Church News & Events
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Pending review, we’ll publish it on the website and our weekly newsletter, In the Loop.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Tag SWC and Wende on Facebook and Instagram to get our attention so we can share your posts! We’re @swcucc and Wende is @yeswende.
Quiet Revolution
Growing up, Ryan says, he was “well-behaved, but lost in my own world,” a quiet and imaginative kid who spent hours pretending he had powers like characters from Avatar. His adolescence, he reflects, was “emotionally intense,” yet he remembers it as a time when he was in “one of my most authentic forms.”
Before visiting The Open Table/Luther House, Ryan had little connection to campus ministry. “I had heard of campus ministries,” he explains, “but I thought they all followed the typical evangelical church model, that kind of mega-church vibe.” He had already graduated from the University of New Mexico when he first heard about The Open Table Connection through First Congregational Church, where he now works. What he discovered at The Open Table was nothing like what he expected.
His first experience came when Martha invited him to a dinner. “It was pretty chill,” Ryan recalls, “very laid back and casual.” But what stayed with him wasn’t just who he met, it was how he met them. “The conversation, and I mean this not in a bad way,” he says with a smile, “was just a conversation.” There was no agenda, no theological debate, no pressure. “There was no weight to perform,” he explains. “No pressure to prove you’re a good Christian.”
That simple conversation became a quiet revelation. Ryan realized that this wasn’t just a ministry, it was a refuge. “I think it’s incredibly important to create a space of spiritual exploration, especially for queer and trans people,” he shares.
Since joining our Board of Directors in 2023, Ryan has witnessed the ministry remain true to its purpose while expanding its reach. “I’ve grown to appreciate the ability to create an environment that is very low-stakes,” he explains. “You have elders interacting with undergrads and sometimes high schoolers, and that’s beautiful to see.”
Today, Ryan says serving with The Open Table enriches his life both personally and professionally. “As a member of the clergy, it’s lovely to interact with other clergy outside of their typical context,” he says. But more than that, it gives him hope. A ministry that welcomes every identity, every question, every voice, that’s rare. “It’s a safe space to explore,” he says quietly, “without fear, without judgment.”
For Ryan, The Open Table isn’t just a ministry. It’s a reminder that spiritual community can be gentle. It can be honest. It can be healing. And it can begin, simply, with a table and an invitation to sit down.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Tag SWC and Wende on Facebook and Instagram to get our attention so we can share your posts! We’re @swcucc and Wende is @yeswende.
Sun Lakes United Church of Christ is looking to sell of set of Malmark Hand Bells with cases, standard 4 octave plus F3 and F#3. They are about 25 years old, maintained annually and are in good condition. We also have Acrylic Risers, Foam Pads, Mallets, and other items that are available for purchase.
Pictures and pricing are available by contacting Marge Harris at the church office either by phone (480) 895-6317 or by email at sluccoffice@gmail.com.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Tag SWC and Wende on Facebook and Instagram to get our attention so we can share your posts! We’re @swcucc and Wende is @yeswende.
Friday, November 14th at 6:00 pm in McNear Hall: Pastor John and David LaMotte will be hosting an intergenerational dinner event. David LaMotte will lead a discussion and activity on Why We Don’t Need Heroes centered around a moment in history with Rosa Parks. We will have pizza and salad together then join in the fun and learning. Please RSVP so Pastor John knows how much pizza to order by Wednesday, November 12th, 4:00 pm. Please click here to register to attend. Join the good food and laughter.
Saturday, November 15th at 3:00 pm in the Sanctuary followed by a reception: David LaMotte will be hosting a concert of his songs and providing stories about his work in Guatemala. Admission is free and open to the public. A goodwill offering will be taken to support Senderos Guatemala (David's Charity in Guatemala) and Compassion on the Border (Charity of CAUCC supporting immigrants in the Tucson area). A selection of David LaMotte CD's will be available for purchase. To donate now, click here, and add a note to your donation that says concert.
Sunday, November 16th
9:30 am: David LaMotte will be joining us in our worship service with music. Our worship service is live-streamed if you are unable to be with us in person.
11:00 am: Learning@11 with David LaMotte. Join us as David discusses his book, You Are Changing the World: Whether You Like it or Not. Learning@11 is on Zoom if you are unable to join us in person. Please click here to register for this event.
11:00 am during Funday School online, join us on Zoom this Funday School link and hear David Lamotte's Ted Talk on Why We Don’t Need Heroes. All are welcome to join in this intergenerational online discussion of his video.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Tag SWC and Wende on Facebook and Instagram to get our attention so we can share your posts! We’re @swcucc and Wende is @yeswende.
Holly Herman reads your church newsletters and other materials and compiles the highlights to keep us up-to-date on the amazing work happening at the Southwest Conference churches and beyond. (Thanks, Holly!)
What’s happening at YOUR church? Tell us about it! Just write up an article and submit it to Wende by Thursday at noon to have it included in the following Monday’s Loop.
Tag SWC and Wende on Facebook and Instagram to get our attention so we can share your posts! We’re @swcucc and Wende is @yeswende.
Generations
Like his siblings, Rado’s first experiences at Luther House began in childhood. He grew up attending dinners with his mother, Rijasoa, and visiting his older sister, Ranja, during their time at Luther House.
“Before I started college, it wasn’t really my choice to go to Luther House. It was just a place that we went to eat and hang out,” Rado recalls. “After I moved in for college, though, it became my choice. I liked living at Luther House because I couldn’t drift too far away from my church. It matured my faith and kept me grounded. I basically came home to church.”
Rado is now an alumni member of Luther House/The Open Table Connection, and he and his family are part of a generational legacy in the campus ministry. Their love and welcoming spirit have helped shape its culture.
He remembers the radical hospitality he practiced as a student resident. “We would have all kinds of conversations about religion, sometimes late into the night,” he says. He laughs as he recalls one long, friendly conversation with other students who were evangelizing in the neighborhood. They ended up talking until around midnight and becoming friends. “I’m not sure where else that would happen,” he adds with a smile.
Today, Rado carries that same radical hospitality into his work and everyday life. He remains committed to his lifelong home church and credits the experience of living in community at Luther House with shaping and strengthening his faith journey.