8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sunday, November 10 at Shepherd of the Hills UCC, 5524 E Lafayette Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Sign up for a slot at Shepherd of the Hills’ third and final Red Cross Blood Drive for the year.

Visit redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Shepherd.

You may have met Rev. Dr. Helen Boursier during last year’s Faithful Witness at the Border. Her new book “Desperately Seeking Asylum” has been receiving excellent advance feedback, and her hope and prayer is that it will make a dent and a difference. This book includes bits from Faithful Witness at the Border, including one of the two front cover pix that she took when she went to Mexico plus several others from the week are inside the book, which is due out December 15th.

With the clock ticking on the legislative calendar, Congress is running out of time to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), otherwise known as NAFTA 2.0. Although there are some good provisions in the agreement, as it currently stands the new deal remains frightfully flawed. The USMCA inadequately protects and enforces worker rights, offers little advancement on environmental protection, and provides what is essentially a candy hand out to pharmaceutical companies in the form of patent exclusivity that will limit access to life-saving medicines for the global poor. If we do not want this horror story to become reality, now is the time to act!

The Good Shepherd UCC is cooperating with Shalom Mennonite Church in Tucson to send notes and cards of encouragement to individuals being detained by ICE in facilities here in our region. See how you can participate, too.

The 2nd Annual Border Ministries Summit provides an opportunity to share information, build partnerships and increase awareness of the important ministries taking place on both sides of the border.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.

Congress has recently introduced legislation that would expose these shell corporations and shed a light on their illegal activity. The “Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 (H.R.2513/S.1978)” is a bipartisan bill that would require corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) to disclose their true ownership to law enforcement and financial institutions. Passing this bill would make financing criminal activity more difficult and end a practice that steals resources and wealth from communities around the globe.

November 16, 2019, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (arrive by 9:30 a.m.)

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 918 So. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ 85338

This training is focused on educating clergy and their parishioners on the warning signs and dangers of opioid abuse. All are welcome to participate, but space may be limited. We are hoping to recruit nurses to participate. If you register via email, please include your mailing address and phone number. Upon completion of the training, qualified attendees will receive COMPLIMENTARY NARCAN for your congregation (subject to availability).

Have a look at Arizona Faith Network’s latest list of partner and community events.

Becoming a Better Ally to People of Color
Sunday, October 27, 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM
All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 North 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85022

Are you ready to collaborate with others to dismantle systemic racism? Do you have the skills to be an effective ally to people of color? Deacon Joan Crawford offers important lessons on how those outside the African American community can work collaboratively with black folks to promote racial equity and justice.

Preventing and addressing violence against women builds stronger families and stronger communities. VAWA has a proven track record of effectiveness over the years. It is long past time for the Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 2019.

Take action and tell your Senators it is time to reauthorize VAWA!

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!