Desert Garden UCC is excited to be serving as co-sponsor with their first refugee family as part of the NW Faith-in-Action consortium, who has been supporting and co-sponsoring refugees for over a year now. Friends from Desert Garden UCC will be helping the family obtain state ID’s, understand bus routes, locate medical facilities, help with medical appointments, get enrolled in school, and so much more as we welcome some of their newest neighbors among us!
Read MoreJottings 6/19/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
If you’d like us to share your Facebook posts, tag us! @swcucc is our handle.
Read MoreDesert Garden UCC: ONA sacred dialogues
Desert Garden United Church of Christ in Sun City West continues a sacred dialogue about becoming an Open and Affirming Congregation. The next stage of our conversation includes a Summer of Storytelling. A couple of community leaders, as well as some of our own LGBTQIA+ members will be sharing the joys and struggles they have faced in their lives. We hope to be able to record some of these. If you are interested in learning more, or perhaps viewing a recording, please contact Pastor Bill Utke, pastorbill@desertgardenchurch.org.
Read MoreJottings 6/12/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Defibrillator Training at Sun Lakes Chapel
On Wednesday, May 24th, twelve people gathered to be trained in the proper use of the defibrillators which are available in both our worship and fellowship spaces. We’d been feeling safe just to have the units there, until someone stopped to wonder who knows how to use them.
Our Chapel Board hired the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority to come teach us the proper use of the machine. The Captain answered every and all questions we had and stressed the two most important rules for us to remember: Rule number 1,” Turn the unit on.” Rule number 2, “Do what it says.”
Read MoreJottings 6/5/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Jottings 5/30/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Jottings 5/22/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Mother’s Day Purse Drive at Church of the Beatitudes
Each year for Mother's Day, Church of Beatitudes tries to give a little happiness to Moms who are living with housing insecurities. This year we were able to fill 46 purses with daily essentials. These purses will be given to the moms who are navigating through the Family Promise process to a better life.
In addition, ShoeBox Ministries collaborated with Church of Beatitudes and also donated an additional 25 purses.
Read MoreJottings 5/15/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
UCC-wide gifts help strengthen New Mexico church after death of founding pastor
“There are a number of people in Taos, N.M., who are happily surprised that Taos United Community Church did not shrivel up and blow away after the death of our founding pastor in October of 2021,” wrote the Rev. Julie Parmenter, a longtime hospice chaplain who stepped up to serve as the church’s interim spiritual leader after the sudden loss of the Rev. Pamela Shepherd. “It is this story of how the grant and its outcomes helped to strengthen our church community after the loss of its leader that needs to be told.”
Read MoreDoing Grief Community Healing Project -- May calendar
Rev. Shea Darian invites you to these upcoming events:
"Healing With Audible Sound Vibrations" with Andrew Strong Jordan on Wed. May 10 at 6 p.m.
"Introduction to Reiki Self-Healing" with Georgia Feiste on Sat. May 13 at 2 p.m.
"Doing Grief Your Way: A Workshop" with Shea Darian on Wed. May 17 at 6 p.m.
"Memoir Writing" with Nancy Tsuchiya on Sat. May 20 & 27 (2-week series) at 10 a.m.
"Drum Circles" with Dr. Lydia Wood on Sun. May 21 at 3 & 4 p.m
Read MoreJottings 5/8/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Wednesday Wanderers and Daily Morning Prayer with Shepherd of the Hills UCC
Join Shepherd of the Hills on Zoom for weekday prayer and/or a weekly book discussion.
Read MoreJottings 4/24/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Desert Garden exceeded their capital campaign goal
Desert Garden UCC is excited to share good news with our sibling churches in the Southwest Conference! Thanks to tremendous hard work by so many, and with gratitude to Jill White at the UCC Building and Loan Fund, we exceeded our goal for the Capital Campaign.
A Celebration Worship service and Brunch was shared April 16, 2023.
We are thankful to God for the courage to engage in this “Renewing for Our Future” campaign.
Thanks to Co-Administrators John Houlette and Gail Mattson and all who helped.
Read MoreJottings 4/17/2023
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
Rev. Shea Darian invites you to these upcoming events
First Church and the IRC Welcome Center
At the IRC Welcome Center, our First Church team continues to volunteer each Saturday, welcoming asylum-seekers on their journey through Phoenix from the border to their sponsors throughout the country.
So far this year, 6,403 asylum-seekers have arrived at the Welcome Center, coming from 66 countries and speaking 44 different primary languages.
Read More"Gen Silent" screening at Desert Garden UCC
Tuesday, April 11 at 1:30
18818 N. 128th Ave., Sun City West, AZ 85375
Desert Garden UCC in Sun City West is offering a public showing of the movie Gen Silent. It is a critically accalimed documentary about the challenges of older LGBTQIA+ people when they have to enter the healthcare or elder care facilities.
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