 West Jefferson StreetLouisville, KY 40203(502) 583-6234Email: stpeterucc@bellsouth.netSunday: Fellowship: 8:30 a.m., Church school: 9:00a.m., Worship service: 10:15a.m.Wednesday: Fellowship and Bible Study at 6:00p.m More than a century ago, German-American Protestants raised a Gothic sanctuary of stone, stained glass and painstakingly carved woodwork on West Jefferson Street in the Russell neighborhood. On holidays, worshippers would overflow its 500 seats. But by 2006, St. Peter's Evangelical United Church of Christ was down to about 15 active members, most of them elderly and commuting from other neighborhoods. Endowment funds left by deceased members, which had kept the church solvent, were running out. The church, with its rich history, had to decide if it was willing to accept a radically different future -- or no future at all. St. Peter's decided to change. Under its first African-American pastor, it began reaching out to people it had rarely encountered before -- residents of the Beecher Terrace public housing complex directly across West Jefferson Street. In the past three years, the church has begun offering after-school activities for children, substance-abuse recovery programs and Saturday-morning food distributions accompanied by optional worship services. (Page 2 of 5) Active membership and Sunday attendance now hover around 40 -- with dozens more worshipping on Saturdays. "It's turned the corner, in that we have built trust in the community," said the church's pastor, the Rev. Jamesetta Ferguson. "That's been a long process for us."

19. That LCM enter into covenant with the Indiana-Kentucky Conference to support the renewing African-American, ONA, A2A and Stillspeaking church, St. Peter’s Evangelical United Church of Christ, Louisville KY in the amount of $10,000 over 12 months (subject to the availability of funds.)

21. That LCM enter into covenant with the Ohio Conference to support the renewing Euro-American, ONA, A2A and Stillspeaking church, Trinity United Church of Christ, Akron OH in the amount of $20,000 over 18 months (subject to the availability of funds).

22. From: Funding for New and Renewing Congregations LCM Budget #410-20-25-74100-P-4514 Total Spring 2012 Recommending 10 applications for a total $ 190,000.00 (From budget account above) Balance Available for Spring Cycle 2012 $ 477,625.00 Reserved for Surviving to Thriving Proposals $ 60,000.00 Subtotal $ 417,625.00 Less Spring 2012 Funding Allocation $ 190,000.00 Total funding Available for Fall 2012 $ 227,625.00 LCM/CVD-03-12 Presentation formatted by Gloria Otis

23. We thank the New and Renewing Church Review Team for their diligent work on reviewing, evaluating and recommending these congregations to the LCM Board of Directors for approval. This team takes seriously their commitment to this process and have prayerfully given consideration to each of these new and renewing congregations for your final approval. We are grateful for the commitment of Local Church Ministries to the ministry of church development and the renewal of existing congregations. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve on your behalf in this important ministry of the church.