Talitha Koum: The UCC Newsletter for Women, Girls and Their Allies

Volume 1, Issue 3, August 2023

Hello! And Happy Late Summertime! I sincerely hope you enjoyed some down time this summer, although I know many of you across the nation have been battling the effects of climate change with extreme precipitation and flooding, drought, high heat, and other bizarre weather occurrences. Having grown up in Kansas with a mom that was very cautious about weather, I also tend to keep a close eye on the sky and the radar this time of year. Blame the tornadoes I grew up dodging, my farm roots, or my passion for gardening, but weathering the storm takes on more than the literal meaning for me. 

Here in the northeast Ohio my garden is growing in spurts as I battle the bunnies while trying to also tithe to nature. Finding balance is hard when they gobble my eggplants to the ground. I love garden metaphors, and I hope your life is blooming and full of abundance. My work is really growing, and General Synod 34 was the sunshine and fertilizer I needed to make connections and share my excitement for my work with the many people I met. Whether you came to my workshop (Embodying ALL Bodies: Radical Hospitality for ALL People), stopped by the Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries booths or microprogramming in the exhibit hall, came to the Queer Mixer that was such a hit (I LOVED seeing people from at least four generations mingling and sharing connections), came to the Reproductive Justice luncheon, stopped by to address menstruation justice, or gave your energy to the resolution education and implementation conversations (see the relevant resolution on the Dobb’s Decision), I am so appreciative of the many ways we could connect and I could tell you about the resources I can offer you.

I want to thank the folks who shared their personal stories in the workshop: Rachael Ward, my UCC team leader whose work is mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter; Rev. Sarah Lund, UCC Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice; members of the UCC Disabilities Ministries Board Bekah Anderson and Kim Williams;  and Rev. Dr. Anastasia E. B. Kidd, author of the new Pilgrim Press release Fat Church: Proclaiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation (see more in this newsletter). So many people expressed thanks for creating a workshop space where they felt truly seen and that they belonged. This was a W in the win column for creating more welcoming church communities, and sometimes we need to lift up the wins! It can feel that advocacy for policies that empower and support people because of their (perceived) gender or biological needs is like weeding a garden next to a dandelion or ragweed field. I am happy to celebrate another win, this one at the federal policy level: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, passed late last year, just went into effect. It had been far too long since the needs of pregnant workers had been addressed in legislation, and I am proud that we took a step in the right direction in this nation to care for them.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge another step towards justice, and this one does not come as a surprise given our history. The UCC General Synod 34 easily passed the resolution denouncing the Dobb’s decision and declaring abortion to be healthcare. I look forward to the ways in which we in the United Church of Christ will continue to create awareness of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.

Barbie Fever

It took me a bit, but I finally got to the theater to see the Barbie movie. I am not sure what I was expecting, and I tried to avoid all the hype and any spoilers that were everywhere, and right now I cannot wait to see it again in a setting where I can take notes more easily. So. Much. Commentary. The messages of Barbie were subtle and yet blatant, embedded in layers of social commentary as well as right there with nothing to hide. I knew I couldn’t ignore this social phenomenon that has swept many people up in a sea of hot pink, yet I feel underqualified to analyze the many themes about gender and feminism that are presented in this flick. Keep an eye out for some Engendering Spirit Education Series conversation about the Barbie movie. The filmmakers gave us much to consider, and I want to do so openly and intentionally.

Engendering Spirit Education Series’ Common Read Book Discussion Fat Church | Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation

Twice a year I invite you to read a book with me that addresses the experiences of women or that are influenced by gender. You might want to do something similar in your congregation, association, conference, women’s group, or with friends. Once I have read the book, too, I record a video podcast in which I interview people about the book and their experiences of that topic. If applicable, there will be an additional resource of a discussion guide to use in your group or to have a conversation with yourself. Please use this resource in whatever way works for you!

Our first book is the new release from Pilgrim Press Fat Church | Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation by Anastasia E.B. Kidd. (Available at https://www.thepilgrimpress.com/products/fat-church-claiming-a-gospel-of-fat-liberation-kidd). I interviewed the author along with Dr. Virginia Ramseyer-Winter, Director at Center for Body Image Research and Policy at the University of Missouri. Rev. Amy Johnson, UCC Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice joined the conversation. The book discussion video is available free of charge on the Frontline Faith Resource Sharing Platform (https://frontlinefaith.org/), where you will find other offerings for use to expand your understanding of topics at the intersection of faith and gender.

God-Centered Action – Period Pack Project

The period pack project at General Synod 34 was an incredible success. Many thanks to the Rev. Dr. Monica Dawkins-Smith of Wider Church Ministries, Rev. Josh Baird of Wider Church Ministries Global H.O.P.E. team, and Church World Service for working diligently to meet the needs of menstruating people who are experiencing displacement and/or homelessness. Christina Ables Fairman from St. John UCC in Freeport, Illinois sent this in:

In April of 2023, the St. John UCC Mission and Outreach Team voted to support the 34th General Synod’s Period Pack Project by creating 175 menstrual hygiene kits—one for each year of the congregation’s ministry and service to the community.

The project was headed by a new volunteer to the Team and a member of our HELIX Youth Program. The goal was to collect a minimum of $2450 in supplies and/or donations. We launched our campaign during a Moment for Mission in hybrid in-person and online worship on April 23. We set the end of our collection time as Sunday, May 28: World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

During our collection time, we promoted the St John UCC Period Pack Project on Facebook, through our Virtual Fellowship Facebook Group, through our electronic and hardcopy newsletter, and through word-of-mouth. We loved hearing from people how excited they were that we were talking about the importance of addressing period poverty in church. People frequently expressed the need to have these conversations and the need to acknowledge and eliminate period poverty in our own community. From one member of our community, “I have never heard a church talk so openly and freely about menstruation. I am so proud that we can be open and honest about period poverty and be a place of support for everyone who needs period products. This is why I love our church and the UCC!”

Donations of supplies and funds came from members and friends of St. John UCC, as well as from outside of our church community. And we gratefully acknowledge our receipt of a matching grant from the United Church of Christ.

We are pleased to report that we raised $2575 in funds and in-kind donations over the course of our collection time—enough that we were able to meet our goal of creating 175 menstrual hygiene kits.

On June 4, our congregation gathered for our annual Pentecost Picnic, after which we had a Period Pack Packing Party, with friends and members of all ages gathering to assemble menstrual hygiene kits. It took our 20+ volunteers just under one hour to pack the kits! We will be dedicating the kits in worship on Sunday, June 25 to prepare them for their journey. Two of our members are delegates, and will deliver the kits to Indianapolis when they arrive for General Synod. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Period Pack Project and give thanks to God for the witness of the United Church of Christ and Church World Service to engage in addressing period poverty.

See this Encounters at the Well for more on the period pack project.

Spirit-Led Leadership: Leaders Arising

We have done a little bit of reorganizing in the Justice and Local Church Ministries teams at the National Ministries of UCC. I was recently moved to a reconstituted team that has been renamed Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries and I am excited to introduce our new team leader. Rachael Ward (they/them) recently graduate from Columbia Theological Seminary and brings a great depth of spiritual grounding and activism to their work. In addition to overseeing the work of our team, they also serve as  Executive Director for UCC HIV & AIDS Network (UCAN). Please give Rachel the wholehearted welcome of the UCC!

Christ-Driven Connection

This issue of Talitha Koum features a reflection from my colleague and Gender and Sexuality Justice Team Leader Rachael Ward. Thank you, Rachael, for loving out loud and creating spaces where LGBTQAI+ people can experience Christ-driven connection.

Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (CEB, Ruth 1:16)

Throughout General Synod 34, our Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries team offered an LGBTQIA+ Care Space and several affinity micro-programming opportunities within it. And every single day of Synod, I saw Ruth’s bold, loud, and definitive love on display in and outside of this space.

Queer clergy met one another and shared stories of their various ministries, trans siblings gathered across generations to share resources, connections and affirm their experiences, trans youth and their parents spent time together, and we hosted our first Loving Louder mixer in partnership with the Open and Affirming Coalition. That night alone felt like heaven on earth.

We also witnessed the affirmation of a trans sibling’s baptism and we spoke their name out loud with love. We collectively shed tears of joy and hugged one another afterwards. I talked with a 13–year-old trans teen who shared how the experience at Synod was the most lifesaving they had experienced yet. And another teen who shared this was the first time in a long time their tears were not from the depths of fear or sadness, but joy and love. Every day was a new interaction one by one of queer resilience, joy, and celebration of being in community together.

In a moment where rhetoric against LGBTQIA+ siblings is becoming increasingly more violent, to be with community dreaming and working toward a more just world is a holy and needed balm of nourishment. A balm, that I know intimately, is needed beyond our holy shared space of General Synod. Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries is committed to the implementation of the now, too. This fall we are launching virtual spiritual care spaces, a new curriculum to help local churches decide “what next” for their work in LGBTQIA+ and Gender Justice, and our Love is Louder Webinar series kicks off August 3. May we practice love together out loud as we continue to hold our Synod work as a guiding compass for how we will love louder than hate in worship, communal gatherings, justice actions, and beyond.

Growing a Community of UCC Women

Right now this ministry is primarily envisioned by me and this newsletter is written by me. I want that to change. I am looking for people who identify as a woman/girl to join me in defining what an inclusive and expansive women’s justice ministry is for the United Church of Christ. If you care about women’s needs and issues and want to put that concern into action, please reach out to me at warrens@ucc.org or 216-736-3287. We can discuss how you can be involved in a growing movement that recognizes women’s involvement as an essential piece of justice.

Women’s Issues Resources

Synod offered LGBTQIA+ love, support and care when most needed

Witness for Justice

Justice for Women (more changes upcoming)