The Greater Phoenix UCC Justice Network brings people together to witness and work for justice in exciting ways, with impact more powerful than can be achieved by individual efforts. Their passion is contagious. And the model of their ministry can be replicated by UCC congregation members and clergy in any community. I am proud to be a part of the Greater Phoenix UCC Justice Network, and I support their work and their ministry model wholeheartedly. - Rev. Dr. William M. Lyons

Dear Pastors and Laity who are activists and/or advocates for justice and serving in the greater Phoenix area,

Are you trying to figure out which justice issues to keep up with and which to act on?
Are you feeling tired, alone, yet afraid to jump in with others, not quite sure what you might be getting into?
Have you noticed an increase in time spent on justice issues? Are you wondering how much time you can spend and still maintain your physical health and your peace of mind?
Are you all fired up and want a place where you can make a difference in the current and repressive environment?"

If any of these ring true, we invite you to network with us.

We are a small group of advocates and activists, pastors and laity, from a few UCC congrega-tions who have created a network to talk about justice. We want to expand that network to other UCCers in the Greater Phoenix area. We have found strength by being in covenant. We have found support, by honoring each other’s autonomy, by being aware of each other’s passions and individual church settings. We have explored various ways of organizing and have tried out different models to see what works for us. Networking is working well so far.

We invite you to expand our network. See if it gives you a burst of energy that helps you to soar like an eagle, to run and not grow weary.

We invite you to help create an even better network. Let’s see where this movement of collaboration for God’s peace and justice takes us. Who knows what God has in store? We hear it quite often that the one good thing that is coming out of our current political climate is that people are stepping up and engaging with one another. Maybe that is the new Promised Land that we are headed towards.

Simply join our email distribution list. In doing so, we will inform you when we meet and what we talk about. You are always welcome to come to one of our gatherings and enjoy some fellowship. We share with one another what is going on in our own lives (in regard to justice), in the organizations that we are a part of, in our own congregations, and in our Conference.

That’s how we’ve been networking. Do you have any suggestions? We want to hear from you.

To join our email list contact Phil Shea at phillipshea@justicestar.org.

Shalom,

Phil Shea (Scottsdale Cong), Debe Knaack and Robert Koth (First Church, PHX), Jo Vredenburg and Tom Martinez (Desert Palm), and Rich Doerrer-Peacock (Desert Heritage),