Excellence in Ministry Sign Up!

Come one, come all! Sign up for your small group by clicking here and then mail or email your copy into the NWOA Office!

This Wednesday!

All Authorized Minister Meeting at  

Grace United Church of Christ

 4481 N. US Route 23, Fostoria  

Join us for the All Authorized Minister Meeting on Wednesday, February 26 at Grace UCC - Fostoria from 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You might have heard or read about the Excellence in Ministry Program which is coming in September 2014. Now you will have a chance to experience the program and hear more about it! Looking forward to our time of fellowship and experiencing the future of our covenant life together. 

A donation of $5 will be taken up at the meeting to cover the lunch provided by the church. 

If the Association had a reservation from you for the Feb. 5th event which was cancelled due to snow, we will assume you plan to attend on Feb. 26th unless you notify us otherwise.

If you did not reserve a seat yet and are able to attend on February 26th please notify the Association office by phone or email.  419-447-8323 or joan@nwoa.org

The Faith Formation Team in conjunction with the Excellence in Ministry Facilitators

Coming September 2014!

Coming out of the Massachusetts Conference and landing in our association is the Pastoral Excellence Program!

You can read about the Mass. program here. And watch the following video to learn of the countless benefits this program has given the clergy who have enrolled.

Questions? Email Luke Lindon!

4-1 Earth Outdoor Ministries

A video showing good environmental stewardship of our camps.

Strengthen the Church and Home Connection

There's a new curriculum out that is generating a lot of buzz. It's called Gather Round. You can read all about it from the UCC's Faith Formation newsletter.

Author Brian McLaren states,

"Many of us have lamented the fact that some of the flashiest and most widely marketed curricula teach children about God, the Bible, and the Christian life in ways that students will need to unlearn when they reach adolescence and adulthood. "We’ve hoped and prayed for curricula that would lay a foundation in childhood that will still serve as students come of age. I'm grateful that Gather ’Round is a creative leader in this needed approach. I'm so glad to have finally discovered them."

All age groups study the same Bible texts simultaneously. "Talkabout Walking with Jesus" helps families engage these stories at home with activities, conversation starters, prayers, Bible trivia and more! Click here for a FREE sample!

Chasing Ice Documentary

Chasing Ice is the story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. Within a few months, the adventurous film-makers captured the largest glacier calving event ever seen on camera, or witnessed by humankind. See the movie below:


This film would be a great Mission 4/1 Earth movie night for your church! If people are on the fence about the issue or just don't know how they feel about it, this movie does a great job at raising consciousness. Even if you know a lot about the issue, the artful way it is presented here is worth viewing.

For more information, please see the movie's website.

Social Media's Impact in a Picture

Just in case you need a little more convincing about the power of social media, just check out this photo taken by NBC News of St Peter's Square. 2005 is Benedict's announcement and 2013 is the announcement of Francis as pope.

It speaks volumes.

So once again, are you using social media in your ministry? If you need help, check out our recent posts on the subject, or email Luke!