By TJ Harper, Racial Justice Associate for the MA and CT Conferences, UCC.

When reading an article in National Geographic, I was amazed because a new phase of matter was discovered: “an unusual state of potassium” that is “solid and liquid at the same time.”  For years, in elementary school science classes, I learned that there were essentially three types of matter: solid, liquid, and gas (and later in college plasma also became part of the equation).  However, I had never heard of an intersection of any of the states of matter until now. For many years, I had a rather limited view on what it meant to be matter.
 
Moving beyond the science aspects of matter, what does it mean to matter in America? Why, in some contexts, is it taboo to say, “Black Lives Matter” or “Love Thy Muslim Neighbor”?  Is our societal view so myopic that people who do not conform to, or align with, social constructs cannot matter? What is the responsibility of people of faith to help redefine social matter in America?   These are questions that I wrestle with on a daily basis; questions that cannot remain unanswered.

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By Charlie Kuchenbrod, Executive Associate Conference Minister for the Connecticut Conference, UCC

There is hope, yes there is. If we are faithful and courageous, we can live the love and justice of Jesus. Christ needs a new church. We can build it.
 
I see anxiety about declining membership and financial support growing at many of our congregations. For a long time, many churches were able to cope with declining membership because the remaining members increased giving, but now this inclination to generosity is weakening or is being overwhelmed by the loss of members. For many of us, it is becoming clear that the way we “do church” – which is facility-based, professionally-led, and Sunday-morning-worship-centered is no longer viable. This is real: If one of the functions of a church is to help people grow in their relationships with God, we are not functioning very well in many church settings. This may not be new. It may be that greater membership and financial support in the past was not a reflection of functioning well – helping people grow in their relationships with God - as much as evidence of the social role churches played in our culture.

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Many Voices, One Mission is a regular series highlighting the ministries of the CT, MA and RI Conference of the United Church of Christ.

SPOTLIGHT - Payson Park Seeking Visitors, Teens, and Refugees

After many decades of decline, Payson Park Church, UCC of Belmont, had to make a hard decision in 2015. The congregation brought in the CrossRoads / New Beginnings program, and actively consulted with Associate Conference Minister Wendy Vander Hart  to help answer the question about the church’s future.  Would the congregation now close, merge with another congregation, or rededicate themselves to a new mission and bring in another settled minister? Out of a time of discernment during a two year interim, the congregation decided to call a new pastor, and the Rev. Eric Wefald arrived at the end of 2016.

“Payson Park leaders actively engaged the process of looking into their neighborhood and discerning a new ‘Why’ for their ministry,” said Vander Hart.  “This work also greatly informed their search process for new pastoral leadership.”  

Over the past two years, in 2017 and 2018, Payson Park Church has now welcomed fifteen new adult members, most of them young adults, which is a big number for a small congregation.

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