By Rev. Ryan Otto
In a letter to the United Church Board of Ministerial Assistance, the philanthropic arm of the Pension Boards, the Rev. Ryan Otto, Pastor First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls, SD, shares how the gift of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative has rooted and shaped his approach to life and ministry. Rev. Otto was a participant of NGLI*1, the inaugural cohort.
To the dreamers, visionaries, and leaders of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative of the Pension Boards: Thank you. Please receive my sincere gratitude for your diligent work in the inventive NGLI program, for the faith to take the risk on such a new endeavor, and for your investment in my ministry and in me as a person of faith.
I will attempt to name the gift of the ten-year NGLI program in one word: rootedness.
By Rev. Beth Abbott
The Rev. Beth Abbott, Pastor of First Congregational UCC in South Milwaukee, WI, shares how her life has been transformed during her almost-completed 10-year journey with the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI). Rev. Abbott is a participant in the inaugural cohort, NGLI*1. Read Rev. Abbot’s letter of gratitude below.
When I began Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI), the idea of a ten-year commitment to anything seemed unusual and rather long. Starting in my 20s, I had only been doing three-to-four-year chunks of schooling (college, seminary) and just dating my now husband, Rich.
The Pension Boards is pleased to announce the addition of two new Target Annuitization Date (TAD) Funds effective January 2021: TAD Fund 2045 and TAD Fund 2050. These two new TAD Funds are designed for members who expect to annuitize their accounts (convert their monies into lifetime monthly income payments) close to the year indicated in the Fund’s name.
TAD Funds are a worry-free investment choice. The Pension Boards’ investment team automatically invests the funds more for growth when you are years away from retirement, and more conservatively as you approach your anticipated annuitization date. TAD Funds are also ideal for those who do not want to constantly reallocate their investments during market fluctuations.
Dear Friends,
Greetings to you from the Pension Boards. Each November, our Board of Trustees and its Committees—along with the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance—hold governance meetings in an offsite location. With the ongoing pandemic, our usual schedule of meetings has changed, and last week and this week we have been conducting business virtually via Zoom. Please look for updates on Board actions in upcoming weekly messages.
November is open enrollment month for two Pension Boards benefit plans—Optional/ Additional Life Insurance and the Flexible Benefit Plan. Current participants in the UCC Life Insurance and Disability Income Benefit Plan have an opportunity to purchase additional coverage for themselves and their eligible dependents, at attractive group rates. The Flexible Benefit Plan for UCC Ministries—also known as a flexible spending account or FSA—allows employees to set aside a portion of their pre-tax salary to help pay for qualifying health and dependent care expenses. Please read the article directly below for more information.
Dear Friends,
This week, I am pleased to announce the launch of new publication from the Pension Boards: Generations: A Journal of Faith and Finance, which addresses the places in our personal and corporate economic lives where the values of faith intersect with our financial obligations and opportunities. Contributors to the journal bring their own experience and viewpoints from the worlds of faith—within and beyond the United Church of Christ—and finance.