Health and Wholeness Advocacy
Our UCC mission in health and human service belongs to all who have been called by God in Christ. Where the Church is, there is the mission. Where the Church is, there are those who have been called to live “for the sake of the other.” Where the Church is, there are those engaged in “diakonia” — the ministry of healing, service, care, compassion and hospitality — the love and grace of God made visible in our mission in health and human service.
from the UCC Mission Statement on Health and Human Service Ministries
UCC Health and Human Service (HHS) Sunday
Observed annually on the last Sunday in January.
(Or whichever Sunday works best for your congregation.)
Worship resources
Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM)
CHHSM is an association 350+ UCC-related health and human service agencies, ministries and programs with a range services that include,
- primary and acute health care,
- persons with disabilities,
- children, youth and families; and
- the aging, including continuing care and retirement housing.
CHHSM offers many services and products to enhance the ministries of its members and their relationships within the UCC.
Disabilities and Mental Health Justice
Our faith teaches us that all people are created in the image of God. We are called to embody inclusion and interdependence. By working together, we can remove or overcome the barriers to welcoming and including all people in the UCC and the wider world. Disabilities and Mental Health Justice is a ministry program in the national setting of the UCC.
UCC Disabilities Ministries
UCC Disabilities Ministries, an organization affiliated with the UCC, supports people with all kinds of disabilities. They call upon the whole church to recognize and receive the gifts pf persons with disabilities, working for full inclusion and participation in Christ’s Church. UCCDM provides resources for persons with disabilities, their families, and local congregations, including the Accessible to All (A2A) Guide.
Encuentros Latinx
Encuentros Latinx is an initiative of the United Church of Christ working to increase and strengthen the welcome and inclusion of people who are LGBTQI in Latinx UCC Churches as well as in historically Euro descendant UCC churches. The project fosters opportunities to meet, learn from one another, and engage in dialogue regarding issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and racism.
Encuentros Latinx es una iniciativa de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo (UCC por sus siglas en Inglés) que fue establecida abrir puertas para la comunidad LGBTQI en medio de las iglesias UCC Latinas, y de igual manera poder apoyar a iglesias UCC tradicionalmente Eurodescendientes en su deseo de abrazar radicalmente a la comunidad Latinx que forma parte de sus comunidades de fe. La meta del proyecto Encuentros es proporcionar la oportunidad de reunirnos, conocernos mejor les unes a les otres y dialogar acerca de la orientación sexual, la identidad de género y el racismo.
Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Ministries
People who use drugs are beloved by God. This truth is the foundation of the Overdose and Drug Use Ministries of the United Church of Christ. We work to increase the capacity of local churches to minister with people who use drugs and those who have been personally affected by drug use. We engage pastors, lay leaders, people who use drugs, theologians, service providers, activists, and other collaborators to provide life-saving harm reduction information, resources, training and services. Overdose and Drug Use Ministries is a ministry program in the national setting of the UCC.
UCC HIV and AIDS Network (aka UCAN)
UCAN provides leadership, resources, and support for ministries with persons living with or personally affected by HIV to end the HIV epidemic. UCAN works within and beyond the United States to
- provide HIV education, prevention, and care,
- dismantle and end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and
- advocate for universal access to treatment and care, as well as just and inclusive public policies.
UCAN is a ministry program in the national setting of the UCC.
LGBTQ Ministries Open and Affirming (ONA)
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-Nonbinary, Queer)
LGBTQ Ministries, a ministry program in the UCC’s national setting, provides leadership and resources supporting justice and inclusion for LGBTQ people in the church and society. Open and Affirming (ONA), a covenantal movement in the UCC, works for the welcome and inclusion of LGBTQ people in the full life and ministry of the church. It is the largest, fasting growing inclusive church movement in the world. The UCC Open and Affirming Coalition is an independent UCC affiliated organization that provides leadership and resources for the ONA process.
UCC Mental Health Network
The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network, a UCC affiliated organization provides resources and assistance for WISE congregations – Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged for Mental Health in the community and the wider world. They work to reduce stigma and promote the inclusion of people with mental illnesses/brain disorders and their families in the life, leadership, and work of congregations.
Sexuality and Our Faith – Our Whole Lives
Our sexuality education ministries promote sexual health through the age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, Our Whole Lives and Sexuality and Our Faith. Grounded in the values of self worth, responsibility, justice, love and inclusivity, we encourage churches to offer this life-saving and life-affirming education to everyone – children, youth and adults. Sexuality Education and Justice is a ministry program in the national setting of the UCC.
Wellness Ministries
UCC Wellness Ministries promotes health and wellness in congregations and communities, as well as the visible presence and voice of faith community nurses in the UCC. Wellness Ministries is a ministry program in the national setting of the UCC.
General Synod Resolution: Reclaiming the Church’s Ministry of Health and Healing