Our voices are strongest when we lift them together!

About the Justice and Peace Action Network
The Justice and Peace Action Network (JPANet) is the arm through which we carry out our mission statement.
The UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (JPANet) is our denomination’s grassroots advocacy network composed of individual members and local UCC congregations across the country.

What does the Network do?
The UCC Justice and Peace Action Network both educates and engages its members in shaping public policy in keeping with God's vision of a just and loving society. Our work is grounded in General Synod resolutions, consonant with historic UCC witness, and formed by a biblical understanding of prophetic ministry.

Click here to join the JPANet today!

JPANet collectively advocates on a variety of issues for social change that promotes the Common Good. These issue areas are resourced by  national staff of the Justice and Witness Ministries and Wider Church Ministries who work with local UCC advocates to shape coordinated strategy on our common witness. The Global Concerns issue area is shared with staff of the  Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),the UCC’s partner in global ministry.

What resources and opportunities does the Network provide?

Weekly Legislative Action Alerts:

Brief email synopsis of pending legislation and call for action each week when Congress is in session. Suitable for posting in newsletters and bulletins and for forwarding to email lists and friends. Periodic information based on issue interests, usually by email and sometimes by mail.

Periodic JPANet News:
Includes invitations to regional and national gatherings and opportunities for witness

Biblical and liturgical material for interpreting issues and action

What Happens When You Take Action?
When you take an online action, you will be directed to a webpage that will explain the current legislative issue and provide a sample letter for you to send to the targeted decision-makers. When you fill out your information, your letter, which you can personalize according to your own particular views on an issue, will be sent to the indicated decision-makers (i.e. Senators, Congresspeople, the President, or whoever is the appropriate recipient of your message). These messages appear in their email inboxes or fax machines as though you had sent it from their website email form or your own fax machine.

Does taking action electronically make a difference?
Yes! Decision-makers take notice when their mailboxes fill with emails and faxes. Congressional staff members keep regular tallies of the number of messages they receive on an issue, and it can make a difference on whether or not members of Congress support or oppose legislative measures. UCC JPANet advocates have sent messages on an wide range of issues from environmental justice in the Hurricane Katrina clean-up, hate crimes, Millennium Development Goals for ending global poverty, violence against women, federal budget policy priorities, stem cell research, fair treatment of workers by Taco Bell and Mount Olive Pickles, the minimum wage and the protection of civil liberties.

How do I join?
You may join as an individual member and may designate one or more specific issue areas of interest. We encourage individuals to sign up and share the resources and the action alerts with other members of their local churches. While the system is set up to register individuals, local churches can also sign up by designating a Local Church Contact person who will liaise between the JPANet and the Church. As the system is web-based however, the more individuals who are signed up, the more who are able to take action on important legislative issues.

Click here to join the JPANet today!