The Cycles of Kindness Bike donation program at Desert Garden is “taking off.” As of June 3 they have had 32 bikes donated to the program. Most of them are in excellent condition and may only need tires pumped up. A few will need to have some minor repairs before they will be rideable. A number of helmets and tire pumps have also been donated. Bikes have been given to New Leaf West Valley Assistance Center and a local Elementary school. Thanks to all who donated, all who repair and all who transport and receive.
During their 50th Anniversary year, St Paul’s UCC in Rio Rancho is honoring area nonprofits and charities. One anniversary gift recipient is ReadWest Inc. Their mission is to provide quality in-person or digital one-to-one tutoring and/or classes to adults seeking to transform their lives through enhanced literacy skills. ReadWest has served Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties for 34 years! Learn more about and how you can support this great not-for-profit here: ReadWest
Pride marchers from Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque!
Prior to their new pastor arriving in September, Rev Rich Smith will fill the pulpit at Church of the Red Rocks in June and July and Rev Tina Campbell will cover August. Each will also have use of a condo in Sedona while they are there. Pretty nice perk!
Shepherd of the Hills is thrilled to share that the church, designed by the renowned architect Francis A. Schulz, has been featured in a fascinating article about midcentury churches in the Valley. The article, published in “Phoenix Home and Garden,” highlights the beauty of Shepherd’s classic A-frame design and the stunning stained glass windows that grace the building. To read the full article, visit: Devotion to Form: A Fascinating Look at Midcentury Churches in the Valle
Also, Shepherd of the Hills told us about Saturday, June 22nd being World Refugee Day. There is a celebration and a connection with refugees at Gateway Community College, the one in Central Phoenix located at 1245 E. Buckeye Road. Entertainment, booths, and activities are happening between 10am and 1pm. All are welcome. Free. There are over 110 million people displaced around the world–a number that has doubled in just the past ten years. That’s 110 million birthdays and 110 million life stories.
Come one, Come all, to First Congregational UCC Prescott COFFEE HOUSE! Last Friday of every month -June 28 - 4 to 6 pm - Perkins Hall - Serving: good conversation, light beverages and snacks, lots of games, music of all kinds, dancing if you want it, and any other creative ideas you can come up with.
Project 2025 is a 900-page plan for an “ideal” America. Spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and supported by more than 80 organizations (many well-known for pushing hate and "white" Christian Nationalism), it is a Presidential Transition Project. Rev. Dean Hokel has written a summary of this massive document to help us all understand what is being proposed and how it can impact our freedoms. In case you missed seeing it on our blog, read it here.
Congregational Church of the Valley Moderator Brent Jensen attended the final Court of Honor for Troop 649 the evening of May 16, 2024. Four scouts were awarded their Eagle Scout badges in what was both a joyous and bittersweet moment. Chris Wilga has served as Scoutmaster for the last few years. His son, Eagle Scout Curren Wilga, graduates this year and will attend college out east. Chris is no longer allowed to lead the troop and was unsuccessful in recruiting another parent to succeed him. The remaining scouts will combine with other existing troops in the area. Chris also tried to coax the leaders of those troops to meet at CCOV as an improvement on where they meet now, but he had no success, either. Troop 649 has been part of the CCOV fabric for over 30 years. While the national average states that only 3% of scouts earn their Eagle Scout badge, Troop 649 awarded Eagle Scout to 30% of their members over the years. CCOV is proud to have provided them a home.
The Mission Outreach Committee wants to share that Desert Garden has received a $2,000 “Sow the Seed Grant” from the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ. Mission Outreach added $1,200 from its Restricted Funds for a total of $3,200. Those restricted funds are made possible by members who have remembered the church in their estate planning. These funds will support four Techie Camps through their partnership with AZ StRUT. Three of the Techie Camps will be for refugee youth who are in programs offered by Lutheran Social Services. The fourth camp will be at Dysart Community Center for youth in their after-school programs. The Techie Camps are designed to give youth a working knowledge of computers. They learn how to take apart a desktop computer, identify the various components, and put it back together so that it works. They are given some cyber safety instruction. At the end of the three-hour course each participant is given a refurbished laptop computer.
Arizona Faith Network is offering “Back to the Basics: Fundamentals of Grant Writing” on Wednesday, June 26, from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm online. The Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family (GOYFF) is hosting a FREE Grant Writing Workshop for individuals interested in learning more about the fundamentals of grant writing. Due to limited space, registration will automatically close once it reaches full capacity. REGISTER
The Compassion on the Border (CoB) group at Casas Adobes wants to express their heartfelt gratitude to members and friends of Casas Adobes and La Casa de la Misericordia (La Casa). Your generous response to the Faith in Motion fundraising campaign resulted in a total donation amount of $62,782.75. This support has enabled the purchase of a 15-passenger van that will be used primarily to transport those who wish to make a daytrip to La Casa, or who may want to consider a multi-day volunteer experience there. Seeing the facility in-person, meeting the dedicated folks who work there, and hearing first-hand accounts from the migrants who find shelter at La Casa, greatly expands our understanding of immigration issues at the southern border. The new van will be ready to put into service in early August and hope folks will think about being part of the next Casas Adobes daytrip to La Casa. Stay tuned for a possible next tour date sometime this fall.