| Follow NCC on Social Media! | | | | | | | NCC Observes Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18–Jan 25) | | The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a special time for Christians worldwide to pray for visible unity, rooted in Jesus' prayer that "they all may be one" (John 17:21).
NCC invites all to join us in daily prayer in observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Sunday, January 18–Sunday, January 25, 2026. Throughout this week, we will share prayers for unity offered by members of our 37 communions as we seek deeper fellowship, reconciliation, and shared witness in Christ. May these prayers inspire us to walk faithfully in the call to be one body, united in love and purpose.
Visit NCC's YouTube channel for a new prayer each day! While you're there, please subscribe to our channel! | | | Minneapolis George Floyd-era
Faith Networks Reignite | | Religion News Service Photo by Jack Jenkins | The faith-based networks, which developed organizing infrastructure and relationships during the Floyd era, are joined by newcomers as resistance efforts have intensified since Good’s shooting. By Jack Jenkins
MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — As tens of thousands trekked over the snow and ice in Powderhorn Park on Saturday (Jan. 10) to protest last week’s fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, the crowds were greeted by a group of faith leaders who called themselves “movement chaplains.” Wearing bright orange hats and vests emblazoned with the word “chaplain,” the group, made up of mostly pastors, was led by Shari Seifert, a member of Calvary Lutheran Church and a self-described “street theologian.” Seifert said movement chaplains — who seek to “tend to people’s spiritual needs” at protests and de-escalate tensions as they arise — were last heavily active during headline-making demonstrations in the city after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in 2020. But looking out at the sprawling crowd, Seifert said the groundswell of outrage and organizing that has followed the killing on Wednesday of Renee Good by an ICE agent has renewed the need for protest chaplains.
Read the full story here. | | AME Churches in Minneapolis
Respond to ICE Invasion | | A STATEMENT FROM THE AME CHURCH 4TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT
Minneapolis is grieving. Our city has been deeply wounded by the devastating consequences of reckless and heartless federal immigration enforcement actions carried out in our neighborhoods. We mourn the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a beloved member of our community, who was shot and killed by a federal ICE agent while she was looking out for her neighbors. This should never have happened.
We struggle to find words large enough to hold the pain, anger, and sorrow that this violence has inflicted on our city. This killing occurred just one mile from St. Peter’s AME Church, making the grief not only communal but painfully close to home.
As people of faith, we cannot be silent.
The prophets remind us that justice is not optional. Jesus teaches us that love of neighbor is not negotiable. Our faith calls us to stand with the grieving, the threatened, and the vulnerable, even when doing so is uncomfortable or costly.
The AME Churches of the St. Paul-Minneapolis District stand in solidarity with our neighbors and community in calling for justice and accountability. We stand with those demanding an end to federal actions that have brought harm and terror to our city. We stand with all who labor daily to protect one another through mutual aid, community networks, and courageous presence.
Read the full story here. | | Ecumenical Partners Sponsor
'Faithful Resistance"
Public Witness Event, Feb 25 | | Join ecumenical and interfaith leaders and communities in Washington, DC, for a public witness grounded in worship, moral courage, and solidarity with neighbors.
The day will begin with worship, followed by a prayerful procession to the U.S. Capitol and afternoon congressional visits. Stay tuned for livestream information.
February 25, 2026 | Washington, D.C.
10 AM | Worship at Capitol Hill UMC
11 AM | Process to the U.S. Capitol
Click here for more information. | | Sen. Warnock Declares ‘Spiritual Crisis,’ Urges Public, Private
Sectors to Help Needy | | Religion News Service Photo by Adelle M. Banks | “Those of us who are people of faith need to lead the way in helping the nation to understand that meeting people’s physical needs is a spiritual project," Sen. Warnock said.
By Adelle M. Banks
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Shortly after joining Senate colleagues in midweek voting for a review of an environmental standard, Sen. Raphael Warnock sat in his Hart Senate Building office and talked about prayer and policy.
The senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church recently declared that the U.S. is in the midst of a “spiritual crisis,” a topic he discussed at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and in the pulpit from which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. used to preach.
Warnock, a Democrat, said prayer undergirds his policy efforts to address the troubles he sees across Georgia and the rest of the country. Though he seldom gets to the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast on Wednesdays, his private prayer time is a regular part of his schedule. It’s enhanced by reading the writing of Christian mystic Howard Thurman and praying with “a couple of prayer partners.”
“I have a very strong prayer life, and it is specially activated early in the morning before the noise of the world gets started,” he said in an interview Wednesday (Jan. 7). “It anchors my agenda and holds at bay the distractions.”
Warnock, 56, talked with Religion News Service about why he thinks there’s a spiritual crisis in America, what can be done about it and how he’s discussed aspects of it with his young children.
| | ABC Church Hosts 'The Power of Sisterhood Luncheon' Feb 24 | | This is an open invitation to lunch at the historic Baptist Building, home of the D.C. Baptist Convention, as they gather to celebrate, strengthen, and support women in ministry. Featuring a keynote address from Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque, interim pastor at Broadneck Baptist Church, this event will celebrate the gifts and elevate the voices of women in ministry across our Baptist family.
Together, these gifted leaders will inspire, encourage, and remind us of the vital role women play in ministry and the connections that sustain it.
This luncheon is not simply about sharing a meal—it is about lifting one another up, celebrating sisterhood, and ensuring that women’s voices, gifts, and stories are seen, heard, and valued.
This luncheon is hosted by American Baptist Churches USA, Office of the General Secretary, and the District of Columbia Baptist Convention.
Click here for more information. | | 2026 WSCF-US National Student Conference Registration Open | | The 2026 WSCF-US National Student Conference embraces Isaiah 2:3-4 and Micah 4:3-4 as guides to "Study War No More." Inspired by the long tradition of Christian peacemakers and following the way of Jesus, WSCF-US aligns with students and young people across the U.S. and the world, courageously resisting violent injustices and the systems that perpetuate them.
Throughout the conference, students will be encouraged to take up the biblical charge to learn war no more in fellowship with young Christians from around the US and the world.
Conversation facilitated through panels, action-oriented workshops, worship, and small groups will aim to deepen commitments to active resistance against violence, fear, and oppression. Students will leave more deeply rooted in their faith and ready to live prophetically to transform churches and the world. The conference will be hosted at Columbia Theological Seminary in metro Atlanta, April 9–12. | | OHOF Offers Free Green Teams Guide | | One Home One Future's step-by-step Green Teams Guide provides practical advice to help you establish or sustain a successful team dedicated to implementing green initiatives within local congregations. Join One Home One Future today to access free Green Teams resources! onehomeonefuture.org/join | | Interfaith Reparatory Justice Table to Present 'Hidden Histories' Virtual Event | | | | NEWorks Productions Announces 'Just Like Selma'
Hymn-sing Project! | | In February 2026, NEWorks is inviting congregations and choirs nationwide to join the ‘Just Like Selma’ Hymn-sing Project in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, founded in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Imagine 100+ congregations and choirs across the nation uniting in worship through the singing of a new social justice hymn.
A National PSA & Hymn-sing Project As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, NEWorks Productions is launching phase two of its Freedom Advances campaign, an expansive civic initiative that confronts the unfinished promise of American democracy. Central to this phase is a new work that spotlights the Civil Rights Movement’s power to reshape the nation: Just Like Selma.
On “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965, the nation recoiled in horror as state troopers brutally attacked peaceful protestors on Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge.
This history will be illumined anew through Just Like Selma, a stirring new social justice hymn inspired by King's ‘How Long, Not Long’ speech delivered on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol 60 years ago. Composed by Nolan Williams, Jr, the hymn echoes the sounds of Black church devotional songs and Civil Rights anthems. It will be released in time for the MLK national holiday in January 2026.
That release will be followed by the "Just Like Selma" Hymn-sing Project, engaging more than 100 churches, chapels, and choirs across the nation to program the hymn as part of their Black History Month observances. Just Like Selma is a call to remembrance and an urgent reminder that the work of perfecting our democracy is unfinished.
As new generations face renewed battles over democracy, access, and equality, Just Like Selma is a reminder that the courage and strategy of those who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge remain urgently relevant.
Click HERE for more information and to register.
Listen to a sound clip HERE. | | STATE/REGIONAL COUNCIL NEWS | | NCCC Offers Congregations Free Immigration Support Toolkit | | With recent increases in immigration enforcement activities, many in our communities are feeling heightened fear and uncertainty. As people of faith, we are called to respond with compassion, courage, and care. Our Congregational Immigration Response Toolkit offers practical, ready-to-use resources to help your congregation show up for immigrant neighbors. Inside, you’ll find: Talking points for faith leaders Worship and liturgical materials Scripture references rooted in justice and welcome Concrete steps your community can take right now
This toolkit is designed to support you in worship, study, advocacy, and community action—anytime, and especially now. | | | | | New from Friendship Press! | | Roots of Resilience: Black History Through the Eyes of Faith $19.99 Roots of Resilience: Black History Through the Eyes of Faith is a transformative guide designed to empower churches and communities to teach Black History with confidence and conviction. At a time when public education faces challenges in preserving these vital narratives, this resource places the stories of Black Americans within the context of faith, resilience, and justice.
Grounded in biblical principles, Roots of Resilience connects historical struggles and triumphs to the ongoing call for equity and love in action. Readers, congregations, and small groups alike will discover how understanding the past can illuminate the path toward a better future. | | More Releases from Friendship Press… |
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