JPANet June 2026 Newsletter

Five Ways Churches Can Celebrate Pride Month: Resources to Worship, Witness, Love Loudly

As Pride marches and festivals are held in towns large and small across the country, many United Church of Christ congregations are building on the denomination’s long history of working for LGBTQ+ inclusion by offering a visible presence of God’s love for LGBTQ+ people. Is your congregation getting involved? Check out this UCC News article for resources and ideas for engaging with Pride within the sanctuary and beyond.

Worship Resources Available for Open and Affirming Sunday (June 28th)

The UCC designates June 28th as Open & Affirming Sunday! The UCC Open and Affirming (ONA) Coalition designed worship resources for this year’s ONA Sunday under the theme “We Shall Not Be Moved! Rooted in Love, Justice, and Affirmation”. The liturgies, sermon pathways, and music suggestions in the resources are based on Jeremiah 17:5-8. Learn more here.

Seeking Justice, Listening Deeply: Disciples at the 2026 Joint Christian Advocacy Summit

Last month, Christians across the country gathered in Washington D.C. for the Joint Christian Advocacy Summit, a convening of advocates focused on justice, dignity, human rights, and lasting security for all in the Middle East. Rev. Paul S. Tché, President of Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry (CUIM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) offers his reflections on the importance of this convening. Read the full reflection here.

Labor Sunday & Labor in the Pulpit 2026

Before summer blasts off, take a moment to plan a powerful service as summer winds down: Labor Sunday 2026 can be celebrated Labor Day Weekend or the preceding or following weeks. Our Minister for Economic Justice Rev. Seth Wispelwey has put together a sample liturgy with calls to worship, readings, sermon prompts and hymn suggestions – including two newly commissioned hymns! View, download, or print it HERE. Your congregation is also enthusiastically invited and encouraged to incorporate a “Labor in the Pulpit” speaker (a local labor leader) during your service with the help of Seth and the AFL-CIO. Read more about the dynamic Labor in the Pulpit program HERE. Please reach out to Rev. Wispelwey at wispelweys@ucc.orgwith any questions or to sign up. Last year, dozens of UCC churches participated anew. Can we make it scores this year? Hundreds?What’s happening in your congregation? 

Collective Care for Clergy on the Frontlines of Justice

Collective Care for Clergy on the Frontlines of Justice (Clergy4Justice) is a gathering space for clergy serving congregations, engaged in community organizing, protecting human and civil rights, advocating for antiracism and antibias trainings, and participating in uprisings across the country against ICE invasions and authoritarianism policies and practices. Collective Care for Clergy gatherings provide opportunities to nurture our souls, develop self-care and healing practices, and strengthen bonds of trust through mutual respect and deep listening.

Register now!For more information contact Rev. Dr. Velda Love, Minister for Racial Justice at lovev@ucc.org

Take Action: Support the Do No Harm Act

The United Church of Christ strongly supports the right to worship God, or not, as each person sees fit. Yet in this present time religion has been weaponized as a license to discriminate against the marginalized, deny care to women and transgender people, and actively harm beloved children of God. We cannot abide by this. Urge your members of Congress to pass the Do No Harm Act today!

New Resource: Faiths United to Save Democracy – Voter Protection Toolkit

The United Church of Christ is a proud partner of Faith United to Save Democracy (FUSD), a nonpartisan, multi-racial, interfaith, and intergenerational voter education and protection campaign. FUSD’s newly released Voter Protection Toolkit equips congregations with practical guidance and best practices for getting involved in election protection efforts. Explore the resource here.

Tell the FCC: LGBTQ+ Families Are Not A Content Warning

FCC Chair Brendan Carr has opened a proceeding to add TV content warnings for programs featuring transgender and nonbinary characters — treating LGBTQ+ families as equivalent to violent or sexual content. As reported by UCC Media Justice Ministries, this exemplifes government pressure on a private industry board to comply with a political agenda, in violation of First Amendment principles. More than 5 million American children have LGBTQ+ parents. Their families are not a danger. Take action by adding your name to the UCC Media Justice Ministries petition opposing this proposal.

Urge Congress to Enforce US Law and Protect Human Rights for Palestinians

Last month, Palestinians commemorate 78 years since the Nakba, when 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes and displaced, becoming refugees throughout the Middle East.  Many Palestinians describe the continuing displacement, denial of rights, Israeli occupation, settler and military violence, and military campaign against them, as the “ongoing Nakba”. Take action today and urge your members of Congress to protect human rights for Palestinians. 

Climate Hope Affiliates Is Defending EPA Funding

As a joint program of the United Church of Christ and Creation Justice Ministries, Climate Hope Affiliates is dedicated to addressing the interconnected crises of climate change and societal injustice through developing ongoing relationships of influence with congressional offices, local media, and the broader community. Our latest monthly action sheetfocuses on defending EPA funding from the Trump administration’s proposed cut of 52%. Learn more about our work and consider starting a chapter in your community.

June 4: Defending Dignity: Addressing Policy Attacks on the LGBTQIA+ Community

Each day in the news, we hear of new efforts by state and federal policymakers to dehumanize our LGBTQIA+ siblings. Amid this ever-evolving landscape, it can be challenging to keep up with all the twists and turns of LGBTQIA+ policy and attacks. Join this briefing from the UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy, Georgia Equality, and the ONA Coalition to learn about policies at the state and federal level that threaten the LGBTQIA+ community.  Come hear and share stories of resilience in the face of such attacks and ways you can raise your voice in the public to proclaim – “Love is Louder!” Register today!

June 9th – 13th: Faith in Us: A National Clergy Initiative

Clergy are invited to join the launch ofFaith in Us: A National Clergy Initiative through two upcoming national clergy Zoom calls. These gatherings will introduce the initiative and offer clergy from across the country an opportunity to connect, learn, and engage together. Register here.

June 20th: Climate Hope Affiliates Monthly Webinar — Effective Communication for Advocacy

If you are interested in witnessing Climate Hope Affiliates in action while also learning about effective communication for climate advocacy, join the next Climate Hope Affiliates national webinar on Saturday, June 20th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT. John Sabin combines his background as a psychotherapist and as a climate advocate to offer advice. Register now!

June 29th – July 2nd: 33rd Annual Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty

Every year, for four days, death penalty abolitionists from around the country will gather at the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC to call for an end to capital punishment through vigiling, tabling, teach-ins, flyering, and fasting. The United Church of Christ is a proud co-sponsor of this event. Learn more on how you can support or attend this vigil here.

July 13th-19th: Hall-Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry

Children’s Defense Fund is calling the circle—people of faith, children’s advocates, moral exemplars, and community organizers—home to Alex Haley Farm, July 13-16, 2026, for this year’s Hall-Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. We will ground ourselves in the 50th anniversary of Roots, and a true witness of the American family under our theme, “Begin Again! Roots, Sacred Rhetoric & Revolutionary Mothering.” Learn more and register here.

June 5: Applications Closing for North America — Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute

North America Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute (NATI-RETI) 2026 is a fully immersive residential theological learning program designed as a pilgrimage across borders — bringing together emerging Christian leaders from the United States and Canada for deep theological reflection and spiritual fellowship. This institute will be meeting August 3rd–16th, 2026 under the theme “Where Now for Visible Justice?”. Applications close June 5th. Apply today!

June 18th: Juneteenth Commemoration 2026 – In Troubling Times Consult the Ancestors

Juneteenth marks the official end of the enslavement of African descended people in the U.S. In this webinar, Racial Justice Ministries of the United Church of Christ invites you to engage in prophetic remembering to confront the challenges of our time and to learn how to thrive during national and global threats from authoritarian leaders. Register here.

June 25th: The Sacredness is in the Streets — Strengthening Our Faith and Ourselves During Overlapping Crises

In a time marked by overlapping crises, growing fear, and rising threats to vulnerable communities, faith communities are being called to reimagine what it means to practice peace, pursue justice, and care for one another. This session will challenge participants to reconsider peace as an active spiritual practice rooted in liberation, explore new understandings of safety and security for faith communities, and imagine the work of justice through a multifaith and intersectional lens. Learn more here!

July 13th: Poll Chaplain Training

Interested in becoming a poll chaplain? Poll Chaplains are ordained faith leaders who provide a calm, moral presence at polling sites and trained to de-escalate potential conflict. On July 13th, Faiths United to Save Democracy will be holding a poll chaplain training to understand changes in election laws and techniques for managing increased threats. Register today!

July 17-19: Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action 

Six years after the passing of Congressman Lewis, the fight for voting rights continues with “Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action (GTLO).” This year’s GTLO is a three-day national mobilization to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis by doing what he loved most – organizing, acting, and registering voters. Learn more about what events may be happening in your area or how you can host an event.

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.