Desert Palm enjoying some goat yoga!
First Church Phoenix, along with other congregations in the United Church of Christ, has been selected to participate in a national study of church attenders in the United States. This Attender Survey is a part of the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) project and Faith Communities Today (FACT) research initiative in which the United Church of Christ participates. Since 2000, FACT has conducted research that provides religious leaders of all traditions with critical information about the changing nature of congregational life and how to respond effectively. EPIC is a 5-year research project studying changes in the religious landscape since the COVID-19 pandemic
Majan Mohammad, an Afghan refugee supported by First Christian Church in Las Cruces, NM,is making bolani to sell this coming weekend. As with most refugees, Majan has suffered a lot of losses - her husband and father were killed in the war in Afganistan and she lost her 12 year old son after being separated from him at the Turkish border. With her two remaining sons she was finally given refuge in Turkey and from there came to Las Cruces.
Rev Dr Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President of the UCC, offers a post-election message to “live love boldly” Read and watch.
Church of the Red Rocks will host the Sedona Interfaith Thanksgiving service.
Hope House was a project initiated and managed by Church of the Red Rocks to transition families from homelessness to self-sufficiency. So far, Hope House has housed residents for 2 ½ years with a fully functioning staff including an Executive Director and 3 part time support staff. A retired woman is also housed as an overnight volunteer. Hope House is filled with families (interestingly at this time, most of the children are teenagers) and as these families successfully transition out, there is a waiting list to refill the house. Hope House has successfully moved from visioning, building, staffing, serving residents and now to becoming sustaining.
Rincon received a grant from the Southwest Conference to fund two different sessions of Spring Break Camp for kids in grades 1-5 during March, 2025. The focus of the camp is the expression and celebration of one’s true self, as perfectly created by God. Using visual art, music, theater and games, the children will come to understand, honor and appreciate their individual uniqueness and that of others.
Make plans to enjoy a holiday concert at Oro Valley UCC!
Rev. Clara Sims of First Congregational Albuquerque wrote in their weekly newsletter:
Dear Beloved,
Yesterday I was on a call with Interfaith Power and Light National processing the results of the election and the following poem by Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali called “After the Election” was shared. It touched me deeply, especially the first stanza:
“Take a breath—
feel the weight of centuries unravel in your lungs,
exhale the names of those who marched before you,
their songs still folded in your ribcage,
their prayers rising from the marrow of your bones.”
May we all take deep breaths, remember the prayers rising from the marrow of our bones, and take good care of ourselves and our loved ones as the layers of grief continue to wash over us. In these days, I hope we can take courage and hope in all the things we can engage in locally to build community and seek justice together…