Justice and Local Church Ministries
During a recent one-day leadership retreat led by the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) and hosted by the Heartland Conference, participants gained resources for becoming better leaders. But one of the most unexpected outcomes was leaving the day feeling centered and closer to God. “Water in Desert Places,” held Aug. 30,…
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Unleashing Potential, based in St. Louis, recently received a $6,000 Neighbors in Need (NIN) grant from the UCC’s Justice and Local Church Ministries. The funds will be used to support Unleashing Potential’s track record of academic and socio-emotional success, as well as expand Science, Technology, Engineering, Cultural Arts, and Math (STEAM) programming. NIN grants support…
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In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the UCC’s Reproductive Justice Working Group has released a Reproductive Justice Messaging Toolkit, which includes five state-specific toolkits for areas with extreme or trigger laws that have been enacted following the Supreme Court decision. Key in the production of the toolkits has…
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As her year-long experience of being the inaugural UCC Fellow with the UCC’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) and Justice and Local Church Ministries (JLCM) comes to an end, Essence Ellis is in a unique position to reflect. Not only has her year as UCC Fellow taken her in unexpected, rewarding directions,…
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Part of UCC Fellow Essence Ellis’ work includes participation in the UCC Justice and Local Church Ministries (JLCM) Washington office’s Reproductive Justice Working Group. And her main focus in that group has been helping to develop a set of state-specific toolkits, which are slated to be released next month on the heels of the Supreme…
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By Essence Ellis. This article is reprinted with permission from UCC News. Almost 50 years after Roe v. Wade, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled that the United States Constitution protects women’s rights to choose an abortion without government intervention, the reproductive justice issue is once again up for debate. In this commentary,…
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In her first six months as the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM)/Justice and Local Church Ministries (JLCM) UCC Fellow, Essence Ellis has attended meetings, networked with a variety of UCC people across the denomination, worked with experts from various CHHSM member organizations, and found the time to author articles and resources for…
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This month, Mike invited our newest employee, Essence Ellis — CHHSM and JLCM United Church of Christ Fellow — to author an article. This column originally appeared in the Justice and Local Church Ministries’ Witness for Justice. By Essence Ellis The national eviction ban ended on July 31. While tens of thousands of people attended…
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The UCC’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) played an important role throughout the denomination’s Thirty-Third General Synod, which closed Sunday evening, July 18. Sometimes prominent and sometimes behind the scenes, CHHSM’s presence and advocacy for health equity remained at the forefront of many Synod-related conversations — beginning with a Resolution of Witness…
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Internationally renowned researcher and educator Dr. Joy DeGruy brought her message of uncovering racism and unleashing repair to delegates and visitors at the UCC’s virtual General Synod 33. DeGruy delivered the Valerie Russell Lecture Saturday, July 17, at 11:30 a.m. Sponsored by CHHSM and the UCC’s Justice and Local Church Ministries (JLCM), the lecture honors…
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