Warbler’s Wisdom is a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice.

On June 27, 2023, three days after my brother’s wedding, my family had the unexpected pleasure of welcoming three more members to our number. But unlike my very human sister-in-law, these new members were Sonoran Desert tortoises.

We named our adult tortoise, Willow, after her favorite snack–the flower of a Desert Willow tree. The two juvenile tortoises we called Della and Cruz, after Cincinnati Reds’ baseball player Elly de la Cruz (de la Cruz is astonishingly fast, and we were surprised by how fast the little tortoises could get around when there was shade to be found).

Over the past two years, we’ve enjoyed watching the little ones’ personalities develop.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJuly 4, 2025Sonoran Desert tortoise

Help Saguaro & declutter! Our Savers FUNDrive® is on!

Saguaro will be participating in an eco-friendly FUNDrive® with Savers. Most churches and nonprofits make $500+ the first time using this fundraiser. The program will pay us by the pound (5-20 cents per pound depending on the category) for the gently-used donations we collect during the month of July:

Clothing -- clean, folded clothing for all ages (please pack in tall white kitchen bags)
Small housewares -- boxed (please use sturdy boxes with lids or fold-down tops for easy stacking)
Books -- boxed (please use sturdy boxes with lids or fold-down tops for easy stacking)
Furniture
Other large items

Drop off your donations in the Saguaro Center from now through August 2nd; please stack and arrange neatly in the northeast corner. Saguaro volunteers and those with vans or pickup trucks are requested to help load and deliver our donations to a Savers location on an August date to be announced; please let Deb in the Saguaro office know if you'll be available to help.

Every bit helps!

Donation receipts will be available for tax purposes.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJuly 2, 2025

Bring Flat Jesus along with you on your summer journeys!

We hope you'll bring your “Flat Jesus” with you on your trips this summer. We would love for you to share your journeys with us. Send us a picture or share it on the socials with the hashtag #SacredSideRoad #Jesusonthemove #saguarojesus #SCCHolyDetours to go along on your actual road trips and your experiences this summer. So, take your "FLAT JESUS" along for the adventure.

You can pick up your very own Flat Jesus in the church office or at the Pray Ground in the sanctuary. Or print your very own—go here for the links at the bottom of the article.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 14, 2025Flat Jesus

Taking the Win: Embracing the Passive Ways We Can Combat the Climate Crisis

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

Sometimes a sustainable lifestyle can sound like an endless list of don’ts: don’t drive your gas car, don’t eat meat, don’t get your coffee in a plastic cup, don’t have a backyard pool in the desert. When sustainability is framed this way, it’s no wonder people are resistant to facing the climate crisis head on. After all, who wants to overhaul their lifestyle, knowing full well their actions won’t mean much unless a significant portion of the world population joins them?

But what if I told you there are ways to combat the climate crisis just by living your life exactly the way you do? I wouldn’t be lying entirely. Today I want to highlight two passive ways (one of which you are almost certainly already doing!) you can combat the climate crisis.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 13, 2025Warbler's Wisdom, sustainability, climate crisis

Mt. Lemmon Hike

Saturday, June 28

Hike with Rob on Mount Lemmon—let's get out of the heat and go up the mountain.

Meet at Saguaro at 8 am to carpool and caravan. Bring water and sunscreen!

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 13, 2025hike

This Summer at Saguaro: “Holy Detours; Sacred Side Roads”

June 15–August 31
A series in two parts:

Misfits and Miracles • Monsoons and Marvels

This summer, we’re throwing open the doors, rolling down the windows, and hitting the road not just through the backroads of scripture, but through the winding, sacred paths of our own lives. This is not a journey of straight lines and easy answers. This is a road of holy detours and sacred interruptions where grace breaks in unexpectedly.

“Holy Detours; Sacred Side Roads” is more than a sermon series. It’s a spiritual road trip filled with the kinds of turns you don’t see coming: border crossings, pop-up dinner parties, storm clouds that turn into blessings, and strangers who turn out to be saints. These are the stories that remind us: grace doesn’t wait at the end of the journey. It shows up at the weird gas stations, the roadside diners, the detours we didn’t plan for.

From Misfits and Miracles to Monsoons and Marvels, we’ll meet surprising people in surprising places—people like Martha, the Good Samaritan, the demoniac on the fringes, and Jesus himself, always calling us to stop, pay attention, and travel light. Click through to read more!

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 9, 2025summer

Plastic Pollution: On and Beyond Recycling

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

Call to mind your morning routine. Maybe you get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, have breakfast, take the dog for a walk, take a shower, and stop by a coffee shop before finally ending up at work. Now call to mind all the items involved in your morning routine–the clothes you get into, your toothbrush and toothpaste, dog leash and dog bag, milk jug, shampoo and conditioner bottles, etc. If you’re like me, you can think of at least one plastic item associated with every step of your routine. That’s a lot of plastic!

So, what’s the big deal with all this plastic?

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 7, 2025Warbler's Wisdom, plastic pollution

Register for the fall women's retreat!

Registration is open for the Arizona Disciples Women's Retreat this fall!

📅 Date: Friday - Sunday, September 12 - 14

📍 Location: Chapel Rock Retreat Center, Prescott

Join your Disciples sisters from all over Arizona in the cool pines of Prescott for a lovely weekend at Chapel Rock Retreat Center.

Enjoy comfortable hotel-style OR dorm-style lodging and delicious meals, plus fascinating workshops, fun activities, intriguing keynotes, and meaningful worship and music.

The keynote speaker is Rev. Lori Tapia, National Pastor and president of the Obra Hispana of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.

Rooms are filling up already so don't wait!

https://azdisciples.org/dwm-retreat/

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 6, 2025Chapel Rock Retreat CenterDWM, women's retreat

Garden Thoughts…

But first let me introduce myself.

I’m Sue/Susie Lebsack and I found Saguaro, divinely and specifically Kelley, not too long after my son, Noel died in July of 2019. I was walking my dogs and someone I hadn’t met said hello. She asked how I was doing and I honestly said, not too well. She told me she heard that there was a lady minister at Saguaro who might be good for me if I wanted to talk with someone. I ended up counseling with Kelley. I really do feel that was God in that unknown neighbor, in that moment in time.

Click through to read Sue’s full article.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 5, 2025Saguaro Christian Churchpollinator garden

Making Sustainable Dietary Choices that Work for You

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

When I think about pollution, images of cars, planes, and factories spewing black smoke into the air immediately spring to mind. What doesn’t usually come to mind is the jug of milk in my fridge. But around a quarter of global greenhouse gases–or climate change causing gases–are emitted by the agricultural industry. And greenhouse gas emissions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the environmental impacts of agriculture; agriculture also contributes to deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and an increasing threat of antibiotic resistance.

You may be thinking, “Well, isn’t that lovely. The most basic part of my existence–eating–condemns me to a life of environmental degradation.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many choices you can make to eat more sustainably. And what’s even better, making these sustainable choices will benefit your health as well. Today I’ll focus on just two important sustainable dietary choices you can make:

Saguaro Christian ChurchMay 30, 2025greenhouse gases, climate change

Bridge Lessons Coming to Saguaro Christian Church

Get ready to shuffle up and deal, Saguaro family! We're excited to announce an opportunity to learn and master the game of bridge, right here at Saguaro Christian Church.

We have master bridge player Claudia Borders, from our very own neighborhood, offering her expertise. Claudia has a passion for teaching and already shares her skills at other churches and Far Horizons, making her a great instructor for both newbies and experienced players looking to sharpen their game.

Whether you've always wanted to learn the ropes of this classic card game or you're a seasoned player aiming to elevate your strategy, these free lessons are for you!

Saguaro Christian ChurchMay 29, 2025Saguaro Christian Church

Brady Scholarship Applications for 2025-26 academic year

We are now accepting applications for the Brady Scholarship. To be considered for the 2025-26 academic year, recipients who were awarded a scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year must submit a “Continuing Student” application, and new applicants must submit a “New Student” application. The appropriate application forms are available from the church office and must be completed and submitted to the office by June 10, 2025 in order to be considered. The Brady Scholarship awards will be made in mid-July.

Saguaro Christian ChurchMay 26, 2025scholarship, Brady scholarship

Warbler’s Wisdom: Environmental Impacts of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

If you’ve been keeping up with the news about the 2025 federal budget bill, dubbed the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, you’ve probably heard that it will reduce eligibility for welfare programs like SNAP food assistance and Medicaid. What you may not have heard is that the bill, which passed the House of Representatives by only a single vote, contains provisions that would cause substantial harm to the environment and the booming clean energy industry. Here are some takeaways of the budget bill’s environmental impacts:

Saguaro Christian ChurchMay 24, 2025environmental justice

Graduate 🎓 Sunday: June 1

GRADUATES!!! WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU!!!!!

Send us your 📷 pictures!!!

You can email, text, or drop the photo in our graduation 2025 google folder : HERE

However you get it to us, please get it it us no later than Wednesday May 28.

We will have a special prayer and time of blessing for all of our graduates!!

If you graduated this year we hope you will be in worship on Sunday June 1 at 10 am.

Saguaro Christian ChurchMay 23, 2025Graduate Sunday

Welcome, Jocelyn Hartley!

Jocelyn is our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice!! She began on May 19 with orientation and we began to see her around Saguaro beginning May 20.

Click through to read a little about her.