September 21, 2005
Katrina Relief Update
NWOA donations to Katrina Hurricane Relief sent through the office total $10,629 so far. Thank you!!! You contributions have assisted in the grants below. Please share this information with your congregation. Because of your contributions to OCWM (Our Church’s Wider Mission) that provide the administrative networks, 100% of the Katrina Relief donations go directly to the relief efforts.
The United Church of Christ has made the following grants from contributions:
$25,000 - Church World Service to support distributions of blankets, health kits, disaster coordinators
$15,000 – UCC South Central Conference for emergency needs such as feeding evacuees, UCC clergy families who are displaced, etc.
$10,000 – Community of Faith Church of Houston (UCC/Disciple) to assist evacuees, including those originally housed at the Astrodome
$15,000 – UCC Southeast Conference – emergency needs for evacuees
$20,000 – UCC Back Bay Mission to re-establish mission site for emergency relief and long-term recovery
$5,000 – UCC related Dillard University in New Orleans for repair of damage
$10,000 – Production and dissemination of environmental hazards/protection information
$10,000 – National Farm Work Association in Florida to provide food for farm workers displaced from homes and work
$100,000 – Church World Service for Relocation program for Displaced Persons and relocation of 165 families in various sites across the US
$100,000 – Church World Service – Spiritual Care for Caregivers
$100,000 – Community of Faith Church of Houston (UCC/Disciples) – resettlement of 50-100 evacuee families
$90,000 – Support for 9 UCC congregations in New Orleans
The hope is by January to provide an additional $100,000 to UCC Back Bay Mission/UCC Disaster & Volunteer Ministries for home reconstruction and $100,000 to Church World Service for Home reconstruction.
Church Professional Retreat is THIS Sunday and Monday (25-26) at Templed Hills. If you forgot to register, please call the Association Office IMMEDIATELY. It begins with supper at 5:30 pm and ends on Monday at 3 pm. The theme is “Unity in the Midst of Diversity in Light of General Synod.”
Time of Celebration
Celebrate with us the Ministry of Char Burch & Barry Bordenkircher
As we
experience the new structure of the Association, we are meeting more often in
clusters and in our regions. However, as an Association we are now meeting
together only once a year at our day long spring meeting. That’s why this
opportunity to celebrate Char and Barry’s leadership is so important to our
common life.
Your
attendance on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Heidelberg College is more than a chance to
say “Thank you”. It is also a way for us to be a Community of Communities as the Northwest Ohio Association. It is a
time for us to see and make friends. It is most of all a chance for us to
strengthen our ministry as the body of Christ.
Let’s
not only celebrate what Char and Barry have done. Let us also build excitement
about who we are and who in Christ we can yet become. Join us on Oct. 8.
registration attached to this newsletter
OCWM Challenge Goals are being prepared and will be sent to all churches soon. Your suggested goal will be 4% over your 2004 actually giving.
2006 Health and Dental Contribution Rates
For 2006, the health plan premium calculations, across all UCC Conferences and levels of coverage, show a national average increase in premiums of 6.2%. Increases in costs are never “good,” but in the face of published reports of double-digit premium increases across the nation, the fact that the UCC Plans have been able to contain rate increases to well below the national average is good news.
There is only one significant change in coverage for 2006. The UCC (Non-Medicare) Health Plan is designed to share costs on an 80%/20% basis, with the health plan paying 80% of Medical expenses after meeting deductibles and members paying the remaining 20%. As the cost of medications rapidly increases, the flat-dollar pharmacy co-payments must also be adjusted to maintain that balance. For 2006, pharmacy co-payments (for Non-Medicare Health Plan members only) will be:
Generic Formulary No-Formulary
Retail $12.00 $24.00 $40.00
Mail Order $24.00 $65.00 $100.00
Feel free to speak with a Member Services Representative at the Pension Board with your questions. 800-642-6543
|
Quarterly Rates for 2006 |
(Non-Medicare) |
|
Coverage Type |
Contribution Rate |
|
One adult |
$ 1,711.50 |
|
Two adult |
$ 3,471.00 |
|
One adult with child (ren) |
$ 3,411.75 |
|
Two adults with child (ren) |
$ 3,677.25 |
|
Quarterly Rate for 2006 |
(Medicare) |
|
Coverage Type |
Contribution Rate |
|
One Medicare adult |
$ 696.75 |
|
Two Medicare adults |
$ 1,379.25 |
|
Two Medicare adults with Medicare child(ren) |
$ 1,692.75 |
|
One Medicare adult with non-Medicare child(ren) |
$ 2,183.25 |
|
Two Medicare adults with non-Medicare child(ren) |
$ 2,553.00 |
|
Two Adults (one Medicare/one non-Medicare) |
$ 2,183.25 |
|
Two adults (one Medicare/one non-Medicare) with non-Medicare child(ren) |
$ 2,574.00 |
|
Quarterly Rates for 2006 |
Dental |
|
Coverage Type |
Contribution Rate |
|
One adult |
$ 105.00 |
|
Two adults |
$ 204.75 |
|
One adult with child (ren) |
$ 210.00 |
|
Two adults with child (ren) |
$ 230.00 |
The Auglaize Valley Region is looking for someone to share there Puppet Ministry at the Regional Gathering on November 6th at St. Paul UCC in Van Wert for the children. If you are interested or know of someone please contact Rev. Judy Huber, St. John’s UCC in Bluffton at 419-358-5641.
Concert of Praise
Pilgrim Church 1375 Sylvania Ave.,
Toledo,
Ohio 43612 419-478-6012
Sunday - September 25th at 6:00
Sanctuary
Featured: "Captured" Pilgrim's Praise band - "PSALM 33"
Sylvania UCC's Praise band “CONCERT OF PRAISE”
Pilgrim Church 1375 Sylvania Ave.
Toledo, Ohio 43612 419-478-6012
A love offering will be taken to benefit Hurricane Relief.
IRS Rate Change
The rate will increase to 48.5 cents a mile for all business miles
driven between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2005. This is an increase of 8 cents
from the 40.5 cent rate in effect for the first eight months of 2005.In
recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special
adjustment for the final months of 2005. The IRS normally updates the
mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year. "With
many predicting a decline in gas prices over coming months, we will hold off on
setting the 2006 rate until closer to January," said IRS Commissioner Mark
W. Everson. Next year's rate could be lower than 48.5 cents.
2006 Clergy and Church Educator Compensation Guidelines
On Conference website. www.ocucc.org
Lakeshore Regional Event: October 16.
“Mission – Not Impossible: Beyond your Front Doors.” Register now. Churches are invited to bring a poster with pictures of a
particular mission that the church supports, 100 copies of a handout about that
mission. In addition, churches are
invited to send by October 9, a digital picture of church folks involved in the
mission project to stsmith@buckeye-express.com
for a PowerPoint slide show.
RECENT EMAIL & MAIL CHANGES and ADDITIONS
If your personal (or church) email address or mailing
address has recently changed, let us know!
Prayer Requests
We share in joy with Zion UCC (Fireside), Bellevue who
celebrated their 175th Anniversary.
We pray that God will continue to bless and guide their ministry and
mission.
Deadlines and Meeting Dates
Upcoming
September
21 Executive Committee 4:00 pm
22 Defiance Clergy Meeting, Defiance College 11-1:00
25-26 Fall Professional Retreat, Templed Hills
28 Firelands Clergy at Marblehead 9:30 am
29 Faith Formation 10 – 2 pm
October
3 Sandusky Valley Clergy, Pour House Restaurant, Upper Sandusky 11:30 am
4 Church and Ministry
4 Lay School 7:15 pm
7 Monthly Mailing deadline
8 NWOA Cabinet 1- 5 pm
8 Char & Barry Farewell Reception
Heidelberg College 5:30
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