AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

Matthew Clark

The Many Flavors of Patience

Love is patient … 1 Corinthians 13:4

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Recently I have had the privilege to listen in on Pastor Dave Hedgepeth’s on-going sermon series on the “Fruit of the Spirit.”  Paul’s list of the attributes of a Christian in Galatians 5:22-23 has long been a favorite of mine:  the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  If we allow the Spirit to work in us and through us, if we truly open ourselves to God’s Spirit of love, our neighbors will experience us as loving, joyful, peacemaking, and patient;  kind, generous, faithful, gentle, and in control of ourselves.  Would all of our neighbors describe us as such!

Today I am reflecting on the many flavors of PATIENCE.  I feel good when I HAVE patience, when I am able to let go of anxiety and just take the world as it comes, one day at a time.  As Jesus says:  So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

But I usually don’t feel good when someone tells me to BE patient.  Patience seems to work best when it comes from within, not when it is imposed upon us.  I think of Martin Luther King Jr.’s words in response to being told to be patient, to wait, to not push society to change:  Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait.  But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your 20 million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; … then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over.

So what do we say about patience and the pandemic?  I know we want it to be over.  We are struggling with patience – some more than others.  But I hope we are not impatient with each other as we wait.  Every pastor in our Region, every board moderator, is feeling the stress of making decisions, knowing that some in the congregation want to meet again and some want to wait until the pandemic has subsided.  I pray that we can be gentle with each other as we seek to navigate this unwelcome situation.

 And I know that many of us hope that when it is over, we don’t just “go back” to how things were before.  Fifty-seven years have passed since MLK wrote about the stinging darts of segregation, hate-filled policemen, and the airtight cage of poverty.  I pray that we all have a holy impatience to transform our society into a community of God’s beloved where we value each one of us as a holy and precious divine gift, and where we all have a roof over our heads, food on our table, and the freedom to be ourselves.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

Arizona Regional Resource Page

General Church Resource Page

“Healthy at Church” document from the Christian Church in Kentucky

Thank You Rev. Jay Deskins

The Christian Church in Arizona is sending a great big virtual thank you hug to Rev. Jay Deskins.   For the last two years, Jay has served as the full-time Regional Youth and Children’s Minister.  This position was created as a 2-year contract funded by the Creative Mission & Ministry Fund.  During his two years, Jay led a successful merging of our camping program with the UCC camp, planned and led meaningful and fun mid-winter retreats, and then faced the big challenge of trying to create a virtual replacement for in-person camp.  Through it all, Jay has led with grace, humility, and dedication.  In addition, Jay has partnered with the rest of Regional staff in whatever ways needed, helping with technology, helping lead events, and bringing his sense of humor to our staff meetings.  We will miss Jay on the Regional Staff and are truly grateful for his leadership.

We invite all who would like to thank Jay to send a card to him at the Regional Office (917 E. Sheridan St., Phoenix, AZ, 85006).

A task force of regional leaders will be convened to discern what is next for Youth and Children’s Ministry in Arizona. Contact Rev. Jay R. Hartley if you would like to be part of that discussion.

Please read the letter below from Rev. Jay Deskins.

Dear Arizona Disciples,

Thank you! Thank you for an opportunity to serve you! I am thankful for the opportunity to grow, and try new things. I am thankful for the welcome I received at your churches. I am thankful because you all put youth and children as a priority in the region.

Over the last two years, I have been blessed by working with the youth and children of this region. In their smiles and questions, laughter and play, and prayers and singing I am made more aware of God’s love in the world.

Over the last two years, we have accomplished a lot. We built a bridge with our sister denomination, the United Church of Christ, re-evaluated our policies and procedures, our purposes for camp, created a new camp program with our partners, we said “Goodbye” to Camp Pinerock and said “Hello” to Emmanuel Pines, we have had several winter retreats, and we are continuing to create space to welcome all Disciples to participate in our youth and children’s programs.

This summer was not how I, or anyone, planned. Creating and planning a virtual camp was not on my radar for any point in my life. But through faith and encouragement, we put on a great experience together.

As I transition out of this ministry, I am hopeful for what God is doing in this moment. While this moment might be scary for us right now, I fully believe that what comes next is bigger, more beautiful, and more full than what was before. I think youth and children’s ministry will change forever from this moment, for the better. I think camp will change forever from this moment, for the better. I think church will change forever from this moment, for the better.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve the region. I am blessed to be in ministry with so many great colleagues and friends here in Arizona!

Peace,

Jay Deskins

DUCC @ Home Wrap Up

Well, that’s it! A wrap on our 2020 DUCC @ Home experience has come to an end! I am so thankful to the adults who made this experience possible and to all the kids who gave this a shot. Our theme for our 4-week experience was “Everything is Holy Now” where we talked about how God is so much bigger than a one-hour worship service on Sundays. That in the pandemic, we see that everything can be holy and that so many things can reflect God’s love and goodness.

Each week our participants had several opportunities to gather. There were small groups based on grade, interest groups and activities, worship, and even campfires and talent shows. While we couldn’t replicate the vast majority of the camp experience, we were able to grow together as a community. 

One of my favorite moments came when four elementary students were in the same interest group, and they were cracking jokes and saying “you always say that” and two of these kids have never met in person. And at the end of the experience, one of those kids said: “I was so happy to meet so many new friends, and get to hang out with them. It made things less boring.” That was worth it. 

This experience, hopefully, never has to happen again, but I am thankful for the opportunity to help young people connect not only with friends and adults but with God. On a personal note, this experience challenged me and pushed me in creative directions I didn’t know we would ever have to go. And I am very thankful for that.

I am also thankful to a region that is willing to adapt to the challenges of today and still provide opportunities for people to connect.

Rev. Jay Deskins
Regional Youth and Children’s Minister

P.S.

If you would like to watch the weekly worship services and see some of what we did at DUCC @ Home, click on these links! You will hear some great keynotes, sing some songs, get energized!

Week 1 Worship | Week 2 Worship | Week 3 Worship | Week 4 Worship

 

What is Your Vision?

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
    of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.   – Isaiah 25:6

Greetings to all of you in the Love of Jesus Christ:

What is your vision?   What wonderful future do you envision for yourself, your family, your nation, your world?  What do you imagine is God’s vision for the human family, for all of Creation?

I have long been inspired by Isaiah’s vision of the “Mountain of the Lord.”  I first heard Isaiah’s vision on my first trip to Tucson.   I was in 9th grade and was offered a chance to play bassoon in the Arizona All-State Orchestra.  In between the band and the orchestra, the concert featured the All-State Chorus.  Nearly 100 young voices sang a beautiful rendition of Isaiah’s vision of the Mountain of the Lord, where people will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and they shall make war no more.  They sang about the Messianic Banquet, where God has prepared a rich feast for all peoples.  They sang about the Peaceable Kingdom, where the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.  And I was absolutely hooked.  These images from Isaiah, set to music by a creative composer, communicated through the beauty of a choir of human voices, absolutely convicted me that THIS is what God wants for our world – a world free from violence, a world where all of us share everything, a world of love and hospitality.

Isaiah’s vision still speaks to me.  In fact, his vision seems more beautiful all the time.  What would the world look like if we allowed ourselves to be guided by Isaiah’s vision?  What kind of public safety system would we create if our ultimate goal was for there to be NO violence, no weapons of war, no swords or spears, no tools of destruction, only tools of production like plowshares and pruning hooks? What kind of immigration system would we create if we believed that EVERYONE is welcome at the messianic banquet on God’s holy mountain — if we allowed ourselves to be guided by Isaiah’s vision that God has prepared a feast of rich food and well-aged wines for ALL peoples?  Could we stop all domestic violence and child abuse if we kept in front of us all the time Isaiah’s vision of the wolf laying down with the lamb, his vision of a world where those with more physical strength do not ever even threaten to abuse it?

I invite you to live with Isaiah’s vision of shalom, of God’s deep peace — a peace that includes justice, nonviolence and safety for all.  And I invite you to share with me any visions that inspire you to think, speak, and act in ways that embody God’s steadfast love and amazing grace in our all too fragmented world.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President
Christian Church in Arizona

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

Arizona Regional Resource Page

General Church Resource Page

“Healthy at Church” document from the Christian Church in Kentucky

Immigration Dialogue – A Sermon and Regional Conversation

Rev. Jay R. Hartley and the Arizona Region invite you and your congregation to participate in an upcoming region-wide dialogue on Immigration. Below you will find details and newsletter blurbs we hope you would include in your upcoming church communications.

As part of this dialogue Rev. Hartley has prepared and recorded a sermon (emailed to church pastors and offices) based on Ezra 9-10 and the topic of immigration. This sermon can be used by your congregation on Sunday, June 28 as part of your regular worship, or can be viewed online on our Regional Facebook page that same day starting at 12:00 noon.

Later at 4:00pm people are invited to join a region-wide Zoom conversation with Rev. Hartley discussing the sermon and immigration. Instructions to participate are contained in the newsletter blurbs below.

After this regional discussion Rev. Hartley will prepare a followup sermon that will be ready for Sunday, July 12.

Many of you may already be scheduled to preach that day, so you are welcome to show or send the sermon to your congregation earlier that week as an extra if you’d like. (If you do that, please limit it to your congregation as others might be showing that following Sunday).

Newsletter blurb for those showing the sermon video on Sunday, June 28:

“Rev. Jay Hartley, our Regional Minister and President, invites you to a Zoom discussion about immigration on Sunday, June 28, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. If you would like to participate please register at azdisciples.org/immigration-dialogue.

In preparation for the discussion, you are invited to watch his sermon on immigration during our Sunday morning worship service on June 28.

If you have additional time and interest, you are also invited to read the discussion guide “Coming to America. Who Should We Welcome? What Should We Do?: A Faith-Based Community Deliberative Issue” in English or Spanish at azdisciples.org/immigration-dialogue.”

Newsletter blurb for those NOT showing the sermon video on Sunday, June 28:

“Rev. Jay Hartley, our Regional Minister and President, invites you to a Zoom discussion about immigration on Sunday, June 28, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. If you would like to participate please register at azdisciples.org/immigration-dialogue.

In preparation for the discussion, you are invited to watch his sermon on immigration which will be posted here on the Regional Facebook page at 12:00 noon on June 28.

If you have additional time and interest, you are also invited to read the discussion guide “Coming to America. Who Should We Welcome? What Should We Do?: A Faith-Based Community Deliberative Issue” in English or Spanish at azdisciples.org/immigration-dialogue.”

Note from Rev. Hartley: The invitation is primarily for lay people – members of your congregation.  That said – pastors are welcome to participate. But you are not expected to.  I am not trying to add to your workload, but provide another forum for our church members to engage the gospel and current events.

Coming-to-America.Faith-based-Participant-GuideDownload
Coming-To-America-Issue-Advisory-Spanish_0Download

Still Called to be the Church in a Broken and Fragmented World

May 27, 2020

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

The Coronavirus continues to dominate the national news, and we grieve as it has now struck some of our Arizona congregations.  We ask for your prayers for the Arizona Disciples leaders and members who have tested positive for COVID-19.  We also ask for your prayers and support of all of our pastors and church leaders as they continue to navigate the conflicting information and guidance from health experts, the media, and the government.  I promise you that all of our church leaders are in prayerful study and dialogue about the best way forward, and I can assure you that they all need your support.

As we continue to do our part to defeat the coronavirus, I would also remind you that we are still called to be the church in a broken and fragmented world.  We,  as the church, need to continue battling the evils of poverty, racism, sexism, and all the other principalities and powers that keep God’s children in bondage. That is why I would like to personally invite you to join me, other Disciples leaders from all over the U.S., and Disciples of Christ pastor, and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Dr. William Barber, in a virtual “Moral March on Washington.” Rev. Barber has become one of the strongest moral voices in the nation.  Rooted in deep Christian principles, Rev. Barber and the Poor People’s Campaign seek a better world for ALL people.

The work of the church, and organizations like the Poor People’s Campaign, continues to be vital even in the midst of a pandemic. African-Americans are still being harassed and killed by white people.  Powerful men are still sexually harassing women. Our national immigration system is still hopelessly broken, making it virtually impossible for most people to immigrate “legally.”  And we are noticing that deaths from COVID-19 are disproportionately from black and brown communities, once again highlighting some major inequalities in our society.  Now, as always, it is time for the church to speak.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

Arizona Regional Resource Page

General Church Resource Page

“Healthy at Church” document from the Christian Church in Kentucky

If you would like to respond in this time by financially supporting the Pro-Reconciliation Anti-Racism work right here in Arizona and through the Reconciliation Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada you can give multiple ways:

  • Give a special gift to your local Disciples church and note “Reconciliation Special Offering” in the memo line. This special offering is typically received in congregations late September and early October, but can be given to at any time. Your congregation will send this gift to our Disciples Reconciliation Ministry which will be used partly here in Arizona, and partly throughout Disciples ministries in the United States and Canada.
  • Give online to Reconciliation Ministries via our online giving portal. Choose “Special Offering – Reconciliation Offering” to designate your offering. This gift will be shared with Reconciliation Ministries and Arizona Pro-Reconciliation and Anti-Racism efforts.
  • Give by sending a check to 917 E Sheridan St. Phoenix, AZ 85006 with “Reconciliation Fund” in the memo line. The entirety of this gift will remain in Arizona for Pro-Reconciling Anti-Racism work in our communities.

We are thankful for your generosity and passion to dismantle systems and structures that perpetuate this sin of division within the Church.

A musical gift from the College of Regional Ministers

Disciples Women’s Ministry (DWM) Retreat Reimagined

My Dear Sisters in Christ,

2020 has turned out to be a year of challenges and changes to the way we have lived life in the past.  In March we postponed our Spring Event until a later date, not knowing that almost 3 months later we are still under quarantine.  Our future in this time of pandemic is still hazy. When will we be able to gather in larger groups of people than 10, or even 50?  With that in mind and for the concern about the health and safety of our women, we will not be meeting in person for our Fall Retreat in September.  Instead, we have reimagined what Retreat could look like using a different format.

We will still be meeting on Friday evening, September 11th and on Saturday morning, September 12th but it will be online.  At this time we are exploring how we will present this.  We have a program planned out and are in the process of putting things together. Put the dates of September 11th and 12th on your calendar now.  We will be sending out more information as soon as we have it all arranged.

This will be an amazing opportunity for women who have not attended in the past few years because they are unable to travel or cannot tolerate the altitude.  What a blessing that will be to meet again with those we have been missing every year.  This will also be an opportunity for anyone who has thought about attending Retreat in the past, but has been hesitant, to come and check us out!

Chapel Rock was very gracious and has moved our reservation to 2021, the same second weekend in September, September 10-12, 2021.

Look for more information sometime in July!

Peace and Blessings,

Linda Sexton, Disciples Women’s Ministry Coordinator

Disciples Women’s Ministry (DWM) Table

A Message from Regional Minister and President on Returning to In-Person Church Gatherings

Greetings, Arizona Disciples!

The short version:

We are encouraging churches to continue on-line worship and not to rush back to in-person gatherings.

The longer version:

We are obviously all getting mixed message from the federal government, state governments, health officials, and the media.  Some states are reopening, some are not. It is hard to know what to think, what to believe, and what to do.

I have been in regular communication with the College of Regional Ministers, the heads of several other denominations in Arizona, and have read more articles on “when to re-open the church” than I can count.  I am sending some of these articles to all Arizona clergy and congregations today, but here is a quick summary:

1. The College of Regional Ministers and the General Minister and President recommend that all of our churches remain on-line for the foreseeable future.  We are releasing a letter to that effect today.

2. The heads of most Arizona denominations are encouraging or insisting that none of their congregations meet in person.

3. Our National Hispanic Pastor Lori Tapia and the Obra Hispana are issuing a video today encouraging our congregations to continue worshiping on-line.

4. Gov. Ducey has extended the stay at home order to May 15, but we expect it will be
much longer before churches should fully open again.

5. All articles on re-opening churches suggest that phase 1 would include social distancing and super-safe practices, which would include:
·      Roping off pews or removing chairs to make sure no families were closer to each other than 6 feet
·      Everyone attending must wear a mask
·      No handshakes
·      No hugs
·      No physical communion
·      No passing of offering trays
·      No congregational singing – don’t want saliva droplets in the air
·      Deep cleaning and disinfecting before and after each service
·      A small worship crowd – so many church might have to offer multiple worship services, with a deep clean in between each service
I don’t know about you – but that doesn’t sound like what I’m looking for in a church experience.

6. Our best guess is that society will have to enter what they are calling “phase 3” before we
start meeting together in person again.

My friends, I assure you:   I wish I had better news.

And at some level, I do.

The good news is God’s promise that the darkness will end.  Weeping may linger for an evening, but joy comes in the morning.  The Bible makes no promises about how quickly the darkness will end.  It rained for 40 days and 40 nights.  Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights.  We can handle that – indeed, we’ve already passed 40 days of staying at home.

But the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 YEARS!    And again, they were in Exile for 40 years.  We sure hope it doesn’t come to that point.  I am gaining new appreciation for these two major periods of suffering in Israelite history.  I hope we never read those stories too lightly again, neglecting the depth and power of their suffering – or the power of the message that no matter how long we suffer, God’s presence is always with us, God does not forget us, and God will bring us to the Promised Land in due time.  Because as much as the darkness tries to extinguish the light, the light keeps shining in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.

My friends, hang in there.  Keep shining your light.  And in due time, we will cross the Jordan River and be together again.

Dios les bendiga.

¡Bendiciones, discípulos de Arizona!

La versión corta:

Estamos advisando a las iglesias a continuar con la adoración en línea y no apresurarse a volver a las reuniones en persona.

La versión más larga:

Obviamente, todos recibimos un mensaje mixto del gobierno federal, los gobiernos estatales, los funcionarios de salud y los medios de comunicación. Algunos estados están reabriendo, otros no. Es difícil saber qué pensar, qué creer y qué hacer.

He estado en comunicación regular con el Colegio de Ministros Regionales, los lideres de varias otras denominaciones en Arizona, y he leído más artículos sobre “cuándo reabrir la iglesia” de lo que puedo contar. Hoy envío algunos de estos artículos a todos los clérigos y congregaciones de Arizona, pero aquí hay un resumen rápido:

1. El Colegio de Ministros Regionales y el Ministro General y Presidente recomiendan
que todas nuestras iglesias permanecen en línea en el futuro previsible. Estamos enviando un
carta a tal efecto hoy.

2. Los jefes de la mayoría de las denominaciones de Arizona son alentadores o insisten en que ninguno de sus
las congregaciones se reúnen en persona.

3. Nuestro pastor hispana nacional, Lori Tapia, y la Obra Hispana están emitiendo un video hoy. Alentando a nuestras congregaciones a continuar adorando en línea.

4. El gobernador Ducey ha extendido la orden de estadía en el hogar hasta el 15 de mayo, pero esperamos que sea mucho más antes de que las iglesias se abrieran completamente de nuevo.

5. Todos los artículos sobre la reapertura de iglesias sugieren que la fase una incluiría distanciamiento social y prácticas súper seguras, que incluirían:
• Eliminando bancos o quitando sillas para asegurarse de que ninguna familia esté más cerca que seis pies
• Todos los asistentes deben usar una máscara
• Sin apretones de manos
• Sin abrazos
• No hay comunión física.
• Sin pasar de bandejas de oferta
• Sin canto congregacional: no queremos gotas de saliva en el aire
• Limpieza profunda y desinfección antes y después de cada servicio.
• Una pequeña multitud de adoración: muchas iglesias podrían tener que ofrecer múltiples servicios de adoración, con una limpieza profunda entre cada servicio.
No sé sobre ti, pero eso no suena como lo que estoy buscando en una experiencia de iglesia.
6. Nuestra mejor suposición es que la sociedad tendrá que ingresar a lo que ellos llaman “fase tres” antes de que nosotros comiencen a reunirnos en persona nuevamente.

Amigos míos, les aseguro: desearía tener mejores noticias.

Y tal vez, lo hago.

La buena noticia es la promesa de Dios de que la oscuridad terminará. El llanto puede durar una tarde, pero la alegría llega por la mañana. La Biblia no promete cuán rápido terminará la oscuridad. Llovió durante cuarenta días y cuarenta noches. Jesús estuvo en el desierto por cuarenta días y noches. Podemos manejar eso; de hecho, ya pasamos cuarenta días de estar en casa.

¡Pero los israelitas estuvieron en el desierto por cuarenta AÑOS! Y nuevamente, estuvieron en el exilio durante 40 años. Esperamos que no llegue a ese punto. Estoy ganando una nueva apreciación por estos dos grandes períodos de sufrimiento en la historia israelita. Espero que nunca volvamos a leer esas historias a la ligera, descuidando la profundidad y el poder de su sufrimiento, o el poder del mensaje de que no importa cuánto tiempo suframos, la presencia de Dios siempre está con nosotros, Dios no nos olvida y Dios lo hará. llévanos a la Tierra Prometida a su debido tiempo. Porque por mucho que la oscuridad intente extinguir la luz, la luz sigue brillando en la oscuridad, y la oscuridad nunca la superará.

Amigos míos, aguanten. Sigue brillando tu luz. Y a su debido tiempo, cruzaremos el río Jordán y volveremos a estar juntos.

Dios les bendiga.

Download the Video in English

Descarga el Video en Español

General Minister and President on Re-Opening Congregations

Dear Church:

We are in Eastertide, when we rejoice in the good news of the resurrection, and yet so much our journey still feels like the wilderness. I continue to pray for you as we walk through these days of distancing together.

This week, some state governments are beginning to lift stay-at-home orders and allow some businesses and industries to reopen their doors. These reopening conversations are understandably raising questions about how and when churches should resume in-person worship services. These are difficult decisions, but I want to encourage you, as difficult as it is, not to rush too quickly back. It is not yet time to gather for worship in person. Click Here to Continue Reading.

Regional ministers offer a word on re-opening congregations

As your Regional Ministry colleagues, we have listened carefully and prayerfully to the questions you are asking about when and how to meet again in person as the Church. We are asking many of the same questions…

We are aware that this is an unprecedented time of challenge and uncertainty. Even medical experts are not ready to declare that they understand fully how this very contagious virus works, the range at which it can spread, or how to enhance prevention with a vaccine. It has already cost the lives of tens of thousands of our neighbors and more than a million confirmed cases have been reported in the U.S. and Canada.

The disease does not discriminate but we can take steps to protect the most vulnerable among us.

First and foremost, we write to encourage you to be patient and take your time, and not rush back into full in-person activities before we are confident it is safe to do so. Click here to read the full letter.

“Healthy at Church” 

a document from the Christian Church in Kentucky

“6 Priorities You Church Must Have in Place Before Gathering in Person Again”

Article from fishhook.us

DUCC @ Home and Camp Cancelation

This year’s Disciples/UCC Church Camp (DUCC) will not be held June 15-20, 2020 due to the continuing health threats posed by COVID-19.  This was a very difficult decision for us in both the Southwest Conference UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona,  but we felt it a necessary one to maintain the safety of everyone involved, plus be good stewards of time and finances in this unprecedented time.

Scroll down to read Plan DUCC—the FAQ about cancelling camp.

Scroll down to read DUCC @ home: Disciples-UCC Caring Community—what we’re offering to camp families.

This year’s Disciples/UCC Church Camp (DUCC) will not be held June 15-20, 2020 due to the continuing health threats posed by COVID-19.  This was a very difficult decision for us in both the Southwest Conference UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona,  but we felt it a necessary one to maintain the safety of everyone involved, plus be good stewards of time and finances in this unprecedented time.  Here are some answers to questions you may have.

WHY ARE WE CANCELLING CAMP SO EARLY? CAN’T WE WAIT AND SEE?

At the point of this decision, any “good news” seems slow in coming from the CDC or state and national sources regarding an alleviation of concern over COVID-19 and its exponential spread.  More sources seem to be pointing toward the worse is still in front of us, at least in Arizona, and we don’t yet know when it will pass, and especially how to best ease back into communal activities in a safe way without risking another spike in the virus.  Some of the factors taken into consideration are:

  • The continued need to be faithful and conscientious in our practice of social distance and self-quarantining.
  • Other UCC Conferences and DOC Regions are all wrestling with the same issues regarding camp. Many have already cancelled their camps, at least through June.
  • Wanting to be mindful and respectful of the financial dynamics being experienced by both our families and churches, that may find their ability to pay for camp and camp scholarships a hardship this year.
  • Recognizing that even if restrictions are lifted and everyone is back to work by June, the adults that normally generously donate their time to staff camp, may not be able to actually take vacation time away from work to support the camp program this year.
  • This spring season is high camp planning time. We want to put our attention, energy, and creativity for planning something that serves our youth, families, and churches in the best and most effective way possible in this changing time with our CAMP values (Community, Affirming self and others, Making meaning, and Practicing our faith).

WHAT IF I REGISTERED AND ALREADY PAID?

If you have registered and paid for camp already you will automatically receive a refund on the credit card you initially used. If you would like to instead donate those registrations to the joint camp program to be used for next year’s camp, please email Matthew Clark (DOC Regional Office) mclark@azdisciples.org. If you have questions about the refund, please contact Matthew Clark at the same email or call 602-468-3815 and leave a message.

HAS CAMP EVER BEEN CANCELLED BEFORE?

Yes. In 2002, there was severe fire danger and several major fires in Arizona. National and state parks were closed as well as all campgrounds.  Both the SWC and the DOC camps were cancelled.  Camps were able to resume fully the following year without negative effects.

WHAT ABOUT NEXT YEAR?

We would anticipate being able to resume a full DUCC week next year.

We’ve had so many changes in recent years, will camp survive next year?

Yes, we have had many changes in recent years. Each have yielded greater sustainability to our camp program.  We hope and anticipate that the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” adage will apply, and camp-loving families, adults, and congregations will be extra eager to make camp a priority when it resumes in 2021.

Will we be able to keep our week reserved with Emmanuel Pines?

Yes.  Emmanuel-Pines continues to be very gracious and understanding of all their clients.  We especially have a well-established relationship that is valued by both the SWC/AZDOC and Emmanuel-Pines. Our deposit will carry over to the same week next year: June 14-19, 2021.

What about Emmanuel Pines? What will our cancellation mean to them?

Currently, Emmanuel Pines is telling us that they are making every effort to stay open, yet abide by state regulations and CDC protocols for social distancing, health, sanitation and disinfection.   They are experiencing group cancellations and are attempting to adapt to the situation by renting out their smaller cabins as AirBNBs to any family or small group that would like to use them. Should stay-at-home restrictions be lifted by the summer, our families and local churches are encouraged to consider using Emmanuel Pines for vacations or retreats to assist them financially get through this year.  Donations are also welcome, and contact can be made through their website, https://emmanuelpines.com.  Please know, all camp facilities and organizations, including our denominations, that run and sponsor summer camps are having these same conversations!

Best ways to insure camp next year:

Continue your support of our youth and camp funds in both of our denominations. In the Southwest Conference, continue your generous support individually and through churches to our Sow the Seed fund.  In the Arizona Region (DOC), continue your generous support to our Youth and Children’s Ministry Fund.  Plan your calendar ahead!  Next year’s camp week is June 14-19, 2021.

ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES BEING PLANNED FOR CAMP?

We have already been thinking of possible alternative experiences. For instance, we know that with the postponement of UCC National Youth Event our national staff is planning on holding some virtual events for youth on the dates of May 30, June 28, July 24-25. Also, the Disciples Tri-Regional Youth Leadership event is also being revised to be something other than an in-person event. No specific details about those are available yet, but they will be publicized as soon as we receive them.  Now that in-person camp plans are suspended, we will continue to work on alternative ideas for our youth and families, though we recognize there is no virtual substitute for the depth and breadth of an actual camp experience!  You are invited to see what ideas we are working with in the document entitled “DUCC@HOME!”

Disciples-UCC Caring Community

With the cancellation of our Disciples-UCC Church Camp in June due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and “stay-at-home” orders, we have been faced with what we might offer to our camp families instead. After brainstorming a lot of different options, we are choosing to pursue a plan that would not seek to create a “virtual” camp experience (because…well, that’s really not possible, right?) After doing some research, we realize that families have already had long weeks of needing to both work from home and do school work for often multiple kids and adults all via the internet and bazillions of zoom meetings. That made us wonder (and possibly doubt!) if a whole new week of programming would really be a welcome thing…particularly when one of the main values of camp is to DISCONNECT from technology, and reconnect with each other and the outside world of nature.

These weeks of pandemic quarantining and social distancing have created many changes in our lives and the way we relate to each other. There are new stresses and strains, and new skills that need to be learned. There is much that is unknown and many things that are constantly changing. Our families are living on the edge of great stress and strain with all the adaptation to a new reality that we are all engaged in. So, we finally settled on a spiritual paradigm we are borrowing from Celtic Christianity:  strengthening our community and families by connecting with the sacred in the daily things we are already doing, creating sacred spaces and spiritual formation moments for youth and families that are rooted within the new reality of our daily lives.

We believe that HOME is the primary place of spiritual nurture and development. Our camp program is normally a way that we invite children and youth to extend the familiarity, hospitality, and nurturing of home to others that are not part of our biological families, and also see the natural world as our home.  It makes sense to us to not try to add more online virtual camp programming to our over-stressed families, but offer resources and opportunities that will help families in their own time and schedules, to deepen and make meaning in the midst of things they are already doing together, such as finding alone time, mealtimes, waking and bedtimes, finding creative things to do together, ways to reflect on shared activities, finding God in the ordinary, etc.

We are in the process of gathering some folks from our churches we know are extraordinary educators, creative artists, and family spiritual formation nurturers to help us identify and create resources for families. We anticipate it will span the summer months at least, and may include special spaces on our Conference/Regional website, a private group on Facebook so families may connect with each other safely and post their experiences, fun and instructional videos, simple rituals, suggestions for art and music and environmental awareness right around our homes and yards. Many resources will be available to everyone. Also we may have a registration for families wanting to take advantage of ways to interact and connect with each other and for kids to reconnect with camp friends in a safe and secure way, and perhaps have access to special project resources. As details unfold, they will be publicized in the coming weeks as we continue to embrace our adaptive challenges and solidify our planning. Stay tuned!

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Holy Week is Here

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Holy Week is here – and it couldn’t come at a more appropriate time.  For people with just a passing familiarity with Christianity, I suppose, that could be confusing.  For some people Holy Week is a Palm Sunday parade at the beginning and an Easter celebration at the end.  But like so many things in life – baseball seasons, marriage, life itself — the beginning and end may get the most attention, but it’s what’s in the middle that is the real substance of the story.

To say it bluntly:   Holy Week didn’t go the way the disciples expected it to.  It didn’t go the way they WANTED it to.  They were sorely disappointed.  Their plans were dashed.  Their hopes and dreams crushed in an instant.  At the end of the week, the locked themselves in their own homes, afraid to go out, afraid of the horrible world they lived in.  Holy Week is about pain and suffering, about disappointment and disillusionment, about things not going the way we want.

Throughout my life, I’ve had moments of feeling sorry for myself. I’ve had moments of thinking that nobody liked me.  I’ve had moments of feeling like a victim, like life wasn’t being fair to me.  I obviously have some sense of entitlement that life SHOULD be fair, that everyone SHOULD like me, that life SHOULD give me what I want – or at least the basics. 

When I’m stuck feeling sorry for myself, there’s really only one thing that has helped me:   reading the story of Holy Week.  Reading what’s known as the “Passion Story.”  Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday, because after the parade, after the “triumphal entry into Jerusalem,” the Passion Story begins.  I read about Jesus, this person I claim to follow.   I read about his friends rejecting him.  I read about him being falsely accused, thrown in prison for bogus reasons, and physically tortured.  I read about him being publicly humiliated by the worst form of capital punishment – being lifted up on a cross and left to die.  And all the while, he continues to love people with all his heart, soul, and strength. Hanging on the cross, Jesus offers one last prayer:  “Father, forgive them – they do not realize what they are doing. “  

And I ask:  “Why did I ever think I was entitled to a smooth and easy life?” Holy Week is coming at an appropriate time, because it reminds me that the Christian story is not about having an easy life.  It’s not about a sports championships or bull markets or having things go my way.   Christianity is about receiving and embodying God’s love no matter what our circumstances.  May we who claim to be disciples of Christ do our best to face suffering with the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

How Can This Be Sacred? This One’s For You, Parents and Guardians

I am sure every person in America has not only screamed these words over the last month, and I am also sure some of you have taken to high fashion hair styles. These are hard times. As someone who does not have children, I cannot begin to imagine the challenges that these times bring. I have heard from friends all over the country during this pandemic that their family has never been closer, they are sharing meals, cooking together, playing together, learning together. But those families have also had their “day.” You know, that day where everyone is just in a bad mood, and the tension in the air can be cut with a knife. Maybe you have had more than one of those “days.”

I am sure that you and your children have already had talks about the pandemic. You have probably talked about the importance of hygiene and the importance of keeping social distance. But I am also sure you have talked about the even harder aspects of this pandemic, from the illness to the climbing number of fatalities.

You have been creative trying to find ways to keep your children entertained, educated, exercised, and not bored. And I know you are tired of sticking your kid in front of a computer or tablet for them to stare at while a camera stares back at them. I know, just like our government, you have suspended some policies to make this time bearable for you all. You have suspended limits on screen time, you have bought more sugar cereal than normal, you are baking cookies and sweets (and then eating them), you are letting kids sleep in a little more or staying up a little later. And that is fine. Because these are not normal times.

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How Can This Be Sacred?

series by Rev. Jay Deskins

Every day we encounter sacred moments. And yet, we ignore, don’t notice or turn away. This blog, How Can This be Sacred? is created to help us notice the sacred in our every day lives, and how to take those sacred moments to reflect on our faith, give thanks, and to ask questions. As families become more and more busy, handing down our faith to the next generation is being pushed to the back burner. We have to be intentional about passing on the stories of our faith. 

My hope is that you and your family take moments every day in your busy lives to notice the sacred.

So throughout this time, however long it is, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself when your creativity runs out. Forgive yourself for not being as cool as that cool social media family that always posts how great this time is for them (because, spoiler alert, they are still having a hard time). Forgive yourself when you think you have lost all sense of reality. Forgive yourself when you get angry when after the millionth time your child has asked for something they can’t have or do because of the pandemic. Forgive yourself when you sneak away to your bedroom just to get ten minutes of quiet. Forgive yourself whenever you stretch the truth to say “I have to use the restroom.” Forgive yourself when you want to, or you actually go “Office Space” on the computer when it doesn’t compute. Forgive yourself when you serve mac and cheese for the third time this week. Forgive yourself when you come home from the groceries and your children really wanted that special ice cream, and they were all out, and dangit you didn’t want to go into a third store looking for it. Forgive yourself when you take time to video chat with your friends. Forgive yourself for being short, stressed, and angry. Forgive yourself when you let the television or other screens babysit for an hour. Forgive yourself when you had to have a talk with your child about death several years before you planned.

Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of others. This is not only a biblical concept, forgiveness for yourself and for others, but it is taught to us everytime we get on a plane: put your mask on first, before you put it on your child. If you are struggling for a breath, you can’t help as well as you could if you were able to breathe somewhat normally.

Youth ministry expert Kenda Creasy Dean says in her book,  Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church, “Adults need spiritual apprenticeships as much as their children do—and adults need them first. Group spiritual direction, covenant groups, practice in oral prayer, lay leadership in worship, singing hymns and praise songs—and of course, the formal practice of testimony itself—are congregational practices that give adults, and not just teenagers, opportunities to put faith into words.” You also need things for yourself if you are going to be everything you want to be for your family.

Also, through this time, we need to forgive the reality of all of this. Richard Rohr says this, “Our first forgiveness, it seems to me, is toward [this] reality itself: to forgive it for being so broken, a mixture of good and bad. First that paradox has to be overcome inside of us. Then, when we allow God to hold together the opposites within us, it becomes possible to do it over there in our neighbor and even our enemy” when this is all said and done. As silly as it sounds, we need to forgive the social distancing practices. Because as mad and as frustrated as we are at this whole thing, if we hold onto our anger at this situation, we will dwell in that.

I invite you, whenever you feel yourself reaching your edge, to take a step away and join in this part of a prayer from St. Francis of Assissi:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Amen.

This prayer in these times, is for yourself. Pray for yourself, pray for your families, pray for the world. And when this is all over, and we return to being a physical community, however that looks, forgive yourself.

We Will Still be Church

Arizona Disciples,

May God’s peace and love surround you and your families during these days of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.  As we have been asked to no longer gather in person, I was inspired by the words of Saguaro Christian Church pastor Rev. Owen Chandler in the face of all the changes:  “WE WILL STILL BE CHURCH!”  Towards that end, we have created a new page on our site that will outline some of the ways that we will still be church. The webpage includes:

  • Modes of Regional Support
  • Plans for Regional Events
  • Advice for On-line Giving for your Local Congregation
  • Links to all Arizona Disciples websites/Facebook pages so you can worship and pray with each other
  • Helpful links from our national Disciples partnerships

I invite you to contact me with any needs, with information about creative and wonderful things you are doing, or just to keep in touch.  We are all making this up as we go, as none of us had a seminary course entitled “how to lead the church during a pandemic.”   But we know that God is faithful, that God loves us always, and that where two or three are gathered, even on a phone call or in a chatroom, Christ is in the midst of us.

Visit the new page by clicking here.

May God’s blessings uplift you now and always,

Pastor Jay

Links

Resources and Statements from Disciples Ministries

Disciples Families & Children Ministry- COVID-19: School’s Out!

Week of Compassion – Coordinating and Responding to the COVID-19 Outbreak

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Arizona Department of Health – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response

Regarding COVID-19

Greetings, beloved Arizona Disciples:

First of all, let me express my deep love for all of you and my wish that the peace and blessings of God’s infinite love comfort our spirits during this time of global anxiety.

Perhaps you, like me, have received an abundance of emails and news related to COVID-19.  I have been monitoring the conversations and advice of my regional ministry colleagues across the country as well as the leaders in several denominations within Arizona.

As of Wednesday, most of them planned to hold worship this Sunday, though most planned to follow basic guidelines about not shaking hands, serving communion differently, and directing people to stay home if they felt sick.

On Thursday, as major sports leagues and colleges began to suspend their seasons and semesters, many church leaders began re-thinking the wisdom of gathering for worship.  Many have cancelled, others are still debating, and some are still planning to have worship this Sunday.   Many of us have received calls from family members around the country whose churches have cancelled and worry about the health of their parents or grandparents who attend some of our churches.  No regional minister will say you HAVE to cancel, nor will any of them say you CAN’T cancel.  As Disciples, every congregation will decide for itself.

That said, several regional ministers have encouraged their congregations to think seriously about suspending normal worship and activities for at least the next two weeks.  Many realize that as they look into the future, if they regret the choice they made, they are more likely to feel regret for NOT having cancelled.  Nobody wants to panic or over-react.  But nobody wants to be exacerbate the spread of the virus by not taking prudent precautions.

I am sharing (see below) excerpts from three of my regional colleagues with advice they are giving their congregations, in case you find them helpful in reflecting on what decision to make.  In addition, to the right, you will find links to a lot of information from various parts of the church, the CDC, and the Arizona Department of Health.  Please note that there is an AZ Dept of Health Webinar this morning at 10:00 a.m. geared toward leaders of faith communities. Click here to join that webinar.

For those of you who will not be attending worship this Sunday, I invite you to join worship online – as we have one Disciples church which is a fully web-based church.  The link to their worship service is www.disciplesnet.org

I am grateful for each of you, and I wish you the best as we all continue to adjust to changes and wonder how long this will all last.  I invite you to stay in touch and look forward to seeing many of you via zoom at our regional admin council meeting tomorrow and our Pastor Rep sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Jay

Indiana Disciples encouraged to consider cancelling worship this week.

My friends,

Many in our church have contacted me seeking my counsel on how their congregation should respond to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and the recommendation that we should avoid large group gatherings. I met this morning with my counterparts in other faith traditions in Indiana and as a result of that conversation I want to recommend that our churches consider not holding their regular worship service this Sunday, and possibly future Sundays depending on the counsel of our state health department.

The cancellation of worship does not necessarily mean that all events in the congregation’s life should also be suspended. Food pantries that serve the poor may need to continue to provide support to our neighbors. Different decisions may need to be made regarding pre-schools and daycares hosted in our buildings, and other events that bring together smaller groups of persons.  But our worship life may unknowingly put some or all us at increased risk.

In making this recommendation I am persuaded by the words of former Indiana Disciples minister David Shirey, who now serves as Senior Minister of Central Christian Church, Lexington, KY who writes regarding his congregation’s decision to temporarily suspend their services:
Our rationale for these decisions derives from principles grounded in our faith mandate to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Simply stated, “In this circumstance, what does love require?”

1. Love requires us to protect the vulnerable.
This virus puts the elderly and people with compromised health conditions at special risk. Like me, our congregation’s senior members are motivated by a fervent desire and unwavering commitment to worship God together. I and they will make every effort, regardless of the risk or cost, to be present for worship, feeling guilty if we do not make such an effort. Cancelling corporate worship this Sunday and offering a service available for home viewing safeguards our most vulnerable and relieves the deeply ingrained impetus to worship weekly.

2. Love calls for us to seek the common good.
By voluntarily taking a sacrificial action such as cancelling corporate worship, we love our neighbors by doing our part to take an action that we hope will slow down the spread of the virus, thereby preventing as-yet-healthy persons from contracting the virus or making it easier for infected persons who may not yet know of the infection to spread it unknowingly to others.

3. Love calls for us to act in solidarity with persons of good will.
Heeding the Kentucky Governor’s request and heeding the best wisdom of public health officials, we join a community-, state-, nation- and worldwide coalition of concerted caring whose cooperative efforts will the well-being of all people.

4. Love calls for actions that minimize regret.
If we were to proceed with events or activities that lead to the infection of persons or the unwitting spread of the virus, we would rue the decision to proceed with “business as usual” when we could have chosen otherwise. Though it is debatable whether faith communities cancelling their services this weekend will indeed make a difference for the good, we can proceed with this decision knowing we did not choose to disregard or ignore this call for vigilance and caution.

Instead of gathering for worship as normal consider bringing your community together “virtually” by using Facebook Live streaming, Zoom, YouTube, or freeconferencecall.com You might also point your members to the weekly worship service that is provided by DisciplesNet, our on-line congregation. Their website is www.disciplesnet.org

If you decide to continue with worship services, encourage the most at-risk people in your congregation to stay home. That includes people over 60, people with heart, kidney, or lung disease, and those with chronic respiratory conditions.   And continue to practice the safe handling of communion and in your coming together minimize contacting and touching others.

You are encouraged to monitor the information about this virus at the Indiana State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We pray for God’s wisdom and guidance as we express our leadership in these extraordinary times. And we pray for the health and safety of all God’s children in every nation.

Each congregation has to make this decision on their own, but here are a few things to consider.

If you decide to continue with worship services, encourage the most at-risk people in your congregation to stay at home. That includes people over 60, people with heart, kidney, or lung disease, and those with chronic respiratory conditions. This alone may be enough to tip the scale toward cancelling your service.

Consider those in your congregation who, regardless of health conditions, feel like they have to be present if the church doors are open. Cancelling service this weekend may be the best way to offer them protection.

If you decide to continue with worship services, give extra care to how you prepare and serve communion. Sanitize all surfaces thoroughly, especially the surface of the communion table and the communion preparation area. Persons preparing communion should use nitrile or other gloves. Dispose of the gloves immediately after use.

Make sure you have hand sanitizer and wipes available.

I have received a few emails and phone calls asking about recommendations for worship services in light of the further spreading of the COVID-19:

Let me suggest this . . .
Mark 2:27 “Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath”

Be willing to adapt as needed and allow your members to adapt as well.  In general, what I am recommending is that we remember that the particular details and practices we use in worship (even communion for Disciples) are not what makes us the church or the Body of Christ.  Do what it takes to keep your members safe through cleaning, alternative practices, online options, and if local authorities recommend it, be open to postponing or canceling services/activities in the short-term as needed.

Here again are some good resources provided by our General Church Ministries: https://disciples.org/dns/disciples-and-covid-19/

Links

Disciples ministries statement concerning COVID-19

Disciples Families & Children Ministry- COVID-19: School’s Out!

Week of Compassion – Coordinating and Responding to the COVID-19 Outbreak

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Arizona Department of Health – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response

Arizona Department of Health Fri Webinar – COVID-19 Information Webinar for Faith-based Organizations and Social Services March 13, 2020 from 10-11AM

CORONAVIRUS ADVISORY from Southwest Conference UCC Minister, Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons

2020 DOC UCC Church Camp (DUCC) Registration Opens March 1!

UPDATE: Please visit DUCC @ Home and Camp Cancelation for updated information on 2020 Disciples UCC Church Camp. 

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Click the View the Full Brochure

Click the Download the Flyer

Parent Guardian FAQs

Only a legal parent or guardian can register a camper.

If you would like to help financially support a specific camper there are several great ways to do that. See the question “Can a friend or family member pay my camper’s registration costs” below.

The complete form for each camper should take approximately ten (10) minutes. Please set aside enough time to fully complete each registration. If you leave the form partway the information you entered will not be retained and you will need to begin again when you come back to the form.

You can shorten the time it takes for each camper by having ready the following items prior to beginning the form

  • Current medications
  • Insurance & physician information
  • Conference or Regional scholarship codes your camper has been awarded
  • Vouchers your camper has received (from a relative or church)

Another wonderful feature of this online form is that parents/guardians completing forms for multiple children will only need to fill out their contact information once! There might be some information you have to enter more than once if it is the same for each camper. We work hard to make forms that accommodate all families and situations, which means some might need to repeat a few answers.

The registration form is designed to keep all our campers safe and asks for only information that is helpful or necessary for your camper to have a positive experience. For answers that require a date (except the camper’s birthdate) you may answer the first day of the month and year if the exact date is unknown. If there is a portion of the form that you are unsure you can complete, please contact our Camp Director, Rev. Jay Deskins (jdeskins@azdisciples.org).

YES! We are excited to offer the ability to pay online for your camper at the time of registration.

YES! We are excited to offer something new this year, vouchers. If you have a friend or family member who would like to pay for your camper’s registration have them visit this form before you register your camper.

At the beginning of the form they would choose “I am paying for more than one camper” and “I am wanting to purchase one or more vouchers for campers.” See the screenshot below to see what these choices look like. They will then be guided through the process of purchasing a voucher. They will choose the amount of the voucher* and enter your (parent/guardian) email address. If you will be registering multiple campers, they can purchase multiple vouchers, one for each camper. It is important that they purchase a voucher for each camper, not one large voucher for multiple campers.

*Each camper may enter only one voucher, so vouchers should be used only to pay for a significant portion of the camper’s registration.

Your payment options are dependent on a few variables. Once you arrive at the billing screen appropriate options will be made available to you based on your choices on the registration form. If you have questions about this, please feel free to contact the Conference or Regional office.

Vouchers are like gift cards and are a way for friends or family members to pay for a camper’s registration costs. If you are interested, see the question “Can a friend or family member pay my camper’s registration cost?” for more information.

The UCC Conference and DOC Region have made available scholarships to congregations. Congregations have received those codes and will make those available to campers most in need. Contact your church office, pastor, or leadership to inquire about a scholarship code.

Church FAQs

Camp registration forms require the agreement and signature of a parent or guardian. For this reason, only a parent or guardian can complete a registration for a camper. For those that might need a little help completing the form we recommend that a church administrator, children/youth leader, or other leader sit with the parent/guardian.

Yes!

The best way to accomplish this is for the church to use the form to purchase a voucher for each camper. The vouchers are unique and can be delivered via email directly to the camper’s parent or guardian. On each registration there is an opportunity to enter a Voucher Code. When they enter their unique code that registration will reduce in cost by the amount of the voucher. Vouchers must be purchased before the camper is registered.

If the church does not wish to use vouchers, they can contact the Conference or Regional Offices for more information.

If you need help with either process, please don’t hesitate to contact the Conference or Regional office.

Those applying to be a counselor at camp will have a form available in the near future.

Potential counselors will be asked to complete all information that would be needed should they be selected including medical information.

The Multi-Faceted Meaning of Church

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

First, I want to thank everyone who helped make my installation weekend a complete joy.  I am grateful for each of you, excited to be part of the Arizona region, and look forward to our ministry together.

Now that the installation is in the past, we continue moving into the future – a future in a world which is desperately in need of the healing power of God’s love. Towards that end, I want to share a story of pain, love, and the multi-faceted meaning of church …

This past Thursday, about 20 Arizona Disciples, gathered together at the Federal Courthouse in Phoenix in support of hermano (brother) Ramon Bejar, member of Iglesia Alas de Salvacion and moderator of our Hispanic Convencion.  Ramon has been a faithful leader in the Christian Church in Arizona for several years.  Ramon is married to a legal resident.  He is the father of 4 children, 3 of whom are U.S. citizens, and the other is a DACA recipient, and has lived, worked, and worshiped in Arizona for most of his adult life.  Ramon was pulled over and detained by ICE on December 18 while driving his son to school.  After spending a month in federal prison, Ramon’s first hearing was Thursday.

I found it emotionally difficult to see this kind and gentle man I’ve come to love walk into a courtroom with his hands and feet shackled, as if he is a menace to society.  Just 36 hours before his arrest, Ramon and I were laughing and smiling at the annual Hispanic pastors Christmas fiesta.  I never imagined what was about to happen.  I wish the court system knew the man I know.  I longed for a chance for him to come over and talk with us, and for him to get to hug his family members.  All that, of course, is not allowed.  U.S. Marshals stood between us and Ramon and emphasized that we were not to try to communicate with him at all.  During a 90 minute recess, I petitioned for the opportunity to make a pastoral visit.  That, too, was denied.  The absence of grace, for someone who is used to the openness and blessings of the communion table, was stark.

As cold as the halls of the courthouse felt, however, I was warmed by the presence of Arizona Disciples. Although we only sent notice of the hearing a few days before, I counted at least 9 congregations who sent representatives in support of Ramon and his family:  Alas de Salvacion, Templo, Alfa y Omega, Iglesia Dios de Segunda Oportunidad, Community CC of Tempe, FCC Scottsdale, Foothills, Larkspur, and even one dedicated soul from FCC in Tucson.  Some who gathered in support have known and worked with Ramon for a long time; others have never met Ramon, but they came to support a Christian brother during a time of difficulty.  I was honored to stand among that group.

Sometimes we think “church” means to gather on Sundays and praise God.  And it does.  But “church” means so much more.  “Church” means spending the night with teenagers at the Winter Youth Experience, as a number of our leaders did last weekend at Foothills.  “Church” means taking food to a family after a surgery or death.   And sometimes “Church” means spending your day at the courthouse with people you’ve never met because you so deeply feel united in God’s amazing love.

Ramon plead guilty to the charge of entering the U.S. without authorization.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 3 but will likely be moved earlier.  Following that, Ramon will have another hearing about his immigration status.  We will send out notice about both of these future hearings to Arizona Clergy and Regional leadership. If you would like to also receive notice of these events, click here to be added to the communications.  You are also invited to read and sign this letter in support of Ramon.  Because sometimes being church means writing letters and pleading for grace and mercy of strictness and punishment.

The Disciples of Christ is a movement in which many of us have differing viewpoints about a number of things, and immigration may well be one of them.  But what holds us together is our deep belief that we are all God’s children, that everyone is welcome at the table, and that we stay in conversation even when we don’t see eye to eye about politics, theology, and biblical interpretation.  Because we DO agree that God’s love is paramount, that God’s vision is unity, and that Christ came for all of us.  I ask you to pray for Ramon and his family and to help embody grace, love, and peace in whatever ways you can.  Our world is so in need of it – and I am so grateful to be in ministry with each of you.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

Sign the Letter

Ministerial Standing Form

Forms are due no later than January 31st, 2020.

You can complete a paper standing form (click the image to the right to download) or the online form below.

The online form might take a few moments to load. If it does not load please click here (or visit https://ccinaz.typeform.com/to/TkKp88) to access it directly.

Commissioned Ministers: You must have your ministry supervisor send a letter of evaluation/reccomendation on your behalf prior to January 31st. You will be notified of your next Commission on Ministry interview.

RSVP for the Installation of Rev. Jay Ross Hartley

If you haven’t yet, we invite you to please RSVP for this special event! You can RSVP at azdisciples.org or click the red RSVP button.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona invites you to the Installation of Rev. Jay Ross Hartley as Regional Minister on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mesa, AZ.

Joined by special guest, Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, we will celebrate his call to the Arizona Region, our covenantal relationship as Disciples, and our hopes for the future of Disciples ministry in Arizona.

Location
First Christian Church, Mesa
805 N. Country Club Dr.
Mesa, AZ 85201

Schedule

11:30 am – Pastor and Guest lunch w/ Rev. Terri Hord Owens (registration required)

2:00 pm – Installation Service
3:30 pm – Reception with light refreshments*

RSVP for the Installation and/or Register for the lunch at azdisciples.org.

*Congregations have been asked to bring their tastiest salsa for the reception. If you have a favorite recipe that you’d like to bring, let your pastor know!

Christmas Special Offering

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Buenos Días/Good Morning to all Arizona Disciples and friends,

This is the time of year when Disciples around the U.S. usually receive a letter, and often a fancy video, from their Regional Minister encouraging them to give generously to the Christmas Offering.  The Christmas Offering is one of six “Special Offerings” collected throughout the year that help fund Disciples ministries.  All six are important (see the P.S. for more information), but since 100% of the Christmas Offering goes to fund Regional Ministries, it receives extra attention.

The letter and video usually attempt to educate us all about what Regional Ministry IS.   They highlight things like:

  • the work of the Regional minister assisting congregations who are in transition and looking for a new pastor
  • summer camps for youth
  • women’s retreats
  • the work of the Commission on Ministry to make sure that Disciples ministers have appropriate credentials and continuing education
  • and much more

Well, I hope you are not too disappointed, but I did not make a fancy video about the Arizona Region to offer you this year.  Producing a video takes time, and I have chosen to focus my time in other areas – seeking to help congregations looking for pastors, congregations looking for new places to worship, counseling congregations who are re-imagining their ministries, planning events, learning all the aspects of regional ministry, and most importantly getting to know all the pastors and leaders of the region.  It has been my privilege to worship with 19 of our 25 congregations in my first 13 weeks and I look forward to worshiping with the other 6 within the next 2 months.

I can assure you, however, that if you make a generous gift to the Christmas Offering we will use your gift faithfully.  Most congregations will receive the Christmas Offering this upcoming Sunday, December 15 and the following Sunday, December 22. And in case you are really missing the fancy video, here are links to the videos that some of my colleagues in other regions produced to give you a taste of regional ministry.

2019 Advent message from Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President
2019 Northern Lights Region video
2019 Michigan video
2019 Virginia video

And here’s a quick reminder that I hope to see all of you:

  • January 11, 2020 for my installation (at FCC Mesa)
  • November 6-7, 2020 for Regional Assembly (at the Glendale Mission & Ministry Center, home of Iglesia Dios de la Segunda Oportunidad Discipulos de Cristo)

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay R. Hartley

 

P.S.   The six “Special Offerings” include (click on each to learn more):

Week of Compassion:  (collected the last 2 Sundays in February)

  • supports worldwide disaster relief and development

Easter Offering: (collected Palm Sunday & Easter)

  • supports General Ministries – all our national units

Pentecost Offering:  (collected Pentecost & the Sunday before)

  • supports creating new churches

Reconciliation Offering:  (collected the last Sunday of September and the first Sunday of October)

  • supports Disciples anti-racism and pro-reconciliation work

Thanksgiving Offering: (collected the two Sundays before Thanksgiving)

  • supports Higher Education – primarily the education of Disciples ministers, but also other leadership development

Christmas Offering: (collected the two Sundays before Christmas)

  • supports the region in which the money is given – the Christian Church in Arizona receives 100% of all money given in Arizona congregations

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What We Must Always Ask

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

As we approach Thanksgiving Day – el día de Acción de Gracias – I am grateful for the warm (but not scorching!) welcome I have received in my first 11 weeks in Arizona.  It has been my privilege and joy to worship with 16 of our 25 congregations – very convenient that some of you worship in the afternoon!  If I haven’t been to your congregation yet I have plans to be there very soon.  I should complete the cycle before the end of February.

During the last month I have taken two major trips.  In October I went to Toronto to meet with the College of Regional Ministers (CRM), and just last week I joined several other regional ministers and church leaders across the nation for an “immersion trip” to San Diego and Tijuana to witness several impressive ministries related to immigration and border issues.  Our General Minister and President, Terri Hord-Owens, and our National Hispanic Pastor, Lori Tapia, were on both trips as well.

I’m delighted to report that our Disciples leadership across the country is strong.  Collectively, we are prayerfully listening to what God is calling us to be and do in this time and place.  I note this because it is always a danger that church leaders – both denominationally and within individual congregations – lose sight of our overall mission to embody God’s love for the world and seek first the kingdom of God.  Instead, we often allow ourselves to worry about smaller issues, or worry about “saving our church.”

Once we focus on our institution, and not our mission – we have lost our true reason to exist in the first place.  We must always ask:  “What is our purpose, what is our mission, what does God need us to do and be?”   So I’m delighted to report that those deep conversations are happening among your regional ministers and collectively we are committed to leading a church which seeks to make God’s love manifest in a terribly fragmented world.  And as I travel around Arizona, I will continue to ask how your congregation is working to transform the lives of your members and your communities to more fully embody Isaiah’s vision of God’s peaceable realm, where the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid … and all the Earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

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Images credit to National Benevolent Association (NBA)

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Winter Youth Experience – January 18-19

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Click the flyer to register.

Download the flyer

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BIG things, little things, and an invitation.

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Greetings in the Love of Jesus Christ:

I continue to enjoy meeting and learning more about the Disciples in Arizona.  There is so much to learn – some BIG things, and some little things.  It’s exciting, energizing, and a little overwhelming to have so much to learn.

My favorite part of the job so far is meeting people and learning about you and your congregations.  The past two weeks have included learning about Saguaro’s “Sol Kitchen,” FCC Scottsdale’s pumpkin patch – which unfortunately got cancelled this year due to pumpkins freezing in New Mexico, Alfa y Omega’s “One World” evangelism project, meeting the wonderful people on Coolwater’s search committee, and sharing in a meaningful litany of ministry at an East Mesa CC board meeting.

But another important part of the job has been learning about how the Region’s finances work.   For instance, I’ve learned that many congregations struggle with income in the summer because many of their members are winter residents.  I’ve learned that other congregations are in good shape because many of their former members made gifts in their will, and the legacy gifts from their estates provide a buffer during the low summer months.

In terms of little things to learn, I recently made a funny discovery:   if I want to donate money directly to the Region, I didn’t know how to do it.  As a pastor, I’ve always paid my tithe to my local congregation.  But now as the Regional Minister, after completing the commitment I made to the church I just left, I figure I will divide my tithe between the local congregations I visit each week and the Region itself.   I know how to put a check in the offering plate during worship, but I had no idea how to give money to the Region.  So here’s what I learned:

The Christian Church in Arizona has something called an “Annual Fund,” which is open for donations year round.  There are two ways to make donations:

  1. Send a check directly to the regional office, with “Annual Fund” written on the memo line.Mail to:  Christian Church in Arizona; 917 E. Sheridan St.; Phoenix, AZ 85006
  2. Make an on-line donation via our website: http://azdisciples.org/annual-fund/.  (The only downside to this option is 3% goes to the credit card company – but we’ll still be grateful for the 97%).

Being the careful steward that I am, I wanted to avoid the 3% fee, so I went to my bank, had them set up an “auto-pay,” and now I will have a donation sent to the Annual Fund on the 1st of every month – with no extra fees.  It seems a little thing, but it was a delight to figure out how to become a regular supporter of the ministries and work we do together as the Christian Church in Arizona.

I would invite you to join me in setting up an automatic monthly contribution to the Annual Fund.  Whatever amount you choose, you will be an important partner in the work we do together.  And for that matter, I also invite you to set up legacy gifts in your wills and automatic payments to your congregation to help make their income more consistent even if you leave Arizona during the months when it’s something like 140 degrees outside.

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President
Christian Church in Arizona

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How Can This be Sacred? Halloween

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Ghouls. Goblins. Ghosts. Vampires. Disney Princesses. Halloween has long been seen as an anti-church holiday. But in recent years Halloween has become a holiday where church’s find a way to welcome the community, most of the time it is through events like Trunk-or-Treat. But still, we look at Halloween and we wonder, “how can this be sacred?”

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How Can This Be Sacred?

series by Rev. Jay Deskins

Every day we encounter sacred moments. And yet, we ignore, don’t notice or turn away. This blog, How Can This be Sacred? is created to help us notice the sacred in our every day lives, and how to take those sacred moments to reflect on our faith, give thanks, and to ask questions. As families become more and more busy, handing down our faith to the next generation is being pushed to the back burner. We have to be intentional about passing on the stories of our faith. 

My hope is that you and your family take moments every day in your busy lives to notice the sacred.

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1. Sharing (Hebrews 13: 16)

God has called us to share with each other. To provide food for the hungry, drink to the thirsty. It may seem silly, but when someone rings your bell on Halloween, they are asking for food! This is the time to teach our children why we go out and spend $50 on Halloween candy. Spending that kind of money and opening the door over and over again is a sign of love. Halloween is a great time to explain to children that we share out of love. And when someone is in need of something, we share with them if we can. I remember growing up and getting home from trick-or-treating and my brother and I had to put our candy into one common bowl. There was enough candy for our entire family! Sharing our resources with each other is a sacred act!

2. Welcome (Matthew 25: 35)

“DING-DONG” your bell rings all night long. Sure, it gets to be a bit much but Halloween is the one day a year where going door-to-door is encouraged! We should celebrate that our neighbors are wandering the neighborhood. Just like at church, when new visitors stop by, we should be prepared to welcome and show love to our neighbors. Get the good candy, do something unique, go above and beyond.

3. Creativity (1 Timothy 4: 11-15)

God gave us the gift of creativity. Halloween is a great time for us to use that gift from God to the world. It doesn’t have to be scary, it doesn’t have to involve ghosts. Painting or carving pumpkins is the obvious example. But you and your family can do something creative together to celebrate Halloween.

4. Love Your Neighbor (Mark 12: 28-34)

To be honest, this is the whole reason why I wrote this blog. Our world today lives in deep fear, especially of our neighbors. We pull into our garages and before we get out of the car, we close the garage, just so our neighbors don’t see what we look like. Front yards are no longer play areas, and our kids are kept in the backyard. And we are told year after year to inspect our children’s candy because your neighbors are lacing them with drugs or razor blades. And so church’s have started alternatives to Trick-or-Treating, called Trunk-or-Treat. Don’t get me wrong, I love Trunk-or-Treat, it is a fun way to welcome your neighborhood to your church. But far too many times the reason is to create a safe Trick-or-Treating atmosphere. What is implied is that your family’s neighbors are not safe, and if they aren’t safe then we shouldn’t interact with them (obviously, there are some real reasons for this). It creates a fear in your neighbor. Trick-or-Treating is a great way for your children to not fear their neighbors (unless you have the one guy who loves to jump out of the bushes and scare the children) but to see their faces, hear their voices, receive a gift, say “Thank you,” walk through yards, and just having fun.

When I was a hospice chaplain, I once had a patient tell me they were lonely. One of the questions I always asked my patients was, “What are you looking forward to?” This patient responded, “Halloween.” She went on to tell me that was the only time in the last decade that anyone rang or knocked on her door, and because she was homebound, she didn’t get to see children. Halloween became very important to her. The holiday of ghosts and goblins, vampires and werewolves, Jedis and Disney Princesses, provided a lonely person with hope.

So get out there this year! Ring some door bells! Do something unique for your neighbors! Buy the good candy! Halloween is almost here, and if you look closely, you can see God.

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Youth & Children

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Feed My Sheep: a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and India

REPORT ON THE GLOBAL MISSION BOARD PILGRAMAGE TO SRI LANKA AND INDIA

Submitted by LaVerne Thorpe, Global Mission Board Member

First let me introduce myself, I am LaVerne Thorpe a long time Disciple woman.  I have served in many ways within the church at all levels from the local, regional, national and international levels.  From kitchen clean up and cook to representing the church at the world conference in Brazil and serving as Vice President of the International Disciples Women’s Ministries.

In 2018 I was nominated and accepted the call to serve on the Global Ministries Common Board.  In that position I was honored to be invited to be a part of the Global Ministries Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and India in September of this year. This trip is part of the kick off for the South Asia initiative to learn about our mission partners and to generate support for our Christian brothers and sisters in that part of the world.

I am available to share this information with you and your church in any format you require.  Possibilities include a women’s meeting, during Sunday morning worship, or during the Sunday School hour or perhaps as a bible study.  If this is something you would like to schedule feel free to contact me at 313-407-7951 or email me at allbyhand313@yahoo.com.

Our Pilgrimage started in Colombo Sri Lanka with the Church of the American Ceylon Mission.  We were warmly greeted by Rev Sullivan, church leaders and members.  The church leaders gave a presentation on the history of the church and an overview of the political situation in the country, the many mission efforts and their hopes for future projects.  There have been dramatic consequences from the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by unknown ISIS suicide terrorists that killed 290 and injured 500 people.  Christians were targeted at the three churches, three hotels and two guest houses that were bombed on Easter Sunday in three cities.  Many people have left because of fear of further violence.   The church has to contend with real and dangerous religious discrimination in a mostly Hindu country.  After the bombings the church has worked hard to initiate gatherings of inter-faith groups to promote peace and the freedom of religions or beliefs and the rights of all persons.  In spite of the challenges the church is thriving and serving the communities with day care centers, career training centers, efforts to prevent human trafficking and homes for orphan children.  I am truly impressed with the scope and breadth of the church’s mission work.  In light of the hardships they have faced from a painful church split, religious discrimination, racial discrimination and fallout and fear resulting from the recent bombings they are serving the needs of their communities in meaningful ways in 67 churches and church centers.  They are determined to heed and follow God’s word to “feed my sheep” and to be peacemakers.

The next leg of our pilgrimage took us to New Delhi, India and to the Church of North India.  We were again greeted warmly by the church leaders and members. We were in time for a morning worship service and served tea and cookies after service.  We were give an in depth overview of the church history, goals, mission work and challenges via a power point presentation.  In 1970 six churches, the Council of Baptist churches, the Church of the Brethren, Disciples of Christ, the Church of India, The Methodist Church and the United Church of Northern India all joined together to form the church of North India.  The church currently has 27 dioceses.  Being a minority religion in a Hindu country they also have huge problems with discrimination and persecution.  It is not unheard of for Christians to be martyred for their faith in horrible ways.  Over a period of several months in 2008 hundreds of Christians were killed, houses burned and women were raped for refusing to denounce Christianity in favor of Hinduism.  This practice has decreased but it has not stopped.  Another huge issue the church is working with is human trafficking.  They have several programs to educate people about this crime and also try to stem the tide of people being pulled into modern day slavery.  Recovery efforts are also done when possible to rescue persons trapped in slavery.  The church also operates a hospice, a health and wellness program, a school of theology that has trained 430 evangelists, a strong women’s program, job training and a comprehensive youth program.  Again this church is also heeding God’s word to “feed my sheep” and to be peacemakers.