Grace Bunker, a member at Casas Adobes and past missionary and active Conference volunteer, has compiled and edited In the Service of God and Man: The General Letters of Sydney K Bunker in Jaffna, Ceylon 1937 -1966. The book is now available on Amazon Books. These are 50 letters written by Sydney Bunker, Grace's father, to friends and family about the work of Sydney Bunker and his wife Ruth. Each letter starts where the previous letter left off so it is a continuous account of their work, the history of the UCC mission in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the history of the Jaffna College, and the history of Ceylon from the Colonial Period through WWII, the coming of Independence, and the chaotic years of ethnic strife that followed.
The Church of the Palms will host its 19th Annual Interfaith Conference onsite this November 4 & 5 during National Native American Heritage month. Consistent with the church’s mission statement of love of God, justice, and extravagant welcome, this is an interfaith opportunity to bridge connections to Indigenous peoples. The theme is Native American Spirituality. Kaitlin Curtice, a nationally known speaker, Potawatomi Indian, author, and poet will be the speaker. For information and to register, go to www.thepalms.org and click on the event.
Congratulations to Clara Sims from First Congregational in Albuquerque, who was officially accepted as a Member in Discernment (MID) by the Committee on Church and Ministry of the Southwest Conference at its meeting on October 11. This is a major step forward on her path toward ordination in the UCC.
The Sacred Sites team at Shadow Rock has an an all day, high altitude trip coming up soon. On Saturday, October 22 the group will head to Sunset Crater and the Wupatki Ruins.
Join Arizona Faith Network and its partners for a faithful dialogue and education series leading to the 2022 midterm elections. Together we will work to speak truth and justice as we build bridges across the divides this election season. The currently-scheduled events will be held virtually, so please use the RSVP link to sign up for the series
Oct 18th - 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch & Learn (propositions)
Oct 20th - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Training: Peacekeeping at the Polls
Oct 25th - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Candidate Conversations
RSVP FOR OUR FAITH, OUR VOICE, OUR VOTE SERIES
Desert Garden UCC has begun an Open And Affirming process. Their Mission Committee has purchased several books for members to read, including the one being used as an initial read with the OnA Core Team, Undivided: Coming Out, Becoming Whole, and Living Free from Shame, by Vicky Beeching.
Church of the Painted Hills is also participating in the 2022 CROP Hunger Walk to support CWS and help families who are struggling with hunger. Please join - with your steps and your donations - to provide more meals for the growing number of people in our community who need them, and create greater food security in communities around the world. To donate: 2022 CROP Hunger Walk - Church of the Painted Hills
(Is there some competition brewing between Painted Hills and Shadow Rock?)
Registration for Common Ground on the Border, held at The Good Shepherd in Sahuarita, is now open. Take a look to see what the program will entail for this event to be held on January 12-14, 2023. You can find the registration link on the CGOB web page at www.commongroundontheborder.wordpress.com
The youth at Scottsdale UCC assembled 170 first aid kits for AZ Friends of the Homeless. The kits are specifically tailored to the needs of people living on the streets. This is the fourth round of kits that SCUCC has prepared, and they are always a hot commodity as soon as they arrive at AZ Friends of the Homeless.
Scottsdale UCC received the following email in response to their new flag:
“This is important I think you should learn more about the black and pink and gray part of that flag that you have outside your church that part was created for pedophiles.”
Here is their response, in part, with an informative link to Pride flag colors:
“Thank you for taking the time to email us your thoughts about our banner. At Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ, we offer extravagant welcome to anyone who seeks solace in Christ -- as Jesus asked us to do -- while being watchful as necessary, to protect our children. We truly do seek "a just world for all", as our banner says. We do not believe that the colors in our banner are creating danger. Here is some information about how Pride flags have evolved in color design (https://www.volvogroup.com/en/news-and-media/news/2021/jun/lgbtq-pride-flags-and-what-they-stand-for.html)”
The Oct 9th service at First Congregational in Albuquerque raised the visibility of Indigenous peoples for Indigenous Peoples Sunday. After church, about 20 people then participated in a vigil in support of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
We have all heard stories of people who have lost housing because landlords have increased rent so high the renter is unable to continue in that living situation. Too many of these families have been evicted and forced to move into shelters, cars, or to live on the streets. Following worship at Shepherd of the Hills on Sunday, October 30, VIP will hold a Civic Academy on Affordable Housing. The Civic Academy will teach details of the situation and demonstrate how other communities have dealt with the unhoused families.
In support of their black brothers and sisters at St. Luke Christian Center in Dewey, First Congregational UCC in Prescott is planning two opportunities to join together:
On Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6:30pm – join together at their church for study and fellowship.
On Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 5:30pm – welcome their members to First to watch “The Color of Fear,” one of the activities offered during MLK, Jr. week.