United Church of Christ

OWL Taking Flight: Reclaiming Sexual Identity Through Carnival
2023-11-01 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
In this session, Onika Henry revisits what many traditionally think about carnival. She challenges the idea that carnival is about unbridled debauchery but rather is a time to reclaim our sexuality.
Onika is a Caribbean Sexologist in private practice, with a background in Expressive Arts. She was a 2019 TEDxPortofSpain Speaker, a USA Fulbright Scholar (2012) and is the cofounder of a top performing arts company in Tobago.

Revitalizing Church Practices IV: Effective Grant Making
2023-10-26 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
In this final webinar of the series, we pivot to those aiming to create grant opportunities. If you’re an entity seeking to make a difference, this session is for you. We’ll guide you through the steps to design impactful grant programs, ensuring they benefit recipients and echo the larger mission of our series: to revitalize and uplift church practices.

Donors Who Don't Come to Church: Engaging Donors Outside of Sunday Morning
2023-10-25 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom
People find multiple ways to engage in the life of a congregation. Congregations often do well at engaging people who attend in-person services regularly, volunteer and donate. But how do we meaningfully engage people online? How do we inspire those who don’t give to donate? Connect with those who share our values but are not interested in worship, in-person or online. The webinar will help us think together about various ways to engage donors beyond Sunday Morning services. Presented by Rev. Andrew Warner, CFRE, Generosity Outreach Officer, National Ministries, United Church of Christ.

Installation of the 10th General Minister and President
2023-10-20 17:00 - 19:00 | Lakewood Congregational Church (Livestream Available), 1375 West Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio, 44107
You are cordially invited to attend the Installation of the 10th General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson. Learn more about the Installation here: www.ucc.org/gmp-installation/. Can’t attend in person? You can participate in the service online: https://UCC.zoom.us/webinar/register/8016942040880/WN_SwP7ZZcjQAubcJjuSl-Upw

Revitalizing Church Practices III: Navigating the Waters
2023-10-19 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Grants can be a lifeline for church projects. Continuing our “Revitalizing Church Practices” journey, this webinar delves into the grant ecosystem. Learn to pinpoint the right funding opportunities, craft compelling applications, and secure pivotal funds. Equip yourself to steer confidently through the world of grants.
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.

Revitalizing Church Practices II: Multiply Streams of Income through 501c3
2023-10-12 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Financial resilience is crucial for church growth. In this installment of our “Revitalizing Church Practices” series, we’ll explore how churches can diversify their revenues, maximizing financial opportunities by leveraging the benefits of 501c3 status. Navigate the intricate pathways to solidify your church’s financial future.

Queer & Wonderfully Made Worship
2023-10-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries invites you to celebrate queer lives OUT LOUD on National Coming Out Day for an inaugural Queer & Wonderfully Made Worship service October 11th, 7-8 PM ET with musical guest Flamy Grant!

A Plea from the Pope
2023-10-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
As the feast day of Francis of Assisi is celebrated on October 4th, Pope Francis will release the “second part” of his encyclical on the climate crisis and inequality. The new edition of the encyclical will provide an update to confronting “the senseless war on our common home.” A multi-faith panel of climate leaders will reflect upon Pope Francis’s plea for climate action.
Panelists will include:

Dan Misleh, Founder, Catholic Climate Covenant
Rev. Susan Hendershot, President, Interfaith Power & Light
Joelle Novey, Director, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)
Imam Saffet Catovic, Director, United Nations Operations for Justice For All

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.

Revitalizing Church Practices: New Church Planting Strategies for Success
2023-10-05 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Embark on a transformative journey to breathe life into communities through new church plants. In this session, discover innovative strategies that ensure the growth and sustainability of new churches. This kickoff to our “Revitalizing Church Practices” series offers a deep dive into the foundation of successful church planting.

OWL Taking Flight - LGBTQ and Aging
2023-10-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join us as we discuss issues specific to LGBTQ+ people and aging.

A Conversation: Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker Barnes
2023-09-28 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Join us for this special offering of our Thursday Nurture the Soul webinar where Rev. Traci D. Blackmon will be in conversation with Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker Barnes, author of Sacred Self-Worth and I Bring the Voices of My People and Too Heavy A Yoke.

General Synod Worship Planning Community: A Case Study (Reimagining Ritual Series)
2023-09-21 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
General Synod Worship provides an opportunity for the church to center as a community of faith. The first onsite GS was charged to “Make All Things New.” This webinar will reflect on General Synod Worship as a model, in planning, preparation and execution, to consider how local church worship may be renewed and reimagined.

Partners in Building: A Virtual Conference with the UCC Church Building and Loan Fund
2023-09-21 11:00 - 2023-09-22 15:30 | Zoom
Is your church contemplating ways to have a positive, long-term impact in your community?
Your church property might be a key ingredient to your congregation’s future mission and growth. Join us forour annual Partners in Building virtual conference to learn how to navigate possibilities and take steps torepurpose, finance and manage church-owned property to create a lasting impact.
Partners in Building is the only Church-led, faith oriented event that provides comprehensive education aboutreal estate redevelopment, from concept to completion. The conference is open to church leaders of anyChristian denomination based in the United States. It includes opportunities to connect with loan partners,capital fundraising executives, building professionals and other experts to discuss your goals. There will bepresentations and workshops on land use, repurposing resources for mission, faith-based entrepreneurship,fundraising and the future of ministry as well.
Don’t miss this important event that could help shape your church’s future. Sign up today.
Register: https://web.cvent.com/event/03c4dfed-e9a8-4094-8b83-fd73533e5628/summary

Trails of Hope and Terror - Ames UCC Theologian-in-Residence
2023-09-16 10:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Every four days, five immigrants attempting to cross the desert to enter the United States end up dying in on our southern border. This is probably the greatest human rights violation currently occurring in our country … why? Trails of Hope and Terror is a documentary film whose mission is to explore the political, economic, social and historic reasons for this tragedy.

Join the 38th Annual Theologian in Residence Program broadcast from Ames UCC in Ames, Iowa. This year’s theologian is Rev. Dr. Miguel Torre, professor of social ethics at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.

The program will be in two parts: 10-11:30 am ET – Video broadcast “Trails of Hope and Terror” (2009) followed by a Q&A session with Rev. Dr. Torre. 11:30-11:45 am ET – Break 11:45 – 1 pm ET – “Confronting the Hopelessness of Immigration” keynote address by Rev. Dr. Torre followed by Q&A.

Learn more about the program here.

From Surviving to Thriving: Healing for the Forgotten Survivors of Racial Terror
2023-09-15 10:30 - 15:00 | Zoom
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing and Supporting Sarah Collins Rudolph
On September 15, 1963, four members of the Ku Klux Klan planted dynamite inside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama and at about 10:20am, it was detonated. When that dynamite exploded into the history of our nation, it destroyed the lives of four girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley who were attending Sunday School services. Unknown to many is the fact that there was a 5th little girl, 12-year-old Sarah Collins, who survived the bombing and whose life has been shaped by that trauma ever since.
On September 15, 2023, Join the Movement toward Racial Justice is partnering with Nurturing Justice to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the bombing and to support survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph. Through an online symposium, we will seek healing from the horror of past harms, while keeping the power of the story of survival alive in our communities. Through education, skill-building and reparatory justice, this symposium promises to not only honor the past but to equip us to build a future free from racial terror, one where people of African descent cannot only survive, but thrive.
The ongoing rise of white nationalist terror in our contemporary context, the prevalence of trauma for Black and Brown people in America, and the political and systemic roll back of voting, educational, reproductive and other basic human rights and freedoms, require our persistent attention. Let us join together on this historic day to see what history has to teach us about repairing our present and creating a more just future.
Contribute to the community restorative justice campaign to support Sarah Collins Rudolph by donating here.
Symposium Format
Morning Session

Opening Worship
Interview with Sarah Rudolph Collins
Plenary Keynote: Racial Terror, Trauma and Survival – Then and Now

Register here for the Morning Session:
https://UCC.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Nn4Ltq2PQnWlpdd-u2pm0w
Afternoon Session

Workshops

Combatting Christian Nationalism
Healing Intergenerational Trauma
Community Organizing against Racial Terror

Register here for the Afternoon Session:
https://UCC.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vdu6oqD4vHNYx9RninS_ncA2q0XBHci-A
Symposium Speakers and Leaders

Rev. Dr. Willie Dwayne Francois III
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
Rev. Dr. Velda Love
Sarah Collins Rudolph
Dr. Obery Hendricks, Jr.
Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhuro
Bishop Dwayne Royster

Then Let Us Sing! A Case Study (Reimagining Ritual Series)
2023-09-14 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Then Let Us Sing! is a new online hymnal and music resource developed by the United Church of Canada for release in fall 2024. The Education Justice, and Ethos (EJE) sub-committee works to create strong theological criteria and rubric for music selection and edits from an anti-oppression, anti-colonial lens — including an ethical framework for copyright. Members of the sub-committee, including UCC Minister of Worship and Theology, Cheryl Lindsay, discuss the process and impact of the theological and ethical commitments in the development of this resource.

The Climate Strike Movement 5 Years Later
2023-09-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Five years have now passed from when Greta Thunberg and soon others went on strike from school to launch a movement that expanded and reverberated around the world. The movement continues as organizers prepare for the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City on September 17th. This webinar will feature organizers and activists who will reflect back on the movement and where we are today. The Rev. Jim Antal has recently written a new chapter for his popular book “Climate Church, Climate World” that is entitled, “Trump, Biden, Greta—Years of Upheaval, 2018-2022.” Aly Tharp is the Senior Organizer for GreenFaith and is currently organizing faith communities in support of the September 17th march. Gabriela Martinez is an organizer for the Franciscan Action Network and is also mobilizing support for the march. 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.

The Metamorphosis Moment: A Conversation with Marcia McFee (Reimagining Ritual Series)
2023-09-07 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Marcia McFee, PhD (professor, worship designer, author, preacher and ritual artist) joins Cheryl Lindsay, DWS (UCC Minister for Worship and Theology) for a conversation about the creativity and innovation needed and available to worshipping communities in this moment as the church emerges from the pandemic into the next normal.

OWL Taking Flight - Parent Orientation for OWL and Sexuality and Our Faith: Tips for Success
2023-09-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join some seasoned OWL coordinators for information about how to make your Parent Orientation a success!

Building A Better World: Faith-based Organizing from A-Z
2023-08-31 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
A Conversation with “Building a Better World” Editor, Vahisha Hasan. “Some people understand organizing as something that happens outside of the church, but following the teachings and ministry of Jesus we quickly realize the call to discipleship is a call to organize guided by our Faith. Join us as we discuss “Building A Better World” a new offering of the United Church of Christ that engages organizing principles of our Faith.” – Rev. Traci D. Blackmon

Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
2023-08-24 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries hosts a month-long webinar series focusing on intentional dialogue with LGBTQIA+ individuals to learn more about the state of this moment and how we can collectively offer care and just action together.

Closing our series with the possibility of our collective becoming is Dr. Roberto Ché Espinoza, a transgender public scholar & Latinx using story and imaginative narrative with hopes of stewarding ethical future. Together we’ll talk through how we can collectively plant seeds for love to continue to be louder than hate and an active posture of our faith in action.

Dr. Roberto Ché Espinoza(he/they) is a Transgender public scholar & Latinx using story and imaginative narrative with hopes of stewarding ethical futures. Using story and imaginative narrative, Dr. Roberto writes for the academy, church, and movements for social change. Dr. Roberto is the author of Activist Theology and Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation. They were named 1 of 10 faith leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress in 2018 and continues to plant seeds for our collective becoming.

Narrative Budgets: Telling your Story by the Numbers
2023-08-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
A narrative budget translates the line items of a traditional budget into a story of how your congregation makes a difference in the world. It can be a helpful tool for a stewardship campaign or annual meeting. By telling the story of our congregations’ impact, we can inspire generosity in our donors.

Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
2023-08-17 15:30 - 16:30
Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries hosts a month-long webinar series focusing on intentional dialogue with LGBTQIA+ individuals to learn more about the state of this moment and how we can collectively offer care and just action together.
Venturing further into our Love is Louder series, we welcome Kevin Miguel Garcia, a spiritual recovery coach, mystic theologian and author of the upcoming release What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice with Your Divine Self to share with us practices of resilience, solidarity and self-compassion for the work of loving ourselves and our neighbors out loud.
Kevin Miguel Garcia (they/them) is a digital pastor, spiritual recovery coach, mystic theologian, sought-after speaker, and host of the podcast A Tiny Revolution. Gracia holds a master of practical theology from Columbia Theological Seminary. They coach clients form around the world through deconstruction, coming-out processes, and cultivating spiritual practices to promote resilience, solidarity, and self-compassion. Gracia is the author of Bad Theology Kills and upcoming release What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice with Your Divine Self with Broadleaf Press.

Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
2023-08-10 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries hosts a month-long webinar series focusing on intentional dialogue with LGBTQIA+ individuals to learn more about the state of this moment and how we can collectively offer care and just action together.

Continuing our Love is Louder series we’ll spend time with Erin Green who serves as the Campus and Alumni Organizer for REAP (Religious Exemption Accountability Project). In this series episode we’ll explore the intersections of education and LGBTQIA+ experiences. This conversation will help widen our perspectives on the various ways LGBTQIA+ experiences can be oppressed throughout different systems and ways you can engage supportively!

Erin Green (She/They) is the Campus and Alumni Organizer for REAP. They are an affirming biblical scholar and LGBTQ+ activist. Erin has a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific University and an M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Their specialties are in the entire Christian biblical corpus with an emphasis on the Hebrew Bible, the ancient Near East, exegesis, and how to employ various hermeneutical methods. Erin’s passion is helping those excluded by the church to heal from spiritual abuse and trauma by navigating the biblical text in restorative ways.

Erin is best known for their work in supporting LGBTQ+ students on conservative, Christian university campuses and in religious spaces.

Centering Environmental Justice at the EPA
2023-08-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is “to protect human health and the environment.” It’s a mission that relates directly to some of the core values held by people of faith. It’s also a mission that has evolved and developed in important ways. This past year the EPA institutionalized environmental justice and civil rights as top priorities. In this webinar, we will focus on what people of faith need to know about how the EPA works. We will pay particular attention to environmental justice and new programs, such as those related to environmental justice grants. Our featured guests will be:

-Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor for Environmental Justice, EPA
-Jacob Burney, Environmental Justice Grants Division Director, EPA

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.

Climate Hope Cards Prayer Service
2023-08-07 13:30 - 14:30 | Zoom
Join us for a brief online prayer service as we enter into the final week of collecting Climate Hope Cards to deliver to Washington, DC in September. Climate Hope Cards is an effort to strengthen EPA protections so that we might save thousands of lives, address societal inequities, and put our nation on track to reach its climate goals. UCC churches and camps across the country have been participating in this campaign over the course of the summer. The prayer service will feature interns and fellows who have been devoting time and energy to collecting cards. They will share with us moments in which they have experienced or witnessed hope over the past few months. All are welcome to join us!

Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
2023-08-03 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries hosts a month-long webinar series focusing on intentional dialogue with LGBTQIA+ individuals to learn more about the state of this moment and how we can collectively offer care and just action together.

Kicking off our Love is Louder series will be Dr. Katrina Roseboro-Marsh, who currently serves as the Executive Director for the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ. In this series episode, we’ll explore together the impact of genuine extravagant welcome and affirmation of LGBTQIA+ siblings. This conversation will help prepare the way for asking ourselves what our internal work is for this moment and how we can act collectively out loud in love!

Nurture the Soul Webinar: A Conversation with the New GMP
2023-07-27 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
This week will feature conversation with our new General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson. Register now to join the 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.

Discover Your Why: How a Clear Purpose Strengthens Evangelism, Giving, and Impact
2023-07-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Andrew Warner and Kent Siladi will talk about the importance of understanding the “why” of your congregation. You will learn methods to articulate this reason for being of your Church. Together, we will consider how to use the why to motivate and engage people.

Summer Artist Series IV: Convergence Music Project
2023-07-20 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
In our fourth and final Nurture the Soul Summer Artist Series, we are joined by musicians and songwriters from Convergence Music Project, music for a just and generous Christianity. Listen to folks like Bryan Sirchio, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan and Tracy Howe share their latest work as well as exciting developments with CMP.

Convergence Music Project is a platform connecting local churches to congregational songs and worship resources embodying a just and generous Christianity. This includes commitments to restorative racial justice and uplifting the sacredness of queer and trans folx to for starters. The website and platform for distributing these resources also makes sure artists receive fair and just compensation in a digital age. It is like fair and direct trade music. It is also an open network, always growing and welcoming new submissions! Learn more at convergencemp.com.
