United Church of Christ

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: What's Next, What Our Covenant Calls Us to Do and Be in this Time
2025-01-06 15:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Join Rev. Mark Pettis and others for a conversation on What’s Next, What Our Covenant Calls Us to Do and Be in this Time? Coming out of the election season, how do we, as congregations of the United Church of Christ refocus our attention to the mission that is central to who we are? How do we lean into the relationships we have across the church, and with others of faith, to move our mission forward.

Embodied Advent Series 2024
2024-12-16
Join us for an Embodied Advent Series that highlights the ministries of a diverse representation of United Church of Christ partners and faith leaders. All Advent programs have been pre-recorded and will be made available on Nurture the Soul’s YouTube channel the Monday before each Advent week. Please note we decided to include a “Longest Night” service in lieu of a 4th week of Advent. The purpose of these webinars is to nurture your souls and ministries and can be shared in lieu of holding your own service – or to pull pieces from to enhance your own ministry settings.

Reclaiming Our Democracy
2024-12-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
After the election, commentators like Tom Nichols urged people to “stay engaged and make their voices heard at every turn.” But most still wonder how, and even if, they can make a difference between elections. What are the options? (1) Protesting? Vital, but usually not the long game. (2) Signing email form letters, which only 3% of Congressional staff says is highly effective? Just gestures. (3) Taking a 2-year nap until the next election? Sadly, the preferred route for many. Few know about (4) transformational advocacy which helps you change an issue while you also become changed in the process.
In his book “Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy,” Sam Daley-Harris writes about people who have successfully brought about social change and personal transformation. Join us for this webinar as Daley-Harris shares his stories and wisdom gained from years of leading and coaching advocacy organizations such as Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Catholic Relief Services, and RESULTS.
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.

Stories from the Pacific Basin
2024-12-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
As part of the Pacific Basin Initiative Week, please join us for stories and updates from Global Ministries’ East Asia and Pacific partners.
Frances Namoumou, Program Manager with the Pacific Conference of Churches in Fiji, will discuss the ecumenical partner’s Climate Change work and their new sustainable agriculture project, the Vulagi Eco-Farm and Training Center.
Martha Mensendiek, long-time mission co-worker in Kyoto, Japan will lift up stories of staff and visitors who have been transformed by the outreach of the Bazaar Café, a bold witness of the United Church of Christ in Japan to marginalized communities in the Kyoto area.
Voices from Silliman University Divinity School in Dumaguete, Philippines will share about the school’s growing Music and Liturgy degree program, which integrates indigenous Filipino song and instrumentation as part of its formation of students for ministry in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: An Ecumenical Gathering for Prayer and Action for World AIDS Day 2024
2024-12-02 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Two years ago, Rev. Roberto Ochoa organized an ecumenical online World AIDS Day observance. He cultivated a program that was both informative and spiritual. Since then, he and Metropolitan Community Churches’ representatives have been creating resources for churches and communities to honor World AIDS Day. Join a diverse group of theologians, faith and community leaders to learn more about these resources and how your communities and learn more about how to support and honor World AIDS Day in 2024 and beyond.
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.

Nurture the Soul: Immigration: Will There Be Calm After the Storm?
2024-11-21 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Join Revs. Noel Anderson, Randy Mayer, and others to learn more about how United Church of Christ is working and evolving to welcome immigrants to our communities and congregations. Immigration has once again become a divisive issue in this election season, one that is filled with false statements and misinformation. The presenters will share stories from the Border as well as some practical steps on how to practice our faith through ministry and advocacy with immigrants.

Breaking the Chains - A 2-day Virtual Summit
2024-11-20 13:00 - 14:30, 2024-11-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join us as we participate in rich dialogue and intentional learning on Gender & Sexual Based Violence through the lens of Thursdays in Black!
Together, we’ll learn how to partner in Breaking the Chains of gender and sexual based violence through deconstructing biblical narratives, testimony in action, social media’s influence on youth and ways to engage in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work.

Reset for Renewal: Imagine Labs
2024-11-19 - 2024-11-20 | UCC National Ministries or Virtual, 1300 East 9th St., Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH, 44114
Over the course of several days, we invite those involved in children’s and youth ministry in local congregations to gather for a time of study, reflection, leadership development, worship and support in a hybrid model. We will have a diverse group of presenters, theologians, authors and local church practitioners to offer insight and lead spirited workshops that will provide extra tools for leading ministries in the twenty-first century.
In person attendees will meet at the UCC National Ministries, 1300 East 9th St., Suite 1100 (11th floor), Cleveland, OH 44114. The meeting will take place in the Mission Central Conference Room. Virtual attendees will receive the Zoom link information in the registration confirmation email.
In Person Attendee Agenda
Virtual Attendee Agenda
All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time. Agendas are tentative and subject to change.
The registration fee is $10 for virtual attendees.
The deadline to register for in-person attendees is Thursday, October 17, 2024. In Person registration is by invitation only. Please contact Tyler Ung at UngT@ucc.org for any inquiries.
The deadline to register for virtual attendees is Friday, November 15, 2024.

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: What’s Next: Building Community w/Faith Practitioners from Across the Country
2024-11-18 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Join a small group of diverse faith practitioners (campus, church, community organizing and board settings) who met through a gathering of people to explore racial justice. In this webinar, we’ll learn through personal accounts of how they have attended to sacred self-care in complicated and diverse settings; developed strategies and skills for sustaining themselves in their work; confronted their fears personally and collectively in order to model building authentic relationships of trust across our divided Nation. All of this has led to an imagination and practice of what a just world for all looks and feels like and a deep admiration and a sustaining kinship.

Nurture the Soul - Building Community Connections to Create Resilient Communities Part 2
2024-11-14 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
In this webinar, Katie Howe, Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery will discuss how loving our neighbor starts with being prepared for disasters. There are some steps that all churches should be taking regardless of their financial or human resources. She will discuss some of the main ideas in the newly revised Local Church Disaster Preparedness Workbook, and discuss the importance of having a well-structured preparedness plan. She will be joined by Rev. Kelly Hansen, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator for the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference United Church of Christ, and John Etter, a member of Central St. Matthew United Church of Christ in New Orleans, LA, who will discuss their experiences with disaster preparedness.

What Is Owed: International Climate Debt
2024-11-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
While developed countries disproportionately caused the climate crisis, developing countries have disproportionately suffered the consequences. As a result, a debt is owed. Yet, the opposite is happening as developing countries are the ones saddled with the crushing burden of debt payments. According to a report from the IMF and World Bank, 47 developing countries will pay $400 billion dollars to service their debts in 2024. With the risk of default, these countries are not able to devote the money needed to address the climate crisis. As the UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Azerbaijan, we will focus on the enormous moral and financial issues at stake with climate debt. Athena Peralta from the World Council of Churches and Karimi Kinoti from Edeni Platform discuss these critical matters.
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.

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: "What's Next" - Naming the Pain: Unresolved Grief and the Lure of Political Extremism
2024-11-11 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
In most cases, anger and fear are the emotions most readily associated with Christian Nationalism and other forms of political extremism. Rev. Dr. Tanya Jeffcoat, however, will examine the ways in which unresolved grief often plays an underlying role in drawing people to extremist positions. After exploring several expressions of unresolved grief, she will offer potential approaches for addressing grief and building communities that offer opportunities to heal from the divisions we face.

Nurture the Soul - Building Community Connections to Create Resilient Communities Part I
2024-11-07 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
In this webinar, Katie Howe, Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery will discuss how creating coalitions and community building during non-disaster times can create an environment that can help communities if they experience a disaster including climate-caused, human caused, technological or environmental disasters. She will be joined by Rev. Dr. Becca Girrell from the United Community Church of Morrisville, VT. Rev. Girrell will discuss her experience with building community connections prior to the significant repeated flooding in Morrisville, VT, and how that has had a positive impact on their community.

UCC Climate Action Assembly: Post-Election Gathering
2024-11-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
On the day after the election, we will assess implications of the election results and begin to plan ahead. Our special guest speakers will include Robin Lewis, the Climate Equity Director for Interfaith Power & Light-DMV, and Abigail Cipparone, the Domestic Policy Advocate of the United Church of Christ’s DC Office.
We will also look ahead to the next stage of the Climate Hope campaign as church members prepare to visit the offices of their elected officials.
Every two months, the UCC Council for Climate Justice hosts a Climate Action Assembly focused on collective endeavors rooted in recent General Synod resolutions. Climate Action Assemblies are open to all members of the UCC.

POSTPONED: Our Whole Lives Taking Flight: Celebrating OWL for Grades 10-12, 2nd edition and More!
2024-11-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
POSTPONED – more information will come later.
Amy Johnson and Melanie Davis will give you the latest Our Whole Lives curriculum info, including what to expect with the next edition of OWL for Grades 10-12, the difference between “editions” and “reprints,” and how the new format is rolling out across levels of OWL.

Vote with Love: An Election Day Prayer Vigil & Convening
2024-11-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Zoom
On election day, November 5th, join Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson and UCC leaders from across the nation for a non-partisan election day prayer vigil and convening. The vigil will highlight the prayers and intentions collected from across the UCC using this portal, which will be woven together with music and prayers from UCC leaders. Following a time of prayer, we will then hold space for the fears and anxieties many feel around the election in separate breakout rooms for pastoral care concerns, spiritual grounding, and election protection tips. Let us join together on November 5th to pray for our nation, for our democracy, and for justice and peace to prevail.

Nurture the Soul: Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared! What to Expect in the 2024 Election
2024-10-31 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
With November 5th approaching fast, it can be difficult keeping the election anxiety at bay. The past few years have demonstrated how the time between the presidential election and the presidential inauguration can be uncertain, chaotic, and even scary. But one of the best ways to keep the election scaries away is to have a plan in place, as a church, for the many scenarios that could play out on and after election day.
Join us for a conversation about how we can best prepare for November 5th and the following days. We will discuss topics such as 1) election security and ballot counting, 2) how to combat misinformation/disinformation on and after Election Day, and 3) how churches can discern their role as community leaders in keeping our elections safe and accessible.
We’ll hear from experts including Abigail Cipparone (UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy), Chris Crawford (Protect Democracy), Cheryl A. Leanza (UCC Media Justice), Rev. Michael Neuroth (UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy), and Raelyn Roberson (Common Cause).

Nurture the Soul: Christian Zionism in Our Churches
2024-10-24 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Over the past century, Christian Zionism has been used to justify first the immigration of Jews to Palestine and then, with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, justification for the unquestioning support of Israeli policies of occupation and apartheid. So what even is Christian Zionism? How does it appear in our churches? What are some different lenses we can use to examine the scriptures that underpin it?
Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, retired Presbyterian pastor and theologian, and Rev. William T. Young IV, pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, will share with us how they unpack and challenge Christian Zionism in their contexts.

Our Economic Leverage
2024-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
As people of faith in the United States, we have seen how boycotts have been effective over the years in creating social change (e.g. the Montgomery Bus Boycott). How can we best use those, and what are some other economic measures we can use today to ensure our personal money and our church’s money is being spent in a way that aligns with our faith values? How can we leverage our resources to offer solidarity to Palestinian partners for the long term, especially in these times?
Join us as we hear from two colleagues who are directly engaged. From the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the East Jerusalem YMCA and the YWCA of Palestine, you’ll hear from Muhanad al-Qaisi about the ways we can invest in the long-term stability of Palestinian farmers who are being threatened by Jewish settlers and the Israeli military in the West Bank. You will also hear from Matthew Illian about some best practices the United Church Funds uses to ensure that church investments are in line with our faith values and what questions to ask about your own investments.

Nurture the Soul: Wellness Ministries Intergenerational Holiday Happenings
2024-10-17 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Reduce loneliness and deepen a sense of community within your congregation by organizing intergenerational gatherings during Thanksgiving and Advent. We will share three different types of activities and answer your questions about how to plan and advertise your events.

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: Healing the Body Politic(s)
2024-10-16 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Ever wonder why there is so much political discussion about our bodies? Why the emphasis to legislate limitations on diversity? Why the need to confine our bodies to assigned roles, behaviors, and relationship styles? This panel discussion will discuss how people of faith can respond to the wide variety of political assaults of what appears to be an anti-body movement because, this election season, our bodies are on the line.

Nurture the Soul: Discovering Wellness Ministries in your Congregation
2024-10-10 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
This webinar will explore the variety of Wellness Ministries programs in UCC churches. Wellness Ministries resources will be illustrated. You will be invited to share ideas and questions in this interactive session.

Project 2025 as a Threat to God's Creation
2024-10-09 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Project 2025 is a compilation of policy proposals and a presidential transition project launched by the Heritage Foundation. The proposed policies would have far-reaching implications from bolstering the US military to cutting social welfare programs. In this webinar, we will look specifically at what Project 2025 would mean for environment justice.
Our panelists will include:
-Xavier Boatright, Deputy Legislative Director for the Sierra Club
-Rachel Cleetus, Climate and Energy Policy Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists
-Abigail Cipparone, Domestic Policy Advocate for the United Church of Christ
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.

Nurture the Soul: Exploring Access Sunday: A Discussion with UCC Disabilities Ministries
2024-10-03 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
The second Sunday of October is designated Access Sunday in the UCC calendar, a day for celebrating the disability community and advocating for greater access. Each year, the UCC Disabilities Ministries Board produces resources for Access Sunday, including a complete liturgy, original music, and scripture commentary. Come join members of the UCCDM Disability Theology Committee as they discuss the meaning and purpose of Access Sunday, the 2024 resources, and how to start celebrating Access Sunday at your local church!

OWL Taking Flight: Let’s Talk Month with Advocates for Youth!
2024-10-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Lauren Barineau from Advocates for Youth joins us to talk about Let’s Talk Month. How do we talk to kids about sexuality and why is it important?

Race to the Polls: Preparing the UCC for the 2024 Election
2024-10-01 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Almost every ballot measure and candidate policy platform have implications for racial justice because racial disparities are woven into every part of our political system and common life. No matter what your political views are, in the 2024 election we all will be making choices that either maintain the status quo of racism or create greater equity and justice. In the UCC, we have the resources of our faith and the covenants we share in our General Synod Resolutions to help guide us, but with all the information swirling around us, it can be hard to discern what and who will actually help us build a more just world for all. So we hope you’ll join us for this webinar where we will prayerfully engage in care-full conversation to discover the ways our faithful commitments to intersectional justice and collective liberation can guide our voting and campaigning in this vital moment for democracy in the United States. A special offering from the Racial Justice Ministries and Join the Movement.

Community Safety Training Series
2024-09-30 20:00 - 21:00, 2024-09-23 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
How can congregations build an ecology of community safety that is rooted in care, investing in each other, believing in each other, and trusting each other and the rhythms and cycles around/within us? What community safety practices can we engage in now that also help us build the world we long for? Our experienced trainers will expand on our “Ecology of Community Safety” guide to offer practical skills, psycho-social care practices, planning tools, and analysis of current conditions, all towards practicing new ways of creating safety within our own congregational contexts.
This series is hosted by the United Church of Christ’s Love of Church FaithINFO team, and is open to all faith traditions.

Living Our Extravagant Welcome, A Two-Part Series
2024-09-26 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Part One, September 19, 2024 – The “Purple Church” In a denomination like the United Church of Christ, what does it mean to lead a purple church, a church with members from across the political spectrum, in the midst of a culture that is increasingly divided and siloed? Our panelists will explore how this works in rural and suburban settings of the United Church of Christ, as well as how such ministry can be a calling for our denomination.
Part Two, September 26, 2024 – Multiple Religious Belonging We are witnessing an increase in our culture of individuals and families who practice and/or identify with more than one faith tradition. Is there room in our congregations to welcome and embrace these people and families? How does this look in different settings of the church. Our panelists will speak about this present and growing reality in our churches from various perspectives and discuss how it is part of our sense of expansive welcome.
