When our democracy gets polluted by campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry, people of faith can take action for the sake of God’s creation. Learn more in this webinar: bit.ly/PollutedDemocracy
Read More
Southwest Conference signed on to Green Amendments initiative in New Mexico
“The goal of the Green Amendments For The Generations is to advance a Green Amendment movement that sweeps the nation and secures for all people constitutional recognition and protection of their inalienable rights to pure water, clean air, a stable climate and healthy environments. We seek to inspire and support pursuit and passage of self-executing, environmental rights amendments in the Bill of Rights section of every state constitution across the U.S. and ultimately at the federal level. Once accomplished, we will work with communities to ensure their strong and meaningful implementation and enforcement.”
Read more here. Take action here.
Read MoreHonor Our Veterans: Support the Veterans and Consumer Fair Credit Act
The Veterans and Consumer Fair Credit Act (VCFCA) will establish an interest rate cap of 36% for all small dollar loans. This is an important step toward preventing harm caused by predatory lending practices. In addition, this rate cap has a proven track record. The Military Lending Act prohibits lenders from charging active-duty military servicemembers and their families more than 36% APR. The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act would extend the Military Lending Act’s strong and successful interest rate cap to veterans and all Americans. It would not affect state rate caps that are lower and provide even greater consumer protection.
Take action today and urge Congress to support the Veterans and Consumer Fair Credit Act.
Read MoreCreation care the focus of Nov. 30 Giving Tuesday campaign
Honor the earth. It’s a sacred commitment in which many United Christ of Christ congregations are immersed. Honor the Earth is also an Native-led nonprofit organization founded to raise awareness and financial support for Indigenous environmental justice. Both will benefit from this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign.
Read More
JPANet: November Newsletter
The UCC Justice and Peace Action Network's November newsletter.
Read MoreThe IRC needs staff
The IRC needs a lot of new staff to help with Afghan refugee families and singles. Here’s the website for open positions:
Read MoreAbout welcoming our new Afghan neighbors
Greetings, SWC churches. Information and strategy recommendations are available from the UCC National Setting regarding welcoming and resettling our 55,600 new Afghan neighbors and the anticipated 30,000 addition neighbors who will enter the US by year’s end. This guidance mentions ways to participate in the resettlement effort and considerations regarding partners with whom you might decide to work. The SWC office is interfacing with the National Setting and our other ministry partners regarding this effort. To that end they’ve asked us to collect your questions, collate them, and pass them on.
Read More#ChurchOut event for Phoenix Pride
Join #ChurchOut at Boycott Bar on November 4th for this year's #ChurchOut Open Mic Night! All night long they're inviting LGBTQIA+ Christians and people of all faiths to come and share your stories of life in religious spaces.
Read MoreJPANet: A Faithful Reconciliation
The United Church of Christ Synod has been clear on the need to reorient our tax system to be more progressive, adequate, and equitable.
Join with us in asking your members of Congress to support these historic investments by passing the reconciliation bill to fulfill their moral responsibility to the nation. Now is the time to address the roots of our country's injustices, and to honor the sacred call to recognize the dignity and worth of our neighbor and creation.
Read MoreUCC Webinar—The UN Climate Conference through a Moral Lens
In this webinar, we will hear from the following international climate policy specialists who will discuss the conference as it is happening: Kelly Stone from Action Aid, Chloe Noël from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, and Ruth Ivory-Moore from the Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Even if you can’t make the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, November 10th, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now!
Read More
JPANet: Honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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, “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.”
Read More
Help restock CWS Buckets, Kits with $250 UCC Matching Grants
Disasters like this summer's Hurricane Ida deplete Church World Service's stock of Emergency Clean Up Buckets and School and Hygiene Kits.
Whatever disaster people are trying to move forward from, these supplies assure them that “they are not doing it alone,” said Mark Munoz, CWS Associate Director, Domestic Disaster Program.
UCC churches are called urgently to help replenish these essential supplies. A $250 Kits Matching Grant from UCC can help.
"Together We Welcome" conference online Nov. 7-11
Calling all faith leaders, clergy, community organizers and immigrant leaders! Join us November 7-11 (evenings, online) for the "Together We Welcome" conference, a national faith gathering to strengthen support for refugees, immigrants and migrants.
The conference will feature 32 sessions, keynote speakers, opportunities for formal and informal networking, and a virtual Expo hall with national and local resettlement offices and other experts.
Register now: cwsglobal.org/togetherwewelcome
Read MoreCentro de Esperanza Refugee Resource Center in Sonoyta, MX
It started as an idea that morphed into a vision that became a shining light.
As the “first tour” caravan of guests parked along the dusty road in front of the single-story building, exclamations of delight rose from the vehicles. The freshly painted sign written in big bold letters read Centro de Esperanza – one of the newest of many improvements to the facility – felt wonderful. The new migrant resource center in Sonoyta, Sonora was becoming a reality after years of caring, planning, working, negotiating, and serving!
Read MorePartner in Service Thomas Smith
Thomas Smith will soon become the United Church of Christ’s newest Partners in Service volunteer, serving in Sahuarita, Ariz., with The Good Shepherd UCC’s U.S.-Mexico border ministries.
Smith’s one-year, full-time assignment will be with migrants in desperate need, said Good Shepherd’s Lead Pastor, the Rev. Randy Mayer. For his part, Smith shared his excitement to work with a ministry that is “literally saving lives.”
The church’s Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans ministry works to “save lives and relieve suffering in the Arizona borderlands.” The ministry places food and water in the desert for migrants, searches the desert for migrants in distress, and helps operate on both sides of the border. Read more.
Take the Pledge for Spirit Day
Join GLAAD on Spirit Day, Oct. 21. Go purple to support LGBTQ youth and sign up to stand against bullying.
Read MoreResourcing Anti-Racism Work
The UCC, continuing and expanding ways to be anti-racist, is taking applications for Sacred Conversations facilitators.
Read MoreBeatitudes' faith in action
Over the past several years, Church of Beatitudes has brought lunch and music to the Justa Center in downtown Phoenix on Labor Day weekend. This year we could not do it due to Covid, so we did the next best thing! The church raised $1450.00 and presented those funds to Executive Director Wendy Johnson on September 26th.
Read MoreFirst Church Scholarship Fund continues to help Dreamers!
On Monday, First Church Immigration Task Force members delivered tuition checks to three Maricopa Community Colleges on behalf of Dreamers attending five different Phoenix Union high schools. These checks cover the costs of dual credit classes for a unique group of PUHSD students who came to Arizona as young children with their undocumented parents. Because of Prop 300, passed in 2006 by Arizona voters, they are required to pay out-of-state tuition at community colleges and state universities in Arizona. The costs are prohibitive. While their American citizen classmates pay about $300 for a 3-credit community college class, Dreamers pay three times as much, or $1000.
Read More
Truth, Healing and Accountability for Indigenous Boarding Schools
Let us go beyond acknowledgement and call on Congress to create a Truth and Healing Commission to not only confess past sins but move our nation toward a restored future.
Read More