Love is Louder in February: UCC ministries offer new resources, invite submissions to spread love ‘out loud’

February is often thought of as a month of love, as Valentine’s Day is celebrated and lovers everywhere affirm their devotion with special cards, gifts and romantic meals together. The Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries (GSJM) of the United Church of Christ is celebrating all things love with special Love is Louder invitations and offerings to last all year.

GSJM has designated this February as Love is Louder Love Month, inviting local churches, community, and individuals to join in spreading love “out loud” with a February launch that will continue for the remainder of the year. This will be done with special videos, a book, webinar, and social media postings.

“Scripture reminds us of how love always hopes and never fails,” said Rachael Ward, GSJM minister and team leader. “The reverberations I’ve heard is a desire to share love and not lose hope in this moment. We wanted to create a dialogue channel for the wider church to share how they’re leaning into loving their neighbor well — to share how they’re embracing Love is Louder as a means of hope and spreading the Gospel of love.”

They continued, “I believe we have the antidote to this moment in our wide diversity and differences as a Church. I believe our love can carry us through and that God calls us to spread the truth of love wherever we go. So, let’s keep our hearts open, our faith in action and our hope strong by sharing love OUT LOUD together all year-long.”

Love is Louder video submissions

Submit a “Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD” video that shares how you’re embracing loving your neighbor OUT LOUD as a means of hope and spreading love. Share how you or your congregation loves OUT LOUD to help inspire others.

The UCC will share these messages of love throughout the remainder of the year on the United Church of Christ social media pages. Learn more under “Love is Louder Videos,” here.

Love is Louder: Book of Love submissions

“Because this initiative is about us and how we love each other well as a Church, this year we’re seeking to create a tapestry of our voices in an offering called Love is Louder: Book of Love,” Ward said.

This book will have a digital release in May to support those planning for Pride month in June, and it will be a resource year-round for the Church. More information about book submissions and timeline can be found at the highlighted link, below.

Submit your original liturgy, poetry, and devotionals, here. Submissions will close April 1.

Resources for expansive love

On Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m. EST, join the UCC for a special webinar, Sexuality & Gender + Our Faith. The webinar will expand and embrace why sexuality and gender expression is important, offer inclusive practices to love LGBTQIA+ siblings along the gender and sexuality spectrum, and share what the Gospel has to say on the subject. Don’t miss this teach-in of the Love is Louder Toolkit.

Then join a webinar on Feb. 25 at 3:30 p.m. EST for Thriving Through Moments of Unrest, here.

Throughout February, each week the UCC social pages will feature a Love is Louder “Gospel of Love” reflection. These reflections are quotes from the Bible with explanations beyond their face value, and will also be found on the Love is Louder page, here.

“At the Genesis of our faith, God creates us in the image of the divine and through Jesus’ wisdom, we are reminded a simple truth: go and love your neighbor as you love yourself. This year in particular, love is needed, and I believe in us to be a voice offering love OUT LOUD in new ways,” Ward said.

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.