United Church Funds (UCF) announced that Brown Endowment grants of over $100,000 has been awarded so far this year to 13 United Church of Christ (UCC) conferences. These grants will allow these conferences to implement support programs and leadership development for authorized ministers who are addressing and responding to the crisis and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and protests for racial justice.

The Southwest Conference wrote for and received a $10K grant from the Brown Endowment Fund to provide active authorized ministers with traumatic stress debriefing and support.

Rev. Liana Rowe will be retiring from her conference position as Administrative Assistant for Finance as of April 30, 2021.

Cynthia VerDuin is stepping down as SWC treasurer at the end of September.

This article is intended for church financial personnel. Feel free to read it, anyway, and rejoice or geek out with us about this new feature. Kudos to our finance staff person, Rev. Liana Rowe, who toiled for MANY hours to set up this new online form.

Associate Conference Minister Barb Doerrer-Peacock has approved an alternate online anti-racism training program, recommended by Rev. Rock Fremont, to count for the clergy anti-racism requirement.

Dismantling Racism training, which seeks to increase "racial understanding, healing and reconciliation" is offered by the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although there is no charge to take the training, pre-registration is required no later than one week in advance. Each class is limited to 25 people and runs for a single day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Michael Curry: Virtual Sermon Michael Curry, Southwest Conference Lay Minister for Disability Education, Advocacy, and Awareness, has recorded a sermon to make it available to churches throughout the conference.

We’ll need a tech team and tech stewards during our Virtual Annual Meeting happening on Zoom, October 2-4. If you’ve acquired some Zoom webinar skills this year (or are willing to be trained), please contact our Virtual Annual Meeting coordinator, Karen Richter.

By Chaplain, Captain Derrick Elliott, 355th Wing Chaplains

Rev. Derrick Elliott is Pastor at Desert Heritage Church in Mesa.

Read his article here.

UCC @ ASU is continuing to move forward with our campus ministry and is offering two Zoom gatherings in early August, one for all ages and one for college students.

For anyone interested, here’s a short video clip that is a gift from Evans Bell Conversion for you to use as part of any virtual services you are doing. If you decide to use it, please let us know so we can watch too.

Thanks, Jack & Tom