JPANet October 2024 Newsletter

Each month we unpack the complex justice issues that we’re working on. This month, the National Staff of the United Church of Christ reflects on upcoming election. With November 5th approaching fast, it can be difficult keeping the election anxiety at bay. But one of the best ways to keep the election scaries away is to have a plan in place, as a church, for the many scenarios that could play out on and after election day.  

In this new resource titled “Don’t be Scared, be Prepared: What to Expect in the 2024 November Election” we provide resources to help churches discern their role as community leaders in keeping our elections safe and accessible, and protecting our sacred democracy. 

Justice In Action

Check Your Voter Registration with our Civic Engagement Center!

Check Your Voter Registration with our Civic Engagement Center!
Are you registered to vote? Are you sure? You can check your voter registration status, find your polling place, see which candidates will appear on your ballot, view who currently represents your area, and review voting deadlines all in one, convenient place. Check out the Our Faith, Our Vote Civic Engagement Center!

Our Faith Our Vote Resource Toolkit: Available for Download Now! 

Our Faith Our Vote Resource Toolkit: Available for Download Now! 
The United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is designed to engage the faith community in elections. Our Resource Toolkit provides a wide-range of resources ranging from:

💙 How to mobilize your congregation this election season
💙 Guidelines for faithful and respectful discussion on the issues
💙 Election centered worship resources

Please use and share this toolkit to help center LOVE this election season. Let us together continue the UCC’s mission to welcome all, love all and seek justice for all!

Vote Faithfully Sunday: Worship Resources Available Now!

Vote Faithfully Sunday: Worship Resources Available Now!
We invite you to join us in observing the Sunday, November 3rd as “Vote Faithfully Sunday.” This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our commitment to the common good, ground ourselves before election day, and prepare to vote as a community. You are welcome to use and adapt the materials available on our website for use in any ecumenical setting. Check back on the page for an upcoming video from Rev. Karen Georgia A. Thompson!

Our Faith, Our Vote Campaign

Our Faith Our Vote Campaign
The United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is our ongoing commitment to equip you with the tools for nonpartisan faithful engagement in our democratic process. Check out the Our Faith Our Vote website for the most recent election engagement resources, including the Forty Days of Prayer: As Our Nation Heads to the Polls.

Joint Statement on Lebanon from Global Ministries

Joint Statement on Lebanon from Global Ministries
The United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have issued a joint statement on the current crisis in Lebanon. Speaking together through Global Ministries, the common global witness of the two denominations, they call for prayer and an immediate ceasefire to the war. Read the Statement Here

UCC issues appeal for those impacted by widespread destruction of Hurricane Helene

UCC issues appeal for those impacted by widespread destruction of Hurricane Helene
The United Church of Christ has launched an appeal and opportunities to support recovery efforts following the devastating path Hurricane Helene has left across the Southeast United States. The UCC Appeal for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts invites people to offer monetary contributions toward hurricane relief, and/or to join volunteer efforts with Crisis Cleanup phone banking – which allows people to remotely assist with connecting crisis need to relief services – and for assembling hygiene and cleanup buckets.

Keep Hope Alive Campaign 2024

Keep Hope Alive Campaign 2024
Keep Hope Alive for Palestinian partners this October 21-25, 2024 by joining in on advocacy opportunities, supporting partners responding to the recent escalation in violence, and accompanying partners into a future of peace with justice for all who live in the region. Our week of solidarity and education will include opportunities to learn and engage. Check back to Global Ministries’ website for more resources in the coming weeks. You can also register now for our October 23rd webinar “Our Economic Leverage” on the subject of boycotting and investing in support of our Palestinian partners.

Countering Project 2025 with Love: A UCC Response

Countering Project 2025 with Love: A UCC Response
Countering Project 2025 With Love: A UCC Response is a new resource to assist in responding to some of the most extreme policies in Project 2025 from a faith perspective. It asserts that Project 2025 stands in direct opposition to the UCC’s values and work, and it highlights more loving ways to approach topics like LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive care and abortion, environmental justice, and racial justice, among others.

Global Ministries issues joint statement on current crisis in Haiti

Global Ministries issues joint statement on current crisis in Haiti
The United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have issued a joint statement on the current crisis in Haiti as the Global Ministries. Global Ministries is a joint witness in mission between the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

UCC Climate Hope contest winner visits D.C., shares concerns with Congressional representatives

UCC Climate Hope contest winner visits D.C., shares concerns with Congressional representatives

Charlotte, a 12-year-old member of Glenside United Church of Christ in Glenside, Pennsylvania, visited the UCC’s D.C. office and the halls of Congress on Wednesday, Sept. 25. There she had the chance to speak with her political representatives about the importance of addressing climate change and passing legislation which protects the earth. Charlotte won the second annual Climate Hope art contest in May of this year.

News Deserts and the Persistence of the Digital Divide Highlighted at 42nd Everett Parker Lecture

News Deserts and the Persistence of the Digital Divide Highlighted at 42nd Everett Parker Lecture
“News deserts” and the continuing challenge of providing affordable broadband services to all Americans were highlighted Tuesday (September 24) at the 2024 Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and Awards Breakfast. Former Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi, this year’s Parker Lecturer, addressed the growing problem of what he called “news deserts,” communities that no longer have a single professional source of local news.

UCC offers resources in the battle against book banning

UCC offers resources in the battle against book banning
Banned Books Week was Sept. 22-28, and the United Church of Christ uplifted resources highlighting the belief that banned books have a special vocation, a particular calling in our faith communities: to help expand and enliven the image of God and empower us to reckon with truths that demand our loving accountability. These include a Banned Books reflection and liturgy, a new t-shirt, and a glimpse at one Florida church’s Banned Books Library, all of which are linked here.

UCC leaders join Apache Stronghold Day of Prayer at U.S. Supreme Court to protect sacred land

UCC leaders join Apache Stronghold Day of Prayer at U.S. Supreme Court to protect sacred land

Following two months of pilgrimage across the country, Apache Stronghold members gathered on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court with a large crowd of supporters on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The gathering of prayer and solidarity accompanied the group’s formal delivery of their appeal to the Court in the case of Apache Stronghold v. United States.

Climate Hope Update

Climate Hope Update
Nearly 200 UCC churches have registered to collect Climate Hope Voter Pledges from now until November 1st. Churches can still register to receive pledge cards. After the election, the final phase of the Vote for Climate Hope Campaign will focus on visiting our elected officials. To be effective, voter mobilization and government accountability must go together hand-in-hand. This is our opportunity to make sure our values matter to politicians both while they campaign for office and while they hold office

Justice Events

October 7th Ecumenical Service of Lament

October 7th Ecumenical Service of Lament

Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) on October 7th for a virtual service of lament as we reflect on the one-year anniversary of the devastating October 7th attacks and subsequent year-long bombardment of Gaza. The event will be on zoom and in person at the United Methodist Building Chapel in D.C. It will also be recorded for later viewing. You can register to attend here. 

Project 2025 as a Threat to God’s Creation

Project 2025 as a Threat to God’s Creation
Project 2025 is a compilation of policy proposals and a presidential transition project launched by the Heritage Foundation. The proposed policies would have far-reaching implications from bolstering the US military to cutting social welfare programs. In this webinar, we will look specifically at what Project 2025 would mean for environment justice. 

Faiths United to Save Democracy: Poll Chaplain & Peacekeeper Training

Faiths United to Save Democracy: Poll Chaplain & Peacekeeper Training
Our partner organization, Faiths United to Save Democracy, is offering two final training sessions for clergy and lay leaders interested in becoming Poll Chaplains and Peacekeepers this November. There are still many polling places that need volunteers! If you are located in AL, AZ, FL, GA, MI, NC, OH, PA, TX, or WI, please make some time to attend one of the virtual info sessions. Register Here!

Congo Week: October 13-19

Congo Week: October 13-19
Congo Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the devastating legacy of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the people of the Congo. We, as members of the Body of Christ, suffer today because of injustice and exploitation of our siblings in the Congo. During Congo Week, Global Ministries will share resources for worship, advocacy, and awareness.

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared! An Election Preparation Webinar

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared! An Election Preparation Webinar
With November 5th approaching fast, it can be difficult keeping the election anxiety at bay. But one of the best ways to keep the election scaries away is to have a plan in place, as a church, for the many scenarios that could play out on and after election day. Join us for a conversation about how you and your church can get involved with responding to whatever happens on election day and beyond. Check back to the UCC events page soon for more details! Check back here for more info.

The Day after the Election: UCC Climate Action Assembly

The Day after the Election: UCC Climate Action Assembly
The next UCC Climate Action Assembly falls the day after the election on November 6th at 1 pm ET. In this assembly, we will assess the implications of the election, hear updates on current initiatives, and begin to look ahead to the next stage of the Climate Hope campaign as church members prepare to visit the offices of their elected officials. Climate Action Assemblies are open to all members of the UCC. Sign-up to join us!

People’s Prayers for Peace

People’s Prayers for Peace
The UCC has issued an open invitation for people to offer a prayer to end violence in any manifestation, and to bring about peace. Share your prayers using the  People’s Prayers for Peace form 

Justice Resources

DC Action Center
Each week, the D.C. Office creates an action alert based on what is happening at that time in Congress and offers you the opportunity to contact your legislators with just one click! For the month of August 2024 we will be pausing our weekly action alerts, but will resume in September. In the meantime, you can take action with our previous action alerts here.

The Pollinator
The Pollinator is a digital platform of the UCC for the sharing of ideas and inspiration. Its focus is the building of a faith-filled and faith-rooted movement for the care of creation.

Witness for Justice
Looking for up-to-date social justice commentary? Check out Witness for Justice, a weekly editorial opinion column written by the National Staff.

Our Faith Our Vote Blog 
Our Faith, Our Vote is an ongoing commitment to equip you with the tools for nonpartisan faithful engagement in our democratic process. The 2024 Our Faith Our Vote campaign asks the church to answer the call of 1 John 3:18 to “let us not love with words or speech, but in action and in truth,” by “voting with love.” Learn more here to find GOTV resources, weekly blog posts, and issue based educational resources.