United Church of Christ issues letter urging activism on health care reform

Written by National UCC Staff Reports
July 28, 2009

In a pastoral letter addressed to members of the United Church of Christ, church leaders have called upon churches "to actively work towards the creation of a national health care system and to affirm the moral and justice imperatives of equal access for all people."

The UCC's letter was signed by current General Minister and President the Rev. John H. Thomas, incoming General Minister and President the Rev. Geoffrey Black, Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries the Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, and Minister for Health Care Justice Barbara T. Baylor.

Citing the UCC's recent passage of a church-wide resolution urging advocacy in support of healthcare for all, the letter promotes a personal call to action as a means of implementing equitable access to and delivery of care.

UCC members are encouraged to contact their elected officials, identify themselves to the lawmaker as members of the United Church of Christ, and register their concerns for a health care plan that includes the seven points agreed to by an interfaith coalition:

• Coverage for all persons
• Access regardless of ability to pay
• A full set of benefits
• A choice of physicians and other providers
• Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities
• Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without any age limits
• A publicly available, government administered, insurance option

Additional actions include gathering delegates from congregations to visit the home offices of legislators during their August recess, attending the "Health Care Now!" rally July 30 in Washington, D.C., and organizing a Jericho march in communities around the nation insisting that the walls of inequitable health care come down.

The UCC joins a large and diverse interfaith coalition in calling for health care reform. At the July 7 Faith Leaders Summit on Health Care held in Washington, D.C., this coalition stated, "No longer can we afford to squander the hopes and dreams of the American people through a much-too-costly system that contributes to economic despair."

The UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries will issue health care related action alerts throughout August including a call for a preach/teach in, group lobbying information, phone chain organization and a letters to the editor campaign.

The complete text of the pastoral letter and call-to-action, formatted as a printable PDF bulletin insert, can be found at ucc.org/health-care-reform.

Source: http://www.ucc.org. Posted by: Blog Administrator

Yesterday I said from the pulpit that mission is the essential character of the church. What is your thought? If you agree, what kind of mission does FCUCC need to be leading in? If you disagree, what to you believe the church, especially FCUCC, needs to be about? Don Hammond

This is my first blog and am interested in knowing if anyone is out there and if someone is, what kind of bloging conversations would be of interest? Don Hammond, Interim Pastor

Melanie Naughtin, Director of Christian Education

God likes variety and reveals himself to us in countless ways. God is, indeed, still speaking. We try, in this church, to offer informed, balanced and carefully considered looks at a wide variety of topics in our adult education series; "First Forum", offered each Sunday morning at 9:15. Our fall offerings will include a National Issues Forum on Health Care Reform presented by Kent Kirwan on four Sundays from September 20th - October 11th. All are welcome to join us for these thought-provoking and very timely sessions. We welcome suggestions for topics that matter to you.

Update an Obsolete Poverty Line

Check out this interesting article, "Update an Obsolete Poverty Line," which is published by God's Politics: A Blog by Jim Wallis and Friends, a meeting place for progressive christian minds.

http://blog.sojo.net/2009/07/17/update-an-obsolete-poverty-line/

The Social Work You Do Is Necessary

We all do this thing differently.

Those of us who simply do social work, those of us with degrees, social workers who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Those of us who found our path and followed it, whether it required schooling or not. We all have our own way of changing lives around us.

We all have issues that drive us. We work with those in poverty, in hospitals and hospices, people who live alone and disconnected in their own homes and people on the street. We work with people in their own social situations, relationship therapy and group therapy and learning to treat others with respect, kindness, compassion, understanding -- and so many more. We're not just in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania or New Jersey, or even just the Northeast, we're everywhere, and connected. Many of us have made our career in social work and it's the gleaming beacon of our lives, that difference we can make for someone else. Many of us do it a bit at a time, seeing the little things and knowing the impact they can have. Many of us didn't even know that social work was what we did... until someone told us so.

Whatever we do and whatever the reason, people put their trust in us because we have mandated change by our actions. They see what we believe in because we act on it, though every single one of us has our own way of accomplishing it. Our diversity empowers us, lets us touch hearts and souls and minds across the world. It's not the exact method we use, or background we have, that's important. It's only that we care. That's what shines through.

Who are you, and what is your work? What drives you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

You're important to the world. We need you.

By Megan Elizabeth Morris
Source: Social Work PRN Blog
Link: http://blog.swprn.com/blog/bid/23247/The-Social-Work-You-Do-Is-Necessary