Read the latest news from the Open and Affirming Coalition, United Church of Christ.

Moving Beyond the Basics–Toward the Beloved Community

A virtual transformational dialogue

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 7pm ET

Nurturing Justice will officially launch on May 13, 2021 with a discussion with our mentors: Dr. Velda Love and Dr. Miguel De La Torre

DECOLONIZING CHRISTIANITY: BECOMING BADASS BELIEVERS is Miguel De La Torre's latest book, and is sure to spark lively conversation with Dr. Velda Love.

Registration is now open for several events in June and beyond for opportunities for spiritual and professional growth.

Read UCC leadership, clergy, and CHHSM responses to the Chauvin verdict.

As the month of May approaches, many congregations are preparing for Mental Health Sunday on May 16, 2021, part of the designation of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. To assist in your liturgical preparation, we offer this new resource, Radical Belonging: Mental Health Sunday Liturgies and Resources for All.

This downloadable resource, available in both a PDF and a large print Word document, is for any congregation of any denomination that wishes to become a place of radical belonging.

The Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA is offering Rev. Joan Crawford's "In Solidarity" workshops in May for their clergy. This is the same series the SWC hosted last August. It was an excellent overview of racism issues faced by people of African descent in the US and a accessible, personal approach to building awareness and cross-cultural understanding.

Join us for a short presentation on environmental justice and Just Peace followed by time in small groups to network and share with one another resources and upcoming events related to our common work.

“Your sisters and brothers in Palestine implore you to resist the State of Israel’s impending eviction of 15 families from their homes in the Israeli occupied territory of East Jerusalem… write to your governments, insisting that they intervene to stop this action on the basis of human dignity and international law.”

Contact your representative today! Urge Congress to speak out against the illegal removal of 15 East Jerusalem families from their homes scheduled for May 2.

Written by Katie Adams, our Domestic Policy Advocate in the DC Office.

Sunday, April 18, 3:30 p.m.
If you are a 14–22-year-old Arizona youth or young adult interested in the intersectionality of interfaith dialogue and social justice, join us for an informal conversation. Together we will learn more about diverse faiths, our communities, and one another! All youth and young adults active in their faith communities are welcome for this conversation.

INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

Our faith tells us that each person bears the image of God and each person’s life is valuable. We are called to oppose violence and abuse and ensure the protection and safety of others. Our 14th General Synod spoke to this stating, “Believing in the goodness and equality of men and women in the created order, we must testify that any unnecessary suffering – particularly the physical or sexual abuse of any person – is a blasphemy before God and a grave injustice in our midst.”

Act now. Call on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Urge them to safeguard and uphold the programs supported by VAWA and to not wait any longer to pass this crucial legislation.

Dear Pollinators,

To a cynic, Earth Day can be the equivalent of a revival Sunday on which everyone catches religion for a day only to return to their previous ways come Monday morning. Rather than being a day of short-lived enthusiasm, however, Earth Day can also be a launching pad for sustained commitments. For some congregations, that might mean forming a Green Team to strategize for future programs. For others, it might mean developing a plan for becoming a Creation Justice Church. For still others, it might mean plugging into a sustained advocacy program such as one recently launched by Interfaith Power & Light. Whatever the case may be, here are four ideas for activities your church can do near Earth Day to lay the foundations for further action:

Tuesday, April 20, 6:00 p.m.

OCA's fundamental belief is that change can only be enacted through an education process that is community centered and promotes de-escalation, compassion and restoration. This 1.5 hour long training will address the history and current events of AAPI hate, discuss foundational concepts, and teach bystander/ community intervention strategies. Join us in our fight to stop AAPI hate for good.

INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

There is no way for us to reconcile our biblical responsibilities to one another with disenfranchising our brethren in the nation’s capitol.

Rev. Dr. William Lyons and Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz write in Arizona Mirror about #AZForDCStatehood: "Our U.S. senators, Senator Sinema and Senator Mark Kelly, should draw on the biblical teachings of mutual respect & protecting the freedoms of all members of the community."

Read "Granting D.C. statehood would honor freedom during this holy season."

To date they have contributed over $100,000 toward Eviction Prevention in unrestricted dollars and continue to be partners in supporting the program to the best of their ability.