During our last weekly staff meeting, Rev. Dr. Toni led a devotion called “Who Cares?” It took me back to my childhood when I used to throw out that phrase without thinking. It was my way of saying, “It doesn’t matter.” But now, I hear it differently with a few more years of life behind me. “Who cares?” is not just a question. It’s an invitation for Who notices? Who shows up? Who carries the love of Christ into the places where it is most needed?
Rev. Dr. Toni reminded us that caring isn’t vague—it has shape and meaning. She gave us the framework of C.A.R.E.S:
C – Covenant Relationships: We commit to each other and to those we serve.
A – Accountability and Alignment: We keep our work true to our mission.
R – Resilience and Renewal: We remain strong through challenges and seek renewal along the way.
E – Empowerment through Education: We equip one another and those we serve with the tools they need.
S – Spiritual Formation and Service: We root our work in faith and serve purposefully.
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s full article.
Read MoreOn September 21, 2025 at 3:00 pm AZ (NM/TX 4:00 pm) we will gather for an Ecclesiastical Council for Sonja Haller at Desert Palm United Church of Christ, 1230 E Guadalupe Rd, Tempe, Arizona 85283, both in person and on Zoom.
My beloved SWC, it is my prayer that every church within the Southwest Conference will be represented. Your presence is not only a gift to the Sonja, but also a visible sign of the covenant we share as a Conference family.
Let’s come together with hearts open to encourage, support, and celebrate the work of God among us. Click here to register for this event.
Read MoreAre you someone who has done significant anti-racism work? Do you ever wonder – “How could I get better at recognizing racism when I see it?” “How could I get better at knowing what to do about it?” Then this Community of Practice may be for you. As a group of both lay and clergy UCC members we meet monthly on Zoom from September through May on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 5:30 PM Arizona time.
Each September we welcome new members who would like to be part of the work. You can apply to join this community of practice here.
Click through to see what some members of the group say about the experience.
Read MoreRev. Leroy Calbom peacefully died on June 7, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. He served as pastor of First Church from 1982 - 1988. During this time Leroy was a founding member of the Interfaith Cooperative Ministry, ICM, now called Nourish. The organization was one of the first in Phoenix to serve the homeless community by collaborating collections of food, clothing and supplies. Leroy’s final call was to the Beatitudes Church in Phoenix, AZ as Director of Pastoral Care & Chaplain of the Beatitudes Campus in 1991 serving until his retirement in 2001. A celebration of Rev. Leroy Calbom’s life will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, August 23, 2025 in the Life Center at the Beatitudes Campus located at 1620 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix AZ.
Click through to read more.
Read MoreFrom Generations United Federal Credit Union:
We are excited to offer our congregation members a special opportunity to join Generations United Federal Credit Union, a member-focused financial institution whose mission aligns with the values of the United Church of Christ. Serving UCC congregations nationwide, including Puerto Rico, Generations United FCU provides a variety of basic banking services with unique features that promote financial security and confidence for members.
Click through to read more.
Read MoreUnited Church Funds held its Q3 Town Hall on August 14. It was a valuable opportunity to connect, share insights and highlight the important work we’re doing together.
If you were unable to attend, we invite you to view the recording and catch up at your convenience.
Updated Fund Fact Sheets as of June 30, 2025 are now available for your review and download. The Fund Fact Sheets provide essential data and metrics such as investment strategy, annualized performance, asset allocation and top ten holdings.
Read MoreThe CRMT on Race focuses participants on the importance of culturally responsive ministry, how we are socialized and how culture shapes us, how we examine our own bias, and the challenges of race/racism/whiteness in congregations. We end our training by breaking participants into racial affinity groups where white folks learn about the deep impact of microaggressions on our siblings of color, while People of Color have the opportunity to check in about their ministry and the impact of race/racism on it. We lead the trainings as a two-person multiracial team.
Register here for the summer CRMT session on June 26, 2025, 9 am-3 pm AZ (10 am - 4 pm NM).
Can’t make that one? Sign up here for the fall CRMT session on October 21, 2025, 9 am-3 pm AZ (10 am - 4 pm NM).
The cost is $30 per person. We’ll send out the Zoom link to all registrants the week before the session.
Read MoreWebinar presented by the SWC Decentering Whiteness Task Force
Thursday, October 2 6:00 - 8:00 pm AZ / 7:00 - 9:00 pm NM & El Paso
This interactive workshop will equip UCC members and clergy with the tools and understanding to navigate difficult conversations around racial justice, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, decentering whiteness, and other related topics. We will explore the concepts of "calling in”, "calling out”, and “calling up”, focusing on how to foster constructive dialogue, promote accountability, and create a more inclusive and just community. Through data presentation, role-playing, and small group discussions, participants will gain practical skills in addressing harmful behaviors and language in a way that aligns with UCC values of compassion and justice.
Participants will be able to:
Distinguish between "calling in" and "calling out" and understand the appropriate use of each approach.
Identify the key considerations for deciding whether to call someone in or call someone out.
Practice using effective language for calling in and calling out harmful behaviors or language.
Develop strategies for responding constructively when called in or called out.
Apply calling-in techniques to real-life scenarios related to racial justice, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and decentering whiteness.
Read MoreGo here to watch plenaries, State of the Church Address, keynote speakers, AGM nominee speech, AGM vote results, opening worship sermon, community worship sermon, closing worship sermon, and the financial report.
Read MoreThe Thirtieth General Synod called on the congregations of the United Church of Christ to mark the Sunday preceding “International Day of Prayer for Peace” as Just Peace Sunday. This year's theme is "the Earth mourns" (Jeremiah 4:28).
Stay tuned for worship resources on our Just Peace webpage!
Read MoreProbably the most important thing we can do to better RESPOND to natural disasters is to PREPARE for natural disasters!
Many of our communities have already been impacted by extreme heat, and the reality is that extreme heat events are going to become more common as time goes on.
Heat can have devastating impacts across all ages. But there are things we can do to protect ourselves, our family, our friends, and the communities around us.
Click through to read more.
Read MoreWho is the UCC - today and tomorrow?
Pilgrim Press
The UCC's identity—our history, our ways of being, our sense of community—is expressed uniquely through the Book of Worship.
So who are we as the UCC today?
What kind of community do we want to be tomorrow?
And how should our Book of Worship reflect our evolving identity?
We seek your input!
Surveys are available now on bookofworship.org for all users of the Book of Worship and will remain open for feedback through December.
Information is also available on bookofworship.org about the submission of new content for potential publication in the updated Book of Worship.
We look forward to your input, with great appreciation!
Read More“Covenant isn’t just a promise we make; it’s how we choose to walk together in faith, in person and online.”
I usually write about clergy “stuff” in this column. I know that’s expected, but sometimes I wonder about the readership. Then I’ll get a text message, an email, or even a phone call in response to something I’ve written, and I’m reminded that people are paying attention. Those moments of connection matter. They matter because I have been in face-to-face contact with that person, shared a conversation, or prayed together at some point, and that history shapes how we hear and respond to one another.
Recently, Rev. Dr. Gloria and I talked about covenant relationships within the Southwest Conference and the role of Zoom meetings in our work as associate conference ministers. We agreed that Zoom has its place. It allows us to connect across miles, keep commitments when travel isn’t possible, and maintain steady communication in ways that were not as easy before. But as helpful as it is, it can also make it easy to forget the importance of gathering in person. Do you remember pre-COVID, when meetings, visits, and worship happened almost entirely face to face? Those interactions shaped our sense of community in ways a screen cannot fully capture. At the same time, technology has opened doors for those who cannot travel, live far away, or face health challenges, making it possible for them to participate more fully in the church's life.
That’s where covenant comes in.
Click through to read Dr. Derrick’s article.
Read MoreWith gratitude for his life and ministry, we share the news of Rev. Gary Bryant’s passing on July 29, 2025.
Rev. Bryant served faithfully in congregations and later as Associate Conference Minister of the Southwest Conference, United Church of Christ. Ordained on March 18, 1973, he dedicated his life to shepherding God’s people with compassion, wisdom, and a deep commitment to the Gospel.
We give thanks for his years of service and hold his family and all who loved him in our prayers, trusting in the hope of the resurrection and the everlasting love of God.
Read MoreAre you someone who has done significant anti-racism work? Do you ever wonder – “How could I get better at recognizing racism when I see it?” “How could I get better at knowing what to do about it?” Then this Community of Practice may be for you. As a group of both lay and clergy UCC members we meet monthly on Zoom from September through May on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 5:30 PM Arizona time.
Each September we welcome new members who would like to be part of the work. You can apply to join this community of practice here.
Click through to see what some members of the group say about the experience.
Read MoreEvery faith story takes unexpected turns, and mine has plenty. I grew up Baptist, learned the rhythms of church life, and then stepped away in my twenties. I called myself agnostic and searched for meaning that made sense in a complicated world.
Stop me if you’ve heard this! Wait, you can’t, so you’ll have to keep reading. One day, a simple UCC commercial grabbed my attention. It didn’t flash or shout—it carried the “God is Still Speaking” message. It told me faith could welcome questions, embrace differences, and trust that God’s love had no boundaries. Something shifted in me. I walked through the doors of a UCC congregation, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I could breathe.
Later, I enrolled in a Methodist seminary expecting to study UCC theology and polity. Who knew there were so many United Theological Seminaries out there? I thought I had chosen a UCC seminary, only to find myself surrounded by Methodists! Thankfully, God has a sense of humor, and that setting gave me precisely what I needed. I dove into UCC history, learned the stories of those who came before us, and discovered the covenantal ties that shape our denomination. I didn’t just study theology—I found family. I found home.
Click through to read the rest of Dr. Derrick’s article.
Read MoreThe terms and conditions of ANY federal funding MUST be carefully examined to ensure that accepting a grant does make the church’s ministry an instrument of the state by dictating what religious activities the church can engage in and with whom the church can associate.
Click through to read this IMPORTANT information from Heather Kimmel, General Counsel for UCC National Ministries.
Read MoreSave the Date!
Conference 2026 is well into the planning stages, so make sure your planning is up-to-date. Our next national gathering is July 8 – 11, 2026 at First Community Church, Columbus, Ohio. Andrew Blosser, the Director of Music, and his wife Amy Blosser, Associate Director of Music, are working on a budget so that you’ll know what the costs are soon.
The theme is one of openness – open to different styles of music, different sounds, different folks, different thinking. And, most exciting, the leadership is working on including members of the Association of Disciples Musicians. The Disciples of Christ is a denomination much like ours and has collaborated for years with the UCC on global missions. First Community Church is a combined UCC / DOC congregation (with two campuses!), so it makes sense to learn and share together. The more the merrier!
Join us for this unique experience.
Read MoreThis interesting invitation was posted on the UCC Musicians Association Facebook group page and we share it with you here.
Dear fellow UCC musicians,
My name is Jim Tompkins-MacLaine. I am the Director of Music at United Church of Christ - La Mesa, California: The Table.
I am conducting at Carnegie Hall next summer (June 28, 2026) and would love to put together a choir of UCC musicians to join in a program of spirituals. The program will be a tribute to Dr. Albert McNeil (with whom I sang and toured the world since 1995) and the great Moses Hogan. I will send musical files (you will be asked to purchase the music) and audio files for you to learn the music and videos of rehearsals for you to practice with. There will be four rehearsals in New York City and then WE PERFORM.
My favorite part is the Boat Party around Manhattan after the concert, with great food and dancing!
If you are interested in singing with a group of your fellow UCC musicians, please write me at JimJazz@aol.com for more information. This could be a BLAST!
Read MoreThe Southwest Conference has opened registration for Community of Practice groups. These groups are a form of support embedded in the philosophy of the United Church of Christ as a support for insuring clergy mental health and sustaining a vital ministry.
Community of Practice groups covenant with one another to meet monthly in order to increase ministerial skills, new possibilities to problem solve and to provide ministerial support.
Community of Practice groups are guided by a trained facilitator that assist the group members in the three dimensions and elements listed in this article.
Read More
