You are cordially invited to a day away for authorized ministers in the Florida Conference. This "Epic Journey" retreat will be under the guidance of Rev. Kim Wood, conference minister for the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, and the Rev. John Vertigan. It will begin at noon on May 1 and end at noon on May 2. Join us at the Florida Conference Church House for a journey of reflection, connection and spiritual renewal. -> Register today! ->

The UCC's second annual Earth Summit will feature celebrated author and activist Bill McKibben delivering the Jim Antal Keynote Lecture titled "Energy from Heaven or Energy from Hell?" Additionally, the following panel of award-winning activists will speak about the multi-national struggle against the pollution of Formosa Plastics, one of the world's largest plastics producers. Both Sharon Lavigne and Diane Wilson have won the Goldman Prize, which is often referred to as the “green” Nobel Prize. They will be joined on the panel by Nancy Bui from the International Monitor Formosa Alliance and Justice for Formosa Victims. The two-and-a-half-hour summit will also feature the announcement of the Dollie Burwell Prophetic Action Award winner, a celebration of the UCC's newest Creation Justice Churches, and a video showcasing the environmental ministries of our host congregation, The Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. Even if you cannot make the event on April 20 at 1 p.m. ET, sign-up, and a recording will be sent to you. Register now!

In the latest issue of Celebrate Florida, Conference Moderator Lynn Jones gives an update on the search for a new Conference Minister, as well as several other changes and transitions on the Conference Board of Directors; Associate Conference Minister Rev. LaTrell Harrison reflects on and celebrates educators in Florida; and read all about the how Florida Conference churches and congregations are responding to the controversy over banned books in public schools in Florida. Read all about it and more!

Our REDI training is now ready! What is REDI training you may ask? It stands for Racial, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and it is a training that all active, authorized clergy with their standing in the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ will be required to complete. The Florida Conference will offer this training two times in 2024. Each training will consist of two four-hour Zoom videoconference sessions on consecutive days. The first training in 2024 will take place Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day. The last training is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon. Click here to learn more or register!

If you've been missing our e-Celebrate and Celebrate Florida email newsletters, you may have missed the announcement last December that we discontinued e-Celebrate, which had been published every other week, in favor of a new weekly newsletter that we're calling The Sunshine Connection until we come up with a better name. If you'd like to start receiving The Sunshine Connection, you can sign up here. In addition, starting this year, Celebrate Florida will be published quarterly, at the end of March, June, September and December, rather than every other month as it had been. If you've already subscribed, you don't need to do anything. If you'd like to subscribe or update your email address, go here.