What We Do

“But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

—Amos 5:24

Putting Prayers into Action

We acknowledge the importance of charitable contributions for short-term relief. But we focus on understanding root causes of inequities and then work for solutions to systemic problems not addressed by charity alone. We work for justice with community partners to level the playing field for more of our neighbors. We do so by advocating for policy changes, creating or supporting projects that empower those on the margins, exposing prejudices, supporting educational efforts, and participating in legal protests.

That can mean working with Family Promise to support families who are without homes and sending volunteers to tutor recent immigrants at Belong. It can mean volunteering our time with Soul of Somanya so that artisans in Ghana can earn a fair wage. It can mean attending a gay pride rally and supporting the work of Prism United. It can mean donating resources to assist former felon re-entry support at The Neighbor Center. It can mean sponsoring and supporting an Iraqi refugee family.

Because we choose to rent worship and office space from another church, we are able to share more of our resources with the larger community. We support local social justice organizations with monetary donations and leadership. We bless the work many of our members do as leaders in organizations like the Sierra Club, the Southern Transgender Alliance, and the League of Women Voters. The special offerings we give through the United Church of Christ also serve people throughout the world with emergency aid relief, medical and educational resources, and advocacy.

Organizations we SUpport

FAMILY Promise

We are a support congregation for Family Promise that hosts and feeds homeless families as they find jobs and housing in our community.

Soul of Somanya

We support this fair-trade nonprofit that provides living-wage employment of artisans in Ghana who specialize in handcrafted jewelry.

LGBTQ Advocacy

We work for justice for the LGBTQ+ community through fundraising, education and advocacy, support for Southern Transgender Alliance, and through the family, teen, and pre-teen support groups of Prism United.

Belong

We support Belong, a nonprofit organization founded by Juan Torres that provides tutoring for ESL school children, English language instruction for their parents, and support for new immigrants passing through the Greyhound bus station.

GCCC

Open Table is a founding member of Gulf Coast Creation Care, a faith-based climate action alliance focusing our community’s moral attention on our ecological crisis and mobilizing all people to bold and just action.

Alabama Arise

Open Table supports the work of Alabama Arise to address systems that create poverty through research and advocacy.