All are welcome to Taos United Community Church as they kick off Taos’s entry into the national Poor People’s Campaign this week on Economic Justice Sunday. 

First Church UCC is excited to be one of the only downtown locations to be distributing produce for Borderlands Food Bank this season. Held at First Church on the 4th Saturday of the Month from November through May. 

This program brings healthy and affordable produce to our local community. For a $10 cash donation to Borderlands Food Bank, attendees will receive 60 lbs. of produce.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at Church of the Palms, 14808 E Boswell, Sun City

Daoud Nassar,  a Palestinian Christian farmer, founded the organization Tent of Nations.  Daoud and his family own a farm on the outskirts of Bethlehem that is besieged by illegal settlements surrounding it as well as constant threats from the government to take the land away or put onerous restrictions on it. 

Though his family has endured decades of tremendous hardship, Daoud brings a consistent message of a struggle for peace. He is a seasoned and much appreciated speaker on U.S. campuses and to various religious groups.

These odds and ends from church newsletters were compiled by Holly Herman (thanks, Holly!). If your church has some special news to share with the Conference, submit it HERE.

Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) organizes the monthly Poz Café luncheon. It’s an opportunity for those living with HIV to get out of the house, take a break, meet other positive people, and enjoy a meal prepared by local congregations.

Rev. Ken Heintzelman of Shadow Rock UCC shared some good news last week:

"Ibeth Corral has been our guest in sanctuary since late November. Earlier this month, her lawyer was able to secure a stay of deportation for an undetermined amount of time for Ibeth. She was able to return home to her children on January 5th. We rejoice that one more family has been kept together, even as so many others are being torn apart."

Sunday, January 28, 10:30 am

We will say goodbye to an old friend. The two-story building that housed good times, laughter, tears, friendship, fellowship and so much more is going to be put to rest.

Naloxone is a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in opioid overdose, and can literally save a life.  It is the equivalent of a fire extinguisher that trained lay people can carry with them.

The Bernalillo County Health Council is offering training and naloxone kits delivered through a nasal spray at no cost to participants.

Tidbits curated from church newsletters this week.

Falling Upward – Spirituality in the Second Half of Life
Lenten Reflections and Book Study at Sun Lakes United Church of Christ 

In some church traditions, Lent is focused on penance and sin and the practice of giving up things as a form of sacrifice. Lent in the ancient tradition of the church was about the rites and rituals that prepared individuals for Baptism at Easter. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan and a Roman Catholic priest, notes that Lent is about change and transformation where the False Self is challenged by the hardness of failure and suffering which enables the True Self to be uncovered or rediscovered.

Tuesdays: January 16 - February 6, 2018
7:00 - 9:00 pm
First Church UCC: Pilgrim Hall
1407 N. 2nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004

Review sections of Borg’s book, “Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most”, along with sacred and written texts to focus our deepest convictions of Jesus, God, and World View. 

Thursday, February 1, 7 p.m.
Church of the Palms
14808 N Boswell Boulevard
Sun City, Arizona 85351

General Admission tickets $20 in advance; $25 at door

Tickets are available online at https://www.tretfure.com/concerts/index.htm

Shadow Rock was notified that by the end of January, they will receive an official letter with their award check! Stay tuned for more details.

Some recent items of interest at our churches:

Thank you all again for all of your support, your prayers, and your good wishes. 

Our first Christmas Eve Service was a beautiful candlelight service of readings and carols. 41 people attended. When we blew out our candles after singing Silent Night, one little girl shouted, “Let’s do it again!”  Her mother tells me they felt welcome here and will be coming back. Please pray with us for our church children and their families, that God will show us how to build the church they need.

A narrative non-fiction workshop
Rincon Congregational UCC
Facilitated by Rev. Delle McCormick
Wednesday, January 24, 5:30-7 pm

Church of the Painted Hills in Tucson is the place to be!

Divine Joy Yoga: Mondays and Thursdays, 9 am

Centering Prayer: Fridays, 12 pm

Qi Gong: Fridays, 1 pm

The 2018 Souper Bowl of Caring is about to begin in Sun City.