Building Intergenerational Movements:

Racial Justice Sunday 2023 Resources

UCC Join the Movement

In movements for racial justice, when organizers reference Fannie Lou Hamer’s famous quote, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free,” it is often to point out the need for our justice work to be intersectional – that is, aware of and addressing the overlapping harms of injustice and the interconnections of our visions of freedom. At Join the Movement, we recognize that one of the intersections we often forget in our racial justice work is across generational lines. From the labor movement to the civil rights movement to climate justice organizing, history teaches us that the most impactful justice work happens across generations.  From children to elders, people of every age can Join the Movement toward Racial Justice. And we need people of every age to imagine and build a world of justice and flourishing for all.

As we celebrate Racial Justice Sunday this year in the UCC, we invite you to make use of these worship and spiritual practice resources that are intentionally intergenerational – creating entry points and spaces of reflection, prayer and praise for people of every age. We hope you will use them to engage children, youth, adults and elders in joining the movement toward racial justice, this Sunday and every Sunday of the year.

The United Church of Christ Responds

Four UCC clergy among 13 faith leaders challenging Missouri abortion bans

UCC leaders lament death of Tyre Nichols with release of fatal police beating video

‘Weeping where there was once dancing’: UCC churches lament California shootings

Kenneth B. Smith Lecture

Chicago Theological Seminary

Chicago Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the 2023 Kenneth B. Smith Lecture will be held IN-PERSON on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at Church of the Good Shepherd (5700 S. Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL 60637)! This year's event will feature the investiture of Dr. JoAnne Marie Terrell as the Kenneth B. Smith Professor of Public Ministry and Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and the Arts, as well as a lecture by Dr. Terrell. Beginning with a networking reception at 5:15 p.m. in the lower level of the church, the lecture and investiture program will begin at 6:00 p.m. Register here!

UN Commission on the Status of Women

What is the Commission? The main global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. It meets in a two-week session every year where UN agencies, Member States, and civil society organizations (like the UCC) discuss issues facing women, girls, and gender equality. It also assesses progress made towards the implementation of various global women’s rights documents. Each year, the Commission focuses on specific themes, known as the priority and review themes. At the end of the two-week session, an outcome is usually agreed upon by UN Member States. 

Join the UCC Delegation! CSW will occur from March 6-17, 2023. The delegation will meet in the weeks prior to meet each other, review the schedule of events, and receive some orientation and training to the UN system and CSW specifically. There will be no cost to delegates to register and no travel as all events will be held virtually. 

Learn more here!

Climate Hope Summer Grants

The Environmental Justice Ministry of the United Church of Christ is allotting $30,000 in grants of $2,500 to UCC churches, conferences, and associations as well as UCC-affiliated theological schools and non-profit organizations for the purposes of developing and furthering the work of youth and young adult leaders in the movement for climate justice. A central goal of this grant program is to further develop a prophetic culture of faith leadership that goes beyond a focus on individual behaviors to collectively address the institutions and systems responsible for the present crisis. Grants will be awarded to promote a climate justice movement that recognizes the root causes of the climate crisis in relation to corporate power and government policy as well as racial and economic inequity. Grants will be awarded to those seeking to advance climate solutions that effectively center the needs of those most impacted by the climate crisis, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.

Application Deadline is March 1st. Click here to learn more and apply.

You are receiving this message because you are listed on our Conference email list, one of our leadership/committee email lists, or because you previously subscribed to receive our e-newsletters. PLEASE NOTE: if you unsubscribe from this email you will no longer receive any communications from the Illinois Conference - including bereavement messages, event notices and more.

This communication is made possible by your contributions to

 Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM)

FAITHFUL FRIDAYS is published by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1840 Westchester Blvd, Suite 200, Westchester, IL 60154. The Rev. Molly Carlson, Conference Minister; Sarah Lohrbach, Editor. Copy may be sent to: SarahLohrbach@ilucc.org.