JPANet July 2024 Newsletter

Each month we unpack the complex justice issues that we’re working on. This month, Abigail Cipparone, Domestic Policy Advocate at the UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C., reflects on recent Supreme Court decisions and the need for greater transparency and accountability within the conduct of the Court.

Losing Faith in the Supreme Court 

Over the last few weeks, the Supreme Court has released several decisions that put people in need at risk and allow those who obstructed democracy to escape accountability… As people of faith in pursuit of a just world for all, these court decisions are disheartening and alarming. The Supreme Court is meant to be an institution of justice, led by the principles of fairness and equality. Instead, it is expanding its influence over federal agencies, ruling against the provision of basic needs for the poor, and deferring accountability for those who sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Read more here.

Justice In Action

Celebrating Freedom? Ponder Juneteenth’s Questions this July

Celebrating Freedom? Ponder Juneteenth’s Questions this July
At this time of year in the United States, the word “freedom” finds its way into our celebrations and commemorations as an emblem of who we are as a nation. At  Join the Movement  and Racial Justice Ministries, we recognize that from the beginning, the freedom we prize in the US has been conditional.  So we invite you to continue to explore the questions raised by Juneteenth as part of your July 4^th  celebrations by engaging the UCC’s Juneteenth commemoration and exploring the accompanying resources, all of which can be found on  Frontline Faith.   

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The Poor People’s Campaign’s Moral March Takes to the Streets of Washington D.C. 

The Poor People’s Campaign’s Moral March Takes to the Streets of Washington D.C. 
The Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on Washington was held in D.C. on June 29, and was attended by thousands of poor and low-wage workers and their supporters from religious, labor and many social justice organizations. Members of the United Church of Christ Washington, D.C. office and several congregations joined to uplift the call to action. Read more here!

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Become a Poll Chaplain or Poll Worker for the 2024 Election

Become a Poll Chaplain or Poll Worker for the 2024 Election
As part of the UCC’s Our Faith Our Vote campaign, UCC members are encouraged to consider becoming a trained Poll Chaplain for the 2024 election. This training is offered through the Faiths United to Save Democracy (FUSD) campaign, of which the UCC is a sponsor. These multifaith, multi-racial poll chaplains (ordained and lay leaders) will help promote the peace and provide a calming and moral presence at vulnerable polling places. Register now for one of the trainings that begin in July.  You can also get more information about registering to be a poll worker here.   

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Register Your Congregation for Vote for Climate Hope 

Register Your Congregation for Vote for Climate Hope 
Between now and November 1st, UCC churches from across the country will be collecting Climate Hope Voter Pledge Cards. We know that people are more likely to vote if it is connected to a cause they care deeply about, if they make a commitment to someone else, and if they receive a reminder near the time of the election. Register your congregation to collect pledges in your church and broader community. Take the pledge yourself! 

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Economic Justice: Fill the JAR! 

Economic Justice: Fill the JAR! 
The new UCC Economic Justice Ministries’ landing page is now live – www.ucc.org/fillthejar! We are called to “Fill the JAR” of God’s economic justice. Going forward, this site and phrase will be the central hub and framework for equipping churches and people with opportunities and resources for measurably manifesting economic justice. “JAR” is an acronym for Jubilee, Abundance, and Reparations – the three overlapping fountains our Still-Speaking God pours out for collective thriving. In the coming weeks and months, “Fill the JAR” content will expand broadly. Visit and bookmark this page to learn more! 

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Justice Events

An Indigenous Translation of Scripture

An Indigenous Translation of Scripture
An Indigenous translation of the Christian scriptures has brought a fresh language to our sacred texts that articulates a decolonized understanding of how humans understand their relationship to all of God’s creation. In this webinar, we will hear from three members of the translation council that produced translation. Even if you cannot make it at its scheduled time on Tuesday, July 16th at 3 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now! 

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Solidarity Sunday

Solidarity Sunday
On Sunday, July 21st, Churches for Middle East Peace and its 35 member denominations and communions call upon congregations in the U.S. and worldwide to pray for peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East as part of Solidarity Sunday. CMEP will provide resources to shape Sunday prayers, worship, liturgy, and other aspects of Solidarity Sunday services, including videos from Palestinian Christian voices in the region. Resources will be ecumenically and politically diverse, allowing each community to shape their Solidarity Sunday around their own traditions and commitments. Mark your calendars and encourage your churches to join us in this faithful call for comprehensive ceasefire and peace for all in the Holy Land. Register here!

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Joint Prayer Service for Netanyahu Speaking at Congress 

Joint Prayer Service for Netanyahu Speaking at Congress 
Join Churches for Middle East Peace and several of our member denominations on July 24th to pray for an end to violence and military action in Gaza ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. We will hear from an ecumenical group of Christian leaders prayerfully calling for (1) a permanent ceasefire, (2) demilitarization, (3) the allowance of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, (4) the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians being held without cause, and (5) for the underlying conditions of the occupation to be addressed. Learn more here.

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Be Prophetic, Not Partisan: Navigating Do’s and Don’ts for Churches 

Be Prophetic, Not Partisan: Navigating Do’s and Don’ts for Churches 
As we enter an election season, clarifying how we engage in politics is critical. Churches and clergy must abide by IRS guidelines to protect 501c3 (tax-exempt) status.  It is critical that we are well informed about what we can (and can’t!) do as churches in the political sphere and particularly around the 2024 election.  

Join a discussion with Heather Kimmel, the United Church of Christ’s General Counsel, and Rev. Michael Neuroth, Director of the UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy, on the “Do’s & Don’ts” for congregations around the election. This webinar is part of the Nurture the Soul series and the UCC’s Our Faith Our Vote 2024 Campaign: “Vote with Love!”   Register here!

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Disability Rights and the “Breaking of Chains”  

Disability Rights and the “Breaking of Chains”  
Each year Paraquad celebrates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, with a special celebration. Join online or at Eden Theological Seminary to celebrate the life of Rev. Harold Wilke, a disability rights advocate and UCC minister, and hear from guest speakers, Philip Dietch, Lori A. Becker, and DeMarco Davidson. Register here! 

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Congregation and Community Safety Webinar Training 

Congregation and Community Safety Webinar Training 
How can congregations 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? What community safety practices can we engage in now that also help us build the world we long for? Our experienced trainers will expand on our “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. 

Join the Minister for Congregational and Community Engagement from the Love of Church at the National Ministry setting of the United Church of Christ and Liberating Lineages Collective for a 4-part webinar training on Building Congregational Community Safety. Register here!

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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 

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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.

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.