It was another special Sunday at United Church of Sun City as they celebrated Holy Humor Sunday. A colorful cast of characters gathered for the worship and praise of God.
Each month United Church of Santa Fe provides “Supper Bags” for the hard-working parents and families of United. Each bag includes an entrée, salad mix, fruit, and dessert. This month, the Supper Bags will be available on April 28th.
A group from the Friendship Force of Greater Milwaukee visited the Central Phoenix club for a week of fun in the sun. Friendship Force is a non-profit organization begun in the 1970s with its purpose to promote peace and understanding of other cultures through home stays. They were hosted by several Sun City residents, including Richard and Nancy Mueller who were the Journey coordinators. The group donated winter jackets to The Church of the Palms Asylum Seekers and Refugees ministry and packed their empty suitcase space with freshly picked citrus. They learned about The Palms’ creation justice and other social justice efforts. Walking the labyrinth was a peaceful way to end their busy day of hiking, touring the Sun City Museum, and playing bocce.
Members of the Spiritual Practices group at First Christian Church in Las Cruces have tried their hands at writing Haikus. Here is a sampling:
Death brings old friends back;
We face the great Mystery
Together alone.
My neighbor tells me
Time is going by faster.
I once laughed at that.
Bright yellow flowers
All abloom at Easter time.
Death has no power.
The Sahuarita Food Bank and Community Services Center, a ministry partner of The Good Shepherd UCC, offers many programs for its clients. Recently, Doug and Aliceann Christy, along with three coaches from financial institutions and some excellent guest speakers, led students in a Financial Well-Being class through a ten-week financial planning journey that prompted specific plans to get a handle on personal finances. “A vision without actions is only a dream,” Doug told them. Each developed a detailed plan for the next few months that includes actions such as paying off credit card debt at 30% interest with the help of the Jewish Free Loan Fund that charges no interest to qualified applicants. Other actions included implementing a balanced budget and allocating funding for all expenses at the beginning of the month.
To augment Earth Day, Arizona Interfaith Power & Light is joining an Arizona Interfaith Movement Faith Forum Discussion. The topic is “Faith and Environment” with members of Sikh, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim faiths represented. April 27th, 7:00pm - 8:30pm at the Beatitudes Campus, 1610 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix.
Register here
Pastor Randy Mayer from Good Shepherd UCC is hosting a tour to Nogales, Mexico. Members from Casas Adobes will visit La Casa Misericordia, a migrant shelter for asylum seekers on Thursday, May 4th. This is an all day tour that launches from Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita in the morning and returns in the late afternoon.
If you are interested in joining this field trip, please contact Susan Sommerfeld to see if space is available. cell: 763-202-3160 or email.
NOTE: La Casa featured on PBS
A PBS Episode of La Frontera includes a story about Sister Lika and “La Casa,” the migrant shelter we support in Nogales, Sonora.
The link to the episode - click here.
First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque has hired Clara Sims to be their Assistant Minister! Clara was their intern last summer and the church had a chance to experience her many gifts. She will begin in August and will be working part time. But Clara re-introduced herself to the congregation by preaching yesterday for Earth Day.
All through 2023, Shadow Rock has been celebrating 50 years of progressive faith communion and being pointed intentionally to the future. Their first event is Reunion Sunday, April 30 at 10:15 am. Worship will include special music and a celebration of their covenant. After the service, everyone's invited to Smith Hall for preschool-themed snacks, storytelling, and more. There will also be a photo booth and an opportunity to record memories on video.
Mothering and the Collateral Consequences for Women in Arizona will feature a panel of directly-impacted women as well as a few stories from Inside Perryville that will be shared outside. The event, on May 10th at 6pm, is a collaboration between Arizona Faith Network, AZ Village, and the Church of the Painted Hills and will be held at Church of the Painted Hills in Tucson
Pastor Louis from Rincon is off to Dallas, TX and is presenting at the Annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference (the 10th Anniversary). He will be doing the opening and the closing and a workshop on the importance of spirituality in activism, representing Rincon, the UCC, and TransFaith. “This opportunity to speak with people who have had challenging relationship with faith, church, and religion is a gift. The opportunity to say, “I’m sorry you’ve been hurt”, to offer a hug of support and care, to invite people to share how they find spirit in their lives today is a joy and a blessing. To honor them in their resilience and to offer time to build sustainable self-care models with them is a rare and wonderful opportunity.”
Shepherd of the Hills will be hosting the 10th Refugee Baby Shower on Saturday, April 29 in the Fellowship Hall. This will be the 2nd time Shepherd of the Hills has been the host for this amazing event - and will be hosting 25 pregnant refugee moms to be that day!
The Arts Council of Church of the Beatitudes will host a reception on Wednesday, April 26th from 4-6pm. This exhibit features student artists from Washington, Sunnyslope and Cortez High Schools. All students, parents and friends are welcomed. The Arts Council will provide refreshments. Most of the art will be for sale while other pieces will only be on display. Some of the peices are being used by the students for their college entry portfolio.
