Take Action: Justice and Peace Action Network's November newsletter

Mind, Body, Spirit: Linking Lives for Health and Wholeness — The Wellness Ministries of the UCC Newsletter (formerly The Faith Community Nurse Health Ministry Newsletter)

November – December 2019, Vol. 4 Issue 7

Our amicus brief was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court on October 4, challenging the administration’s rescission of DACA. Read the brief here. 127 religious organizations signed onto this brief to protect hundreds of thousands of Dreamers across the nation! 

We're calling on people of faith and people of conscience from across the country to flood the courtroom on November 20th in Tucson, Arizona to show the huge support of Scott Warren, Human Rights activist facing 20 years of jail for providing life-saving aid to migrants in the desert. RSVP HERE.

Thursday, November 14, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center, 5025 East Washington Street. Phoenix, AZ 85034

Join people of diverse faiths for an interfaith dialogue on climate change and the role G-d and/or humans play both in its cause and solutions. Registration is $10 and includes dinner. Dinner will be at 6:30 PM and the program will begin at 7:00 PM.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER - CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK EVENT

Celebrate 10 years of Arizona Interfaith Power & LIght through music, story, and refreshments. Renew your spirit with fellow travelers on this journey to heal our planet!

On Thursday, November 14 th at 6:00 PM Church of the Painted Hills will welcome representatives of the Pima County Interfaith Council for a Civic Academy dealing with the immigration issue. More details will be provided from CotPH next week.

8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sunday, November 10 at Shepherd of the Hills UCC, 5524 E Lafayette Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Sign up for a slot at Shepherd of the Hills’ third and final Red Cross Blood Drive for the year.

Visit redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Shepherd.

You may have met Rev. Dr. Helen Boursier during last year’s Faithful Witness at the Border. Her new book “Desperately Seeking Asylum” has been receiving excellent advance feedback, and her hope and prayer is that it will make a dent and a difference. This book includes bits from Faithful Witness at the Border, including one of the two front cover pix that she took when she went to Mexico plus several others from the week are inside the book, which is due out December 15th.

With the clock ticking on the legislative calendar, Congress is running out of time to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), otherwise known as NAFTA 2.0. Although there are some good provisions in the agreement, as it currently stands the new deal remains frightfully flawed. The USMCA inadequately protects and enforces worker rights, offers little advancement on environmental protection, and provides what is essentially a candy hand out to pharmaceutical companies in the form of patent exclusivity that will limit access to life-saving medicines for the global poor. If we do not want this horror story to become reality, now is the time to act!

The Good Shepherd UCC is cooperating with Shalom Mennonite Church in Tucson to send notes and cards of encouragement to individuals being detained by ICE in facilities here in our region. See how you can participate, too.

The 2nd Annual Border Ministries Summit provides an opportunity to share information, build partnerships and increase awareness of the important ministries taking place on both sides of the border.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.

Congress has recently introduced legislation that would expose these shell corporations and shed a light on their illegal activity. The “Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 (H.R.2513/S.1978)” is a bipartisan bill that would require corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) to disclose their true ownership to law enforcement and financial institutions. Passing this bill would make financing criminal activity more difficult and end a practice that steals resources and wealth from communities around the globe.

November 16, 2019, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (arrive by 9:30 a.m.)

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 918 So. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ 85338

This training is focused on educating clergy and their parishioners on the warning signs and dangers of opioid abuse. All are welcome to participate, but space may be limited. We are hoping to recruit nurses to participate. If you register via email, please include your mailing address and phone number. Upon completion of the training, qualified attendees will receive COMPLIMENTARY NARCAN for your congregation (subject to availability).

Have a look at Arizona Faith Network’s latest list of partner and community events.

Becoming a Better Ally to People of Color
Sunday, October 27, 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM
All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 North 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85022

Are you ready to collaborate with others to dismantle systemic racism? Do you have the skills to be an effective ally to people of color? Deacon Joan Crawford offers important lessons on how those outside the African American community can work collaboratively with black folks to promote racial equity and justice.

Preventing and addressing violence against women builds stronger families and stronger communities. VAWA has a proven track record of effectiveness over the years. It is long past time for the Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 2019.

Take action and tell your Senators it is time to reauthorize VAWA!