The Southwest Conference endorsed this effort and invites congregations and members to do so too.

As people of faith, we are called to care for all of God’s children and to protect God’s creation. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an inspiring, wild landscape. It is home to polar bears, wolves, the sacred Porcupine Caribou Herd that is 180,000 strong, and migratory birds tying the Arctic Refuge to our backyards in the lower 48 states.

Anna Peterson of Conservation Communications is helping to organize a faith statement signed by leaders of faith communities who oppose drilling in the Arctic Refuge. See the full statement attached and below. Would a leader of your congregation be willing to sign on? Please let her know by March 1.

If you would be interested in joining a Southwest Conference delegation to attend this event together, please contact Bill. Expenses would be paid by the participants.

From Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition:

SB 1328 (appropriations; direct services; referrals) and HB 2388 (appropriations; direct services; referrals) will both be up in committee this week. These mirror bills contain funding for Arizona's 2-1-1 Community Information and Referral line.

While there have been bills in past years to fund Arizona's 2-1-1 system, this new version of the funding request comes with restrictions that will leave many Arizonans without information to resources they need. 

As people of faith, we are called to care for creation and all living things. The RECLAIM Act would not only help restore and clean up hazardous land but would also create thousands of new jobs across the country, providing an economic boost to communities who have laid off coal miners, and allowing them a renewed opportunity to thrive.

Now more than ever, it is imperative that Congress pass The RECLAIM Act. Please fill out the form to contact your member of Congress to show your support for former miners and the RECLAIM Act.

February 5, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join hundreds of advocates for environmental protection and justice, climate action, lands and wildlife conservation, flowing rivers, democracy, and more, in meeting at the Arizona Capitol to let legislators know how much we care about these issues, as well as specific bills.

Food Bank Day at the Capitol
Tuesday, February 4, 11:30 am - 1 pm
Arizona State Capitol (Senate Lawn)
1700 W Washington Street, Phoenix

Meet on the Senate Lawn to discuss how we can fight hunger together. A complimentary lunch will be provided by St. Mary's Food Bank's Community Kitchen.

Please RSVP ASAP to Ashley St. Thomas: ashley@azfoodbanks.org or 602-775-5035

Monday, February 3, 12:00 - 3:30 pm
St. Mary’s Food Bank – Community Room
3003 W. Thomas Rd, Phoenix

As trusted stakeholders in the community, nonprofits hold a critical voice in ensuring communities they serve are counted in the Census 2020. Partnerships for the Census are also critical to ensure Arizona receives its fair share in resources and representation allocated by the Census, and that we have accurate Census data used by philanthropy and nonprofits to make informed decisions.

In the Nonprofit Census Solutions Workshop, nonprofit leaders are invited to learn about the importance of the Census 2020, ways they can participate and promote the Census to their communities, and leave with resources to lead their own promotional efforts.

Complimentary lunch begins at noon and the workshop promptly at 12:30 pm.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

In Tucson next Friday, January 31. #SaveAsylum

As we mark the one year anniversary of MPP (Remain in Mexico) and the one month anniversary of its implementation in Nogales, we raise our voices as people of faith to say: “There is room at the inn!”

2020 has been off to a tumultuous start. This election year promises to bring uncertainty and challenge. In these times it is important to take stock and make a game plan. How do we as people of faith want to engage with the elections?

The United Church of Christ General Synod has affirmed the idea that our faithful and civic lives are inextricably linked and who we are as a country, and how we care for the most vulnerable among us is, “an expression of our love for God and all whom God has created.” That, “The God of love is also the God of justice. The two are related, for in the Bible justice is the social form of love.”  [Twenty-fifth General Synod, For the Common Good]

George Lakey, long-time Quaker activist and author of How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, will be offering four events in the Phoenix area during the last week in January.

January 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The Citizens United decision opened the floodgates of corporate spending in election campaigns. Ten years later, a report issued by Public Citizen shows that corporations and megadonors have poured nearly $2 billion into election campaigns since Citizens United.

In this pivotal election year, we must restore integrity to our democratic process and undo the damage done by Citizens United. Every vote should matter, and every vote should count. Urge your senators to break the logjam in the Senate and support the For the People Act.

This weekend we celebrate the leadership and sacrifice of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The United Church of Christ has so many proud moments in its legacy working for the U.S. civil rights movement -- including the time a UCC leader met with Dr. King and inspired much of the early media justice movement. The UCC's media justice ministry, called the Office of Communication, Inc., was created after the UCC's original Communications Director, Dr. Everett C. Parker, met with Dr. King. As we get ready to celebrate Dr. King, we're sharing the UCC-made documentary, OC Inc., The Untold Story, as a resource for UCC churches to learn more about this unique UCC connection to MLK's legacy (available in the full 22 minutes or a 6-minute preview.)

This is a collaboration between Justice and Local Church and Wider Church Ministries. While many UCC congregations have already been doing accompaniment with asylum seekers, the need is great and many more UCC congregations want to learn more about how they can get involved.

Please join UCC Asylum Accompaniment Webinar on January 24th at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT

On this webinar, we’ll hear from UCC congregations who are doing this work to learn more about best practices and how to confront challenges.

at the Arizona State Capitol on Thursday, January 16, 10 am
Arizona House of Representatives, 1700 West Washington St, Phoenix

Marco Gonzalez is Executive Director of Yahad-In Unum, an organization dedicated to discovering genocide wherever it is found around the world, providing documented proof of crimes against humanity and serving as a voice of protest on behalf of all past and present victims of systemic hate crimes and mass murder. Working closely with its well-recognized founder, Father Patrick Desbois, Marco has become the foremost authority on the tragic episode of history known as “Holocaust by Bullets”.

Friday, January 17, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
Harkins Theatres at Norterra
2550 W Happy Valley Rd, Phoenix

Join Arizona Faith Network on the afternoon of Friday, January 17th at Harkins Norterra to see "Just Mercy." Afterward, we will gather next door in the Norterra room at Elevate Coffee Co for a time of discussion.

In Puerto Rico, a series of powerful earthquakes have killed one person, injured several, unleashed small landslides and caused homes and other buildings to crack and crumble. The earthquakes and aftershocks have taken out power across most of the island, also leaving hundreds of thousands without water.

The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, UCC associate general minister and co-executive for Global Ministries, is dispatching funds to Global Ministries partner IEUPR (Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico) so the church can assist with needs of first response, such as hygiene kits.

Disaster Ministries is also issuing an emergency appeal to continue to assist the people of the island. Goal: $250,000. Click here to donate.