Donique McIntosh

First SNEUCC Racial Justice Workshops Announced  

 April 21-22, 9 AM-5 PM, First Congregational Church of Southington (Connecticut) 

May 14-15, 9 AM-5 PM, United Congregational Church of Westerly (Rhode Island/Connecticut line)

These workshops will help participants explore personal experiences, develop shared language, understand how racism operates, recognize examples of white privilege, and plan ways to act against racism. Minister for Racial Justice Donique McIntosh will facilitate the workshops; participants must commit to attending both days. Lunch and coffee/tea are included in the $25 fee. Space is limited!

Find Southington workshop info/registration here.

Find Westerly workshop info/registration here.

Our Faith and Heart Health

by Deborah Ringen, Transitional Minister of Health and Wellness for the Southern New England Conference UCC 

Every February we see media messages about American Heart Month: Go Red for Women®, Know your Numbers, Warning Signs of a Heart Attack and more. We are told to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise, lose weight, reduce stress and stop smoking.  

Did you know that the amount of sleep you get can also affect your heart health? During sleep your heart, body, mind and spirit can slow down to rest and rejuvenate. Poor sleep, either not sleeping enough or waking up frequently, increases your risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity and stroke.  Lack of sleep also makes it more difficult for your brain to focus, to learn, and to control your emotions. Read more

New Poor People's Campaign Urges Churches, Others to Rally in D.C. June 20

Hoping to draw tens of thousands of people to a June 20 rally at the U.S. Capitol, a coalition of religious, labor and other organizations kicked off a Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington with an enthusiastic news conference Wednesday, Jan. 29. 

The United Church of Christ and 15 other religious denominations have endorsed the march, which is part of the larger Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Organizers see it as "drawing on the unfinished work of the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1967/68 Poor People’s Campaign." Through nonpartisan political action and protests, the 2020 campaign aims to counter "the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy and our distorted moral narrative," said its website. Read more

The Witness for Justice Begins at Home

by Traci Blackmon
Associate General Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries

On February 1, 1960, four North Carolina A&T University students who were deeply disturbed by the tortuous murder of Emmett Till sat down at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, NC, challenging the restaurant’s “whites only” policy. Denied service, the four young men—Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil— refused to give up their seats. The Greensboro Four, as they came to be known, followed the nonviolent practices of Mohandas Gandhi and civil rights activists, ignoring the violent provocation of local law enforcement and customers. They stayed seated until the restaurant closed, then returned the next day with more students from area colleges.   Read more

New England Environmental Justice Youth Summit - Registration Now Open! March 21 ~ South Congregational Church, Concord, NH The second New England Environmental Justice Youth Summit will provide an opportunity for young adults from across the region to gather and hear stories that will equip them to not just understand the challenges of the Climate Crisis, but play a role in caring for creation.  It has been demonstrated by leaders such as Greta Thunberg  that youth can make a difference, and the Summit will show them how.  Our speakers and workshop leaders include some of the most significant voices in the work of climate justice.  They are on the front lines, and their inspiring narratives and practical suggestions will empower the students attending the summit to find their voices and work for change in their own communities and their world..  Read more and register   Environmental Ministries Activism Against Proposed Weymouth, MA Compressor Station   by Barbara Darling and Ted Wade, Co-Chairs, MA Environmental Ministry Team On Monday, January 27, we were glad to participate in “Strength in the Struggle,” where we joined around 150 interfaith clergy and laypeople for an inspiring gathering at the Quincy Point Congregational Church, UCC.  Then we all marched a mile to the site of the proposed fracked-gas compressor station in Weymouth, where we prayed, sang, and shouted in loud opposition to the compressor.   Massachusetts Environmental Ministries of the Southern New England conference of the UCC was a co-sponsor of the event and have gone on record previously against this compressor.   Read more

Action Opportunity (Boston)

March 2: Gather in support of an LGBT woman from El Salvador facing deportation

Liseth is a 26-year-old asylum seeker whose parents were murdered in El Salvador. She left her country because her life was in danger due to her sexual orientation, and is now facing a deportation hearing. She has a spouse and siblings and a life here. Having a show of support at the courthouse could help her case. Interested?  

The date is March 2, 8:30 AM. Address of the courthouse TBA. Send your email address to methotk@sneucc.org and we will keep you updated on the details.

Ever Flowing Streams is published twice monthly, and features justice related news, reflections, and events. Have something to contribute?  Please email  methotk@sneucc.org for consideration. And thank you!