Now introducing George Rae Terry, who arrived at 11:31 pm Arizona Time on May 11, 2020, weighing in at 7 lbs 15 ounces. Proud papa, Drew Terry, is the pastor of Oro Valley UCC. Congratulations to Drew and wife, Jade.
Rincon celebrated the birthday of its Director of Church Administration, Nancy Congdon, with a Drive-By Surprise Celebration. The wonderful turnout conveyed the love of the entire congregation.
First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque has a unique way to involve its members in weekly worship by asking folks to send pictures around a theme that will then be shared. On May 24th, for the story of the Ascension, pictures of the sky, clouds, or birds. On May 31st, for the Pentecost story, pictures of members wearing red, orange, or yellow or waving a flame.
While Rev Seth from Rincon takes a much deserved vacation week, Rev. Michael Bush of Casas Adobes UCC will welcome Rincon to gather for worship with them on May 24th.
Thanks to a generous donation, Taos UCC was able to donate a total of $2,000 to the Native American Relief Fund to help Native Americans on Navajo and in the southern Pueblos respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. That puts the total Mission Giving this year to just over $10,000. Not bad for a little new church start!
Debby Stinton, from Church of the Palms, passed her ordination interview and is approved by The UCC’s Southwest Conference COCAM (A) for her Ecclesiastical Council, which will likely happen in June or July. Congratulations, Debby!
Scottsdale UCC is planning a new Wedge Gallery Exhibit when they are finally able to open up the building and get back to some modified version of normal. The idea would be to ask people to submit any art that they created at home during the coronavirus lock down. This could be art by anyone from kids to elders. It could range from drawings, doodles, crafts, pics of sidewalk art or masks that were made, photographs, journals, poetry, songs, music, videos, slideshows or whatever folks consider “art” that came out of the lock down experience.
Rincon’s Justice and Witness Ministry Team (JAWM) and Creation Care team encourage us to participate in a webinar presented by the UCC’s Environmental Justice Ministry. The topic of the webinar is “Answering the Call: Environmental Justice is Health Justice.” The presentation will address the links between dirty air, environmental injustice, and COVID-19 death rates. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 1:00 p.m. Eastern—10:00 a.m. Tucson time. To join the webinar, simply sign up here. You’ll receive a link to the webinar. If you can’t view the webinar at the scheduled time, you’ll receive a recording of it.
Members and friends of the Arizona Faith Network, the First Church UCC Phoenix, Episcopal, Unitarian Universalist, and Jewish congregations, residents of the Beatitudes Campus, and the Greater Phoenix Network of Spiritual Progressives are sponsoring an interfaith discussion via Zoom of Revolutionary Love by Rabbi Michael Lerner. This book is a political manifesto to heal and transform the world. Rabbi Lerner with a Ph.D in psychology seeks to connect people from all political viewpoints for creating a political and economic system based on love and compassion. This 7-week book discussion will be held Monday evenings, 6-7:30 pm, starting June 1 via Zoom. Rev. James Pennington, Senior Pastor, First Church UCC Phoenix will facilitate with Zoom host, Rev. Katie Sexton, Executive Director, Arizona Faith Network. For more information contact Rev. Robert Koth: robertkoth2@gmail.com.