AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

Wellness

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: Clergy Wellness

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

Last month I wrote about our visioning process and shared our mission and values as Disciples in Arizona. This month I will begin to share some of our new strategic goals. Let’s begin with Clergy Wellness.

The term “pastor” means shepherd, one who cares for the flock.  To pastor means to care for people, to care for the community. Sometimes care is a simple check-in, and sometimes care means being present in some intense and difficult situations. Our pastors and our chaplains are trained to focus on the needs of others, to act in the best interests of others, to seek the well-being of the community. 

But within the church, care is not just a one-way street. Pastors are human beings with needs – financial needs, physical needs, emotional and spiritual needs. Pastors need to be healthy, need to have their needs met, in order to be able to care for others. A pastor dealing with huge financial stress may have depleted energy to care for the congregation. A pastor who never gets a break may have fewer emotional resources to deal with difficult situations. Pastors are people too – and the healthier they are, they better they are able to serve the church.

Therefore, the Regional Board has named Clergy Wellness as one of our strategic goals for the next few years. We are encouraging all of our congregations to develop or review their plan for promoting clergy wellness. This may include an annual review of the Letter of Call – the basic terms of agreement between pastor and congregation.  Is the congregation paying a salary and offering benefits that sufficiently support their pastor?  Does the congregation have a Pastoral Relations Committee to help support the pastor? (Disciples have great guidelines for how to do this well.)  Are there extra things the congregation offers to help the pastor feel appreciated – a gym membership or other fun perks (different things work better for different pastors)? Does the congregation publish the pastor’s sabbath day in the newsletter and on the church calendar so everyone is aware?

As part of this initiative, the Regional Commission on Ministry is developing a list of possible benefits, a list of extras that congregations can offer their pastors to help promote Clergy Wellness. We are inviting PRCs and personnel committees to a zoom meeting to discuss options and to have a conversation on this topic on July 7 at 7:00pm. Click here to register for the conversation. And as always, I am available to discuss any of this with any clergyperson or congregational leadership. 

October is known as “Pastor Appreciation Month,” and it would be exciting if this October our congregations showed their appreciation to their pastor by adding at least one element to a “clergy wellness package” for 2027. Because a healthy pastor helps make a healthy church. 

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

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

Wellness Ministry at Sun City Christian Church

From Sun City Christian Church (edited for length)

Sun City Christian Church (SCCC) is in Sun City Arizona, an age-restricted community for adults aged 55 and older, dedicated to leisure and recreation.

SCCC celebrated 50 years of worshiping together in November 2024. Our congregation started with fifty-seven individuals who met for the first time at one of the Sun City recreation centers on November 3, 1974. By May 6, 1979, over 450 met in the current church building and at our height over 750 attended services.

Supporting the spirit of Sun City, a parish nurse program with a designated nurse room was built into the original blueprints where parishioners could seek health-related services and information. We are seeking to revitalize the spirit of this mission with our health education and wellness program.

The mission of our wellness ministry is foremost to empower the parishioners of SCCC to be self-advocates for their medical care and wellness, as well as that of their loved ones. A secondary goal is building trusting relationships between participants to help alleviate isolation and loneliness. In addition, we sought to encourage members to remain active, better understand the aging process, community resources, and the medical system.

The Start to Our Wellness Ministry

We have identified that parish nursing is a key component in the ongoing health and wellbeing of our congregation and those who visit our facilities. The wellness room has been equipped to meet the ongoing medical/wellness needs of our community with equipment including a defibrillator and supplies for first aid and medical emergencies. Members of our team were trained on CPR, first aid, and the use of a defibrillator in emergency situations. 

As part of our Wellness ministry we have offered educational sessions collaborating with qualified internal and community professionals. These have included topics including: Medicare supplemental plans; medical fraud, waste, and abuse; nutrition for seniors; foot care; senior housing; and finishing faithfully.

Acknowledging the importance of exercise to the health and wellness for seniors we began a weekly chair exercise program taught by a silver-shoe qualified member of our wellness committee. The well-received program included strength and balance training. These sessions, well attended by both church members and community members, augment the informational sessions to support an active and healthier congregation and community.

Once a month, informative “lunch and learn” lunchtime sessions are also offered, where attendees eat lunch together while learning about various topics and programs of interest in the area. LifeLines Screening conducted a cardiovascular health screening event at our facility in April 2024 that was open to all residents of Sun City and surrounding areas.

Augmenting these educational session, chair exercise program, informational gatherings, and screenings, SCCC gathers for social opportunities to build relationships and reduce isolation including game nights, musical concerts, and group attendance at external concerts.

Looking Forward

As we look forward we are excited to continue to involve our wider community, including several nearby congregations. We are planning new educational sessions on suicide prevention, integrating oral health and physical health, and hand health. In addition, a health resource fair is in the works and will include a well-vetted assortment of local agencies and providers that will offer either valuable information and/or conduct health related tests for members of the congregation and community.

Annually, we will continue to re-assess the needs and interests of community members to ensure that current topics of interest are covered.

Congregational Vitality Grants

The Arizona Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is proud to offer grants to Arizona Disciples congregations in order to promote the vitality of our congregations and their ministry, primarily through the following areas of priority: evangelism/church growth, anti-racism/prophetic unity, and public witness.  

Your congregation can apply for a grant by visiting our Congregational Vitality Ministry page.

Sun City Christian Church Building