AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

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Youth & Children

Calling Young Leaders!

We are excited to invite young adult leaders from your congregation to be part of a life-changing experience—the Caminantes Border Immersion program!  

Thanks to a generous grant from the Oreon E. Scott Foundation, all program fees are fully covered for a cohort of young Disciples’s leaders (ages 18-30) who want to deepen their understanding of immigration, dismantle divisive narratives, and engage in faith-based justice work at the U.S.-Mexico border.  

What is Caminantes? 

Caminantes is a transformative journey that blends hands-on learning, deep reflection, and direct engagement with migrant communities, faith leaders, and justice advocates.

Click here to read one person’s experience of the Caminantes Border Immersion.

Participants will:  
✅ Travel to the border for an in-person immersion experience  
✅ Hear powerful stories from those directly impacted by immigration policies  
✅ Explore the intersection of faith and justice  
✅ Build connections with other young leaders committed to making a difference  

Key Details: 

📅 Program Dates:  TBD  
🛌 Lodging: FCC Hospitality Center
💰 Cost: FREE!  
🎯 Who Can Apply? Young adults (ages 18-30) connected to Disciples congregations in Arizona who are eager to grow in faith and justice  

Sample schedule:

Friday: Evening in-person workshop session  @FCCTucson
Saturday: Field trip to Nogales, AZ/MX, visit Casa de la Misericordia. 
Sunday: Field trip to Sonoran Desert – border wall (Return Home)
Monday: Evening virtual workshop session

This is more than a trip—it’s an opportunity to be part of a movement. We believe that young leaders like those in your congregation are essential in shaping a church that truly embodies radical welcome and justice.  

We encourage you to share this opportunity widely and identify young adults in your church who would thrive in this experience. Space is limited, so early applications are encouraged! 

Please email: rev.pedro@comunidadlimen.org to apply or nominate a young leader or have any questions about the experience.  

We can’t wait to walk this journey together! 

In faith and solidarity,
Rev. Pedro Ramos-Goycolea
Caminantes Program Director, Pastor at Comunidad Limen Christian Church

Regional Reflection: Winter Camp

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

“Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Oh baby, let me people go!”

“You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us.”

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary …”

“Come, and go with me, to my Father’s house …”

“Some-times in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow …”

If these lines sound familiar, if you start humming, tapping your foot, or if you just got up out of your chair and started dancing and singing and walking around the room – perhaps you’ve been to church camp.  Or perhaps you sent your child to church camp, and they came home singing and singing and singing until you knew all the songs by memory.

That might be the case for several parents around our Region, as 13 campers and 3 adult leaders from Arizona went to Winter Camp at Loch Leven Retreat Center this past weekend. The theme of Winter Camp was: “Virtual Faith IRL.”  Now before I lose your attention, let me admit … I had no idea what that meant.  It turns out, for any of you who are as clueless about modern lingo as I am, that “IRL” is code for “In Real Life.” Apparently when the on-line world came to be, people used to distinguish between their “virtual life” and their “real life.”  So they would tell their online friends: “In real life, I’m just a 14-year-old boy who is the backup catcher on my high school team.”   Except they’d text:  “IRL, I’m just …”

Several years later, however, there is not so much distinction between being online and your real life.  In other words, our real lives involve the use of technology.  It is ever-present. And so the point of camp was not to say that “real life” is better than “virtual life,” but to say that we are called to live our whole lives, including the virtual parts of our lives, in ways that are pleasing to God.  Campers made short movies to express a faith message, practicing using technology to communicate positive messages and to explore how faith can be part of our virtual life.

Winter Camp was our third camp partnership with the Pacific Southwest Region, following Summer Camp in 2022 and 2023. We are grateful for this inter-Regional partnership. And we are most very grateful to Church of the Palms UCC in Sun City who generously loaned us their church bus to make the trip. All children and youth in the Arizona Region are invited to join us this summer for the next installment of Summer Camp (dates found below). If you want to know more, you can ask me, or you can ask one of the parents at Foothills who were waiting in the parking lot Monday afternoon as the bus pulled in full of enthusiastic campers singing:  “Pharaoh, Pharoah, Oh baby, let my people go!   Oooh, ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Dios les bendiga, 

Pastor Jay

Fruit of the Spirit

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

In the immortal word of Mark Line (FCC Mesa): “CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMP!!!!”

This Saturday, I will drive to the Loch Leven Camp & Retreat Center in the San Bernadino Mountains east of Los Angeles. Loch Leven is the Pacific Southwest Region’s (PSR) church camp, and for the second year in a row the Arizona Region and the PSR are teaming up. Over a dozen Arizona Disciples have already attended church camp this year, and next week the camping season concludes with our CYF Camp for high school age youth.  I am excited to be there with 6 Arizona high school aged Disciples.

As those who have already attended can tell you, this summer’s camp celebrates the “Fruit of the Spirit.”  If you’ve got a camper at home, ask them if they can name the nine fruit of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:   Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, & Self-Control.  These are characteristics that emerge when human beings are connected to and filled with God’s loving Spirit.

I find it amazing and wonderful that both Paul and Jesus use the metaphor of fruit to talk about the life of faith. As Jesus begins to conclude his “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), he says: “You will know them by their fruits.”  Jesus is trying to help his disciples know how to evaluate different messages they hear.  Look at their actions, Jesus says.  Do they radiate joy? Are they kind?  Do they practice self-control?  You can tell about someone’s faith – and they can tell about OURS — not by their words, but their actions, their attitude, their manner of relating to their neighbor.  “You will know them by their fruits.”

I have always found Jesus’ words here helpful when thinking about how to relate to other world religions. There are those, of course, who cite Jesus saying in John 14 “No one comes to the Father except through me” as grounds for insisting that Jesus is the only path to God. But I find that Jesus in Matthew and Paul in Galatians suggest something different. If “You will know them by their fruits,” and if the “fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace …,” and if “no bad tree can produce good fruit,” then what does that suggest about someone whose practice of Hinduism or Buddhism or Islam leads them to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, etc.?   It suggests that their practice is of God because it has produced the fruit of the Spirit.  For God’s Spirit is one, and God sends it to all of Creation, and I believe that God and Jesus both celebrate whenever anyone receives, embodies, and shares in God’s loving Spirit.

I hope you all have a great week.  I’m off to “CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMP!!!!”

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers

Join in praying for our Arizona Disciples Congregations. 
View the full calendar at azdisciples.org.

July

16 – Comunidad Limen Christian Church led by Pastor Pedro Ramos-Goycolea

23 – Coolwater Christian Church led by Pastor Rick Gates

30 – General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

August

6 – General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

13 – Desert Dove Christian Church led by Pastor Michael Malone

20 – Desert Heritage Church led by Pastor Derrick Elliot

27 – East Mesa Christian Church led by Pastor Charles Dubbs

Lenten Greetings

Lenten Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

I hope and pray that you are all having a meaningful journey through Lent, as we journey with Jesus on his road to the cross. Unlike the first Disciples, we know that resurrection and Easter are coming. But let’s not let that knowledge prevent us from acknowledging the very real experience of suffering in our midst. After all, new life is only necessary when it is preceded by death.

As our congregations are preparing for Holy Week, our Regional ministry is preparing for several events coming up after Easter. Registration is now open for three events: the Disciples Women Spring Event on April 22, the Church Narrative Project on April 28-29, and Summer Camp for our youth and children. You will find all three registration links in this newsletter. While I am excited about all three of these, I probably most need to explain the new event – the Church Narrative Project.

We are excited to welcome our General Minister and President, Terri Hord Owens, and our Associate General Minister, Yvonne Gilmore, back to Arizona for our Church Narrative Project – and I hope you will join us. We will gather at Foothills Christian Church on Friday evening for dinner and a night of storytelling featuring 9 Arizona Disciples. Then we’ll reconvene on Saturday from 9:00-3:00 for a day of training on the Transforming Community Conferencing process. This outstanding training will help leaders in churches with visioning, consensus building, conflict resolution, and more. I hope you will join us. This is a free event but we are asking everyone to register here so we can appropriately plan for the two meals.

As a brief example: what is the narrative you know about the United States? Is it a nation founded on the principles of liberty and well-being for all? Is it a Christian nation? Is it a nation built on the backs of enslaved Africans on land that was forcibly taken from indigenous peoples? Is it a nation of immigrants? Or a nation hostile to immigrants? What is the narrative you tell about the United States?

Similarly, what is the narrative you tell about the church? About Disciples? What have you been taught about who we are? The Church Narrative Project is a bold attempt to construct a narrative of who the Disciples are and who we want to be, built from the ground up by including Disciples from all over the Church. We hope you will be a part of constructing our narrative.

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

Regional Calendar of Weekly Prayers

Join in praying for our Arizona Disciples Congregations. View the full calendar at azdisciples.org.

March

26 – Iglesia Dios de Segunda Oportunidad led by Pastor Minerva Guzman

April

2 – General Ministries and the Easter Special Offering

9 – Office of the General Minister and President and the Easter Special Offering

16 – Larkspur Christian Church led by Pastor Job Cobos

23 – Saguaro Christian Church led by Pastor Kelley Dick

30 – Sun City Christian Church led by Pastor Brett Winters

2022 Summer Camp

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.

On the Horizon

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

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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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

 

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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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.

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.

Winter Youth Experience – January 18-19

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Click the flyer to register.

Download the flyer

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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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How Can Sports be Sacred?

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Practice. Hard work. Skills. Exercise. Competition. These are all important aspects of playing sports. And they are very important aspects of our daily lives. How do we practice our lives? Hard work can help us grow at school and at work. Skills are required to perform any task. Exercise not only keeps our bodies fit, but our minds fit as well. And competition helps us to remember that we are not alone in the world, that there are other people.

Sports have become a huge part of our lives. We watch and play them almost endlessly. We drive our kids to practices, sit and watch their swim meets for hours on end, and then it is time to crash. And because of this cycle, the church gets pushed to the back. But through sports, we can still learn about the sacredness of life and how to walk a journey of faith. Here are some ways to help form the faith of our children even when they are playing sports.

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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.)  Being Thankful
Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” It is important for us to be thankful for what we have in life. We can teach our children how to be deeply thankful during games and practice. Be thankful for your body that allows you to play the game. Be thankful for your teammates, who help you learn, grow, and succeed. And when they aren’t helpful, you can be thankful for how you learn patience. Be thankful for coaches and other adults involved. They are passing on knowledge, creating a space for learning, and passing on a game that they love. Be thankful for other teams, they are trying hard and want to win as well. Without the other team, there is no one to play. Be thankful for their time, be thankful for sharing a love of the game. Be thankful by helping them up when they fall.

2.)   Being Good and Forgiveness
Being good and asking for or offering forgiveness is not always as easy as we say it is. Especially in the heat of the moment of a highly competitive game. Our emotions run high and sometimes we say or do things that we only could think of in the spur of the moment. Maybe we foul a little harder than we mean to do. Maybe we say hurtful things to the referees or other players. Maybe we complain about a call. Maybe we throw a tantrum when our team loses. Growing up playing a lot of church league basketball, I was no stranger to my own missteps in this way. Playing sports can teach us a lot about ourselves. How do we respond under pressure? Do we snap? Or do we keep a calm demeanor? And when we don’t respond the way we should, do we ask for forgiveness? What about when an opponent does something wrong, or a teammate? Do we extend to them forgiveness?

When the world doesn’t go the way we think it will, do we respond with love or anger? Do we shake hands with our opponents? Do we thank the referees at the end of the game? When we are good, even when our emotions tell us to do other things, we allow God to shine through us. Being a good sport, shaking hands after winning and losing, helping up an opponent, forgiving others, thanking the refs, are all ways for us to show God’s love in the heat of competition.

3.)   Being a Leader
Leadership is something the bible talks about a lot. God calls us to be leaders, but what kind of leaders? A leader who makes the game about themselves? A leader who takes all the glory for themselves? A leader who shares glory? A leader who knows when to listen? A leader who convinces the team to always pass the ball to themselves? Or a leader who shows how to pass the ball? I think God calls us to lead as best as we can, which means we know when to step up, when to sit down, when to speak, and when to listen. Moses was the leader of the Hebrew people for 40 years in the wilderness, and as he and Joshua looked over into the Promise Land, Moses knew that his leadership skills were not needed in the Promise Land, or that if he doesn’t step away and allow others to step up in this transition, they may never accept new leadership. Teaching this to children will teach them to be humble, and to not put themselves first.

4.)   Being a Follower
Sometimes it is best to be a follower. To know when other’s gifts shine over ours. To know our weaknesses and strengths. Jesus called together the Disciples, and before his death, they weren’t all leaders. In fact, their job was to just follow. Teaching a kid to follow other people in sports, is a good way of teaching kids what it means to follow Jesus. If we are always the star or that the game is always about the individual, the team won’t shine, and probably won’t win.

5.)   Being a Supporter (This is for you, adults — both parent and non-parent)
Our children have to choose many times over church programs and sports or after school programs. If they choose sports, that doesn’t mean they have chosen to not be a part of the church. These kids still need to know about God’s love and God’s community. Show up to their soccer games. Show up to their band competitions. Let them know you are with them. Let them know you love them. Let them know you are proud of the hard work they put in. This will help create trusting and loving relationships for life. And it helps keep kids connected to your community of faith.

Too often we think that sports are the enemy of the church. But they aren’t. Sure, they conflict with our worship time, and sure sometimes sports don’t always teach the values the church wants to instill in its young people. But we can give thanks to God, provide faith formation, and share God’s love with others. And I don’t know what is more sacred than that.

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Youth & Children

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How Can Riding in the Car Be Sacred? The Road to Emmaus

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“American drivers spend an average of more than 17,600 minutes behind the wheel each year, according to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The research finds that more than 87.5 percent of Americans aged 16 years and older reported driving in the past year. During this time, drivers traveled nearly 10,900 miles on average and spent more than 290 hours on the road.” People are in their cars for 17,600 minutes each year, and that is just the average. Families are no exception to this, in fact, they are probably on the higher end of that average. By the time parents drop their kids off at practice, run to the grocery, pick them up from practice, get home and unload groceries, get back in the car for music lessons, and back home again. And that is just an afternoon. I didn’t even mention the long drive to the magnet school on the other side of town. 

Our car rides with family are the perfect time to take notice of the sacred, and reflect on our lives of faith. And yet, we are content with the “quiet” car ride. We are content when our children put in their headphones, or pick up the Switch, or turn on the movie. And when the family arrives at home, we go our separate ways. Either to crash on the couch, clean up, do homework, or to go and be alone. So being in the car is the perfect place to notice the sacred in our lives. As a parental figure, you are so much more than your child’s chauffeur! 

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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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In scripture, we read on multiple occasions how God meets people on the road. In Luke 24, we read about a disciple named Cleopas who is journeying with another disciple. They were talking about all the things that had happened to Jesus in the last few days. But because they were so distracted by the conversation, that they didn’t notice the sacred that was standing right in front of them.

If we would pull our eyes from our devices, and take out the earbuds, we can be present. We can interact with each other in person. So how do we interact with each other in the car that brings out the sacred, that encourages faith development? 

  • Put the phones and other devices down!
    Sure, being in the car is the perfect time for passengers to check in on Snapchat or Instagram, but then the driver is left alone (hopefully they aren’t doing these things while driving). Make a rule for your family, if one person is not able to use their phone, then no one is allowed to use a phone. 
  • Ask questions!
    “Did you have fun?” is a good question to ask when you hop in the car. But there are limited answers to that (yes, no, kinda). Ask deeper questions. Ask about any new friends they made, or how they were helpful. If we only ask “IF” they made friends or “IF” they were helpful, they will only answer “yes” or “no.” And when kids give you the typical answer of “yes” or “no,” don’t let that stop the conversation, ask those 5-W’s “who, what, when, where, and why.” The longer you keep your children engaged in conversation, the less likely they are going to want to put their earbuds in. 
  • Keep your eyes open to God’s creation!
    Most of the time our drives are pretty repetitive, to and from work/school/practice/church. We don’t use our eyes to notice the extraordinary gift that we have around us. Ask “what do you see?” Do they see a farm? A park? Is it raining? Sunny? Are there people enjoying the day? When they tell you what they see, ask questions about what they see. “What does a farm do?” “Where do you see God in a farm?” If it is a wheat farm, for example, you can talk about how that wheat is turned into bread, and how that ordinary bread becomes holy when we eat together in worship. Talk about stewardship of the earth, and how you understand our role in the participation of caring for God’s earth. “Do you see that mountain? It is really up there!” Tell a “mountaintop story” and how you saw God in that moment. Ask your kids about their “mountaintop” moments and how they saw God. 
  • Have the kids read scripture in the car!
    You may or may not have a bible in the car, but you have access to it on your phone. Read the scripture that your church is using for worship on Sunday, or slowly read through a book of the Bible. Ask questions about what you just read, tell your kids how you understand that scripture. Tell your kids that you have questions about what you just read. 
  • Listen to music together!
    Lately in life I have come to the realization that the music I grew up listening to (90’s pop, alt-rock, hip-hop) is not something kids know a lot about. And yet, I still see teenagers discovering Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and anyone else from the 1970’s. If our kids don’t hear the music that brought us joy, or carried us through times of trouble, then where else will they find it? Now, this sounds like the rant of a crazed person yelling “GET OFF MY LAWN!” but it isn’t. I have found sacred in the music of John Prine. John Prine is not an artist I would have chosen to listen to. But because my father played him in the car, I know the depth and beauty of his songs. I see the joy his music brings my dad, and the joy my dad has when we sing together, or when we go see John Prine live together. The joy a parent finds in their child is a very biblical notion. Also, let them pick out music from time to time, but not always. This is an easy way to teach kids the passing on of tradition and knowledge. If they get to pick everything, it becomes only about them. YOU, the parents, get to pass things on to your children. This is important. 
  • Play games together!
    Simple enough. “I Spy,” “The Grocery Game,” “The License Plate Game” are all examples of games even drivers can play. Play brings us closer, creates stories, and brings joy, all of these things I believe God wants from us. 
  • Have “Care Kits” in your car to give to those asking for help
    Teach your kids how to share God’s love by giving to those who are seeking help. Many people don’t like giving money to people on the streets, but you can create Care Kits that have snack bars, water bottles, restaurant gift cards, sunscreen, etc. inside. Have the kids write a note for the kit with a prayer, scripture, or blessing. This will help kids put faith into practice. 
  • Share your story!
    We often expect our children to share their story with us, but they need to know our stories as well. I know many stories of my parents’ childhoods because they talked to us in the car. I know about the churches my parents grew up in because of car rides, I know about their neighborhoods, and about my grandparents. When we expect our children to be open with us, we have to lead by example. 

When our families are in different places, whether because of school, sports, split families, parties, or even church, we have to have intentional time to dive deep into our faith. Otherwise, they may not notice the everyday sacred. And if they do notice, they may not understand why it is sacred. This is the sacred responsibility of parents and families.

Rev. Jay Deskins, Arizona Regional Youth and Children’s Minister

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Youth & Children

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Affirmations – DUCC 2019

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I can’t believe that camp has come and gone, it feels like yesterday that we began planning this summer’s camp and now it is a few weeks in our rearview! What an impactful week for so many of our campers and adults! During our time together, we worshipped, played, had deep conversations about how we understand God moves in the world, we sang, we ate, and, thankfully, we slept. This summer was our first as Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ Church Camp (DUCC). While we experienced literal growing pains (did you know that it takes twice as long to get twice as many people through a meal line??), but in the end, camp was camp.

One of my favorite camp traditions that seems to span regions and even denominations is at the end of the week we give each other “affirmations.” In Family Groups each camper and adult gets a chance to hear and read positive things about themselves from members of their group. It is always one of the most impactful events of camp. Our kids today don’t get affirmed by their peers all that often, and many times not by adults either. But when kids hear “To see you having fun and being happy is special,” or  “you are the coolest person,” or “meeting you was meeting a legend” (actual quotes from campers to other campers), it carries them through the year. Knowing that even during the tough days of school, where many of our kids hear that they aren’t good enough or smart enough, they have words of love from a community of love will give them sabbath from the world. When we hear affirmations, we hear God’s voice. And that alone is worth every penny that our region, churches, and families spend on camp.

Rev. Jay Deskins

Regional Youth and Children’s Minister, DUCC Director

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Spark the Wildfire of God’s Love

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Wow! DUCC is just a few months away! I can’t believe we are so close! We hope that the transition to our new registration system has been good for you and the families of your churches. I appreciate the patience and grace that has been given to the regional office as we live into this new model of camp and way of registering. DUCC (Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ Church Camp) is quickly filling up, in fact, we are ahead of where we were this time last year, so please make sure you are registering your kids! Don’t wait!

Our theme for DUCC this year is “Be the Spark.” We are going to be talking about what it means to be the spark that sets ablaze the wildfire of God’s love in the world. A few weeks ago I saw this sign on Catalina Highway in Tucson:

One Less Spark - One Less WildfireWhile this photo is warning us how we should be careful with fire in the wild, I was hit with this sign for another reason. It was another kind of warning to me: if we keep the spark that we know to be God’s love to ourselves, and never share it, we are unable to spark the wildfire of God’s love.

This is especially true with our kids. So many parents today want kids to find their own way, and never encourage them to participate in a community of faith, leaving them to be brought up not by a community of love, but by the voices of the outside world that tells them that they aren’t good enough, that they aren’t attractive, and that they aren’t worthy of being loved. At camp, our kids are not allowed to have their phones. This keeps them from distracted by the endless texts, or scrolling through Instagram, and keeps them focused on the community they are a part of. Where they are taught about God’s love and the love of a community of faith. We can let the wildfire of negativity take over our children, or we can let the wildfire of God’s love reign in our kid’s hearts. So help spark the fire of God’s love in a kid’s life and encourage them to come to camp!

 

Rev. Jay Deskins

Regional Youth and Children’s Minister

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5 Things You and Your Church Can Do To Support Camp Ministry!

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So we all know that Summer Break means many things, but what is most important? Not going to school, duh! But outside of that is CAMP! At the most recent Mission Focus and Administrative Board meeting, the overwhelming answer to the question, “What is the most impactful ministry that a region (Arizona or other) has provided you?” was “CAMP!” This is not so uncommon, in fact, this is quite common in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). And yet, camp numbers are dropping, both financial numbers and enrollment. I want to reverse that trend, especially here in Arizona. So, what can you and/or your church do to help out with camp? I am glad you asked! 

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1.) Have a Camp Takeover in Worship!
– Invite your kids/youth/young adults/adults who are recent participants in camp to share a brief story about how camp has impacted them. If you don’t have any recent camp participants, then you can:
– Invite the Regional Youth and Children’s Minister and some Youth Leadership Team members to come and talk to your church about camp!
– Replace all your hymns with camp songs (they are all worship songs anyways!)
2.) Sponsor a Camper (or 100)!
– Many youth and children come to camp on some sort of scholarship, either from their church or from the region. These funds rely on the donations of awesome people and awesome churches!
– You can sponsor a child on your own, or you can go in as a group with a Sunday School class, small group, or a whole church!
– Loose change offering, after church meals or fellowship times,
3.) Send a Child or Youth
– It is hard to believe that many of our youth and children have still never been to camp. Camp has many benefits to our young people: self-confidence boost, a sense of independence, strengthened faith, new friends, and a community that is full of love and support.
4.) Donate to Camp!
– Outside of scholarships, camp needs funds for crafts, activities, snacks, first-aid supplies, just to name a few things! It doesn’t sound as cool as “Sponsor a Camper,” but it is very important to the ministry of camp! If you would like to donate money to help out behind the scenes please consider a donation to camp. Visit our Youth and Children’s Ministry page to make a donation.
5.) Pray for Camp 
– Our camp needs prayer! Especially in this year of transition, camp needs prayer!
– The youth and children need prayers for safety and fun!
– The adults need prayers for SANITY! And also for safety and fun!
 
If you would like help with any of these things, please reach out to me, the Regional Youth and Children’s Minister, Rev. Jay Deskins (jdeskins@azdisciples.org). I am so excited about the future of our camp ministry, but camp needs YOU!

Peace,

Rev. Jay Deskins, Regional Youth and Children’s Minister

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Youth & Children

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