Wende 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.
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.
A Pilgrimage for Our Shared Home
On Friday, an interfaith pilgrimage in New Mexico finished a 328 mile pilgrimage that took over 25 days. Read about the pilgrimage via this blog.
Members from Taos United Community Church joined the climate pilgrims from Interfaith Power and Light on Thursday, February 5 in Santa Fe as the pilgrims finished their walk from Carlsbad, NM to the state Capitol, the "Roundhouse" in support of the Clear Horizons bill.
Much respect, gratitude, and admiration to these three who made the walk from Carlsbad:
Desirée Bernard: Executive Director of the New Mexico and El Paso branch of Interfaith Power & Light.
Rev. Clara Sims: Associate minister at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Albuquerque and a team member with NM-IPL.
Jim Ekstrand: Marketing & Communications Lead at NM-IPL and a spokesperson for the group.
Read more in this article, “Faith-based climate advocates arrive at state Capitol after 300-mile trek” in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Read MoreWende 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.
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.
Editor’s note: The culinary program at the Sahuarita Food Bank will provide our meals during Annual Meeting!
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl is unlike any other bowl game—and its impact reaches far beyond football. What makes this game truly special—and why it matters to us—is that the event partners with more than 70 nonprofits and donates 100% of its proceeds to local nonprofit organizations.
Kellie Tonks, our new Outreach Manager, and Janie Pearman, who manages our food delivery program, proudly represented SFB-CRC at the stadium before and during the game. They showcased our work, hosted cornhole games, and handed out commemorative mini footballs printed with both the Sahuarita and Marana Food Banks' logos.
The response was tremendous. More than 600 people of all ages lined up for footballs, and many stopped to play cornhole and learn more about our mission. This kind of outreach is invaluable. It raises awareness of our presence across the region, builds name recognition, and connects us with new supporters, all thanks to a bowl game that proves sports, community, and generosity can come together in powerful ways.
Read MoreGuest preachers, singing, and even tamales with cornbread!
Rev. Dr. Derrick Elliott as guest preacher on February 8th
Ernest McMillan, a veteran human rights activist on February 15th
Rev. Dr. Ryan Tate will preach and present a concert after worship about the Africana History of the Americas and Latine Identity on February 22nd
Musician-activist Melanie DeMore will lead a singing workshop on February 28
Wende 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.
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.
Wende 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.
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.
Wende 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.
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.
Wende 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.
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.
Tuesday, January 7, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery
8502 W Pinchot Ave, Phoenix AZ 85037
Join Arizona Faith Network for a peaceful and reflective evening as we embrace the peace of winter and welcome the light of the New Year. This interfaith gathering will bring together diverse faith communities for songs, meditations, sacred readings, and moments of unity. Together, we will reflect on our shared hopes for love, peace, and renewal in the coming year. All are welcome. The program begins promptly at 6 pm. This is an outdoor event, so please dress accordingly.
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.
The Needles and Pins Sewing Circle of The Church of the Palms in Sun City has been busy for a year preparing handmade Christmas gifts to share with those in need at Christmas. The gifts have already been delivered to The Dysart Community Center (DCC) in El Mirage and The Phoenix Indian Center in downtown Phoenix; a total of 375 handmade items for Christmas.
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.
When Ranja first came to the University of New Mexico, she was a young woman full of ideas but unsure exactly where life would lead her. “I did my undergrad at UNM,” she said, “and then I moved to Georgia for my Master’s. Life just kind of takes you where you need to be.”
Before participating at Luther House/The Open Table, Ranja had grew up hearing about the ministry through her church. “Honestly,” she admitted with a laugh, “I didn’t have a lot of expectations. I thought it would just be like Sunday school for grown-ups.”
What she found instead was a home that shaped her faith, her friendships, and her future.
Click through to read Ranja’s story.
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.
Sun Lakes UCC collected toys for Maggie’s Place this Christmas. Maggie’s Place provides safe housing and a nurturing community for homeless pregnant women, empowering them to thrive throughout their lifetime. They aspire to be the premier service provider in Maricopa County to moms, babies and families, breaking the cycle of generational trauma to transform our community.
Maggie’s Place opened in 2000 by five young women with the core values of love, hospitality, community, and excellence. They have served over 1,200 moms and 700 babies during this time. As they have grown over the years, they have remained true to their values and mission while becoming a community that welcomes women from all faith traditions and walks of life around a common purpose.
Maggie’s Place operates five homes across the valley where they can house 34 moms and their babies at any given time. They also have one transitional housing apartment complex for women reunifying with their older children.
The members of Sun Lakes UCC are very proud that we could offer to help the women and children of Maggie’s Place this year at Christmas.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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