Answers to some frequently-asked questions about the upcoming Annual Meeting. Don't see your question/answer here? Email it to Wende at wgonzales@uccswc.org and we will answer it and add it to this post.
Read MoreAnnual Meeting FAQs
Conference News
Notice to Amend the Southwest Conference Bylaws
Annual meeting delegates will be asked to approve amendments to the Southwest Conference bylaws at the 2018 annual meeting to be held in Tucson, April 20th and 21st.
Read MoreALICE Training to be offered at Annual Meeting
ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) provides preparation and a plan for individuals and organizations on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event.
Read MoreDeadlines for summer youth offerings MUCH earlier this year
Dear Colleagues in Ministry,
I have some crucial updates for you regarding youth and camp opportunities this summer.
In an effort to be the best stewards we can be of the Conference resources, we have set our DEADLINE MUCH EARLIER for our summer offerings this year. It is APRIL 4.
April 4 is the deadline for CAMP REGISTRATIONS and for registering high school youth for the WESTERN REGIONAL YOUTH EVENT.
Read MoreUCC Welcomes Amanda Sheldon - Program Associate for UCC Disaster and Refugee Ministries
The United Church of Christ recently welcomed Amanda Sheldon as the new Program Associate for UCC Disaster and Refugee Ministries. She will be working with Mary Schaller Blaufuss, Team Leader, UCC Humanitarian & Development Ministries (One Great Hour of Sharing) and Zach Wolgemuth, Executive of UCC Disaster Ministries.
Read MoreEthics & Public Theology Online Classes with PATHWAYS Theological Education
Level One Course: Ethics and a Life of Meaning (March 7 to April 24, 2018)
Level Three Course: Theology in the Public Square (March 7 to April 24, 2018)
ACM Search Committee Chosen
The Executive Board appointed a search committee to discern whom God is calling to be our new associate conference minister. The ACM search committee members are Randy Mayer* (pastor, Good Shepherd UCC), Rebecca Glenn* (SWC past moderator, lay member, Scottsdale UCC), Janet Leung* (lay member, First UCC/Flagstaff), Rock Freemont^ (pastor, Shepherd of the Hills UCC), Wendy Spurgeon^ (lay member, Silver City UCC), and Conference Minister Bill Lyons. Three of the committee members served on the SWC Profile Committee (*); two are board members (^).
Read MoreOur NEXT Ministry and Church Vitality Committee (MCVC) Meeting: MARCH 3 “SPIRITUAL FORMATION: An Adaptive Paradigm for Many Ages in a New Age”
10 am - 3 pm, Saturday, March 3 at the SWC office
Our next MCVC meeting is a training event and meeting, open to anyone interested in looking at the theme of Spiritual Formation for your churches.
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Official Notice of Annual Meeting
The purposes of the Annual Meeting is to:
- Provide an opportunity for fellowship among the churches of the Conference;
- Elect Officers, Executive Board members, and other positions as provided for in these bylaws;
- Receive the reports of the Officers, staff, committees, member churches and organizations related to the Conference;
- Approve the budget of the Conference;
- Adopt the mission objectives of the Conference when presented by the Mission and Church Vitality Committee;
- Act on business forwarded to the meeting by the United Church of Christ, churches, associations and the Executive Board of the Conference according to standing rules.
- Transact any other business which may be properly brought before the Conference.
Visit the Annual Meeting page for details.
Update on the UCC Council for Climate Justice
Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt wrote recently to let us know of a new effort to enlist further members in the UCC Council for Climate Justice. The Southwest Conference is proud that Tom Martinez will serve as our conference liaison to the UCC Council for Climate Justice for 2018.
Read MoreTime to sign up for CAMP!!! * deadline is April 4 *
Hello, happy campers (and counselors and staff)!
We will gather June 17 - 22 at Emmanuel Pines Camp in Prescott for our week together of building community and faith, and to grow Roots and Wings!
We need LOTS of mature youth and adults to help nurture our children and youth to grow ROOTS “to know their belonging” and WINGS to “explore their becoming.” Good camp leaders are those who are compassionate, energetic, empathetic, willing to share themselves authentically: your gifts, your faith, sometimes your doubts too. You need to be able to follow a schedule and structure, live in close community with many others, take your responsibilities seriously, ask for help, give help, be gentle with your own and other’s emotions and vulnerabilities, be enthusiastic and flexible – even in times of high emotion and stress.
You need to be at least 5 years older than the age group you are requesting to counsel. Counselors in Training can be in 10th-12th grades. Program Staff applicants are generally incoming high school juniors and seniors.
We also need more “seed” funds to help kids go to camp. Donate now to Sow the Seed and help kids go to camp through scholarships! (A cost of a week at camp is $410).
If you have questions, contact Camp Director Nathan Watts, or Acing Associate Conference Minister Barb Doerrer-Peacock.
April 4 is the FIRM DEADLINE to register for camp.
Before you begin the registration process, download these two forms, fill them out, and scan them so that you can upload them at the appropriate place on the form.
Now you're ready!
Camp Registration Form (everyone)
Camp Program Staff and CIT Application
Our camp director, Nathan Watts, will be in touch with more camp details as we get closer!
2018 Aging Symposium
Jayne Hubbard put this symposium together. She suggests that people who work with the elderly and care about their issues would benefit from attending.
Read MoreChanges in the Executive Board and SWC office staff
The Executive Board welcomed Nancy Ackley to the moderator’s chair on January 24 following Liana Rowe’s resignation. Liana resigned as moderator in order to apply for the posted administrative assistant position in the SWC office, which was vacated by Nikki Norris, for personal reasons, after just five weeks of employment. Liana’s resignation was required before being considered for the job to avoid a conflict of interest. Nancy had been elected incoming moderator during the January 13 Executive Board meeting following the resignation of John Pestle at the previous board meeting.
Read MoreSWC profile is completed - your feedback is valuable
The search for a settled associate conference minister has taken steps forward. A profile for the Southwest Conference, including a position description, has been completed. Please join me in thanking Randy Mayer, Lauri Hasler, Janet Leung, Rebecca Glenn, John Smith, Donna Lockridge, and Wendy Spurgeon for their time and energy putting our profile together. The team reviewed very carefully the listening session data gathered in 2017 among other sources as they did their work. They were thoughtful, intentional, and reflected the wide variety of opinions throughout the conference.
Read MoreGlitch with "In the Loop" today
There was a glitch this morning that prevented the Church News and Faith in Action sections from being included - Wende is working on it!
Read MoreAnnual Meeting 2018 - Organize!
April 20-21, 2018
Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ
122 N Craycroft Road, Tucson, AZ 85711
The 2018 Annual Meeting is coming up!
We begin on the morning of Friday, April 20, and conclude before lunch on Saturday, April 21.
New this year: food trucks for lunch and an Annual Meeting app! Details to follow in the coming weeks.
Read MoreThe Southwest Conference is searching for an associate conference minister
The ACM search team has written and posted a position description for a full-time associate conference minister; read the full description in this article.
Read MoreAnnouncing new Camp Director Nathan Watts!
Nathan has been the Assistant Minister at the Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, AZ since fall 2015. He is currently a Member in Discernment in the Southwest Conference and hoping to be ordained in 2018.
Read MoreSowing Seeds for our Great Love of Children!
One of the Three Great Loves of the United Church of Christ is the love of youth and children. Supporting our one week of summer camp is one of the primary expressions of that great love we do together as a conference.
Read MoreNew HEALTHY MINISTRY MODULES Beginning in February!
February 9 & 10
The Southwest Conference Committee on Church and Ministry has approved a new format to be introduced beginning in February for clergy training in Boundary Awareness, and which eventually will also include training in prejudice and diversity awareness. Instead of day-long workshops required every five years, training will be offered now in a variety of three-hour modules. Ultimately there will be a series of six modules required within the five-year period for every clergy seeking to serve in active ministry in the Conference.
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