UCC PIN’s resource, “Crisis in Gaza: Leading Congregations to Understanding and Action,” is now completed and ready to be shared widely. We urge congregations to use it as a guide for study and for prophetic and persistent action. The need is urgent, as the crisis in Gaza becomes more dire each day.
UCC PIN hopes and prays that the content of “Crisis in Gaza” will serve to motivate and equip congregations to act and speak out. Presented in a user-friendly power point format and also available as a video, “Crisis in Gaza” is organized into five sections which follow an introduction by the Rev. John Thomas. The sections are:
(1) This is a catastrophe: the Nakba (Arabic for ‘catastrophe’) then in 1948, now, and in between;
(2) The voice of our Palestinian Christian Partners;
(3) The witness, resolutions, and work of the UCC;
(4) Challenges to bearing prophetic witness;
(5) Taking action immediately and over time: education, research, advocacy.
By design, the resource is flexible and lends itself to multi-session use. You can find a link to “Crisis in Gaza” on the UCC PIN website here. Because of its large size, to access and open it, you will have to download it through Google Drive in four steps: (1) click on the image of the Crisis in Gaza title page (2) on the next screen click on the blue download button, below the message "can't preview this file"; (3) on the next screen click on the "Download it anyway" button below the message, "Google Drive can't scan this file for viruses." It is safe to download; (4) once the file has completed its download, you can open it, click on the Slideshow tab, then on "from beginning," and activate the show and narration. We recommend you use this power point in the "protected view" mode.
We are eager for your feedback. Please use our UCC PIN email info@uccpin.org to share with us how you use the resource, your assessment of it, and the actions your congregation takes.