Author

Nicole Havelka

Associate conference minister for youth, Iowa UCC

Nicole M. Havelka is the associate conference minister for youth and young adult ministries in the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Nicole Havelka: Denial

By Nicole Havelka Associate conference minister for youth, Iowa UCC

Denial -- the willful failure to look facts in the face -- can debilitate the life of Christian institutions and their leaders.

Nicole M. Havelka: The return myth

By Nicole Havelka Associate conference minister for youth, Iowa UCC

Demystifying ourselves can be difficult, because it involves admitting we were wrong.

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Apply for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant 

Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship are designed for worshiping communities. These grants allow a wide range of Christian worshiping communities to focus on projects that connect public worship with Christian discipleship and faith formation. Funding awards range from $8,000 to $25,000. 

The grants support year-long projects that show promise in fostering renewed or strengthened worship practices within worshiping communities in the United States or Canada. Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for teacher-scholars are also available. Applications for the October 15 deadline will open on July 15, 2026.

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