Music Director, Stephen Schermitzler, at Church of the Beatitudes hosts a monthly all church sing-a-long on Zoom. This month’s theme is the Music of Walt Disney- and folks can come with suggestions of songs that they love to sing and would like Stephen to play.
Many churches are transitioning to some sort of in-church worship or meetings. At First Christian Church in Las Cruces, they are following county guidelines. This means that groups of 10 or less can meet in person with proper precautions—masks and social distancing. Also, if deciding to move a group or committee to in-person meetings, leaders are urged to discuss it with everyone in the group and make a decision that is appropriate to everyone’s comfort levels.
First Church Phoenix provided 10 WAYS YOU CAN BE MORE ‘GREEN’
(click on links below)
KNOW YOUR PLASTICS BY NUMBER AND THE RISK
MAKE YOUR OWN ALL PURPOSE HOUSEHOLD CLEANER
WATCH A DOCUMENTARY ON PLANET EARTH
LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MINISTRIES OF
SUPPORT A LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Beginning Easter Sunday Desert Heritage invites its members to pray for a different congregation each week.
Having missed the entire 2020 season, Encanto Community Church is thrilled to resume Cinema under the Stars! Join them for two Fridays in May at 8 p.m., when they will screen family-friendly movies outdoors on the lovely front lawn. They will provide individually wrapped snacks and bottled water, and everyone should bring their own lawn chair or blanket. Admission is free, and as always, ALL are welcome! The line-up for the movies is: Frozen 2 on Friday, May 7, and Ford versus Ferrari on Friday, May 14.
First Congregational Church in Albuquerque invites its members to help “picture” the worship experience by providing pictures for Pastor Sue to use. For instance,
pictures of women who have been important to you
Pictures of fire or in colors of red and orange
Videos of wind
Pictures of “threes” or of what folks consider holy
Pictures of trees with roots
Can you figure out the worship themes?
Church of the Palms completed its Phase 1 Capital Campaign in just 7 weeks, raising $130,000- against a goal of $100,000! Phase 1 will install solar panels and jump start Phase 2, which includes items like LED lights, a/c units, and low E windows- all designed to reduce their carbon footprint.
May is the month Oro Valley UCC recognizes those in their community who do so much to protect and serve. In recognition of those who work at
Oro Valley Hospital
Oro Valley Fire Department
Oro Valley Police Department
there will be three poster-size thank you notes available at the church’s May 9th Drive-And-Drop. When folks drop their items off, they can sign the posters and add a personal message. The posters will then be delivered.
Desert Heritage has passed along the following information. FEMA has an available program to reimburse elective individuals for funeral expenses incurred due to COVID-19 deaths from Jan. 20, 2020 to the present. Registration began on April 12, and more information can be found at:
FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
Walk 'n Talk is a fellowship opportunity at Church of the Beatitudes. Folks meet every other Saturday at various locations and times dependent on weather. This is a masked socially distanced walking event providing exercise and fellowship.
On Sunday, March 28, West Congregational Church UCC voted to end public ministry. West Church began in 1956 and was accepted into the Arizona Association of Congregational Christian Churches in 1958. In time the Congregational Christian Church congregations voted to join the United Church of Christ which had been established in 1957. On October 20, 1996 West Church celebrated 40 years with a special service.
In 1961 a freeway claimed the location of West Congregational Church’s chapel (McDowell Rd. & 39th Dr.) The Congregational Conference of Southern California and the Southwest purchased property on West Thomas Road for West Congregational Church’s use (it’s current home). In 1966 the newly formed Southwest Conference received title to the property and worked with West Church to refinance the mortgages so that an education wing could be built.
Spiritual formation is one of West Church’s legacies. Former member in discernment Lauri Hasler provided significant leadership for the congregation particularly in their multicultural and multilingual worship services. Two ministers were ordained from West Congregational Church: the Rev. Curt Miner and the Rev. Dennis Copen, Jr. Clergy serving West Congregational Church since 1958 have included the Revs. James Bull, Walter Frutiger, Dale Frank, Stanley Plumer, Merwyn Johnson, James Keener, Greg Hepner, Eugene Rose, Lewis Crawford, Carl Eschenbrenner, Jim Meadows, Jim Rabb, Jim Riggins, and Ron Wilson. Their current pastor is the Rev. Pamela Hines.
West Congregational Church has been an important part of the neighborhood, outreach included spring and fall rummage sales, weekly thrift shop, and in more recent years spaghetti dinners and their annual St. Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner.
The church’s final worship service will be on May 16, 3 p.m. at West Church.
Here are some of the books being used in various book groups/studies across the conference. For your summer enjoyment and edification:
Universal Christ, Richard Rohr
A New Kind of Christianity, Brian McLaren
The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism, Andrew Harvey
Caste, Isabel Wilkerson
My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
Redlining in Arizona, Bradford Luckingham
Let Us Dream, Pope Francis
We Make the World by Walking, Brian McLaren