Got new gadgets for Christmas? Time to clean house! Shadow Rock is partnering with AZStRUT to collect your "no longer needed" electronics during the weekend of January 10-12.

United Church of Santa Fe’s youth ages 13 + will join in SALT Immersion to U.S./Mexico Border Sunday, March 15 to Friday, March 20. They’ll stay in Tucson and will partner with Good Shepherd UCC and other organizations dealing with issues surrounding immigration.

7 p.m. on January 9 at the Southwest Conference office

Rev. Alan Johnson, Chair of the United Church of Christ Mental Health Network who chairs the WISE Conference on Mental Health, has agreed to make a Zoom presentation on the topic of "Follow Up Steps for Churches."

For faith advocates working for justice, trying to bring the voices and concerns of the most vulnerable to the center of public policy decision-making, this last year has felt like an advocacy marathon. And what a marathon you have been running in 2019! During the past year, you helped to send 60,000 email messages to legislators and over 2,300 Tweets. You have prayed, marched, witnessed, and acted for justice in countless ways. In 2019, members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network have countered the narrative of fear, exclusion, and scarcity on issues ranging from refugee admissions, gun violence prevention, climate justice, voting rights, nutrition assistance, reproductive health care, gender-based violence, trade agreements, increased militarization, and violence and armed conflict in regions around the world. You have made a difference, made your voices heard, and we give thanks for your partnership!

[A press conference will be held at noon on Thursday, December 19 in the Rose Garden at the Arizona State Capitol .]

Phoenix – On Nov. 21, 2019, 23 state representatives signed a letter to ICE officers in support of a request for parole for a young woman from Guatemala named Maria so she could be reunited with her 6-year-old niece, “Flor.” Maria and Flor were separated when they presented themselves at the Arizona border to request asylum at Lukeville in March of 2019.

In Tucson on Monday, December 16 at 4:30 p.m. at the federal building, 300 W. Congress.

House of Sedona has found property! As of this week, we have secured property for our project to provide temporary transitional housing for homeless families with children, and elderly women. It is located in west Sedona near Basha's, a great location close to food, businesses and bus access.

It has been a long journey to reach this exciting point and we continue to be grateful for you, our supporters. Now that we have property, we can move to our next steps.

Tuesday, December 17th, 11 a.m., ICE Field Office, 2035 N Central Avenue, Phoenix

We join with Shadow Rock UCC and visit the ICE Field Office at 11:00 a.m. on the 17th of every month. We use this time to stand with our immigrant neighbors and their families, make a prayer or statement, and pass out water and snacks for those waiting in line for appointments. Please join us and take part.

This is a peaceful action, statement, and prayer.

The UCC Our Faith, Our Vote, Our Voice campaign offers resources to help congregations engage the electoral process in a meaningful, nonpartisan way, through voter education, issue education and voter empowerment and mobilization: www.ourfaithourvote.org.

The December newsletter of the Justice and Peace Action Network.

Church of the Red Rocks shares wonderful news regarding Hope House:

The IRS has granted us our 501(c)(3) status! We are thrilled that we are now a not-for-profit organization and can accept donations as such. We are in the process of setting up a bank account separate from the church and are looking into the AZ tax credit.

In terms of property for Hope House . . .

Thursday, December 12, 6 PM - 7:15 PM, ICE Downtown Office, 2035 N Central Ave, Phoenix

As many of us from various faiths come together for the holiday season, we must remember that there are hundreds of families who have been separated due to a broken immigration system.

Join us for a candlelight vigil in solidarity with all the affected families.

Pamela Ayo Yetunde teaches pastoral care and counseling at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Out of her concern that some women with cancer fall through the cracks of spiritual care networks that could be life-saving if utilized or created, she’s launching a research project on women, spirituality, and cancer. She asks us to share with women we know in the U.S. who have or had cancer.

Join our faithful action to relieve the health-poverty trap and erase crushing medical debt for thousands of individuals. With your gift, we will raise awareness of this issue and purchase debt for pennies on the dollar through our partnership with RIP Medical Debt. Please give generously and join us in lifting up in prayer families that are on the edge of financial ruin because of unbearable medical debt.

Phil Shea is our national coordinator for scheduling this exhibit. He would love to schedule an event with our churches and the community.

Additionally, he's available to do a Borderlands presentation focused on the environmental impact of the wall. He has a slide presentation that he can speak to based on current information and his experiences on the border.

Reach him at 602-663-5065 or philofthedesert@yahoo.com.

7–8 p.m. December 5 at Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza, 200 N Plaza St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104

In addition, it’s time to “Paint the Town Red!” for World AIDS Day 2019. “Paint the Town Red” is a day to show support for those living with HIV and combat HIV stigma by wearing a red t-shirt.

We are called to be people not just of words, but tangible actions. Take action today by letting the administration know that restrictions on nutrition assistance are immoral, and tell Congress to act to end malnutrition around the globe.

This Thanksgiving, tell the administration you oppose cuts to SNAP.

December 1 - December 11First Church UCC Phoenix1407 N 2nd St, Phoenix, Arizona 85004Join us for a week-long commemoration of World AIDS Day. This is an opportunity for us to recognize those who have passed away as well as those who are thriving!

Brave New Films is looking for faith-based screening partners to show their film on voter suppression called Suppressed: The Fight To Vote which highlights the tactics used by now Governor Brian Kemp to disenfranchise thousands of people from voting to defeat then-candidate Stacey Abrams during the 2018 Midterm Election in Georgia, and how those same tactics have historically been used and will be used to impact voters in 2020. It’s a 38-minute film and they’re offering this film with a discussion/action guide and an interfaith reflection guide for free to show to your community.

Learn more and register for a film screening here.