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Please join us in the Guild Room for a film screening, discussion, and pizza. The Let’s Watch Movie Series presents a documentary about Camp Jened, a groundbreaking summer camp for teens with disabilities that proved so inspiring that a group of alumni joined the radical disability rights movement to advocate for historic legislation changes. The documentary was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. It is the 35th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). When it was signed in 1990 by George H. W. Bush, UCC Pastor Harold Wilke, who was born without arms, was present. The ADA is now under attack with anti-DEI legislation and Medicaid budget cuts.
If you can join, please RSVP by clicking here.
Gather with like-minded climate activists at the Montclair Public Library (50 S. Fullerton, Montclair) at 8:15am and ride the bus to Trenton for the Climate Superfund rally. At 10am, the group will arrive in Trenton to lobby legislators and attend the rally. The bus will depart Trenton at 2:30pm and arrive back in Montclair at 4pm. From the organizers: “as storms, floods, and heat waves grow stronger every year, New Jersey communities are footing the bill for damage caused by the biggest corporate polluters. The Climate Superfund Act would make oil and gas corporations pay their fair share to fund climate resilience projects. The bill has passed the Environment Committees in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate, garnered support from 52 legislative cosponsors, and is backed by 56 municipal governments that have passed resolutions in support of this critical legislation. Now, we need to get it through the remaining committees, floor votes, and signed into law by Governor Murphy.”
If you can join, please register by clicking here.
Standing Together is a grassroots Jewish-Arab movement fighting for peace, equality, and social justice for Jews and Palestinians in Israel-Palestine. Standing Together works on a wide range of issues, including real security, adequate housing, quality education, good healthcare, a livable climate, a decent salary, the ability to age with dignity and most critically these past two years, peace and an end to the occupation. As long-time leaders of Standing Together, Alon-Lee Green and Sally Abed are uniquely positioned to speak about how they work to create a shared home for all – not by erasing differences but through true partnership based on shared interests. They will share their work and vision with us in this particularly uncertain moment in time. Bnai Keshet is located at 99 South Fullerton Avenue.
We have a Racial Justice Ministry Team which guides our work towards internal transformation and external solidarity around issues of racial justice. The church recognizes God’s call to us, as Christians, to engage more deeply and discern where and how Union Congregational Church ought to learn from, support, and journey with changemakers in our local communities to transform dynamics of racialized exclusion, harm, and trauma, into patterns and experiences of human solidarity for inclusive thriving and racial justice. Racial Justice is a ’24-25 Missional Priority for the church.
We are always seeking to live out our commitment to care for God’s creation. This includes the installation of solar panels in 2020, and the ongoing efforts to “green” our campus and educate ourselves. Momentum grew at the beginning of 2024, when three houses of worship gathered (Bnai Keshet, First Cong, and Union Cong), and decided they would like to combine their efforts working towards climate justice. This grew into 15 congregations and three community groups forming “Interfaith Climate Justice NJ.” The Interfaith Climate Justice NJ group has organized a march in downtown Montclair, attended rallies together, and produced a “Clean Energy Fair” that took place at the church.
The “Let’s Watch Film Series” is a film and discussion series that aims to heighten historical awareness and normalize opportunities to reflect collectively on how ideologies and structures and experiences of racism and white superiority are legacies that impact our realities at present. To date, we’ve screened and facilitated dialogue on Selma, Rustin, My Name Is Pauli Murray, Migration, Segregated By Design, and The Evolution Of Grace Lee Boggs.
In the spirit of God’s boundless love, Union Congregational Church opens its doors wide to all. We welcome God’s people and celebrate the many images of the Divine manifested in differing gender expressions, identities and sexual orientations. Our support and celebration is demonstrated in affirming liturgies, inclusive music, and active community engagement. The church has created events for the Montclair LGBTQ+ community, co-sponsored events with local organizations, and offered the church as a space for local LGBTQ+ groups to gather. We have joyfully welcomed and celebrated LGBTQ+ people in every aspect of church life, including clergy, since 2001.
We were proud to be a founding member of Essex Together in Spring 2023. Through Essex Together we join with organizations across the county (and in NJ Together across the state) to advocate on issues around criminal justice reform, education reform, and green energy.
We work to support non-profit partners in our community that work towards food security with our time, talent and treasure. We seek out regular opportunities for hands on service by preparing food for Christine’s Kitchen, supplies for Bridges, and volunteer at MESH and CUMAC.
Our congregation has been committed to refugee resettlement for decades. Most recently, we have been working with Church World Service to assist recent arrivals as they transition to life in our area.
What are you passionate about? If you have an idea of how we can live out our call to create a just world for all, contact Rev. Katrina.
Here are some examples of our most recent Justice and Community Engagement work:
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