It started as an idea that morphed into a vision that became a shining light.
As the “first tour” caravan of guests parked along the dusty road in front of the single-story building, exclamations of delight rose from the vehicles. The freshly painted sign written in big bold letters read Centro de Esperanza – one of the newest of many improvements to the facility – felt wonderful. The new migrant resource center in Sonoyta, Sonora was becoming a reality after years of caring, planning, working, negotiating, and serving!
Read MoreThomas Smith will soon become the United Church of Christ’s newest Partners in Service volunteer, serving in Sahuarita, Ariz., with The Good Shepherd UCC’s U.S.-Mexico border ministries.
Smith’s one-year, full-time assignment will be with migrants in desperate need, said Good Shepherd’s Lead Pastor, the Rev. Randy Mayer. For his part, Smith shared his excitement to work with a ministry that is “literally saving lives.”
The church’s Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans ministry works to “save lives and relieve suffering in the Arizona borderlands.” The ministry places food and water in the desert for migrants, searches the desert for migrants in distress, and helps operate on both sides of the border. Read more.
Read MoreJoin GLAAD on Spirit Day, Oct. 21. Go purple to support LGBTQ youth and sign up to stand against bullying.
Read MoreThe UCC, continuing and expanding ways to be anti-racist, is taking applications for Sacred Conversations facilitators.
Read MoreOver the past several years, Church of Beatitudes has brought lunch and music to the Justa Center in downtown Phoenix on Labor Day weekend. This year we could not do it due to Covid, so we did the next best thing! The church raised $1450.00 and presented those funds to Executive Director Wendy Johnson on September 26th.
Read MoreOn Monday, First Church Immigration Task Force members delivered tuition checks to three Maricopa Community Colleges on behalf of Dreamers attending five different Phoenix Union high schools. These checks cover the costs of dual credit classes for a unique group of PUHSD students who came to Arizona as young children with their undocumented parents. Because of Prop 300, passed in 2006 by Arizona voters, they are required to pay out-of-state tuition at community colleges and state universities in Arizona. The costs are prohibitive. While their American citizen classmates pay about $300 for a 3-credit community college class, Dreamers pay three times as much, or $1000.
Read MoreLet us go beyond acknowledgement and call on Congress to create a Truth and Healing Commission to not only confess past sins but move our nation toward a restored future.
Read MoreThe Racial Justice Initiative Team of the PSEC would like to invite you and your congregations to join us for the Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Symposium White Supremacy, Racism, & the Christian Church: The Call to a Discipleship of Liberation and Justice , October 23rd & 24th.
Read MoreHow can congregations deepen their understanding of modern-day colonialism while actively combating social injustice?
Read MoreRecently Pastor Ken has been speaking and emailing the family and embassy officials several times per week. We expect that we'll hear right away when they are given the green light and know when they intend to depart for Arizona.
Read MoreTax credits, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, racial justice, Jubilee Weekend, Congo Week, and more in this month's JPANet newsletter.
Read MoreUCC Disabilities Ministries offers worship resources that churches can use to celebrate the denomination’s annual Access Sunday on October 10.
Read MoreLate last month the U.S. House took a key step forward in ensuring the Grand Canyon region will be permanently protected from new harmful uranium mining. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act will protect approximately 1 million acres of lands and waters for future generations. We urge the Senate to follow suit and vote to #KeepItGrand! SIGN THE LETTER
Read MorePlease contact your Senators asking for their full support and swift passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so we can make sure that each person’s voice and vote are protected.
Read MoreBy Thursday, September 30th, the administration is required by law to consult with Congress before setting next year’s refugee admissions goal. On September 20th, President Biden proposed to set the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) refugee admissions goal at 125,000. As we confront the worst global displacement crisis in history with more than 31 million refugees worldwide, and as countless vulnerable Afghans remain in imminent danger, this is a welcome step - but it is vital that Congress hold the Biden administration accountable to rebuild the refugee resettlement program, hold meaningful consultations on the FY22 refugee admissions goal before the end of the Fiscal Year - this Thursday, and invest in strengthening our nation’s capacity to welcome. Join us by taking action today!
Read MoreFirst UCC Phoenix and Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice are co-hosting a candlelight vigil on Sunday, October 3 at 7.30pm in honor and memoriam of women who have died or their lives diminished because of the attacks on abortion.
Read MoreAnswering the call to love our neighbor looks like a lot of different things, but it is unambiguous in intent – we must do more and do better for care for our Haitian neighbors. Join with us as people of faith to urge Congress and the administration to take these critical steps.
Read MoreVoice for Refuge is asking for:
higher admissions goal and commit to rebuilding a robust refugee resettlement program
asking that congress take the necessary steps to rebuild our resettlement infrastructure by allocating the necessary funding to all resettlement programs.
the end of Title 42 which is expeling Haitians exercising their right to seek asylum
guaranteed protection to the millions of forcibly displaced refugees and asylum seekers
Read MoreSign a Faith Letter to the Biden Administration: Urge the administration to set the FY 2022 Refugee Admissions Goal at 200,000 by signing this letter. Faith leaders and individual people of faith, sign here. Faith organizations, sign here.
The United States refugee resettlement infrastructure was decimated over the past four years and is in urgent need of investment and restoration.
Read MoreTell Congress: Support the Philippine Human Rights Act
As people of faith in the US, we urge members of the US Congress to end all assistance to the Philippine military and the Philippine National Police, to pass the Philippine Human Rights Act, and to hold hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees to assess what impact continued support for the Duterte Administration has on the people of the Philippines.
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