by DC Jobs with Justice | Sep 3, 2010 | Interfaith Worker Justice, Projects
This Labor Day weekend, 27 local churches will be celebrating workers and labor during their services through the Labor in the Pulpits program. Dozens of local synagogues and temples will also be celebrating workers through the Labor on the Bimah program, organized by Jews United for Justice.rnrnMany participating congregations will raise up worker justice issues during sermons and homilies, while others will offer prayers of blessing for workers or for the unemployed. Some congregations have invited guest speakers or organized special programs after services. rnrnAt McKendree-Simms Brookland UMC in DC, Kimberly Freeman Brown, Executive Director at American Rights at Work, will speak about the movement to expand the organizing rights, while at Woodside UMC in Bethesda, Chris Neif of the United Food and Commercial Workers will speak about efforts to organize Wal-Mart. rnrnAt Foundry United Methodist Church on 16th Street, Rev. Dr. Miguel de la Torre will give a guest sermon on “God, Immigration, and Work.†The special service, which will feature a blessing of day laborers, will be followed by fellowship luncheon with the Union de Trabajadores and, later in the evening, a film showing of the documentary “Igual Que Tu.â€rnrnChurch of the Pilgrim Presbyterian will be turning over their pulpit to the Rev. Phil Tom, who formerly served as the Director of Urban Ministry for the Presbyterian Church (USA), and now serves as Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for the Department of Labor. rnrnThe local Labor Day weekend activities are part of the national Labor in the Pulpits/Labor on the Bimah programs. For more info, and to see resources for worship, visit the Interfaith Worker Justice...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jul 23, 2007 | Interfaith Worker Justice, Projects
For the past 6 years, congregations around the DC metro area, and around the country, have been using Labor Day as an opportunity to remember God’s call to pursue justice, to honor people’s labor and to recall the religious traditions that dignify and celebrate work. Click here to find out how to participate and sign up today!rn rnLast year more then 50 local congregations participated in the annual Labor in the Pulpits, Labor on the Bimah, and Labor on the Minbar program, which is organized by Interfaith Worker Justice of Greater Washington, Jews United for Justice, the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO and the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO.rn rn rnCongregations participate in a variety of ways: by hosting a guest speaker during or after services, holding a special discussion program, or simply offerring special prayers to raise up workers in our community. Participating congregations receive resource packets including scripture, denominational statements on worker justice, sample presentations, prayers, and bulletin/newsletter inserts. rn...