A Message from Conference Minister Lorraine Ceniceros
We hope your holiday season was filled with warmth and light. Special Christmas services, cantata’s, gathering with family, and friends that feel like family are wonderful ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus who brought hope, love, and salvation to the world.
As we begin to move more fully into 2024, we want to kick off the year with some important updates.
At the end of 2023, due to changes in UCC Financial Services, the KO Finance & Stewardship team decided it was more cost effective to switch our accounting services from the national setting to a local business. We are thrilled to introduce PGH Certified Public Accountants as the conference’s accounting firm. PGH is a local firm with offices in Manhattan, Junction City, and Abilene. This team of professionals is working with us to transfer everything from the national setting to their local office. We are confident they will provide top-notch accounting services to support our conference’s financial needs.
The transfer in accounting services necessitates a change in the mailing address for donations and Our Church’s Greater Mission (OCWM) payments. The new address for mailings and donations is:
Kansas Oklahoma Conference UCC
302 W 7th St #425
Junction City, KS 66441
Also changing is the January grace period for OCWM payments. Going forward OCWM checks received after December 31 will be credited to the new year, even if they are dated for December.
Planning for General Synod 35 has begun! Missouri-Mid South Conference Minister, Rev. Mary Nelson and I have begun to have our meetings with the two national setting Synod Administrators. We hope the national setting planning team will announce the synod theme by mid-February. At this early-stage, Mary and I are seeking three volunteers from each conference to co-chair the three major subcommittees of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC). We are seeking folks who are organized, detailed, and are good with follow up. I know we have plenty of people in our conference who excel in all of the above! Please let me know if you are interested in helping to create the biggest event that will ever take place in the life of our conference.
In my usual closing I always remind us to reach out to connect with each other! That message is being taken to heart by Conference leadership and our Board of Directors. We understand relationships do not just go one way. We want our KO congregations to feel connected to us. We understand that relationships are built on communication and collaboration. We value your feedback and encourage open dialogue. Feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. A strong partnership is a two-way street, and we are committed to fostering meaningful connections with each of our pastors and congregations. For me, this does not mean an isolated visit with your congregation, but multiple visits to get to know who you are as a community and as individuals.
To that end, I invite you to click here to schedule a meeting or Sunday morning with me. Click here to subscribe to the KO monthly newsletter and finally, click here for a selection of United Church of Christ newsletters you can register to receive.
Together we are the Church, together we can make a difference in our communities, and together we can make manifest God’s love in our world.
Your partner on this journey of Faith,
Lorraine