Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:
Last month, I began a series of writing about the Region’s new strategic goals, starting with Clergy Wellness. This month, given the we just finished our first ever on-line General Assembly, and that we are only a few weeks from opening registration for our 2026 Regional Assembly (October 23-24 at Sun City Christian Church), I will share about a new goal around Disciples identity and awareness.
A relatively small number of us grew up in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). But many of us are new to the Disciples tradition. And some of our congregations are brand new. We’ve been attracted by more open stances, by seeing a diversity of leadership, by appreciating our positive emphasis on God’s love rather than on threats of hell or insistence of rigid rule-following. We have a taste of what it means to be Disciples, but we don’t have the whole picture.
So our Regional Board envisions us working toward a shared understanding of what it means to be part of the Disciples of Christ and to actively embody that in our ministries. Several of our congregational pastors are planning or have launched a sermon series on Disciples identity, exploring our history and what makes us who we are. And part of the effort toward a shared understanding is the creation of “Disciples Day.”
“Disciples Day” can look different in each congregation, but the basic idea is that your Regional Minister visits, preaches on Disciples themes, and then (often during a congregational meal) offers a presentation on our current structure, including aspects of the three expressions of our church: local congregations, the Regional church, and the General church. Every congregation is invited to host a Disciples Day. So far, here is the schedule – and we’d be delighted to add other congregations to this list:
| 2026 | |
| May 1 | First Christian Church in Scottsdale |
| May 29 | Desert Dove Christian Church in Tucson |
| July 12 | Community Christian Church in Tempe |
| August 23 | Discípulos en Acción and Iglesia Cristiana “La Cruz”, both in Phoenix, AZ |
| September 27 | Chalice Christian Church in Gilbert |
| November 8 | East Mesa Christian Church |
| 2027 | |
| January 24 | First Christian Church in Mesa |
I hope to see each of you at an upcoming “Disciples Day” in your congregation.
Dios les bendiga!
Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona
