JPANet December 2025 Newsletter

Triple Your Impact for LGBTQ+ Faith & Justice

Your gift to the Open and Affirming Coalition is tripled through our 2-for-1 matching grant, strengthening a national movement of LGBTQ+ faith, affirmation, and justice. The first 30 donors who give $250 will also receive The Story of Bob—a tribute to Rev. Robert W. Wood, an early pioneer who helped shape today’s LGBTQ+ faith movement. Your generosity fuels ministries of courage, compassion, and liberation. Learn more here!

Holiday Gift Guide: 12 Meaningful Gift Ideas That Make a Difference

As Christmas draws near, this gift guide from the United Church of Christ offers suggestions for sharing holiday cheer in a way that supports meaningful initiatives and ministries near and far. Find handcrafted items, timely reminders, and opportunities to make a gift that sends out ripples of good.Learn more here.  

Religious Leaders Offer Support and Remembrance for Trans People

Earlier this month, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO joined the heads of ten major religious traditions to issue a timely statement proclaiming that transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people are worthy of love, support, and protection. Read the full statement and learn about the Trans Day of Remembrance worship service here.

Tell Congress to Safeguard Sensitive Locations and Ensure ICE Accountability

As a nation, we are witnessing the convergence of xenophobia, racism, authoritarianism, and nationalism. That is why we are calling on Congress to pass legislation that protects the dignity of our immigrant neighbors. Urge your members of Congress to protect our immigrant neighbors using our online portal!

Abolition Advent Calendar

As we enter the season of Advent this year, many of us find ourselves vacillating between feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, faced with rapidly changing political and social landscapes. Yet, Advent’s stories of awaking and preparing, waiting and longing, expecting and dreaming offer us visions to move us, values to ground us, and practices to empower us to bring love to birth in this world. So, this year’s Abolition Advent Calendar invites us to reach back to the wisdom of our scriptural and abolitionist pasts and make a way out of no way into hope. Learn more here.

Conference Ministers Tell Congress: ‘Love Knows No Borders’ in Week of Advocacy

“Love Knows No Borders” was the theme of an October convening in Washington D.C., as 22 Conference Ministers of the United Church of Christ gathered in the nation’s Capitol for a week of advocacy training, public witness, and meetings with elected members of Congress. Read the full story here.

Tell Congress: Provide Robust Support for Disaster Recovery and Relief Efforts

Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity – wildfires, hurricanes, floods and severe storms are devastating more communities each year. Yet survivors often face confusing paperwork, long delays, and inequitable access to aid. Tell Congress to support disaster recovery and provide support for disaster-impacted communities across the country.

Webinar Recording: Countering Project 2025 with Love: One Year Later

Missed the webinar? Watch the recording now! The United Church of Christ Washington D.C. Office hosted an important conversation on Project 2025, examining how the policy landscape has shifted over the past year and how the UCC continues to offer faithful, justice-centered responses. Watch the recording here.

Dec 4th: Webinar Joy as Resistance with Neal D. Presa 

The season of Advent invites us to embody joy. Yet, the times in which we live may challenge joyful experiences, practices, and encounters. Join us December 4th @ 3:30 PM Eastern, for Finding Joy in Advent Series, Part I: “Joy as Resistance,” with Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, UCC Minister for Worship & Theology, and Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa, author of “Worship, Justice and Joy: A Liturgical Pilgrimage.” Register here!

Dec. 13th: Climate Hope Affiliates Webinar with Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr.

Get a sense of what Climate Hope Affiliates is all about while hearing from the Rev. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., who is often credited with coining the phrase “environmental racism.” Join Climate Hope Affiliates for its monthly national webinar on Saturday, December 13th at 1 pm ET/12 pm CT/11 am MT/10 am PT. Chavis will deliver an Advent message of justice and hope. Sign-up to join us!

January 14th: 2026 Climate Action Commissioning Service 

As we enter a year of critical importance in the struggle for climate justice, the UCC is holding a Climate Action Commissioning Service. Gather with us as we faithfully prepare ourselves to take action in the coming year. Our preacher will be the Rev. Jim Antal, author of “Climate Church, Climate World.” Even if you cannot make the live event, still register, and we will send you a recording. Register today!

Dec 10th: Faith-Rooted Anti-Authoritarianism

Around the world, churches have played a vital role in challenging authoritarianism. Maria Stephan, who co-authored “Why Civil Resistance Works” with Erica Chenoweth, will speak along with Brother Rodrigo Peret, who ministered under the Bolsonaro regime in Brazil. Even if you can’t make it for the scheduled time of Wednesday, December 10th at 1 pm ET/12 pm CT/11 am MT/10 am PT/8 am HT, still sign-up and a link to the recording will be sent to you. Register now!

January 6th: This Month at the UN

Join us to learn more about what the UCC does at the United Nations! Hear updates from the UCC Main Representative to the UN, Donna Bollinger, on program updates, our interfaith and ecumenical partners, and upcoming events. Register here!

January 29th: Reading Into the New Year: Drag Queen Preacher, The Power of Identity

Join us for a webinar with Rev. R.R. Tavárez, the author of Drag Queen Preacher! Including themes of his Afro-Latino culture, queerness, faith, doubt, and a radical emergence as a drag performer, this minister takes us on a journey. Through the elegance of poetry and prose we are invited into a beautiful reckoning where we find our story, refuse to be invisible, and dare to become more human. Register here!

DC Action Center

Each week, the D.C. Office creates an action alert based on what is happening at that time in Congress and offers you the opportunity to contact your legislators with just one click! You can take action with our previous action alerts here.

Justice & Peace Action Network Archives

Want to dive deeper into the expertise of the UCC on a variety of policy issues? Check out the previous Getting to the Root articles and our newsletter archive.

Witness for Justice

Looking for up-to-date social justice commentary? Check out Witness for Justice, a weekly editorial opinion column written by the National Staff.

The Pollinator

The Pollinator is a digital platform of the UCC for the sharing of ideas and inspiration. Its focus is the building of a faith-filled and faith-rooted movement for the care of creation.