When we join the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ, we enter into multiple covenant relationships as individuals and as congregations. COM B (Committee on Ministry Section B) is a SWC committee whose primary responsibility is to serve and assist congregations. We recently had the joy of receiving our second round of proposals for the Congregational Revitalization and Resiliency Grants. The goal of the grant money is to assist churches in moving beyond the status quo, and in creative and new ways, developing programs that will inspire church growth. Creativity and originality were encouraged, and we were delighted to receive well-written, thoughtfully considered, and creative grants from congregations across the Conference. Congratulations to all congregations who submitted grants and who were awarded funds for their creative endeavors!
The projects that were funded are:
Church of the Red Rocks, Sedona
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Program Title: Authentic Spiritual Conversations
Church of the Red Rocks is launching a new program designed to reach adults who are not affiliated to any Christian denomination and usually identify as a "none of the above." The program is Authentic Spiritual Conversations, a weekly facilitated conversation about God, spirituality, and other related issues. Participants will be greeted in the basement of the church by program leaders, and other volunteers. A topic of conversation for each gathering is based on a biblical/spiritual passage or a modern-day commentary. Participants will be encouraged to share their own understanding and to put into practice the values that lead to a better relationship with God and humanity. Follow-up communications with participants will be done mostly by text or email. Once a core group is created, they will be invited to participate in activities of social justice and benevolence organized by the Faith in Action committee of Church of the Red Rocks.
Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components - Education and Engagement & Spirit-led Innovation
Project Title: “Pull Up a Chair"
Pima Council on Aging (PCOA) hosts Community Lunch programs for seniors throughout the county. Due to recent reductions in federal funding for nutrition services PCOA is unable to continue this program at several sites. Motivated by this large loss Rincon is impelled to create opportunities for an open table for the community at their church. Through this ministry Rincon Congregational UCC hopes to make a positive difference for both seniors and for any members of the local community who would benefit from a similar experience. Target groups include seniors, marginalized members of the community (such as houseless, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, etc.) and all who have need for food and for connection with others.
The Church of the Palms
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Advocacy & Accountability
Project Title: PALMS vs MAGA
The Church of the Palms has a vibrant social justice program which consists of a leadership team and nine individual and distinct ministries which focus on: providing information on legislative issues, being good stewards of creation, working with incarcerated women and criminal justice reforms, offering services for homeless individuals, assisting immigrants/refugees, creating sanctuary and activities for LGBTQ+, partnering with other community groups to meet the needs of “neighbors”, facilitating Antiracism & Religious Diversity programs and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for peace and justice. Funds received from the grant will assist in supporting and growing their overall social justice program - to “be the hands and feet of Jesus as we push back against a MAGA culture that lacks compassion and care for all of God’s creation.”
Shadow Rock UCC
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Program: Spiritual Play: A Magical Part of Child and Human Development
Shadow Rock offers its “Spiritual Play” program for children aged 3 through 9. It is a 2 ½-hour program on Sunday mornings for exploring and experiencing everyday life, presenting opportunities to nurture and enhance spiritual development. Teachers talk less and listen more to the wisdom that naturally comes from young children.
They are beginning the third year of this ministry and have seen it grow from 4 children to 18 children. The parents in their neighborhood have been very responsive to the "spiritual and not religious" language and feel of the program. They have welcomed 4 new families to their church through this program. This program is funded through general church budget. However, the grant funding will “equip” them for more community outreach, training, and expanding into offerings for Spiritual Play parents.
First Congregational UCC Albuquerque
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Rest as Resistance
Program: Embodied Joy
Advocates pursuing peace and justice always face challenges in meeting their self-care needs. And even more so in today’s especially trying times, where they are being assaulted not only emotionally, but also physically. With these grant funds, UCC Albuquergue plans to offer the opportunity for self-care and revitalization to their community advocates by creating a space for them to rest and relax through the healing power of laughter and joy.The instructor will guide the participants in joyful embodied movement through such activities as dance, laughter yoga, music, comedy and more. Sessions will be held on a regular basis in an inviting environment, possibly outdoors, at a partner’s space or in the gym at their church building. The grant will allow them to offer an initial eight week session free to participants. They hope to continue the series by growing the program with congregational support and possibly community grants.
Yuma UCC/House Church
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Project Title: “Reviving and Thriving Through Revitalization”
Yuma UCC’s (YUCC) presence is largely unknown to the county and the local community, especially following the onset of the COVID pandemic. Post-COVID lockdown, the church became a ‘house church’ meeting in the lead ministers’ home and other congregants’ homes as they felt led. This house church worship model has continued into 2025 and with the lack of technological assists, the public has no access to worship services either live or recorded. YUCC has recently brought an outreach minister on staff with the intention of becoming a more public-facing congregation that reaches outward to build community and to establish alliances that encourage community building, addressing issues of justice, and that serve the marginalized in Yuma County and beyond. The C.A.R.E.S. grant is an opportunity for YUCC to essentially rebrand itself.YUCC believes the C.A.R.E.S. grant will give them the financial boost needed to purchase broadcast quality equipment that will allow them to provide live and recorded material available through an updated website and social media platforms. They believe that a large part of what is needed at YUCC is public exposure and with the proper resources of licenses, equipment, and software YUCC can provide a professional public-facing appearance that is welcoming, inclusive, informative, and tells those in the community that an open and affirming Christian congregation welcomes them and that they are invited to join them to do do God’s kin-dom work.
The Good Shepherd UCC, Sahuarita, Arizona
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Project Title: Spread the Joy: An Afternoon of Fun and Games
The Good Shepherd proposes to create a weekly afternoon program that offers place for congregation member and the wider community to gather for fun. Sharing time with others in strictly fun activities can create new connection and build relationships that endure beyond the afternoons. The goal is to address social isolation and loneliness in their congregation and in the wider community of Sahuarita and Green Valley.They will play games and eat healthy snacks while socializing and buikding relationships.
Shepherd of the Hills UCC
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components - Covenant Relationships, Rest as Resistance, Education and Engagement, Spirit-led Innovation
Project: Creating & Sustaining Community Gardens
Shepherd of the Hills UCC believes that caring for creation begins in their own backyard. They envision transforming a portion of their church campus into a vibrant space where beauty, community, and sustainability meet—a collection of raised flower beds designed to grow drought-resistant and desert-friendly vegetables. These gardens will be more than a source of food; they will be living classrooms where individuals, families, groups and community members will join in planting, tending, and harvesting crops that thrive in our arid climate. They imagine gardens as a launching point for public workshops on drought-resistant vegetable gardening at home. The gardens will serve as both demonstration plots and community-building hubs, modeling what is possible even in challenging growing conditions.
Peace United Church of Christ
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components: Covenant Relationships, Advocacy & Accountability, Rest as Resistance & Education and Engagement
Project: Spanish speaking progressive congregation in El Paso?
El Paso, Texas is one of the largest cities in our Conference. The population is 80%+ Hispanic (Mexican) in makeup. Currently, there is no United Church of Christ presence ministering to this very significant portion of the community. Peace UCC’s proposal is to engage resources available to determine the need for/opportunity of a Spanish language-based, theologically progressive outreach/ministry to and for this community within El Paso, Texas. This will be accomplished by forming a steering committee, collaborating with a Spanish speaking church (services/activities), creating Spanish speaking literature and a social media outreach program.
First Congregational Church Prescott
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components - Covenant Relationships, Advocacy & Accountability, Education and Engagement
Program: Youth Group Education Ministry – Service Learning Trip (SLT)
With help from the SWC’s 2024 Resilience and Revitalization Grant over the last year, First Congregational Church in Prescott has established and grown their Youth Group Program. In the coming year, they would like to expand the geographic scope of their service projects, with goals to become more inter-connected with other churches in the Southwest Conference and to support ministries that focus on justice for and service to marginalized communities. Therefore, the next step of growth for the FCC Youth Group is to focus on learning more about these issues through experiential education with a proposed Service Learning Trip (SLT) to the Mexican border.They have reached out to Pastor Randy Mayer of The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ (UCC) in Sahuarita, Arizona and learned of an opportunity for their Youth Group to learn from and work with their sister organization, The Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans, which helps those in need at the border. He has invited their youth group to come for a 3-4 day visit. In the months leading up to their SLT, they plan to spend time together learning background information about the issues at the border. When they return they will share their experiences with the congreagation.
First Church UCC Phoenix
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component- Education and Engagement
Program: Fostering Spiritual Growth and Development of Faith Formation
Currently, the Faith Formation Program at First Church focuses on the spiritual formation of young people, ages 2-12. First Church seeks to revitalize/expand its ministry through the fostering of spiritual growth and development of young people and their families. In order to accomplish these goals, this proposal seeks funding to procure essential supplies and curriculum for Faith Formation programming, attain resources to equip and empower caregivers and their families, and provide monetary compensation for a dedicated Faith Formation leader.
Encanto Community Church
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components- Advocacy & Accountability, Education and Engagement
Project: : Revitalize church engagement and outreach with the Phoenix community
During these unprecedented times, we are seeing an uptick in a yearning for community,while at the same time, there is a fear and uncertainty about Christian churches. When people who may have never attended church take that leap of faith to “try out this whole church thing,” it’s a daunting task that can lead to a great deal of risk. Encanto Community Church wants to create Visitor Welcome Packet for guests who are interested in getting to know their church. These packets would include things such as: (1) A letter from the pastor; (2) Information on our special services, events, activities, missions, and various social groups; (3) Information on our benevolences, partnerships, and budget; (4) Information on our church’s and the greater conference’s social justice and advocacy initiatives; (5) Community resources for those who may be experiencing hardships and crises; and (6) Information about service opportunities within our church, the community, and other churches in the Southwest Conference. In addition to the packets, they want to purchase new social justice banners for the high-traffic frontage of their property. Many people have been drawn to the church because they read the banners posted. They appreciate seeing such messages being displayed in front of a Christian church because it tells them that there are still churches who believe in equality for everyone.
Desert Garden United Church of Christ
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Project: Building Awareness and Understanding: An Open and Affirming Initiative
On February 4, 2024, Desert Garden United Church of Christ adopted an Open and Affirming (ONA) covenant, affirming its commitment to welcome and celebrate people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. They formed a dedicated Open and Affirming Team under the guidance of the Mission and Outreach Committee. The team held its inaugural meeting on July 31, 2025, and quickly recognized the need to deepen congregational understanding of what it truly means to be Open and Affirming. The covenant is not a static statement, it is a living, breathing ministry that intersects with issues of race, gender, class, ability, and culture. The team’s mission is to cultivate awareness, foster dialogue, and create opportunities for meaningful engagement across these intersections. The ONA Team is curating a series of events designed to reflect the breadth of an inclusive ministry including Cultural and Justice Observances, Film and Media Engagement, Community Partnerships and Arts and Culture. Their goals are to Educate & Inspire, Celebrate Diversity, and Build Bridges.
Black Mountain United Church of Christ
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Component - Education and Engagement
Project: Revitalize adult education for members and our community
With the funding received last year by the SWC, Black Mountain was successful in building a message that communicates who they are and reconfigured their social media presence to give an updated approach to telling their story. Now they need two things to truly engage with the community in a new and invigorating way: 1. build out the targeted outreach programs they will market via social media to build "buzz" about their church and 2. improve the sound profile of the streamed worship experience they have rebuilt. The funding will provide for the development and implementation of 3 outreach programs and the sound equipment needed to enhance their streaming system.
Congregational Church of the Valley UCC
Primary C.A.R.E.S. Components - Advocacy & Accountability & Education and Engagement
Project: Assist Young Adults Aging Out of the Foster Care System
As part of the Congregational Church of the Valley/United Church of Christ (CCOV/UCC) outreach mission, they will be raising $15,000 in 2025/2026 to donate to Foster Your Future, an organization that helps support young adults in the greater Phoenix are, who are aging out of the foster care system and transitioning to independent adulthood. Once out of the system, these young adults have limited resources and support from their birth family and government programs. Due to this limited support, they have higher risks of homelessness, incarceration and instability in their lives. There are four basic actions required of the young adults to be accepted by Foster Your Future. The young adult must be accepted through a referral from an agency or group home; the individual must be drug free; they must be working full time, in school full time or a combination of both to equal full time; and they must complete an application and requirement check list while making a verbal and written commitment to participate for one year, including weekly visits from a volunteer/mentor. An award of $3,000 from the Southwest Conference Resilience and Revitalization Grant will help in reaching the goal. Additionally, this project provides an opportunity for congregational participation through fund raising events, donating goods, and volunteer/mentor opportunities.