Working Together in Faith, Trust, and Love

We Strive to Foster Faithful Witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will Shape a Strong UCC Identity with Effective Staffing that Equips and Empowers Local Churches, Clergy and Lay for Transformative Ministry and Growth.

WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR OF FAITH & FAVOR

-

SOC WILL THRIVE IN 2025

-

WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR OF FAITH & FAVOR - SOC WILL THRIVE IN 2025 -

As Advent Season Comes to an End and A New Year Begins

Holiday Blessings from The Southern Conference Minister

For many, the best part about the advent season is the anticipation of the expected return of Jesus Christ. In the midst of the jingle bells, decorations and kids eagerly telling Santa what they want for Christmas, during these four weeks leading up to Christmas, known as advent, a candle is lit for each word of the season: hope, peace, joy and love. People are usually more generous and in a festive mood who actually take this anticipated arrival seriously. How awesome is it that you get to go to church and at least for four Sundays you get to hear sermons that reflect on the advent words intentionally? The other neat thing is that this season brings about unity for Christians from all denominations and backgrounds. While Advent may be done in different ways, the focus is still the same: the anticipation of waiting for the arrival of Jesus!

Members of the Southern Conference United Church of Christ, as we embrace the spirit of the holiday season, as the Southern Conference Minister along with my staff, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to each one of you. This Christmas letter is a heartfelt thank you for your dedication, hard work, and contributions to this Church throughout the year.

The holiday season is a time of reflection and appreciation. I want to acknowledge the collective efforts that have made the achievements of the Southern Conference successful, especially with your contributions to Our Churches Wider Mission dollars sent to the Conference. These dollars have helped to sustain the ministry in 2024 which have allowed us to care for our clergy and churches. Your commitment to excellence and resilience in the face of challenges have been inspiring, and I am proud to serve as the Southern Conference Minister for such talented and dedicated clergy and lay people in our churches.

As we experience the holidays, I hope you take time to relax, enjoy the company of loved ones, and bask in the satisfaction of a year well spent. I extend warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we celebrate the Christmas day with hearts devoted to our God, recognizing the sacredness of this day when His Son, Jesus, was born. May the festive season bring you hope, peace, joy and the greatest of these -- love -- along with the opportunity to recharge for the exciting challenges that await all of us in 2025.

Thank you for your continued commitment, and here’s to a prosperous and successful year ahead as we join in unity for the success of our collective future in 2025. To God be the glory for the great things that have already been done and will do!

Who’s Up for the Southern Conference Minister’s Reconnecting Challenge?

By Rev. Belinda Sledge

At the Southern Conference Annual Meeting this past summer, Rev. Edward Davis (D.Min.), Southern Conference Minister, stated: “In keeping with reconnecting our youth to the church, the theme for this year’s meeting will be, 'Reconnecting the Disconnect with Our Youth.'” He also extended this to say, “We will indeed start the process of reconnecting where we got off track, not only with our youth, but with our churches being connected to the Southern Conference and its own Association. Therefore, we will once again be afforded the opportunity to be educated, equipped and empowered using workshops, worship and yes fun!"

Well, on December 19th at Lake Prince Woods in Suffolk Virginia, the Eastern Virginia Association took him up on his challenge by starting their reconnection with “fun.” The Southern Conference and EVA joined together to provide a Holiday Gathering for their Clergy, Board members, COM members and accompanying spouses/significant others.

While the pictures only depict women with the exception of Rev. A. Jerome Danage (D.Min.), Sr, Pastor of Providence UCC, Chesapeake Va, this was indeed a time where about 46 EVA members gathered to reconnect with each other to jump start their collective future as they journey into 2025 utilizing our covenantal relationship with churches, clergy, lay, Association and Southern Conference.

During this time Rev. Rob Edwards, who will be serving as Eastern Virginia Interim Associate Conference Minister -- beginning January 1, 2025 -- had a time to introduce himself and plans for this interim role. He laid out a plan to start this re-connection initiative. EVA will have a visioning day in January 2025 where EVA members will be invited to help look into their future plans for reconnecting. Rev. Davis gave his expectations of them, getting back to some of the things they used to do that created unity, all while encouraging them to remember Matthew 9:17.

Our Conference Minister is challenging all of the Associations to plan a way forward to reconnect with its churches and for churches and Associations to reconnect with the Conference in a more meaningful way in 2025. It is the hope that when we reach the annual meeting for 2025 that the talk will be “how we have met this challenge and not how we plan to meet this challenge!”

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and joyous New Year! The best for the Reconnected Southern Conference is coming in 2025!!