Desert Palm United Church of Christ, Tempe, AZ

06/01/2026

We kicked off our summer sermon movie series with Across the Universe and a tone of fun Beatles music..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrsF0N6n_lo

06/01/2026

Clergy speaking out about detention and NJ violence against protestors....

04/29/2026

A well-attended Candidate Forum for Tempe City Council incumbents and challengers organized through the Valley Interfaith Project and hosted by St. Augustine's Church.

04/17/2026

Join some of us Desert Palmers and AZIPL for an Earth Day (evening) Vigil at the AZ State Capital.....

This Earth Day, we honor Mother Earth by grieving. Join the community on April 22nd at 7:15 PM at the Arizona Capitol for a candlelight vigil to recognize the loss of environmental protections, ref…

03/28/2026

Today is the big Tempe Community Council "Care Fair," featuring over fifty different social service agencies who will all be tabling outside the Tempe Public Library. Pastor Tom is on their Board of Directors and serves as the Liaison to their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Stop by before or after you support the No Kings protest!

02/14/2026

United Church of Christ clergy and many others sat peacefully inside the Hart Senate Building Atrium of the U.S. Capitol office complex as an act of moral

02/04/2026

📣 CALL TO ACTION: East Valley Immigration Rapid Response Training (Please share widely)

What can we do as ICE continues to take community members into custody—separating families, targeting communities of color, and often violating basic civil and human rights?

In response to this urgent question, Borderlands Resource Initiative and Puente Human Rights Movement are hosting an ICE Watch & Community Accompaniment Training here in the East Valley.

At this training, you will learn how to:
• Observe and verify ICE activity
• Participate in Rapid Response
• Provide safe community accompaniment
• Report activity effectively and responsibly
📍 Rapid Response Immigration Training
🗓 February 10, 2026
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM MST
📍 In person – East Valley location shared upon registration
🔗 RSVP here: https://www.borderlandsinitiative.org/event-details/east-valley-rapid-response-training-entrenamiento-en-respuesta-rapida

We invite you to join us—and to share this invitation with your friends, families, and community members. Together, we can stand against injustice and violence and show what compassion grounded in action truly looks like. 🙏✨

Learn how to show up, stand up, and keep our communities safe from unjust immigration enforcement. Aprenda cómo presentarse, defenderse y mantener a nuestras comunidades a salvo de la aplicación injusta de leyes migratorias.

02/03/2026

"Presence That Grounds Us: Justice That Clicks"

by Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins, Southwest Conference Minister

Beloved Southwest Conference and Friends,

February, fondly referenced as the month of love, finds us living in a time of deep complexity and real challenge. Across our nation, unrest continues to surface as communities wrestle with fear, grief, and urgent questions about justice and belonging.

We see it in Minnesota, where recent events have ignited pain, protest, and grief of the loss of lives at the hands of our own government. We feel it closer to home in New Mexico, Arizona, and El Paso, where threats, uncertainty, and anxiety are impacting our congregations and the communities we serve. These are not distant headlines. They are lived realities. And they call us not to retreat but to faithful presence.

For the month of February, we hold together the theme, Presence That Grounds Us: Justice That Clicks. In moments like these, justice clicks when it is rooted in presence; God’s presence with us, our presence with one another, and our faithful presence in the world. Justice is not only something we advocate for; it is something we embody through how we show up, listen deeply, and choose dignity over division. This theme also carries weight as we observe Black History Month. It invites us to remember and honor the enduring witness of Black communities whose faith, resilience, and courage have shaped the ongoing struggle for justice.

As we honor Black History Month, may we be strengthened by the witness of those who have walked this path before us and encouraged to live out a justice grounded in hope, courage, and God’s abiding presence. Their stories remind us that justice is not abstract or passive.

In these challenging times, I want you to hear this clearly: we are in this together. The Conference staff remains committed to walking alongside you with care and concern for your well-being, your ministries, and your communities. Presence that grounds us means we do not abandon one another when the work is hard. It means we stay connected, even when the path forward is not easy or clear.

As part of responding faithfully to our present realities, the Conference has contracted a marketing firm to assist us in clarifying and strengthening our brand identity. This work is not about appearance, but about alignment designed to ensure that how we communicate reflects who we truly are. The process is designed to provide congregations with tools and materials to promote and share your ministries with clarity and faithfulness, in ways that align with our shared values. We hope you will engage fully and offer feedback as this work unfolds.

Friends, justice that clicks does not require perfection. It requires presence that is grounded, courageous, and compassionate. As we move through this month together, may we remain rooted in God’s abiding presence and committed to showing up for one another and for the world.

We close with the words of the prophet, which continue to guide and ground us:

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” - Amos 5:24

May we be a people through whom God’s justice flows.

Dr. Toni

01/29/2026

This past Sunday we touched on the question of authority, the artist as rebel (Camus), and the need to speak truth to power.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3qVWMJqCjM

01/05/2026

📣 The United Church of Christ & Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) leadership released a joint statement on the Venezuela takeover by the United States:

[excerpt] As members of the World Council of Churches, we affirm and support the WCC’s statement condemning the actions of the United States. We join the global ecumenical community in calling for restraint, respect for sovereignty, and renewed commitment to peaceful, multilateral engagement.

We recall Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” His teachings compel us to work tirelessly for peace, justice, and reconciliation.

We offer our prayers for all communities impacted by the recent unilateral and unlawful decisions of the United States to attack sovereign nations. As churches committed to the gospel of peace, we grieve the loss, fear, and instability these actions have caused globally. These actions do not create the conditions for a safer or more peaceful world.

🚨 Read the full statement and action alerts here: https://ow.ly/uaQw50XRwMZ

with: Global Ministries (Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ), Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, and Rev. Shari Prestemon