Upcoming virtual offerings from the Open and Affirming Coalition

February 14, 2026 in Faith In Action

In this season, LGBTQ+ people and our allies and accomplices need spaces to connect, encourage one another, and remember we are not alone. We are in the midst of a movement—and movement work calls us out of our silos and into community.

These offerings are opportunities to learn, grow, and build relationships with people across the country who are committed to justice, affirmation, and faithful resistance.

Come build community with us. Come be strengthened for the work ahead.

Click on the graphics below for more info or to register.

Racial Justice Ministries offer Black History resources for the month and year-round →

February 08, 2026 in Faith In Action

by Kayla Berkey | published on Feb 3, 2026

This February, United Church of Christ Racial Justice Ministries are offering the invitation to commit to a focused study of Black history both this month and throughout the year.

Black History Month resources are available for the month of February that include a Call to Worship incorporating the names of “ancestors who made a way out of no way with God before them, beside them, and lovingly guiding succeeding generations.”

These resources can also be used for the UCC’s designated Racial Justice Sunday, which falls on Feb. 8, the second Sunday in February.

Black History 365 resources are available to intentionally engage with Black history all year. These offer a four-part spiritual journey of reading, listening, and sitting with a long history of God’s human family from the continent of Africa. It is divided into four sections that focus on human migration around the globe, “looking back and moving forward” with Sankofa, the creation of humans, and exploring virtual spaces dedicated to Black history.

The four Black History 365 sections are intended to align with quarterly learning sessions, with the invitation for people to develop a plan with congregations, groups, or individually to participate together throughout the year.

“Black History 365 is a gateway to remember we are gifted and diverse people, culturally and ethnically. We are made in the image of God and members of God’s human family,” said the Rev. Velda Love, minister for Racial Justice.

New Webinar: Strength in Our Stories: A Workshop for LGBTQIA+ Christians’ Spiritual Self-Care

February 08, 2026 in Faith In Action

From the Open and Affirming Coalition UCC:

Practicing Sacred Storytelling in a World That Tries to Erase Us

In a world of systemic and intersectional injustice that often tears LGBTQIA+ communities down, having confidence in the knowledge of who we are as God’s beloved creations is essential to our survival and flourishing as LGBTQIA+ Christians. As a result, personal storytelling and testimony is a vital spiritual practice of self-care and rootedness that enables us to explore our identity, learn about ourselves in prayerful conversation with God, prepare to engage with an unjust world, and discover ways to thrive and flourish. This session will lay a scriptural, theological, and experiential framework for storytelling as a spiritual practice of self-care and rootedness, provide three opportunities to practice storytelling through creative writing activities, and generate safe space for sharing together.

Tickets are offered on an honor-system sliding scale. Please choose the rate that best fits your circumstances.

• Student Rate – $15 (For students and seminarians.)

• Sages Rate 65+ – $15 (For participants age 65 and older.)

• Standard Rate – $30 (Helps cover the true cost of the workshop.)

• Pay-It-Forward Rate – $45 (For those who are able to give more and help expand access for others.)

Click through for more details.

Sharing the Journey: Stories from Our Congregations

February 01, 2026 in Faith In Action

The journey toward decentering whiteness can sometimes feel isolating, but you are not alone. There are congregations across the Southwest Conference engaged in this work, and hearing from them can be both inspiring and informative. Stories are a powerful way to build community, share wisdom, and remind us that we are all on this path together.

Our website will be a dedicated space for these stories. We are collecting videos and testimonials from churches as they share their experiences, learnings, and challenges. By sharing your story, you can help to inspire and encourage other congregations to begin their own work. We want to hear from every stage of the journey—from those just starting to those who have been at it for a while. Your story, no matter where you are, is valuable.

Click through to read more.

Climate Action Pilgrimage

January 17, 2026 in Faith In Action

In January and February, three New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light team members are walking from Carlsbad to the State Capitol in Santa Fe, arriving on Climate Action Day.

Rev. Clara Sims of First Congregational and Jerry Kennell of Taos UCC are involved.

This pilgrimage is a spiritual and moral journey — an act of witness, confession, and hope. We walk carrying prayers for a livable climate, for justice, and for future generations.

Our path begins in the Permian Basin, the heart of New Mexico’s oil and gas country, and ends at the State Capitol in Santa Fe, where our leaders face a choice: to serve the few or act for the common good.

Learn more and read the daily updates here.

Read the press release here.

Climate Hope Art Contest for Children and Youth

January 17, 2026 in Faith In Action

On Wednesday, the UCC officially launched the 2026 Climate Hope Art Contest for children and youth! The theme this year is “A Future with Hope.” Children and youth are invited to draw, paint, or color works of art that bring this theme to life. 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 now to participate!

They’ll accept art submissions from February 6th to March 20th.

Remembering Renee Nicole Good — One Week Later

January 17, 2026 in Faith In Action

From Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ:

Please watch this video. Today marks one week since the killing of Renee Nicole Good. We are speaking because this is our issue, and solidarity across every margin is not optional—it is a moral and faith imperative.

Ready to Start? A Reflection Guide to Begin the Work

January 16, 2026 in Faith In Action

One of the most important steps for any congregation is to establish a person or a committee to drive the work of decentering whiteness. This designated body is crucial for spearheading the initiative, liaising with our Conference's Decentering Whiteness Task Force (DWTF) to access resources and guidance, and providing feedback to inspire other congregations. This is about building local ownership and accountability.

But where do you start the conversation within your church? It can feel overwhelming. To help you begin, our website provides a downloadable reflection exercise to guide your congregation in a process of honest introspection and communal accountability.

The guide is divided into two parts. Click through to learn more.

Tell Congress to Protect Oak Flat

January 10, 2026 in Faith In Action

In December, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07) introduced her first piece of legislation in Congress - the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act. First introduced by her father in 2015, the landmark bill would repeal the 2014 controversial National Defense Authorization Act rider that handed over 2,422 acres of Arizona's Tonto National Forest, including the sacred site of Oak Flat (Chi'chil Biłdagoteel), to Resolution Copper, a foreign mining corporation.

As Christians, we are called to care for all of Creation and to promote environmental justice. The Save Oak Flat From Mining Act protects a site of profound religious, cultural, historical, and environmental importance to Tribal Nations in Arizona and across the country. It also halts a mining project that would deplete Arizona's scarce water resources, create one of the largest toxic waste sites in North America, and transfer U.S. copper to a foreign mining venture with direct shareholder ties to the government of the People's Republic of China.

Urge your Members of Congress to stand alongside the Apache people in calling for Oak Flat's preservation and protection. Take action here.

Please hold Dr. Nosie and the Apache Stronghold in your prayers.

January 04, 2026 in Faith In Action

Dr. Nosie’s letter ends with this paragraph, but we encourage you to click through to read his entire letter.

I will be departing from Oak Flat on Sunday, January 4th at 11 AM. I will be walking and a little jogging to arrive in downtown Phoenix to attend the court hearings (AZ Reform Mining Coalition, ITCA, San Carlos Apache Tribe and Lopez/Kinsey(Burdette)cases vs. U.S.) which begin at 10 AM on January 7, 2026. For those who do know me well, I had a spiritual encounter and must travel in this spiritual way. I ask each of you, if possible, to make ceremonial fire, light a candle, or be in prayer. The decision of the federal judges will weigh heavy on the future for water, environment, religion, and the ability to give federal exemptions to corporations without following legal policies. Usen(Creator), hear my prayers, as I make this journey to encounter many ugly obstacles but also witness the beauty of all life. I will let No Fear distract me, for all the beautiful spirits will be in all four directions.

More Than a Book: Films, Podcasts, and More in Our Resource Hub

December 21, 2025 in Faith In Action

Learning is not limited to books. Our journey of decentering whiteness can be explored through a variety of engaging and thought-provoking media. In our Resource Hub, we've included a collection of documentaries, films, and podcasts to help your congregation learn and grow in different ways. These resources can be a powerful entry point for those who might be hesitant to start with a book, and they are excellent tools for sparking group discussions.

Click through to read about the Decentering Whiteness Resource Hub!

2026 UCC Climate Action Commissioning Service with Rev. Jim Antal

December 20, 2025 in Faith In Action

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." Rev. Antal currently serves as the Special Advisor on Climate Justice to UCC General Minister and President.

Even if you cannot make the live event on Wednesday, January 14th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT, still register, and we will send you a recording. Register today!

Moral Monday Vigil-AZ Poor People’s Campaign on 12/22, 12-1:00 PM Congressman Biggs's Mesa Office

December 20, 2025 in Faith In Action

Moral Monday Vigil-AZ Poor People’s Campaign

Monday, December 22, 11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Mesa Monterey Park • 7045 E Monterey Ave, Mesa, AZ 85209

There will be a brief march from the park to Biggs's office, speakers, and an effort for a contingent to meet with Congressman Biggs or his staff. Congressman Biggs is running now for the GOP nomination for Governor. We will speak out about the policy violence inflicted upon the poor and low income Arizona residents, including major cuts to Medicaid, ACA subsidies, SNAP (food stamps), cash supports to food pantries, housing programs (Section 8 Vouchers), Medicare, and other funds in order to provide large tax cuts to wealthy individuals and corporations.

Those that have a story to tell about how they are, or will be, impacted by pending cuts made in the Budget Resolution enacted this summer are asked to let us know if you would like to speak out and tell your story in 2-3 minutes. RSVP

Some of the materials related to this action are HERE.

First Church Phoenix trip to the Border

December 20, 2025 in Faith In Action

A group from First Church Phoenix went to the border recently, led by Rev. Dr. Randy Mayer from The Good Shepherd UCC.

First Church member Carlos da Silvia donated supplies through his nonprofit, Powered by Love.

Watch the podcast episode where Pastor Randy Mayer discusses the Samaritans' work. It includes a clip of Pastor Susan Valiquette of First Church.

And click through to read a message from Jane McNamara on behalf of the Immigrant Welcoming Team.

Holiday Songs for Collective Action from the Kairos Center

December 20, 2025 in Faith In Action

This holiday song sheet is crafted to ready our communities for collective action. Each track is a holiday remix by the Songs in the Key of Resistance (SKOR) artist collective, offering music that helps keep us connected in the streets and in our organizing spaces. We share these songs with the hope that the lyrics remind us that the rituals and practices of this season are rooted in long traditions of communities caring for one another and struggling for liberation. We invite you to use these songs to learn, teach, and carry movement music into your communities—fueling resilience, collective voice, and action.

Song Sheet

YouTube playlist

UCC Webinar: Faith-Rooted Anti-Authoritarianism

December 06, 2025 in Faith In Action

In an upcoming webinar, we will hear from three panelists about how people of faith can play a vital role in challenging authoritarianism.

Maria Stephan, who co-authored "Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict" with Erica Chenoweth, will provide an overview of international resistance movements. Brother Rodrigo Peret from Franciscans International will speak out of his experience under the Bolsonaro regime in Brazil as well as his arrest for anti-mining protests in Zimbabwe. The Rev. Jorge Bautista will speak about his practice of faithful solidarity after a U.S. immigration officer shot him in the face with a pepper ball while attending a prayer vigil.

Even if you cannot make the live event on December 10th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT, still register, and we will send you a recording. Register now!

Applications Open for Global HOPE: Migration, Immigration, Refugee and Asylee (MIRA) Unified Grant

December 06, 2025 in Faith In Action

UCC Justice and Peace Action Network

The Global HOPE Office offers three grants through its Refugee and Migration Services ministry to encourage local UCC congregations, associations, conferences, and covenanted ministries to engage in ministry to migrants, immigrants, refugees, and asylees in their midst.

Applications are open! Contact Megan Bergert at bergertm@ucc.org with any questions.

A Library for Change: Exploring the Books in Our Decentering Whiteness Resource Hub

November 30, 2025 in Faith In Action

Education is the foundational bedrock of this work, and books are a powerful tool for learning, reflection, and discussion. Our Resource Hub is a curated library of materials designed to support your congregation's journey, no matter where you are starting from. We've included a wide range of texts—from personal narratives to theological deep dives to practical guides.

Arizona folx ACTION ALERT: Speak out on 12/4 to save AZ Energy Efficiency Standards!

November 29, 2025 in Faith In Action

Join Arizona Interfaith Power and Light leaders on Thursday, December 4 at 1:00 PM at the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) public hearing regarding their proposal to repeal Energy Efficiency (EE) Standards.

Showing up in-person for the hearing shows the ACC that you are paying attention and care about Arizona's energy future. If you are concerned about climate change and energy efficiency, we encourage you to testify during these hearings for the public, Dec. 2 and 4 (details below).

If those dates don't work for you, click through for information on submitting a comment online or by phone before the comment deadline on December 4.

Click through for details on in-person and online information.

Help Build a National ONA Movement for Justice — Take the A.C.T OUT Survey Today

November 15, 2025 in Faith In Action

Across our nation, LGBTQ+ people are under attack. Trans and nonbinary youth are being targeted by cruel legislation. Inclusive books and curricula are being banned. Families and faith communities are being silenced for affirming love and dignity.

In moments like these, the Church must rise — not with fear, but with faith. Not with silence, but with love in action.

That’s why the Open and Affirming Coalition is launching A.C.T OUT: Advocacy, Community, and Transformation — a national, faith-rooted movement committed to resisting hate, protecting our neighbors, and organizing for a just and inclusive future.

Please take 5–10 minutes today to complete our A.C.T OUT – Building a National ONA Movement Inventory & Interest Survey:
https://forms.gle/Ci4nA6kPwMGKyXXNA