JPANet September 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 the Project 2025. This Project includes a policy guide for the next presidential administration and a playbook of actions to be taken within the first 180 days in office. Most importantly, Project 2025 stands in direct opposition to the United Church of Christ’s values and work.

In this new resource titled “Countering Project 2025 With Love: A UCC Response“, we dive deeper and break down how the UCC’s closely held values of extravagant welcome, abundance, and justice for all compare with the values of Project 2025. 

Justice in Action

Observe Just Peace Sunday

Observe Just Peace Sunday

Join congregations around the country in observing Just Peace Sunday this September 15th, grounded in the theme “Things That Make for Peace.” Drawn from Luke 19:41-49, this scripture asks us to recognize, learn about, and celebrate the “things that make for peace” as well as the peacemakers in our world. Check out the Just Peace Sunday 2024 webpage for reflections, prayers, and other worship materials!

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A Prophetic Call for Justice and Peace in Palestine

A Prophetic Call for Justice and Peace in Palestine

The executive leaders of the United Church of Christ have issued the following statement addressing the violence in Israel and Palestine and calling for actions toward a just and lasting peace.

“As people of faith, we cannot be silent, waiting for the years to pass to verify that Israel is perpetrating genocide against Palestinians. We call for an end to this genocide. We call for the end to Israel’s war in the Middle East. We call for the return of all Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.”

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D.C. Congregation to send 1,000 handwritten postcards to empower low-vote areas

D.C. Congregation to send 1,000 handwritten postcards to empower low-vote areas

This year, Cleveland Park Congregational United Church of Christ set out to send 500 postcards to help “get out the vote” to people who live in low-vote areas and swing states for the Nov. 5 election. But the effort is exceeding their expectations, and the Washington, D.C., congregation anticipates they will send close to 1,000 postcards.

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A Season for Staying Centered on Love and Longing

A Season for Staying Centered on Love and Longing

“What is it you love, what is it you most long for? …Feel that love and longing in the center of your being and let it fill you up with purpose.  That is where we can move from no matter what the divisions or uncertainty or conflict.”
– adrienne maree brown Holding Change

As people of faith with commitments to racial justice, it feels like so much is at stake in this moment, as crises continue to unfold and an important election gets closer. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by or alone in the calling to stay grounded, centered, rooted in Love as you are longing, struggling, moving toward Justice. Lean into the journey of staying human and staying centered with our 2024 All Church Read. Join our guides Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Cole Arthur Riley and Cheryl Lindsay to build your capacity to be faithfully engaged politically, grounded in justice commitments, and present to global struggles for peace, justice and freedom.

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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. 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.” Check out the Our Faith Our Vote website for: 

✅ Issue-specific resources  
✅ Guides for having faithful and respectful discussions 
✅ Resources to #GOTV  
✅ Guidelines for 501c3 activity 
✅ New blog posts every Tuesday! 

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Join the Justice Leadership Program for their Fall 2024 Jubilee Co-hort!

Join the Justice Leadership Program for their Fall 2024 Jubilee Co-hort!

The FaithINFO team is excited to share with our local congregations one of our partners in the ecosystem of organizations and programs that help us better live into the work of justice that our still speaking G-d invites us to engage in.  You can learn more about this exciting opportunity by visiting their website: Justice Leadership Program and click here if you are interested in applying for the October Jubilee cohort. Please reach out to them with any questions AND the first 12 UCC congregation members that sign up, qualify for a scholarship!

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Christian Nationalism From A Firsthand Perspective

Christian Nationalism From A Firsthand Perspective

UCC pastor Rev. Shea Darian reflects on the growing white Christian Nationalism movement from a Christian perspective and the importance of staying engaged, informed, and self-reflective this election season.

“A true democracy is one in which our democratic ideals for equality, liberty, and justice for all are continually striven toward and our attempts to embody these ideals are critiqued and improved upon. Voting for democracy in November does not mean we are voting for the status quo. It means we are voting against tyranny. We are voting for an opportunity to uphold and repair a democracy that badly needs our attention.”

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Justice Events

Building Bridges in a Polarized Nation: Church World Service Virtual Summit

Building Bridges in a Polarized Nation: Church World Service Virtual Summit

Even as our world becomes more polarized, our shared values of love, justice and welcome remain unchanged. At this critical moment, we must find common ground to live out our values. Church World Service is hosting an interactive ecumenical virtual summit geared toward faith communities – BuildingBridges in a Polarized Nation: Coming Together to Care for Newcomers.

The summit is focused on encouraging people of faith to remain steadfast during this uncertain time, while building a toolbox to tackle political polarization at the congregational level. Workshop information can be found here. The summit begins with a Welcome Plenary on Friday, September 6th, at 10:30am-12 pm ET.

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UCC Webinar: Churches as Climate Refuges in Times of Trouble

UCC Webinar: Churches as Climate Refuges in Times of Trouble

As the climate crisis leads to more extreme weather events, faith communities are preparing to serve as drop-in centers, evacuation zones, emergency shelters, and resource hubs. In this webinar, we will learn about how churches are embodying a love of neighbor in very tangible ways. Even if you cannot make it at its scheduled time on September 11th at 1 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now!

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Toxic Polarization and Partisan Divides: Holding on to Faith, Hope, and Love This Election Season

Toxic Polarization and Partisan Divides: Holding on to Faith, Hope, and Love This Election Season

Toxic polarization is a spiritual crisis. In this polarized moment, powerful social forces push us to think people across our divides are evil, extreme, or even subhuman, causing a breakdown of community and trust.

The One America Movement organization supports faith leaders and faith communities as they put their moral and spiritual resources to bear against toxic polarization. In this UCC Our Faith Our Vote webinar, we will hear from Chandra DeNap Whetstine, Chief Operating Officer at One America and a UCC Member in Discernment, along with Abigail Cipparone, UCC Domestic Policy Advocate, on the dynamics of toxic polarization and how Jesus calls us to respond. In short, we will explore together how to hold on to faith, hope, and love this election season! Join us!

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Register for the Parker Lecture 2024: September 24th

Register for the Parker Lecture 2024: September 24th

The Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture was created in 1982 to recognize Parker’s pioneering work as an advocate for the public’s rights in broadcasting. It is the only lecture in the country to examine telecommunications and the digital age from an ethical perspective.

Former Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi will deliver the 2024 Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and U.S. Rep. Yvette C. Clarke (D-NY) will be recognized with this year’s Everett C. Parker Award

This event will be also be streamed live. Please visit the Parker Lecture website for the link and more details.

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SAVE THE DATE: Keep Hope Alive Campaign, October 21-25th

SAVE THE DATE: Keep Hope Alive Campaign, October 21-25th

Olive trees have been cultivated for over 4,000 years and are known as an international symbol of peace. The olive tree and the prickly pear cactus are also traditional symbols of the Palestinian people and their connection to their homeland. This connection has remained strong despite occupation and long years of exile and displacement. The Keep Hope Alive Campaign is a collaboration between Global Ministries and the Joint Advocacy Initiative replant olive trees from areas where they have been uprooted.

Stay tuned for additional resources and updates on how to get involved! 

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Race to the Polls: A Webinar

Race to the Polls: A Webinar

Almost every ballot measure and candidate policy platform have implications for racial justice because racial disparities are woven into every part of our political system and common life.  No matter what your political views are, in the 2024 election we all will be making choices that either maintain the status quo of racism or create greater equity and justice. On October 1 at 3:30pmET Join Racial Justice Ministries for this webinar where we will prayerfully engage in care-full conversation to discover the ways our faithful commitments to intersectional justice and collective liberation can guide our voting and campaigning in this vital moment for democracy in the United States. 

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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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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! 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.