James is one of our beloved elders. He began visiting Luther House around 2014 during his undergraduate years at the University of New Mexico, and he continues to be an integral part of our community today.
“I am a cradle Lutheran, as they say, and I was expected to visit Luther House in college,” James recalls. “I didn’t know what to expect, but there was free food, so I decided to try it.”
What James found at Luther House was a place to belong. He discovered community and friendship in a world where those can be hard to find. “There aren’t that many places where you can go just to try to get to know other people,” James says. “This campus ministry is somewhere you can go, not spend money, and really get to know people.”
“When I first started coming to Luther House, I didn’t talk much. After becoming more comfortable with the people, I talk a lot more. It has really helped with my social skills.” James remembers fondly the many friendships he has formed at Luther House. “I really like the outings that we go on together,” he recalls. In fact, he met his fiancée after attending a Christmas play with a friend from Luther House. “It’s a great way to make friends and find a community. You never know who you are going to meet,” he says with a loving glimmer in his eye.
Read MoreFirst Church UCC is thrilled to welcome acclaimed singer-songwriter Stephanie Anne Johnson (they/them) to sing in worship on Sunday, October 12 at 10:30 am.
This special worship service will weave music, storytelling, and reflection into a celebration of creation, spirit, and belonging. All are welcome!
Click through to read more.
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 MoreSixteen 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 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.
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