January Message from Rev. Lorraine Ceniceros, Conference Minister

Friends, I pray you and your loved ones experienced a peace filled Christmas and a happy beginning of the New Year. In my work these few weeks it’s been a bit jarring when someone wishes me a Happy New Year. Unsettling, not because it’s unhappy, but because these few weeks have been filled with so many new plans and projects it couldn’t possibly be mid-January! I’ll share with you some of the things conference leaders and I have been working on.

January 3rd was the release of a pastoral letter from the Alliance of Associate Conference Ministers (AACM) and the Council of Conference Ministers (CCM) lifting our collective concern about the strain and exhaustion authorized ministers have experienced through the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Whether pastoring in the local church or serving as a chaplain or educator in an alternate setting, the usual rhythm and pace of ministry was turned upside down in March of 2019. The resulting stress and strain were not unnoticed by conference staff around the country. In 2022, the AACM and CCM began working together to develop resources and possible ways conferences could provide opportunities of rest for our ministers. Around the same time, the K-O Council began to explore ways we could provide tangible support for authorized ministers in the conference.

Out of that exploration came an action of the K-O Council to make grants and scholarships available for authorized ministers and members in discernment (MIDs). The funds are available for seminarian scholarships, continuing education, and minister discernment and wellness programs. The grant/scholarship application and specifications can be found on the K-O website. We are grateful for the availability of the scholarships which are the result of multiple fund accounts created by generous donors whose wishes are to support our students preparing for ministry and our authorized ministers.  

The United Church of Christ’s 34th Synod is just around the corner. Our conference council is preparing to send six delegates and two associate delegates to represent our conference at General Synod this summer. The theme this year is “Making All Things New,” based on Isaiah 43:18-19. This biennial gathering is taking place June 30 – July 4 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. The work of the church during the gathering will include electing a new General Minister and President, voting on the reelection of Associate General Minister Karen Georgia Thompson, considering amendments to the UCC Bylaws that would change the frequency of General Synod from two years to three years, and the many resolutions that are brought forth by congregations, associations, and conferences. There will be time to explore the host city, reconnect with old friends, and make new ones.

Registration opens January 23. Click here: General Synod 2023 online registration for more Synod details.

The K-O Conference Disaster Coordinators, Kelly Hansen and Laura Woods have been working with Lesli Remaly, UCC Minister of Disaster Response and Recovery, to bring forward resources to help churches prepare and respond to disasters as they happen in Kansas and Oklahoma. I have requested and been granted the role of liaison between the Council of Conference Ministers and the Disaster Ministry at the national setting. Look forward to announcements and videos explaining how you and your congregations can get involved.

These are just three of the many ideas and projects we’ve been working with our leaders. I will share more with you as we begin to move through the year. Indeed, we in the K-O Conference are also working to make all things new!

I’ll close with my usual thought; connecting with each other is important as healthy, strong connections allow us to care for one another, cheer each other on, celebrate, and lament together as we grow more fully into the beautiful multifaceted gem we are as a conference. During this season of Epiphany may you feel connected to all as you share the light of Christ with one another.

Many blessings as we walk this journey of faith together,
Lorraine