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SWC Clergy,
I want to share an upcoming training opportunity that may be helpful for you and your congregational leaders:
PRC to PPRC with Rev. Tara Barber
Monday, September 14, 2026
5:00–6:30 PM NM & El Paso | 4:00–5:30 PM Arizona Time
Not Your Predecessor’s PPRC!
This workshop will explore the transition from the traditional Pastor/Parish Relations Committee model to a Pastoral Support Committee (PSC). Rev. Tara Barber will discuss the purpose and priorities of a well-functioning PSC, clarify what the committee is and is not responsible for, share best practices from across the church, and answer questions.
The training is open to pastors, lay leaders, and judicatory staff.
Registration:
Register for PRC to PPRC Training
I encourage you to share this opportunity with appropriate leaders in your congregation.
Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Derrick D. Elliott
August is National Make-A-Will Month with an annual reminder about the importance of writing a will. We’re are inviting you to put your love into action by creating or updating your will at no cost!
In 2024, the Pension Boards-UCC and National Ministries launched Together for Tomorrow, a shared legacy campaign that provides our UCC community with access to FreeWill.
Through FreeWill, you can create or update your will in minutes and, if you choose, leave a planned gift to the causes and ministries that matter most to you. It takes just minutes to document the choices that will help you secure:
Peace of mind with a long-term plan for your assets.
Protection for children or pets by naming a guardian.
A legacy of care for your local congregation, the UCC, or another charity you care about.
FreeWill makes it easy to include a legacy gift to The Christmas Fund, National Ministries, your local church or Conference, or any organization close to your heart. A will allows us to protect the family, faith, and finances that have been entrusted to our care for this generation; a planned gift allows us to continue this legacy and serve our faith community in the generations to come.
The season starts September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Throughout the month-long celebration, the world's 2.2 billion Christians come together to care for our common home. Click below to download Creation Justice Ministries' Season of Creation toolkit to access free activities and resources to celebrate the Season of Creation are supported by an ecumenical steering committee and a coalition of partners from around the world.
The Southwest Conference is beginning the development of a new pastoral practice called Covenant Tending.
Covenant Tending is intended to address what we have identified as the “missing middle” between situational support and a formal fitness review. There are times when communication has become strained, trust has been weakened, or relationships need intentional care, but the circumstances do not call for disciplinary action or another formal Conference process.
Click through to learn more.
Join us as for a conversation with Dr. Meg Bartlett-Chase, sex educator, organizer and advocate--about how providing great sexuality education is a way to resist authoritarianism. Dr. Bartlett-Chase has researched sex education policy, practice and controversy, and she is the founder and executive director of Honest Sex Ed Minnesota.
Please be vigilant about any email that appears to be from your clergy person or our conference minister or staff, asking you to take some kind of unusual action. A number of congregations across our conference and the country have been hit with an email scam. It involves making a fake Gmail (or yahoo, etc.) account in the minister’s name and then sending a request for gift cards allegedly from that minister to the congregation’s directory.
The Future of Faith Forum
Saturday, August 22
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
555 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021
The Future of Faith Forum is a community-rooted initiative designed to equip faith leaders (Ministry, Lay, or otherwise) with the knowledge, compassion, and practical tools needed to support LGBTQ+ individuals — especially Black LGBTQ+ people — with dignity, understanding, and love. The We Are You Campaign knows that this plight is not our own, and we support other multicultural communities who believe in our Vision and Mission.
At its core, The Future of Faith Forum believes that faith and humanity are not opposites. They are partners. When faith leaders are informed, connected, and grounded in love, they become powerful advocates for healing, safety, and belonging.
Rev. Dr. Myra Taylor of New Hope UCC is among the panelists. More info and registration at this link.
All clergy and MIDs with standing in the Southwest Conference are invited to the 2026 Southwest Conference Clergy Retreat, November 16–18 at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson.
Ministry cannot thrive without rest—not simply time away, but intentional time to reconnect with God, with one another, and with the quiet places within ourselves that we too often overlook. When we neglect that space, we risk running empty while trying to lead others toward fullness.
Rest is not indulgent. Rest is part of how we honor and sustain the sacred calling we have received.
We invite you to retreat for a time that is not about fixing, producing, performing, or checking things off a list, but simply BEING.
Come for prayer.
Come for laughter.
Come for quiet.
Come for meaningful connection with colleagues.
Come for renewal.
And yes, perhaps even come to sleep in without guilt.
Ask yourself: What might it look like to truly rest in the presence of God, among colleagues who understand the joys and demands of ministry?
Come and see.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A CLERGY-ONLY RETREAT
Click through for the registration link.
UCC ONA Coalition Executive Director, Rev. Derek A. Terry, passed away over the weekend. Rev. Derek had been involved in Coalition leadership for many years and our organization and movement have been made stronger and deeper because of his ministry. He lightened the burden of most everyone he met and his creativity, genuine love, and faithful spirit will not be forgotten.
Click through to read a "joint statement from United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, and the Open and Affirming Coalition Board Chair, the Rev. Kevin E. Tindell on the untimely passing of the Rev. Derek A. Terry, Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition.
PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. is seeking an individual who shares our values of compassion, human dignity, integrity, service, and stewardship to fill our Executive Director role. The Executive Director is the community-facing point of contact for all activities related to our mission and educational services and reports directly to the PATHWAYS Board of Directors (BOD) or its designee. The individual filling this role will be expected to work collaboratively with the BOD, various committees, and the PATHWAYS’ Academic Council (PAC) to achieve strategic priorities and to deliver a student-centered educational experience responsive to the needs of our diverse learners and constituencies.
Click through for the entire job description and how to apply.