These odds and ends from church newsletters were compiled by Holly Herman (thanks, Holly!). If your church has some special news to share with the Conference, submit it HERE.

Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) organizes the monthly Poz Café luncheon. It’s an opportunity for those living with HIV to get out of the house, take a break, meet other positive people, and enjoy a meal prepared by local congregations.

Rev. Ken Heintzelman of Shadow Rock UCC shared some good news last week:

"Ibeth Corral has been our guest in sanctuary since late November. Earlier this month, her lawyer was able to secure a stay of deportation for an undetermined amount of time for Ibeth. She was able to return home to her children on January 5th. We rejoice that one more family has been kept together, even as so many others are being torn apart."

Sunday, January 28, 10:30 am

We will say goodbye to an old friend. The two-story building that housed good times, laughter, tears, friendship, fellowship and so much more is going to be put to rest.

Naloxone is a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in opioid overdose, and can literally save a life.  It is the equivalent of a fire extinguisher that trained lay people can carry with them.

The Bernalillo County Health Council is offering training and naloxone kits delivered through a nasal spray at no cost to participants.

Tidbits curated from church newsletters this week.

Falling Upward – Spirituality in the Second Half of Life
Lenten Reflections and Book Study at Sun Lakes United Church of Christ 

In some church traditions, Lent is focused on penance and sin and the practice of giving up things as a form of sacrifice. Lent in the ancient tradition of the church was about the rites and rituals that prepared individuals for Baptism at Easter. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan and a Roman Catholic priest, notes that Lent is about change and transformation where the False Self is challenged by the hardness of failure and suffering which enables the True Self to be uncovered or rediscovered.

Tuesdays: January 16 - February 6, 2018
7:00 - 9:00 pm
First Church UCC: Pilgrim Hall
1407 N. 2nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004

Review sections of Borg’s book, “Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most”, along with sacred and written texts to focus our deepest convictions of Jesus, God, and World View. 

Thursday, February 1, 7 p.m.
Church of the Palms
14808 N Boswell Boulevard
Sun City, Arizona 85351

General Admission tickets $20 in advance; $25 at door

Tickets are available online at https://www.tretfure.com/concerts/index.htm

Shadow Rock was notified that by the end of January, they will receive an official letter with their award check! Stay tuned for more details.

Some recent items of interest at our churches:

Thank you all again for all of your support, your prayers, and your good wishes. 

Our first Christmas Eve Service was a beautiful candlelight service of readings and carols. 41 people attended. When we blew out our candles after singing Silent Night, one little girl shouted, “Let’s do it again!”  Her mother tells me they felt welcome here and will be coming back. Please pray with us for our church children and their families, that God will show us how to build the church they need.

A narrative non-fiction workshop
Rincon Congregational UCC
Facilitated by Rev. Delle McCormick
Wednesday, January 24, 5:30-7 pm

Church of the Painted Hills in Tucson is the place to be!

Divine Joy Yoga: Mondays and Thursdays, 9 am

Centering Prayer: Fridays, 12 pm

Qi Gong: Fridays, 1 pm

The 2018 Souper Bowl of Caring is about to begin in Sun City. 

The Forum at Casas Adobes Conregational Church
January 21st, 11:30, McNear Hall

The 2018 Forum series leads off with a presentation on Battling Hunger in Tucson. Food security is a global issue, but there is stark evidence of the problem here in Tucson. More than 187,000 people (15.4% of the area population) were identified as food insecure in a 2014 government survey.

Program speakers will be Marco Liu, Director of Family Advocacy and Outreach for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, and Curt Balko, Interfaith Community Services Food Bank Coordinator.

Got new gadgets for Christmas? Time to clean house! The Shadow Rock Justice Action Team, partnering with AZStRUT will be collecting your "no longer needed" electronics on Saturday, January 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Sunday, January 21, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.