With the inception of a full-time preschool on their campus, the Shepherd of the Hills Council felt it necessary that a policy regarding interactions between adults and minors and other vulnerable adults was necessary to serve as a guideline for those interactions. This policy, which was derived from the Southwest Conference’s own policy, is HERE. It may be useful for other conference churches to review.
Yesterday, First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque voted on whether to become an Immigrant Welcoming Church. As of now, I do not know the final vote on this proposal, but again, to help other churches “not reinvent the wheel,” here is their proposal that you might use as a guide if you decide to also pursue this designation. Click HERE for the proposal to become an Immigrant Welcoming Church.
On February 15th, Rincon folks will take an all day excursion to the Tohono O’odham Cultural Center and Museum to learn about the neighbors whose land we’re on. Then, on Saturday, March 15 there is a visit to Mission Garden for a demonstration of traditional O’odham agricultural practices, plus to enjoy the beauty and cultural diversity of the Garden. Please contact Rev Karen MacDonald for the ability of others to join them or how to plan a future trip for your church. Desertsky57@gmail.com; (520) 336-0625.
For his installation service last week, Rev Guillermo at Church of the Red Rocks invited his friend and colleague, the Rev. Leslie Etheredge, to bring the message. It was a splendid celebration!
Environmental Day at the Capitol 2025
Wednesday, February 12, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm
Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza
1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Join with the Sierra Club, Chispa Arizona, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, AZ Youth Climate Coalition, Arizona Faith Network and many other groups for the annual lobby day at the Arizona Capitol. Meet with your legislators, hear from great speakers, and connect with others who are doing advocacy work both inside and outside the Arizona Legislature. RSVP so that there will be enough materials & food, and so that you can be added to a team for legislative meetings. A bus transportation option is available for those from Tucson.
I have been following with anticipation the construction of a mosaic in the courtyard of First Congregational in Albuquerque over the past several months. Rev. Sue sent me a picture of it this week! It is approximately 4’ x 5’ in size. Enjoy!
Alice and Karl Stambaugh of Scottsdale UCC shared some reflections from their participation in the Border Fair at The Good Shepherd in Sahuarita.
“Last weekend we attended the "Common Ground" annual conference in Sahuarita, AZ and happily reconnected with the positive energy of a diverse crowd of writers, activists, musicians, humanitarian aid volunteers, nonprofit leaders and border citizens – all of whom love and respect the people surrounding and connected to the U.S. Mexico border. All are concerned about the heart-breaking and needless deaths and suffering of the migrants who want to cross that border, for a better life in the U.S.
In a crowd of 200 attendees we experienced laughter and joy and song, along with much sorrow, and we came away with a renewed commitment to help right the injustices that people just like us experience at the border and beyond. We are so very grateful to all who do the work of migrant ministry. We are reminded that Jesus himself was a migrant, who found refuge in a foreign land. May we someday live up to the promise, in the USA, of being a true refuge for those who seek peace and justice.
This Conference was more than the sum of its parts, but here is some of what we learned or were reminded of by humanitarian volunteers, advocates, and migrants themselves.
* “The desert is very efficient at making people disappear”. The remains of thousands of people have been found in Arizona (9,520 since 1998 according to the Dept. of Homeland Security), and there no doubt are many bones that have yet to be found. (Read more HERE.)
* There is so much physical and emotional trauma in the migration experience at the AZ border. People migrate for a *reason! Children don’t understand why they are left by parents who migrate; parents are repeatedly deported; children in migrant groups find themselves running from the Border Patrol; any belongings that adults or children bring when they arrive at the border are seized and thrown away – just one of the acts of cruelty we learned of!! (This book was recommended, written by keynote speaker and migrant Reyna Grande, entitled “The Distance Between Us: A Memoir”).
* Migrants long to feel welcomed. In 2021, the “Welcome Quilts” project was begun by speaker Gale Hall. We were able to buy a fabric square to contribute to one. (Read more HERE.)
* Migrants benefit from activist lawyers. One inspiring speaker was Margo Cowan, an advocate for migrant justice for more than 30 years. Before becoming an attorney, she was a farmworker organizer mentored by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. Her efforts in developing immigration policy, as well as representing undocumented persons and refugees, has spanned decades.
* Music and art and film and other cultural immersion activities are ways to reach people’s hearts -- we are all the same on the inside! We all viewed the film “Real Women Have Curves”, followed afterwards by discussion with the Latina screenplay writer Josefina Lopez.
In one of our separate classes we had fun discussing “old Mexican sayings”. Others learned to make authentic salsa, or wove “hangings” using desert seeds, leaves, etc., or learned to play pan pipes.”
If you would like to Donate to help migrants at the border:
Green Valley Samaritans gvs-samaritans.org
Humane Borders, Inc. humaneborders.org
No More Deaths nomoredeaths.org/en/
With a combined 61 years of experience at United Church of Sun City, the church's 10 employees and 3 independent contractors were honored by the congregation during worship on January 19. To learn more about these wonderful people, watch the video.
