Your generous donation of blood can help save lives and support those in critical need.
Shepherd of the Hills will host a blood drive on July 21, 9 am-2 pm. Please sign up in advance HERE or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Church of the Painted Hills in Tucson will host a blood drive on July 17, 9 am-2 pm. Please sign up in advance HERE or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
New cruelty at the U.S. - Mexican border as reported by the Rev. Randy Mayer from The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita and shared by the national UCC setting. Read it here.
The Desert Heritage Church Peace and Justice Committee members and guests will be visiting the George Floyd Exhibit at ASU on the 17th. This exhibit provides an opportunity to engage with critical social justice issues and reflect on the legacy of George Floyd.
First Congregational in Albuquerque is inviting all its children ages 3-12 to participate in a summer Read-a-thon and asking members to bring in books to add to the inventory.
This classic black baseball cap from UCC.org features a white embroidered 'REV' on the front along with an embroidered “ucc.org” web address on the back. Ideal for clergy for outdoor services, vigils, protests or marches, as well as for less formal events. (I personally love the idea of this for protests and Pride Parades! -Holly) Order
Church of the Red Rocks, in anticipation of the arrival of their new pastor in September, is reading his novel. The opening section of “Praying for an Eclipse-Mother Moon,” is the story of a young twenty five year old Jesuit sent out on his first missionary assignment in a remote mountain region in Mexico. The introductory section tells stories at the intersection of two cultures and his evolution from a Roman Catholic priest to that of becoming a husband and father with a young indigenous woman. Rev. Dr. Guillermo Marquez-Sterling’s first book of his historical novel trilogy is an introduction to the history of our Southern border and its impact on generations of families.
The Creation Care team at Rincon is handing out 12 rolls of bamboo toilet paper, encouraging folks to give it a try. RB Life Brand’s bamboo toilet paper is chlorine-free, unbleached, and PFAS-free, ensuring a healthier alternative for the environment. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world and can grow up to 35 inches per day or 1.5 inches per hour. Because it grows so quickly, bamboo can be replenished immediately after being used. As a result, the bamboo population can easily be maintained to avoid over-consumption.
The month of July is all about peanut butter at ICS Food Bank in Tucson. The race is on to see which UCC church will contribute the most toward the goal of 10,000 jars! Of course, we all know that the real winners are the eventual recipients…
Church of the Beatitudes Co-Pastors Dr. Wing and Rev Sandi took a long weekend together in Colorado! They enjoyed the beautiful outdoors with a hike around the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park and had a picnic on a pontoon boat at Estes Lake.
The Green Justice Team at First Congregational in Albuquerque is going on a tour of the Rio Grande Community Farm where they will learn about regenerative agriculture! They will see enjoy the a unflower field maze, pollinator’s garden, composting area, field cropping, small space gardening, agrivoltaics, greenhouse, equipment, and more.
The ONA Coalition is thrilled to announce that their latest merchandise lineup is here! Each purchase not only bolsters the Open and Affirming Coalition's mission but also honors the LGBTQ+ community while uplifting small LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Stay tuned for upcoming additions – your support means the world to us! Click here to SHOP NOW!
For the second year in a row, the Mission and Outreach Ministry of Sun Lakes UCC asked the congregation to help support the needs of Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School; and they did.
For the month of June, members of the congregation purchased a variety of school supplies that are needed by the school. Many of the “snowbirds” of the church sent in checks that totaled over $400.00 in which more supplies were purchased. Some of the items included: 102 glue sticks, 12 electric pencil sharpeners, 67 spiral notebooks, 40 boxes of crayons, and many more items. The church also gave the school a $100.00 gift card, for them to use as they see fit.
The school was built in 1957 and is the oldest elementary school in the Chandler Unified District, that is still open. The school is in the heart of downtown Chandler and has classes from preschool through the sixth grade and there are approximately 740 students are enrolled.
The members of Sun Lakes UCC are thrilled that they are able to help the students and teachers at Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School. For more information on the various Mission and Outreach programs that Sun Lakes United Church of Christ are involved with, please contact the church office at (480) 895-6317.
Thanks to the Christian Ed team and the staff of SCUCC we achieved our first Staycation Bible School. 15 youth and 9 adults attended. Favorite Bible stories were shared. Sam was our head chef. Faith was our favorite smoothie maker! Luxurious beds were slept in. Swimming happened. Air hockey, shuffleboard and ping pong! Many loads of towels were washed. Thanks to Faith's determination we were welcomed to the rental property and now have been invited to rent again! This is huge. We are on the "good" list. Many thanks to Katie, Katelyn, Michelle and Nancy from CE. Rev Ann spent an afternoon with us! Sophia and Ari stopped by. And Lilly and Beth dropped by so we could bless Lilly on her new adventure. Thank you SCUCC for all your support. It was a great 4 day staycation!