Before each summer hits us, I have this naïve thought that maybe this year it won’t be so hot. Then record heat fries us and my brain back into reality. It has been a typical summer season – one with record heat and we are melting. Some of the good comments about the heat that… Continue reading I have the same naïve thought every year…
Author: Web Admin
A deeply profound and revealing assignment!
How has your church blessed you this past month? It sounded like a simple question – how has the church blessed you? Yet, as person after person shared, I realized that the simple assignment was deeply profound and far more revealing than I first imagined. How has your church blessed you this past month? Everyone responded— those… Continue reading A deeply profound and revealing assignment!
We will not be “taking the summer off” of ministry
When Hitler began interfering with the churches and humiliating, torturing, and killing the Jews, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a loyal German himself, began to resist and protest. Being a minister, he refused to take part in the state churches which bowed to the Nazi’s demands. Some other ministers faced this tragic situation with quite a different logic.… Continue reading We will not be “taking the summer off” of ministry
Dysart Community Center Update
Dysart’s summer camps are underway with 150 children in El Mirage and 75 in Surprise. They’re attending free of charge thanks to a state of Arizona grant from the governor’s office. The center appreciates the snacks and grocery items that church members have given to the center for the camp attendees. Thanks for your continued… Continue reading Dysart Community Center Update
The Progress Pride Flag
One of Howard Thurman’s most famous quotes is, “Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because the world needs people who have come alive.” As we emerge from the Covid cocoon, we are exploring how to come alive—our mission for 2023 is “What makes you come alive? Go and do it.” After… Continue reading The Progress Pride Flag
Super Summer Salad Spectacular!
July 30th after the worship service The Fellowship Team is excited to announce that the Church of The Palms Annual Super Summer Salad Spectacular will be returning on the last Sunday in July. We provide nice fresh crisp lettuce and you bring your favorite diverse and wonderful ingredients that make a salad…well, a SALAD. It… Continue reading Super Summer Salad Spectacular!
Quick fix for hypocrisy
Mahatma Gandhi reportedly said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” He’s not alone. It’s not so much that Christians have an image problem. It’s far more likely that we have an integrity problem. The problem with many non-Christians isn’t that they don’t know any… Continue reading Quick fix for hypocrisy
“Isn’t it great that they found someone to love.”
Fifty-two years ago, when I was still a child, I met my first same-gender couple. It was 1971. The occasion was a family reunion to which the whole farming community was invited – we’re talking over a hundred folks. There was plenty of food, lots of cousins to play with, and a diverse group of… Continue reading “Isn’t it great that they found someone to love.”
Our Progressive Art Installation story—in pictures
The Progressive Art Installation began right after the Annual Meeting in January 2023. At that meeting, I challenged the congregation with this: “What makes you come alive? Go and do it.” Jeff Scruggs helped us envision a design with butterflies that would grow and change each week. It started with a stump – then a… Continue reading Our Progressive Art Installation story—in pictures
Church of the Palms Social Justice Champion for 2022: Beth Moore
The Volunteer Engagement Committee working with Social Justice Leadership Team has selected Beth Moore for the 2022 Social Justice Champion Award. Beth attributes much of her social activism to her upbringing in the Methodist tradition where John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, worked among the marginalized coal miners of Great Britain in the early 1700s.… Continue reading Church of the Palms Social Justice Champion for 2022: Beth Moore