SW UCC ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 25-APRIL 30, 2022
Monday, April 25
Opening Worship & Introduction to Annual Meeting
Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons and Barbara Doerrer Peacock
The hour was a quiet meaningful introspective kind of interior pilgrimage along with the pilgrimage our Southwest Conference is journeying. Bill and Barbara set the mood for our annual meeting. They created an environment for us to get to know them personally, as well as drawing us in as part of the conference.
Tuesday, April 26
Plenary Speaker : Sr. Lika Mejia, Director of Casa De La Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones
Sr. Lika is very humble and down-to-earth, and she really cares for the Casa De La Misericordia y Todas las Naciones. There are two homes in Mexico that border New Mexico. They safely house refugees and asylum seekers who have already been carefully vetted. They are waiting here for the opportunity to enter the United States and move on to their permanent locations with families or acquaintances in the US. The guests are provided with shelter and three meals each day. They offer top notch health care and necessary legal services to the guests. School is provided for the children. The adults have an opportunity to learn English and attend trade schools to learn culinary arts, healthcare, farming, and construction. Those in construction apply their newly acquired skills by working on their own campuses.
Sr. Lika cries when the guests arrive, and she cries when they leave. She told of an eight year old boy whose family was moving into the United States. He came and hugged her and told her, “When I am old enough I will come back to help you.”
Because of limited funds they are unable to have elaborate birthday celebrations for the children, but Sr. Lika always has a gigantic piñata for the youngsters to enjoy.
In the video Sr. Lika is always beaming, and we know she loves what she is doing. Her dream is to establish 100 facilities all along the Mexico-United States border, which will require extensive fund raising.
Workshop - Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, author of WITHOUT OARS - Casting off into a Life of Pilgrimage
Get rid of our electronics! Electronics are weapons of mass “distraction.”
Step out and discover what God has in store for us. Discover God‘s promise for our future. We are in an attention economy. In a pilgrimage we take a step away and put our attention elsewhere. We step forward and open up an inner space. First step of a spiritual journey is to bring an inner focus allowing a sense of deeper connection. God speaks to you and God listens to you. You can hear just enough if you remove distractions. Prayer is attention. Pilgrimage is about what you leave behind. Pilgrimage is to a holy place of spiritual significance. You have to create space for something to happen.
Wednesday, April 27
Workshops
Ken Heintzelman (Shadow Rock UCC) - Welcoming Neighbors: Journeying with a Family from Afghanistan
Pastor Heintzelman and his congregation have years of experience working with families seeking amnesty, asylum seekers, and refugees. He lovingly shared the recent experience of serving two diplomatic families, which is not the usual situation churches and sponsors face when working through Lutheran Social Services. They encountered unexpected expenses and quickly had to raise money, thankfully, from very generous donors. He shared that the same attitudes are necessary for all volunteers - encouraging family autonomy and maintaining good boundaries with church volunteer leadership.
Rev. Dr. Donna Cavedon and Rev. Rich Doerrer-Peacock - Engaging the World as an Elder
We start with infanthood and childhood. At 18 we enter adulthood. Eventually we enter elderhood. We need to celebrate and honor elderhood. This is a shift from “busyness” to understanding what it means to be an elder. We are all elders in discernment. Ask myself, “How do I wish to spend the rest of my life?” Enjoy our experiences. We grieve what we can no longer do - embrace what we can do. There is life beyond adulthood. Aging and dying are critical to our humanity. Elders are valued for their wisdom. In elderhood humanity and humor are needed.
Workshop - Barbara Doerrer Peacock - Pilgrimage Stories: Reflecting on Trips Already Taken
Barbara revealed her vulnerability in this workshop. She said that we have to come out of our familiar surroundings. She shared the six pillars of a pilgrimage.
Listening to our longing
God meets us in the unknown
Engaging fear equals expanding love
Travel/transition equals space of transformation
Stories are sacraments
Relationships change the world
It takes a pilgrimage to renew our commitment and shake up old space.
Workshop - ASDIC & Conference Leaders - Introduction to AntiRacism Dialogue Circles
This is a serious study on anti-racism. Circles of people meet weekly for the ten week course. The movement began to study anti racism. They want to get us to think, accept, get to the real core and heart of the nature of racism. They teach how you or your church can take this into the community and really learn what anti racism is and see it in others’ point of view, as well as to be able to change your own heart. The movement has grown to incorporate any issues that are unjust for people - minorities, women, violence (including gun violence).
The study is based on an article by Maya Angelou, “Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ for my Journey.” The study is on line and begins September 8 through November 10, where the student will learn, reflect, and reform.
Thursday, April 28
Workshop - Getting to know the First Samoan Congregation of Wittman, Arizona
The First Samoan Congregation of Wittman has requested to join with the SW Conference United Church of Christ. At the time of our annual meeting the First Samoans were all attending a Samoan Christian convention in California, so we were disappointed (but understood) their introduction to us was via video. The videos illustrated they are naturally very happy people. They are not glitzy - just very natural down-to-earth people. They believe in Jesus; they are Trinitarian; they accept all the values of the United Church of Christ.Their introduction to the UCC was through Rev. Bill Lyons. They already have 180 members. They all work hard for the church and in their personal lives. For them God comes first! They are just starting to move into their building.
Why did they wish to join with us? The word “united” had spoken to them, and they wished to share in uniting with Christians who shared their same values.
Friday, April 29
Concert by Heatherlyn
HeatherLynn is a writer and composer and plays the guitar. Her music was prayerfully performed - kind of flamenco style. She is small in stature but has a big booming voice. A chat comment - “I signed on just for five minutes but was hooked, and I’m glad I stayed for the entire concert.”
Saturday, April 30
Business Meeting
AFFIRMATIONS:
FINANCIALS - Our Southwest Conference is well managed and in stable financial condition. We affirmed the financial statements.
FIRST SAMOAN CONGREGATION OF WITTMAN - The First Samoan Congregation in Wittman, Arizona, has requested to covenant with the SW Conference of the UCC. We unanimously voted to affirm them into our SW Conference. A Covenanting Service will be held at Desert Garden UCC in Sun City at 3:00 on June 12, 2022.
NOMINATING SLATE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR - We affirmed the recommended slate for next year.
ANTIRACISM STUDY DIALOGUE CIRCLES (ASDIC) - We affirmed the conference-wide study of ASDIC.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Our dear friend, Pastor Steve Davis, is celebrating his 50 years of ordination this year.
We are proud to learn that Shepherd of the Hills is a 7 x 7 Church (only 7 of them in our SW Conference)
Thank you for the exciting spiritual opportunity to represent Shepherd of the Hills at our annual conference.
Respectfully submitted,
Diane Webb and Judy Eighmey