The Interim Joint Board has reviewed and approved an updated draft of the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation for our new church. This version incorporated a huge amount of feedback from our recent Bylaws Town Hall, and from many other individuals in our newly-merged congregation. The Board recommended this updated version to the congregation for approval at our upcoming Congregational Meeting on Feb. 1.

Note: Prior to Feb 1, we are also conducting a technical review via an attorney and via experts from the Minnesota Conference UCC, and from the Presbytery. If they recommend technical changes, we’ll incorporate those, and share one more updated version prior to our Feb. 1 congregational vote.

Draft Bylaws as approved by IJB 12/16/25

Draft Articles of Incorporation as approved by IJB 12/16/25

By Ruth DeYoe

As we have watched our butterfly larvae push through stages of growth—quietly transforming in places we could not see—so have our congregations. For months we have been in a kind of chrysalis: discerning, listening, letting go, and trusting that God was at work in ways beyond our sight.

When a butterfly emerges, it does not burst out fully ready to fly. It unfolds slowly, its wings soft and crinkled. It must rest, strengthen, and breathe before it can take flight. The emergence is beautiful, but it is also tender.

Our two churches are in that same holy moment. We are emerging.

We are stepping out of what has been familiar and stretching into something new—one united body formed from two faithful communities. Just as a butterfly carries the essence of all its stages within its wings, our new church carries the stories, strengths, prayers, and ministries of both congregations. None of it is lost. It simply comes together in a renewed form, ready for what God is calling forth next.

The butterfly doesn’t forget the larvae it once was. And our new church will not forget where it came from.
But emergence means transformation. It means that what once was separate is now becoming one living expression of God’s love—stronger, brighter, and more capable of reaching new heights together.

As we watch our butterflies open their wings, we remember that forging a new life together takes time. Reaching new heights together takes time and trust. And we have already seen how this new life with new height possibilities is already unfolding among us.

Together we are emerging; not from one story into another, but into a beautifully woven story of a thriving faith community ready to grow. Like our butterflies, may we continue emerging in ministry together, guided by Christ in our midst.

An eight-member team from New Life and Falcon Heights churches will soon begin a community discovery process to help us discern a vision for our newly merged church. Members of the Visioning Team are Ruth DeYoe, Judi Klotz, Joyce Griffin and Jackson Gienger from New Life; and Jeanie Morrison, Conee Biggs, Brian Knapp and Larry Schumacher from Falcon Heights. Rev. Rick and Pastor Riz will also participate in the committee in a supporting role.

The process, guided by facilitator Emily Meyer, is expected to start in October and to take at least a month. After training, the team will conduct interviews with people in the congregation and the community, listening carefully and being sensitive to assumptions, Meyer told church leaders at a retreat last weekend. The team will also gather demographic data and identify assets of our congregation and the neighborhood.

The team will pool what has been learned, seek to discern where God is calling us to engage with our neighbors, and begin considering a draft of a mission statement that will guide the planning for the new church.