CHHSM Advocacy Center

Civic Action Center

In addressing the issues prevalent in this current climate, we are powerfully reminded of the most vulnerable among us. As people of faith, we believe in the moral call to care for those in need. In the midst of a global pandemic, it is critical that our elected officials place the wellbeing of people over that of corporations, and that the first priority of Congress is to make sure that everyone has access to the resources they need for their health and wholeness.

We must also remember that we are in the midst of a critical election. With primaries postponed, and pressure rising to switch to mail-in ballots, it is more important than ever that we stay informed. The UCC Justice and Witness Ministries Washington D.C. Office is here to help with Our Faith, Our Vote resources including our new Civic Action Center. Find out if you are registered to vote, updated dates for elections, who is running for positions in your area, and how you may register or sign up for mail-in ballots online. The way we interact with elections may have changed, but the importance of our participation has not!

—Sandy Sorenson
Director of the United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries, Washington, D.C. Office

About Our Faith, Our Vote

The UCC Our Faith Our Vote campaign provides information and ideas to assist individuals, congregations, and organizations with engaging the electoral process in nonpartisan and meaningful ways. We must equip ourselves, and our communities, to make thoughtful, informed decisions about those who will lead us in the future. The Our Faith Our Vote campaign is one way to help us be and lift up our voice.

As Rev. Traci Blackmon says, “In Hebrew Scripture the word most often translated “voice” is “qol.” This is also the word translated as noise, or sound, or vote. In a broader sense, I would say the Hebrew word, qol, simply means letting oneself be heard. Using our voice to make a sound is certainly one way to be heard, and using our vote is another. Our vote is the means we have to make an impactful noise about the local, state and national issues that concern us. Voting is a powerful tool, and this is why we see so many focused efforts targeted at voter disenfranchisement. This is why districts are redrawn and political parties engage in gerrymandering. This is why voting rights legislation and access to the polls is constantly being challenged… No matter your opinion or political affiliation, your voice - your vote - matters and you deserve to be heard. This is why it is critical for faith communities to engage in nonpartisan voter registration, education and empowerment programs to help us make some holy noise by lifting up the common good through our political process.”

This resource is a wonderful addition to our Be a Voice toolkit, as it illustrates and clarifies what it means to be a faith-based organization involved in advocacy and how civic engagement can be a part of one’s spiritual life.

You can find all of the Our Faith Our Vote resources by visiting ucc.org/ourfaithourvote.