Category: Other News

Seeking volunteers for potential shower trailer ministry

When homeless persons are asked what they need, they most often say: A shower. Cities all over the U.S. are finding creative ways to offer showers. In Mesa, Paz de Cristo rents a shower trailer each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., during which 60 people will take a shower.

As we continue our ministry to the NW Valley homeless, the Mission and Outreach Committee is exploring the use of a shower trailer, both with I-HELP churches, like The Palms who do not have showers, but also to surrounding communities with sizeable homeless populations.

To facilitate this ministry, we will need volunteers to take a shower trailer to a site, set it up for use and then service the trailer to prepare for its next use. Each trip demands 4-6 hours of time, a vehicle able to tow the trailer and familiarity with the use of the trailer.

If you are interested in such a ministry, contact Max Klinkenborg at 816.377.4618, John Durbin at 623.693.8866, or Suzanne Boisclair at 603.494.8242.

Interested volunteers will be a great encouragement to the Board of Mission and Outreach as they explore this new
ministry.

Global Pride 2020

Pride won’t be beaten by COVID19 – join us on Saturday 27 June 2020 for the world’s first Global Pride!

Global Pride 2020 is being organised by Prides from across the world. We will have speeches, performances, film and other content from Prides in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South, Central and North America. A worldwide team of more than 100 volunteers are reaching out to Prides around the world and we’re promising an amazing line-up of performances that you’d expect from a Pride event.

How you can watch Global Pride, wherever you are in the world: All you’ll need is a mobile device like a cellphone, a tablet, or a computer.

The host of Global Pride 2020 will be Todrick Hall, an American singer, songwriter, actor, director and choreographer – famous for his viral YouTube videos including original songs, parodies, and skits. Todrick has spoken openly on what it’s like to be Black and Gay in America and most recently featured on the cover of @Billboard Magazine’s 2020 Pride issue.

Speakers include:

  • Ann Linde, foreign minister of Sweden
  • Carlos Alvarado Quesada, president of Costa Rica
  • Erna Solberg, prime minister of Norway
  • Guðni Jóhannesson, president of Iceland
  • Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for equality
  • Joe Biden, former vice-president of the USA
  • Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada
  • Leo Varadkar, taoiseach of Ireland
  • Manvendra Singh Gohil, prince of Rajpipla, India
  • Sadiq Khan, mayor of London
  • Victor Madrigal-Borloz, independent expert on LGBTQ+ rights for the UN
  • Xavier Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg

Performers include:

  • Adam Lambert
  • Ava Max
  • Bebe Rexha
  • BETTY
  • Betty Who
  • Bright Light Bright Light
  • Calum Scott
  • Conchita Wurst
  • Courtney Act
  • Daya
  • Deborah Cox
  • Erika Jayne
  • Fred Schneider
  • Jake Shears
  • Jordy
  • Kate Pierson
  • KEiiNO
  • Kesha
  • Kristine W
  • Laverne Cox
  • Leann Rimes
  • Leslie Jordan
  • Lucy Spraggan
  • Martha Wash
  • Mary Lambert
  • Max
  • Melanie C
  • Natasha Bedingfield
  • Olivia Newton-John
  • Pabllo Vittar
  • Peaches
  • Pussy Riot
  • Pussycat Dolls
  • Rachel Sage
  • Rita Ora
  • Russell Tovey
  • Stephen Fry
  • Steve Grand
  • Thelma Houston
  • Todrick Hall
  • Tom Goss
  • Village People
  • VINCINT

More speakers are being announced daily on the Facebook event page and check out this article, too.

Visit globalpride2020.org/ for more information.

Pride Parking Lot Parade

June is Gay Pride Month!

The Church of the Palms is celebrating Open and Affirming Sunday during the 10:00 a.m. online worship service on June 28, 2020.

Afterward, we’ll have a parking lot parade starting at 11:00 am. Keeping our physical distance, we’ll cruise our church parking lot. Decorate your car, your truck, your golf cart, your skateboard, or your pogo stick and come on down!

There will be popsicles, pride, and good times a-plenty!

WISE Moment for Mental Health

As The Palms focuses on LGBTQ Pride and National Hunger Awareness Month, it is a blessing that our church is a safe place to speak openly, advocate fully, and remain present with our LGBTQ Community. There is still much to do to ensure that our lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer brothers and sisters experience rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. Thank you for your commitment to be the church!

The coronavirus pandemic has put the LGBTQ community, particularly those aged 50 and up, at increased risk in several ways. A history of systemic discrimination and poorer health outcomes is part of the reason. Coupled with the fact that many LGBTQ individuals do not feel comfortable coming out to their health care providers and other possible resources, these precious souls are not receiving the help they need. Loneliness is another big concern. Many live alone and don’t have people to check on them to help ensure that regular medical appointments and that proper access to food and household necessities is available to them. Lack of companionship leads to additional stress, increased depression and may lead to the use of alcohol or other substances.

How can we help? First, reach out to your friends. Stay connected! If you know people who are particularly vulnerable, offer what you can: resources, phone numbers, companionship. Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of those who may be at risk. Check out the links provided below. Lets keep working on ways to be Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive & Engaged for the mental health of everyone in our community!

Medicine Wheel, Sacred Circle or Circle of Life

by Max Klinkenborg

The three names in the title all describe the same pattern but from different perspectives. Medicine Wheel, which is the most common and latest naming, came from the Europeans who had concept of a wheel, an alien idea to Native Americans. Sacred Circle describes the communal, ceremonial use. Circle of Life describes the completeness and unity of life’s seasons and ages.

A Sacred Circle has been built on Church of the Palms’ property to the west of the labyrinth. Its presence acknowledges the tribal peoples who lived in the Valley centuries before the earliest explorers and their reverence for all of Creation. (Interpretive material about the Sacred Circle will be available in the literature box at the labyrinth entrance.)

The Sacred Circle was common to the upper plains tribes; the oldest and largest is the Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, which dates back to at least 4,000 BCE, the time of the construction of the pyramids in Egypt. The Chartres Cathedral with its labyrinth in France was built in 1,200 AD, five thousand years later.

“The circle, being primary, influences how we as aboriginal people view the world. In the process of how life evolves, how the natural world grows and works together, how all things are connected, and how all things move toward their destiny. Aboriginal peoples see and respond in the world in a circular fashion and are influenced by the examples of the circles of creation in our environment.” (Dumont, J 1989)

Western thought tends to be linear, moving in a line into a new future. But for the Native Americans, they see life as cyclical: one season follows another; one generation replaces another; and sunrise and sunset follow each other. The Circle of Life is acknowledged and celebrated for its promise and predictability.

The Sacred Circle is divided into four quadrants with the lines of separation indicating the four directions: North, South, East and West. Mother Earth is below and Father Sky is above and the Great Spirit is at the center. The East-West axis points to the sunrise and sunset and sets the time of the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox that separates the seasons from Spring to Summer and Autumn to Winter. The circle shape represents life; we change like the seasons as we pass through life.

The four quadrants each have a color and a season of the year. Beyond that, the interpretation of what each quadrant means varies greatly and becomes a very individualistic interpretation, seeking meaning and relevance. The purpose of the Sacred Circle is to show the path to healing, health and balance.

After the Rain

by Pastor Jim Alexander

There’s always a rainbow after the rain.

The Church of the Palms has been encouraged to focus on some aspect of mental health each month for the past several months. Our areas of focus have been: Self Esteem (February), Developmental Disabilities Awareness (March), The Warning Signs of Mental Illness (April), and Mental Health Awareness Month/WISE Congregation for Mental Health Survey (May). We have provided tips and tools along with hotlines and websites to support our community along the way.

As we continue on our quest to become a WISE Congregation for Mental Health, our WISE Steering Committee has been very busy developing their plans and drafting the WISE Covenant that will be presented to the Church for adoption. The results from the congregational survey and input from across the membership of The Palms as we develop the content of The WISE Covenant. Please continue to pray that we may draw the circle wider as a welcoming, inclusive, supportive and engaged congregation for all people. Our Mental Health Focus for the month of June is twofold. June is LGBTQ Pride Month and it is also National Hunger Awareness Month. These two go very well together and here’s why.

The coronavirus pandemic has had unexpected effects for LGBTQ people around the world: forcing some LGBTQ citizens who may not be accepted by their family and friends to face hostile living environments. The pandemic is also placing vulnerable people of all walks of life at risk of homelessness and employment insecurity. It has also become very apparent with the financial and social destruction being leveled by the pandemic, that certain government agencies are stalling progress on potential legal changes that could grant LGBTQ and other marginalized people greater rights.

In an ordinary year, Pride celebrations would offer a chance to gather together, celebrate the achievements of the community and reflect on the future for social change.

But four months ago, more than 220 Pride celebrations scheduled worldwide were cancelled or delayed, including Phoenix Pride. The Palms has participated in this event for the past three years.

“LGBT people around the world are insanely resilient, but they face isolation every day in their life,” says J. Andrew Baker, co-President of Interpride, the international association of Pride organizers. “One of the challenges we find today is that LGBT people are even more isolated.” To overcome that isolation, the world’s biggest international Pride networks, Interpride and the European Pride Organizers Association, are organizing a “Global Pride” to be celebrated online on June 27. Global Pride organizers are planning a 24-hour live streamed event, including remote contributions from international Prides, speeches from human-rights activists, workshops with activists and high-profile performers yet to be confirmed.

Be sure to check out the Interpride website and make your plans to participate! The Palms will provide reminders and additional information about this event.

As a church, let us look for ways to make The Palms a safe place for those who may be experiencing abuse in their homes and communities due to their sexual orientation. Whether you are a part of the LGBTQ community or not, if you feel that you are not safe in your home, remember: you are not alone, you are loved and we will provide help to you. Call Pastor Jim or Pastor Paul at 623.977.8359.

Because there are so many people unemployed/underemployed, homeless, or displaced due to the pandemic, we also want to focus on the ways in which we might address the issue of hunger during this month. The People of The Palms have been consistently generous in providing food for I-Help, HART Pantry, and various food banks within the Sun City area. We are meeting the urgent needs of those who would otherwise be going without.

There are mental health concerns associated with food deprivation. Nearly 15 % of all households in the United States did not have enough to eat daily and suffered from recurring hunger before the pandemic, and that percentage has increased dramatically. The emotional and psychological tension associated with hunger can be devastating to individuals and whole families. Here are some ways to ensure that we are doing our part.

Donate
Donating, whether money or food, is a great way to help local food banks. Most donations to food banks are made between Thanksgiving and Christmas — which is great — but donations are needed year-round. Monetary donations allow the food banks to buy food during the less popular months for giving. You can drop your donation off in the church office. Make sure you mark it HUNGER RELIEF.

Volunteer with a Food Bank
It doesn’t always take a big financial investment to make a big impact. Volunteering is a great way to spend your time making a difference. By volunteering, you give families the opportunity to use the money they have towards bills and other living expenses while being able to have food on the table. In addition, volunteering can be a great family gathering, team bonding or employee engagement event. Witness firsthand how your presence and support are affecting those in your community!

To find a food bank in Arizona, visit the website of the Arizona Food Bank Network.

Continue to Bring Food and Fill the Shopping Cart
Food drives help stock shelves and play a vital role in encouraging community participation. Continue bringing your non-perishable food items to the church and fill the shopping cart. If you are not able to bring it yourself, please call the church office at 623.977.8359 and we will arrange to have your items picked up.

I-HELP Needs Your Help This Summer

The Church of the Palms has been hosting I-HELP for more than six months, and we have seen 12 of our guests acquire housing. Since the lockdown, we have had seven guests in the program. Each new guest is tested for COVID-19, and we have an extensive protocol of taking temperatures, social distancing, wearing masks, hand washing and wiping down all surfaces before and after we host. This will be our first summer (June, July, August) hosting the program, and we need your help in the following areas:

  • Meals: We need evening meals prepared — as well as breakfast and lunch the following day — by three different volunteers. Laurie Cathey (623-238-3826) is our coordinator for food. You can bring the food to the church after 4 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays that we host. You are always welcome to serve and eat with the guests, but it’s not required.
  • Monitors: We also need monitors to stay with our guests. We have two shifts:10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. We need two monitors for each shift; new monitors will be paired with an experienced monitor. Vickie Ashenbrenner (831-233-2548) is our monitor coordinator.
  • Laundry: After each night of hosting, we have sheets and pillowcases that need to be laundered before the next time we host. If you are interested in helping with laundry, you can do it at the church with our washer and dryer or take it home to do. Laundry is available on Tuesday and Saturday mornings after we host. Contact Max Klinkenborg (816-377-4618) if interested in helping.

I-HELP continues to meet the needs of the homeless in the Northwest Valley. Through the generosity of four other churches, we are providing seven nights of lodging and a place to be during the day to keep our guests safe. During these challenging times, the program is needed more than ever. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Being The Palms: Supporting the Homeless Among Us

From the Social Justice Action Team at The Church of the Palms UCC:

One of the positive things about being hunkered down in our homes during the COVID19 pandemic is that it provides opportunities to do something special for those who have it so much worse than we do. Take, for example, our growing homeless population. The Palms provides several programs for this growing population in Phoenix and communities in the Northwest Valley.

HART Pantry: Helping At Risk Teens. The HART Pantry provides weekend food bags to teens who do not have enough food when they are not in school. But the HART Pantry is so much more. It is a community outreach program which began in 2011 as a mission of faith-based organizations in Peoria. The HART Pantry also partners with Eve’s Place, a 501(c)(3) charity that helps victims of domestic abuse and teen violence in the West Valley. The HART Pantry also enjoys the support of individual community members and corporate partners. Church of the Palms members serve on the Board of Directors for HART Pantry and have played a significant role in the annual backpack and graduation gift card programs as well as with monthly food donations. Sadly, the number of teens needing support from the HART Pantry continues to grow, with consideration now being given to expand and serve those at the middle school level.

Children First Academy: Church of the Palms, through the Board of Mission and Outreach, has made contributions of books, electronic devices, and water to Children First Academy for several years. This academy is a charter school near downtown Phoenix which serves homeless elementary age school children in the region.

I-HELP: Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program. I-HELP a program of Lutheran Social Services, is designed to help the growing numbers of working people who have lost access to affordable housing. The 90-day program helps the men and women in the program develop a life plan that restores them to permanent housing. They are assisted by a full-time case worker from LSS, to locate the resources needed and keep them on task for the 90 days or less. As a supporting church, The Palms provides housing, food, and laundry every Monday and Friday night to as many as 12 women and men in the program. The program is for adults over the age of 18, not for families with children. Five other churches in the Surprise, El Mirage and Sun City communities are also hosting churches The COTP Service Committee purchased sheets and prepared them to fit the sleeping mats and have provided additional support supplies for program participants. The program runs with volunteers: the costs of a host church includes food, toiletries, laundry soap and cash gifts designated for I-HELP. Volunteers also serve as overnight monitors, preparing meals, doing laundry, and providing transportation to and from the day programs. There is also additional cost to the Church for utilities and bus operations.

Shower Trailer Program: One of the most requested needs of the homeless population is the opportunity to take a shower. For general health and to be prepared for employment, job interviews, and/or social service agency interviews, a shower provides increased self-esteem and opportunity for success. With this in mind, the COTP Board of Mission and Outreach has explored the possibility of purchasing a shower trailer and recruiting individuals to carry out this ministry. The shower trailer operation would initially serve participants in the I-HELP program but would eventually serve nearby communities with a homeless population, including those in homeless camps near and around riverbeds and under bridges. Volunteers will transport the trailer to various locations on a predetermined schedule and conduct necessary maintenance and upkeep. The City of Surprise has been very supportive of this ministry.

FAITH Program: Financial Assistance Into Transitional Housing. This proposed program, which is still under construction and yet to be reviewed by the church council, would partner with Lutheran Social Services and include a source of funds to qualifying graduates of the Northwest I-HELP Program. I-HELP graduates need between $3,500 – $4,500 to cover first and last month’s rent, damage deposit, and utility deposits. This program would explore ways we could assist them with this need. This proposed FAITH program would be managed by church leadership. Our church council will need to review it all and vote on it before anything happens. Individuals wishing to support any of these programs through a donation of time, talent, and/or treasure are encouraged to contact one of the following: chair of the Board of Mission and Outreach (Suzanne Boisclair), chair of the I-HELP Team (Max Klinkenborg), or chair of the Social Justice Action Team (John Durbin).

Meet the Church of the Palms Social Justice Champions: Pam & Paul Clark

Each year, the Social Justice Action Team selects an individual(s) to receive the Social Justice Champion Award. The person(s) chosen best exemplifies our guiding scripture “And what does the LORD require of us but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” Micah 6:8. Selection criteria includes: History of being active in social justice ministries, personal actions challenging injustices and effecting change though education, advocacy, activism. Pam and Paul clearly meet these criteria.

Pam Clark

Pam began her advocacy work while living in Douglas, AZ, on the border with Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico in the mid ‘60s. Her church helped a congregation in Agua Prieta, Mexico, to refurbish their own church and, working together across the border, they collected clothing for children living in poverty. It was while in Douglas that Pam’s passion for creation justice was born.

Douglas was controlled by the economic presence of Phelps Dodge copper mining in nearby Bisbee and smelting operations at the town smelter. Douglas also was the gateway to Mexico. When the first Earth Day was created in 1970, Pam became acutely aware that Phelps Dodge was a huge polluter in the area and also was the source of employment for most of the local residents. The smelter worked at peak levels at night because the nighttime winds carried the acrid sulfur dioxide smoke into Mexico, rather than Douglas. People who objected were told that the smoke represented dollars in paychecks.

From that early awakening to this day, Pam continues to work to protect the environment and advocate for those marginalized. She adopted a plant-based diet in 2013 and learned about the plight of animals in contemporary mass farming and slaughter operations, which has a direct and negative influence on global warming and climate change.

When Pam came to Church of the Palms, she joined the Mission and Outreach Board, where she and Paul worked to establish the original Social Justice Committee, which preceded the Social Justice Action Team. In 2012, they examined the issue of undocumented youth, now known as DACA students. Pam has worked with Shadow Rock UCC in its refugee/sanctuary program. In 2008, Pam while with Paul in Indonesia, worked with young women to help them better understand money, saving and planning their future. Finally, Pam has been involved with UMOM’s New Day Center in central Phoenix, as well as outreach programs for several churches along the Mexican border.

Rev. Paul Clark, retired

In 1957, while Paul served at Tenafly Presbyterian Church in New Jersey, he was invited to visit mission personnel in Hong Kong. The Head of Church World Service (an agency supported by Church of the Palms UCC) urged Paul to visit a large group of White Russian refugees (non-Communist Christians) who were stranded in Hong Kong. Paul had an opportunity to visit the refugees, an experience he found to be deeply moving.

When Paul returned to the Tenafly Church, he preached a sermon asking congregants to write to government officials urging them to act on behalf of the stranded refugees. As a result, Paul was invited to appear before U.S. Senate Sub-Committee on Refugees. He also secured an invitation for the local young Russian Orthodox priest to go to Washington with him. As a result, the U.S. Senate Sub-Committee on Refugees reassigned more than $60,000 to help relocate the refugee families, some to the U.S. and some to Brazil.

So began Paul’s journey in the world of social justice challenges and projects. While living near New York City, Paul served on the U. S. Committee for Refugees. In Ithaca, New York, Paul helped to assemble five busloads of Cornell students and staff, community clergy and others as they became part of the “March on Washington.” Paul led one of the committees of clergy traveling to Washington as “Clergy Concerned Regarding the Vietnam War.” In Tenafly, Ithaca, and San Diego, Paul secured housing for the poor or newcomers to those communities, including those from Vietnam, Central America and Cuba.

In 2012, Paul and Pam began the original Church of the Palms Social Justice Committee.

Despite some recent health challenges Pam and Paul Clark continue to be advocates for social justice. Congratulations for being this year’s Social Justice Champions.

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