The results of MCU organizing have directly benefitted Fran Collier's family. She has a passion for service and justice that gives her the strength to speak up boldly even when it's hard to. Your passion also has a place at MCU. Call 314-367-3484 or email office@mcustl.com to join the work. Or go to mcustlouis.org/give/ to support MCU.

On October 9th, MCU hosted a public meeting at Centennial Christian Church in the Fountain Park neighborhood in the city of St. Louis. The theme of the meeting was Look Up And Live Thirteen elected officials, candidates, or their representatives were in attendance at our public meeting to first listen to the stories of people from communities impacted by injustices in our society - and then secondly to publicly commit to working for solutions.

It's election season and we talk with DeMarco Davidson and Latrell Stanton about how MCU is engaging voters before Nov. 8th. Join Metropolitan Congregregations United at these two important events with candidates and elected officials. Justice is on the ballot. October 9th - Look Up and Live Public Meeting. Register at bit.ly/MCULookUpLive October 13th - Candidate Forum for MO 24th Senate District. Register at bit.ly/MCUdistrict24

Gov. Parson has called for a special session of the Missouri legislature in order to pass tax credits and cuts. But what is the impact on Missouri's already underfunded education, health care, and social service sectors? We talk with State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, Traci Gleason of the Missouri Budget Project, and J-Mo from Metropolitan Congregations United about the impact of the proposed cuts and Missouri's out-of-date and unjust tax laws. Join MCU on Sept. 22 for a candidate forum with those vying for the 24th state senate district. We will be asking about their commitments to justice. Register at www.bit.ly/MCUdistrict24. Find and contact your state legislators at https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default.aspx Learn more about the proposals from the Governor and their impact at the Missouri Budget Project: https://www.mobudget.org/

MCU needs you. Join us in insisting that local school boards go above and beyond to get the lead out of school drinking water. But how do we do that? J-MO, Organizer and Lead Campaign Strategist for MCU, tells us about the upcoming training on how to "Powerfully Engage with Boards and Commissions." The event will be on Thursday, September 8, over Zoom. Learn from community organizers from MCU, the Sierra Club, the Water Institute at St. Louis University, and Great Rivers Environmental Law. Sign up now at: https://secure.everyaction.com/-UZiMOGaBESiuskMNjV3fA2 Also, mark your calendars for September 22 for a Candidate Forum with the candidates for the Missouri State Senate's District 24. The event will be held at the Ethical Society of St. Louis.

MCU along with the Sierra Club are demanding that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reform the state's air permit process, allowing more transparency, more opportunity for community input, and taking into account the cumulative impact on the community. We talk with Catherine Le, an intern with the MCU Environmental Justice Task Force, and Rajiv Ravulapati, the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. Sign the petition to reform the Air Permitting Process: https://bit.ly/MOAirPermitReform Join MCU to deliver the petition to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources: https://secure.everyaction.com/9YL-CaP7OEyJMHqSm7jbBg2 Track air quality in your neighborhood: https://airwatchstl.mcustlouis.org

What ID will you need the next time you vote? How do you obtain the necessary ID? What has changed with absentee voting? What are the changes to registering voters? We talk over all of these things with Denise Lieberman, Denise Lieberman, the Director & General Counsel at Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. Important links for voting: MO Secretary of State: https://www.sos.mo.gov/ St. Francis Xavier College Church ID Assistance: https://sfxstl.org/birth-certificates-and-ids Missouri Voter Protection Coalition: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMissouriVoters Text MOVPC to 66866 or email info@movpc.org

Listen back to highlights from the 2022 Air Quality Rally. The program was hosted by Miles Brenton and you will hear from Rev. Kevin Anthony, DeAndress Green, Mamie Cosey, Rajiv Ravulapati, Dale Wojtkowski, Zach Chike, and Fr. Michler. Sponsors included Metropolitan Congregations United, United Congregations of Metro East, the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Take action: MO Residents Demanding the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reform its air permitting policy: https://bit.ly/MOAirPermitReform IL Residents demand your state representatives support the Illinois Environmental Justice Permitting Bill: https://secure.everyaction.com/kg2wc7-OGEO2d-VIzqVLMw2 Join the UCM Youth Leadership training on 8/6: https://secure.everyaction.com/WV9mdclXikmZiaKARjimdQ2 Join MCU on 9/8 to learn how to Powerfully Engage with Boards and Commissions: https://secure.everyaction.com/-UZiMOGaBESiuskMNjV3fA2 Join the IL Sierra Club on 9/17 for the Mississippi Earthtones Festival: https://downtownalton.com/events/mississippi-earthtones-festival/

Sister Dolores Sanchez and Adrian Stillman, of the MCU Environmental Task Force, talk about the March for Air Quality on July 23rd, air quality monitoring stations at area churches, passage of lead filtering legislation, and keeping our neighborhoods clean. Join us at the March for Air Quality, July 23 at the McKinley Bridge. Register at bit.ly/airrally22 Track your neighborhood's air quality at https://airwatchstl.mcustlouis.org/

This is Part 1 of our legislative update, reviewing the just completed Missouri Legislature general session. J-MO, Organizer and Lead Campaign Strategist for MCU, and Allyn Harris Dault, of the MCU Legislative Task Force, the ups and downs of this spring, including voting rights, nurseries for new mothers who are incarcerated, public school funding, sexual assault survivors rights, the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, and controlling utility rate increases on those with limited incomes.

This is Part 1 of our legislative update, reviewing the just completed Missouri Legislature general session. J-MO, Organizer and Lead Campaign Strategist for MCU, and Allyn Harris Dault, of the MCU Legislative Task Force, the ups and downs of this spring, including removing lead from school drinking water, protecting the initiative petition process and Medicaid expansion, and the attempt to restrict the teaching of truth in school.

Did you miss the MCU gala 'Dancing In The Streets"? Listen to powerful testimonies from Bethany Johnson-Javois, President & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, Barbara Johnson, MCU board member and organizer, Rev. Dr. Wendy Bruner, MCU Board President, DeMarco Davidson, MCU Sacred Votes Lead Organizer, Sarah Rose, MCU Treasurer, and Fran Collier, MCU organizer. We also recognized the long-term work of Rev. Dietra Wise Baker, Rev. Susan Sneed, and Jai Johnson. Your contribution supports the work of these amazing people as we increase voter turnout, break the school-to-prison pipeline, get lead out of school drinking water, track air quality, and hold those in power accountable for creating a just and equitable community where all can thrive. Give now at https://secure.everyaction.com/ejChtOI04U-HfLpTOd4L_g2

Tenants are joining together to protest poor living conditions in their apartments. Congregations are tracking the air quality in their neighborhoods. MCU organizers Myisha Johnson and Beth Gutzler bring us up to date on all of the action from the Housing and Environmental Justice Task forces. Join MCU for the Housing Task Force Kick Off Event, May 31st at 7:30 PM over Zoom. Join MCU for the Clean Air Rally and March, July 23rd at the McKinley Bridge Roadside Park. For more information contact Myisha Johnson at myisha@mcustl.com or Beth Gutzler at beth@mcustl.com

You and your congregation are invited to "Dancing in the Streets" on May 19th, the 2022 MCU fundraising gala, featuring dinner, dancing, organizing, fundraising, and community building. In this episode, hear what MCU means to our organizers as we work to create a better life for all residents of the St. Louis region. You can support these powerful organizers by joining us on May 19th at the Polish Heritage Center for Dancing in the Streets. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/MCUGala.

Listen to another presentation from the 2022 Marilyn Stavenger Social Justice Symposium. Denise Lieberman, Director & General Counsel at Missouri Voter Protection Coalition describes the struggle for voting rights in the United States and in Missouri and the current threats to voting rights in bills before the state legislature. Learn more about the Deaconess Foundation at https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMissouriVoters/ If you are ready to join us in the work for justice in the St. Louis area, contact us at 314-367-3484 or office@mcustl.com You can learn more and contribute to Metropolitan Congregations United on our website: mcustlouis.org. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and events.

Listen to presentations from the 2022 Marilyn Stavenger Social Justice Symposium. Through the Psalms, Dr. Clint McCann, Evangelical Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Eden Seminary, shows how the work for justice is the desire of God. And Bethany Johnson-Javois, the President and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation, challenges participants to understand how citizens can feel that their daily lives are disconnected from voting, and a new approach is needed to increase participation. Learn more about the Deaconess Foundation at https://deaconess.org/ Learn more about Eden Seminary at https://www.eden.edu/ If you are ready to join us in the work for justice in the St. Louis area, contact us at 314-367-3484 or office@mcustl.com You can learn more and contribute to Metropolitan Congregations United on our website: mcustlouis.org. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and events.

MCU and other members of the national Gamaliel Network will be meeting in Memphis, TN, April 21-24, for a Get Out The Vote canvassing event ahead of the Tenessee primaries. MCU Executive Director, David Gerth, and MCU Sacred Votes Organizer, DeMarco Davidson tell us how the issues in Memphis are similar to issues in St. Louis. The weekend promises to build national relationships and energize local organizers for the August and November elections. Learn more about the Gamaliel Network at https://gamaliel.org/ If you are ready to join us in the work for justice in the St. Louis area, contact us at 314-367-3484 or office@mcustl.com You can learn more and contribute to Metropolitan Congregations United on our website: mcustlouis.org. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and events.

Join MCU, Peace United Church of Christ, and Eden seminary for the 2022 Marilyn Stavenger Social Justice Symposium. Register at www.eden.edu/events/marilyn-stavenger-justice-symposium We talk with MCU Board President, Rev. Wendy Bruner about the program and Julie Burchett of Churches Together for Justice of Webster Groves about activities related to the Symposium that put the symposium's values in action. This year's symposium is entitled, “Rooted in Justice: Claiming Our Dignity, Embracing Our Power.” Featured speakers will be Bethany Johnson-Javois, President & CEO, Deaconess Foundation, Denise Lieberman, Director & General Counsel, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, J. Clinton McCann, Evangelical Professor of Biblical Interpretation, Eden Theological Seminary.

The Missouri legislative session is in full swing and today we talk about the attempts by the legislature to stifle the teaching of historical truth in classrooms and the attempt to change the initiative petition process. Our guests are J-MO, Organizer & Lead Campaign Strategist for MCU, and Allyn Harris Dault, a leader with the MCU Legislative Task Force. Quick links to participate in our legislative actions: Stop Suppression of Honest Teaching About Racism: take action to protect academic freedom and comprehensive education about racism and U.S. history: https://secure.everyaction.com/uI-KumCa5Emig4m5YiLqmw2 Protect Our Initiative Petition Process: Email your legislators now and tell them to oppose any effort to censor Missouri voters by making it harder to put issues on the ballot: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-our-initiative-petition-process If you are ready to join us in the work for justice in the St. Louis area, contact us at 314-367-3484 or office@mcustl.com You can learn more and contribute to Metropolitan Congregations United on our website: mcustlouis.org. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and events.