Sixteen months in, Desert Garden UCC’s Cycles of Kindness bike donation program is thriving. To date, nearly 270 bicycles have been received, each carefully inspected and given basic repairs by a member of the Sun City West Bicycle Club. Once ready, the bikes are donated to individuals and families in need of affordable transportation.
These bicycles have opened doors to new opportunities, helping people commute to work and job interviews, shop for groceries, attend school, participate in sports and extracurricular activities, and so much more.
If you live in the northwest valley of the Phoenix area and have a bicycle you would like to donate, please contact Desert Garden office@desertgardenchurch.org or 623-584-1795.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreSunday, October 12th, 3:00 pm AZ / 4:00 pm NM & El Paso
Join folks from across the Southwest Conference, invited by Desert Palm UCC, in a conversation with Rev. Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund, Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice - Education for Faithful Action Ministries (EFAM), United Church of Christ, National Ministries
Watch for the Zoom link in our weekly newsletter, The Loop.
This event is hosted by Desert Palm UCC in Tempe.
Rev. Sarah Griffith Lund is one of the national leaders of the WISE movement, which seeks to broaden the UCC's welcome by reducing the stigma around mental illness including those experiencing neurodiversity. Neurodiversity pertains to "the range of differences in brain function and behavior among all humans.” Historically, people with a brain that functioned differently were punished or excluded. More recently, they were included. Yay! But it was, and still is, commonly felt that these brains need to be fixed so that the humans with these brains can function in society as we know it. Rev. Lund helps us appreciate their brains and de-stigmatizes them, inviting us to find ways for them to participate more fully in our congregations, communities, and families.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreFrom 2015 - 2019 Jazzin' 4 Justice grew into a phenomenal success, with each event drawing more attendees and fostering a deeper connection among those who gathered. The pinnacle of our journey came in 2019 when we welcomed our largest audience yet—600 people—who joined in an unforgettable evening of music, inspiration, fellowship and advocacy.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreShadow Rock Congregational Church seeks a part-time bookkeeper to oversee financial operations across multiple ministries, including the Church, Preschool, Foundation, and Festival Garden.
Key responsibilities include payroll processing, accounts receivable/payable, donor record management, financial reporting, and support for budgeting and audits.
This role is a great fit for a seasoned accounting professional who is detail-oriented, mission-driven, and eager to contribute their expertise in a collaborative, faith-based nonprofit environment.
Read about duties, requirements, nice-to-haves, etc. HERE.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreThe scriptures connect us to our shared history and faith—anchors we need more than ever in this moment. Join Pastor Sarah (aka @disorganized.religion) and Church of the Good Shepherd UCC to read the entire Bible in one year!
The Rev. Dr. Randi Walker put together a fabulous schedule that begins with the "good stuff" (the Gospels) and continues into the prophets and beyond. The goal is to not get stuck in Numbers or Deuteronomy, as so many of us have in the past.
You can subscribe to their email newsletter and join in the conversation here.
The goal is to complete our first reading (the Gospel of Mark) by September 14, 2025. If you're just hearing about this now - don't worry! You’re welcome to jump in any time! See the schedule below to know what we're reading.
We’ll also be hosting optional gatherings on Zoom on the first Sunday of every month to discuss what we’ve read. If you'd like us to assign you a conversation partner to discuss the text with more frequently, you can also sign up at the link below. The link also includes the Zoom link for our regular meetings and the complete schedule of readings.
Click here for the Reading Schedule, Meeting Link and Conversation Partner Sign-Up
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreDoing Grief Community Healing Project at First Church Invites you to Community Art Share
Sunday, August 24 at noon - First Church - 1407 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
There are many ways to tell our stories of grieving and healing. The arts are one such path to share the grief we suffer and the ways we transform it. Art Share is usually celebrated in a small group where each participant brings a work of art that provides healing for them.
The Community Art Share event includes a potluck meal and the opportunity to experience healing through the arts shared by others - as community members offer expressions of visual art, music, photography, poetry, storytelling, dance, the written word, and more.
We will sing together, create a collaborative work of art, and engage in a simple folk dance that speaks of the healing power of belonging in community with others. Each artistic offering tells a story about a passage or transformation that provides a sense of wholeness and healing for those who share it.
RSVPs to attend are kindly appreciated: email Connect@DoingGrief.org.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreSun Lakes UCC is offering a five-octave set of Malmark Bells and a three-octave set of Malmark Chimes for sale. If you're considering forming a bell choir or expanding your current ensemble, this is a great opportunity to acquire high-quality instruments.
For more information or to express interest, please contact the church office at (480) 895-6317 or email sluccoffice@gmail.com.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read MoreFor the third year in a row, the Mission and Outreach Ministry of Sun Lakes United Church of Christ, oversaw the collection of school supplies for The Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School in Chandler. This is a low-income neighborhood so there is always a need for the school and to help provide school supplies for a great many of the students. The school educates students from preschool through sixth grade and there are approximately 740 students enrolled. To help offset the cost of supplies for the students, families, and teachers at The Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, our church members collected school supplies during the month of June.
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Marge Harris, Merras Brown, and Frank & Pat Naive delivered 35 different types of supplies to the school. They included a variety of items that will benefit both the students and the teachers and included items from Kleenex and Disinfecting Wipes to Pencils, Crayons, and Composition Notebooks. As can be seen by the list below, all the items can and will be used to aid in the education of local Chandler students.
We are very proud that our small congregation was able to help the school again this year and look forward to continuing our relationship with the elementary school in the future.
[Click through to view the impressive list of supplies collected!]
Read MoreHolly 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.
Read More
