We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to our Bridge ACM Rev. Leslie Etheredge on the passing of her mother last Thursday, August 8.
CPR and AED Training will be held at First Christian Church in Las Cruces on August 13 from 9 - 1. To obtain a card certifying the training, the fee is $65. Otherwise, there is no cost, but a donation is requested, which will be contributed to a non-profit.
Pastor Michael from Casas Adobes shares his gratitude for all the ways people have been expressing love and concern and care. His healing journey is slow, but there is progress. He is still hoping to return to part time work by mid-August and preach/lead worship the last two Sundays in August, but recognizes that he will not be at full capacity (typical recovery time for this surgery is said to be four to six weeks and he is just today finishing his second week post-surgery). Our prayers continue for you, Michael!
Post carding has proven to be one of the most effective events to encourage and get voters to the polls. As such, First Congregational in Albuquerque is inviting friends and members to participate in a campaign sponsored by Common Ground/Reclaim Our Vote. CGROV is a grassroots, NON-partisan, primarily volunteer-run campaign that focuses on increasing BIPOC voter turnout through post-carding, texting, and phone banking. They work with local, people of color led organizations in target communities to develop their messaging strategy. By contacting infrequent voters who are overlooked by political campaigns, they offer a bridge from non-voter to empowered voter. If you would like to be involved in this project, you can join a group after Sunday service on August 25th to watch a training video and begin completing cards. All participants will be provided with postcards, labels, mailing addresses (the amount you request), a link to the training video and guidelines. If you are interested in participating, please contact Patty Ebner at 425.979.1959 or pebner@sbcglobal.net.
Events of Interest:
From Rev. ellie at The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita: Dear Friends ~ Register now for the upcoming 4-part training series, Building Congregational Community Safety! Dates: August 19, September 9, 23, and 30; Time: 8-10pmET/5-7pmPT
How can congregations build an ecology of community safety that is rooted in care, investing in each other, believing in each other, and trusting each other and the rhythms and cycles around/within us? What community safety practices can we engage in now that also help us build the world we long for? Our experienced trainers will expand on our “Ecology of Community Safety” guide to offer practical skills, psycho-social care practices, planning tools, and analysis of current conditions, all towards practicing new ways of creating safety within our own congregational contexts. This series is hosted by the United Church of Christ's Frontline Faith, and is open to all faith traditions. Register Here! We look forward to seeing you!
Interfaith Youth and Young Adult Conversations (IYC), Sunday, August 18, 4:00 - 5:00 pm MST via Zoom
Arizona Faith Network’s Interfaith Youth and Young Adult Conversations (IYC) is designed to help prepare Arizona’s next generation to be key leaders in interfaith communities. The IYC program seeks to help educate and connect young leaders from diverse faiths throughout the state. These young leaders engage in interfaith dialogue and interfaith education experiences with trained religious leaders from diverse faith traditions. People of all ages are welcome to attend the meetings. RSVP for Zoom information
APACHE STRONGHOLD is in town!
In Person:
Tuesday, August 13, 6-8pm
Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W 23rd St, Tucson
Thursday, August 15th, 5-8pm
Brophy Chapel, 4701 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
Tuesday, August 20th, 6:30pm
First Congregational UCC, 2801 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque
Zoom
Wednesday, August 14th, 10am
United Church of Christ National Ministries is hosting this Creation Justice Webinar "Defending the Sacred: Oak Flat - An Apache Sacred Site Under Threat". The speakers will be Dr. Wendsler Nosie, leader of Apache Stronghold, Sarah Augustine, Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, and Rev. Carol Rose, co-pastor of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship in Tucson, AZ. Apache Stronghold's legal case, seeking to prevent the transfer of sacred land at Oak Flat from the Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper Company (a subsidiary of multinational mining corporations Rio Tinto and BHP), is being appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Resolution Copper is planning to dig a copper mine that would destroy Oak Flat forever, violating Apache religious freedom. The mine would also require 250 billion gallons of water in drought-stricken Arizona and create 1.4 billion tons of toxic mine tailings
For further information about Apache Stronghold's struggle to protect Oak Flat, go here.
SWC Commissioned Minister Gordon Street III preached last Sunday at BlackMountain UCC.
His sermon title was "Addiction. There is a Spiritual Solution."