How can churches help meet the needs within their congregations, their communities, and our country? Join the UCC and find out how your church can help the communities in which you live survive and thrive.
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It’s Time to ACT OUT: From Welcome to Action
The A.C.T OUT Initiative is the next chapter in the Open and Affirming movement—calling churches to move beyond symbolic statements into Advocacy, Community, and Transformation. As hate rises and justice is under attack, we’re organizing a national team to build toolkits, trainings, and campaigns that move churches into real-world activism and faithful advocacy.
Want to be part of it? Fill out the form to get involved: openandaffirming.org/actout
"Declaration for An End to Genocide in Palestine"
For my UCC siblings who are delegates to General Synod, I would appreciate your prayerful consideration of the resolution the Southwest Conference UCC and the UCC Movement for Palestinian Solidarity are bringing to Kansas City this week. Thank you, and please share with your network. - Christopher Schouten
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Dear Conference Ministers, General Synod Delegates, and Siblings in Christ,
At this General Synod you will be asked to consider a resolution from the Southwest Conference, "Declaration for An End to Genocide in Palestine." In order to help you prepare for this important discussion and vote, we encourage you to review the resources found in the links below.
Read MoreClimate Hope Affiliates
Last weekend, the launch of the seventh Climate Hope Affiliate was celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia. Affiliates address the interconnected crises of climate change and societal injustice by developing ongoing relationships with Members of Congress, local media, and others in the broader community. Let us know if you are interested in starting an affiliate where you live.
Read MoreNew resource available for download! UCC Toolkit For Faithful Advocacy
The UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy is excited to share our new Advocacy Toolkit—a free resource designed to equip individuals and congregations with the tools to build a just world for all. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to deepen your impact, this toolkit offers:
▹ Faith-rooted guidance for public witness
▹ Talking points on pressing justice issues
▹ Practical tips for building relationships with elected officials
▹ Much, much, more!
Download the toolkit today and take the next faithful step in speaking truth to power.
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Bags of Hope: Interfaith Heat Relief Bag Packing Events
Arizona Faith Network has already welcomed over 15,000 visits to their Heat Relief Centers this summer. Each visit represents a neighbor seeking refuge from triple-digit temperatures, often with no other place to go.
But the need keeps growing. Right now, vulnerable individuals and families are facing historic challenges, limited shelter access, overwhelmed services, and life-threatening exposure.
See how you can help: Donate supplies, attend a bag-packing event, or volunteer at a cooling & hydration center.
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Statement from Arizona Faith Network on the Proposed Public Lands Sell-Off
As a faith-rooted organization committed to justice, stewardship, and the flourishing of all creation, the Arizona Faith Network strongly opposes the public lands sell-off proposal embedded in the Senate budget reconciliation package, introduced by Senator Mike Lee.
Selling over 2 million acres of public lands, lands that belong to all Americans, betrays our shared moral and spiritual obligation to care for the earth and ensure equitable access to its abundance. These lands are sacred: They hold ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance for Indigenous communities, sustain local economies, and provide sanctuary for all who seek renewal in creation.
This proposal is not only reckless but also a violation of public trust. Congress is prioritizing short-term political and corporate interests over the long-term well-being of our communities, our climate, and our common home by attempting to force through this sell-off under the guise of budget reconciliation without public input or environmental review.
As people of faith, we say clearly: public lands are not for sale. Their purpose is not to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, but to support life, biodiversity, and intergenerational justice. Once these lands are privatized, they are lost forever, fences go up, access is denied, and the public loses an irreplaceable gift.
We call on Arizona’s Senators to reject any provision that authorizes the sale of public lands. Let us uphold our sacred trust to future generations by defending our shared landscapes, not auctioning them off.
Let us act with courage and care now for public lands.
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Apache Stronghold will file a petition with the US Supreme Court to Protect Oak Flat
Apache Stronghold vows to continue fighting to save sacred site from destruction
Washington, DC: On June 23, the Apache Stronghold will be filing a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to reconsider its refusal to hear our appeal. As you heard, two Justices voted to hear our case, calling it "vitally important," and criticizing the Ninth Circuit's ruling against us as "highly doubtful as a matter of law." In addition, any day now, the Supreme Court will issue its ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which is another case about government-imposed burdens on religious exercise. We think the Supreme Court's decision in Mahmoud will add further support to our case.
The fight to protect Apache Religious Freedom and the sacred land of Chi'chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat) from destruction IS NOT OVER! Dr. Wendsler Nosie, Sr. and the Apache Stronghold will begin their journey to the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 19. We ask all our supporters to join with us in praying that the Supreme Court will reconsider its terrible decision not to hear our case.
Dr. Wendsler Nosie, Sr. reminds us that while we are petitioning the Supreme Court of this nation, there is a higher court with the Creator as judge that guides our journey. Just as Moses spoke in the Bible warning the people of breaking from God’s ways, we pray that this nation’s people and the Supreme Court will finally change their path of death and choose life. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deut. 30:19)
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In Response to Supreme Court Decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti
Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth is a moral failure and a heartbreaking injustice. This ruling abandons vulnerable children and their families to the political whims of state governments, disregarding the lived realities, medical consensus, and human dignity of transgender youth.
As people of faith committed to justice and radical inclusion, the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ grieves this ruling and the harm it inflicts. We reject the idea that any government has the right to deny life-saving, evidence-based healthcare because of a young person’s gender identity. We reject a theology that would permit such cruelty. And we reject the misuse of power that seeks to control, erase, and endanger trans lives.
Read MoreThe ONA Coalition Partners with the Alzheimer’s Association: New Resources Inside
The Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is honored to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to offer two powerful new resources: the Purple Sunday Toolkit and Clergy Guide. These tools are designed to help ONA congregations raise awareness, extend care, and build inclusive communities of support for those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias especially within LGBTQ+ communities.
Read MoreOak Flat Update
We received this update from Melanie Beikman of Arizona Power & Light:
Greetings Amicus Brief supporters of Apache Stronghold,
We have updates for you today. Last month we shared with you the news that Apache Stronghold’s case was not taken up by the Supreme Court. With the Trump Administration preparing to start the land transfer on June 16, the timeline for saving Oak Flat was very short. Now, the timeline has extended a bit. We want to share that development and the next steps for Apache Stronghold. And we will invite you to take action.
Read MoreUS Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Petition from Apache Stronghold to Save Oak Flat
The US Supreme Court has refused to hear the petition of the Apache Stronghold to overrule a lower court ruling that transfers the Holy Ground at Oak Flat to the Resolution Copper Company for total destruction of this sacred ground in the mining process.
We are saddened and upset to learn of this decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear and rule on this petition. We remain in solidarity with the the Apache Stronghold, the Apache Nation, and the many Native peoples and their allies in this fight to Save Oak Flat.
Arizona Poor People's Campaign
Click HERE for the press release provided by the Apache Stronghold and its legal representative, Becket Law.
Click HERE for the news article from the Arizona Republic.
Watch Wendsler Nosie interviewed on CNN on May 31, 2025.
Read MoreYou're Invited to Rapid Response Training for Accompaniment
As immigration enforcement intensifies across Arizona, our faith communities are being called to respond—not with fear but with courage, compassion, and collective action.
You are invited to a Virtual Statewide Interfaith Training on Rapid Response for Accompaniment hosted by Corazón Arizona and the Arizona Faith Network. This gathering will offer tools and guidance for faith leaders, advocates, and community members who want to show up in solidarity with immigrant families facing ICE activity in Phoenix, Tucson, and beyond.
🗓 Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM (Arizona time)
💻 Location: Zoom
🔗 Register here:https://form-usa.keela.co/652025-training
June Webinar to Launch National Faith Mobilization for Grassroots Climate Action Day
On September 21st, faith communities across the country will be joining a grassroots climate action to celebrate Sun Day! This will be a day to celebrate the gift and power of clean energy while standing up to the profiteers, polluters, and potentates who threaten our health and future. This event will kick off our national mobilization with the theme of "Bringing Climate Hope to Sun Day."
Learn about what's being planned. Get plugged into resources for worship and action. Registered congregations will be provided with advocacy cards directed at Congress that feature the artwork of this year's Climate Hope Art Contest winner.
Speakers for this kick-off event will include Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree, Rev. Michael Malcom, Sue Mueller, and more.
Even if you cannot make it at the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, June 11th, still sign up, and we will send you a link afterward.
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Heat Season Has Begun – Here's How You Can Help
☀️ As triple-digit temperatures return, Arizona Faith Network is gearing up to open our Heat Relief Sites across the Valley. These sites provide life-saving hydration, cooling, and care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness or heat vulnerability.
We need your help. From volunteering onsite to donating water, snacks, or sun protection gear, there are many ways to get involved.
💧 Learn more and sign up to volunteer today.
Together, we can make sure no one is left in the heat!
Read MoreBuilding Bridges, Not Barriers: Skills for "Calling In" and "Calling Out" Toward Understanding and Justice
In our shared journey within the United Church of Christ, we are called to foster spaces of radical hospitality, inclusion, and belonging. Yet, creating such beloved communities requires more than just welcoming words. It demands the courage and skill to address harm when it occurs, particularly when individuals or groups with marginalized identities experience bias, microaggressions, or discrimination. How do we interrupt harm effectively while aiming for understanding and constructive change?
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UCC Webinar: Environmental Justice Pioneer Charles Lee Reflects Back on Career with UCC and EPA
The story of Charles Lee’s involvement and leadership in the struggle for environmental justice intersects with many of the most pivotal events in the movement’s history: the Warren Country protests that gave birth to a movement, the publication of “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States” that became a landmark report, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit that issued the groundbreaking “Principles of Environmental Justice,” and the establishment of environmental justice as a core part of the EPA’s mission.
On March 31st, Charles Lee retired as the Senior Policy Advisor for Environmental Justice at the EPA after working there for more than two decades. In this webinar, Lee will reflect back on his distinguished career. Even if you cannot make the scheduled time on Wednesday, May 14th at 1 pm ET, still register, and a recording will be sent to you.
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Ecumenical Earth Day Prayer Service
Tuesday, April 22, 10:00 am - 11:00 am MST via Zoom
Inspired by Creation Justice Ministries' 2025 annual resource, The Power of God: From Extractive Theology to Transformative Faith, this service will lead participants into a time of prayer and reflection, centered around seven original pieces of music produced for the resource. Derrick Weston, Creation Justice Ministries' director of theological education and formation will offer a reflection and the service will include new music commissioned for the Earth Day resource.
Join us online for this ecumenical service of music, prayer, and contemplation as we consider how God's power renews us and how we might use our power to renew Creation.
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Climate Scientist and Evangelical Christian to Keynote UCC Earth Summit
The Jim Antal Keynote for this year’s UCC Earth Summit will be delivered by Katharine Hayhoe, one of the world’s leading climate scientists. Through television appearances on PBS and Showtime as well as her widely viewed TED Talks, Hayhoe has reached a broad audience with a compelling perspective on science, climate, and faith.
The summit will additionally feature a panel of grassroots leaders in the struggle against environmental racism in North Texas.
This two and a half hour online summit will begin at 2 pm ET on April 26th.
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Unpacking White Privilege: Personal and Church-Wide Reflection on Decentering Whiteness
The Decentering Whiteness Task Force of the Southwest Conference of the UCC will be present at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque. We will be offering a workshop titled "Calling People In," a method designed to address problematic behaviors or statements, especially those rooted in racial bias, with compassion and education rather than public shaming. In the context of racial justice and decentering whiteness, this approach fosters accountability while recognizing that everyone is on a learning journey, prioritizing understanding and growth over punitive measures. This seeks to create a safer space for dialogue, particularly for those from marginalized groups, by fostering a learning environment where individuals can recognize and correct their biases, thus shifting away from a culture that protects white comfort at the expense of addressing systemic inequity. Additionally, we will host a table with various resources to support churches in their quest for decentering whiteness, both personally and within their congregations.
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