The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog Archives - United Church of Christ https://www.ucc.org/category/column/the-pollinator-ucc-environmental-justice-blog/ Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:39:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://www.ucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cropped-favicon-32x32.png The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog Archives - United Church of Christ https://www.ucc.org/category/column/the-pollinator-ucc-environmental-justice-blog/ 32 32 What Can We As Churches Do to Care for God’s Creation? https://www.ucc.org/what-can-we-as-churches-do-to-care-for-gods-creation/ Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:37:42 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=221106 As Christians, we are called to care for all of creation: land, water, air, animals, plants, people – all of it. We, at the Federated Church, UCC, in the small village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio have been dedicated to a…

The post What Can We As Churches Do to Care for God’s Creation? appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> The Revolutionary Power of a Little Yeast https://www.ucc.org/the-revolutionary-power-of-a-little-yeast/ Wed, 03 Jan 2024 21:10:32 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=217975 What at first seems small and inconsequential can ultimately prove to have an enormous impact.

The post The Revolutionary Power of a Little Yeast appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Vote for Climate Hope 2024 Art Contest https://www.ucc.org/vote-for-climate-hope-2024-art-contest/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 17:16:16 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=217688 While children and youth can’t vote in elections, their well-being is integral to how people of faith vote their values on Election Day. The decisions made by our elected officials will have an enormous impact on their lives and their…

The post Vote for Climate Hope 2024 Art Contest appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Launching into Climate Justice in 2024 https://www.ucc.org/launching-into-climate-justice-in-2024/ Mon, 18 Dec 2023 18:51:48 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=217609 Climate justice ministries in the UCC launched into action on January 3rd with a denomination-wide Climate Action Commissioning Service featuring the preacher Nellis Kennedy-Howard. We now look ahead to a number of opportunities in front of us for advancing and…

The post Launching into Climate Justice in 2024 appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Raising Monarchs https://www.ucc.org/raising-monarchs/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:28:33 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=217411 The good soil in Jesus’s parable of the sower is someone with a soft heart that remains in the love of God and yields much fruit. I share the following project with you this early winter because it was last…

The post Raising Monarchs appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Vote for Climate Hope Campaign https://www.ucc.org/vote-for-climate-hope-campaign/ Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:51:38 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=216792 In building upon the success of the 2023 Climate Hope Cards campaign, the UCC will be conducting a Vote for Climate Hope campaign in 2024. As a member-driven initiative, this campaign is rooted in both General Synod resolutions and a…

The post Vote for Climate Hope Campaign appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> The Electrification Checklist Initiative https://www.ucc.org/the-electrification-checklist-initiative/ Thu, 09 Nov 2023 17:05:21 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=216757 The 34th General Synod’s electrification resolution encourages UCC congregations and individual members to actively plan for and systematically implement electrifying the fossil-fueled activities of our lives. To further the implementation of this resolution, an initiative of the UCC’s Council for…

The post The Electrification Checklist Initiative appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Freedom from Plastics Campaign https://www.ucc.org/freedom-from-plastics-campaign/ Thu, 09 Nov 2023 16:17:41 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=216752 To turn the General Synod resolution on Freedom from Plastics into a dynamic advocacy campaign, an initiative from the UCC’s Council for Climate Justice calls for creating a national campaign planning team that will focus on creating a detailed plan…

The post Freedom from Plastics Campaign appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Youth Meets with EPA Staff to Deliver Thousands of Postcards https://www.ucc.org/youth-meets-with-epa-staff/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=215689 On October 13th, a delegation of UCC laity and clergy delivered more than 7,500 petition postcards to the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency. Among the delegation was Mallory Hope Luca, the 17-year-old winner of the Climate Hope Art Contest whose art appears on the front of the postcards.

The post Youth Meets with EPA Staff to Deliver Thousands of Postcards appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Climate Hope Cards Headed for Delivery https://www.ucc.org/climate-hope-cards-headed-for-delivery/ Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:32:59 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=215389 On October 13th, a delegation of UCC laity and clergy are scheduled to deliver more than 7,500 petition postcards to the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency. Among the delegation will be the 16-year-old winner of the Climate Hope Art…

The post Climate Hope Cards Headed for Delivery appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Awareness Is NOT the Primary Goal https://www.ucc.org/awareness-is-not-the-primary-goal/ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 20:32:39 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214606 What if Jesus’s main goal had been to raise awareness? Imagine Jesus as a non-stop marketing-machine with a single-minded focus on telling people to love their neighbor. In some respects, it’s an alluring idea. If everyone in the world had…

The post Awareness Is NOT the Primary Goal appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Getting to Know Marissa Clark https://www.ucc.org/getting-to-know-marissa-clark/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 20:21:56 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214585 Marissa Clark is the UCC’s Environmental Justice Fellow and lead organizer for the Climate Hope Cards campaign.  Marissa is a committed labor, political, and community organizer with deep roots in the rust belt. She has been heavily involved in efforts…

The post Getting to Know Marissa Clark appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Right Before Your Eyes: Alaska and Climate Change https://www.ucc.org/right-before-your-eyes-alaska-and-climate-change/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:11:34 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214545 Thirty-three years ago, we visited various tourist destinations including Denali National Park, Exit Glacier near Seward, and the quaint fishing village of Homer. Our trip this year, with adult children in tow, sought to revisit these areas in hopes of…

The post Right Before Your Eyes: Alaska and Climate Change appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Planting a Bible Garden https://www.ucc.org/planting-a-bible-garden/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:38:34 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214542 Getting Started Outdoors When I started at Memorial United Church of Christ in Fitchburg, Wisconsin as the Director of Faith Development, I knew I wanted to start offering summer Sunday school. I also knew I wanted to take advantage of…

The post Planting a Bible Garden appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Solar Dedications for Churches https://www.ucc.org/solar-dedications-for-churches/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:24:20 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214406 The installation of solar panels can be a terrific occasion for a congregation to have a special Sun-Day celebration. These celebrations generate meaning and an energizing sense of accomplishment for congregations as members reflect upon the installation as a practice…

The post Solar Dedications for Churches appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Energized by the Sun: A Church Solar Installation Inspires https://www.ucc.org/energized-by-the-sun/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:54:16 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=214396 At Peace Dale Congregational Church in Rhode Island, we installed rooftop solar that substantially reduced our carbon footprint and saved us $15,000-17,000 per year in the cost of electricity. Our story serves as a useful model for other community organizations…

The post Energized by the Sun: A Church Solar Installation Inspires appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Electrification: Resources for Congregations https://www.ucc.org/electrification-resources-for-congregations/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 22:22:05 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=212969 Electrification is the process of transitioning from fossil-fueled equipment, appliances, and machines to new, far more efficient, electric ones. As people of faith, we are called "to protect all of God's creation from climate changing emissions" while also addressing the multiple issues of justice intertwined with fossil-fuel pollution.

The post Electrification: Resources for Congregations appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Free from Plastic Pollution: Five Actions Congregations Can Take https://www.ucc.org/free-from-plastic-pollution-five-resolution-resources/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:59:20 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=212938 From movie screenings and book groups to advocacy and action, learn what your church can do to reduce pollution.

The post Free from Plastic Pollution: Five Actions Congregations Can Take appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Wildfires and General Synod https://www.ucc.org/wildfires-and-general-synod/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:52:01 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=212590 Amid smoke that looked like fog, I traveled to General Synod last week on a Greyhound bus from Cleveland to Indianapolis. As I did so, I pondered with self-conscious awareness the pull of a familiar form of wishful thinking—the hope…

The post Wildfires and General Synod appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> The Vision behind Climate Hope Cards https://www.ucc.org/the-vision-behind-climate-hope-cards/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:43:58 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=212572 In 2023, the United Church of Christ launched a campaign rooted in a history of calling for action at the federal level of government to address the overlapping crises of climate and inequality. Through the Climate Hope Cards campaign, churches…

The post The Vision behind Climate Hope Cards appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> General Synod Hearing on Implementation of Resolution Urging Fossil Fuel Divestment and Other Strategies https://www.ucc.org/general-synod-hearing-on-implementation-of-resolution-urging-fossil-fuel-divestment-and-other-strategies/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:03:53 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=211571 At General Synod 29 in 2013, the Resolution Urging Divestment–Along with Other Strategies–from Fossil Fuel Companies to Address Climate Change mandated that the next five General Synods hold hearings on the resolution’s implementation. In 2023, the final mandated hearing included…

The post General Synod Hearing on Implementation of Resolution Urging Fossil Fuel Divestment and Other Strategies appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Sample Worship Moment for Climate Hope Cards https://www.ucc.org/sample-worship-moment-for-climate-hope-cards/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:32:25 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=211172 For churches participating in collecting UCC Climate Hope Cards that will be delivered to decision makers in Washington, D.C. this September, Julie Ballard of Niles Discovery Church in Fremont, California offers the following example of an invitation for church members…

The post Sample Worship Moment for Climate Hope Cards appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Climate Hope Cards Toolkit https://www.ucc.org/climate-hope-cards-toolkit/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 19:00:17 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=210835 The United Church of Christ Climate Hope Cards campaign is an ambitious and exciting project rooted in the UCC’s decades long work for climate and environmental justice. (Learn more about this history and check out the many environmental resolutions that…

The post Climate Hope Cards Toolkit appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Successful Movements https://www.ucc.org/successful-movements/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 20:14:14 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=210459 Not that many years ago both churches and social movements dived into figuring out how to make use of social media and digital technologies to extend their reach and grow their numbers. Everyone wanted to go viral and experience the…

The post Successful Movements appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Caring for God’s Creation: A 2023 Statistical Snapshot of the UCC https://www.ucc.org/caring-for-gods-creation-a-2023-statistical-snapshot-of-the-ucc/ Fri, 26 May 2023 01:44:11 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=209932 The care of God’s creation is a central calling of Christians that has found unique expression in the life of the United Church of Christ ever since the birth of the environmental justice movement in the 1980s under the leadership…

The post Caring for God’s Creation: A 2023 Statistical Snapshot of the UCC appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> With Young Adult Leadership, a Church Dives into Creation Justice https://www.ucc.org/with-young-adult-leadership-a-church-dives-into-creation-justice/ Thu, 25 May 2023 23:16:01 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=209928 At Friedens UCC in Indianapolis, we thank God for the opportunity to serve with Sierra Nuckols, our Climate Justice Fellow, last fall. We are grateful to the National Setting of the United Church of Christ for providing the grant to…

The post With Young Adult Leadership, a Church Dives into Creation Justice appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Struggling Churches May Be Climate Justice Teachers https://www.ucc.org/struggling-churches-may-be-climate-justice-teachers/ Thu, 25 May 2023 21:49:57 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=209922 In January 2020, the UCC’s Council for Climate Justice issued a Kairos Call to Action which called upon churches to undertake an all-out mobilization to address the twin crises climate and inequality. As part of this effort, churches can incorporate…

The post Struggling Churches May Be Climate Justice Teachers appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Intergenerational Learning  https://www.ucc.org/intergenerational-learning/ Fri, 19 May 2023 14:17:04 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=209625 "For the first time, I felt like I had been passed the baton in a relay race worth running, rather than being expected to sprint a marathon that I didn’t even sign up for."

The post Intergenerational Learning  appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Land Ethics Reimagined: Revolutionary Implications for Churches https://www.ucc.org/land-ethics-reimagined-implications-for-churches/ Wed, 03 May 2023 02:00:16 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=208950 In researching land justice and Indigenous peoples, I came to know some remarkable organizations that raise questions which would revolutionize how churches think about our moral responsibility to both land and our neighbors. One of the organizations I discovered was…

The post Land Ethics Reimagined: Revolutionary Implications for Churches appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Nature as a Healing Balm https://www.ucc.org/nature-as-a-healing-balm/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 18:07:08 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=207664 Something is out of whack when we have become so disconnected from the literal roots of our lives.  It’s time to learn from birds of the air and the flowers of the field on how to deal with anxiety, and from our Savior who figured all this out in the stillness of the wild.

The post Nature as a Healing Balm appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Solidarity and Support for East Palestine: Three Actions to Embody Love https://www.ucc.org/eastpalestine/ Sun, 26 Mar 2023 21:56:12 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=206703 Three ways people of faith can act in solidarity with East Palestine

The post Solidarity and Support for East Palestine: Three Actions to Embody Love appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Planning for Earth Month: Resources for Congregations https://www.ucc.org/four_things_your_church_can_do_to_celebrate_earth/ Fri, 17 Mar 2023 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/five_things_your_church_can_do_to_honor_the_earth/ April is Earth Month, and for congregations, it can be a great time to further discern how to best answer our first calling as Christians which is the caretaking of God's creation. Form a plan for making the most of April. Check out this suggested course of action...

The post Planning for Earth Month: Resources for Congregations appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Sample Kairos Moment for March https://www.ucc.org/sample-kairos-moment-for-march/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 02:08:25 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=205194 In January 2020, the UCC’s Council for Climate Justice issued a Kairos Call to Action which called upon churches to undertake an all-out mobilization to address the twin crises climate and inequality. As part of this effort, churches can incorporate…

The post Sample Kairos Moment for March appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Land Acknowledgments and Churches https://www.ucc.org/land-acknowledgments-and-churches/ Wed, 08 Feb 2023 21:29:11 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=204418 In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to begin public events and worship services with a land acknowledgment that recognizes the original Indigenous inhabitants of an area. At the same time, there has been a critical assessment of how land acknowledgments are often done. To further conversation and reflection among churches on whether and how to do land acknowledgments, these resources are offered.

The post Land Acknowledgments and Churches appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Faith Communities Unite for Trees https://www.ucc.org/treecanopy/ Fri, 16 Dec 2022 21:42:17 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=201250 Trees impact our well-being in multiple ways, and there is a stark contrast in the number of trees in rich and poor communities. Faith communities can unite to change this.

The post Faith Communities Unite for Trees appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Arts and Activism Lecture Series https://www.ucc.org/artsactivism/ Fri, 16 Dec 2022 21:15:27 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=201240 As a congregation prepared to become a Creation Justice Church, a series events with the theme of "Arts & Activism" were held that demonstrated the profound impact art can have on how we see and engage the world as people of faith.

The post Arts and Activism Lecture Series appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> When the Land Owns Us https://www.ucc.org/when-the-land-owns-us/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 20:45:25 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=197990 What would it mean for the land to own me? What if I belonged to the land?

The post When the Land Owns Us appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> A Spiritual Approach to Healing the Earth and Ourselves https://www.ucc.org/meditation-a-spiritual-approach-to-healing-the-earth/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 14:57:12 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=197952 For Christians today, there is a need to get away from separatist thinking where we as humanity are one thing, while nature and creation are another. As a society, we have created a world that is about ourselves, and over…

The post A Spiritual Approach to Healing the Earth and Ourselves appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Day of Action to Protect God’s Creation https://www.ucc.org/day-of-action-to-protect-gods-creation/ Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:02:12 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=193702 A Call for Actions That Hold Banks and Financial Institutions Responsible for the Climate Crisis

The post Day of Action to Protect God’s Creation appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> In Jackson, History Repeats Itself https://www.ucc.org/in-jackson-history-repeats-itself/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 19:15:25 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=193642 When it comes to racism and access to clean water, there is a reoccurring storyline in U.S. history.

The post In Jackson, History Repeats Itself appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Reflection on the Moral March in Washington, D.C. https://www.ucc.org/reflection-on-the-moral-march-in-washington-d-c/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 15:14:36 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=190825 The Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on June 18th was a powerful moment for a movement.

The post Reflection on the Moral March in Washington, D.C. appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Grant Recipients for Climate Justice Fellowships https://www.ucc.org/grant-recipients-for-climate-justice-fellowships/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:24:29 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=188118 We are excited to announce three new grant recipients for Climate Justice Fellowships.

The post Grant Recipients for Climate Justice Fellowships appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Getting to Know Andrew Wells-Bean https://www.ucc.org/getting-to-know-andrew-wells-bean/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:18:26 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=188007 Andrew Wells-Bean brings to his work a combination of substantial environmental organizing experience and a history of working in faith settings.

The post Getting to Know Andrew Wells-Bean appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Blue Theology: The Christian Call to Care for the Ocean https://www.ucc.org/blue-theology-the-christian-call-to-care-for-the-ocean/ Thu, 26 May 2022 18:14:52 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=185904 Blue theology is an invitation to see the ocean how God sees it. To care for the sea as God would have us do.

The post Blue Theology: The Christian Call to Care for the Ocean appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Squeaky Wheels Get the Oil https://www.ucc.org/squeaky-wheels-get-the-oil/ Tue, 03 May 2022 17:39:28 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=184440 A church learns that advocacy works and shares its lessons with others.

The post Squeaky Wheels Get the Oil appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Ten “Naked Truths”: Prophetic Action and the Climate Crisis https://www.ucc.org/ten-naked-truths-prophetic-action-and-the-climate-crisis/ Mon, 25 Apr 2022 18:06:30 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=183793 As the Theologian-In-Residence for Ames United Church of Christ and as the United Church of Christ’s Environmental Justice Minister, the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt delivered a keynote address on the relevancy of the Hebrew prophets in confronting to today’s climate…

The post Ten “Naked Truths”: Prophetic Action and the Climate Crisis appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Our Vespers Journey https://www.ucc.org/our-vespers-journey/ Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:37:01 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=182594 We celebrated the seasonal shifts with an awareness of how being in tune to our natural world in this way can deepen our spiritual connection.

The post Our Vespers Journey appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> International Dark Sky Week: A Christian Perspective https://www.ucc.org/international-dark-sky-week-a-christian-perspective/ Wed, 06 Apr 2022 15:32:51 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=182590 Darkness is important for all of the living beings that share this planet.

The post International Dark Sky Week: A Christian Perspective appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Taking Prophetic Action for the Earth https://www.ucc.org/taking-prophetic-action-for-the-earth/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 04:10:03 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=179994 In conjunction with an event on Saturday, April 23, 2022, entitled "The Faith of Prophets: Lessons for the Climate Crisis," faith communities are urged to use that weekend to prepare a community climate collage that will be delivered in person to the district office of their Congressional Representative or Senator during the week that follows. Here are suggested steps for mak

The post Taking Prophetic Action for the Earth appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]> Noah’s Ark in Reverse: Climate-Related Disasters https://www.ucc.org/noahs-ark-in-reverse-climate-related-disasters/ Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:35:00 +0000 https://www.ucc.org/?p=178906 Instead of the righteous Noah being saved from the wreckage of a sin-ravaged world, what if it were the sinners who were saved while Noah drowned in the floods? We need not stretch our imaginations very far...

The post Noah’s Ark in Reverse: Climate-Related Disasters appeared first on United Church of Christ.

]]>