The Rainbow Festival is March 23-24 at Heritage Square in Phoenix. The Festival and Street Fair is a celebration of diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. The event will draw over 25,000 guests and host over 150 exhibitors and sponsors. Two stages are filled with entertainment. Church of the Palms will be there! Look for their booth!
March 1st marked Pastor Sue Joiner’s 10th anniversary with First Congregational in Albuquerque. She is due a sabbatical every five years and this year hers will begin on April 1st. The church received a grant to pay for both her travels and for Rev. Lynne Hinton to fill in while Sue is away. Lynne has brought much to the community over the years and also filled in when Sue was on sabbatical in 2019.
Brendan Mahoney, member at First Church Phoenix, asked the church council to vote to sign onto an amicus brief in support of the Apache Stronghold as they appeal a recent court decision that would allow the desecration of Oak Flat for copper mining. The vote was unanimous in support.
Rincon UCC’s Council has also voted to sign onto an amicus brief and the Southwest Conference and other SWC churches are in process of doing the same. We will learn much more about Oak Flat at Annual Meeting, so be sure to register!
Color Me Generous provides a fun and engaging way to explore the impact of our generosity. The coloring book, available through UCC Resources, provides people of all ages a chance to think about how their giving makes a difference. Illustrations are by Ted Dawson, a member of Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Story is by Andrew Warner of UCC Publishing, Identity, and Communication in Cleveland, Ohio.
1 copy $5
5-pack $20
First Congregational in Albuquerque, in an effort to be intentional in the way they relate to one another, adopted the following Behavioral Covenant which expresses their commitment to do just that.
“Our mission is to live God’s love, justice, and inclusion. We take seriously God’s extravagant welcome and are committed to welcoming all people. At the same time, we do not welcome behavior that conflicts with Christ’s teaching. Behavior that is threatening, taunting, demeaning, harassing, or disrespectful will not be tolerated
Therefore, in this space we agree to…
Speak from our own experience.
Listen to seek understanding.
Maintain Confidentiality. (Yours is not my story to tell)
Practice mutual respect.
Offer opinions with charity and humility.
Communicate clearly, completely, and directly.
Actively practice good self-care. (If something triggers a difficult personal or social experience, please respectfully do what you need to do to take care of yourself.)”
Adopted 3/4/24
Rev Dr Tina Campbell will be ending her interim ministry at Black Mountain UCC after Easter. Rev Dr George Ault will continue the interim process with the church. George served as an Army Chaplain early in his career and most recently served as Senior Pastor of Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona for 30 years. During his time in Sedona, he was instrumental in starting the Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition, leading Church of the Red Rocks to becoming an Open and Affirming Church, and supporting 2 large building projects. Since retiring from Church of the Red Rocks in 2015, he has done part time interim ministry work with First Congregational Church, Flagstaff and Scottsdale Congregational Church.
The Council members at Oro Valley UCC are going to start reading Molly Phinney Baskette's Real Good Church: How Our Church Came Back from the Dead, and Yours Can Too. Church members are invited if they want to also participate in this reading. The book provides starting points for conversation and discernment on small church ministry and vitality.
Desert Garden has received a $4,000 Empowerment Matching Grant from Global H.O.P.E.’s Migration and Immigration Services of the United Church of Christ. Empowerment Grants assist refugees to improve current employment opportunities; get additional education for a new career; or help start up a new business. Desert Garden has been working since early last year with Nasiba Wakmal, an Afghan refugee woman who completed the refugee program with Lutheran Social Services. She wants to establish an import business of selling hand tied goat wool rugs made by crafts women in Afghanistan. Mission Outreach submitted an application in early January and received approval in February. This grant matches $2,000 that Nasiba has saved toward her business and $2,000 contributed from Desert Garden Restricted Funds.
Nasiba, her husband Naqibalah, and their children live in Gilbert. Nasiba first conceptualized this business plan when she was a participant in a Conference on Blue Integrated Partnerships and the 2050 Workforce of Tomorrow hosted at Purdue University. Both Nasiba and Naqibalah have successfully completed their studies and training for citizen certification; and have received those certifications.
Desert Garden UCC is partnering with AZ StRUT (Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology) to aid the community in the recycling of used or none working electronics. From March 18-21, 2024 from 9 a.m. to noon those electronics can be brought to the church at 18818 N. 128th Avenue, Sun City West. The items that will be accepted include, but are not limited to, audio or video equipment, answering systems, cable boxes, cables and wires, digital or film cameras, calculators, computers, cell phones, telephones, copiers, printers, and DVD players. $25.00 will be charged for any CRT (tube TVs) or rear projection TVs donated to help defray costs for recycling safely. A complete list of items can be found on the website www.azstrut.org. The site also explains the security measures taken to wipe out information. AZ StRUT was started in 1997 by Intel and Motorola to get used equipment out to Arizona schools and nonprofits. The company works with school programs teaching students learning about computer repair and refurbishing efforts
Join Desert Palm on Good Friday!
