The story of Sueños y Esperanzas and their impactful work in Guatemala
Union Church began supporting Sueños y Esperanzas 4 years ago by sponsoring 2 students in their after-school program. Since then, we have seen the program blossom into a full-scale support system for both students and their parents. It is a true community center at the heart of the town of San Juan Laguna in the mountains of the beautiful country of Guatemala. With our support, they began the Abejita’s program because many children in the community were malnourished. They wanted
A Deep Dive on “Sacrifice”
One of the great things about Union Church is our Simple Supper group program. These are monthly meetings of about 12 people who share a meal, share about their lives, and share in good discussion about the Christian faith and/or the Bible. All the groups are led by members of the church, but often Rev. Mike prepares the material the groups use for discussion. For May's topic, Mike prepared material on the topic of sacrifice, in the religious/Biblical sense. The
Associate Minister Search Committee Established
We are very happy to announce that the Executive Council, through Moderator Mary Sue Honigschmidt, has established an Associate Minister Search Committee to find the person who will serve as our next Associate Minister for Mission and Youth. The Search Committee is made up of people from our HR team, those most actively engaged in our mission and youth work, as well as parents of the current and future youth of the church. We are grateful to all for agreeing
New Responsibilities for the Rev. Grant Glowiak
This time of staff transition has been a good time to think creatively about our overall staff configuration and responsibilities. In consultation with other staff, HR, and Executive Council, I (Rev. Mike) have given Grant Glowiak a new portfolio of responsibilities for his ministry with us. Grant will now be transitioning his main focus to work with families with young children at home, as well as new members and membership growth. This means that Grant will now be our "point
Wrap Up WYW? and More of Mike’s Why
At the heart of this series was the idea that, even if we are not very good at talking about it, each of us has a personal reason to continue in this odd journey called “Christian faith.” We hope that by hearing several people from the congregation talk about their “why?” you have found points of connection to your own “why?” and that you have been inspired in knowing that you are not alone in this journey of faith. Furthermore,
Follow-up to Stephen Edwards’ WYW?
By Stephen: It was an honor to share my why on Sunday and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this community that allows voices like mine and Kevin’s to be heard so openly and with such support. I spoke about my upbringing in an environment where the judgement of God seems to override the love of God. Please do not misinterpret all of that, as there was so much emphasis on God’s love. I have always felt a profound connection
On the earthquake in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria
In the face of the horrendous loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, theology matters: not abstract, academic theology, but the deep, personal theology that shapes how we personally and spiritually process such suffering, and ultimately how we act in the world. This type of event can trouble our spirits, not just from compassion, but from doubt. And given that this is one disaster in a long and constant stream of terrible things
“What’s Your Why?” from Rev. Grant Glowiak
I was really looking forward to writing this reflection. What I was not expecting is that I had such a difficult time trying to figure out what to include and what to leave out. I am ultimately satisfied with the ‘final product,’ but I did have to leave quite a few things out. One of the major things I wish I would have had time for was talking about how, even after entering seminary, I was running from parish ministry.
“What’s Your Why?” from Penny Johnson
My name is Penny Johnson, and I am the Director of Christian Education and the Administration Manager. An odd combination of titles, but as I share my story, you will begin to understand how it happened. “What’s my why?”, and why I’m here is very simple: I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I want to share those teachings with God’s littlest children. My baptism is one of my earliest church memories. I was eight years old, and in preparation
Some thoughts upon the murder of Tyre Nichols
> Sadly, infuriatingly, we now must add the name of Tyre Nichols to the long list of those who have been needlessly killed by police. Although I choose not to watch video with the kind of violence Tyre Nichols suffered, I have read detailed descriptions of the incident, and I support the public release of such videos. I feel, however, like my soul is damaged by such video – the violence is so unnatural, so inhuman, so monstrous, that I