Back in 2021, The Church of the Palms became a W.I.S.E. congregation for mental health. W = Welcoming; I = Inclusive; S = Supportive; E = Engaging. Have you noticed that folks in this neck of the woods seem especially stressed lately? Uber-cranky, hyper-sensitive due to the heat, or maybe it’s the exhausting election cycle, or possibly it’s personal grief, or maybe it’s just life in… Continue reading 5 simple guidelines for mental wellness
Tag: Sun City AZ
First sign of civilization
Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Meade to talk about fishhooks, clay pots, or grinding stones. But no. Meade said that ancient culture’s first sign of civilization was a femur (thigh bone) that had been… Continue reading First sign of civilization
2024 Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance The LGBTQ+ Ministry Team as part of The Church of the Palms of Sun City, AZ commits to an annual Transgender Day of Remembrance to memorialize the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence, hatred or prejudice during the last calendar year. Although not every person represented… Continue reading 2024 Transgender Day of Remembrance
Check out our new LGBTQ+ Ministry pages!
We have resources, events, activities, church lists, and news for you! Check it out here.
It’s growing season.
The autumn season is different in the Sonoran Desert than it is elsewhere. Most of the United States is preparing for the onslaught of cold where plants go into a dormant phase. Not so here in the valley of the sun! The opposite is quite true. Veteran gardeners of our summers know that we just… Continue reading It’s growing season.
The Porcupine’s Dilemma
The North American common porcupine is a member of the rodent family and has around 30,000 quills attached to its body. Each quill can be driven into a would-be enemy. The wounds can fester; the more dangerous ones, affecting vital organs, can be fatal. As a general rule, porcupines have two methods for handling relationships:… Continue reading The Porcupine’s Dilemma
The stewardship of pain
After Frederick Buechner had shared an upsetting, heart-rending scene from his childhood, a person told him “You have had a fair amount of pain in your life, like everybody else. You have been a good steward of it.” “That phrase caught me absolutely off guard,” Buechner testified. And yet it also crystallized something for him. The… Continue reading The stewardship of pain
What’s In Project 2025: An In-Depth presentation on its contents and threats to democracy in the U.S.
WHAT’S IN PROJECT 2025 will be an in-depth look at the contents of Project 2025. This class is offered at The Church of the Palms on Saturday, September 28 from 10-12 pm. Registration is required (space limited; see below) and the class is open to the public. ‘Project 2025’ is the Heritage Foundation’s document that follows… Continue reading What’s In Project 2025: An In-Depth presentation on its contents and threats to democracy in the U.S.
Curious about The Palms? Come learn more!
Information Session: September 25 at 5 pm in King Hall The Evangelism and Growth Team is offering an Information Session to provide an opportunity to meet the Pastors, Paul and Jim, plus a few other active church members. This will give you a valuable opportunity to learn about us, gain information about the United Church… Continue reading Curious about The Palms? Come learn more!
How many arms?
Picture a starfish by the ocean. How many arms does it have? One, two, three, four, five. Five arms. Obvious, right? Anyone who has visited an aquarium and seen one knows this. But guess what ? We’re wrong. “The answer,” writes Dino Grandoni in The Washington Post, “is stranger than anything most scientists expected. Simply… Continue reading How many arms?