Hundreds arrested in D.C. as Poor People's Campaign presses for voting rights, $15 minimum wage, including UCC Washington office’s Sandy Sorenson.

Giving much gratitude to the Desert Palm family for your immediate response to the request for financial support in the amount of $629.00 to help provide mats for cooling centers. The mats allow people to lie down and relax and/or sleep.

This report from the US-Mexico Border on the current immigration struggle was written by Rev. Randy J. Mayer for the American Waldensian Society.

The US/Mexico Borderlands are sweltering in record heat this summer, with temperatures already spiking to 115 Fahrenheit (46 Celsius). As a result, migrant suffering and migrant deaths have also spiked. It is literally impossible for most migrants to carry the 6 to 10 gallons of water, weighing between 48 and 80 pounds, that they will need to survive a three-to-seven-day journey in the scorching heat across the Sonoran Desert.

But the situation is much more serious than just the extremely high temperatures and the difficulty of carrying enough water for three to seven days in the desert.

Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, Environmental Justice Minister of the UCC, “Historically, we have been a denomination of firsts, and I am excited to see our members leading the charge to undo a legacy of colonial theology and planetary destruction.” He continued, “This resolution is about undoing a centuries old theology of empire and colonialism. It puts into the dustbin of history worldviews that regard the natural world around us as something to be exploited and consumed by humans with callous disregard.”

If you missed the conversation, you can watch it on YouTube or Facebook.

All things ONA from the Open & Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ.

Some proposed climate policies have been described as false solutions by climate activists and policy analysts because they fall short in meeting the moral demands of science, equity, and justice. Learn what faith communities need to know.

See updates from Katie Adams in our D.C. office about the child tax credit, infrastructure package, national gun registry, IMF special drawing rights, AUMF, and Iran's ballistic missile program.

Congratulations! Rev. Teresa Blythe, director of the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction at First Church UCC Phoenix, and Rev. Chad Abbott, Conference Minister for the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the UCC, have written “Incline Your Ear: Cultivating Spiritual Awakening in Congregations” (Fortress Press, 2021) to encourage spiritual growth and vitality in faith communities in a listening pursuit.

Rev. Susan Valiquette at First Church UCC Phoenix was quoted extensively in this article on “Jesus and Justice” and the future of the church — it was published online May 30 and on the front page of the Arizona Republic on Saturday, June 5. If you have a subscription, you're able to read it here.

Video and resources from the June 9 webinar.

A message from Lombard Mennonite Peace Center:

We are so excited to be returning to an in-person format for our Mediation Skills Training Institute (MSTI) on August 2-6, 2021 here in the western suburbs of Chicago! This will be a hybrid event, so for those who prefer not to travel, we will also continue to offer remote attendance via Zoom.

Conference Minister Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons marched and spoke against anti-Semitism Sunday night in Tucson with Rev. Susan Valiquette and Rev. Drew Terry. Read his remarks in this article.

June is Immigrant Heritage Month! Join us to #CelebrateImmigrants by honoring and lifting up the contributions of immigrants of all backgrounds. This month provides people across the country an opportunity to explore their own heritage and celebrate the diversity that forms the unique, rich American experience.

This last week has been very exciting for the Hope House of Sedona!