Church of the Palms is considering designating an area of their property as a pet cemetery to acknowledge the importance of relationship with their animals.
The Good Shepherd in Sahuarita 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. The purpose is to encourage people in terrible, frightening situations with the knowledge that they are cared for and not forgotten.
Record-breaking revenue at the Church of the Palms Rummage Sale! Thank you to all the people who donated, the pick-up and delivery team, the set-up and pricing team, and all the volunteers who made this project possible.
At First Christian Church in Las Cruces, members came forward with a photo or object of remembrance of a deceased loved one and had a brief moment to introduce the person they honored to the congregation.
The Healing and Reconciliation Project began offering its 8-week long Community for Racial Healing workshop at Taos UCC this week. In this workshop, they are exploring concepts like structural racism, white privilege, and what it might mean to be an ally. Over the course of the workshop, they will bring these topics into the Taos context.
The First Congregational Church in Albuquerque Gratitude Dinner and Auction was a smashing success! It was a fun evening with fantastic entertainment, delicious food, and a great variety of items for the auction and raised over $4,000! Members are grateful for a chance to gather in this way each year to celebrate another anniversary of the church that is now 139 years old! God continues to do new things among us.
Be the Church: worship at Rincon. This 2-hour workshop next Sunday will engage members in the ways liturgy, music and art in Sunday worship is core to community building and will talk about who they want to build community with, not only in their interim time but in years to come. They will audit their current worship elements through the "Be the Church" lens. The workshop will be led by Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, Minister For Congregational and Community Engagement at the National Setting of the UCC and founder of Restoration Village Arts.
DACA family update (the Gardea family) "Because of your faithfulness in support of First Congregational of Prescott's on-going DACA Fund, we have been able to help Franceny meet DACA renewal expenses and Prescott College tuition installment payments, and help her brother, Francisco (U of A) meet his tuition installment payments. After years of pursuit, Francisco has just been granted “Legal Permanent Status” by an agency of the US government. Hallelujah! Here’s a note we received from Franceny. From her heart and from her family, she wrote: -- "We are so very grateful God crossed our paths! You and your church family have been a true blessing, and we are so thankful. You have been a huge part of our family’s journey. Many blessings have been because you have given us your unconditional love and support. We are forever grateful and are very happy to share all of these incredible blessings with you. Love you all." [Our DACA Fund welcomes donations year-round.]"
St. Paul’s UCC in Rio Rancho was fortunate to have some funds remaining in their immigrant justice account. They contacted Dr. Bill Lyons, Conference Minister of UCC and asked him if there was a UCC church on the border that would benefit from the donation of the remaining $900. Because the needs shift so quickly, Bill invited them to consider making their donation to the Southwest Conference Immigration Fund for use where the next need arises, which is just what they did! "On behalf of the SWC and the migrating people who will benefit from your generosity, I extend our deep gratitude." - Rev. Bill Lyons