Home
About Us >
Congregations
Missions
Ministries
Camps
Sermons
News
Newsletters >
- UCJCI Update
- CIRMC Weekly
Calendar
Photo Galleries
Accommodations >
- Cayman
- Jamaica
Weddings
Links
Contact Us

UCJCI Update

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 [11-20] [21-22]


UCYAAM E-Conference Inspires, Equips for Service Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
	The inaugural econference of the United Church Young Adults Action Movement (UCYAAM) was held from August 13-16, 2020 via the Zoom platform, and what a stirring and inspiring occasion it was for the UCYAAMers! LEADERSHIP CORNER -Expand Your Circle of Acquaintances It’s always easier to stay within environments where we are comfortable and secure. In fact, that’s what most people do. They avoid change and remain where it’s safe. But you can’t grow and avoid change at the same time. If you want to expand your influence, you have to expand your circle of acquaintances. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Stewardship and the Disciple Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
	“For me, it is a beautiful thought that we have the opportunity to be disciples of, and stewards for, the creator and owner of this earth. Psalm 24:1 reminds us of that: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” LEADERSHIP CORNER - The Leader’s Daily Dozen (Part 3) If you’re willing to work at making your organization a place where leaders lead and do it well, you’ll need to shift your focus from leading the people, finding leaders, developing leaders, empowering the leaders while they lead the organization, to serving the leaders as they lead the organization. If you’re ready to revolutionize your organization, then start the process by adopting what I call the “Leader’s Daily Dozen”. Every morning when you get up and get ready to lead your organization, make a commitment to these powerunleashing activities. please click here for more information (PDF file)

The Value of Giving Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
	“ For many people, giving represents an appeal to altruistic feelings. We give because it’s the human thing to do. If others are in need, our duty is to ‘help out’ where we can. But also, many see giving as a necessary outpouring of their excess. “I have more than I need, so I should share.” While those two motivations might be reasonable, the letter from Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 8:1-15) speaks about giving in a way that challenges some commonly held assumptions. LEADERSHIP CORNER- The Leader’s Daily Dozen (Part 2) (This article continues from last week’s Issue of the UCJCI Update.) If you’re willing to work at making your organization a place where leaders lead and do it well, you’ll need to shift your focus from leading the people, finding leaders, developing leaders, empowering the leaders while they lead the organization, to serving the leaders as they lead the organization. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Webster Memorial Says “Thanks” to the Champions of the COVID-19 Pandemic Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
	On July 19, 2020,Webster Memorial United Church ( Kingston,Jamaica) commemorated a day to affirm and thank the first responders to the COVID19 pandemic, those they regarded as, “The Healers of the Nation”. LEADERSHIP CORNER- The Leader’s Daily Dozen (Part 1) If you’re willing to work at making your organization a place where leaders lead and do it well, you’ll need to shift your focus from leading the people, finding leaders, developing leaders, empowering the leaders while they lead the organization, to serving the leaders as they lead the organization. please click here for more information (PDF file)

A Righteous “Root” is Celebrated! Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
	A righteous “root” and a passionate “plant” from God’s vineyard, the life and ministry of the Honourable Rev. Ashley Alexander Smith, OJ, CD, JP was celebrated on July 24, 2020 by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Be Better Tomorrow Than You Are Today I’ve met a lot of people who have destination disease. They think that they have “arrived” by obtaining a specific position or getting to a certain level in an organization. When they get to that desired place, they stop striving to grow or improve. What a waste of potential! please click here for more information (PDF file)

Reaping What We Sow Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
	'We reap what we sow'. Most of us have heard this saying from ‘our eyes were at our knees,’ from our parents, guardians, teachers and the like when we deviated or not from the acceptable path outlined by the bible. Yet, given our knowledge and experiences since then, can we truly say that the saying holds for all people? Is it a truism for this life or the life to come? What have we sown to produce the COVID-19 pandemic? LEADERSHIP CORNER -Know When to Push and When to Back Off Timing is critically important to leadership. To be successful, you have to know when to push and when to back off. It’s wise to wait for the right moment to speak up. A great idea at the wrong time will be received just the same as a bad idea. Of course, there are times when you must speak up, even if the timing doesn’t seem ideal. The trick is knowing which is which. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Our Responsibility as Stewards Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
	The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, during this, the third Quarter of the year, will be focusing o n t h e t h e m e ,“Stewardship and the Disciple.” And if I were to ask what is stewardship, the first thing that would probably come to mind is, “Tithes and Offerings”. Yes, returning our tithes and offerings is part of our stewardship responsibility, but I want to suggest that the stewardship concern goes way beyond tithes and offerings. LEADERSHIP CORNER -See Everyone As a “10” Who is your favourite teacher of all time? What made that teacher different? Was it subject knowledge? Was it teaching technique? Though your teacher may have possessed great knowledge and mastered outstanding technique, I’m willing to bet that what separated that teacher from all of the others was his or her belief in you. That teacher probably saw you as a 10. please click here for more information (PDF file)

School Was Not Out at Pringle Home for Children!! Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
	At the time that physical school attendance was not allowed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UCJCI’s Pringle Home for Children, located in Carron Hall, St Mary, with twenty-one (21) residents, engaged the girls educationally in creative and inspiring ways! School was definitely not out! The leadership of the Home started a new routine, wherein after breakfast was served and the dining hall cleared, tables and chairs were carefully pushed aside, and the girls moved to TVJ’s “Jamaica Moves” broadcast. Following the cool down session, they went right back into school action with notebooks and pencils in hand! LEADERSHIP CORNER -Do More Than Manage—Lead! Managers work with processes—leaders work with people. Both are necessary to make an organization run smoothly, but they have different functions. To understand what I mean, think about some of the things that must happen on a military ship for it to function properly. The ship must be navigated, fuelled, and supplied. It has various weapons systems that must be kept in good working order. The routine maintenance on a ship is endless, and there are dozens of processes related to the personnel onboard the ship. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Out of Weakness, Made Strong Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
	“ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father? But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows". (Matthew 10:29-31). Do you feel overwhelmed by the news of the day? Has your life been thrown into a tailspin by the circumstances? Are you worried, fearful, apprehensive about the future? Are you wondering: When will this situation end? LEADERSHIP CORNER-Invest in Relational Chemistry All good leadership is based on relationships. People won’t go along with you if they can’t get along with you. It is the leader’s job to connect with the people they lead. The reality is that some leaders do little to connect with the people they lead. As a leader, you must take it upon yourself to connect, not only with the people you lead, but also with the person who leads you. please click here for more information (PDF file)

“Let Down Your Nets for a Catch” Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
	“ In Luke 5:1-6, we read of the miraculous catch of fish (after the disciples had toiled all night and caught nothing). I noticed a few lessons from this story that can help (us) as we face the challenges of life. Be faithful in our duties. Though disappointed, Peter kept working. He was faithful and diligent in his duty, washing the nets to be ready for the next trip out, most likely the following night. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Become a Go-To Player If you found yourself in a situation at work where you were on a deadline and trying to finish a project that was critical for the success of the organization, and then suddenly, with almost no time left, you were handed another critical task that had to be completed at the same time, what would you do? In this case, let’s assume that delaying the deadline beyond today was not a possibility. It’s do or die. How do you respond? If you’re like most good leaders, you hand one of the tasks to a go-to player. please click here for more information (PDF file)