(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
Jul 18, 2025
📍 Kansas City welcomes the United Church of Christ to General Synod 35 – over the river and into the deep.
From July 11–15, General Synod 35 gathered in Kansas City, MO—a national convocation of sacred imagination, prophetic truth-telling, and bold discipleship.
Delegates, pastors, youth, and advocates—including our own Pastor Chris—answered the call to listen deeply, act courageously, and proclaim this year’s theme:
“Love Is Greater Than Fear.”
In a world shadowed by fear and domination, this theme rang out like a beacon—reminding us, as both prophets and Jedi declare, that the light is always stronger than the darkness.
📖 At Synod 35, delegates lifted up the UCC’s Banned Books Project—because words, like justice, cannot be silenced.
At Holy Covenant, our witness is not passive—it is active, embodied, and bold.
General Synod reminds us that we are part of a larger movement—one that resists the pull of empire and fear, and dares instead to walk the path of justice, mercy, and collective liberation.
Like a faithful remnant in a galaxy longing for peace, the United Church of Christ continues to rise—saying “yes” to the light, and “no” to every system that dehumanizes.
✊ Love is greater than fear—inside the walls of worship, and out in the streets where faith becomes action.
🕯️ With hearts full of justice and voices lifted in song, Synod 35 came to a close in sacred celebration.
May the Spirit be with you. And also… the courage to resist, the wisdom to discern, and the hope that outlasts every empire.
Jul 14, 2025
This week, Pastor Chris is representing Holy Covenant UCC at General Synod 35, the national gathering of the United Church of Christ taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. We are posting daily updates to this news story so check back daily.
For many in our congregation, the phrase “General Synod” may be unfamiliar. Simply put, General Synod is where the wider UCC gathers every two years to worship, learn, organize, and discern—together. Delegates from UCC churches across the country come to pray, reflect, and vote on resolutions that speak to the moral and spiritual convictions of our denomination. While these resolutions are not binding on local churches (reflecting the autonomy and covenantal polity of the UCC), they serve as important declarations of our shared values and collective witness in the world.
Pastor Chris has shared that one of his hopes in attending Synod is to help Holy Covenant better understand how our local ministry is connected to the wider movement of God’s justice and love in the UCC. Throughout the week, he will be posting daily reflections and photos on his Substack blog that offer a window into Synod life—what he’s seeing, hearing, and experiencing—and how it might shape our life together as a congregation.
We will update this post with his reflections as they arrive. In the meantime, you are invited to follow along through the UCC’s official Facebook page or via the hashtags #GeneralSynod35 and #UCCJustice on social media.
The General Synod is the national decision-making body of the UCC, meeting every three years to provide direction on the denomination’s mission, evangelism, and justice initiatives. While decisions made at Synod are not binding on individual congregations, each UCC church remains autonomous, they carry significant moral and spiritual weight across the wider church…
My day began with the third plenary session, which featured a State of the Church address from our General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson. In her message, she spoke about the current realities of the United Church of Christ, lifting up both the challenges we face as an denomination and the places where God’s Spirit is still moving powerfully among us…
Today there were dozens of workshops offered to those at General Synod, making it difficult to choose which ones to attend. These workshops covered everything from worship practices to global justice issues, including climate change, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and the intersections of faith and politics…
It had been 11 years since I last set foot on the grounds of Unity Village. The last time I was there, I was a seminary student working for Silent Unity’s telephone prayer ministry. When I left, I walked away not only from the seminary but from the denomination itself. A departure that was shaped by a myriad of reasons, some of them deeply painful. The wounds of which took time to heal…
Jul 02, 2025
Every two years, the United Church of Christ gathers for a major denominational event—General Synod. This summer, thousands will meet July 11–15 in Kansas City to worship, discern resolutions, and shape the future of our church. The theme, “Into the Deep” (Luke 5:4), calls us to risk bold action rooted in faith. Learn more at the official site: generalsynod.org.
Pastor Chris Czarnecki will be attending as a voting delegate, representing our Southern Conference and bringing Holy Covenant’s voice into the national conversation. He’ll return with insight, stories, and resources to strengthen our local ministry and justice witness.
Highlights to watch:
Why it matters: Synod is where the wider church listens, prays, and commits itself to action. The choices made there ripple outward—through conferences, congregations, and into communities. Pastor Chris’s participation ensures that Holy Covenant’s values of inclusion, welcome, and prophetic love are part of the national witness.
📌 How to stay connected:
This is one more way HCUCC Everywhere becomes real—not just as a website, but as a spirit of connection across our denomination and into the world. Let’s be proud that our pastor is helping shape the UCC’s future in faithful, loving ways.
#GeneralSynod35 | #IntoTheDeep | #HCUCCEverywhere
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