Resources
| SWC Resources | ||||||
| The links in the navigation bar to the left contain an abundance of useful information. Here is some of what you'll find: |
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Clergy & Church Info. & Forms Supply Preachers, minister compensation guidelines, salary survey, health/dental benefits, boundary training, clergy and church resources, and more. |
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Tuesdays with the Southwest Conference Join us for one-hour Webinar training events on church finances and church growth strategies. |
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Boundary Training for Clergy The SWC requires clergy to participate in boundary training every five years to maintain authorized ministerial standing in the UCC. |
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SWC Lay Academy Interested in learning more about faith, the Bible, the UCC, and God? Enroll in the SWC Lay Academy! |
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Partners in Education Our skilled and trained Partners in Education provide assistance to congregations to strengthen their educational ministries. |
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Interchurch Resource Center The Interchurch Resource Center is an amazing resource houses a wealth of print, video, DVD, books and kits to support the mission and ministry of local congregations. |
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Open & Affirming The SWC is an "Open and Affirming Conference." See a list of SWC ONA churches, read their ONA statements, and link to ONA resources. |
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Missionary Behle Mark Behle, a member of The Church of the Palms and a Global Ministries missionary, teaches mathematics and religion in Lesotho, Africa. |
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MissionInsite Discovering your church's ministry opportunities has never been easier. MissionInsite provides instant access to community information. |
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Global Ministries Stories Newsletters from Global Ministries missionaries. Wiith an attractive, single page layout, they are just right for printing and handing out to your congregation. |
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| UCC Resources | ||||||
| Changing Lives: That's Our Church's Wider Mission Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) Basic Support and Special Support provide funding for the work of UCC Conference and National ministries in support of the life and work of the local church and its members. OCWM changes lives by strengthening our ecumenical relationships and global partnerships, by imagining and embodying a better world through prophetic witness and work, and by providing resources and programs to nurture the vitality of our United Church of Christ congregations. Become a 7 for 7 church by giving to OCWM Basic Support, the four Special Mission Offerings, and the two Southwest Conference Offerings: (Select the links below to learn more about each offering)  OCWM - Basic Support Leader's Guide (SCWML) - Great for stewardship and mission committees! This brief guide explains what OCWM is and what it supports. Also included - five-step guide for increasing giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support and a plan for informing members – year-round - about the wider mission of the church! Free! You pay only shipping.Order your copies today  OCWM PowerPoint - A great resource to help you explain Our Church's Wider Mission. Use this with boards and committees.  Low Cost e-giving for ChurchesUCC offers electronic giving solution for churches  UCC Daily Devotional email The UCC Daily Devotional is a free daily email delivered each morning to your email inbox. Written by a variety of UCC pastors and lay leaders, it includes a scripture passage, a brief devotion and a prayer. Start your day off right, subscribe to the Stillspeaking Daily Devotional. Keeping You e-Posted  Keeping You e-Posted ‘KYeP’ is a weekly, coordinated e-zine of news, featured items, resources, worship materials, and justice-action items e-mailed each Tuesday. Read an interesting articles; hear someone’s story about how their life was changed, read national, local church and ecumenical news. Be informed, inspired and moved to take action, subscribe to KYeP! UCC 101Are you new to the UCC? Find out a little about us. Want to know more? Take a short course in UCC history. Is the history course more than you really want to read? View a slide show of UCC firsts, from the Pilgrims to the present. More interested in who we are today? Watch the 2009 annual report video. Watch our recent TV ads. Whether you want to find out a little or a lot about the UCC, this website has it all, and it all begins at UCC 101. |
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United Churches Insurance Board Who We AreThe Insurance Board is a nonprofit corporation established by the participating Conferences of the United Church of Christ. We administer a property and liability insurance program serving churches and related entities within three denominations: UCC, DOC, and Presbyterian Church (USA) churches and related entities. The coverages are unsurpassed in the marketplace and the IB is considered a model not-for-profit entity. United Churches Insurance Board web site |
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Pension Boards United Church of Christ Mission Statement The Pension Boards administers comprehensive employee benefits programs for the United Church of Christ, providing the highest standards of service, access and options to active and retired UCC clergy and lay employees. Pension Boards UCC web site Link to information about their monthly member education Conference calls and Webinars |
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United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund Who We AreEstablished in 1995, the Cornerstone Fund was created to offer loans to local churches and other organizations related to the United Church of Christ for virtually any property-related project – from repairing or remodeling an existing structure to acquiring additional land or building a new sanctuary. The Cornerstone Fund offers interest-bearing investments to UCC churches and members – and that principal is used in turn to fund loans to other churches and organizations. UCC Cornerstone Fund web site |
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| Other Resources and Helpful Links | ||||||
Called Back to the Well Called Back to the Well provides spiritual renewal and resources to strengthen church leadership and cultivate congregational vitality. Opportunities include monthly 'Sabbath Days' and women in ministry lunch gatherings, programs for individuals and for congregations to help them grow spiritually and much more. Visit the Called Back to the Well websiteMental Illness and Developmental Disability Ministries in the Southwest Conference  The 2005 General Synod resolution, Called to wholeness in Christ: Becoming a church accessible to all, called for all churches to extend an 'extravagent welcome' to those with physical, mental and developmental disabilities. The page has links to resources, and information about SWC congregations working to make our churches accessible to all (A2A).Clergy Support Ministry The Rev. Dr. Beth Johnson, in covenanted ministry with Shepherd of the Hills UCC and the SWC is forming a clergy support ministry that intends to include programs to enhance clergy physical and mental health, spiritual renewal, relationships (with colleagues, family members, and congregation), financial health, support for addictions recovery, continuing education, support for clergy spouses, and creating a data base on our clergys’ health. More details Alban Weekly  The Alban Institute is an independent center of learning and leadership development with a focus on congregations. Each year, Alban touches hundreds of thousands of lives around the world—through our publishing, education, consulting, research, membership, online activities, and ventures. Visit the Alban websiteRetreat Centers  The Southwest Conference UCC offers clergy retreats each year at various retreat centers within our region. These retreat centers can be reserved by groups for other types of retreats. We have put together a list of these retreat centers, their contact information and a basic description of each center from their websites. Retreat centers information |
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