This past Sunday at Church of the Beatitudes, Women In Faith hosted a letter writing and brunch event. People gathered after service to have fellowship and write letters to prisoners. The hope is these letters reach someone who doesn't get mail and can lift their spirits even if it's only for a moment.
Reminder: First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque will host a prayer gathering ceremony with Apache Stronghold on Tuesday (Aug. 20), 6:30-8:30pm, following a potluck dinner at 5:30pm. The Prayer Journey made stops in Tucson and Phoenix last week.
Congratulations to Church of the Red Rocks on calling their settled pastor!
This month Shepherd of the Hills will be donating to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that uses volunteer power to make high-quality beds for Arizona children who do not have a bed to sleep in at night. For five years member Bill J. has been affiliated with this organization to help build beds for kids that are sleeping on the floor. The organization has delivered beds to close to 6000 kids in the Phoenix area. Any woodworking craftsmen out there that want to pair their hobby with a good cause?
Just two weeks ago Pastor Rock (Shepherd of the Hills) and his partner Ernie welcomed exchange student Salavat from Russia, but it turns out that this year, they are seeing double! Meet Ayaan, their new exchange student from Pakistan! Hosting two students will definitely be “a whooooole situation,” but they’re committed to making it an amazing journey for all of them.
For many years, Rincon members have volunteered at TIHAN, the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, a coalition of faith communities, businesses, individuals, and nonprofit groups working to help people with HIV live as well as possible. TIHAN has a wide variety of volunteer positions available, including administrative positions, fundraising support, roles that provide direct (non-medical) support to people living with HIV. TIHAN’s next Volunteer Orientation will be on September 5th at 1:00pm. To get more information about all volunteer roles that are currently needed, go to www.TIHAN.org, click on “Volunteer,” then on “Current Volunteer Opportunities.” Please contact Susannah at (520) 299-6647 x 204, or Volunteering@tihan.org to register.
Remind your neighbors, friends, and colleagues to be sure to vote with this t-shirt from the National UCC. Order
Scottsdale UCC has advised us that the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office website is now offering a virtual tour of the downtown Phoenix elections center. The self-paced online tour gives users a room-to-room peek inside the 56,000 square feet of the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC), from the hallways and lobby to the signature verification and tabulation rooms. If you have more time (and frankly, it's easier), you can get a "live" Youtube tour from County Recorder Steven Richer, HERE. Stay as long as you like! And finally, you can get in-person tours. They last about 2 hours.
On August 11, Dr. Kristina Campbell was joined by Dr. Toni Hawkins, Conference Minister in the Southwest Conference, in leading worship at Church of the Red Rocks. Then Pastor Tina invited the congregation down memory lane as they explore and sang some of the "new songs" that have changed hearts and lives over the generations. Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone ..." was one of them.
Carlos Da Silva runs the non-profit Powered By Love, offering support and hope to those less fortunate. Powered By Love is partnering with First Church Phoenix to support outreach to the community. He has helped to reorganize their pantry for the unsheltered and his organization is providing other much-needed essentials. Their mission is to inspire hope and foster sustainable support systems by providing hygiene care items and school supplies to the unhoused, underserved, and those affected by natural disasters. Carlos reports that PBL is also currently supplying backpacks and school supplies for students at three elementary schools in the area. The First Church Pantry provides a daily sack lunch and is open 5 mornings a week.
