What are we doing? Our December meeting was joyous but busy with many decisions made about the distribution of our JLA funds to organizations that emulate our vision and help the vulnerable among us. We shared a delicious meal and fun moments. The Gifts that Give Fair was very well attended and successful for […]
The Edwards Church Board of Wider Mission
The Justice and Love in Action Team focuses on social justice issues, in hopes of expanding circles of healing and justice to neighbors near and far. In recent years, we have provided numerous opportunities to respond in love to the crises of changing climate and increased public hatred. Our committee worked to provide the Edwards community concrete ways to engage in acts of compassion and social change on our campus, in the broader local community, and globally.
Preparing ourselves to care for our wider community
In order to positively impact our community, Justice and Love in Action offers educational opportunities to help us learn about issues of justice and the environment. We aim to learn more about systems of oppression in hopes of creating change, and to discover and implement ways of being more environmentally sustainable.
Supporting and promoting justice in our local community
Justice and Love in Action helps our congregation positively impact the lives of people in our local community. We support local folks who are homeless and/or in need of day to day necessities, recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers, and we also look for opportunities to help make our nearby towns more welcoming and just for everyone. These include a Martin Luther King Conference in Framingham; Framingham Comes Together; Palm Sunday Parade with our campus' partnering worship committees; and contributions to A Place to Turn, One Less Gift, and Worcester Fellowship, among many others.
Supporting and promoting justice in the wider world
We also seek to extend care to people nationally and internationally, both in moments of crisis and for building ongoing, sustainable support.
Our 2023 annual report is available, and you will find our latest activities below.
Justice and Love in Action Team… in Action in December
What are we doing? JLA is rapidly speeding toward the end of the year with the Gifts that Give event on Sunday, December 7, during the coffee hour, and the finalization of our annual giving list. And we’re excited to welcome our newest team member, Martha Coleman. We collected all 1,000 boxes of […]
Justice and Love in Action Team … in Action in November
What are we doing? October was a very busy month for our team. The celebration of our ONA 25th Anniversary was truly rewarding. This included a dinner for the LGBT Asylum Task Force at Hadwen Park, UCC, a dinner for over 50 people in Edwards Hall and an amazing worship service. Thanks to our Area […]
Justice and Love in Action Team … in Action in October
What are we doing? LGBT Asylum Task Force Monthly Dinner Many church members gathered on September 7 to chop lots of different vegetables, measure spices, and stir the pot of Moroccan Stew to be served at the Task Force dinner in Worcester the next day. Four members of the church traveled to Worcester to finish […]
Justice and Love in Action Team … in Action
What are we doing? In our JLA meeting in August, we realized there are many in our congregation who are actively advocating for the vulnerable immigrants in our communities and in our country. We thought you would like to know just a few of the ways our congregants are helping. They are: Assisting immigrants […]
Message from UCC Conference
We are saddened and outraged by the murders of three black people by a white supremacist in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday. We hold in prayer the families of the people who were slain and all who loved them. We pray for the entire community of Jacksonville and for black people throughout the U.S., who are […]
Intentional Money Habits
Workshop: Align Your Money to Your Anti-Racist Principles – Edwards Hall Thursday, August 3, 6:00 p.m. — Potluck, 6:30 p.m. — Workshop Together we can make a difference in the racial wealth gap! No matter how much money you have, you can shift power through intentional spending habits, charitable giving, and investments/saving. In this […]
Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry
Edwards Church is excited to partner with the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ to bring the Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry to Framingham. Created by women in nine UCC congregations in New Hampshire in the days following the murder of George Floyd, the ten Sacred Ally Quilts document the painful experience […]
Reflections on the Challenge of Becoming Antiracist
As I reflect on my journey to become an antiracism activist, I remember when I didn’t know what white privilege was. Growing up 1960s I remember seeing marches on TV before my father changed the channel, hearing about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at our UCC church and talking at the Sunday dinner table […]
September Special Offering
Sunrise School for Learners with Autism in Kenya We invite you to give generously to Sunrise School in Mumias, Kenya. This boarding school teaches children with special needs to care for themselves and share their gifts with their communities. Over the last year, we have created quilts which have been brought to the Sunrise School. […]