Andrew Ponder Williams from Desert Palm passed his ordination interview here in the Southwest Conference. The next step will be his Ecclesiastical Council on Dec. 5th at 3PM via Zoom. (Zoom registration link coming soon HERE.)
Len Silvester has assured us that he DOES enjoy being retired. But an opportunity came along to serve as the "bridge" pastor at Church of the Red Rocks UCC in Sedona, AZ. How could he say no to that?!? Len will be there until mid-February when the intentional interim pastor is expected to arrive.
Conference Minister Bill Lyons spent time this week with Rev. Sarah TevisTownes and other COGS leaders representing the SWC in giving thanks for the life and ministry of Rev. Pamela Shepherd of Taos UCC and then celebrating the installation of Rev. Bethany Meier at First Christian Church in Las Cruces.
As winter approaches, the Interfaith Shelter in Santa Fe will accommodate 75 guests a night. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, United Church of Santa Fe has contracted with “Felipe’s Tacos” and “Mucho Gourmet” to provide 150 meals each week, along with 35 monthly suppers for shelters at Casa Familia and St. Elizabeth. Their goal is simply to feed people who are hungry, keep Santa Fe small businesses in business, and keep everyone safe from Covid19. Thanks to the generosity of members and friends, United has underwritten over 12,000 lunches and suppers at a weekly cost of $720.
Jon Mitovich at Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque is taking the lead on the church’s response to the settlement of Afghan refugees in the area. The church council is considering sponsorship of a family and church members are busy collecting items that the families will need.
The Good Shepherd in Sahuarita welcomes Global Hope Volunteer Thomas Smith. Thomas arrived in Tucson from Atlanta, Georgia on Nov. 5th to begin his year of volunteer work with the Good Shepherd. He will be doing a lot of work with the Samaritan group along the border and will be helping out at the church on Sundays.
First Church Phoenix covers the volunteer needs at the Phoenix Welcome Center every Saturday. Do you feel the call to join them? Here is a glimpse of what the day entails.
Pastor Derrick Elliott, in addition to being an Air Force chaplain and doctoral candidate, is the pastor of Desert Heritage Church (DHC). (Dual UCC and DOC congregation) When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and DHC closed its doors in favor of online services, Pastor Derrick began pre-recording his sermons. Despite only being employed part-time by the congregation, he became an amateur editor, director, and producer. It got to be too much. But then, using a technology grant from the Disciples Church Extension Fund, Derrick was able to hire a company to produce their worship services for a year. All they have to do is tell the company the time and date of a service and it is live-streamed to Facebook. Derrick’s story was told in an article posted in the Disciple’s national newsletter. Full article
Several hard workers of Sun Lake United Church of Christ came together to decorate Angels to place on one of the Christmas trees for the Chapel. The morning was spent sharing stories and catching up with members of the church. The Angels we decorated in gold using all types of materials. The Angels will be placed on a tree in early December for all to enjoy through the Christmas season.
Church of Beatitudes is teaming up with ShoeBox Ministry once again for our Annual Holiday Sock Drive. Between 11/21 and 12/05, we will be collecting NEW men's and women's socks to help make sure the less fortunate that find themselves living on the streets will have warm, dry feet during this winter season. The church is collecting on Sundays but socks can be dropped off at the church office during the week.
New Mexico Conference of Churches is excited for the launch of their new podcast, "Saving Your Life" featuring the stories of religious leaders around the state. Check it out.