We are all living with the reality of uncertainty at this moment in time. Our world as we knew it has been turned upside down by the pandemic, social injustice, health ...
A cut-out card made by one of the refugees in the Reformed congregation in Łódź. First Church in Marlborough will be using it as our bulletin cover for Easter. ...
How can clergy juggle family caregiving and the stress of serving their flock during a pandemic, racial injustice, hurricanes, and the divisive political climate? Even ...
Hurricane season 2020 has begun; amidst the coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice we ...
"Our goal and mission should be to ensure that no one among us is lost." — Rev. Chuck Ericson
As a faith community nurse I can relate to pastoral concerns around providing spiritual care during the pandemic. We are used to being with a person or family during ...
As we all focus on trying to prevent the spread of COVID 19, caring for our general health and well-being is sometimes neglected. Mental health concerns, chronic disease ...
Experts are learning more every day about the novel coronavirus. There are two issues to be aware of that impact parents and children in particular. While it was once ...
by Wendy Parker As the world and this country struggle to cope with the upsetting and ...
Hour, by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month… how long will it take for life to return to some kind of normal or new normal? The federal, regional, and local ...
Advocates for people experiencing and surviving domestic violence agree that abuse related to physical distancing is on the rise. Calls to domestic violence hotlines have...
Everyone in the world is experiencing the COVID 19 pandemic to varying degrees depending on your geography, but we all are undeniably experiencing change, uncertainty, ...
For many of us the Coronavirus pandemic has meant preparation, hand washing, covering your cough, social distancing, changes in daily routines of life. For some it has ...
Experts are speaking out in favor of a public advisory to wear protective face coverings when in public. They emphasize maintaining physical distancing, keeping our hands...
In this moment, we will either confirm that we are irrelevant or we will demonstrate that we are essential.
This isn't the first time humans have faced a pandemic. After studying previous outbreaks like SARS and Avian Flu, the World Health Organization put together a thick ...
As we are Staying Home and Staying Safe we are discovering new ways of being church. And we are discovering again the most essential elements of being the Body of ...
Are you feeling scared, sad, disappointed, concerned you may become ill with COVID-19? Are you watching the news or scouring websites to find out how many new cases have...
Beloved Colleagues in Ministry, This is a message I wish I didn’t have to write. I do not want to know what I know. Because I learned my lessons about disaster ministry ...
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We have seen the news of ongoing disaster challenges around the globe. And folks have been wondering how to respond. We received an update from our UCC National ...
Friends, every fall emergency services focuses on disaster preparedness and fire prevention. For years I have spent part of my ministry in the field of Disaster ...
Wildfires have become a regular plague for the people of California. The year began with sweeping fires in January. More lives and homes were lost in July. And now the...
When it comes to emergency or disaster situations, once we know our families and pets are safe we are left to think about what we need to bring with us to either a friend...
September is national Preparedness Month and your Disaster Resource and Response Team invites you to consider the implications of emergencies and disasters on children, ...
This month is Disaster Preparedness month. You will find another great resource here: Disaster Resiliency (PDF) written by Judy O'Donnell. And we have seen that ...
Friends, It has been a year since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. And, as I write this, hurricane Florence is bearing down on the mid Atlantic coast with 2 more ...
September is Preparedness Month and your Disaster Resource and Response Team brings you a wealth of resources. As we head back to school and back to church, we offer you ...
Friends, As I write this, the local news this morning is leading with a story of a police officer killed in the line of duty in Weymouth this past weekend. Officer ...
by Rev. Dr. Jessica McArdle [The first Passover] was a vigil held by the Lord…to bring God’s people out of the land of Egypt.~ Exodus 11:42 Then Jesus said, ‘My soul is ...
During the Winter 2018 storms, a well-known disaster response organization reached out to local churches to see if any of them could offer shelter accommodations to about...
Barbara Gregory (middle) with Amanda Sheldon, Program Associate for National Disaster and Refugee Ministries and Zach Wolgemuth, UCC Disaster Ministries Executive Since...
It's the time of year when many cities and towns sponsor town-wide clean-up days. Our ...
When Jack picked up his car after repairs at the local dealership, he noticed instructions securely taped on the main desk where all customers could easily read it. "What...
Recently, our federal government extended the assistance from FEMA to houses of worship in federally declared disaster zones. FEMA typically comes in to these disaster ...
Three recent storms caused major disruptions all over Massachusetts. The extreme weather ...
This past weekend a winter storm ('Riley' by name) exploded into a hurricane force Nor'Easter. Wind recordings topped out at nearly 100 MPH in some areas. That wind ...
Psychologists will tell us that one of the most basic drivers of human behavior is the need to find safety and stability. And churches are perceived as sanctuaries ...
Friends, A new policy has been adopted by FEMA that relates to houses of worship. Formerly, when a disaster was declared for a region the federal resources through FEMA ...
The last few months have been an overwhelming time of natural disasters. Several severe storms struck the gulf and east coast with hurricanes at their highest level. ...
Overwhelm: It seems to be a common word these days. News is full of stories that tap deeply into our compassion and concern. But they are so full of emotion that it ...
Disaster Resource Team member Fred Meade has been called by the Red Cross once again, this time to provide spiritual care to Hurricane Irma victims in Florida. His daily ...
I am shaken. There are times when words are not adequate. There are times when emotions run so deep and painful that any attempt to express them with words could unleash ...
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it ~ Psalm 24:1 Hurricane Harvey produced a level of rainfall and flooding that "hasn’t ...
Slowly, camera crews have gotten into the islands following the devastation of Irma. There were damaged (and many unlivable) homes and debris everywhere. And the power, ...
At this point it seems unlikely that it will make landfall. BUT, there is a worst case scenario that it could strengthen and then make landfall in New England.
Psalm 57:1 “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by.”...
Dear friends, It's a sad coincidence that there's heightened awareness of disasters right now, during Disaster Preparedness Month. We are aware of the devastation ...
In the spring of 2010, eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island were hit by two storms. Each delivered over a foot of rain. We worked for over two years following those ...
NOTE: Disaster Resource & Response Team member Fred Meade recently returned from Texas where he was deployed with the American Red Cross to provide disaster emotional and...
The news reports continue to tell the story of unimaginable devastation following the flooding rains of the hurricane. The images move us at that deep place within our ...
Colleagues: The news from the devastation in Texas continues to unfold in tragic ways. As members of the United Church of Christ we have always been committed to ...
by Estelle Margarones September is Disaster Preparedness Month and your MACUCC Disaster Resource & Response Team encourages you to dedicate a Sunday in September to ...
Tornado season started much earlier than usual and we already set a Massachusetts record for the first tornado in February. Weather forecasters herald this as the ...
From the MACUCC Disaster Resource Team Friends, You may have heard and seen pictures of the damage from a tornado that touched down in the Conway region of our ...
As we approach the end of the calendar year, we’ll find ourselves with lots of “Top 10” lists. Ours doesn’t look back, it looks forward! Your Disaster Resource Team ...
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Category 5 hurricane. And unless you’ve been there you really can’t imagine what 150+ mile an hour winds can do. Haiti can tell ...
As we woke up this morning (Friday, September 2nd) Hurricane Hermine has come ashore it Florida and made its way across the state. It is hard to believe that this is the ...
Friends, A half dozen years ago New England had two back-to-back storms each of which dumped a foot of rain into our area. We became familiar with the work of helping ...
Friends, Each season of the year has its own possibilities for disasters. We are about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. While this is predicted to be normal ...
July 2016—Volume 24, Number 7 Copyright @ 2016 by Cynthia Woolever Is it possible that our best intentions can do more harm than good? Sadly, ...
When a horrific attack occurs anywhere in the world we all react. And we all suffer. The reactions of our hearts, minds and souls are many and sometimes jumbled. We are ...
September is National Preparedness Month and this blog on carbon monoxide is part of a series corresponding with the Federal Emergency Management Association’s weekly ...
September is National Preparedness Month and this blog on Hurricanes is part of a series corresponding with the Federal Emergency Management Association’s weekly themes ...
September is National Preparedness Month and this blog on Wildfires is part of a series corresponding with the Federal Emergency Management Association’s weekly themes ...
September is National Preparedness Month. Each week, your MACUCC Disaster Resource Team will share blogs corresponding with the Federal Emergency Management Association’s...
This past week we were deeply impacted by the news of the deaths at the AME Emmanuel Church with emotions that range from shock to frustration to cynicism to rage. It's ...
It happened in Pennsylvania just days ago. Sadly, disturbing events do happen in and around churches. Over the last few years, there have been a broad range of incidents ...
Sunshine and milder temperatures lulled us into believing that spring weather would arrive with the season. We'd just begun to catch our breath from the relentless winter...
A little over a week ago our Conference staff sent out an email to all our churches checking in on the impact of the winter. We had been hearing of some challenges with ...
With the unprecedented amount of snow that we've recently received in the Commonwealth, the following is important information for church leadership to consider. The ...
Early in my last church ministry I began working with the town's fire department as chaplain. I quickly became involved in a county-wide team that provided Critical ...
Simple steps to keep yourself and your congregation healthy.
UCC Disaster Ministries responds to recent tornadoes in the U.S.
Daniel Lee, who served at the former All Peoples Church in Belmont, sent the following request for prayers for the victims of the ferry disaster in Korea.
Friends, This Easter season marks the anniversary of the bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. There will be many ways in which people and churches may be ...
FEMA issues guide to preparing for power loss.
Although disaster seems to come after disaster, and we may feel the burden of continued response, we do well to remember the words of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote, "So...
White House, UCC release guides on local church disaster preparedness, emergency operations.
It would be hard to miss the images and stories of the impact of the tornado that swept through Moore, Oklahoma. They weigh heavy on hearts and souls. And those who have...
Over the years I have worked in disaster long term recovery and with critical incident stress response teams. In the training I have learned a rule of thumb from a couple...
Volunteer groups are needed in Binghamton, NY, to help with disaster relief due to severe flooding in September of 2011.