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Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

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We Will Still be Church

Arizona Disciples,

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

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

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

Visit the new page by clicking here.

May God’s blessings uplift you now and always,

Pastor Jay

Links

Resources and Statements from Disciples Ministries

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

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

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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

Regarding COVID-19

Greetings, beloved Arizona Disciples:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Jay

Indiana Disciples encouraged to consider cancelling worship this week.

My friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure you have hand sanitizer and wipes available.

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

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

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

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

Links

Disciples ministries statement concerning COVID-19

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

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

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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

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

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

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

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

This form below is secured by 256 bit encryption on a PCI compliant network. Click here to view it in its own page.

This window is secured by 256 bit encryption on a PCI compliant network. Click here to view this window in its own page.

Click the View the Full Brochure

Click the Download the Flyer

Parent Guardian FAQs

Only a legal parent or guardian can register a camper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Church FAQs

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

Yes!

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

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

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

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

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

The Multi-Faceted Meaning of Church

Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

Sign the Letter

Ministerial Standing Form

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

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

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

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

RSVP for the Installation of Rev. Jay Ross Hartley

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

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

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

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

Schedule

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

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

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

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

Christmas Special Offering

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay R. Hartley

 

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

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

  • supports worldwide disaster relief and development

Easter Offering: (collected Palm Sunday & Easter)

  • supports General Ministries – all our national units

Pentecost Offering:  (collected Pentecost & the Sunday before)

  • supports creating new churches

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

  • supports Disciples anti-racism and pro-reconciliation work

Thanksgiving Offering: (collected the two Sundays before Thanksgiving)

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

Christmas Offering: (collected the two Sundays before Christmas)

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

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What We Must Always Ask

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Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

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

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

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

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

Dios les bendiga!

Pastor Jay
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

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Images credit to National Benevolent Association (NBA)

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Winter Youth Experience – January 18-19

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Click the flyer to register.

Download the flyer

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BIG things, little things, and an invitation.

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Greetings in the Love of Jesus Christ:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President
Christian Church in Arizona

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How Can This be Sacred? Halloween

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

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How Can This Be Sacred?

series by Rev. Jay Deskins

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

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

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1. Sharing (Hebrews 13: 16)

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

2. Welcome (Matthew 25: 35)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Youth & Children

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Feed My Sheep: a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and India

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

Submitted by LaVerne Thorpe, Global Mission Board Member

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

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

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

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

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

First reflections from your new Regional Minister and President.

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Greetings in the Love of Jesus Christ:

After three weeks, I am beginning to settle in as your new Regional Minister and President.  I’ve hung my diplomas, unboxed my books, rearranged the office furniture, moved into my apartment, and finally feel like life is settling down a bit.

But more importantly, I’ve enjoyed meeting wonderful Disciples from all over Arizona.  Highlights include:

  • Disciples Women’s Retreat in Prescott
  • Worship with First Christian Church of Prescott
  • Meeting with the Search Committee of East Mesa CC
  • Meeting with La Mesa, the leadership group of the Arizona Convencion
  • A week in Tucson meeting individually with every congregational pastor, together as a group with all congregational pastors (see photo), and with some of the members of Desert Dove, FCC, Saguaro, and Marana
  • Worship with Community Christian Church of Marana
  • An evening with Pastor Elias Garcia at Alfa y Omega
  • Retired minister’s breakfast
  • Regional Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism training for clergy
  • Worship with Foothills Christian Church celebrating their 30th anniversary
  • Individual meetings with Don & Kathy Bryant (interim pastors at Coolwater CC), Nick Greenwalt (interim pastor of East Mesa CC), Abigail Conley (pastor of Chalice CC), Valeria Bejar (Disciples Immigration Response Specialist), and Jim Barton (Regional Moderator), and more (some being confidential)

I look forward to meeting several more of you at Pastor Rep on Wednesday in Phoenix and Thursday in Tucson.

Some initial impressions:   We have much to celebrate in Arizona.  We have strong pastors who are connected to each other, supportive of each other, and open to learning and growth.  We have congregations engaged in mission and ministry, offering care and comfort to people in need.  We have leaders passionate about church camp. And we seem to be saying goodbye to the summer heat, which will mean saying hello to several returning church members.

We also have the opportunity to be an example to our denomination and our world by working together and building truly significant cross-racial partnerships.  So many efforts to bring races together are based on superficial togetherness, pretending that we all love each other but not really understanding the underlying realities that everyone faces.  I believe we have the leadership and opportunity here in the Christian Church in Arizona to go deeper than that, and I look forward to sharing that journey with you.

Peace, Love, and Justice for all,

Pastor Jay

Regional Minister and President, Christian Church in Arizona

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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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Convención Disciples Women’s Congress

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Mental Health First Aid and W.I.S.E. Conference on November 1 & 2

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Registration coming soon! For the most up to date information visit www.swcucc.org.

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November 1: Mental Health First Aid

Training program that teaches members of the public how to help a person developing a mental health problem (including a substance use problem), experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem, or in a mental health crisis.

Session 1: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Lunch: 12 – 1 p.m. | Session 2: 1 – 5 p.m.

Facilitators

Michael Donnelly is the Pastor of Care and Counseling at Bethany Bible Church. He is currently also a Doctorate of Education Candidate in Organizational Leadership at GCU. Michael has over 20 years of counseling experience in public behavioral health settings. Michael is a member of the Arizona ACE Consortium and is a state trainer for ACES and Trauma.

For more information contact Michael at: Michael@bbcphx.org

Toni Donnelly is the Director of Training and Innovation for the Family Involvement Center in Phoenix Arizona. The mother of three adult sons (who have been her primary teachers about systems, services, and system change), she has been working as a parent, partnering with others to improve systems and options for families since 1999. Toni is a member of the Arizona ACE Consortium and is a state trainer for ACES and Trauma, and is also a trained Spiritual Director through Leadership Transformations SELAH program.

For more information contact Toni at: Toni@familyinvolvementcenter.org

 

Elizabeth Ortiz de Valdez, M.D. graduated in 1969 from the School of Medicine at the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. In 1974, Dr. Valdez obtained her post-doctoral degree in Psychiatry.  Since 2005, Dr. Ortiz de Valdez is a Certified Trainer in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) & Mental Health First Aid-Youth,, MHFA (Veterans and military) MHFA for older adults and REDES (MHFA in Spanish) for adults and youth.

Dr. Ortiz de Valdez co-founded and has been the President and  CEO of Concilio Latino de Salud, Inc., a non-profit, community-based organization, dedicated to improving the overall health of the Hispanic/Latino community in Maricopa County, Arizona through health promotion and disease prevention. She is also co-founder of Cultural Communities United in Health and Wellness (CCUHW) and a founding member of the American Union Against STDs and HIV (UNACETs) among other coalitions and organizations.

Dr. Ortiz de Valdez has served on numerous Board of Directors including: Friendly House; Planned Parenthood of Central Arizona; American Red Cross, Central Arizona Chapter; American Cancer Society; Casey Family Program; American Heart Association. Family Involvement among others.

Email: drortizdevaldez@gmail.com

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November 2: W.I.S.E. Conference

includes a keynote by Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, workshops, basics of starting a mental health ministry, opening and closing worship, and more. This post will be updated with details soon.

Participants are encouraged to attend both events.

Inspiration and practical Steps to implement mental health ministry in your congregation:

  • Ways congregations can address mental health concerns
  • Stories from persons affected by mental health issues
  • Practical steps to engage in a mental health ministry
  • Introduction to the WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, Engaged) Covenant
  • Network with those who are on the journey to address mental health challenges
  • On–going support

A WISE congregation has joined the mission to being Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged in the mental health of the community and the wider world.

For more information, email Alan Johnson at revalan2004@comcast.net and visit this webpage.

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@ Church of the Beatitudes

Phoenix, AZ

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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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Introducing Rev. Jay Hartley

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The Christian Church in Arizona calls Rev. Jay Hartley as Regional Minister and President.

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July 16, 2019

The Christian Church in Arizona is overjoyed to announce its calling of Reverend Jay Hartley as Regional Minister and President.  On Saturday, July 13, 2019, the Region held a Special Regional Assembly to hear the Regional Search Team’s nomination and overwhelmingly approved calling Rev. Hartley to the position.

Rev. Hartley is a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and will come to the Christian Church in Arizona from Eastwood Christian Church, where he has served since August of 2000. The Region looks forward to Rev. Hartley exercising his collaborative leadership style, his long history of mentorship, and his deep abiding love for the Gospel in his new role in Arizona.

The Region expresses tremendous gratitude for Rev. Richie Sanchez who has served as our interim Regional Minister and President for nearly two years.  Rev. Sanchez’s guidance and spirit of joy will be missed. But we are heartened by the knowledge that he will be serving nearby as Regional Minister of the Pacific Southwest Region.

The Christian Church in Arizona is poised for great things in the future, and our excitement and enthusiasm are elevated by the potential represented by calling Rev. Hartley. Amen!

James E. Barton II
Regional Moderator
Search Team Chair

Con gran gozo, la Iglesia Cristiana en Arizona se complace en anunciar el llamado del Reverendo Jay Hartley como Ministro Regional y Presidente. El Sábado, 13 de Julio de 2019, la Region se reunió en una Asamblea Especial para escuchar la nominación del Equipo de Búsqueda y con gran emoción el llamado del Rev. Hartley fue aprobado, a la posición antes mencionada.

El Rev. Hartley es graduado de la Escuela de Divinidades de Vanderbilt y viene a la Iglesia Cristiana en Arizona, directamente de la Iglesia Cristiana de Eastwood, donde a estado sirviendo desde Agosto del año 2000. La Region espera con ansia el ejercicio de liderazgo colaborativo que caracteriza el estilo del Rev. Hartley, al igual que su extensa historia como mentor, y un profundo y permanente amor por el Evangelio en su nuevo llamado en Arizona.

La Region también quiere expresar un profundo agradecimiento por el Rev. Richie Sanchez quien ha servido como Ministro Regional Interino y Presidente por casi dos años. La guía y el espíritu alegre del Rev. Sanchez se extrañaran, pero, somos reconfortados sabiendo que seguirá siendo nuestro vecino sirviendo como Ministro Regional de la Region del Suroeste del Pacifico.

La iglesia Cristiana en Arizona esta lista para grandes cosas en el futuro, y nuestro entusiasmo y emoción son aumentados por el potencial que representa el llamado del Rev. Hartley. ¡Amen!

James E. Barton II
Moderador Regional
Director del Comité de Búsqueda

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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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Church CMF Grant – First Christian Church Scottsdale & Health Packs

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Mission and Ministry Grant makes it possible to feed hungry middle school kids on weekends

There are hungry children in Title 1 schools who qualify for the federal program which provides free or reduced-price lunches at school. However, for some of these children school breakfast and lunch programs are their primary source of nutrition. Sadly, on the weekends they do not have access to such meals.

The Healthy Packs program was founded to help this gap by providing kid-friendly, weekend food, sent home in backpacks for elementary age children. Their mission is to make sure school students have enough to eat on the weekends so each child can return to school on Monday morning mentally aware and physically able to concentrate and learn.

This need isn’t limited to elementary school students of course, and many older students are also hungry on weekends. The Church Creative Mission and Ministry grant application submitted by First Christian Church Scottsdale asked for funds to help expand this program to a middle school.

“Our prayers were answered” exclaimed Rev. Judy Stall, Minister of Outreach at First Christian Church. “With the awarded grant money, we started a pilot program of giving $5 McDonald’s meal cards to 20 middle schoolers at one middle school. We found that providing a meal card, instead of the food bag used with the primary students, worked much better with that age group… [since] they were often embarrassed to claim the food bags that the younger students were receiving. McDonalds was chosen since they are so numerous and that they are in the top ten fast food restaurants where nutritious food can be a choice.”

Rev. Stall notes “The response from the participating middle school students has been terrific. One student wrote us, “Thank you for the McDonald’s gift cards. It has been helpful to me. When I don’t have food, I use the card. Also, sometimes my sister comes with me to McDonald’s. I love having my card and using it. Thank you so much.” That’s just one student impacted by the generosity of the Mission & Ministry Grant.”

The Church Creative Mission and Ministry grant money provided seed money to start this test pilot program.  It has been so well received that next school year the Healthy Packs program is going to expand the food card program into a second middle school.

“As founder of the Healthy Packs program and on behalf of the Healthy Packs Advisory Council I can’t thank the Arizona Region and the Church Creative Mission and Ministry grant committee enough for seeding this new and exciting program. There are middle schools students like the one quoted above who also want to say ,”Thank you” for enabling us to be “the hands and feet of God” in reaching out to these hungry middle school kids in need.” – Rev. Judy Stall.

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Church Creative Mission and Ministry grants help Arizona Disciples churches fund transformation processes and ventures that engage the congregation’s surrounding communities to address poverty and/or systemic injustice/s.

These grants are made possible through legacy gifts from Beryl Meritt. We are grateful for her dedication to new mission and ministry in Arizona.

Click the button below to learn more about the grant, including the application and award schedules.

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DWM Retreat Registration Now Open!

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This window is secured by 256 bit encryption on a PCI compliant network. Click here to view this window in its own page.

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Update from Search Team and Notice of Emergency Assembly on July 13, 2019

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On June 5th congregations were mailed the letter below (in English and Spanish accordingly), along with important information about filing delegate names | En el 5 de junio de 2019 las congregaciones recibieron por correo la carta a continuación (en inglés y español, según corresponda), junto con información importante sobre cómo presentar los nombres de los delegados el 5 de junio de 2019.

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June 5, 2019

Dear Arizona Disciples Congregations,

The Search Team has selected a pastor to recommend to the Assembly for the position of Regional Minister and President.  As you are aware, the search was conducted in accordance with the process provided by the General Church.  We were guided by the following passage from Acts:

Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Like the apostles, we prayed and studied in and around doing our work.  Rather than casting lots, however, our process involved over a year of developing a regional profile, describing the position being sought, screening applications, checking references, conducting on-line and in-person interviews, and finally selecting the person we discerned to be called to be our new Regional Minister and President.

The nominee is in the process of notifying the church the nominee currently serves.  As such, we will hold off until Monday, July 8, 2019, to release the identity and background of the individual the Search Team is submitting to the Assembly for approval.

The Administrative Council has voted to hold an Emergency Assembly for the purpose of calling this nominee on July 13, 2019, beginning at 3:30 p.m. We will gather with the candidate at Community Christian Church, Tempe and will broadcast the meeting to First Christian Church, Tucson for those in Tucson who may be unable to travel to Phoenix. Voting delegates will be able to vote at both locations.

Included in this letter is a voting delegates worksheet with your congregation’s number of allowed delegates. Names of voting delegates must be submitted to the Regional Office no later than July 1, 2019.

We are all excited about what God has in store for the Christian Church in Arizona and look forward to this new and exciting chapter.  On behalf of the Search Team, I hope that you can join us–live or remotely–on July 13th.

Yours,

Jim Barton

Regional Moderator & Search Team Chair

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June 5, 2019

Queridas Congregaciones de Discípulos de Arizona,

El Equipo de Búsqueda ha seleccionado un pastor para recomendar a la Asamblea para el puesto de Ministro Regional y Presidente. Como saben, la búsqueda se realizó de acuerdo con el proceso provisto por la Iglesia General. Fuimos guiados por el siguiente pasaje de Hechos:

Y oraron así: «Señor, tú que conoces el corazón de todos, muéstranos a cuál de estos dos has elegido para que se haga cargo del servicio apostólico que Judas dejó para irse al lugar que le correspondía.»  Luego echaron suertes y la elección recayó en Matías; así que él fue reconocido junto con los once apóstoles.

Al igual que los apóstoles, oramos y estudiamos en y alrededor de nuestro trabajo. Sin embargo, en lugar de echar suertes, nuestro proceso involucró más de un año en el desarrollo de un perfil regional, la descripción de la posición que se buscaba, la selección de solicitudes, la verificación de referencias, la realización de entrevistas en línea y en persona y finalmente, seleccionar a la persona que discernimos para que sea llamado a ser nuestro nuevo Ministro y Presidente Regional.

El candidato está en el proceso de notificar a la iglesia a la que el candidato sirve actualmente. Como tal, esperaremos hasta el lunes 8 de julio de 2019 para divulgar la identidad y el historial de la persona que el Equipo de búsqueda presentara a la Asamblea para su aprobación.

El Consejo Administrativo ha votado para celebrar una Asamblea de Emergencia con el propósito de llamar a este candidato el 13 de julio de 2019, a partir de las 3:30 p.m. Nos reuniremos con el candidato en Community Christian Church, Tempe, y transmitiremos la reunión a First Christian Church, Tucson para aquellos en Tucson que no puedan viajar a Phoenix. Los delegados que votan podrán votar en ambos lugares.

En esta carta se incluye una hoja de trabajo para los delegados que votan con el número de delegados permitidos de su congregación. Los nombres de los delegados con derecho a voto deben enviarse a la Oficina Regional a más tardar el 1 de julio de 2019.

Todos estamos entusiasmados con lo que Dios tiene reservado para la Iglesia Cristiana en Arizona y esperamos este nuevo y emocionante capítulo. En nombre del equipo de búsqueda, espero que pueda unirse a nosotros, en vivo o de forma remota, el 13 de julio.

Suyo,

Jim Barton

Regional Moderator & Search Team Chair

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