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Heed Scripture — and Honor Teachers With Fair Wages Adam Russell Taylor This Tuesday marked back to school day for my two boys, who are entering fourth and sixth grade at an Episcopal school that welcomes students of all faiths. The annual rite — which for our family always seems to involve the Mission: Impossible-style task, led by my wife, of getting all the right books and school supplies in time — left me with mixed feelings, which I suspect many fellow parents share. On one hand, I am excited for all the new school year offers my kids: new teachers, new friends, a new season of athletics, and all the other extracurricular activities that bring my kids so much joy. On the other, I feel the weight of a mounting crisis in our nation’s education system, especially in public schools, where the pandemic revealed such deep and long-standing racial inequities. I grew up in public schools and fervently believe that public education is one of the most important investments we should make to advance the common good. Yet as a parent who is fortunate enough to have the option of sending my kids to a private school — a decision my wife and I did not make lightly — I am acutely aware of the inequity between my kids’ school and most public schools in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The school my kids attend was able to manage the disruptive challenges of the pandemic relatively well with state-of-the-art remote learning technology and, once school resumed in-person, the ability to offer students weekly COVID-19 tests and outdoor options for lunch. These and other advantages should have been standard for kids across the country. But that was far from the case. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Money, Faith and You: Online Study Groups What does Christian faith say about managing our money in ways that support people and the planet? Faith and Money Network’s study groups meet via video conference to study and discuss faith-driven approaches to daily life’s money choices. New group starts September 14! Senior Pastor for UCC church in Northern Virginia Little River United Church of Christ is a progressive, open and affirming community of believers in Annandale, Va. We seek a full-time Senior Pastor who can lead us in our faith journey and guide us as we grow and diversify. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong preaching and leadership skills. President and CEO, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is seeking a justice-focused and empathetic President and CEO to deepen the organization’s impact through staff leadership, community member partnership, and client service. Pastor Search: United Church of the San Juans, Ridgway, Colorado Nestled in the beauty of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, The United Church of the San Juans in Ridgway, Colorado, is seeking a permanent pastor in a part-time relationship. Our negotiable compensation package far exceeds the minimum financial requirements of our denominational affiliates, PC(USA), ELCA, UCC and UMC. This is an opportunity for a bi-vocational ministry as well. We invite interested candidates, who are ordained or accepted by one of our affiliates, to contact our Pastor Search Team via email at ucsjpst@gmail.com to request a ministry overview.

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