Annual Meeting
Facilitated by Rev. Tom Martinez
In keeping with our theme of Pilgrimage, this workshop is designed to get folks reflecting on trips you've already taken. This would, of course, include intentional pilgrimages to sacred sites, as well as trips that only through hindsight have proven to be important steps on your spiritual journey.
Read MoreIn this workshop we’ll share our plans and multifaceted purposes for our adventure (July 15-20, 2022 at Bishop’s Ridge Camp and Retreat Center, just south of Santa Fe), details for participants and registration info, and how churches can support this experience at home through meditation, prayer, sacred conversations, and even personal pilgrimages or “pilgrimages in place.”
Read MoreWes will be present with us in this workshop to share more about his view and experiences of pilgrimage as an orientation to life. He’s the author of our recommended book for this annual meeting, Without Oars: Casting Off In a Life of Pilgrimage, and is also a resident of Santa Fe NM, one of our Southwest Conference neighborhoods!
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With the unpredictability of COVID variants and some other practical considerations, the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference will be conducted online. However, this year our schedule is getting a refresh! We’ll be meeting over the course of five weekday evenings and a Saturday.
Register here.. The cost is $175 per church for up to five delegates, and $40 per person for clergy and other guests.
Read MoreThese resolutions and bylaws amendments were approved at Annual Meeting. SWC churches can use these links to the final documents in their implementation efforts.
Read MoreOur panelists at Annual Meeting were phenomenal!
Rev. Marta Fioriti and Mandy Todd, partners in ministry at Black Forest Community Church in northern Colorado Springs, have provided recordings to their breakout sessions.
Read MoreRev. Ian Holland, from The First Church in Swampscott, Congregational (in the Southern New England Conference of the UCC), has provided recordings to his two breakout sessions.
Read MoreThe opening and closing worship services at the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting were beautiful, engaging, and inspiring. Deep appreciation and thanks to our host churches, Desert Palm UCC (Tempe) and Church of the Good Shepherd (Albuquerque) for their participation and video editing.
If you missed them, you can view them in this post, and read Bill’s sermon, as well.
Read MoreWe want all of our delegates, guests, and clergy to have a positive experience with our Virtual Annual Meeting. One thing that will help immensely is for all participants to have the latest version of Zoom installed on their device.
Read MoreOur Friday panel will focus on how churches can be successful with a hybrid model of in-person and online worship. Meet the panelists:
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Instead of continuing with two groups...Christ created a fresh start for everybody...bring us together...and that was the end of hostility...peace to outsiders and peace to insiders... treated as and made equals, sharing the same Spirit and having equal access to God. –Ephesians 2:14-18 (The Message)
Co-hosts: Desert Palm UCC (Tempe) and Church of the Good Shepherd (Albuquerque)
Registration opens on March 1. Cost is $100 per church which covers all five delegates, and $20 per person (clergy and guests).
All information and updates will appear on the Annual Meeting page of our website.
Read MoreBelow are the final versions of the Resolutions that were voted on and approved during Annual Meeting. Click on a title to read it.
Read MoreThank you, United Church Funds, for your generous sponsorship of our 2020 virtual Annual Meeting!
Much appreciation to our other sponsors, too: Insurance Board, United Church of Christ Church Building & Loan Fund, and United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund.
Read MorePlease watch this report and visit the web page to check out our schedule of virtual events and groups and to listen to the podcast!
Read MoreMuch appreciation to all who helped to create and shape the beautiful and inspiring all-conference worship service during Annual Meeting! Thanks to all who attended and for your kind words in the Facebook comments and emails. Coming together for worship was wonderful!
If you missed it, or want to watch it again or download the video, we got you!
Read MoreThe offertory, virtual choir, Bill Lyons’ message from the conference-wide worship service are all available for viewing and downloading!
Read MoreThe Awakening to Racial Justice was renamed A Southwest Conference Resolution on Restorative Racial Justice: Decentering Whiteness In Our Churches and Society. It passed:
93% yes
6% no
1% abstain
The International Decade for People of African Descent resolution passed:
98% yes
1% no
1% abstain
As soon as the final drafts are available, we’ll send them out and post them on the website.
Read MoreWell done, Robert! Thank you for your faithfulness to God’s call on your life. Thank you for your ministry among us. We are better people, better followers of Jesus, and a better church because of you.
Read MoreAll churches of the Southwest Conference are invited to join together online for worship during our Annual Meeting! This is NOT just for delegates. EVERYONE is invited to worship together as ONE conference.
We'll go "live" on our Facebook page at 9 am Arizona time/10 am New Mexico and El Paso time.
Read MoreThis year, special consideration will be given to projects focusing on serving our immigrant neighbors and communities. The United Church of Christ’s history is rooted in supporting justice work and the Southwest Conference encourages all SWC churches to participate in this important cause. We invite your congregation to renew its commitment to Neighbors in Need on Sunday, October 4th. This date coincides with our Virtual Annual Meeting and an appeal will be made during the all-conference worship service that morning.
All of this year’s resource materials are downloadable here.
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