Tag: heart of texas association (Page 1 of 4)

Heart of Texas Association Fall Meeting

The Heart of Texas Association’s Executive Committee invites all authorized ministers and congregations to our Fall Association Meeting on November 12th at Weimar United Church of Christ at 10 am.

The agenda is still being developed but plan on at least the following and if you have other items please send to the HOTA Moderator, Carl Schwartz-King.

  • Ministerial Standings in the Manual on Ministry
  • State of Associations in the Conferences
  • Ecclesiastical Council

There will be a virtual option but we strongly encourage those who can attend to attend onsite!

Fall Association Meeting

The Heart of Texas Association’s Executive Committee invites all authorized ministers and congregations to our Fall Association Meeting on November 12th at Weimar United Church of Christ at 10 am.

The agenda is still being developed but plan on at least the following and if you have other items please send to the HOTA Moderator, Carl Schwartz-King.

  • Ministerial Standings in the Manual on Ministry
  • State of Associations in the Conferences
  • Ecclesiastical Council

There will be a virtual option but we strongly encourage those who can attend to attend onsite!

Season of Change

Friends in Christ,

Believe it or not, Fall is here! The temperatures may not indicate the change in season but the plethora of pumpkin-spice products available won’t let us forget.

And just as the seasons change, September continued to be a season of change and transition for many of our congregations. Most congregations continue to move forward with onsite offerings for their members while at the same time continue to minister and be in relationship with those who need/want to remain online. The creativity and ways in which local congregations are staying connected and willing to do things in new ways is inspiring.

Continuing with the theme of changes in seasons, a few of our clergy/congregations are going through some significant changes/transitions:

  • Rolling Hills Christian Church called a new settled minister, Reverend Rachael McConnell.
  • Rev. Crystal Silva-McCormick has ended her call at Church of the Savior in Cedar Park.
  • Friedens in Washington continues their discernment of whether, or not, to remain in the United Church of Christ.
  • Rev. Ryan Hart and Open Cathedral are taking some intentional time of discernment (a practice we all might consider from time to time)

We hold each other in prayer as we all find ourselves in this in between time. Specifically, we hold those churches that are in the various phases of search and call/interim/transitional work (Rolling Hills Christian Church, Trinity Church of Austin, Congregational Church of Austin, Church of the Savior, St. Peter’s UCC Coupland, and Faith UCC New Braunfels).

Change is inevitable and consistent, but together we can support one another through whatever changes may come our way.

So glad to be on the journey with you!

~ Rev. Nikki Stahl, Heart of Texas Association Minister

New Free Webinars on Frontline Faith

New Free Webinars on Frontline Faith:

Rapid Response Training: Prayer & Preparation

Church Building & Loan Fund topical webinars

Abuse Prevention Webinar

Completing Your Churches Mission

We Aren’t Broken

The Value of Financial Reporting

Repurposing Resources for Mission

Capital Campaign Services

Our Whole Lives Pre-Training Sessions

School Kit Challenge!!

The South Central Conference has a long history of providing School Kits for Church World Service.

There’s still time for us to participate as donations and/or kits are not due until our Association Meeting November 12th!

Please participate as you feel called.


The Heart of Texas Association challenged the North Texas, Houston, and New Orleans Associations in a “School Kit Challenge” to see who can put together the most school kits by our Fall Association Meetings.

So far North Texas Association is in the lead!

A link to the CWS School Kit can be found here.
If assembling “one kit” = kit + $2
If collecting money, “one kit” = $17

Heart of Texas Association News

Newsletter readers can follow Heart of Texas Association News by opening their newsletter in a web browser and selecting the “follow” button on the right side of the newsletter.

The most recent newsletter can be found at https://www.smore.com/93xsz.

Below is a list of upcoming conference and wider church events, please read through the HoT newsletter at the link above and feel free to join.

Conference & Wider Church Events

Wednesday, July 6

  • 11:00 am OWL Taking Flight: Amazing Amaze
  • 12:00 pm Wartime Threat: Increased Fossil Fuel Production at Home

Thursday, July 7

Wednesday, July 20

  • 1:00 pm Witness with the World’s Workers UCC.org

Thursday, July 21

  • 2:30 pm Our Faith our Vote 2022: Faithful Engagement in a Time of Increased Voter Suppression UCC.org

Tuesday, July 26

  • 7:00 pm How to Recognize and Deal with Church Bullies Register

Wednesday, July 27

Thursday, July 28

  • 1:00 pm How Broad Based Community Organizing Might Transform the Church Register
  • 2:30 pm A Conversation with Franklinton Center at Brick’s Rev. Elly Mendez Angulo UCC.org

Special Invitation to Join The Journey

Journey # 17 Sept 29 – Oct 2

On behalf of North Texas Journey, Rev. Nikki Stahl and Cathy Hansen (Friends Congregational Church Church – College Station) would like to extend a warm invitation for all Heart of Association members to join us on Journey #17 taking place Thursday, September 29th – Sunday, October 2nd.

The Journey actually started in the Brazos Association (prior to Brazos & South Texas Association merger to Heart of Texas Association), before moving to North Texas. Every Journey since then has included pilgrims and/or team leads from our Association. This year Cathy will be serving as Lay Leader and Nikki will be serving as Spiritual Leader. The hope is to have a good participation from the Heart of Texas Association.

What is the Journey?

The Journey is a three-day spiritual renewal experience based on the Cursillo tradition. The Journey is intended to strength the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. It is designed for active church members and leaders who want to rekindle their faith or renew their vision!

You can find out more information here or contact Cathy and/or Nikki!

2022 UCC Southern Regional Women’s Retreat (Oct 14-16)

2022 UCC Southern Regional Retreat
October 14-16, 2022
Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center – Live Oak, Florida

Greetings to the UCC Women of the Florida, South Central, Southeast, and Southern Conferences!!

Have you ever attended one of the Southern Regional UCC Women’s Retreats?  If you have, I expect you will be coming to Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center in Live Oak, Florida October 14-16, 2022.  You value the inspiration, camaraderie, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, learning new skills, and listening to God in a natural setting.

If you have never been to our retreats, you are in for a treat!  We are meeting in the same beautiful northern Florida setting on a small lake where we met in 2013.  It has a lovely chapel looking out on the water, nice two-bed rooms with private baths, an inspiring outdoor patio area with rocking chairs overlooking the lake, a large dining room with great food, and trails through the woods.  A perfect spot to retreat from our everyday lives. 

Our keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, Associate General Minister, Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global Ministries.  She is a dynamic speaker and a friend to all.  Her rich experiences and leadership qualities are most impressive, and she has been a part of the Florida Conference over the years. 

The retreat will begin on Friday with dinner and go through Sunday morning breakfast and closing worship.  Your registration fee includes two nights lodging, and meals Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast. 

With the reality of COVID and many health concerns, our retreat last October was held virtually.  We have high hopes of meeting in person this year but continue to be cautious.  The Early Bird Registration, due by June 15, includes a $20 discount off the Final Registration, due by September 1.  Registration for a double room is $175 for Early Bird and $195 for Final.  Additional prices are on the registration form and in the information document.

For more information about the retreat, please click here.  You will find on-line and paper registration forms, an information document, a resource list for “Who’s at the Table” (Racial Injustice & Racial Inequalities), directions for knitting or crocheting boobies (service project), list of items for hygiene kits for Church World Service (service project) and flyer to post to promote the retreat.

 We hope to see you in October as we share a weekend of inspiration, fellowship and friendship.

Southern Regional Planning Team
Clarice Mitchell, Southeast Conference
Betty Griffin, Southern Conference
Jasmine Quinerly, South Central Conference
Leslie Etheredge, Associate Conference Minister, FL Conference, UCC
Barb Coons, Registrar, Southwest Region
Dyanne Edds, Co-Chair, St. Petersburg
Bunny Gruntler, Co-Chair, Miami
Vonshelle Beneby, St. Johns Region
Ginny Sommerville, Gold Coast Region
Marty Synott, Central West Coast Region
Rhea Taie-Tehrani, Miami-Dade Region

You may also contact Registrar Barb Coons at 239-549-8283 or [email protected]


Click here for a flyer for the event or see below!

Heart of Texas Association News

Pastor Carla would like to draw your attention to the following articles in the most recent HOT Association Newsletter below!

1)  SPRING ASSOCIATION MEETING VOTING RECAP

2) REMEMBERING REDEEMER UNITED CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

We mourn the decision of Redeemer Church in Zuehl to leave the United Church of Christ. Please keep them in your prayers and if you know of any who may be seeking support during this time of transition, please let us know how we can be of support to them. Read more below from remembrances compiled by Heart of Texas Association Minister, Rev. Nikki Stahl. 

3) RECOGNIZING OUR LICENSED MINISTERS

4) SOUTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING

5) In case you missed Pastor Rene Slataper, interim minister at Hope United and member in discernment from Congregational Church of Austin, as part of April 7th Thursday’s For the Soul program entitled “Make Visible.”

6) INVITATION TO JOURNEY # 17

Pastor Carla has spoken before about this 3-day retreat and has been praying for one to be organized that Faith Church folks could attend. She will be serving on the Clergy Team for this event. Please see below for details and let her know if you would like to attend!

7) UCC HISTORY & POLITY

8) HYGIENE KITS COLLECTION AT ANNUAL MEETING (LINK TO PDF FLIER, TOO)

9) CAN WE DO IT? YES, WE CAN!

Subscribe to the Heart of Texas News directly through the HoT website at: http://www.hotaucc.org/news/news.html


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