What Is a Sustainable Economy?
2023-01-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
With powerful industries based on extractive and exploitative practices, our economy has been a train barreling toward increasing environmental disaster. The fate of humanity and our planet can no longer continue on this track, but crucial questions remain: What is a sustainable economy? What will it look like? What must change? What costs might it entail? And, how will it be achieved? For people of faith, these questions are engaged from a place that prioritizes matters of equity, justice, and the common good. To help us think through these issues, this webinar will feature Edith Rasell who recently authored the book, “The Way of Abundance: Economic Justice in Scripture and Society.”
Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it.
This monthly installment of Creation Justice Webinars is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt who serves as the Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Michael Malcom who serves as the Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

UCC Ethnic and Congregations of Color in Rural Communities
2023-01-12 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Thursdays for the Soul: A webinar series to care for the whole church. Topics are wide ranging, and are focused on the spirituality and care of people. Prayer, worship, music, psalm readings, or compassionate teaching are included. This will be a predictable time of gathering for something to feed your spirit, offered by Faith Education, Innovation, and Formation and Justice and Local Church Ministries of the national setting, United Church of Christ.

Free event, featuring Otis Moss III, new book launch, Dancing in Darkness
2023-01-16 13:00 - 14:30 | The Temple-Tifereth Israel, 26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, OH, 44122, United States
In honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice invites you to a free event featuring Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III for the launch of his new book, DANCING IN DARKNESS, a life-affirming guide to the practical, political, and spiritual challenges of our day.
Drawing on the teachings of Dr. King, Howard Thurman, sacred scripture, southern wisdom, global spiritual traditions, Black culture, and his own personal experiences, Dr. Moss instructs you on how to practice spiritual resistance by combining justice and love. This collection helps us tap the spiritual reserves we all possess but too often overlook, so we can slay our personal demon, confront our civic challenges, and reach our highest goals.
Rev. Moss III is the featured speaker Monday, January 16, 2023, 1 pm – 2:30 pm at the Temple Tifereth-Israel 26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122. The event is hosted by the Maltz Museum | Rooted in the Jewish value of respect for all humanity, the Maltz Museum explores diverse stories of courage from history and today, with a commitment to education and learning so that there can be a more inclusive tomorrow.
Registration is required.

Our Whole Lives and Sexuality and Our Faith: Dismantling Shame and Stigma about Bodies and Relationships
2023-01-19 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Many churches embrace an Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith ministry as a part of faithful justice work. This ministry provides people of all ages with information they need to understand how bodies function, recognize qualities in healthy and unhealthy relationships, practice decision-making through a values and faith framework, and advocate for equity and inclusion.
Join Amy Johnson, UCC Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice and Dr. Melanie Davis, UUA OWL Program Manager for this engaging and informative webinar.
This webinar is part of a special series of Thursdays for the Soul webinars focused on twelve Just World Covenant programs in the United Church of Christ. On the third Thursday of each month, one of these programs will be featured. Learn more at: www.ucc.org/just_world_covenants

Against Islamophobia & White Supremacy with Linda Sarsour
2023-01-22 15:30 - 17:30 | Livestream
The January 6th attack on the United States Capitol showed that white Christian Nationalism is on the rise. 2022 ended with over 200 white nationalist candidates elected at every level of government. With each passing election, fringe political ideas become more and more mainstream. Simultaneously, islamophobia has never lost its public appeal. The so-called Muslim Ban is just one example of white supremacy becoming policy. Religious leaders are called to fight back against the rising tide of islamophobia in our community and congregations.
Join the conversation with Linda Sarsour, noted Palestinian-American civil rights leader who will speak on the topic: Islamophobia and White Supremacy. Sarsour was co-chair of the 2017 Women’s March, the 2017 Day Without a Woman, and the 2019 Women’s March. She is also a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. The event will be livestreamed on the United Church of Christ YouTube channel.
Hosted by the Valley and Mountain Fellowship’s Center for Faith, Art, and Justice in partnership with the United Church of Christ’s Join the Movement toward Racial Justice and others, the series Set Us Free from Fear: Faith, White Supremacy, and Politics invites scholars, clergy, and activists working at the intersection of race and faith to share their wisdom to our broader communities.
View Livestream Here

I Heart Orgasms--Pleasure, Sexual Health and Consent
2023-02-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller join OWL Taking Flight to discuss their newly revised and updated book, I Heart Orgasms. Drawing on their over twenty years of experience teaching audiences about sexual pleasure, plus the voices of thousands of survey-takers who share their experiences in these pages, Dorian and Marshall bring wisdom to the intersections of pleasure, consent, and sexual health.

The Land Back Movement
2023-02-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
The Land Back Movement has been succinctly described as the generations long struggle to put “Indigenous lands back into Indigenous hands.” Yet, there is much to know and understand about this vitally important movement. In this webinar, organizers and practitioners within the movement will place the struggle within the context of dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and the ongoing work of reparatory justice. Moreover, current efforts will be discussed and lifted up in discerning how the movement can be advanced today. Speakers will include:

Katerina Gea from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and pastor of Wild Church Fresno
Sarah Augustine from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery; author of “The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery”
Angie Comeaux from Hummingbird Springs Farm, the Bvlbancha Collective, and Okla Hina Ikhish Holo (People of the Sacred Medicine Trail)

Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it.
This monthly installment of Creation Justice Webinars is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt who serves as the Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Michael Malcom who serves as the Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

Virtual National Gathering of UCC Rural/Small Town Churches and Ministries
2023-02-09 16:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
The Virtual National Gathering of UCC Rural/Small Town Churches and Ministries:
Gathering Dates: February 9-11, 2023 (Thursday, Friday, & Saturday*
*On Saturday, encourage congregations to gather together in church, potluck style and
participate in joint communion across the denomination.)
Time: 4:00 – 7:00 pm EST
Theme: Nourishing the Seeds of Faith (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Contact: Rev Roberto Ochoa, UCC Minister for Ethnic Inclusion, Rural and Small Churches – ochoar@ucc.org
In the Fall of 2019, UCC General Minister/President Rev John Dorhauer received a letter from a UCC pastor in a rural setting disappointed in the lack of congregational and pastoral presence during General Synod. The pastor felt that rural congregations and ministers felt isolated and disconnected from the national setting.
John responded by referring the letter to Rev Dr Chris Davies, Team Leader of Faith INFO and requested Rev Roberto Ochoa, who was responsible for congregational support and resources for Faith INFO contact the pastor.
That contact led to the beginning of a movement to reach out to rural identified congregations and all those interested in rural ministries.
In December 2020, Rev Roberto was paired with Rev Dr Bonnie Bates, Penn Northeast Conference Minister to present a workshop about the state of the UCC rural/small town churches in the denomination for the virtual AM 21 Conference.
Topics relevant to the rural church settings were explored in several UCC Thursdays for the Soul webinar series hosted by Roberto.
During the virtual General Synod of 2021, a workshop was presented by Roberto, Bonnie, and Rev Dr Marc Stewart, CM Montana/No Wyoming. It resulted in the creation of the Coalition for UCC Rural Ministries for all those interested in rural ministries from every setting of the UCC. The Coalition has met monthly since 2021 and has been hosted by Bonnie Bates and Roberto Ochoa for the purposes of listening and collaborating with best practices for the rural local church and pastoral leadership.
A special report by CARDD on WHERE OUR UCC CONGREGATIONS CALL HOME: RURAL, TOWN, SUBURBAN, AND URBAN CONGREGATIONS researched and authored by Roberto Ochoa found that over 60% of UCC congregations were in communities with less than 25,000. https://www.ucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022.vfw_.pdf (p 55-57)
Two primary goals of the Coalition for UCC Rural Ministries has been to have a national gathering of UCC rural churches and pastoral leaders and to organize for recognition by the National Setting of the UCC.

Create Playspace with the President
2023-02-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
What Is the Best/Most Exciting Tech Innovation You Are Incorporating into Your Ministry and How Is It Changing Your Future?
Provocateur: John C. Dorhauer

Webinar: Planning the Energy Future of your Congregation
2023-02-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join the Interfaith Power & Light, the United Church of Christ, and other faith partners in learning about benchmarking your facilities’ energy use, so that your congregation can cut energy costs and care for creation. This is the first step in planning to take advantage of federal funding now available to faith communities. Presenters include: Jerry Lawson, National Manager of EPA’s Energy Star for Small Businesses and Congregations; Sarah Paulos, Interfaith Power & Light’s Cool Congregations Program Director and Tom Hackley from People’s Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Join us on February 21, 2023, at 1 pm ET, 12 pm CT, 11 am MT, and 10 am PT. Fill out the form below with your name and email to Register now!

OWL Taking Flight - Child Safety and Mandatory Reporting: Advice from a Pediatrician
2023-03-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Dr. Verena Brown, pediatrician and educator who specializes in cases of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, will join us for a discussion about child abuse and mandatory reporting. Dr. Brown is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee of the Council on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Is property a missional asset or liability?
2023-03-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Part 2 of the Create Playspace with the President series.
Provocateur:
Maria Coyne, President and CEO of the Cornerstone Fund.
**Please note- all sessions in this series will be recorded.

Migrant Sponsorship: Responding to the Heartbreaking Emails
2023-03-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
UCC Refugee & Migration Services will be speaking about the new, specialized migrant sponsorship processes, why they evolved, and why they’re resulting in a flood of heartbreaking e mails from migrants around the world in your local church inbox. Guests from Al Otro Lado, a family reunification non-profit in California, will be joining us to discuss this phenomenon.

Movie Screening: The Ants and the Grasshopper
2023-03-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Join us online for a free screening of an acclaimed documentary that follows the life of the inspiring Anita Chitaya. After successfully confronting challenge after challenge in her home country of Malawi, Chitaya comes to the United States faced with the most difficult task of her life. In order to save her home from extreme weather, she seeks to persuade people in the United States that climate change is real. The film documents her efforts as she travels around the country from California to the White House to engage everyone from climate skeptics to despairing farmers.
The documentary has received numerous film festival awards and accolades. Journalist Michael Pollen declared that he was “blown away” by this powerful film about “a hero of such grace and intelligence and power.”
Join us from the comfort of your home or gather with others from your faith community for this film screening. An action guide and a Bible study are available to make the most of the experience.
This event is cohosted by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Green Chalice Ministries, the Environmental Justice Ministries of the United Church of Christ, and Blessed Tomorrow.

How do we fund the future?
2023-03-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Part 3 of the Create Playspace with the President series.
Provocateurs:
Rev. Kent Siladi, UCC Director of Philanthropy
Rev. Andrew Warner, Generosity Outreach Officer in the UCC Office of Philanthropy, Technology, Identity, and Communication (OPTIC)
**Please note- all sessions in this series will be recorded.

General Synod Frequency Town Hall 1/3
2023-03-15 14:00 - 15:00
At General Synod 34 in Indianapolis, delegates will consider amendments to the UCC Bylaws that would change the frequency of General Synod from two years to three years.
Join one of the Town Halls to learn more about the Bylaws changes recommended by the UCC Board.

Changing Landscape of Giving: What we can learn from Millennial and Gen Z Donors
2023-03-22 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom
Rev. Dr. Colie Batavia of Grace UCC in Two Rivers, WI, will discuss insights and ideas the Church can learn from Millennial and Gen Z Donors.

War in Ukraine and Our Church's Response
2023-03-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, members of the United Church of Christ were exceedingly generous in offering support for people affected by the war. In the past 13 months, more than 15 million people in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes and communities, fleeing both inside Ukraine and to other countries. UCC partners responded immediately with care and support, and continue to meet needs even as they face their own sometimes challenging circumstances.

Join four UCC leaders who recently visited partners in central and eastern Europe to hear the stories and reflections they carry back from their encounters in Ukraine, Hungary, Greece, and Moldova. Learn about the inspiring work our partners are undertaking, which is strengthened by the generosity of UCC members and friends.

How we gather: Where are future faith seekers finding access to their Sacred?
2023-04-05 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Part 4 of the Create Playspace with the President series.
Provocateurs:
Casper ter Kuile co-author of How We Gather, and co-founder of The Sacred Design Lab.
**Please note- all sessions in this series will be recorded.

Christian Nationalism: A Threat to Democracy and Christianity
2023-04-11 20:30 - 21:30
The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, will discuss the challenge of faithfulness in the face of Christian nationalism, and the need for religious leaders and people of faith to openly discuss and confront it. Dorhauer is the author of Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World (2015). Part of the Religious Literacy Project at Elmhurst University.
Upon registering, event can be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/@ElmhurstUniversity1871

A Palestinian Christian Reflection on the Meaning of Easter
2023-04-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
In the week following Western celebrations of Easter, and during what is Holy Week for Orthodox and some other Eastern Christians, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac will share his understandings of the journey to Easter — Palm Sunday, Last Week, the Cross, Resurrection — and Easter stories.
Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, academic dean at Bethlehem Bible College, and the director of the Christ at the Checkpoint conferences, the Rev. Dr. Isaac has written several books; his latest is The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope.
This webinar is jointly presented by Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network (UCC PIN).

How do we effectively use social media to message progressive Christianity?
2023-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Part 5 of the Create Playspace with the President series.
Provocateur:
Rev. Sarah Tevis-Townes, pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a Tik-Tok innovator who has built a large following using video shorts to teach the world about progressive faith.
**Please note- all sessions in this series will be recorded.

Getting Ready for Earth Sunday: Resources for Congregations
2023-04-12 13:00 - 14:00
Many churches celebrate God’s creation on the Sunday closest to Earth Day (April 22nd). It is an opportunity to not only address some of the most pressing issues faced by our world today, but to also give people a vision of hope and a path forward. To assist with this vitally important undertaking, Creation Justice Ministries has created an ecumenical resource for churches. The resource for this year brings the lens of justice to food, the most immediate and tangible way that we connect with the natural world around us. In this webinar, Karyn Bigelow, Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries, will introduce the resource and talk about specific ways churches can deliver a powerful message and experience on Earth Sunday.
Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it.
This monthly installment of Creation Justice Webinars is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt who serves as the Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Michael Malcom who serves as the Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

Status of Welcome Corps with Church World Service
2023-04-13 13:00 - 14:00
On January 19, the Biden administration rolled out a new project called Welcome Corps, which enables private citizens to independently resettle refugees. Church World Service (CWS), a formal partner of Welcome Corps, will be presenting for UCC churches about the status of the program and how churches can responsibly engage. At this webinar, UCC churches will have the opportunity to ask questions to CWS HQ staff about the new available sponsorship opportunities, the support available for sponsor groups, and implications of the new system. Groups who previously sponsored are invited to attend to learn about how to build on past experience to welcome again.

What's Possible?: Earth Day Stories of Hope
2023-04-22 11:00 - 12:00
On April 22nd, the United Church of Christ will inaugurate an annual Earth Day summit to lift up, celebrate, and further ministries dedicated to caring for God’s creation. This two and a half hour digital event will feature a keynote address by the Rev. Jim Antal, the author of “Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change.” Churches are invited to organize book groups to read this book in the month of April.
The summit will also feature:

a panel discussion with Gina Peltier from Honor the Earth, Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos from Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, and Alexa Horwart from Isaiah
a celebration of our denomination’s newest Creation Justice Churches
a recognition of our recent youth and young adult Climate Justice Fellows
the presentation of the Dollie Burwell Prophetic Action Award to a congregation or green team that has distinguished itself in taking public action for environmental justice

If you are unable to join at the scheduled time, still register and a link to the recording will be sent to you following the event.
This event is cohosted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Christ’s Council for Climate Justice, Mayflower United Church of Christ, and the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ.

General Synod Frequency Town Hall 2/3
2023-04-26 18:00 - 19:00

Rethinking What God Calls Volunteers to Do
2023-04-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Rev. Bridget Daniels of Union UCC in Green Bay, WI, and Rev. Elana Larson of the National Ministries will reflect on ways to engage volunteers and hear God’s call to something new when you can’t find volunteers. They will help us think about ways to make more dynamic volunteer experiences.

Mental Health Awareness While Offering OWL
2023-05-03 12:00 - 13:00
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund UCC Minister for Mental Health and Disabilities, and Jennica Davis-Hockett UUA Youth Ministry Specialist, will join us for a conversation about youth, mental health, and intersections with Our Whole Lives.

A new eco-system for Members in Discernment.
2023-05-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Part 6 of the Create Playspace with the President series.
Provocateur:
Rev. David Vasquez-Levy, President and Professor of Homiletics at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California
**Please note- all sessions in this series will be recorded.

Sacred Reckonings
2023-05-04 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Sacred Reckonings, a conversation with Rev. Traci Blackmon and Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel on white settler-colonizer churches doing the work of reparations.
