AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

Regional

Prophetic Unity

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Most of you are probably familiar with the old Disciples slogan: “Christian Unity is our Polar Star.” From the beginnings of our movement, Disciples have stressed the importance of unity, of staying together, of valuing and affirming each other.  And yet …

Too often we settle for a superficial unity. We take photos of Disciples with various skin colors, publish them, and proclaim that we are practicing unity.  But that is “photo-op unity.”   Many of you are familiar with Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s contrast between “costly grace” and “cheap grace.”  We might also say there is such a thing as “cheap unity” — superficial unity, photo-op unity. As your Regional Mission Focus Team discussed this topic, we came up with the term “Prophetic Unity” to express our goal to go beyond the cheap unity of photo-ops to unity based on mutual respect, shared power, and shared resources. And so we are delighted to announce that registration is now open for our 2022 Regional Assembly:   “Unidad Proftica/Prophetic Unity.”

Regional Assembly is for everyone.  We will have a wonderful nursery for children who haven’t yet attended kindergarten, an outstanding program for elementary children and youth, worship and panel discussions and workshops and lovely new purple T-shirts!  We’ll praise God in Spanish and English with a variety of music and three deeply faithful and truly inspiring guest speakers.  But most of all, we will be exploring the theme of Prophetic Unity.

I invite you to join us, to come with open spirits, to come willing to step a little bit out of your comfort zone and with a desire to grow.  Many of us will see old friends.  All of us will have the opportunity to begin new friendships.  And together we can take a step forward to practicing a unity that is based in truly mutual respect, shared power, and shared resources.

Registration for Regional Assembly is now open!!!

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

September

11 Desert Dove Christian Church (Tucson) led by Interim Minister Vernon Mayer

18 Saguaro Christian Church & Sol Food Initiatives (Tucson) led by Pastor Kelley Dick

25 Anti-Racism and Reconciliation efforts (Reconciliation Special Offering)

October

2 Anti-Racism and Reconciliation efforts (Reconciliation Special Offering)

9 Prophetic Unity & Regional Assembly

16 Prophetic Unity & Regional Assembly

23 Prophetic Unity & Regional Assembly

30 Arizona Saints and Congregations that have come before us

Regional Assembly Guests

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Like many of you, my heart is heavy given the violence and hatred we read about in the news.  Every day, we are bombarded with words and images that are in compete contrast to the values taught by the early Christian community that we try to embody.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Oh, for a world with more kindness, more gentleness, more self-control.

But my heart is also lifted by the good news of God’s love and by all those who attempt to embody God’s love for the world. For Christians, that story starts with Jesus.  In the face of hatred, Jesus practiced love. In the face of indifference, Jesus practiced kindness.  In the face of violence, Jesus practiced self-control. And ever since, Jesus has inspired people to do likewise.  True, many people have evoked the name of Jesus but not the Spirit of Jesus. True, many people claim to follow Jesus but seem to be making little progress in exhibiting peace, patience, and kindness. But we are also blessed with many people who HAVE embodied the Spirit and values of Jesus, even at times when their hearts were heavy too.

I am excited that three people who DO exhibit the fruit of the Spirit are coming to speak at our Regional Assembly, November 4-5.  Juan Rodriguez, Paul Tche, and Yvonne Gilmore, three influential leaders in the Disciples movement, will be sharing the weekend with us, offering words of illumination, inspiration, and wisdom. I am grateful that each of them accepted our invitation, and I look forward to their presence here in Arizona.  I hope you will ALL join us for our Assembly. We’ll have more details each month, but for now, please reserve Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 on your calendar.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

June

26 Desert Heritage Church DOC/UCC (Mesa) led by Pastor Derrick Elliot

July

3 First Christian Church (Tucson) led by Pastor Ailsa Guardiola González
10 East Mesa Christian Church (Mesa) led by Pastor Charles Dubbs
17 Sun City Christian Church (Sun City) led by Pastor Gary Luallin
24 Coolwater Christian Church (Scottsdale) led by Pastor Rick Gates

Uncomfortable Growth

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

I’m tempted to write about all the good things I experience as I travel around Arizona – Foothills CC celebrating with Pastor Bekah Krevens who just gave birth to her third daughter; our new preaching cohort who met for the first time this past Saturday to study preaching in Spanish; my upcoming visits to Community CC in Tempe, who will be celebrating their 75th anniversary, and to preach at Templo Cristiano Central, which will be the 20th different congregation I will have preached for in Arizona, and my fifth sermon in Spanish; or our recent Anti-Racism training event attended by 27 Arizona leaders.

I’m also tempted to write about some of the horrible things I read about – most recently the horrific shootings in Buffalo and Laguna Woods. We are called both to pray for an end of violence and to do all we can to dismantle our white supremacist culture that fosters warped ideologies that lead to violence.

But today, oddly enough, I’m going to write about concentric circles.

Years ago, I was shown a drawing with three concentric circles. The inner circle was labeled “Comfort Zone.” The middle circle was labeled “Growth Zone.” And the outer circle was labeled “Terror Zone.”

The speaker said that if we stay in our comfort zone all the time, we never grow. So, we were encouraged to leave our comfort zone, to allow ourselves to be UN-comfortable, so that we could grow. The more discomfort we can tolerate, the more we can grow – until we get to the place of sheer terror, in which case we shut down. Our leader encouraged us to not confuse discomfort with terror – to let her know if we were reaching a point of terror, but otherwise to hang in there and see how we grow.

I think of these concentric circles often. In anti-racism discussions, white people often say we feel “uncomfortable,” like that’s a bad thing. But it’s not. It’s a good thing. Only through feeling uncomfortable can we grow. I also think of my first times worshipping in Hispanic congregations: it was un-comfortable for me. I wasn’t sure what to do when everyone put their hands up in the air and started swaying around, or when some people came forward and lay prostrate on the floor and started weeping. It was uncomfortable for me – but not terrorizing. So I kept coming back. And I grew. And now, I am finding that when I show up, I am with my Disciples family. And that’s a beautiful thing.

I am reminded of a few lines from a beautiful prayer called “A Franciscan Blessing”: MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless us all with enough discomfort to help us grow.
Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

May

22 First Christian Church (Globe) led by Pastor Al Beasley

29 Comunidad Limen Christian Church led by Pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea and New Church Ministry

June

5 Iglesia Casa de Adoración (Phoenix) led by Pastors Aurto and Janett Laguna & New Church Ministry
12 Larkspur Christian Church (Glendale) led by Pastor Job Cobos
19 Iglesia Dios de Segunda Oportunidad (Glendale) led by Pastor Minerva Guzman
26 Desert Heritage Church DOC/UCC (Mesa) led by Pastor Derrick Elliot

Holy Week and an Invitation

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

This past week, I was blessed to observe Palm Sunday at FCC in Scottsdale. I continued my long-standing tradition of leading a palm processional while playing the bagpipes. We remembered Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, an entry filled with hope and expectation, expressed by the crowds shouting “Hosanna!”

But Palm Sunday is also Passion Sunday – the Sunday on which we tell the story of Holy Week, of Jesus’ passion, of his betrayal, arrest, torture, and execution. It is a week that brings us face to face with the pain and suffering that human beings can inflict on each other.  And, of course, it is a week that ends with the promise that Love can transform pain, that new life is possible.

Reflecting on these themes, I find it appropriate that this newsletter contains an invitation for all of you – pastors, church leaders, and other interested Disciples – to an Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciling workshop on April 30. Racism is one of the ways humans being inflict pain on each other.  None of us really wants to face it.  But pretending it doesn’t exist will never make it go away. We see in the story of Jesus that the only way to transform pain is to go through it, to confront it face to face, to deal with it honestly and openly, and then allow God’s love to bring new life.  Over 20 years ago, the Disciples proclaimed that Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation is one of our mission priorities. I hope you will join us, and encourage others to join us, on April 30.

In the meantime, I wish for you a rich and deeply meaningful Holy Week.  May the story of Jesus offering love to all inspire you.  No matter what the world threw at him – even when he was betrayed by a friend, denied by another, abandoned by others, and hung on a cross – Jesus kept on loving.  May Jesus inspire us all to love each other no matter what.

Happy Easter, and Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

April

17 Office of General Minister and President Terri Hord Owens & the entire Disciples of Christ movement

24 Alfa y Omega (Phoenix) led by Pastor Elias Garcia

May

1 Chalice Christian Church (Gilbert) led by Pastor Vernon Meyer

8 Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer (Tucson) led by Pastor Sandy Flores

15 Foothills Christian Church (Glendale) led by Pastor Bekah Krevens

22 First Christian Church (Globe) led by Pastor Al Beasley

29 Comunidad Limen Christian Church led by Pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea and New Church Ministry

2022 Summer Camp

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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

http://www.disciplespswr.org/camp

Church offices, please read this email for information specific to church offices.

This summer the Arizona Region is partnering with Pacific Southwest Region Disciples to offer summer church camp for children ages 3 through grade 12 (including just completed grade 12)*. The camp will be held at the beautiful Loch Leven campground in the mountains east of Los Angeles.

The Arizona Region is excited to provide a 50% subsidy for all Arizona Disciples children and youth attending camp at Lock Level this summer!

  • Cost of 6 day summer camp sessions for Arizona Disciples (entering grade 6-12 and just graduated): $250 (originally $500)
  • Cost of 3 & 4 day “Wee” and “Mini” camp sessions for Arizona Disciples (ages 3 – entering 3rd grade): $150 (originally $300)

Our partnership with the Pacific Southwest Region means that the registration process will look a little different this year. Here is what you need to know:

  • Each registration must be accompanied by a Pastor’s recommendation. The online registration process cannot be completed with this completed form. Request that your pastor complete this form as soon as possible and get it back to you so that you can complete your registration form. Click here to download the form.
  • The region will be paying for 50% of all registration costs for Arizona Disciples!
  • If you as a parent or guardian are paying for the remainder of the cost of camp you can pay by credit card at the end of the registration form.
  • If your church is paying for a portion of your camper’s registration cost complete the registration up until the point it requires payment. At that point you can exit the registration. The system will retain all entered information. Do not enter payment information. Get your congregation your portion of the registration cost as soon as possible. They will in turn send payment to the Arizona Region and we will complete payment for your registration. Please note you must register via the online registration system. Paper forms are not available.
  • Arizona Camper Registrations and payments must be in by May 31.

If you have kids interested in going to camp begin by contacting your church pastor or office today!

*Many Arizona Disciples have fond and formative memories of summer camp here in Arizona. Not yet out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided that our way to best offer a faithful and memorable camp experience this year is to partner with our neighboring Disciples in the Pacific Southwest Region.

Arizona parents or youth leaders are welcome and invited to serve as camp counselors should begin by completing this form, emailing your pastor (or church office), and the region (at region@azdisciples.org).

Download Flyer

Our 6-day summer camp sessions are being offered at a discounted price of $250** per camper.

These sessions include:
JUNE 19-24  |  CHI RHO (Campers entering grades 6 – 8 in the fall)
JULY 10-15  |  JUNIOR CAMP (Campers entering grades 4 – 5 in the fall)
JULY 24-29  |  CYF 1 (Campers entering grades 9 – 10 in the fall)
JULY 24-29  |  CYF 2 (Campers entering grades 11 & 12 in the fall, and recent 2022 high school graduates)

Our 4-day Mini Camp session is being offered at a discounted price of $150** per camper.

This session takes place:
JULY 12-15  |  MINI CAMP (Campers entering grades 1 – 3 in the fall)

Our 3-day Wee Camp session is being offered at a discounted price of $150** per camper/parent combined.

This session takes place:
JUNE 15-17  |  WEE CAMP (Ages 3 – Kindergarten (entering in the fall); the child attends with parent/guardian)

**The actual cost of running a 6-day camp at Loch Leven is $600 per camper, and it is $400 for Mini and Wee camps. The Arizona Region is providing a 50% subsidy for all Arizona Disciples attendees. The Pacific Southwest Region and Loch Leven are also providing a $100 subsidy.

REGISTER YOUR CAMPER TODAY!

Note: Several camps overlap dates and will share the overall Loch Leven facility. Campers will be together at meals, but separated for cabin accommodations and programming.

VOLUNTEER DISCOUNT: We are offering a $100 discount for youth who have parents volunteering at camp. If you would like to volunteer at one of our summer camps, please fill out the volunteer registration form. If you have any questions, please first contact the Arizona Regional Office at 602-468-3815.

WWOW (Wild Women of the West) DWM Event

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The Wild Women of the West (WWOW) are hosting a virtual Disciples Women Inter-regional event.

When:      Saturday, March 26, 2022 (9:30 AM – noon)

Where:      In a virtual space on Zoom and FaceBook live.

Why:         To connect across regions and the world in a worshipful space of rest and community that lets us see all the ways God Makes the Impossible Possible!

What:        We will explore what it means to have a faith that can move mountains through Bible study with small group discussions, conversations with a panel of global sisters, and an inspiring worship moment led by our own sisters from Mills Grove Christian Church.

How:          Join us! For more information or to register, click here.

On the Horizon

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

“When I say ‘UNO,’ you say ‘TOGETHER! “UNO.” “TOGETHER!”

“When I say ‘ONE,’ you say ‘JUNTOS!’” “ONE.” “JUNTOS!”

So began Rev. Pedro Ramos-Goycolea in his welcome to our Regional Gathering last month. Juntos brought be such joy – it was the first time in my nearly 2.5 years at your Regional Minister that I’ve been able to plan and celebrate an event together. Thanks be to God for the celebration we had together.

The energy from the Regional Gathering continues to spread, and I am excited about things on the horizon. As you’ll read in this EAZ Newsletter, we are now registering for a Regional Children’s Event that will take place at the Glendale Mission and Ministry Center on Saturday, February 26. We will soon be registering for church camp (more on that below) and are working on another major summer event for youth. Look for information about that and other opportunities next month.  We are also gearing up for our Regional Assembly which will be held in Scottsdale on November 4-5. Our theme is “Prophetic Unity/Unidad Profética,” we have three guest speakers coming to Arizona, and we expect to have a fabulous experience.  Please put the dates on your calendar and plan to join us.

As mentioned above, summer church camp is BACK – but with a twist.  Arizona will be partnering with the Pacific Southwest Region (PSWR) to provide church camp this summer to all children ages 3 through 12th grade (dates for each age group are listed below).  Camp will be held at the beautiful campground of Loch Leven in the mountains east of Los Angeles. The drive will be a little further than going to Prescott (it is about 4.5 hours from Phoenix and 6.5 from Tucson), but this partnership will allow our campers to be in a new setting with larger groups of fellow campers. We will evaluate the experience after this summer to see if this partnership is something we want to continue in the future.

I am so excited that we are beginning to be able to plan meaningful in-person events again and pray that all can move forward in safe, healthy, and joyful ways.

Uno! Together! One! Juntos! Dios les bendiga! God bless you all!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

February

20 Foothills Christian Church (Glendale) led by Pastor Bekah Krevens

27 Week of Compassion efforts around the world (Week of Compassion Special Offering)

March

6 First Christian Church (Tucson) led by Pastor Ailsa Guardiola Gonzales

13 East Mesa Christian Church (Mesa)

20 Templo Cristiano Central (Phoenix) led by Pastor Job Cobos

27 Community Christian Church (Marana) led by Pastor Dave Hedgepeth

Regional Children’s Event

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About This Event

We are excited to announce a Regional Children’s Event to be held on February 26 at the Glendale Mission and Ministry Center (GMMC). All children in grades K-5 are invited! Our day will involve worship, games, a service project for the mission and ministry center, and a pizza lunch.

Our Glendale Mission and Ministry Center serves the Glendale community through several different ministries and programs. One of these is supplying homeless neighbors with free hygiene kits (toothbrushes, soap, hand sanitizer, etc.). As their service project kids will learn about helping others in the community by helping to assemble these hygiene kits.

Masks are required for all people at all times except while eating lunch.

This is not a drop off event. A parent, guardian, or a responsible adult must accompany children.

This event will be led by GMMC’s Executive Director Tiffany Fehr and Casa de Adoracion’s children’s ministry leader Briana Cruz.

Scroll Down to Register!

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Christmas

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Today felt like Christmas to me. And if I tell you the story, it might feel like Christmas to you too.

In 1960, the First Christian Church of Prescott was founded, and for 61 years proclaimed God’s love and strove to serve their neighbors in Prescott and beyond. In recent years, the aging congregation dwindled in size, a trend that was exacerbated by the pandemic. On November 14, 2021 they held their final celebration and closed the congregation, and the property was sold. While there is always sadness when congregations close, there is also celebration when ministry lives on.

As stewards of the proceeds of the sale, our Regional Board created a Legacy Fund in the name of FCC Prescott. Every year, gifts will be given from this fund to Week of Compassion, Disciples Mission Fund, Arizona Youth and Children’s ministries, and the outreach arm of our Arizona Disciples Women. Part of what this means: as we read about the devastation from the tornadoes in Kentucky, which among other things destroyed the building of First Christian Church of Mayfield, we also know that tangible gifts from our Prescott Disciples are already flowing through Week of Compassion to provide assistance.

But it was another decision made by the Regional Board that led to today feeling like Christmas. The Board also decided to use a portion of the proceeds to go directly to agencies that FCC supported in their Prescott community: Habitat for Humanity, 2 food banks, 2 emergency shelters, the Disabled American Veterans chapter, and other compassionate agencies that work to prevent abuse and promote well-being for people in need. So today I licked and stamped envelopes that held $168,000 of gifts to help the poor and needy in Prescott as part of FCC’s legacy. What a blessing!

Christmas is about giving, and never before have I been blessed to be a part of such a large gift. The covenant and ministry that we share as Region and local congregation calls us to reveal God’s love through moments like these.  I hope you will all share the joy of feeling like you are part of a large church family that constantly strives to shine God’s light and spread Christ’s love in tangible ways, as we seek to bring wholeness to our fragmented world.

Dios les bendiga, Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

December

5 Sun City Christian Church (Sun City) led by Pastor Gary Luallin

12 First Christian Church (Mesa) led by Pastor Liz DeWeese

19 Community Christian Church (Tempe) led by Pastor Bob Howard

26 The worldwide church

January

2 Your Arizona Region

9 First Christian Church (Globe) led by Pastor Al Beasley

16 First Christian Church (Scottsdale) led by Pastor Jenny Wynn

23 Desert Dove Christian Church (Tucson) led by Pastor Michael Malone

30 Chalice Christian Church (Gilbert) led by Pastor Vernon Meyer

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Thanksgiving Reflections

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Many of us just celebrated the day of Thanksgiving, or as the holiday is called in Spanish: el Día de Acción de Gracias.  Thanksgiving is both a myth and a concept, both an American holiday and a Christian practice. Join with me in some Thanksgiving reflections.

Like many of you, I grew up with the myth of Thanksgiving – that 400 years ago the pilgrims and “Indians” came together in perfect harmony to share a feast and give thanks to God for their survival.  Every year in school, some of us would dress up like pilgrims, some like “Indians,” and we would sit in the classroom and re-enact the blissful scene of peaceful unity.  The Church enriched my appreciation of Thanksgiving, emphasizing how gratitude and “counting our blessings” puts us in right relationship both with God and with each other.  I loved the day, loved the concept, and loved the vision of all God’s children dwelling in unity.

Education continues throughout life, however, and of course I eventually learned that the reality behind the myth was less idyllic.  While our schoolteachers painted a picture of peace and harmony, words like “domination” and “enslavement” and “genocide” are more accurate descriptions of the relations between European colonizers and native and imported peoples.  Celebrating Thanksgiving is more complicated for me now.  I still find gratitude to be a path to peace, and I still love the vision of God’s children dwelling together in unity.  But I don’t want to celebrate a myth and pretend that all was well when it wasn’t.   I don’t want to spread a thin veneer of happiness over the injustice and atrocities that native peoples and enslaved Africans experienced.

Recently our Mission Focus team discussed the word “unity” – a prominent word in Disciples history.   Talking about “unity” can sometimes feel like the myth of Thanksgiving, like we are trying to promote a superficial happiness, ignoring the realities of life’s difficulties.  But sometimes “unity” feels more like “prophetic unity” – challenging the divisions of our world, bringing us together in honesty, our eyes open to reality but our hearts open to change.  “Prophetic unity” challenges us to be awake, to listen to and see the struggles others are facing, to make what changes we can to bring about a more just world.

On January 15, the Saturday of MLK weekend, I hope you will join us for a Regional event that is intended to be one of prophetic unity.  We are calling it a “Regional Gathering,” or Juntos, which is the Spanish word for “together.” We will gather for worship, a meal, and a world-café-style series of substantial conversations with fellow Disciples across the state.  In ways, as you sit around a table with people from different churches and people of different skin colors, it might feel like a re-enactment of the myth of Thanksgiving, where all people come together and share in harmony.  But our goal is not to promote superficial niceness.  Our goal is to begin to build and deepen authentic relationships between all of us.  I hope you will join us as we seek to practice prophetic unity – you’ll find the registration at www.azdisciples.org.

And in the meantime … Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the coming months. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

December

5 Sun City Christian Church (Sun City) led by Pastor Gary Luallin

12 First Christian Church (Mesa) led by Pastor Liz DeWeese

19 Community Christian Church (Tempe) led by Pastor Bob Howard

26 The worldwide church

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

The Great Cloud of Witnesses

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Like many of you, I like to cheer for underdogs – those less well known, less publicized, or less popular people or teams or … Christian holy days.   I’ve written here before about my love for Pentecost, the forgotten stepchild of Christian holy days (Christmas and Easter getting all the attention).  But here in the fall we have two more special days that I love.  October started with World Communion Sunday, in which we recognize our connectedness with people across the planet.  And as October begins to wind down, we prepare to celebrate All Saints Day on the first of November, a day when we celebrate and recognize our connectedness with all whom have come before.

The key scripture for All Saints is Hebrews 11-12 – “the great cloud of witnesses.”   The writer of Hebrews tells the stories of many who have come before us and lived lives of faith, culminating with Jesus, whom the writer calls “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” 

Have you ever sat and meditated on this phrase?  I find this one of the most fascinating descriptions of Jesus:  “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”   Pioneers go before us, they blaze the trail, they go first, and if all goes well, others will follow and find the way easier. To call Jesus a “pioneer” is to suggest that Jesus is walking the same journey we do, but walking it first, blazing the trail, showing us where and how to go.  Jesus walked boldly forward in love, never giving in to fear.  He spoke love, showed love, taught love, and even expressed love to those who were putting him to death.  This is the trail he blazed, the path he pioneered – love for all, no matter the consequences.  It is a path he perfected – not bailing out, not caving in, not compromising because he was afraid of what would happen to him.   Jesus:  “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

We call ourselves Disciples, followers of Jesus.  As Jesus was our pioneer, we too are called walk the journey of radical love, of expressing love to all – no matter how much we may disagree with their opinions, no matter what they look like, how they self-identify, or what they profess to believe.  We are called to love, not to be afraid, not to live in fear, not to worry about our own well-being to the exclusion of others.  May God bless us on our journey of radical love, as we seek to follow the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the months of August and September. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

October

24 Glendale Mission and Ministry Center (Glendale) led by Executive Director Tiffany Fehr

31 Arizona Saints and Congregations that have come before us

November

7 Cristo en Pan de la Familia (Mesa) and Pastor Aurelio Lopez

14 Larkspur Christian Church, Casa Builders Ministry (Glendale) and Pastor Job Cobos

21 Seminarians and Disciples Education Institutions (Thanksgiving Special Offering)

28 Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer (Tucson) and Pastor Sandy Flores

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Evangelism the Disciples’ Way

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

A few weeks ago, while heading to an outdoor jazz concert, I walked past a man standing on a box shouting to all passersby that we better accept Jesus or we were going to spend our lives in eternal damnation. I found myself cringing inside, somewhat frustrated because scenes like that are why most Disciples are afraid to use the word “evangelism” anymore.  People sometimes say the Disciples are “the best kept secret,” in large part because we are so intent on not imposing our beliefs on others that we never even talk about our faith.  Many of us have truly taken Jesus’ words to heart:  Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them …  (Matthew 6:1)

And yet, just a few verses earlier in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus calls us to be public about our faith:  Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)  How do we reconcile these two sayings?  Jesus tells us both not let anyone know when we are praying or giving alms AND to let others see our good works.

I don’t know about you, but I have often struggled to find the right balance.  As a pastor, I wanted my congregation to know what was going on.  During the week our church hosted a preschool, homeless ministries, 12-step programs, music lessons, dance classes, neighborhood association meetings, counseling sessions, and more.   If you only come to worship on Sunday, you might never know that your church is engaged in all these ministries – unless I tell you.   And we want people to know about ministry opportunities, do know how they can get involved, and to know that we are practicing good stewardship with every dollar given.  But sometimes, standing in the pulpit and saying:  “We do this, and this, and this, and this …” sounds like spiritual bragging, or like we think we get extra points in heaven by letting everyone know how good we are.

As we search for a healthy balance, it may be helpful to examine our motivations.  We are not called to do good works in order to make ourselves look good.  We certainly don’t need to do good works to win God’s approval or to earn our way into heaven.  If we give to the church, work at a food bank, or spend the night with the homeless so people will notice what good people we are – obviously we more focused on puffing ourselves up than in shining the light of God’s love.   But if God’s love is leading us to these things, we will find that generous living brings us joy.  At such times, as other people notice our joyful approach to life, I hope we’ll be able to share with them the source of our joy.   That’s evangelism, the Disciples’ way.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the months of August and September. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

September

26 – Coolwater Christian Church (Scottsdale) and Pastor Rick Gates

October

3 Anti-Racism and Reconciliation efforts (Reconciliation Special Offering)

10 Comunidad Limen Christian Church (Tucson) led by Pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea

17 Iglesia Casa de Adoración (Phoenix) led by Pastors Arturo and Janett Laguna

24 Glendale Mission and Ministry Center (Glendale) led by Executive Director Tiffany Fehr

31 Arizona Saints and Congregations that have come before us

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Nothing will be able to separate us…

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Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:37-39

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Saying goodbye to people or places we love is never easy.  We experience loss in so many ways – from death, to the loss of abilities as we age, to the loss of home and friends when we move — and it is never easy.  And I’m glad it’s not easy, because the grief we feel is a sign that the love was real.

Like many of you, I am grieving several losses this month.  I was SO looking forward to gathering us all together in October for our first full-Region in-person event since I arrived here two years ago.  That loss is symbolic of what we all share – loss of time with family and friends, loss of experiences, loss of community.

I am also grieving the immanent loss of one of our Region’s pastors:  Rev. Abigail Conley.  We celebrate with Abby as she moves to begin a new ministry in Lincoln, NE;  but we also grieve, losing a colleague and friend.  And although her partner Matthew Clark will remain as our Regional Ministry Administrator, thanks to the technologies of Zoom, email, air travel, and the like, we will miss his constant physical presence in the Region.

And I am also grieving the loss of one of our Region’s congregations:  Capilla del Sol Christian Church.   Capilla del Sol made the difficult decision to close their visible ministry as of September 19, 2021.  While I take comfort in knowing that I will maintain relationships with many of the wonderful people at Capilla del Sol who will become members at other Disciples congregations, I join with all of them and many of you in grieving the loss of one of our sister congregations.

Amidst all the loss, however, I take comfort in the words of scripture.  God made a covenant with the Israelites, promising to never forsake them.  Jesus promises to be with us always, until the end of the age.  And Paul emphatically states his conviction that NOTHING in all creation can ever separate us from the love of God.  When I read scripture, I KNOW that we will stay connected in God’s love.  Life is not permanent.  But God’s love is eternal and keeps us eternally connect to each other and to the Source of all being.   Praise be to God!

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the months of August and September. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

August

29 – Chalice Christian Church as they enter a time of transition & Pastor Abigail Conley (and Matt) as she accepts a call to a congregation in Nebraska

September

5 – First Christian Church (Mesa) and Pastor Liz DeWeese.

12 – Foothills Christian Church (Glendale) celebrating the return of Pastor Bekah Krevens from sabbatical

19 – First Christian Church (Tucson) celebrating the return of Pastor Ailsa Guardiola-Gonzalez from sabbatical

26 – Coolwater Christian Church (Scottsdale) and Pastor Rick Gates

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Regional Gathering Postponed

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

The short version:  
We are postponing the Regional Gathering scheduled for October 2.  The new date will be January 15, 2022.

The more detailed version:
Several months ago, when most of us were getting vaccinated and it looked like in-person events would be safe this fall, we began planning a Regional Gathering as an event to celebrate.  We thought we would be beyond masks at that point and be able to celebrate with hugs and handshakes and lively interaction.  As the Delta variant has had many instances of “break through” infections, infections across our state are rising, and many of our congregations re-instating mask wearing and other safety precautions, we have decided that bringing 20+ congregations together for an in-person event does not seem as safe or celebratory as we had anticipated.  So we have picked a new date of January 15, 2022 in hopes that by then we will be able to host the event we envisioned.

If you have already registered for the Regional Gathering we will automatically apply your current registration to the January 15th event. If you would prefer, we can cancel and refund your registration. Please contact Matthew Clark (mclark@azdisciples.org) if you have questions or would like to cancel your registration.

In the meantime, we wish you health, safety, peace, justice, and an abundance of God’s love.
Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President
Christian Church in Arizona

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Made for Relationship

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Human beings are made for relationship. Near the very beginning of the Bible, the author of Genesis offers these words from the mouth of God: It is not good that the human being should be alone. Human beings are made for relationship. One of the hardest things about the pandemic was the sense of isolation. “It is not good” to be alone; and we WERE alone.

BUT … thanks to the wide distribution of the vaccine, we are beginning to be together again. I have enjoyed traveling to congregations, seeing many of you, and worshiping in person again. And I am especially excited that we are planning some region-wide in person events for the fall. I hope to see you at one or more of these events, details and registration links you can find throughout this E-AZ.

  • August 7: Our national Disciples Virtual Gathering. This is not in person, obviously, but a chance to get a taste of what General Assembly is like for those of you who have never been. Click here to register.
  • September 10-12: Disciples Women’s Retreat in Prescott. Two days of worship, fun, and celebration. Click here to register.
  • September 24-26: Arizona Young Adult Gathering in Scottsdale. Click here to register.
  • September 30: Congregational Pastors trip to Nogales, Mexico to bake and break bread at the border. More information will be sent to congregational pastors in the coming days. Email Rev. Pedro Ramos-Goycolea to RSVP or for additional details.
  • October 2: JUNTOS: a regional gathering! This will be our first full in-person event for the entire Region, all ages welcome. In addition to worship and lunch, a bulk of our time will be spent around tables building relationships and discussing substantial questions with other Disciples from around Arizona. We are celebrating the chance to be together by forming new friendships with our siblings in Christ. Click here to register.

After more than a year of “living alone,” may our Regional Gathering be a foretaste of the day when all nations will gather together in the presence of Christ.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the months of May and June. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

July

25 – Saguaro Christian Church, Sol Food Initiatives, & Pastor Kelley Dick

August

1 – Community Christian Church (Marana),  & Pastor Dave Hedgepeth, as they just broke ground on a new Outreach Center

8 – Alfa & Omega, & Pastors Elias Garcia, Leonela Burgos, & Julieta Vera

15 – Desert Heritage Church, a united church of UCC & DoC, & Pastor Derrick Elliot

22 – FCC Scottsdale & Pastor Jenny Wynn, celebrating their recent decision to become an Open & Affirming congregation

29 – Chalice Christian Church as they enter a time of transition & Pastor Abigail Conley (and Matt) as she accepts a call to a congregation in Nebraska

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

Juntos: a Regional Gathering

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About This Event

The Christian Church in Arizona excited to gather again in person* as Arizona Disciples on Saturday, January 15, 2022! Beginning at 10:00am we will have time to worship together, time to talk together, time to learn together, and a share meal together. Don’t miss our first event celebrating a return to in person Regional gatherings and register today!

Thank you to Community Christian Church in Tempe, Arizona, who will be our gracious host.

Lunch

Boxed lunches to be catered by Panera Bread. We have attempted to provide a wide range of options (see registration form), including those with food allergies or sensitivities. If none of these options work for you, you can choose “No Lunch / Bring Your Own”.

Nursery and Children’s Programing

At our gathering there will be an intentional focus to have multi-generational space as we continue togrow into intergenerational ministry. What does that mean? Children, youth, and adults are welcomeat all parts of our gathering.

There will be a nursery available for younger children (ages 1-3) and a Children’s Program (ages 4 – 4th grade) if the parent feels that is what their child(ren) need(s), but please don’t feel like you have to use it. God put the wiggles into young people, and we celebrate that as a spring of life.

As the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona we take seriously our call from God to be an inclusive and loving church.

*As we look toward a time when large group gatherings without restrictions are safe again, the Region is planning this in-person event. The event will follow CDC guidelines, including all advisement on large group gatherings.

Community Christian Church, Tempe, AZ

1701 S. College Ave., Tempe, AZ

Click here for directions

Details

Who: All Arizona Disciples are invited!
Where: 1701 S. College Avenue, Tempe, AZ (Community Christian Church)
When: Saturday, January 15 from 10:00am – 3:00pm

Happy Birthday, Church!

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Happy Birthday, Church! That’s right, we are about to celebrate Pentecost, known affectionately as “the birthday of the church,” as over 3000 people were baptized and joined the early church.  (You can read the whole story in Acts 2:1-42.) But Pentecost is so much more than just a birthday celebration. In fact, it may be the most important of all Christian holy days.

Christmas and Easter get all the attention – and the attention is certainly well deserved. We celebrate the incarnation – God’s love made flesh, God’s presence here among us. And we celebrate the resurrection – God’s act of bringing new life to that which seemed dead. But Pentecost is often treated like Cinderella, snubbed by her two famous step-sisters, unappreciated for her theological importance to Christian life.

On Pentecost, we celebrate that God’s Holy Spirit of creativity and action is given to US, entrusted to US. The light of God lives within US, and WE are called to let that light shine. The first half of the Christian year focuses on the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But the second half of the Christian year, beginning with Pentecost, focuses on God’s call to US to continue to ministry of Jesus, to continue embodying God’s love in a hurting world. Pentecost reminds us that Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are not called to be FANS of Jesus, cheering him on, like we cheer on our favorite quarterback. Instead, we are called to be followers of Jesus, Disciples of Christ, carrying on his ministry of love, compassion, and solidarity with all Creation.

In the Disciples world, one of the ways we honor the meaning of Pentecost is with a “special offering” to help fund new congregations – to continue the birthday of the church by giving birth to new congregations. Your gift to the Pentecost Offering helps fund New Church Ministry across the denomination, including here in Arizona. We are excited to have two new congregations in formation here in Arizona: Casa de Adoración in Phoenix, led by pastors Arturo and Janett Laguna; and Comunidad Limen Christian Church in Tucson, led by pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea. We look forward to continuing the spirit of Pentecost by starting more new churches in the future.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

We invite you to pray for the following congregations in the months of May and June. Visit our Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers for our annual list.

May

16 Iglesia Casa de Adoración, Pastors Arturo and Janet Laguna, and New Church Ministry
23 Comunidad Limen Christian Church and Pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea
30 Glendale Mission and Ministry Center & Executive Director Jeff Armour

June

6 Community Christian Church, Tempe & Pastor Bob Howard
13 Coolwater Christian Church (Scottsdale) & Interim Pastor Rick Gates
20 East Mesa Christian Church (Mesa) as they discern their future pastoral needs
27 Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer (Tucson), Arizona’s oldest Hispanic Disciples congregation, led by Sandy Flores

COVID-19 Resources for Congregations

General Church Resource Page

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

March (to the Cross) Madness

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

But Peter said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same. – Mark 14:31

I once preached a sermon entitled:  “March (to the Cross) Madness.”  Now, you might ask: “what do Holy Week and March Madness have in common?”  It’s a fair question.  It is indeed a curious bit of planning that places the Final Four on the day before Easter, and the men’s national championship on the day after Easter.  But to me, the two events are analogous in one major way:  emotional whiplash.

In this strange year, you may have noticed that the University of Arizona did not make the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament this year.  Neither did Arizona State.  But Arizona did have one school in the field of 68:   Grand Canyon University (GCU).  Perhaps you saw the GCU fan club show up in Indianapolis, waving their purple pom-poms and expecting David to kill Goliath – or in this case, praying for 15th seed GCU to pull off a mighty upset against 2nd seed Iowa.   Two hours later, though, the purple pom-poms hang limp, the face-paint is smeared by tears, and the GCU faithful stumble away in silence.  Emotional whiplash. And this, I say to myself, is the story of Holy Week.

The disciples entered Jerusalem with such high expectations.  They waved their palm branches (shall we call them “palm-palms?”) as Jesus entered the big arena.  They expected a miracle. Five days later, the palm branches were trampled, the disciples had scattered, and Jesus was dead.  Emotional whiplash. Holy Week is a story of defeat, disillusionment, and despair.

I also note the confidence of the disciples, not unlike the confidence of my Ohio State Buckeyes.  I’ve spent much of my life cheering for the Buckeyes, and as they entered the tournament as a 2nd seed, I picked them to win the championship.   The Ohio State players were so confident in themselves, they never would have dreamed they’d lose in the first round to lowly Oral Roberts.  And I think of Peter:  “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.”  The danger of overconfidence, thinking we cannot fail, of thinking we are above reproach, is one of the many lessons of Holy Week.

Holy Week has so very many lessons to share.  The Passion Story is incredibly powerful, and I hope you will dive into it this week.  I hope you will allow yourself to suffer the emotional whiplash of the disciples, to recognize how easy it is to bail out when the going gets tough, to witness the tragedy of mob violence and state-sanctioned violence.  The march to the Cross reveals the madness of humanity. But above all, I hope you will realize the love that Jesus continues to have for everyone – no matter what.   No matter how they fail him, no matter what they do to him, Jesus embodies God’s love for everyone.  Through the power of the resurrection, Jesus’ love lives on.  No matter how we fall short, no matter what we’ve done, Jesus welcomes us with open arms, offering the power of love and transformation to any who would receive it.  May God bless you this Holy Week, and forever more.

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

From Super Bowl Sunday to Ash Wednesday

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

I wonder if any of you are feeling a bit of spiritual whiplash as we have gone from Superbowl Sunday to Ash Wednesday in the span of 10 days.  My mind is trying to understand how to deal with the juxtaposition of two phrases I have heard to describe people during this short span of time:

“He is the Greatest of All Time.” 

“I am but dust and ashes.”

What do you make of that contrast?  Or the contrast between these two symbols:  the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the sign of ashes on some of our foreheads?  One is about winning the championship, about being the best, about claiming victory and glory and superiority over our foes.  The other is about abandoning the attempt to win, accepting our own vulnerability, and living in solidarity with all.  Think about it for a moment, and it is astounding to note the contrast between true Christian spirituality and American culture. 

Nearly 2000 years ago, the first Christian writer, Paul of Tarsus, noted a similar contrast between the way of Jesus and the way of Greco-Roman society.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18: For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  Foolishness.  What a way to have our spirituality described:   Foolishness.  To much of our world,  ideas like giving up privileges, abandoning any claims of superiority, or not fighting back seem foolish.  And yet, Paul says, it is the power of God. 

Sometimes, it seems, we can turn the message of the cross into the exact opposite.  At times, the cross of Jesus is lifted up in triumph, as a claim that we are better than others. I am reminded of Agatha Christie’s “The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.”  Hastings, the proper English gentleman, was trying to teach the famous detective Hercule Poirot about humility.  Poirot decided he was going to try, promising Hastings: “I shall be the most humble person in the world. No one will match Hercule Poirot for his humbility.”  Sometimes, it seems, we Christians have made the same mistake.

And so once again, we receive Ash Wednesday as an invitation to embrace the seeming foolishness of humility.  We are invited to repeat Abraham’s words:  I am but dust and ashes.  For when we give up our need to be somebody important, when we let go of our ego, we begin to allow ourselves to be shaped by the image of God inside us.  We begin to allow the breath of God to fill us.  We begin to understand ourselves as vessels of God’s spirit, privileged to be connected to the very heart of Being.  Humility is the doorway into union with God, and Ash Wednesday is our invitation to walk through the doorway and experience the joy of oneness with God. 

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

Thoughts on a New Year

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Whew!

2020 is behind us.  The presidential election and transition are behind us.  If only Covid was behind us!  I pray that many of you are getting vaccinated and soon we will be able to see each other in person again.

As I listened to the inaugural address last week, especially to the newly sworn-in president’s calls for unity, I thought to myself how we Disciples of Christ have been preaching unity since our very beginning.  The Disciples were part of a movement for unity.  “Christian Unity is our polar star” was one early slogan.  Today, we continue and expand our quest for unity by calling ourselves “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”

I often tell people that Disciples of Christ are a great church “for such a time as this.”  In a world full of division and conflict, in a world that has forgotten how to treat each other with respect, the Disciples offer an open invitation to the table.   We invite all to come and eat, drink, serve, worship, discuss, pray, and learn together.  We might disagree about theological or political positions, we might even argue in Sunday School, but then we go into the sanctuary, sit next to each other in pews, serve each other communion, and go forth to serve the world.  Working together in unity is in our DNA.  The Disciples are a movement for wholeness, and we seek to help create a less fragmented world.

My friends, I invite you to stretch yourselves this year, to exercise your unity muscles.  I invite you to reach out to those you don’t know, to listen to viewpoints you don’t necessarily understand, to do your best to see the image of God that is in each one of us.  We ALL want there to be less conflict in the world.  Let us remember that we are called to BE the change that we want to see.

In eager expectation of seeing you all in person, 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