The second annual United Church of Christ Earth Day Summit took place on Saturday, April 20, just before Earth Day, Monday, April 22. The event featured celebrated author and activist Bill McKibben, who delivered the Jim Antal Keynote Lecture with the title, “Energy from Heaven or Energy from Hell?” A strong impact The Rev. Brooks
“Solidarity” is a word I picked up as I became more involved in the work of justice building. No one ever defined it for me, but I extracted meaning from the contexts in which it was used. It expressed, in my earliest understandings, solid commitment to a cause or more specifically, the people involved in
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a coalition of more than 30 national churches and organizations, including the United Church of Christ, marked a milestone in its collective pursuit of peace, celebrating its 40th anniversary at the annual Advocacy Summit held early April in Washington D.C. “CMEP has truly had a remarkable history as it
Children and youth will be the focus of discussion at the Rethink Children and Youth Ministry Summit, held online May 20-24 by the United Church of Christ and Convergence. In collaboration with leading practitioners in the ministry field, the five-day summit is a unique learning opportunity for congregational leaders, educators, parents and caregivers, and anyone
With the Middle East conflict fueling antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence in the United States, United Church of Christ national staff and pastors gathered for a webinar on “Navigating Interfaith Relations in the Midst of Global Conflict.” “This is an important conversation you told us you need,” said the Rev. Shari Prestemon, acting associate
Beyoncé’s new Cowboy Carter album has sparked controversy over whether it should be considered a “country” album, or, as “Queen Bey” herself claims, simply a “Beyoncé album.” Either way, this genre-transcending work reminds us there is more than one way to be a country artist, or even an American. We know there are many ways
During Holy Week, two interfaith partners of the United Church of Christ witnessed institutions of theirs in Gaza — one a medical facility, one an education center — devastated by attacks on Rafah and Gaza City by the Israeli military. In Rafah, a clinic run by the Middle East Council of Churches’ Department of Service
From Texas to Maine, potentially millions of people will be traveling across the United States to witness the totality of the Monday, April 8 solar eclipse. Included in the eclipse’s “path of totality” is Cleveland, where the United Church of Christ is headquartered. To celebrate this celestial event, the UCC is lifting up a special
Imagine spending your life with a partner, and when the time came for seeking a place to live during retirement years, the homes and assisted living neighborhoods you found made living with that partner uneasy at best. Fears of safety and belonging follow those in the LGBTQ+ community in many places, but home shouldn’t be
“Why do you do this work?” The question came from the pastor of the youth group visiting the United Nations. The group had unknowingly arrived on the opening day of the Commission on the Status of Women—arguably one of the busiest days of the year at the United Nations in New York City. After navigating
