Fun idea for a fundraiser from First Congregational in Albuquerque.
A new ministry program, Doing Grief in Real Life, is being offered at Church of the Palms by Shea Darian, a grief educator and spiritual director who teaches holistic grieving as a life-skill. Shea offers a new way to think about grief and grieving that will help participants learn to use their grief as a life force for healing.
El Pueblo de Flagstaff is a network of Flagstaff community people prepared to protect the wholeness and wellness of communities being targeted and torn apart by ICE and other forms of state violence. They partnered with First Congregational UCC of Flagstaff to raise emergency funds for undocumented immigrants unable to receive normal state benefits during the pandemic. The fundraiser started on April 14, 2020 with the goal of raising $50,000. By July 22, they raised $100,109 with 388 donations from individuals, institutions and families. The Southwest Conference, United Way of Northern Arizona COVID-19 Fund and Coconino Federal Credit Union are some of the institutions that contributed. El Pueblo de Flagstaff also received a UCC Neighbors in Need grant, sponsored by FCCF.
The event, SaveAsylum: Protesting the Dismantling of Asylum, took place in Nogales on both sides of the border to address hate and fear. As the master of ceremonies on the U.S. side, Pastor Michael Lonergan of Church of the Painted Hills, offered an opening prayer and read a statement reminding everyone that U. S. law gives people the right to apply for asylum. The event ended with a call to action, followed by a powerful reading of a modern statement of blessings and woes. This reading listed the blessings the asylum seekers will receive and it offered warnings to those responsible for the horrendous treatment these asylum seekers receive.
Scottsdale UCC would normally be planning to head up to the mountains for their Labor Day Weekend Intergenerational Church Family Camp at Mingus Springs. However, the church will stay home this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, believing they should still uphold the connectivity and the sense of togetherness that they would otherwise receive if they were attending Mingus in person, the various events will occur virtually and will all reflect activities done at camp in one way or another.
Arts & Crafts
Household Scavenger Hunt
Solve a Mystery Throughout the Weekend
Pet Fashion Show
Scary Stories
Talentless Talent Show
Las Cruces Public Schools is starting the school year with online, remote learning. As you can imagine, this is a difficult environment for both teachers and students. To assist, the schools supply students in need with computers or tablets as well as other basic supplies, but not earbuds or headphones. There is a real need for these to help students concentrate on their classes and to reduce the interference of school lessons with parents who also may be working from home. First Christian Church has agreed to work with Yvette Enriquez, Project Link Lead Family School Liaison for the school system, to help provide earbuds and headphones to those students in need.
From the national setting (Simply go to their website to look at the topics and register)
Tuesdays for Nurture are the occasional Tuesday webinars which faithfully focus on education for the people of God. Topics from faith-filled politics to "how tos" in congregational life to the impacts of current realities on the life of the church are featured. Each webinar includes clear suggestions on what YOU can do to change the church, and the world, towards the world God imagines for us.
Thursdays for the Soul: A webinar series to care for the whole church. Topics are wide ranging, and are focused on the spirituality and care of people. Prayer, worship, music, psalm readings, or compassionate teaching are included. This will be a predictable time of gathering for something to feed your spirit, offered by Faith Education, Innovation, and Formation and Justice and Local Church Ministries of the national setting, United Church of Christ.