Category: Other News

Learn About Church of the Palms

Wednesday, March 20th at 3:30 in King Hall

If you would like to learn more about The Church of the Palms and/or are considering joining as a member or associate member, please plan on attending an information session on Wednesday, March 20th 3:30 in King Hall.

The session will provide an opportunity to meet church leaders, obtain information about the United Church of Christ and discover the many opportunities to be involved in our church life.

A light supper, provided by the Board of Evangelism, and an opportunity for fellowship will follow the information session. Folks wishing to join our church will be introduced to our members at the Sunday March 24th service.

Please sign the Covenant Book in the narthex and indicate if you are considering joining the church or are just seeking more information about our church.

Celebrate Your Roots and Embrace Your Personal History

Presented by the Social Justice Action Team

Sunday, March 17th, in King Hall at noon, following worship

Come to an all-church potluck and program event for members and friends where we will share, explore, and celebrate our various personal heritage stories.

Please bring a dish to share that reflects your ancestry, or a salad, side dish or dessert. Don’t know your history/ancestry? Just bring a favorite dish. You may wish to wear clothing which reflects your ancestry/heritage. Think about sharing stories, perhaps about how family traditions have been maintained, or how holidays and birthdays have been celebrated.

Featured Speaker: Attorney Brendan Mahoney, a member of First Congregational Church UCC in Phoenix, will be our presenter. Brendan will share his extensive knowledge of immigration patterns to the United States over the centuries. Where have our immigrants come from and what were the motivating factors that brought them here? How has the richness of our past histories enhanced our country? A Social Justice Action Team member has heard Brendan’s presentation and rates it A+ so you won’t want to miss this event.

There will be a signup in the narthex beginning late February. If you ride the church bus, that’s no problem, because transportation will be arranged so that you can attend this event.

2019 Spring Rummage & Bake Sale: first call for donations and volunteers

Important dates to mark on your calendar:

Wednesday, February 14, 9 a.m.: Organizational meeting

Sunday, March 10: Bake sale sign up begins (sheet in narthex)

Monday, March 25–Wednesday, March 27: Bring donations to the church

Thursday, March 28–Saturday, March 30: Rummage Sale and Pop Up Bakery!

The hours of the Rummage Sale have changed this year. Sale hours will be as follows:

    • 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’ll also be able to use a credit card for all purchases of $100 or more.

The organizational meeting is for volunteers and all those interested in finding out more about the sale.

If you can help or have questions, please contact one of the members of the 2019 Rummage Sale coordinating team:

    • John Durbin ~ Board of Mission and Outreach
    • Pat Durbin ~ Board of Evangelism
    • Judy Jondahl ~ Board of Stewards

Or sign up on one of the volunteer sheets in the narthex or office. We need lots of help and we would love to have you be involved.

If you’ll be baking something for our wonderful bake sale, please plan on filling out the bake sale sign up sheet which will be available in the narthex.

Now’s the time to go through your closets and storage areas and donate those items that have served you well but now need a new life with new owners who’ve been looking for just such items. Your donation items will be sorted, priced, and staged for the Rummage Sale!

If you need to have an item picked up prior to Sunday, March 24th, please contact John Durbin.

We’ll be accepting all donations during the dates above, but the items for the March sale include:

Clothing | Handbags | Shoes | Belts |  Luggage | Linens | Decorative Pillows | Books | DVDs | CDs | Office Items | Electronics | Tools | Notions | Housewares | Furniture

More details will follow. Thank you very much!

We’ll do it all again in October . . .!

Say cheese!

Embracing Our Future . . . with each other:
New Year’s Resolution

It’s time! It’s time for us to update our photo directory. Why? In the last three years more than 100 new members have joined us, others have moved, and some have passed away. Why else? Time has changed some of us…new glasses, new hair style, more wisdom lines.

We will be professionally photographing all families February 13, 14, 15, 16, 26, and 27. Our directory won’t be complete without you. So make a resolution to be included. Sign up on Sundays in January at the table in the narthex, or make your appointment online.

Contact Nancy Mueller with questions.

Social Justice Action Team Works with Dysart Community Center

At a recent meeting, the Social Justice Action Team approved working through the Board of Mission & Outreach to establish a long-term relationship with the Dysart Community Center. The reason for this decision is that the center embraces the same purpose as our team: to serve the needs of the marginalized, oppressed, and often forgotten. The mission statement of the Dysart Community Center is: To provide educational and developmental opportunities for low-income children and adults in our local communities.

Dysart Community Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1962 by a group of 12 determined volunteers to provide basic health and educational resources to local families on the verge of poverty. Educating those in need was the first priority for these volunteers and remains so today. From its founding more than fifty years ago, Dysart Community Center has expanded its services to provide a variety of educational programs for thousands of West Valley residents in our local communities. Today it proudly serves our community with GED, ESL, and citizenship courses for adults; after-school and summer care for youth; and access to various basic needs resources for families and individuals.

The center believes that by empowering the community through education while providing relief from various social and economic stresses, it can play an important part in helping community members reach the full potential of their character and capabilities. Dysart Community Center’s work with migrant families and assisting homeless is very much in line with the priorities of the Church of the Palms Social Action Team.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Monday, December 24 at 7 p.m.

Experience Christmas Eve in word and music as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service features carols, communion, readings, and the music of our choir and handbells.

All are welcome; no exceptions. Bring family, friends, and neighbors.

The Church of the Palms Social Justice Champion Recognition: Carolyn Modeen

This recognition is awarded to a person who is a member of our church, active in leadership roles, and active in social justice ministry. The individual  demonstrates a long-term commitment to seek justice on local, regional, and global issues. Her/his actions challenge injustices and effect change through education, advocacy, activism, and fundraising. Finally, the individual demonstrates the belief that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities.

The first recipient of this recognition goes to Carolyn Modeen.

Carolyn, a member for over 20 years, has served as Church Moderator, Chair of the Board of Mission and Outreach, initiated sale of free trade items, helped with the monthly fellowship breakfasts and provided leadership for Ecumenical Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Carolyn’s community roles have included: volunteer with Central Arizona Shelter providing clothes for the homeless, participation in marches and rallies for peace and to stop wars. Twice a month she holds up “Peace” signs on Bell and 99th.

Carolyn has advocated for sensible gun legislation, marched for women’s reproductive health rights and has given speeches at Planned Parenthood gathering. She has participated in equal pay gatherings and efforts to correct worker pay disparity. She demonstrated for migrant rights as workers and participated in monthly meetings of domestic violence prevention program.

Carolyn has been an active participant with Grandmothers for Peace and has volunteer at Benevilla since 1984. She regularly gathers signatures to help political candidates have names placed on election ballots and get initiatives on ballots.

Carolyn lives the following scripture: Micah 6:8 … “And what does the LORD require of us but to DO JUSTICE, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.” Well done Carolyn! Thank you for your service!

Grief Share

Fridays, 1 to 3 p.m.
September 14 through December 21

For people grieving a death of a loved one.

You can come for one or all of the sessions. (You don’t have to commit to all of them). Each session is a complete lesson in and of itself. Come when you can.

“My Bag Project”

Our LGBTQ Equity sub-group of the Social Justice Team would like to introduce Ron Enzweiler, a new-ish member here at Church of the Palms, and his ministry “My Bag Project.” Ron is a member of the LGBTQ Club of Sun City and the Sun City Sewing Club. He was featured in an article in the November 2017 Sunviews Newspaper regarding the work that the Clubs are involved in with helping Eve’s Place for domestic violence victims. You can see the article and a sampling of his work on our bulletin board by King Hall.

In conversation with Ron, we found out that he has a wish list of items he needs for his “My Bag Project” ministry. Plus, he would love to have others, who love to sew, join him in this endeavor.

Here is his list:

  • Broadcloth, Seersucker, Corduroy (not too heavy a weight)
  • Duck (the kind of material that can be easily cut by senior arthritic hands) A little dirty is OK
  • NO upholstery material

Ron does have a contact in central Phoenix for crushed velvet, lace, trim items. If you would like to donate to Ron’s ministry or give him an hour of your time, he would love to have you contact him at 480-225-8231. Ron believes that those who are in transition, or homeless, need to have something of their own to carry their possessions in, besides a trash bag, and we believe the same.

Debby Stinton
Assistant Pastor

Ron Enzweiler "My Bags Project" for Eve's Place, Sun City, Arizona