Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ

11/04/2025

SCUCC Sandwich Ministry

The three wonderful and dedicated women pictured below are the heart of our SCUCC Sandwich Ministry — Barbara N., Linda L., and Mary N.

Every Wednesday morning, they gather to prepare a large cooler full of sandwiches for delivery to Vista del Camino. And these aren’t just simple PB&J sandwiches — they’re hearty, nutritious meals made with care and filled with meat and love.

Another valued team member, Lynn K., bakes delicious cookies to accompany the sandwiches, adding a sweet touch to each meal.

The ingredients for this ministry are funded through the Missions & Justice Fund, supported by generous donations from Sacred Grounds proceeds and individual contributions from our church family.

We are deeply grateful for all the helping hands and compassionate hearts that make this important outreach possible. Together, we’re nourishing both body and spirit in our community!

11/04/2025

From our Missions & Justice Team:

Food Insecurity Crisis

With the rising cost of food items as well as the domino effect of the government shutdown on people who do not even work for the government, many people in the valley and even in our nearby communities are experiencing increased food insecurity. And with the imminent loss of funding for the SNAP program the situation will be even more dire in the coming months. We have been collecting non-perishable food items in the box in October. However the crisis compels us to step our efforts up a notch. In November we will have a food challenge. Each week folks bringing in food items are asked to put them in front of the altar in the sanctuary rather than in the Box. And each subsequent week the rest of the Congregation will be challenged to double what is already there. We hope by the end of November to have more than one trunkload of food to deliver to the Vista del Camino food bank. No one, and especially not our neighbors, should go hungry amid so much bounty.

Pics are from Sunday's donations.

10/31/2025

10/30/2025

10/28/2025

10/26/2025

More than 100 Arizona clergy members are calling on the state’s congressional delegation to safeguard Arizona’s national monuments—specifically Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footsteps of the Grand Canyon and Ironwood Forest National Monument—from attempts to weaken their protections.

Last week, Congressman Paul Gosar and Eli Crane introduced H.R.5392 and H.R.5393, legislation that would strip protections from both monuments and restrict the future designation of other national monuments in Arizona. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni protects one million acres of land surrounding the Grand Canyon, while Ironwood Forest National Monument preserves more than 129,000 acres of the vital Sonoran Desert landscape in Pima County.

"As people of faith, we are called to be stewards of creation, to protect and care for the earth and its sacred places,” the clergy members wrote. "These sacred places are not only part of our nation’s heritage, but they are also critical to its future. In protecting them, we uphold values of justice, responsibility, and reverence."

Polling shows broad public support for these protections: 80 percent of Arizonans support safeguarding Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument, and 88 percent support the Antiquities Act, the century-old law that enables presidents to establish national monuments.

The clergy letter, signed by more than 100 faith leaders across Arizona, is available online at:
https://www.arizonafaithnetwork.org/news/9-17-2025/protect-the-sacred-lands-of-arizona

10/23/2025

On Wednesday, about 400 delegates to the World Communion of Reformed Churches’ 27th General Council elected the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ in the United States, as the WCRC’s next president. “To elect a woman as president is a...