Elk River Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ

06/14/2026

An Ocean of Living Water

06/14/2026

Karla Adams and family here, reporting in from MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting. It was an amazing weekend learning, challenging, and growing alongside such progressive and responsive individuals and the larger body of our church. Lots to digest and process. Stay tuned for updates on the Gender Affirming Healthcare Resolution, process for wading into the deep water together, and the blessings of our wider church community. Our spirits are hearts are full!

06/13/2026

More photos so far!

06/13/2026

Pastor Nora fell asleep and left her computer open! This is Bex Hibbert tuning in from the MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting! This has been such an amazing and meaningful spiritual experience for myself and the other new delegates. From the music of The Many to the profound thought partnership led by Jessica Vazquez-Torres to the deep discussions shared by congregants and spiritual leaders alike, we are so excited to bring back everything we've experienced this weekend to Union UCC!

06/12/2026

Day one of MN Conference UCC is in the books, and Pastor Nora has completed her mandatory boundary training, reconnected with colleagues, and been fully inspired by both our new Interim Conference Pastor, Rev Dr Bonnie Bates, and this weekend's Thought-partner (keynoter). Here's a taste from our thought-partner, Jessica Vasques-Torrez's, initial remarks at the clergy dinner:

"Separation of Church and State was to protect the Church from being corrupted by power, so we can hold the state accountable...

Are we willing to reclaim Christianity? Can we lead with that identity? I think it's really important, now more than ever, that we practice our faith in public.

We made a choice to hide Christianity in our buildings, and they (the Confederacy) made a choice to link Christianity to their platform.

Buildings were never meant to be structures for resurrection; they were made for status and power.

What would it be like if all the energy of our church were directed toward building relationships with people?

Are we going to keep collaborating with death having the final word, or are we going to make room to anticipate resurrection?"

06/11/2026

Look who Pastor Nora ran into at MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting! Shes going to be posting updates here through the weekend as shes able, so check back to see how theyre living "into the deep" (thats the conference's theme this year)

06/10/2026

July is one of the months we coordinate volunteers for Meals on Wheels. They make it easy to follow the route and deliver the food, but the impact is immense.
Help bring food and a smile to our neighbors who can't leave their homes. If you've never done it before, that's ok too! We'll teach you! It only takes about an hour.

SignUp.com makes it easy to coordinate school events & classroom activities, fundraisers, snack schedules, potlucks & more!

06/09/2026

We missed you Sunday, but you don't have to miss what happened.
New Podcast episode with Rev. Nora P. Elliott's sermon, Honoring Transitions, which includes the blessing of our members who have completed a term of ministry for the church.

"We don’t know what the next year holds for our country, our world, or this church. But we know the promise. The promise is that faith will see us through. The promise is that God is with us, when we are together."

06/09/2026

Our office will be open only on Wednesday this week, so Rev. Nora P. Elliott can attend an end of school celebration with her son and then attend the MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting.

Enjoy these photos from Sunday when we blessed our graduates, honored ministers cycling out of leadership, and voted in new leaders for our new ministry term with theme, "on this bedrock, I build my community" Matthew 16:18

06/07/2026

Honoring Graduates