News & Publications

From the Social Action and Mission Board: Neighbors in Need

September 30, 2021

Dear Members and Friends,

What can it look like to believe in unfailing love?

It can look like the Neighbors in Need offering supporting the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. Through ucc.org/justice, our national Justice and Witness Ministries office offers resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues. Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice.

Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S. Additional projects are described on the NIN website.

Donations to NIN can be made any time in the month of October on the Rock Spring website (choose the option “Give to Neighbors in Need”) or via check to Rock Spring 5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington VA 22207 with “Neighbors in Need” noted in the memo line.

Let all we do be done in unfailing love,

The Social Action and Mission Board