Going deeper in 2025: Programs, projects, plans from UCC National Ministries

If there was a phrase capturing best what 2025 holds for the ministry teams of the National Setting of the United Church of Christ, it would be that of “going deeper.”

“This is a year of deepening relationships of many kinds, deepening ties with partners and with grassroots and advocacy groups, and thinking more about how we can be there for one another in the work we are doing,” said the Rev. Michael Neuroth, director of the Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

“We are leaning into partnerships and are working with our faith partners on the hill to set priorities,” he said. A survey was also created by the D.C. Office and sent to its many partners to hear and assess “priorities and hopes.”

Currently, the work on preparing for the first 100 days of a new administration is in full swing for the D.C. team, which includes outreach to new members of Congress.

“We are setting up 20-plus introductory meetings with Congressional leadership offices and new members,” said Neuroth, adding that UCC members of Congress will also be receiving “small tokens of UCC swag.”

Capitol Hill introductions aside, the D.C. staff has set the following policy priorities for 2025 which include: immigration, environmental justice, LGBTQ+ rights/reproductive justice, protecting human needs funding and program, and addressing war and conflict abroad and U.S. militarization. The latest developments with these priorities can be found in the JPANet email newsletter which has undergone a platform relaunch, said Neuroth.

The D.C. Office is among many teams across the National Ministries with opportunities to get involved with ministry, advocacy, and resourcing. Here are some additional highlights of what to expect in 2025.

General Synod heads ‘Into the Deep’

Many of the National staff are focused on this summer’s 35th General Synod in Kansas City, where Luke 5:4 inspires the theme of casting ministry nets “Into the Deep.”

Registration has opened for the national gathering on July 11-15 which offers the opportunity for thousands of folks within the UCC to gather for worship, fellowship, attending to business, offering public witness, and setting the denomination’s priorities for ministry.

The application for General Synod workshop proposals is open through Jan. 24, and more news about the event – including featured speakers, resolutions, and candidates for both Associate General Minister positions – will come in the near future.

‘Healing and restorative community’

The Disabilities and Mental Health Justice team is planning an accessibility team to be present during General Synod to offer support for those who have questions or needs, said the Rev. Sarah Lund, minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice.

“We are partnering with other National staff to curate a healing and restorative community care space at General Synod to help support our commitments to be A2A (Accessible to All) and WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged) for mental health,” she said.

2025 is also the year Lund’s next book “Blessed Minds: Breaking the Silence About Neurodiversity” will come out. Published by Chalice Press, the book highlights the work of the UCC Disabilities and Mental Health Ministries. Launch date is March 24.

Fill the JAR with Economic Justice

In early 2025, Economic Justice Ministries will launch its inaugural  “Fill the JAR” Campaign, which stands for Jubilee, Abundance, and Reparations. The campaign will invite congregations to commit to measurable goals that advance the Fair Food Program led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers – a group which the Minister for Economic Justice Rev. Seth Wispelwey notes has been supported by the UCC and many UCC churches for decades.

“Fill the JAR campaigns are designed to give churches specific tactics they commit to in pursuit of a shared goal – until that victory is won,” Wispelwey said. “In 2025, we will focus and renew our efforts to get Kroger to join this proven solution to farmworker dignity, equity, and freedom in the fields where our food is cultivated.”

Further, Economic Justice ministries has plans to partner with the D.C. Office and offer online workshops on effective advocacy tools and tactics “for achieving the justice we seek from elected leaders who craft legislation and hold the purse strings on our tax dollars,” Wispelwey said.

And looking ahead to Labor Day, a partnership with the AFL-CIO is in the works to bring renewed emphasis on Labor Sunday.

Centering ‘curiosity and care’ in webinars

As the United Church of Christ’s weekly webinar series, Nurture the Soul has a multitude of series and resources in the works with an aim to engage with critical and timely topics.

“This webinar centers curiosity and care towards the collective liberation for all of G-d’s creation,” said the Rev. ellie hutchison, minister for congregational and community engagement. “We feature guest theologians, preachers, authors, community members, cultural artists, and thought leaders to delve deeply into topics that help us live into a Gospel that is alive at this time.” 

This year begins with a Reading into the New Year series featuring four books exploring faith in relation to mental health, traditions, bodily autonomy, and understanding and engaging more deeply with other faith expressions. Additional webinars will create conversation series to explore trends in Black mental health, immigration, the future of faith, and specialized ministry settings. The “What’s Next” series, begun in 2024, continues as well to address divides created by the current political environment.

hutchison invites people to join the webinars live or catch the recordings, and they welcome people sending ideas of what topics might need to be explored.

Deepening commitments to children and youth

Starting in 2025, a Love of Children Ministry Cohort is pulling together faith formation leaders from local congregations to explore ways to strengthen their local churches and ministries for children, aged birth through 12, with learning opportunities, site visits, and special projects.

The Faith Education, Innovation and Formation Team (Faith INFO) has heard repeated concern from faith formation leaders and children’s and youth ministry leaders over the lack of available progressive theological resources, said the Rev. Trayce Potter, UCC minister for Children and Youth Engagement. The team is planning an initial Resourcing Children’s Ministry gathering in Cleveland to begin vetting many collected resources.

“Our Faith INFO, team as well as the Love of Children program, are dedicated to helping church leaders find the best tools currently available, as well as the creation of materials where they may not exist,” Potter said.

Children and youth ministries are also preparing for Youth at General Synod in July. Additional plans include hosting the Network of Wider Church Youth Ministry for a Cleveland gathering in February. The three days of leadership development, collaboration, and planning, are designed to resource UCC leaders who are on conference staff who work with children, youth and/or faith formation.

And the virtual Fourth Monday Youth Ministers series will kick off on Jan. 27 with a special session led by Be the Neighbor, a collaborative partnership between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the UCC around service learning opportunities.

Resourcing ministry education

The Rev. Tracy Howe, FaithINFO team leader, highlights that scholarship applications are currently open and due by March 1.

More information about criteria for qualifying and how to apply for scholarships is available now.

Racial Justice and ‘Building Up a New World‘

Racial Justice Ministries and Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice have several resources in the works, with offerings that will be available for MLK Day, Racial Justice Sunday on Feb. 8, Lent, and Juneteenth.

Save the Date for 2025’s All Church Read, which will be the book Building up a New World: Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact, edited by Vahisha Hasan and Anne Dunlap and published by Pilgrim Press. The All Church Read launch is planned for February.

Climate action

Environment Justice Ministries kicked off the new year with a Climate Action Commissioning Service to faithfully prepare for taking action in the coming year, which is now available for viewing.

Next up: churches are invited to join a Valentines Day nationwide day of action. Environmental Justice ministries encourage congregations and individuals of all ages to organize teams and visit the district offices of their congress members on Feb. 14.

It’s an initiative designed to “urge members of congress to have a heart for climate, for our children, and our children’s future,” said the Rev. Brooks Berndt, minister for Environmental Justice. He encourages involving the children and youth of churches in the visit.

Environmental Justice is also launching its third annual Climate Hope Campaign with the theme “Planting Seeds of Hope.”

More to come in 2025

While this provides just a glimpse of the initiatives and offerings taking place in National Ministries, UCC News will continue sharing and covering ministry work across the UCC and the nation in 2025. Make sure to subscribe to the weekly UCC News Digest for timely stories, highlights, and resources throughout the year.

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