Desert Garden UCC has called Rev. Bill Utke to the Southwest Conference. Rev. Utke, currently in Hales Corner, WI, will arrive around Labor Day to begin his new ministry among us. Interim Pastor Len Silvester will be leaving this summer for a year abroad. (I guess that’s one way to honor your professional boundary! Have a wonderful adventure, Len!)
Church of the Red Rocks has partnered with the Sedona Soap Box to raise money for Hope House of Sedona, a church ministry to house homeless families. Forty percent of all sales will go to Hope House. GO TO: www.sedonasoapbox.com and Enter code HOPE at checkout.
Casas Adobes UCC will be holding Vacation Bible School (VBS) from June 14th through June 18th online each day via zoom for about an hour or perhaps a bit more. The theme will be Together in the World, Part II. Over the week, participants will be visiting five different countries. A VBS page on their website will include crafts, music, and recipes from each of the countries which can be completed at home and shared with other family members. Craft supplies will be mailed to each family.
The Arizona Faith Network Social Justice Commission will meet on May 6th at 8:30 on Zoom. All are welcome. The guest speaker will be Dr. Melissa Guardar, Asst Research Professor, Healthy Urban Environments Initiative, ASU, who will be sharing the need for additional cooling centers during the extreme summer heat. See the AFN website to register. Arizonafaithnetwork.org
AARP has expressed their appreciation and thanks for the use of the Shadow Rock campus for tax preparation assistance this year. They were able to help about 375 taxpayers, most of whom were low income. They had positive feedback related to the physical space and Shadow Rock’s hospitality.
First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque applied for and received a $48,000 PPP loan last year, not knowing how the year would go financially. But the church stepped up and paid all its expenses, so at their Congregational Meeting later this month, a vote will be taken to return the money.
Congregational Church of the Valley raised over $3000 toward the SW Conference goal of $15,000 to retire medical debt. As of a few days ago, the SWC had received $19,414, which triggered a $15,000 match from the Conference. This will relieve nearly $3.4 million in debt for people in AZ, NM, El Paso county, and the Dine Nation.
Church of the Beatitudes Member in Discernment, ellie hutchison, has been teaching creative writing - from poetry to fiction to personal essay - with groups of all ages since the mid-2000s. Stemming from the Common Grounds Border Conference in Sahuarita, AZ, ellie and an aspiring group of writers gather twice a month to cultivate their craft. laPWG produces events to spur conversation, writing, & storytelling to discover our collective & individual identities & sense of belonging. Join ellie on the 2nd Wednesday of each month for an open writing space where you can come work on what you are writing or be guided with new spontaneous writing prompts and then come back for the 4th Wednesday of each month to workshop what you have been writing. Each Wednesday gathering is held from 12:30 to 2pm and you can join by clicking this button below:
Meeting ID: 993 7900 4058
Passcode: 1adNCC
Shepherd of the Hills will be partaking in a Mother's Day Diaper Drive this year to benefit the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona. SoH member Gabi Young is President of the organization. After a year where so many moms lost jobs, and with the major diaper manufacturers having announced price increases that will take effect this summer, the goal is to get over 800,000 diapers out the door and in the hands of families who most need help. It is estimated that they will reach 8,500-9,500 children in Maricopa County this year if able to do that.