Author: Web Admin

We are taking a healthy hiatus from our regular style of worship at The Palms.

Worship Words of Wisdom: Adjusting our sails, pressing onward, we are exploring new ways to proclaim the love of God.

What we are doing:

On Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be video-recording a worship service in the sanctuary to be broadcast on our website on Sunday morning. This will have most of the elements of our typical worship services including scripture, sermon, hymns, and prayers.

On Sunday mornings the sanctuary will be open from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for personal prayer time, lighting a candle, prayers with a pastor, and quiet meditation. No program will be offered. Please keep the recommended social distance.

Our office remains open during the normal hours: Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are asking that if you need to come by the office that you knock on the office door. Please do not come into the office; remain in the hallway. We will come to you. Let Pastor Jim or I know of your pastoral needs. Call us on the telephone or email us.

Pastor Jim and I will be sharing daily devotionals with you. These will be brief audio statements, again, accessible online. Check here on our website and/or our Facebook page frequently for the posts.

Please continue to worship – just adjust your sails. You can join us by doing the following:

  • Pray for your church and your pastors each day.
  • Observe the sabbath; find a specific time and set it aside for prayer and meditation.
  • Continue to support your church financially by having your financial institution send your automatic giving. Or, simply mail a check to us.

During this protective postponement pause to our regular schedule, pray for personal and collective wisdom, strength, and courage. Thanks for being The Palms.

Rev. Paul A. Whitlock
Rev. Jim Alexander

Spring has sprung into the Service Project Craft Group

Our tables in King Hall are now filled with spring and Easter items we’ve made.

  • We have new shopping bags with our church logo on them!
  • We’ve made new cotton towels for your kitchen!
  • Also new are the baby wraps for infants in car seats.
  • The small hearts are always a welcome “I care about you” to give at any time.

And maybe the Easter Bunny will bring a child’s quilt to your little ones. Our creations change weekly as we make things, so check our tables often. If you knit or crochet at home, we need your help: we have requests for 400 hats and 250 soap holders! We’ll provide yarn and patterns.

Service Project Craft Group

Update from the I-HELP Meal Ministry

Thank you to all who have donated food and prepared meals for our I-Help (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program) guests. We, once again, have been blessed by the generosity of our church family and friends, and our guests have been so very appreciative of all that has been contributed.

We have learned that our ministry greatly benefits from volunteers bringing an already prepared, ready-to-eat evening meal on our host nights, rather than foods that require preparation. If you would like to provide the evening meal, breakfast or sack lunches for our guests, please sign up on the whiteboard in the I-Help closet next to King Hall, and let Laurie Cathey know what you will bring. Questions? Call Laurie Cathey or Suzanne Boisclair.

I-Help meal-ministry volunteers are needed in March for the following dates:

Dinner: March 2, 6, 30
Breakfast: March 31
Lunch: March 17, 31

Treasures and Treats at our Spring Rummage & Bake Sale

*** POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 ***

NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED IN MAY

Church of the Palms, 14808 N Boswell Boulevard, Sun City, Arizona 85351

Our church rummage sale is famous for its:

furniture at the rummage saleTreasures: furniture, housewares, books, clothes, DVDs, CDs, office items, linens, notions, shoes, electronics, and MORE

Bakery pop-up: cakes, pies, brownies, cookies…(we have the BEST bakers)

Lunch combos: Hot dog, chips, soda, and a cookie $4.00

Add 50 cents and swap out that hot dog for a coney dog, meatball hero, or a sloppy joe!

The hours are:

Thursday 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Friday 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturday 7:30 AM to 12:00 Noon

You can use a credit card for purchases of $100 or more.

Shop with a friend, or bring your family! It’s a great place to meet your neighbors, too. We look forward to seeing you.

Dysart Community Center and The Church of the Palms

The Church of the Palms has a partnership with the Dysart Community Center. Here are ways you can help:

February “Giving Tree” for After School Kids
Open your hearts for the kids. There are 200+ children in the After School Kids Club that are sometimes without socks and underwear. A giving tree will be in the narthex in February filled with suggestions of sizes on pink and blue hearts. Take one or as many hearts as you can to help. Bring the items back to the church.

English as a Second Language
Can you help teach English as a Second Language for adults? If you are interested in teaching a group, contact Joe Reyes or for one-to-one lessons contact Nancy Mueller. You can also contact Linda or Kurt Hofmann to assist with conversational English sessions.

Reading is FUNdamental
There are after school reading and game playing volunteer opportunities. They meet on Tuesdays from January through March. The bus leaves the church at 3:15 and returns by 5:00. Contact Jane Lane or Sharon Pitts.

Chili Cookoff!

Sunday, January 12 after worship

Mark your calendar and get ready for our next Church of the Palms mouthwatering epicurean event: another world-famous chili cookoff on Sunday, January 12th in King Hall following our Sunday service. You can find the sign-up sheets on the opportunity table in the narthex (or call the church office).

You may sign up to bring chili (limit 12 chefs) or just plan to attend and enjoy a wonderful chili lunch.

You may also sign up to bring cornbread or your favorite chili side dish.

Proceeds go to support the ministries of our church.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020

Mark your calendar and please plan on attending one or more of the Week of Prayer services at churches around Sun City during the week of January 20th.
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The presentation theme this year is: “They Showed Us Unusual Kindness” -Acts 28:2.

The emphasis this year is on all churches demonstrating “unusual kindnesses” to each other and as one to the world in need.

The schedule for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is as follows (the first church listed is the host church, the second church is the supporting church).

Monday, Jan. 20: First Presbyterian w/ St Christopher’s
Tuesday, Jan. 21: United Church of Sun City w/ Faith Presbyterian
Wednesday, Jan. 22: St Elizabeth Seton w/ Church of the Palms
Thursday, Jan. 23: All Saints of the Desert w/ St Joachim & St Anne
Friday, Jan. 24: First United Methodist w/ Shepherd of the Desert

Services: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
Fellowship lunch: 12:30 – 1 p.m.

Look for additional details in Sunday bulletins as the Week of Prayer approaches. If you have questions, please contact Pat & John Durbin.

Educational and spiritual growth opportunities

The Church of the Palms offers several educational opportunities to assist folks in their spiritual journeys.

Events are subject to cancellation; please confirm with the church office 623.977.8359.

MONDAY MORNING LIFELONG LEARNING (10 AM – 11:30 AM)

We begin 2020 on January 6 with something new for our Lifelong Learning Monday morning class. Jim Yang-Hellewell will teach this class, “The Challenge of Paul,” beginning January 6.

The apostle Paul is the second most important figure in the history of Christianity. We arguably know more about the historical Paul than we do about the historical Jesus. Scholarly ink abounds. And you may already have an opinion. Join us for a DVD / discussion-based class about this fascinating person. The DVD features the noted New Testament scholar, John Dominic Crossan.

Jim Yang-Hellewell is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.) He has also studied at Boston College’s school of theology and Andover-Newton Theological Seminary. Jim chose to enter the field of social work and received a Master of Social Work degree from ASU. He practiced as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over thirty years with a focus on child and family issues, particularly issues of family violence. An Episcopalian, Jim has become a friend of COTP, attends services frequently, and regularly attends our Cosmic Christian group. We welcome him now as teacher.

MONDAY AFTERNOON LIFELONG LEARNING (11:30 AM – 1 PM)

“Living the Questions” led by Linette Stenberg.

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFASTS (2ND TUESDAYS at 8:30 AM)

Continental-style breakfasts follow a speaker and program. Bring a friend or neighbor. Freewill offerings accepted to defray the cost.

INCHWORMS (Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30 a.m.)

Currently reading and discussing Karen Armstrong’s book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, led by Nick Nichols.

COSMIC CHRISTIANS (Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

This energetic group reads and discusses progressive theology
and its perspective on contemporary issues. Continued study of Becoming Wise by Krista Tippet. This class is led by Linette Stenberg.

JUMPSTART (Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.)

Bring a light snack to enjoy. John Durbin, director of our Social Justice Action Team, leads this class that follows the weekly liturgy.

JACK EVANS PRESENTS: The Palms’ monthly film

Check the upcoming features here.

PALMS CINEMA

Check the upcoming features here.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON LIFELONG LEARNING (1:30-3 PM)

(currently on hiatus)

SUNDAY MORNING DISCUSSION (8:30 AM -9:30 AM)

Beginning February 9, 2020 Debby Stinton will facilitate our Sunday Morning Discussion. We will start with The Great Courses “Gnosticism: From Nah Hammadi to the Gospel of Judas” taught by Professor David Brakke from The Ohio State University.