This month Madison Mayhew, UCC Justice and Peace Policy Advocate, shares an open letter to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in honor of one year since her brave testimony.

Dear Dr. Ford,
One year ago, we watched you bravely recount your experience of sexual assault by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh. We, the faith community, honor your story, and stand with you as we witness the anniversary of this significant moment. We recognize your life has been forever altered because of your remarkable courage, and we thank you. We have watched you suffer from hateful threats of violence against your life, and we are so sorry. (Read more).

Monday, October 21 – 22

Travel to Yuma, sing songs of hope and compassion in the spirit of God's love to the Border Patrol office in Yuma, then sing at the wall of the detention place located behind the Border Patrol offices, for the detainees inside. Travel to San Luis where entry to Mexico is located and sing near the entry on the USA side.

Stay overnight in Yuma, then travel on October 22 (Tuesday) to Phoenix and donate money and supplies and sing at the Welcome Center, run by rescue.org. Return home on October 22.

The Rev. James Moos, Ph.D. will join the Pension Boards team on October 15 in the new role of Executive Director of PBUCC’s Faith and Finance Ministries. In this position, which reports to the President and CEO, Moos will oversee the organization’s Ministerial Assistance, Philanthropy, Communications and Church Relations, and Corporate Social Responsibility functions.

Each year the UCC partners with Blessed Tomorrow to conduct a climate survey. This survey helps us know what our members are thinking, how opinions change from year to year, where future possibilities for collective action reside, and how our denomination compares with the broader population. Take this 15-minute survey now!

As your church begins to explore how your congregation can be inclusive of your differently-abled members and friends, Michael Curry, SWC Lay Minister for Disability Education, Advocacy, and Awareness, encourages you to take part in a collaborative dialog.

Support the work of your Conference Ministers and ask your member of Congress, as they work on appropriations legislation, to not invest any more money in policies that fuel and feed the administration’s efforts to continue terrorizing immigrants. How we invest our money reflects our values as a nation, and right now those values are corrosive and harmful. This has to stop. Congress should instead invest in policies that uplift family unity, address the root causes of forced migration, and prioritize human needs by respecting the rights and dignity of every person.

Take action and ask your member of Congress to reject funding for detention, deportation, and border militarization!

Sunday, Nov. 10 - Friday, Nov. 15, Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Rev. Dr. Jim Antal

Use code CLIMATEANTAL at checkout BEFORE November 1 and receive $250 off!

The climate crisis provides people of faith with opportunities to embrace new vocations rooted in hope expressed in action. We will move from despair and feeling overwhelmed to joyful engagement as we understand and experience our call to make a difference on a local, national and global level. Climate activist and denominational leader Rev. Dr. Jim Antal will examine the most recent science as well as our grief over the loss of our home as we identify and commit to grounded, resilient strategies to thwart the impending crises, amidst the poignant locale of Ghost Ranch.

Several speakers, workshop leaders, and facilitators from Mental Health Weekend on November 1 and 2 will be guest preaching at various churches in Arizona on Sunday, November 3.

• Desert Heritage Church, Mesa: Rev. Lisa LeSueur

• Desert Palm UCC, Tempe: Rev. Alan Johnson

• Foothills Christian Church, Glendale: Rev. Amy Hill

• Saguaro CC, Tucson: Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe

• Scottsdale Congregational UCC: Rev. Megan Snell

• United Church of Sun City: Rev. Sarah Lund

The Good Shepherd UCC and Church of the Red Rocks are both planning trips to Guatemala. The Good Shepherd’s trip will focus on Spanish immersion with historic and cultural sightseeing; travelers on Church of the Red Rocks’ trip will build homes for people living in extreme poverty.

I am here to tell Congress the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ has zero tolerance for political policies that violate human dignity and dehumanize our neighbors – migrating people, federal agents, and residents of America’s militarized southern border communities alike. With the righteous anger of Jesus overturning tables in the Temple I am here to say, “Pass a moral budget! Defund the hate.”

Location: Church of the Beatitudes, Phoenix

November 1: Mental Health First Aid – a training program that teaches members of the public how to help a person developing a mental health problem (including a substance use problem), experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem, or in a mental health crisis.

November 2: W.I.S.E. Conference – includes a keynote by Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, workshops, basics of starting a mental health ministry, opening and closing worship, and more.

Participants are encouraged to attend both events.

January 16-18, 2020
The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, Sahuarita, Arizona

The Borderlands is the perfect place to explore the arts, touch the culture and have deeper conversations about the complicated issues that collide here.

Join in the climate strikes and demand action to protect the sanctity of creation. Urge Congress to promote a just and equitable transition to a 100% clean energy economy in order to build a more sustainable future for all. We need moral leadership to help protect our public health and environment, strengthen our economy through clean energy, and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

Justice and Witness Ministries is excited to welcome Conference Ministers from across the United Church of Christ for days of advocacy and action in Washington DC. They will be hosting 22 Conference Ministers from September 24 - 26 to join in advocating around the topic of immigration. Conference Ministers will meet with legislators and ask them to cease funding for detention, deportation, and border militarization. 

Wednesday, October 16, 7:30 p.m. via Google

Join other Valley of the Sun UCC churches as they launch the multi-church PRIDE Team. They meet the 3rd Wednesday of every month to plan for upcoming festivals, parades, advocacy events, and just all around meet-n-greets!

A list of Climate Strike events and how our conference churches are participating!

From Meredith Owen, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy, Immigration and Refugee Program, Church World Service:

Last week, the administration held a meeting to discuss plans for the refugee admissions goal for Fiscal Year 2020, with some administration officials previously proposing resettling zero refugees next year. This would decimate the bipartisan refugee resettlement program and follows FY 2019’s historically low goal of 30,000. 

The film How Are the Children? forms the centerpiece of an education curriculum designed by the UCC Palestine Israel Network for members of the United Church of Christ.