I opened up my folder to start this week's Jottings and saw that there were 65 documents in there. I love reading everyone's newsletters (usually between 25-30/week) and keeping up with what the SWC churches are doing. But what are my real reasons for doing this? I want folks to think as they read this "What a cool idea! We could do that!" Or "I wonder if that church could use some help with that project. It's in keeping with the mission of my church." Or " I'd love to attend that event/workshop. Could we maybe bring it to my church?" Or "We do that, too. I wonder if we could learn how to do it better by consulting each other." Or. "Is my church in there this week?" Why do you read it? -Holly
"Jesus was an immigrant, too!" United Church of Santa Fe will offer an Immigration Service Workshop, Mon.-Fri., June 3-7 (9:00 am-3:00 pm) Join us the first week of June for a youth (5th- high school) day camp at United! We’ll sew clothes for families stuck at the border, dive into immigration issues, learn about immigrants in the Bible, meet people from our community and have a blast! Registration deadline May 10th.
Desert Heritage is pleased to announce that they will be welcoming Carson Hawks as a Member in Discernment thru the Southwest Conference for a summer engagement program. They feel blessed to have her bring her gifts to the church and community.
Encanto Community Church is collecting new or gently used purses on May 12th (Mother’s Day). The purses will be filled with necessities for homeless or needy women.
Mental Health First Aid Training at Casas Adobes! Once again Interfaith Community Services is providing instruction on how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in adults. This is a FREE 8-hour course, offered in two 4-hour segments on Saturdays, May 18 & 25, 8AM- noon. All members of the greater Tucson Community are welcome. Please register with Tandala Kidd at tkidd@icstucson.org.
The 7th Annual Morris Ewing Golf Tournament, held in late April and sponsored by Casas Adobes, raised almost $3500 for its youth Scholarship Fund! Congratulations!
First Christian Church Las Cruces continues to partner with El Calvario United Methodist Church. This one church is housing immigrants 2-3 times a week. Mike Bureman helps to prepare meals there every week. Others, like Julia Bruner have volunteered over the weekend at a local hotel when church space is not available. Thank you!
(This is a model that several SWC churches, who cannot host refugees themselves, are following - partnering with a hosting church to provide clothes, food, medical supplies, transportation, and translators.)
The Rincon Migrant Shelter put out a plea a few days ago asking for $875 to help a family of 7 travel to their sponsor's. This is unusual, because sponsors know their responsibilities to provide travel costs and have usually figured out how to make it happen. But SEVEN is a big family to sponsor! And wow! In just a little over an hour's time they raised all the money needed to send the family home! Thank you to everyone who donated for your generosity and warm hearts! If anyone still wants to give, Rincon will accept donations and put them towards any future transportation needs.
Thanks to members' financial generosity and receiving 20% of the proceeds from all fundraising events, the Board of Mission and Outreach of Church of the Palms is able to contribute between $15,000 to $20,000 annually to various charities and community-based organizations (CBOs) in their local and global communities. Recipients this year include: Benevilla, Meals on Wheels, Sun City Community Fund, Sun City Posse, New Life Shelter, Sow the Seed Youth Camp, UCC Disaster Relief Fund, NW Sun City Connect, Glendale Missions Ministry, HART Pantry, Solutions Church, Asylum Seekers, Tent of Nations, Dysart Community Center.
Each month First Congregational Albuquerque collects loose change for a cause. They collected $170 for bus passes in February and March and are collecting for Asylum Seekers for the summer months. What a great idea!
Anna Taylor Sweringen of St. Paul's UCC in Rio Rancho recently reminded them of the importance of the congregation thinking of itself as the welcoming committee. That in a small church (as most of ours are), each one of us has a responsibility to welcome each newcomer, introduce them, listen to them, and make them feel at home. It is not the job of the weekly greeter or of the pastor. It is our task, each one of us, and one that we should each embrace.
Hope House of Sedona, a project of Church of the Red Rocks, will be a temporary shelter for homeless youth and families. An anonymous donor recently committed $20K in matching funds. Since all the money to be used for this project must be committed by May 31st when the application is due, they are hoping to receive those funds in the next month. The Palm Sunday and Easter collections raised $9K and they received a Rotary grant for $1K. There is currently $380,000 raised for the project and they are hoping for at least another $20,000 by the end of May. The steering committee is looking at vacant land to purchase and upon which to erect low cost housing.
This gave me a chuckle this week: "If done properly, being a pastor is a walk in the park. Jurassic Park, but a park.” -Mark Gungor (Thanks, Paul Whitlock.)
Congregational Church of the Valley is offering 2 summer musical theater opportunities. "Marvelous Broadway Live!" will run from June 3-14 or from June 17-28. Each session will end with a performance by the group. Cost is $425 per session (each session is different). Register by contacting Larry.loeber@gmail.com or call 480-577-3253 for more info.