JPANet January 2026 Newsletter

The UCC Responds to the Venezuelan Takeover by the United States

As military attacks in Venezuela escalate, we must hold our elected officials accountable and faithfully urge them to prioritize peace. In a joint statement with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Global Ministries, the United Church of Christ condemned this illegal military operation in Venezuela and affirmed “the right of countries and communities to shape their own futures without coercion or military intervention.” Write to your members of Congress today to uphold our system of checks and balances and block unauthorized military activity in Venezuela!

Applications Open for the “Youth Voices, Bold Faith” Summer of Advocacy!

Are you a young person ready to make your voice heard? Join the United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. for Youth Voices: Bold Faith, a week-long immersion in faith-based advocacy, justice, and community. Together, we’ll explore how our faith calls us to speak truth to power, stand up for what’s right, and work toward a world where all can thrive. Click here to learn more and apply!

2026 Climate Hope Art Contest for Children and Youth

Children and youth are invited to draw, paint, or color works of art that bring for our 4th annual Climate Hope Art Contest. We’ll accept art submissions from February 6th to March 20th. We will have winners for different age groups and an overall winner who will receive an all-expense paid trip to visit Washington, DC with a parent or guardian. Register your congregation to participate.

Stand Up Against Gun Violence

No one should have to fear for their lives when going to school or a house of worship. In a time when hate-motivated violence is reaching crisis levels, we cannot afford to pass legislation that would make deadly attacks more likely. Contact your elected officials today and urge them to protect the safety of faith communities and all communities targeted by hate violence.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Human trafficking, or trafficking in persons, is one of the world’s largest organized criminal enterprises. Use the Sunday closest to January 11th to learn about trafficking in persons and discuss how to become advocates for those victimized by such human rights abuses. Check out these Global Ministries resources to help guide your work.

“A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide”

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ General Ministers and Presidents, Rev. Terri Hord Owens and Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, and Global Ministries Co-Executives, Rev. Dr. LaMarco Cable and Rev. Shari Prestemon, issued an Advent letter following the issuance of the recently-released “A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide” document by Kairos Palestine. The Disciples and UCC leaders’ letter states, “As we receive this new call from our Palestinian Christian siblings, we likewise urge you to read it carefully and reflect on how you can take action.” Read more here.

Call on the Administration to Prevent Israeli Settlement Construction in the West Bank

Following the season of Advent, when Christians recite and remember the Christmas story, contact the White House and urge the Trump Administration to demand that Israel curtail the construction of illegal settlements, require that Israel ends settler violence against Palestinians, and impose sanctions for continued violations. Send a message to Congress here.

Faith in Democracy Interfaith Concert: Watch the Recording

On January 6th the United Church of Christ co-sponsored the first ever Faith in Democracy Interfaith Concert! The evening featured music based on multiple faiths and sacred scripture as we help people of ALL faith traditions counter growing partisan polarization in America. Let’s reclaim January 6th each year as a day of hope, light and unity while enjoying music from the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Baha’i and Christian faiths. Watch the recording here. 

January 10th: Climate Hope Affiliates Webinar with Mark Reynolds

Get a sense of what Climate Hope Affiliates is all about while hearing from Mark Reynolds, who led Citizen’s Climate Lobby during an explosive period of growth from 6 chapters to over 500 chapters around the world. Join Climate Hope Affiliates for its monthly national webinar on Saturday, January 10th at 1 pm ET/12 pm CT/11 am MT/10 am PT. Sign-up to join us!

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!

February 16: Future of Faith: Movement on the Margins

We are living in the most divided times we’ve known collectively.  Between fascism, genocide, war, famine, environmental collapse, and uncertainty about our relationships and what we are called to be in such a time – we find ourselves deepening or returning to our faith. Join the Heartland Conference Minister Rev. David Long-Higgins for an engaging conversation around the future of faith in their local and regional contexts and discover how we are called to be generous, gracious, loving, and courageous during these times. Register today!

January 14th: Climate Action Commissioning Service with the Rev. Jim Antal

Gather with us for a Climate Action Commissioning Service as we faithfully prepare ourselves for 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!

February 3rd: 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!

March 9-19th: Join us at CSW!

The UCC United Nations’ team invites you to participate in-person at the 2026 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) March 9th-19th.

Our team is putting together an in-person delegation to attend CSW70 in New York this March. Those interested will attend a virtual orientation session in February as well as the Ecumenical Women Orientation in March! Throughout CSW, there will be opportunities to engage in side events and write reflections on the sessions you attend. Our team asks those who are interested to cover the costs of participation through self-funding and local resources.

Delegates do not need to attend the entire 2-week meeting, but please indicate your anticipated attendance dates in your interest email. Interested in attending CSW in our in-person delegation? Send an email to Donna Bollinger at bollingerd@ucc.org AND Abigail Reed at reeda@ucc.orgby January 15th!

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.