Faith In Action
The US Supreme Court has refused to hear the petition of the Apache Stronghold to overrule a lower court ruling that transfers the Holy Ground at Oak Flat to the Resolution Copper Company for total destruction of this sacred ground in the mining process.
We are saddened and upset to learn of this decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear and rule on this petition. We remain in solidarity with the the Apache Stronghold, the Apache Nation, and the many Native peoples and their allies in this fight to Save Oak Flat.
Arizona Poor People's Campaign
Click HERE for the press release provided by the Apache Stronghold and its legal representative, Becket Law.
Click HERE for the news article from the Arizona Republic.
As immigration enforcement intensifies across Arizona, our faith communities are being called to respond—not with fear but with courage, compassion, and collective action.
You are invited to a Virtual Statewide Interfaith Training on Rapid Response for Accompaniment hosted by Corazón Arizona and the Arizona Faith Network. This gathering will offer tools and guidance for faith leaders, advocates, and community members who want to show up in solidarity with immigrant families facing ICE activity in Phoenix, Tucson, and beyond.
🗓 Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM (Arizona time)
💻 Location: Zoom
🔗 Register here:https://form-usa.keela.co/652025-training
TUCSON: Sunday, June 29, 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Saguaro Christian Church (new location)
8302 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710
TEMPE: Sunday, July 20, 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Community Christian Church
1701 S College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281
Join Arizona Faith Network for a powerful, hands-on service opportunity as we come together across communities to pack Heat Relief Bags for those most vulnerable to Arizona’s extreme summer temperatures. These interfaith events are open to all who want to help protect lives and show compassion in action.
Each event will include community-building, light refreshments, and the chance to pack bags that will be distributed through AFN’s network of Heat Relief Sites and outreach partners.
RSVP
On September 21st, faith communities across the country will be joining a grassroots climate action to celebrate Sun Day! This will be a day to celebrate the gift and power of clean energy while standing up to the profiteers, polluters, and potentates who threaten our health and future. This event will kick off our national mobilization with the theme of "Bringing Climate Hope to Sun Day."
Learn about what's being planned. Get plugged into resources for worship and action. Registered congregations will be provided with advocacy cards directed at Congress that feature the artwork of this year's Climate Hope Art Contest winner.
Speakers for this kick-off event will include Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree, Rev. Michael Malcom, Sue Mueller, and more.
Even if you cannot make it at the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, June 11th, still sign up, and we will send you a link afterward.
☀️ As triple-digit temperatures return, Arizona Faith Network is gearing up to open our Heat Relief Sites across the Valley. These sites provide life-saving hydration, cooling, and care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness or heat vulnerability.
We need your help. From volunteering onsite to donating water, snacks, or sun protection gear, there are many ways to get involved.
💧 Learn more and sign up to volunteer today.
Together, we can make sure no one is left in the heat!
In our shared journey within the United Church of Christ, we are called to foster spaces of radical hospitality, inclusion, and belonging. Yet, creating such beloved communities requires more than just welcoming words. It demands the courage and skill to address harm when it occurs, particularly when individuals or groups with marginalized identities experience bias, microaggressions, or discrimination. How do we interrupt harm effectively while aiming for understanding and constructive change?
The story of Charles Lee’s involvement and leadership in the struggle for environmental justice intersects with many of the most pivotal events in the movement’s history: the Warren Country protests that gave birth to a movement, the publication of “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States” that became a landmark report, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit that issued the groundbreaking “Principles of Environmental Justice,” and the establishment of environmental justice as a core part of the EPA’s mission.
On March 31st, Charles Lee retired as the Senior Policy Advisor for Environmental Justice at the EPA after working there for more than two decades. In this webinar, Lee will reflect back on his distinguished career. Even if you cannot make the scheduled time on Wednesday, May 14th at 1 pm ET, still register, and a recording will be sent to you.
Tuesday, April 22, 10:00 am - 11:00 am MST via Zoom
Inspired by Creation Justice Ministries' 2025 annual resource, The Power of God: From Extractive Theology to Transformative Faith, this service will lead participants into a time of prayer and reflection, centered around seven original pieces of music produced for the resource. Derrick Weston, Creation Justice Ministries' director of theological education and formation will offer a reflection and the service will include new music commissioned for the Earth Day resource.
Join us online for this ecumenical service of music, prayer, and contemplation as we consider how God's power renews us and how we might use our power to renew Creation.
The Jim Antal Keynote for this year’s UCC Earth Summit will be delivered by Katharine Hayhoe, one of the world’s leading climate scientists. Through television appearances on PBS and Showtime as well as her widely viewed TED Talks, Hayhoe has reached a broad audience with a compelling perspective on science, climate, and faith.
The summit will additionally feature a panel of grassroots leaders in the struggle against environmental racism in North Texas.
This two and a half hour online summit will begin at 2 pm ET on April 26th.
The Decentering Whiteness Task Force of the Southwest Conference of the UCC will be present at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque. We will be offering a workshop titled "Calling People In," a method designed to address problematic behaviors or statements, especially those rooted in racial bias, with compassion and education rather than public shaming. In the context of racial justice and decentering whiteness, this approach fosters accountability while recognizing that everyone is on a learning journey, prioritizing understanding and growth over punitive measures. This seeks to create a safer space for dialogue, particularly for those from marginalized groups, by fostering a learning environment where individuals can recognize and correct their biases, thus shifting away from a culture that protects white comfort at the expense of addressing systemic inequity. Additionally, we will host a table with various resources to support churches in their quest for decentering whiteness, both personally and within their congregations.