Have You Heard?

In 2017, the United Church of Christ, through General Synod XXXI, named a hard truth: our economic systems do not serve everyone equally. Many of our neighbors remain excluded from fair financial services, while others are harmed by predatory lending practices that profit from vulnerability rather than support human flourishing. The Church recognized that economic justice is not separate from our faith, it is an expression of it. Out of that conviction, Generations United Federal Credit Union was established. GUFCU exists as a practical response to the call of General Synod: to support those who are historically underbanked or unbanked,…

By Rev. Rhina Ramos, ACM I was 9 years old when the civil war erupted in El Salvador. Pretty soon our lives changed because we learned to fear our own government. We knew of neighbors captured by the army at night. Their only crime was to oppose a repressive government. We knew of the disappeared and were afraid that our loved ones could be taken too. My father had to go into exile in 1982, and my aunt, his sister, ended up in Nicaragua because of political persecution. In those times, anything we said in public could be used to label us…

By Rev. Rhina Ramos When Herod is terrified to lose his grip as king, he orders a massacre of children under two in Jerusalem. When President Trump faces lower approval presidential rates, and the increasing inflation of prices in the US, he resorts to invasion of a sovereign state. The situation in Venezuela is complex. Many Venezuelans have longed for President Maduro to be replaced. During 29 years of Chavismo-Maduro dictatorships, Venezuela went down from being one of the countries with best standards of living in the hemisphere to a place where its nationals want to desperately leave. You can…

By Rev. Dr. G. Penny Nixon As a faith leader, and as a human, what I am thinking about this holiday season are the faces of all those so deeply impacted by the high cost of housing—the woman working three jobs who still can't afford rent ;the teacher forced to move two counties away from the students she loves; the family living in their car in the shadow of empty buildings. They are not statistics. They are our neighbors. And if my faith means anything at all, it must speak to this crisis with clarity and conviction. While there is…

Rev. Dr. Leanne Wade I learned a while ago I am not a vacationer; I’m a traveler. If you know anything about travel guru Rick Steves you know he considers travel to be both a political and a spiritual act. I think both concepts were met in this amazing trip to El Salvador, led by Rev. Rhina Ramos. What I appreciate about group trips is they allow me to see how people live and gain new insights. This trip did not disappoint.  I was reminded yet again that the gospel of Jesus Christ is dangerous when people do not want…

By Rev. Lauren Jewett, Associate Conference Minister for Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Education Wondering how to support youth and young adults in your congregation? Only have one or two youth or young adults but want them to have a meaningful (and FREE) faith-formation and leadership development experience? Have a young person who would benefit from (did I mention FREE) leadership training AND a 50% scholarship to Chapman University or Drury University, or other scholarships at UCC and DOC-affiliated schools? Higher Education and Leadership Ministries and Youth and Young Adult Leadership Symposiums to the rescue! In 2023, the Youth…

Kids on bikes, people walking to jobs they aren’t getting paid for during the government shutdown, clergy walking, praying, and singing on a beautiful day in Washington, DC, on Capitol Hill. All the while, police guards stand watch with rifles and guns, ready for battle…our tax dollars at work. Overall, guards and police officers did not harass the Conference Ministers until we wanted to pour out the vessels of our shared tears (of water) on the stairs of the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol. Those tears weren’t poured out; however, they were carried in the hands…