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Pending review, we’ll publish it on the website and our weekly newsletter, In the Loop.
The worship services at Annual Meeting will be live streamed so anyone in the Southwest Conference and beyond can worship with us!
You can watch the live stream on The Good Shepherd UCC’s Facebook page.
Friday, April 24 at 9 am Arizona / 10 am New Mexico & El Paso
Saturday, April 25 at 9 am Arizona / 10 am New Mexico & El Paso
by Gordon Street III, Commissioned Minister
What began at the start of COVID as a simple way to stay connected has grown into a daily outreach reaching over 130 people across the country. Each morning, I share an inspirational image and a short “Thought for you and me”—a small reminder of hope, presence, and connection. In those early days, I often closed with the words, “Stay safe, stay strong, live life,” and sometimes, “Together we can.” Those words were as much for me as they were for anyone receiving them.
What I didn’t fully realize at the time was how deeply this practice would shape my own spiritual life.
Click through to read Gordon’s article.
October 7–10, 2026 | Louisville, KY
The Convergence Music Project invites you to Converging 2026, a national gathering of musicians, worship leaders, pastors, and creatives centered on the theme “Sing Through It!”
In a time when faith communities are navigating profound change and challenge, this conference lifts up the power of congregational song to ground us, connect us, and carry us forward. Through keynotes, workshops, and shared singing, participants will explore the songs we need now—and the songs waiting to be written.
Featured leaders and artists include Rev. Otis Moss III, Dr. Cynthia Wilson, Mark Miller, Ken Medema, and many others whose work reflects justice-centered, inclusive, and innovative worship.
Early bird registration is now open, with a 25% discount available to CMP member churches. Join here. Membership also includes year-long access to CMP’s worship music and resources with full copyright permission.
Come sing, learn, and be renewed—and join others who believe that even in challenging times, we sing through it, together.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
11:00 am Arizona / 12:00 pm New Mexico/El Paso
Register to attend this webinar by clicking here. The ZOOM has a limited number of live participants, and the recording will be posted on their Webinar page.
The United Church of Christ Council of Conference Ministers offers this Seven Last Words of Christ Good Friday service on April 3.
The Southwest Conference will publish the video at 1 pm New Mexico & El Paso time / 12 pm Arizona time on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.
The service is led by:
Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins, Southwest Conference
Rev. Nayiri Karjian, Florida Conference
Rev. Dr. Terrill Murff, Illinois Conference
Rev. Dr. Davena Jones, Northern California Conference
Rev. Freeman Palmer, Central Atlantic Conference
Rev. Dr. Marsha Williams, New York Conference
Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Southern New England Conference
“We are pleased to share our 2025 Annual Report, “Rooted in Faith. Forward in Mission.” This report highlights UCF’s responsible investing, rooted in the United Church of Christ’s traditions and its role in advancing meaningful change — from addressing systemic risks through advocacy to collaborating with partners to build a more just and sustainable world.
We invite you to READ THE REPORT and share it with others who may feel called to partner with us in faithful stewardship. We recommend using Google Chrome for the best viewing experience.”
Last week, I attended the United Church Funds Board of Directors meeting as part of my covenantal work with the wider church. As a pastor and UCF Board member, I left encouraged and grateful for UCF's ministry to our churches.
Many congregations have endowments, reserves from property sales, memorial gifts, or long-term funds set aside for mission. The question is always the same: How do we steward these resources faithfully and responsibly?
If your church has:
An endowment
Reserve funds
Proceeds from property sales
Memorial or legacy gifts
Or is it reviewing its investment strategy
Contact United Church Funds to learn more, ask your questions, or attend their quarterly town hall to see how they can partner with your church.
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s full article.
“Yesterday, I had to do one of the hardest things that I have ever done in my life. I had to put my beloved fur baby to sleep and say goodbye. The above photograph was taken about 10 minutes before her procedure. I knew it would be our last photo together, and I sense that she knew it as well. After I snapped our final selfie, I broke down. And just like the dutiful companion she has been for over a decade, she comforted me in her final moments.”
In justice‑centered and faith‑rooted work, the most meaningful support often comes from the quietest companions.
The Open and Affirming Coalition (ONA) recently launched its Spring Campaign, Love Without Fear, inspired by the deep bond between people and the pets who sustain them through grief, exhaustion, and hope. Sparked by the personal loss of a beloved companion experienced by ONA’s Acting Executive Director, Rev. Derek Terry, the campaign has grown into a collective moment of reflection, gratitude, and action.
For many engaged in advocacy and community work, the emotional labor is constant. The pressure is high, the challenges unrelenting, and rest can feel elusive. In these moments, pets become grounding presences—pulling us outside, slowing us down, offering comfort without expectation, and reminding us that we are loved simply for who we are.
As Rev. Terry reflects, pets teach us how to “love without fear.” We welcome them fully into our lives, knowing their time with us will likely be shorter, and we choose love anyway. That courage—to love deeply despite loss—mirrors what it means to keep showing up for one another and for a more just world.
Love Without Fear invites community members to share photos and stories of the pets who bring them joy, connection, and steadiness. These tributes will be shared on ONA’s social media platforms through the end of May, creating a space to honor the companions who quietly sustain this work.
In addition, the campaign aims to raise $5,000 to support a new microgrant program launching in June. These grants, up to $500 each, will help Open and Affirming churches extend their work beyond their walls and deepen local impact.
By weaving together memory, tenderness, and action, Love Without Fear reminds us that care is not separate from justice—it makes the work possible.
The PATHWAYS Environmental Justice Program equips participants with the tools to engage in environmental justice work in their own communities (such as community advocates, eco-church consultants, or coalition builders among faith-based, science-based, and government-based organizations). Consisting of 17 courses in three levels (comprehending, applying, synthesizing), this program invites participants to encounter the planet’s devastation and move towards its healing. Click here for more information.
The United Church of Christ’s General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson issued a statement Saturday condemning the bombing of Iran by the United States and Israel, and urged people of faith to continue to call on elected officials to reject war.
“We call for an end to the abuse of government might that is poured out on people who are not the ones making decisions yet bear the brunt of the ensuing violence, casualties of actions they do not support,” said Thompson in the statement.