Climate Hope Toolkit for Sun Day!

On Sunday, September 21st, faith communities across the country will be joining a day of grassroots climate action to celebrate Sun Day! This will be a day to celebrate the gift and power of clean energy while standing up to the profiteers, polluters, and potentates who threaten our health and future. To support churches in participating, we are providing Climate Hope Advocacy Cards along with liturgical resources. Our theme is “Planting Seeds of Hope.” With the inspiration of Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, we affirm how our faithful and collective acts of love, justice, and care for creation can germinate and grow into extraordinary manifestations of God’s Beloved Community.

How the Advocacy Cards Work

This year’s advocacy cards feature the artwork of Natalie, an 11-year-old from Evansville, Indiana, who won the 2025 Climate Hope Art Contest. On Sun Day, churches can gather comments from church members on the advocacy cards that will be delivered to their congressional representative’s office. For this delivery, churches are encouraged to form delegations to deliver the cards in-person to the local district office of their representative. Alternatively, churches can package and mail the collected cards to our UCC office in DC, so that they can be delivered to congressional offices by either an art contest finalist who will visit in October or our advocacy staff. The mailing address for collected cards is United Church of Christ Washington DC Office, 100 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 330, Washington, D.C. 20002.

Card Collecting Tips

One will collect more cards if they are provided in the bulletins or pews during worship rather than at a table during coffee hour. A moment for mission or special announcement can encourage action, and the cards can be collected as people leave the sanctuary.

In the bulletin, provide instructions because the details will be hard to remember if members only hear them orally. Invite members to write on the back of the card why they personally support solar energy as a person of faith. Many people are motivated by love: love of neighbor, love of children, and love of God’s creation. To counter current proposals for severe funding cuts, members can end their comments by advocating for full funding of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Fiscal Year 2026. When the cards are delivered, the delegation to the local district office will then ask that the Congress member send a Dear Colleague letter to House leadership in support of funding.

Never visited your congressional office? Let us know if you need support.

Worship Resources

Children’s Sermon: A script based on the mustard seed parable

Special Announcement/Moment for Mission

Instructions in Bulletin for Writing on Cards

Liturgy: Calls to worship, prayers, and responsive readings

Sermon Seeds

Deepening Engagement

The Climate Hope Affiliates is a new program of the United Church of Christ and Creation Justice Ministries which provides opportunities to deepen relationships and broaden engagement. These local hubs of faithful action help congregations amplify their impact. Encourage your members to get involved in one of our existing chapters or to help start a new one. Learn more.