1st Congregational UCC of Albuquerque announces Deborah Hill’s Ecclesiastical Council on April 26th- Deborah Hill, who was ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is seeking Ordained Ministerial Standing in the UCC. She has completed all but the last step in that process. Her Ecclesiastical Council (examination of the person by a body comprised of delegates from area congregations as well as ordained UCC clergy) will be held on Sunday, April 26th at 4pm via Zoom. Deborah has been a member of First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque for more than a year. In addition to being a school nurse, she is a chaplain at the University of New Mexico hospital. We hope you take the time to read her fabulous paper and to attend the zoom Council. You need not be a delegate to attend, but you can only vote if you are UCC clergy or a delegate of a UCC congregation in the Southwest Conference. Read her paper here.
Oro Valley UCC adopted their new Mission and Vision Statement: “Enthusiastic, spiritual followers of Christ practicing inclusive Worship of God. Through covenantal relationship, we promote benevolence, mission and outreach, and justice for all.”
While you’re inside flattening the curve, what better time to gather up your data and measure your carbon footprint. Join Interfaith Power and Light for a webinar to demonstrate the NEW Cool Congregations calculator for your congregational facilities -- and for your home too.
Register for the webinar on April 30 at 12 noon Pacific/ 3pm Eastern.
The calculators measure the energy to heat and cool and power your buildings, transportation, food, and procurement or dollars spent on goods and services.
Register for the webinar here.
Check out the calculators here.
At the Church of the Palms, the COVID-19 virus isn't slowing them down! The new organ was installed. A washer and dryer was installed for their I-Help program and is working well! And the peace pole in the labyrinth now glows at night!
The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita recommends:
Brene Brown Podcast: For those who have read her books, or for those who have participated in one of our study groups, this podcast might be helpful to you. Brene Brown has created this podcast just for these days of Covid-19. You can find her podcast here.
This week's guest in Conversations with the Rev. John Dorhauer was Four-Way Covenant Partner and Member of the Shepherd of the Hills Family, Rev. Tina Campbell, who currently serves as a UCC chaplain at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Tina tells how so much has changed at the hospital since Covid-19--how it went from actually being a "happy place," with activities of all kinds for children, to emptiness and boredom due to the restrictions the hospital was forced to enact. Important medical decisions by parents are often done over the phone now because only one visitor is allowed with the child at a time. Watch Tina's interview and others by googling "Conversations with John United Church of Christ". The interview with Karen Thompson is also extremely powerful as she talks about her father's death from Civid-19.
The Faith Development ministry team at Rincon invites members to become "pen-pals" with someone else in the church! This is a chance to get to know someone you've never met or learn more about an old friend. Folks can make contact the old way with pen, paper and stamps, send an email, make a phone call or connect via text! The opportunities are endless: share a favorite poem, send a personal drawing or a colored picture, share how you are sheltering-in-place, etc etc! Children are highly encouraged to participate.
A big thank-you to Scottsdale UCC's youth and mission team, who are busily assembling masks for staff at Phoenix Children's Hospital, as well as for personnel at Scottsdale Banner Behavioral Health. One member, who has made over 35 masks, has been delivering masks to many individuals, including our Southwest Conference Minister Bill and Tina, the UCC weekend chaplain at Children's Hospital!
A family of four (Dad, Mom, daughter-14 and son-2), asylum seekers from civil war in Kyrgyzstan and anti-Muslim terror in Moscow, departed the Rincon UCC Refugee Shelter last July. Their status hearing has been delayed until September 31 and their employment documents will not be activated until January 2021. The family will lose their current housing May 31. They have a caseworker from IRC and get food from local food banks. Mom and daughter, an 8th grade honor roll student, speak English well and Dad is enrolled in classes. Best housing would be near public transportation but they have bikes. Permanent housing near a Tucson high school would be ideal, but a temporary summer location would really help. Does anyone have contacts in the Tucson area? Contact Ginger at 337-281-0187 or Gingerhalespassage@gmail.com