Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School’s four-week food drive yielded 3.6 tons of food for the Chandler Christian Community Center’s Chandler Food Bank and the congregation is deeming the community outreach program a success.
“Knowing that there are some in the Chandler area that struggle to even put food on the table while our cupboards are full was just unacceptable,” says the Rev. Ron Burcham, Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School senior pastor. “We also knew that as individuals, we could make a difference, but if we pooled our resources and asked for God’s blessing we could have a substantial impact.”
The program began the first week after Easter and concluded Sunday, May 18. In conjunction with the drive, Burcham prepared a four-week sermon series about feeding people in need, whether spiritually or through food assistance.
“It was marvelous,” says food drive cochairman Bryan Newman.
The sermon focused on the Miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish, with a message that not just one person can feed 5,000 people, but together, as a congregation, a huge difference can be made. To make his point and to encourage the congregation to donate, Burcham displayed the collected food on the altar.
“We had people dropping food by the church every day of the week,” he says. “What a privilege to witness the generosity of God’s people and their
desire to make a difference in someone else’s life.”
Six members of the congregation gathered after church the last day of the drive to begin counting what was collected.
“It took the six of us five hours to box and move the food outside of the sanctuary to be picked up from the food
bank,” says Newman, who added that the food filled one and a half trucks and a van.
He says they collected 8,241 food items that had an estimated value of more than $16,000. The donations weighed 7,244 pounds, which is equivalent to 3.6 tons of food.
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Be certain to put “Spiritual Reflections submission” in the subject line, and keep your articles around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, title and facility name, address, phone number and website. Spiritual Reflections are printed on a space-available basis, and submission does not guarantee print. The opinions represented in this column are those of the author and not that of the SanTan Sun News.
SUNDAY WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sunday Mornings
Traditional Worship7:30 & 11:30 A.M.
Contemporary Worship8:50 & 10:10 A.M.
Sunday School8:50 & 10:10 A.M. Adult
A.M.
FOOD DRIVE: Trinity Donovan, CEO of the Chandler Christian Community Center, the Rev. Ron Burcham, senior pastor of Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School, and food drive co-chairman Bryan Newman stand among the results of the congregation’s four-week food drive. Food drive cochairwoman Kathleen Newman is not pictured. Submitted photo
Summertime events set for Sisterhood
BY BARBARA SCHWARTZ
SPECIAL TO SANTAN SUN NEWS
It may be summertime, but the Sisterhood of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation in Sun Lakes is hard at work planning activities. So far on the docket, it has:
• On Thursday, June 26, the group will meet at Mimi’s Cafe, located at 2800 W. Chandler Blvd. in Chandler, for lunch at 12 p.m.
• On Thursday, July 24, it will meet at Cheddar’s, 2530 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, at 12 p.m. for lunch.
• On Thursday, Aug. 28, the organization will meet at Nando’s Mexican Cafe at 12 p.m. Nando’s is located in the shopping center at Dobson and Germann roads.
There are no activities scheduled for September as the group is busy with the High Holy Days.
On Sunday, Oct. 19, the Sisterhood will have its annual “Paid-Up Membership Potluck” lunch at the home of Margo Philbrick. Time, address and directions will be forthcoming.
On Sunday, Nov. 16, it will meet at 5:30 p.m. for the “Bring Someone Special” dinner at the Organ Stop Pizza Restaurant in Mesa. Come alone or find your favorite special person (or people) and bring them here for dinner.
For more information, call (480) 895-6066.
“That is enough to provide about 5,660 meals,” Newman says.
More than $1,000 in donations from the congregation was also collected during that four-week food drive.
Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School plans on continuing its services for the community.
“This is the first move in doing that,”
Newman says.
The congregation, located at 23914 S. Alma School Rd., has been generating ideas on how to further help the community, including providing turkeys to the food bank.
“I am extremely proud of our congregation,” Burcham says. “They gave freely and generously from their hearts. As a result, they are a blessing to others
VUU hosts diverse June sermons
A wide range of topics is on the agenda of Sunday services in June at Chandler’s Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
The Rev. Andy Burnette and VUU member Kat Henderson hold a conversation on hate speech in a service titled “Dying for Your Right to Say It: A New Perspective on Hate Speech” June 8. Henderson is a research librarian for the
Arizona Office of the Auditor General and an author on a book about hate speech.
On June 15, Burnette searches for the true meaning of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in a sermon called “The Hope of Father’s Day.” The popularity of the John Lennon song, “Imagine,” among Unitarian Universalists is the subject of the June 22 service, “Don’t Imagine There’s No
Chandler VBS promises Bible fun
Registration ends Sunday, June 15, for the Workshop of Wonders Vacation Bible School, running 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27, at Chandler United Methodist Church, 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd., Chandler. The interactive, Bible-based program for children in preschool through fifth
and in the end it was a blessing for each member as well.”
For more information about the congregation, call (480) 895-6782 or visit www.rslcs.org.
Meghan McCoy is the Neighbors and Business section editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at meghan@ santansun.com.
Heaven: Emotional Maturity and Faith.”
Finally, VUU member Bob Fabre tells the story of his faith in a lay-led service June 29, titled “A Pathway Home.”
VUU services begin at 10:30 a.m. Sundays and last approximately an hour and 15 minutes.
VUU is at 6400 W. Del Rio St. in Chandler. To learn more, call (480) 8994249 or visit www.vuu.org.
grade features activities, games, music, crafts and science projects. Cost is $20 per student and $30 per family; discounts and scholarships are available. Registration forms and information are available online at www. chandlermethodist.org or at the church office during regular hours. Registration will also be taken Sunday mornings after 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. worship services.
To learn more, visit www. chandlermethodist.org or contact Steve Gregory at (480) 963-3360 or steve. chandlerumc@gmail.com.
‘Evening of Inspiration’ celebrates influential rabbi
The Arizona Jewish community is joining thousands of Jewish communities worldwide to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, for “An Evening of Inspiration” at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas, 6333 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale.
Suggested donation at the event is $10; students are free. Sponsorships are $180.
The Rebbe, a preeminent scholar and leader in the Jewish community, is considered by many to be the most influential rabbi in modern history, and is the only rabbi ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal and have an American national day, Education and Sharing Day, proclaimed in his honor.
“The Rebbe established the first Chabad center here in this state in the 1970s and it continues to have an immeasurable impact on the Jewish community and beyond to this day,” says Rabbi Mendy Deitsch of Chabad of the East Valley in Chandler. “It is an exciting time and opportunity to share the Rebbe’s vision for mankind and for many people who have heard of the Rebbe to get a glimpse into his immense impact on the world.”
For more information or to RSVP, visit www.chabadaz.com/timelessleadership or call (480) 650-8051.
Spirituality
‘Four Freedoms’ with Sun Lakes church
On July 6, the Sunday following Independence Day, Sun Lakes United Church of Christ will hold a special worship service focused on the Four Freedoms set forth by President Franklin Roosevelt in a speech to Congress on Jan. 6, 1941.
The speech was intended to declare the fundamental freedoms that everyone in the world should enjoy, and are summarized as the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want and the freedom from fear.
Officials from Sun Lakes United Church of Christ say that these four freedoms form the foundation of citizens’ lives, so they are inviting everyone in the community to attend the 11:15 a.m. Sunday worship service where they will celebrate these freedoms. Sun Lakes United Church of Christ celebrates worship at Sun Lakes Chapel, 9240 Sun Lakes Blvd. Call (480) 895-6317 for more information.
In a press release, the church quoted an excerpt from Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address: “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear—
which, translated into world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.”
Stimulate the mind and spirit
Beginning July 9, Pastor Vernon Meyer, Ph.D., of Sun Lakes United Church of Christ will lead a seminar from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays in July, discussing the historical and cultural world of the Bible.
Meyer will explore the question of reading the Bible from a literal point of view versus from a historical and cultural point view. Do we separate things that come from the social and political world of the ancient time from those things that are a part of God’s revelation? Do we need a new way of reading the Bible and thus a new way of understanding many of the social, theological and political issues of our day?
Book lovers meet
Book lovers who wish to cultivate their compassion this summer can meet at 9:30 a.m. Sundays starting July 13 for a summer book study of Karen Armstrong’s tome, “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.” Do you wish for a better world to live in? Do you find that more people practice hate instead of compassion? In this series, led by Meyer, readers will learn about concrete methods people can practice to cultivate and expand the capacity for compassion. Call (480) 895-6317 for more information. Celebrate
SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS
Call ahead to confirm information, as details occasionally change after print. If you have a recurring monthly support group or meeting you would like listed in Spiritual Connections, email complete details to News@SanTanSun.com.
Bible study
Meets twice a month
Members of the Women’s Life group study the Bible and discuss how the lessons can relate to their lives.
Sun Lakes United Church Of Christ in Chandler
Info: Jan Olson at (480) 802-7457 or Joy King (480) 588-1882
Christian Business Networking, TriCity Chapter – Chandler, Tempe, Mesa
7:15 a.m. Tuesdays
Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.
Crackers and Co. Café 535 W. Iron Ave., Mesa Info: Maia, (480) 425-0624, www. christianbusinessnetworking.com
Christian Business Networking, Chandler Bi-Monthly Chapter 7:30 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of the month
Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.
Chandler Christian Church, Room C100
1825 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler Info: Maia, (480) 425-0624, www. christianbusinessnetworking.com
Send us your church, temple events
Let the SanTan Sun News help you publicize your church or temple’s events and activities in the Spirituality section by emailing details to News@SanTanSun.com. Include a brief description of the event, times, days, dates, cost or free, if registration is required, venue, address, publishable phone number, website if applicable and contact information for verification purposes. We welcome photos, which must be 300 dpi JPEGs or taken on a digital camera on the “best” or “highest quality” setting. Information is due 10 days prior to publication date. Submission does not guarantee placement.
19609 S. McQueen Rd. • Chandler, AZ 480-899-LIFE (5433) • 480-343-0022 www.gospel4life.org
Christian Business Networking, East Valley Chapter
7:30 a.m. Wednesdays
Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.
Mission Church Seminar Room 4450 E. Elliot Rd., Gilbert Info: Maia, (480) 425-0624, www. christianbusinessnetworking.com
WebXtra: For a complete list of Spiritual Connections, SanTan Sun area monthly support groups, study groups and spiritually stimulating meetings, visit SanTanSun.com and click on “Spirituality.” WebXtra:
www.loc-az.org480-899-1400
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
Chandler United Methodist Church Celebrating more than 100 Years in Chandler. Making and Deploying Disciples Who Put God First, Since 1913.
