Sue Keen held a mini workshop on pollinator gardens for the youth at Desert Palm last week.
In partnership with "As You Wish", a pottery painting creation destination and company, SNAP, an arts group housed at Scottsdale UCC, offered 20 students from Navajo Elementary School, (just North of the campus) an artistic experience and opportunity to create a unique pottery piece for Mother's Day. Students arrived Tuesday afternoon and with assistance from the As You Wish staff, they dove right in by choosing a raw piece to paint. They returned Friday to see their fired and finished piece, wrap it up in paper, ribbons and bows and choose a Mother's Day card.
The Estate Sale Group at The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita has completed another very successful season. After keeping some monies in their coffers to cover expenses, they voted to make contributions to the following organizations: The Good Shepherd 2026 operating budget, Sahuarita Food Bank operations, Sahuarita Food Bank backpack program, St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic, Valley Assistance Services, Arivaca Human Resources, Primavera Foundation, Hands of a Friend, KIVA (support micro loans), Sister Jose Women’s Shelter, Friends in Deed, Lutheran Social Services (key locks for Senior shut-ins), and Friends of Madera Canyon, for a total disbursement of $37,000. The Good Shepherd has hosted these sales since 1993 and supported countless organizations that assist so many in our communities
Calyx, Oliver, & Shawn, members of the Phoenix Gay Men's Chorus and the Desert Palm Chancel Choir, are performing in the Chorus’s upcoming concert RHINESTONE RODEO.
On Saturday, May 31, 3-5 pm, First Congregational in Albuquerque will hold the opening ceremony for an exhibit in their Fellowship Hall made up of items migrants left behind in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The event and exhibit, titled “From Witness to Resistance: A Desert Shrine,” will honor those who died on their perilous journey north. Speakers at the opening ceremony will include members of the faith-based and legal communities. Donations in the Cash for Change jar will support the work of the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC). NMILC is the primary organization providing free legal assistance to low-income immigrants in the State of New Mexico.
Faith and Science from an Islamic Perspective
Saturday, June 7, 12:00 pm MST via Zoom
Join Arizona Faith Network for an inspiring online event exploring the relationship between faith and science through the lens of Islamic thought. Kashif Naser will guide us through the rich tradition of inquiry, reason, and spiritual reflection within Islam, highlighting how scientific discovery and religious belief are not at odds, but deeply interconnected. We will also learn briefly about the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Whether you're a person of faith, a science enthusiast, or simply curious, this is a space for open conversation, learning, and connection. This program is part of our Faith 101 series.
Sometimes prayer is not easy. A few years ago, Pastor Susan introduced First Phoenix UCC to the “cross prayer,” an easy template for creating one’s own prayer. If praying isn’t always easy, this template might be a good tool.
A series of fundraisers at Congregational Church of the Valley has raised nearly $17,000 for Wells for the World, Inc., which is the mission of the hydrogeologist, Clifford Yantz. Yantz has analyzed and designated water extraction systems for hundreds of wells across Kenya. Mr. Yantz' partner in Kenya is a U.S 501(c) organization registered in Pennsylvania call Drilling for Life. Drilling for Life is composed of a team of professional well drillers and business persons from the United States who partner, train, and equip nationals in locations around the world to "give life one well at a time." Drilling for Life partners with donors to install water supply systems in remote and marginalized communities of Kenya since 2007 and has completed over 500 projects. Mr. Yantz writes that the Esiret Community Water Project will be completed in about 3 to 6 weeks. Esiret is the home community of church member Jay Komen, whose mother lives in the community.