This cute "box" was originally going to be a "Little Free Library" similar to the one at Scottsdale UCC’s side yard. It was never completed and now we would like to find a home for it. So, if you feel you could provide a home, it's yours for the asking. Please contact Alice at 602-708-2259.
The Good Shepherd UCC is helping stock the Sahuarita School District’s family resource centers, with school uniforms. All the usual online sources carry them - Target, Walmart, Amazon. But a great site is childrensplace.com. Right now, all their uniforms are 50% off. If anyone from out of town wants to order so they are available this fall, you can have them sent to Rhea Scott, 941 S. La Bellota, Green Valley 85614.
Join Arizona Faith Network for a 5-week interfaith journey through Richard Rohr’s powerful new book. RSVP FOR ZOOM INFORMATION
Pastors Dick and Sandi at Congregational Church of the Valley are creating a new sermon series to begin in October based on Francis Collins’ book The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust. Francis Collins, MD, PhD is a physician-geneticist and the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who served under three presidents (2009-2021). In The Road to Wisdom, Dr. Collins, a committed Christian, addresses divisive problems of our time: distrust of pubic health, partisanship, racism, response to climate change, and threats to our democracy. He presents us with four core sources of judgement and clear thinking: truth, science, faith, and trust. Sounds like a good book club choice, too!
The Missions Team at Black Mountain UCC sends new washcloths to the East Valley Refugee Network several times a year. The washcloths are one item in hygiene kits that are assembled and given to area cooling centers and sent to a refugee shelter in Sonoyta, MX. It may seem like a small item, but it is a huge help! (FYI, I coordinate the Network.- Holly)
Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque is excited to have Adrian Lawyer from the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico come to COGS to do the Transgender Cultural Fluency training on August 31, at 12:30 (ish). The training will include learning common vocabulary, clarifying common misconceptions about transgender people, becoming familiar with the challenges transgender communities face, and learning ways to be a strong and engaged advocate for transgender people. Besides being a co-founder of TGRC, Adrian also recently co-wrote Gender Transition For Dummies. The training will be in-person as well as Zoom (the usual Zoom link on the website https://ucccogs.org/ ).
WHAT CAN I DO? Well, Shadow Rock UCC reminds us that it only takes 3.5 percent of the population to be a success at stopping authoritarianism. We need everyone to ”DO SOMETHING." Write letters, make calls to legislators, educate people on the facts. Access the Red, Wine, and Blue website for information, "160 Ways to Change the World Without Losing Your Sh*t". It can be a help and a start.
Thanks to the generous support of the Shadow Rock Foundation and the Church Board, Heidi Zinn attended the 69th Annual The Church Network (TCN) Conference in July. The Church Network is an inter-denominational professional association dedicated to strengthening and connecting church leaders in administration across the country. With over 400 church administrators, executive pastors, and vendors in attendance, this four-day conference offered keynote speakers, intensive seminars, and 20 hours of continuing education on topics such as leadership, transitions, human resources, facilities, artificial intelligence, and legal and tax matters in church settings. During the conference, Heidi was honored as one of three national award winners and was the recipient of the 2025 Marvin Myers Service Award. This prestigious award is named after F. Marvin Myers, a longtime leader and visionary in church administration. It recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the field through chapter leadership, national service, and professional engagement. Congratulations, Heidi
Info from First Congregational in Albuquerque: The City of Albuquerque (CABQ)‘s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA), in cooperation with several health care and other local organizations, has announced a new webinar series titled “Community Care: Information on Immigration for Health Care Providers,” beginning on August 1. But there are several other previous webinar recordings and upcoming seminars available. For a complete schedule and webinar links, go to https://www.cabq.gov/office-of-equity-inclusion/about-office-of-equity-inclusion/immigrant-refugee-affairs/office-of-immigrant-refugee-affairs-resources and scroll down to “Upcoming Webinars”. See also the attached flier.
Casas Adobes UCC invites you to Belonging: Building a Better Tucson.
Over 300 people showed up at the Las Cruces Good Trouble protest on July 17th, including some folks from First Christian Church!
SWC Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Gloria Smith, attended the Candlelight Prayer Vigil on Wednesday, July 30 at Peace Park on the campus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Approximately 250 participants gathered to listen and to pray, recognizing and preserving the human dignity of all God's people, with special emphasis on migrant, asylee and refugee communities. See more pics and read more about it.
