Conference News
All Southwest Conference clergy are invited to attend the 2023 Clergy Retreat!
Monday, October 31 at noon through Wednesday, November 1 at 11 am at Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona
Our theme is “Rest Is Resistance” based on the book of the same title by Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry. We hope you’ll come to the clergy retreat to be refreshed, renewed, and RESTED.
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Are you interested in learning how to better repurpose, finance and manage your church properties? UCC’s partners at Church Building & Loan Fund are hosting a two-day virtual conference on September 21-22 that provides churches with resources on how to do just that.
Attending churches can learn and grow alongside CB&LF staff, loan partners, capital fundraising executives, building professionals and other experts to become the best stewards they can be.
Attendees must register before September 20th at 12pm ET: https://web.cvent.com/event/03c4dfed-e9a8-4094-8b83-fd73533e5628/summary
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Join Rev. Derek Terry, Coalition Program Director, in a discussion of Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. This book is the text famously carried around by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from his graduate school days until the end of his life. This work was used to shape the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's through the leadership of people like Dr. King.
Join us as we read and discuss Jesus and the Disinherited through a queer lens and consider how the theology shared in this text could be used to inspire new activism for the rights of the LGBTQIA+SGL community.
Registration is free and the discussion will be on Zoom. Register here.
Donations are welcomed (but not required) when you register! Please share widely with your circles and encourage your communities to read and join the discussion.
Read MoreThe United Church of Christ’s 34th General Synod, held June 30-July 4 in Indianapolis, included historic moments, joyous reunions, communal prayer and faithful witness.
Many of these have been captured in a newly released highlights video, showcasing the impact and significance of this year’s gathering. Watch the 17-minute condensed version or the extended version.
Read MoreNeighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion in the United States.
In 2023, the Neighbors in Need “BEHOLD!” theme continues. This year’s focus is on environmental justice. Plastics, electronics, and other non-compostable wastes are being shipped across, and even tossed into, our waterways, launched into space, as well as buried in landfills. As people of faith, we believe these egregious acts are sinful and unholy. We must be better stewards of our planet!
Join us by promoting this year’s NIN “Behold!” campaign at your church. As you may recall, one-third of the offering supports Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds are used by Justice and Witness Ministries to provide grants to UCC churches and organizations as well as supporting a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.
While many of our churches collect the offering on October 1, 2023, as part of World Communion Sunday, contributions to this offering can be collected on any Sunday during the calendar year. We thank you for your support and generosity.
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Cost per person: $370
If a church sends a team of 5 or more, cost per person is $299
Limit 24 people
Brian Buford has decades of experience as a university administrator, activist, consultant, and award winning former director of The LGBT Center at the University of Louisville. Join us in this virtual discussion as he shares ideas for how churches can support LGBTQ+SGL college students in today's difficult social and political climate.
Read MoreThe ECC Truth and Reconciliation Communion invites you to attend this sponsored event in September.
Join the discussion of The 1619 Project, A New Origin Story, by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Find out what the controversy is all about! How will this book inform your ministry and everyday life?
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Applications for the United Church of Christ’s 2024 Justice and Local Church Ministries grants, which support the work and mission of local churches, are now open. The deadline for congregations to apply is Sept. 15.
“From immediate financial aid to churches in crisis to seed funding for justice advocacy and innovative programs, the opportunities are boundless,” said the Rev. Aaron Wade, who — as the UCC’s minister for congregational leadership development — oversees the denomination’s grants and scholarships program. “For new church planters, we offer comprehensive health, dental and pension support, securing your church’s sustainability for the future. For faith communities affiliated with the United Church of Christ, our CASA grants stand ready to fuel your impact with coaching and financial assistance.”
Read MoreComing up soon:
Love is Louder: Listening Deeply to LGBTQIA+ Experiences
Climate Hope Cards Prayer Service
Centering Environmental Justice at the EPA
Friday, September 8 - Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Chapel Rock Retreat Center in Prescott, Arizona
The Arizona Disciples Women’s Ministry is inviting all who identify as women in the Southwest Conference to their annual fall retreat!
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MID Rhonda Newby-Torres was unanimously approved for ordination at her Ecclesiastical Council on July 30. Her ordination will take place at her home church, First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are unable to attend in person it will also be held virtually. It is scheduled for Sunday, September 17th at 4 pm New Mexico & El Paso time, 3 pm Arizona time. More information will be available soon.
Read MoreICYMI: A special interview with the UCC's first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as the GMP. Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson.
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Wednesday, August 16, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.MST
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 9 invites you to join a two-hour security webinar. This webinar provides information and best practices that supports and enhances the emergency action planning capabilities of your organization. The webinar focuses on providing awareness training that supports the development of emergency action planning capabilities.
Thank you to Arizona Faith Network for this information.
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The Convergence Music Project in October is a gathering for musicians, pastors, worship leaders and anyone interested in justice-building, inclusive and progressive music and worship.
Brian McLaren | Diana Butler Bass | Otis Moss III | Ken Medema | The Many | Noel Paul Stookey | Monty Jackson | Mark A. Miller | Andra Moran | Richard Bruxvoort Cooligan | Bryan Johnson | Christopher Grundy | Stan Mitchell | Bryan Sirchio | Tom Nichols | Dan Chadburn | and more...
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The United Church of Christ’s 34th General Synod had it all.
A new leader and a historic vote. A change from biennial to triennial. And giving witness to some of the most urgent issues — trans dignity, reproductive rights, racial justice, creation care and much more — through resolutions, special speakers, prayer and action.
Indianapolis and the Indiana-Kentucky Conference played hosts from June 30-July 4. It was the UCC’s first in-person national gathering since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the business side of this “family reunion,” delegates and visitors came together to worship, break bread, embrace and shed tears of joy.
Read the full coverage — all news stories together in one place — of General Synod 34 here.
(by Maic D'Agostino)
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Tuesdays, from July 25th through August 22nd, 6:60 - 8:00 pm via Zoom
Join the AFN community for an 18-month series on religious nationalism. This series follows the successful in-person events on Christian Nationalism held in June, 2023. The new section starts with a five-part film series based on Joel Goza's latest book: "America’s Unholy Ghosts: The Racist Roots of Our Faith and Politics."
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ONA 101 Webinar will be held twice in August by former Coalition ED, Rev. Andy!
Read MoreSunday, July 30, 4 pm New Mexico & El Paso time, 3 pm Arizona time
We hope you can join us on Zoom for Rhonda Newby-Torres' Ecclesiastical Council!
You might have "met" her on Episode 3 of our podcast already!
Her home church is First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque, NM and she currently serves as the lay Pastor for Lutheran Campus Ministries, an ecumenical campus ministry at the University of New Mexico.
Please register in advance here.
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Rev. Derrick Elliott has reached out to seek assistance in getting out a survey to members of the LGBTQIA+ community within the Southwest Conference. Read his letter and click this link if you'd like to help him out!
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