ICCC HEADLINES

Churches Uniting in Christ
Churches Uniting in Christ Release Resources for Lent 2021
 
Birmingham, AL: Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Chair of the Coordinating Council of Churches Uniting in Christ announces the release of new, ecumenical resources for the use of local congregations for this year’s Lenten and Eastertide services.
 
Lent is the traditional time period in the church calendar during which Christians prepare themselves for Easter and the celebration of the resurrection.   The Lenten season contains several important days of commemoration, such as Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.   Easter is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and recognize, with God’s power, life wins over death.  The Eastertide season continues for 50 days after initial celebrations.
 
Resources to help congregations understand and observe these events can be found on the Churches Uniting in Christ website resource page here. There you will find an introduction video by Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, and Bible studies by leading theologians such as Dr. Rhonda Blevins (ICCC), Bishop Othal H. Lakey (CME), and Dr. Vernon Meyer (UCC).  There are also sermons you may use for your online worship services offered by Bishop Ann Henning-Byfield (AME) and Rev. Andrew Foster Connors (PCUSA).  Bishop Jefferson-Snorton, who is also the Ecumenical Officer for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, encourages all local congregations in the United States to use any, or all, of these resources as they commemorate this year’s Lenten and Easter seasons.
 
Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) was formed in 2002 as the former Consultation on Church Union (COCU) decided to stop “consulting” and start living their unity in Christ more fully.  CUIC is now a covenant relationship among ten Christian communions that have pledged to live more closely together in expressing their unity in Christ and combating racism together.  The member churches include the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church, the International Council of Community Churches, the Moravian Church (Northern Province), the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and The United Methodist Church. For more information go to www.churchesuniting.org. 
 

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Recorded Webinars

ICCC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 2020

Rev. Rhonda Blevins and Phil Tom are excited about these learning opportunities for our ICCC members. Below are the available sessions recorded.
 
The Church’s Role in Healing and Restoring Wounded & Hurting African-American Women in our Congregations.  Click here
 
Introduction to Conflict Management for Leaders in Communities of Faith
Session 1 https://vimeo.com/468338635  Password = ICCC-Conflict Management Class 1
Session 2 https://vimeo.com/472402172 Password = ICCC-ConflictManagementClass2 
Session 3  https://vimeo.com/473414570  Password = ICCC-ConflictManagementClass3
 
A Vision for the Emerging Purple Church
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIEFzQUXs0
 
Pastors Discussing Race and the American Church
Part 1 https://vimeo.com/442455647/a9e34fa855
Part 4 https://vimeo.com/454105338/8986055bca

 

Developing Your Church’s Covenant for In-Person Worship
Powerpoint (no video)
Ushering Duties During Covid handout
 
A Primer for Prophetic Preaching From A White Pastor In White Churches
Password = ICCC-PreachingProphetWebinar

Preaching to a Screen
https://vimeo.com/410717615
 
Ministry Outside the Walls from 04/08/2020
https://vimeo.com/405550422/4e5ebdc87a

Emerging Church Practice in this Coronavirus Context from 03/25/2020

https://vimeo.com/400705726

The Great Gift of the Small Church from 03/11/2020
https://vimeo.com/403084558/b6d472b9f3

Cultivating Adaptive Change in Congregations from 2/19/2020
https://vimeo.com/392532326/49d9adc388
 
Fundraising and Stewardship in Church from 2/12/2020
https://vimeo.com/392202130
 
ICCC Leadership Preview from 1/5/2020                 
Password: ICCCPreview

 

Got Ideas?
The Leadership Development Team along with Pinnacle Leadership Associates are working together to provide the best topics for the webinars.  They are conducting a survey to see what you are most interested in.  Please participate by clicking on the link below!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QZKNHZX
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

September 15, 2020

Greetings ICCC clergy brothers and sisters!

I hope you are all doing well as you continue to navigate the new normal with your congregations, whether it be through your parish, center, or chaplaincy ministries.  It is an understatement to say that these are challenging times for clergy, congregations and for the Church at large.  Here are three articles that I thought you might find of interest to read.
 

The New Front Door of Church: From web to welcome – https://refreshthechurch.com/the-new-front-door-of-church-from-web-to-welcome/
How to Preach When Your Congregation is Online and In-Person – https://factsandtrends.net/2020/09/02/how-to-preach-to-two-audiences-at-the-same-time/

1 in 5 churches facing permanent closure within 18 months due to COVID-19 shutdowns: Barna pres. – https://www.christianpost.com/news/1-in-5-churches-face-closure-within-18-months-due-to-covid-19-shutdowns-barna-president-238612/?fbclid=IwAR3gfW_-HBQil7FRBynfmLK8A57wUVMWv_uRlLeX0yF8SgFY-3pEbCXtqQs

During this pandemic, clergy and congregational leaders have had to become adaptive, agile, and creative to maintain their worship services and ministries with their congregation members and their communities.  Most congregations, large and small are facing financial challenges.  This time has been especially difficult for smaller membership congregations which for many were already struggling financially pre-Covid!

I welcome your stories about creative solutions and resources that might be of help to our ICCC clergy, congregations, and members.

We continue to provide a monthly leadership development webinar.  Past webinars can be downloaded from our ICCC website (links below).  I welcome your suggestions for future webinars. 

As you know, ICCC received a modest one-year grant this year from Duke Divinity Leadership Education Program.  We are using the grant to provide the monthly webinars.  We had plan to use the grant to provide support for our clergy through monthly clergy peer group gatherings, and for regional clergy retreats.  Due to the pandemic, there has not been much support for these programs.  I talked with the staff from the Duke Divinity Leadership Education Program last month.  He supported our request to re-purpose the grant for the remainder of this year. We now have two small grant funds: 

  • Leadership development grant for clergy or lay. The maximum grant is $400.   Since most continuing education programs have gone on-line, this grant will cover the cost for many on-line educational programming.
  • Vital Worship grants. The maximum grant is $500.  I borrowed this idea from The Calvin Institute of Worship at Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI.  It provides Vital Worship grants.  On its website it describes the purpose of the grants – “Grants to worshiping communities stimulate thoughtful and energetic work that will result in worship services that exhibit renewed creativity, theological integrity, and relevance.”

Obviously, our grants are much smaller than the grants offered by The Calvin Institute.  Hopefully, our Vital Worship grant will assist and stimulate some of our congregations, especially our smaller membership congregations, to discern how they might do worship differently and more creatively as they move into the new normal of combining in-person and on-line worship and ministry!

For an application form for the Leadership Development Grant click here.   For an application for the Vital Worship Grant click here.  All eligible ICCC clergy and congregations are welcomed to apply.  The funds are limited. So, the grants will be provided on a first come, first served basis.  If you have any questions about these grant funds, please contact me.
 

Let us continue to keep one another and our congregations in prayers as we all move through this time of great challenge and opportunity.  Take care and have a blessed day.

Peace,

Phil Tom
icccpt@sbcglobal.net

It’s here!

 
 
 

The 2020 Inclusive Pulpit is here!                Available now!

The ICCC annual “book of sermons” is now out, with sermons, poems, prayers, etc., all submitted by ICCC family.  Thank you to all that have contributed to this example of God’s word, and thank you to our editors: Rev. Tim Meadows, Pamela Jones and Cindy Conolly.

The purchase of this annual book is normally included in the Annual Conference fee for all attendees.  For a limited time, you can purchase the book for $8.50 (includes s&h, regular price $19.95), since we will have no conference for 2020.

If you would like to purchase the book, send payment to the Council Office, or pay through our website.  Click here.  Please note that it is for the 2020 Inclusive Pulpit.  
 
Be sure to share this information with ICCC family without  email!  The 2020 Trentham Award will be announced during our 2020 2-Day Virtual Gathering being held July 20 & 21.  Details can be found on our website as they become available.  https://www.icccnow.org/annual-conference/

If you have any questions, please contact DeAnn at the Council Office.  icccdc@sbcglobal.net
A great article shared by VP for Regional Relationships Chaplain Wendy Childress:
 
The Best Way White Christians Can Respond to Racial Tensions.
The Best Way White Christians Can Respond to Racial Tensions

WORSHIP WITH US!!

During these challenging times, many ICCC churches have learned to provide virtual worship, to bring together their congregations.  The following have shared their links with us, in case you would like to join in.
 

Antioch Community Church – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntiochChurchKC/  or search in FB Antioch 4805.  For more information on what Antioch Community Church has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.acckc.org.

Wilson Memorial Union Church– Sunday Worship can be found on their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXd-MMkSkEEJVqsN-8Yoeg or on their website https://www.wilsonmemorialchurch.org/videos  They also post their worship links on their *Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mywilsonchurch  For more information on what Wilson Memorial Union Church has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.wilsonmemorialchurch.org.

Lake Oconee Community Church – https://locc.co/worshiping/services-livestream/  For more information on what Lake Oconee Community Church has to offer virtually, visit their website www.locc.co.

New Covenant Community Church – YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQ4tfz6CmH64kug4zjVGmA  For more information on what New Covenant Community Church has to offer virtually, visit their website http://www.covenantakron.org/

Greater Faith Community Church – For information on what Greater Faith Community Church has to offer virtually, visit their website http://www.greaterfaith.org.

Imagine Church of the Carolinas – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImagineChurchoftheCarolinas/.  For more information on what Imagine Church of the Carolinas has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.imaginechurchnow.org

Chapel By The Sea – YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjSPp9qNZq9DFRfoNcJ83g  For information on what Chapel By The Sea has to offer virtually, visit their website www.imaginechurchnow.org

upRising – a church without walls – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uprisingaustin/   For more information on what upRising has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.uprisingaustin.org

Peace Community Church – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peacecommunityftmyers/  For more information on what Peace Community Church offers virtually, visit their website: www.peacecommunitychurch.com

People’s Community Church, Berea, OH – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesCommunityChurchBerea/  For more information on what People’s Community Church may have to offer virtually, visit their website: www.peoplescommunity.org

Christian Catholic Rite of Community Churches – YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHGa_5lyPn0 .  For more information on what CCRCC has to offer virtually, visit their website: http://ccrcc.ca/

 

Historic First Community Church Nashville – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/526657234126797/videos/652357822159867/?vh=e&d=n

Speed Memorial, a Community Church – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speedmemorial/  For more information on what Speed Memorial has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.speedmemorial.org

Tellico Village Community Church – https://www.tellicochurch.com/watch

Historic People’s Community Church, Detroit – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesCommunityChurchDetroit/ live at 10:30am ET Sundays.  For more information on what People’s Community Church has to offer virtually, visit their website: www.historicpcc.org

ICCC Clergy Rev. Dr. Stephen York is the minister at Elm Street Congregational Church.  Services are livestreamed on Sunday at 10:00am ET: https://elmstcongo.church/live.  Archived services can be found at https://elmstcongo.church/youtube. 
 
Norris Religious Fellowship – YouTube: www.youtube.com/norrisrf.  For more information on what NRF has to offer virtually, visit their website www.norrosfr.org.
 
Arizona National Guard Chaplains – *Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AZNationalGuardChaplains/
 
Greendale People’s Church – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfkBKSC_VJABn03L4P3Syiw.  For more information on what Greendale People’s Church has to offer virtually, visit their website https://www.greendalepeopleschurch.org/
 

*For Facebook links, you may need to first “Like” the church’s page before you can view their postings.

Greetings.
This is a challenging time for our clergy, lay leaders, and congregations as we discern how do we do Church during this COVID-19 crisis and beyond.  The question is not only when do we return but how shall we open our church homes again for worship, study, fellowship, and service?  Below is a link for a document from the Wisconsin Council of Churches: Returning to Church, that might be of help for your congregation as it discerns this question.
 
 
I welcome again your feedback on how can ICCC be of support for our clergy, lay leaders, and congregations.  I welcome your suggestions for Zoom webinar topics or activities that would be helpful to share with our ICCC family.  Please feel free to email me at or call me at 502-387-8515.
 
Let us continue to keep our ICCC family in our prayers along with our nation and global family as we continue to move through this pandemic crisis.  Take care.  Stay well and be safe.
 

 

Please accept the following prayer from your ICCC leadership!

Almighty merciful and loving God, hear the prayers of your people.
Lord, in the midst of great uncertainty in our communities, our cities, our states, our nation and our world community, give unto us the certainty of your loving presence and hopeful promise of your love for us.
May we be certain of your present healing spirit as we face uncertain of the COVID 19 virus.
Guide us, O God that we would make wise decisions in our day to day life.
Bless our ICCC and all our communities with a calming assurance of your love.
Your are our breath and life.  We praise you.
Harry Foockle, ICCC President
 
The ICCC has a NEW Facebook Group! Click on the Facebook icon to join!                    
 
We also invite you to like and follow the ICCC Page, where up-to-date announcements and info can be found. 
The ICCC has 6 Regions, and each will soon have their own Facebook Group.  Keep up to date with your regions news and activities! 
Eastern Zone, Region A (Regional Trustee Doris Marsicak)
Eastern Zone, Region B (Regional Trustee Myrtis Brame)
Eastern Zone, Region C  (Regional Trustee Rev. Bruce Jones)
Central Zone, Region A (Regional Trustee Rev. Sharyon Cosey)
Central Zone, Region B (Regional Trustee Linda Hopkins)
Central Zone, Region C (Regional Trustee Rev.Julia Powe)
Western Zone, Region A (Regional Trustee Saundra Nelson)
Western Zone, Region B (Regional Trustee Chaplain Ken Young)
 
Check us out here too! #ICCCNOW             Instagram:  @icccnow                                                    Snapchat: icccnow             Twitter:  @icccnow
 
 
Monday, June 8th, the ICCC held a Call For Prayer, via Zoom.  We had a spirit-filled time prayer time together with members from across the country joining in.  Below are some of the prayers shared (adding as they come in).
 

Read (and sang) by Joe Higgins, Wilson Memorial Union Church:

  • “Breathe on me, Breath of God,
    Fill me with life anew,
    That I may love what Thou dost love,
    And do what Thou wouldst do.
  • Breathe on me, Breath of God,
    Until my heart is pure,
    Until with Thee I will one will,
    To do and to endure.
  • Breathe on me, Breath of God,
    Till I am wholly Thine,
    Until this earthly part of me
    Glows with Thy fire divine.
  • Breathe on me, Breath of God,
    So shall I never die,
    But live with Thee the perfect life
    Of Thine eternity.”
 

Read by ICCC Chaplain Wendy Childress.  Written by her daughter, Ikia Noel, 23 years ago when she was 9 years old:


Why? 

Why is this world so cruel, so cold, so evil?
A world full of crime, drugs, and violence
Violence seems to be the answer to. . .
Every situation
Every question
Every problem
A world where money is idolized
Yet, there are people who live in poverty and despair
A world where people want to see you fail
A world where children are supposed to be the future
Yet, there is no one willing to. . .
Teach them
Love them
Guide them
No one there to help the realize they have the potential to succeed
Why is the world so evil?
Why am I surrounded by a world of hatred?
A world where your race, gender, religion, or nationality
Can determine so many things
Why must I dress or talk a certain way
Or have a certain amount of money to be accepted?
Why?
cuic-logoChurches Uniting in Christ, a gathering of 11 communions in a covenantal relationship, affirm and support the dignity of all people and to the care for the gift of the earth that God has entrusted to us.  It is, for this reason, we join with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the dozens of tribes standing in support of their efforts to protect their sovereignty, water, culture, a way of life, and their sacred sites.

To view the entire statement, recently signed by Abraham Wright, ICCC Secretary and other ICCC officers, click here.  
cuic-logo
“I hope we can all reach out to member communions in Greenville, MS and offer our prayers, our resources and our buildings, if necessary.” – Vince Gonzalez, CUIC
 
For information, click here.
 

IMG_3005Give By Text

 
Do you pay for all your “things” online?  Why not make your donations electronically as well?
 
 
We want our members to contribute when and how they want.  The ICCC offers an electronic giving option… Give by Text, as a convenient alternative to checks or cash.
 
 
In less time than it takes to write a check, you can make weekly offerings or respond to special appeals by simply sending a text message from your smartphone.  Sign up today and be liberated from your checkbook!
 
 
Simply send a text to 815-506-9017 with the amount you would like to contribute. Make sure to include the dollar sign before the amount. Example: $25. Within a few minutes, you’ll be sent a text with a link to register. Click on the link and enter your cardholder name and credit or debit card information. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a text verification and a receipt via email.
 
 
 
Thank you for supporting our mission!
 

 

 
      Direct Thrivent Choice Dollars®.

GIVE THANKS.
During this special time of year, we pause to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. Family, friends, faith …

We are pleased to announce that the ICCC has recently been accepted into the Thrivent Choice program. 
One way eligible Thrivent Financial members can show their thanks is by directing Choice Dollars to the ICCC. If you’re a Thrivent member who has designated Choice Dollars

®, please take this opportunity to recommend where Thrivent distributes some of its charitable grant funds by directing them to the ICCC.  Thrivent Choice grant funding will be used for Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations, and for our three missions: Agape, Creating Community, and Feeding the Hungry. 

To learn more about Thrivent Choice, visit Thrivent.com/thriventchoice.  Or call Thrivent at 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” when prompted.

Do you shop Amazon.com?
You can now designate the International Council of Community Churches to receive .5% of the purchase price from the AmazonSmile Foundation!
 
Please support the ICCC today and get shopping!  Go to https://smile.amazon.com and select the ICCC as your charitable organization.