Getting to the Root of It

March is Women's History Month. In honor of this month, we asked Brenda Joyner and Loey Powell, both called by the Rev.Traci Blackmon to act as consultants to a Women's Table, to connect this month to our faith and to the UCC's history of advocacy for women.

Because all Americans have the right to breathe clean air, the United Church of Christ has just released a new report that identifies the 100 industrial facilities spewing the most toxic air pollution in heavily populated areas across the United States.

“Breath to the People: Sacred Air and Toxic Pollution” pinpoints the locations of the U.S. “Toxic 100 super polluters” in 28 states and documents the hazardous chemicals being released into the air. The report includes a detailed demographic breakdown of people living within three miles of these toxic facilities. Notable in the demographic details are the number of children under age 5 living near the Toxic 100 — the most vulnerable members of the population because of their developing bodies and brains.

Leaders of the church, known for its environmental justice work, unveiled the study at an Ash Wednesday news conference Feb. 26 in Washington D.C., joined by a representative of the Environmental Integrity Project. The research firm, enlisted by the UCC to compile the report, based its research on self-reported data from the 15,500 facilities included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory.

Friday, March 13, 6:30-8:30, 2020 and Saturday, March 14, 9-12 noon

First Congregational Church UCC, 2801 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

How Do We Live Religious/Spiritual Lives of Integrity in a Time of Climate Systems Change?

A Special Retreat With Dr. Larry Rasmussen

What needed gifts do faith communities bring to climate action?

written by Rev. Karen MacDonald

While Rincon UCC – Tucson is in an interim pastor season, things are growing. Our Creation Care Ministry, begun about a year and a half ago, received a generous grant this year from the UCC’s Neighbors in Need offering to nurture the expansion of our ministry.

The heart of our work this year and next is to re-wild significantly neglected portions of our campus as native habitat. This picture shows how it looks now. We’re imagining a vibrant desert landscape to come!

Join people of faith from throughout the state for our Arizona Faith Network 2020 Annual Meeting!

Monday, April 20, 8 am - 12:30 pm at Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Cutler✡Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 East Culver Street Phoenix, AZ, 85004

Engage on some of the most important issues facing Arizona today. Topics include: mass incarceration, environmental justice, migrant justice and relief, interfaith education and dialogue, race and economic equity and the division in our country.

Arizona Faith Network is conducting an interest survey to assist in planning upcoming Faith Education Events (entitled "Faith 101"). They would appreciate your input, interests, and suggestions. CLICK HERE FOR THE BRIEF SURVEY.

Thursday, March 5, 7 pm
Desert Palm United Church of Christ, 1230 E Guadalupe, Tempe

The Florence Project provides free legal and social services to detained men, women, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody facing removal proceedings. Two of their attorneys will speak to volunteers and other interested persons at this presentation. Hear about this amazing nonprofit, learn about the current laws and regulations governing the asylum process, and hear about a potential new way to serve. You can optionally RSVP to hhbillsmom@gmail.com or just show up.

A return to diplomacy is the only way forward. We must remind our officials of the shared humanity between our nations and find creative ways to build peace. Let us pray and fast for peace with Iran and use our collective voice as people of faith to stop the drumbeat to war.

Thank the Senate for passing S.Res. 68 and urge your representatives to pass this legislation and send it to the President’s desk.

10 a.m. on March 1, 2020 at Desert Heritage Church, 1020 N Horne Ave, Mesa, AZ 85203

Please join Desert Heritage Church as members of the church share their hand stitch on fabric panels to raise awareness of the global refugee crisis and a visual representation of the sheer volume of this astronomical figure of refugees. Their panels will be a part of a larger community art installation in Sacramento, California.

Help protect the planet: Plant a tree. United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministries is inviting members and congregations across the wider church to celebrate Earth Day's 50th anniversary by participating in the Three Great Loves Tree Planting Campaign.

Planting trees is something UCC'ers like to do. In 2013, the UCC planted over 141,000 trees as part of Mission 4/1 Earth. The campaign ran 50 days, from Easter Monday to Pentecost.

The UCC Our Faith, Our Vote campaign provides information and ideas to assist individuals and congregations in developing nonpartisan and meaningful ways to engage the political and electoral process. The Our Faith, Our Vote resources can empower UCC members to engage in voter registration, issue education and voter mobilization. We must equip ourselves and our communities to make informed, thoughtful decisions about who will lead us into the future. The Our Faith, Our Vote campaign is one way to do just that, and we hope you will join this effort in 2020.

In 2020, people are still working towards dismantling structural, systemic, and individual racism. The work of addressing racism is intersectional, and stems from historical unjust business practices, and policies and laws impacting every aspect of our lives. We have an opportunity during the 2020 election to pay close attention to politicians upholding the status quo by working against justice for all. Restore justice! In 2020 it is critical that you exercise your vote and your voice so that our nation is healthy and equitable for all.

In mid-January, the Trump Administration proposed a plan to roll back the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which could cause great harm to God’s creation as well as to public health and safety. Please submit a public comment opposing the proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Transform Arizona Schools held meetings in Phoenix and Tucson to look over the language around HB2706 to discuss its intent and brainstorm ways to block it from moving forward.

Currently, the Arizona Interscholastic Association represents 269 schools in every Arizona county. They have a protocol in place to ensure competitiveness and inclusion for trans youth, and HB2706 would destroy all of this progress. We noted the dehumanizing nature of the bill and contrasted the language with 10 other states that have proposed similar anti-trans bills.

Some ideas from AZ Census 2020. Your ideas are welcome.

Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 2 - 6 PM
Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law
111 E Taylor St, Phoenix, Room 544

Join the Arizona Faith Network and community partners as we engage in education and experiences on mass incarceration in Arizona. This event is designed to dive deeper into the crisis of incarceration and help attendees understand how they can help solve this crisis.

This month’s “Getting to the Root of It” is Justice and Witness Ministries’ “State of the Union.”

The information here is for states within the Southwest Conference UCC. For more details. visit Rock the Vote.

The United Church of Santa Fe (Santa Fe, New Mexico) is one of the six national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) 2020 Cool Congregations Challenge runners up. The annual contest accepts applications from religious congregations around the United States who are doing work to address global warming by reducing their carbon footprint as they create models of sustainability within their communities.