AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

General Assembly

Regional Reflection: Disciples Day!

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Picture of Rev. Dr. Jay R. Hartley

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 1First Christian Church in Scottsdale
May 29Desert Dove Christian Church in Tucson
July 12Community Christian Church in Tempe
August 23Discípulos en Acción and Iglesia Cristiana “La Cruz”, both in Phoenix, AZ
September 27Chalice Christian Church in Gilbert
November 8East Mesa Christian Church
2027
January 24First 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

Regional Reflection: General Assembly

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Greetings from Indianapolis, where our Regional Moderator, Kerry Swindle; Rev. Jessica Braxton from Saguaro Christian Church; Lori Tapia; and I participated in the General Board meeting of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. In addition to regular business, the major focus of the General Board was to plan for our first ever fully on-line General Assembly, to be held this July 10-11, 2026. View the schedule here and registration at disciples.org – because YOU are invited.   Here is some context and background.

After 50 years of meeting in person every 2 years for a General Assembly, we have made the decision to meet in person every 3 years – but also to have online meetings in the other 2 years of each “triennium.” The goal is to have Disciples all over feeling more connected to each other.  Attending an in-person General Assembly, although delightful, can be expensive due to travel, lodging, food, and registration fees. So, we are trying a new approach – inviting people to join on-line 2 out of every 3 years.

You can participate in the General Assembly from the comfort of your own home.  OR … you can get together with fellow Disciples and watch/participate together.  OR … you can gather with other Disciples in a local congregation to have a mini-Assembly without the travel and lodging costs.  When you register, you will be asked whether you prefer to watch from your own home or from a local gathering.  Even if you don’t know which you’ll end up doing, click whichever you PREFER because that will help us plan. And if your congregation is interested in HOSTING a gathering, or if you’d like to host one in your home for a smaller group, please let us know.

New for this Assembly – all congregations receive 3 voting delegates.  Before the end of April, congregations will be able to begin entering their 3 voting delegates into the ALEX database.  As always, all commissioned and ordained ministers who have standing, even if retired, also have voting privileges.

As with all new things, nobody knows exactly how this is going to go. There will be worship and education and conversation in small groups and an exhibit hall. We look forward to trying it this summer and then improving things in the future. 

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona