JPANet April 2024 Newsletter

Each month we unpack the complex justice issues that we’re working on. This month, Global Ministries and UCC DC Office staff offer perspectives on the many ongoing crises around the globe.

A Cry for Peace

In recent months, we have seen international news coverage focus on what is happening in Gaza and Ukraine. While these crises are important to highlight and do need to be kept at the forefront of the news coverage, other conflicts in other parts of the world get less news coverage and are less well known. Our global partners are responding to various conflicts by meeting the needs of their communities in many ways including refugee response, emergency food and sanitation supplies, and cash assistance. Our partners are speaking, and we must listen. Read more here and consider offering a prayer for peace in the portal below.

Justice In Action

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.

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Healing Ourselves, Healing the World: Join the Movement toward Staying Human

As we make our way into this election year that unfolds amid multiple and overlapping global crises, how do we stay faithfully engaged politically, grounded in our justice commitments, and present to global struggles for peace, justice and freedom without burning out, checking out, or opting out?

Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries are hosting a 2024 All Church Read. Participants will journey with Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Cole Arthur Riley and their books Sacred Self Care and Black Liturgies to discover ways of tending ourselves while we are tending the world.  We hope you will join with others on this sacred journey of staying human for such a time as this.

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FaithINFO Partners with Justice Leadership Program

We’ve partnered with the Justice Leadership Program to offer 12 scholarships for up to 50% for their upcoming October Jubilee Cohort. The Jubilee program is for adults interested in integrating faith and justice work into their lives in meaningful and transformative ways. The small group cohort meets weekly for skill and knowledge building workshops accompanied by discussion and spiritual reflection. Click here to learn more or watch our 2-part Nurture the Soul Webinar Series with the founders of the program.

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The UCC’s Vote for Climate Hope Art Contest

For Children and Youth: UCC Climate Hope Art Contest

To give our children and youth a voice this election season, while also reminding adults of their responsibility for the next generation, the UCC is conducting a Vote for Climate Hope Art Contest. From now until April 16th, art submissions will be accepted. Participating churches should register now to receive important information and updates.

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Join the UCC to Power the Polls

To help encourage election engagement, and to ensure voting happens smoothly in 2024 elections, the United Church of Christ Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is thrilled to continue our partnership with Power the Polls! Poll workers enable the nonpartisan process of our democracy, keep polling locations open and technology working, and help make every voter’s experience a positive and empowering one. Will you consider signing up to be a poll worker today? For more helpful resources on election engagement, please visit the Our Faith Our Vote website.

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Justice Events

UCC Webinar—Earth Sunday Resource: Addressing the Plastics Crisis

In preparation for Earth Sunday, a new resource has been produced to help congregations think more deeply about the ways that plastics impact our lives and God’s creation. The title of this new resource is “Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World.” Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, April 10th at 1 pm ET as we hear from Derrick Weston, the lead author of the resource. Register now!

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Nurture for the Soul: Building Congregational Community Safety

Join us on April 11th to learn more about how congregations can build an ecology of community safety that is rooted in care, investing in each other, believing in each other, and trusting each other and the rhythms and cycles around/within us. With our guest thought leaders and faith practitioners, we explore a “Ecology of Community Safety” guide to offer practical skills, psycho-social care practices, planning tools, and analysis of current conditions, all towards practicing new ways of creating safety within our own congregational contexts. Register here to watch the program live.

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Advocacy 101: Communal Care of Trans Siblings

On April 17^th at 3:30pm ET, join Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries for the beginning of their new series featuring Advocacy 101 topics throughout the remainder of the year! For the month of April, they will move through the Love is Louder Tool Kit featuring Communal Care for Trans & Non-Binary Siblings. In this webinar, you’ll be introduced to gender & sexuality terms, the issues in front of us today, and ways to cultivate communal care in your context. Register here.

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Creating a Culture of Repair and the 2024 Election

The reparatory justice movement is gaining momentum in communities across the country. During this election year, it is vital that impassioned activists inject the need to create a culture of repair into the ongoing political debates defining elections at the local, state, and federal levels. To help us with practical ways we can do this, join a webinar on April 18^th at 2pm ET with Rev. Robert Turner, author of the new book Creating a Culture of Repair: Taking Action on the Road to Reparations. Following the conversation with Rev. Turner, we will provide essential points to emphasize at candidate town halls, rallies, community forums, and other campaign events in your community. Register here.

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Bill McKibben to Keynote UCC Earth Summit

The UCC’s second annual Earth Summit on April 20th will feature celebrated author and activist Bill McKibben. He will deliver the Jim Antal Keynote Lecture with the title, “Energy from Heaven or Energy from Hell?” The two-and-a-half-hour summit will additionally feature a panel of grassroots leaders and a video showcasing the environmental ministries of our host congregation, The Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. Register to join us!

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Register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days

In person Ecumenical Advocacy Days has returned!  This May, EAD will host a “summit” May 17-19 in Washington, D.C. The guiding theme is: “Faith in Action: Advancing Human Rights and Peace for All.” The EAD 2024 Spring Summit will include advocacy training for new and growing participant categories (seminary students, young adults) and will offer a chance for those who work with domestic and international priorities to connect and share. Ultimately, we want the universal voice of God, one of compassion, justice, and peace, to be lifted during these challenging times. Register now!

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Building Up a New World Across Five Conferences

Nurture the Soul Webinar Series: Building Up a New World Across Five Conferences (April 18 through May 16)

The needs are great, and the stakes are high in the work of faith-based justice building, especially as the potential of our American Democracy looms. The good news is most of our local churches have that desire to continue the work of the church beyond our church doors. For the past two years, 5-Fellows worked to develop organizing strategies, programing, and educational opportunities regionally, according to specific needs and contexts in which they live. Register for the series here and learn more about their work within and beyond our church buildings’ doors.

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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! You can find all the 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 national staff.