Valentine’s Day was a great time to have a heart for the climate: UCC churches take action

The United Church of Christ Environmental Justice ministries recently invited congregations to organize teams and visit the district offices of members of Congress as part of a Valentine’s Day nationwide day of action on Feb. 14.

The initiative was designed to “urge members of congress to have a heart for climate, for our children, and our children’s future,” said the Rev. Brooks Berndt, minister for Environmental Justice. He encouraged involving the children and youth of churches in the visit.

One church that answered the call was Spirit of Peace UCC in Issaquah, Washington. The pastor, the Rev. Jenn Hagedorn, and several church members, met with an official from the office of Congressional District Representative Dr. Kim Schrier and discussed issues such as taking a stand for the Inflation Reduction Act.

“The meeting went very well,” said Hagedorn. “It was very conversational, and we connected around our collective commitment to taking care of each other and the Earth. We shared stories about how many have benefitted from the Inflation Reduction Act, and how it allows us to live out our values by offering financial support for things such as buying electric vehicles.”

Hagedorn appreciated the event being organized by the UCC Environmental Justice Ministry and noted, “Abigail Cipparone from the UCC’s advocacy office in D.C. led the preparations for the visits, and this support was very valuable.”

Hagedorn was pleased with the results. “The representative we met with said they would work on sending out a ‘Dear Colleagues’ letter in Congress. We are hoping it gets bipartisan support.”

Another UCC congregation that participated Feb. 14 call to action was the Niles Discovery Church in Fremont, California, where church members met via Zoom with Kevin Fox, a climate policy specialist from the office of Representative Ro Khanna.

“We expressed our gratitude for this meeting to talk about some of our environmental concerns, particularly the climate crisis,” said Susie Claxton, a member of Niles Discovery Church. “We had delivered Climate Hope Valentines from our church at his Town Hall Meeting in Newark on Jan. 26. We told him we are a very active progressive church on many issues of civil justice rights, including the existential threat of the climate crisis.”

Claxton continued, “We asked about preserving sustainable environmental policies and supporting the alternative energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Kevin answered that this was a priority of Khanna’s work.”

Rep. Khanna had a published Guest Opinion in the New York Times on Feb. 13. It addressed the current administration: Opinion | Ro Khanna: The Alternative to Trump Cannot Be a Defense of Institutions as They Are. 

Call for ‘Planting Seeds of Hope’ submissions continue

Meanwhile, Environmental Justice has launched its third annual Climate Hope Campaign with the theme “Planting Seeds of Hope.” Art submissions are now being accepted through March 14. An online award ceremony for finalists will be held on April 5.  In the ceremony, there will be winners for different age groups and an overall winner who will receive an all-expense paid trip to visit Washington, D.C. with a parent or guardian. 

The Insurance Board has pledged a $1,000 prize to the church of the overall winner as well. “To be approached by the Insurance Board with this kind of open-hearted generosity and support is such a meaningful act and a boost to our collective efforts to advance climate action,” said Berndt.

President and CEO of the Insurance Board, Timothy Harris, said, “Genesis 1:26-28 clearly tells us that God gave us responsibility over the earth.  The giving of this responsibility is not gratuitous; it establishes that our actions and inactions have a profound impact on the earth, including climate impact.” 

He continued, “At Insurance Board, we are witness to the severe weather effects our changing climate brings to bear every year on member churches.  As such, we are pleased to support the UCC’s Climate Hope Art Contest with a $1,000 donation to the church of the winning youth artist.  Our collective responsibility for a better world begins with Hope!“    

For contest information and registration, click here.

---

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.