Are your ears open to our still-speaking God? Are you prepared to respond to what you hear?

Those questions will be at the heart of the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, which will take place just five weeks from now. We will focus on listening – to one another, to those beyond the Church, and especially to the Holy Spirit, as we discern together new ways of living out the gospel in changing times. Read on to learn how to make the most of your Annual Meeting experience.

Annual Meeting will run from Friday, June 7, to Sunday, June 9, at Green Lake Conference Center.



Register today to claim the early-bird discount, good through May 5. Deadline to register for Annual Meeting is May 24.

Lodging and meals. Your room and meals must be booked separately with Green Lake Conference Center. Book your accommodations by calling the Conference Center at 920-294-3323. Make sure to say you’re with the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ Annual Meeting in order to receive the discounted rate. Learn more about room and meal options. Buy your meal tickets by May 25 to receive a discounted rate.

Child care at Daycholah. There’s good news for parents who will be among the clergy, lay delegates and visitors to Annual Meeting 2024, courtesy of the Outdoor Ministry at Daycholah Center, which will offer a drop-in day camp for kids ages 8 to 14 on Friday and Saturday of Annual Meeting. Camp sessions will be from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Cost for the Friday session is $45; the Saturday session fee is $80. The fees include all activities, lunch and a snack. You can reserve your child’s spot when you register for Annual Meeting. Please note: The day camp will be offered only if at least 14 people participate each day. Learn more.

Arrive a day early for the Intensive Workshop. The Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay, the UCC’s minister for worship and theology, will lead the June 6 Intensive Workshop preceding the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference. The workshop, Engaging Worship Planning: Revelation, Response, Resources, will use liturgy, lecture, discussion and reflection to help participants engage the foundational principles of worship, create and curate rituals and resources, and discover and share best practices. Register today.

Learn what’s ahead for the Wisconsin Conference. On Friday afternoon, Conference Minister Franz Rigert will deliver his annual State of the Conference address and challenge us all to be attentive to God’s “holy nudge” as we ponder new ways of being church.



The UCC is a force for justice around the world. How do you listen to God when the world around us is consumed by noisy, and deadly, conflicts? UCC Acting Associate General Minister Shari Prestemon will grapple with that question in her Saturday-morning keynote Tuning In and Staying Present. Shari also will lead a workshop examining the UCC’s global ministries, It’s a Small World After All.

Prepare to be inspired during worship. We’ll gather for worship at Friday’s Opening Litany and again on Saturday for a morning service and the Annual Meeting’s closing Communion Service. Worship leaders will be musicians Andra Moran and Christopher Grundy. Christopher will preach at the closing service.

Don't worry about Sunday morning. There’s good news for congregations whose pastors and lay leaders will be at the Conference Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 9. Our worship leaders will provide materials for congregational use on June 9 or any other Sunday of your choosing. The materials will be emailed during the last week of May.

Here’s something new. Join us on Saturday evening for a cocktail reception at Daycholah Center. The event, to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., will feature hot and cold appetizers and complementary beer and wine. Payment is due at the time of Annual Meeting registration.

When interim Pastor Nicole Werth walked into Faith First Congregational Church in Genoa City a year and a half ago, she quickly identified her first priority. “It was full of love but needed to come alive again,” she said. The church offered a single Sunday service at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 10:30, creating a somewhat awkward scheduling dynamic.

“I learned a lot of parents and grandparents were dropping kids off (for Sunday School) but not attending,” Nicole said. “I thought how nice it would be if we had a service during that time. There was a chance to get more people into the building.”

The discussions that followed resulted in a new, more contemporary, 10:30 service that began with a “Grand Opening” on April 14. The 9 o’clock service continues, with traditional hymns and responsive prayers. The first 10:30 service drew 90 worshipers. The early service, which had “been floating close to 50,” drew 35. Nicole says the new worship opportunity has tapped into an unmet need.

“Even people who aren’t coming to church are curious,” she said. “They want to know Jesus whether they know it or not.”

Pictured: Worshipers at the Grand Opening

Associate Conference Minister Michael Jones will facilitate a monthly Sermon Talk for preachers starting May 7. The time together will center on free-flowing discussion of biblical texts and sermon ideas, with the focus on topics for the month ahead. Whether you use the Revised Common Lectionary, the Narrative Lectionary or choose your own texts, these sessions are for you.



Date: May 7

Time: Noon

Where: Zoom

Click to join the discussion.

Most congregations will receive the 2024 Strengthen the Church offering on Pentecost Sunday, May 19. It’s an important expression of the generosity of people across the Wisconsin Conference and the rest of the United Church of Christ. Gifts to Strengthen the Church are shared equally by the Conference and the national setting to support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry and innovations in UCC congregations. You can donate online anytime here.

Download Strengthen the Church resources

View Strengthen the Church video playlist (6 videos)

The UCC is teaming up with church consultancy Convergence to offer a free, five-day virtual summit for anyone looking for the best ways to nurture the spiritual development of children and families. The Rethink Children and Youth Ministry Summit will meet online from May 20 to 24.

Participants will learn from experts in spiritual formation, intergenerational ministry, and ministry to children, youth and families. The event is designed to offer practical guidance and innovative approaches to creating high-impact, engaging religious education programs. Click for more information and to register.

Conversation with the Supportive Ministries Team

The Supportive Ministries Team will host an hourlong Zoom conversation with ministry colleagues from around the Wisconsin Conference to explore questions that can “Nurture the Soul of the Beloved Community.”

Time: Noon

Date: May 1

Register now

Falling in love with the natural world: ecological and emotional literacy

We look to nature for more than a science lesson – we want to feel connected to it, too. The Creation Care Team will host a Zoom presentation by author and naturalist John Bates exploring the relationship between ecological and emotional literacy as we go about our lives.

Time: 7 p.m.

Date: May 9

Register now

Clergy compensation guidelines discussion 

Are you an authorized minister with questions about the Wisconsin Conference 2024 Clergy Compensation Guidelines? Associate Conference Ministers Michael Jones, Jane Anderson and Rachel Bauman will lead a discussion about how to use the guidelines and possible updates for 2025.

Time: 1 p.m.

Date: May 14

Register now

Festival of Homiletics retreat

United Church Camps, Inc. invites all clergy to participate in the live-streamed 2024 Festival of Homiletics. Attendees will watch inspiring preachers on large screens and engage in stimulating discussions with fellow authorized clergy.

Date: May 13-16

Place: Moon Beach

Learn more and register.

Great Lakes & West Central Regional Youth Event

Young people who have completed sixth through 12th grade are invited to attend with their pastors, youth leaders and adult chaperones. Programming will be designed around worship and liturgy created by The Many, a diverse music-making collective that invites people to sing together about peace and justice and a world where all belong. The event theme, “Love > Fear,” is taken from one of their songs.

Date: July 17-20

Place: Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois

Register today.

Equipping the Saints for Faith Formation

That's the title of GLAUCE 2024, the annual conference of the Great Lakes Association of United Church Educators. Heartland Conference Minister David Long-Higgins will be our keynoter and worship leader. The event will include a curriculum open house, panel discussion of confirmation, and more.

Date: Oct. 15-17

Place: Geneva Center, Rochester, Indiana

Register today.