Imagine the kind of world we could create if every local church became a hub of justice-making in its community. Picture a United Church of Christ that is a leader-full movement of movements making a transformative impact in every sector of society.  Envision followers of Jesus in every corner of the country joining together with others in creative solidarity and deep purpose to effect life-saving change for neighbors near and far.  Now, what if we told you that these weren’t just a pie-in-the sky dreams, but in fact, there is actually a book that could help you start on your journey toward making these visions a reality.  That’s exactly what a diverse cadre of authors have to offer in Building Up a New World: Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact. 

Many of us may be feeling understandably despairing these days. All around us we are experiencing overt attacks on cultural education, racial equity practices, and fundamental human dignity in both familiar and new ways.  The societal supports of flourishing for those most marginalized and in need are being stripped away.  Every day a new disaster unfolds and demands our attention.  The chaos machine is hard at work trying to distract and discourage us, making it hard to know where to turn and discern what to do.  And even harder to feel prepared and skilled in the ways we need to be to respond with loving compassion and justice-bringing passion.  The good news is that every chapter in this year’s All Church Read provides another tool in our organizing toolbelt, equipping us to do the work that is before us in this moment.  From practicing mutual aid, to creating community safety and becoming sanctuary, there are so many openings for you and your community to begin or deepen your journey of doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God.

Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries has created a 6-week curriculum and study guide to accompany and enrich your engagement with the book in community.  Complete with facilitator guides and tips for leading these conversations, the curriculum has everything you’ll need to engage this book as either an individual or with others in your church and community, including:

1. Centering Practices – building self-regulatory and community grounding skills
2. Scripture Readings – rooting our organizing work in God’s revolutionary word
3. Discussion Questions – deepening our understanding and connecting to our experiences
4. “Think like an organizer” Assignments – helping us discover more about our community’s needs and hopes
5. Prayer – nourishing our spirits and blessing our journeys
6. Go Deeper resources – empowering our continued learning

This calling and these tools are not new. We build on the revolutionary work of our freedom-making ancestors. But, this particular moment offers us unique opportunities to grow our capacity to cultivate movements of intersectional organizing with healing and repair at the center, as we align with the movement of the Spirit toward justice.  No matter how dire the moment may be, we can, like generations before us, make a way out of no way in the face of powers and principalities.  Join us as we discover new pathways and practices for Building Up a New World.