Conference News
Thank you to all who attended, participated, and planned this wonderful day! We are honored and thrilled to have Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins as our settled Conference Minister!
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Neighbors 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 2024, the Neighbors in Need theme is “Mental Health Justice For All!” This year’s focus is on Mental Health Justice. In 2015, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution to become WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for mental health.
A just world for all is a world where the human rights and well-being of people with mental health challenges are respected, no matter who you are or where you are in life’s mental health journey.
Please join us in promoting this year’s NIN “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right” 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 6, 2024, 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.
Read MoreSWC women were invited to the Arizona Disciples women’s retreat in Prescott and several attended, including two on our staff. Dr. Toni gave two inspirational keynotes, led a vespers service and a workshop, and preached at worship. Wende led the singing (and was the biggest loser at Bunco). It was a beautiful time of fellowship, rest, nature, learning, and laughter. And fantastic food!
(Who is that MAN? It’s Rev. Dr. Jay Hartley, the Regional Minister and President of the Arizona Disciples of Christ. The DOC women welcome him each year to attend the retreat, and his wife Dawn is the music accompanist for the singing.)
If you identify as a woman, put September 12–14, 2025 on your calendar and plan to attend the next retreat. Lori Tapia, National Pastor for Hispanic Ministries at Obra Hispana, will be the keynote. We'll post registration info early next summer.
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Join David Poole and his wife Winona as they talk about paperless singing. They will offer ideas about, and examples of, paperless singing practices that can be used to supplement (or perhaps in some cases to replace) hymnal-based congregational song in the worship setting.
David Poole has served the church music world in various capacities for over 30 years. More recently, he has devoted his energies to directing the New Mexico Peace Choir and to being a presenter and facilitator for an organization called Music that Makes Community (MMC), which promotes the practice of "paperless" group singing as a means to greater inclusion and the building of community. Winona is also a MMC presenter.
This is a free, one-hour conversation on ZOOM. All are welcome. 12 noon ET / 9 am PT. Please register for the event to receive the Zoom link.
The recording of this event and all of our Saturday Sharing conversations can be found on our YouTube channel.
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The Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ is pleased to reintroduce the "9 Steps to Becoming a Racial Justice Church," a vital document originally crafted in 2022 in response to a resolution passed at our Annual Meeting and subsequently adopted by the conference’s Executive Board. While this document has not been widely circulated, its significance remains undiminished. The document can be found here.
With the formation of the Decentering Whiteness Task Force (DWTF), we are renewing our commitment to this crucial work. One of our primary goals is to actively promote and revise the "9 Steps" document, ensuring that it remains a relevant and effective tool for our congregations. The process outlined in this document begins with creating space for racial justice work within your church’s structure and continues through forming a dedicated Racial Justice Team, examining current practices, grounding your efforts in biblical teachings, and publicly committing to a covenant of racial justice.
However, our work goes beyond these steps. The DWTF is also focused on the broader mission of ensuring that all people, regardless of race or background, have a seat at the center of our churches and in society at large. This means not only committing to racial justice but also examining how our structures, practices, and communities can be more inclusive and reflective of God’s vision for humanity.
We invite all Southwest Conference churches to revisit this document and consider adopting it as part of your commitment to racial justice. By engaging with these steps and collaborating with the DWTF, we can work together to build a more just and inclusive world. For more information and resources or to begin this process, please visit this page of the Southwest Conference website.
Read MoreJoining the Justice 100 is simple. You can sign up to lead a team, rally your community, and help the ONA Coalition reach their goal. Or, if leading a team isn’t for you, you can simply make a donation to the cause! Every dollar raised will go directly toward making our church and world more just and inclusive for all people. Details in the article.
Learn more and sign up by visiting OpenandAffirming.org/Justice100.
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NCC's Christian Unity Gathering is right around the corner! Registration is open and hotel rooms are available for this gathering in Nashville, TN, at Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Airport 10 Century Blvd, Nashville, TN 37214 from Oct. 15-18.
This year's CUG theme is "Equitable Futures: Paving the Way for Environmental and Economic Justice." We will explore the critical intersection of ecological sustainability and socio-economic equity with prominent leaders.
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Loads of webinars coming up in the UCC!
Race to the Polls
Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Planting Campaign
Parker Lecture
Toxic Polarization and Partisan Divides: Holding on to Faith, Hope, and Love This Election Season
Refuge in Times of Trouble: Faith Communities As Resiliency Hubs
Building Bridges in a Polarized Nation: Coming Together to Care for Newcomers
With the retirement of our full-time Associate Conference Minister on December 31st, the Southwest Conference embraced a new model of two part-time ACMs. This model has been proven successful with the support of our bridge ACMs, and now, we are moving forward with the search for two settled part-time ACMs.
A search committee of five is actively seeking candidates for these 25-hour/week positions, each with benefits. One ACM will focus on Committee on Ministry A, while the other will focus on Committee on Ministry B. The positions will soon be posted on the national UCC Ministry Opportunities website, and the chosen candidates will be presented to the Executive Board for approval, in accordance with our bylaws.
Please hold the search team in prayer as we enter this next chapter of the Southwest Conference. As Dr. Toni often reminds us, "The best is yet to come."
Read MoreAs a show of Christian Unity and a plea for Peace during the election season, seven Christian denominations in Arizona are teaming up for a series of three prayer services.
We invite and encourage all to attend these services and to promote peace throughout this election season.
Hosted by:
The Rev. Dr. Jay R. Hartley, Regional Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer, Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Rev. Dr. Brad Munroe, Pastor to the Presbytery
Grand Canyon and de Cristo presbyteries
The Right Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall, Episcopal Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
The Most Rev. John P. Dolan, Bishop
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut
Desert Southwest Conference, United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins, Conference Minister
Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ
September 11 session details:
Presenter: Rev. Christine Dance
Title: Flocking Together: How to Keep Each Other Safe In The Face of Christian Nationalism
Rev. Christine Dance of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix will discuss their congregation’s recent harassment by Christian Nationalist individuals and how they have rethought about “safety,” including how we keep another safe instead of just outsourcing safety. We will talk both high level as well as some practical tools for us as individuals and groups.
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This well-known training in Bowen Family Systems Theory meets for 3 days per session, with 3 sessions from Fall 2024 to Summer 2025, totaling 9 days of training by the end.
Here's what you can expect from the training by Lombard Mennonite Peace Center:
Interactive workshops and simulations to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios.
Networking opportunities with peers in the field.
Opportunity to share about personal experiences and hear insight from others.
Some pastors will apply this training as continued education credits, inquire with your leaders to confirm.
Two Cohort opportunities this year—learn more here.
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Interfaith Power and Light, New Mexico & El Paso Region seeking an individual who demonstrates self-initiative, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to serving the common good to enact meaningful change. The work involves engaging in climate justice initiatives from a spiritual, ethical, and moral perspective. The organization's focus is on climate justice through educational programs, practical projects including energy audits, solar energy implementation, and land/water conservation efforts, as well as public policy advocacy.
Read MoreFitness Reviews occur periodically, and when your COM is faced with a FR, it's essential that you are well-equipped to respond. Join us for a refresher course that encompasses the work of a response team. Open to COMs and individuals to be trained as response team members. If your team hasn’t been to a training in the past two years, it’s time for a refresher!
SWC: We need you (CLERGY and LAY) to help us to have a good working list of people we can call on if needed. It's a very good way to be a meaningful participant in the vitally important work of the Committee on Ministry. Please register!
For questions, contact Rev. Leslie Etheredge, acm-cocam@uccswc.org.
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The Executive Board of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ requests your presence and prayers in joyful celebration at this sacred and historic occasion of the Service of Installation for Rev. Dr. Altonnette D. Hawkins Conference Minister, Southwest Conference UCC.
Our theme will be God Is Doing a Great Work!
We’ll hear from our guest preacher, the Rev. Ruth D. Harvey Pastor, Toms River UCC – Central Atlantic Conference UCC.
Please join the celebration on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 11 am Church of the Beatitudes, 555 W Glendale Avenue, Phoenix, AZ,
Please RSVP by September 15, 2024 to EA@uccswc.org.
Host congregations: Church of the Beatitudes UCC and New Hope UCC of Phoenix
Clergy are invited to wear a robe and stole and join in the processional.
(Optional: You may also add the Gye Nyame symbol and/or cowrie shells.)
Join us for a reception following the service.
You can also watch the live stream on Beatitudes website or their Facebook page.
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In addition to our annual Arizona retreat, this year we’ve added a retreat in New Mexico!
All authorized clergy are invited to participate in the retreat closest to them, or register for both, if you like!
New Mexico: October 28–30 at Ghost Ranch
Arizona: November 4–6 at Redemptorist Renewal Center
Travel scholarship application available here.
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Are you passionate about history or enjoy organizing and preserving stories? The Southwest Conference (SWC) is seeking dedicated individuals to join the new Historical Legacy Preservation Team to document and share the rich history of the Southwest Conference and its congregations.
This is an opportunity to be a part of something new and exciting—preserving the legacies, traditions, and stories that have shaped our conference.
If you have an interest in historical research, archival work, or simply piecing together the past, we would love to have you on board! Contact Shandrika McDowell at ea@uccswc.org on how you can get involved.
Let us come together to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of our history to ensure it is preserved for future generations.
We look forward to the possibility of working with you!
Read MoreWould your church be interested in having an area labor leader for a 5-minute ‘minute for mission’ as part of the AFL-CIO’s ‘Labor in the Pulpit’ program?
There are openings in the Phoenix area during Labor Day weekend (or the weekends before and after). Please reach out to UCC Minister for Economic Justice Rev. Seth Wispelwey at wispelweys@ucc.org to schedule the visit.
Not in the Phoenix area but want to pursue this for next year? Reach out to Seth about 2025!
(If your congregation wants more than five minutes, Seth can also arrange a longer message.)
Read MoreWe want to bring to your attention an important new IRS filing requirement for churches and non-profits: the FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI).
Here are the key points:
1. Churches and nonprofits are NOT automatically exempt from BOI reporting.
2. If your church or nonprofit has a valid 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS, you are NOT required to report BOI.
3. However, churches that are automatically considered 501(c)(3) organizations for certain purposes without an IRS determination letter fall under a different requirement:
Those churches operating as 501(c)(3) organizations under the presumption of tax exemption, without obtaining a 501(c)(3) determination letter, ARE required to file their BOI information and any future updates.
The crucial factor is whether you have an IRS determination letter stating your church has valid 501(c)(3) status. If not, your church or non-profit must comply with the BOI federal reporting requirement. We strongly advise consulting your accountant for clarification.
We hope this information will be helpful to our SWC congregations.
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Plan to retreat from the heat with Dr. Toni and Wende of the SWC staff as they join our Arizona Disciples of Christ sisters at their annual fall retreat at the beautiful Chapel Rock Retreat Center in Prescott!
Dr. Toni will keynote for the weekend, and Wende will lead the singing. They both enjoyed attending the 2023 event (see the photo of "Western Night") and would love to see you there in September, enjoying workshops, worship, keynote, singing, faith, food, fellowship, and the great outdoors!
Save the dates, September 13-15, alert your church’s women’s groups, and register today!
Here's the link to more info and registration
All registrations must be completed by August 28.
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