Author: Wende Gonzales

Disciples Women’s Ministries monthly service activity

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Fourth Mondays at 9 am

Join us for a morning of community service and creativity!

The DWM at Sun City CC is dedicated to making a positive impact through our service projects.

Whether you’re a seasoned quilter or have never knitted a stitch, everyone is welcome. No experience necessary!

After the morning activities, we’ll enjoy a delightful lunch together. Feel free to contribute by bringing a salad to share. Don’t miss out – mark your calendar and join us for a day of service, crafts, and camaraderie!

Lunch Bunch

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Monthly on the fourth Friday at 11 am

Come for good conversation and an opportunity to meet new friends! Each person is responsible for the cost of their own meal; restaurant will distribute individual checks. Sign-up sheet is in the narthex, or call the church office.

(check the weekly update or call the church office for the location)

Men’s Breakfast

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Monthly on the second Tuesday at 9 am

NEW LOCATION!

Our monthly breakfast gathering for men is a place for faith, food, and fellowship! We meet at 9 am every second Tuesday at George’s Lakeview Cafe, 10502 W. Thunderbird Rd., Sun City, AZ 85351

Join us!

Each person is responsible for the cost of their individual meal.

A sign-up sheet is available in the narthex or you can call the church office (623) 972-6179.

Pastor’s Notes 5/2/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:36-38

Signs of new life are all around us this Eastertide! When you drive into the church parking lot from 98th street, be sure to check out the prickly pear cactus as it has been in full bloom! Each pink flower only lasts for a couple of days before it is gone, but a plant will produce new flowers over a once-a-year bloom period of 4-6 weeks. Appreciate it while we can!

Similar sentiments were embraced by Jesus’ disciples in that period after Jesus’ resurrection and before his ascension. This Sunday, May 4th, we continue our worship series “Following Jesus from A–Z” with a theme word for the letter D that might surprise you: Disbelief.

Our scripture from Luke 24:36–49, is the continuation of the Road to Emmaus story we shared last week. Here, the risen Christ appears to his disciples—not as a ghost or a dream, but in flesh and bone. Even as he stands among them offering peace, joy, and purpose, the disciples are startled. Luke says, “In their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering.”

Isn’t that so deeply human?

We, too, carry moments when we rejoice and doubt. When we trust and question. When we celebrate the resurrection and still wonder what it means for us today. Disbelief is not the opposite of faith—it is often part of the journey toward a deeper one. Jesus doesn’t condemn the disciples for their disbelief; instead, he meets them right where they are, offering peace and commissioning them with love.

This week in worship, we’ll reflect on what it means to be honest about our doubts while still living into resurrection hope. We’ll sing with joy, pray with intention, and hear again the good news: Christ is risen, even when we don’t fully understand it.

Come as you are—questions, wonder, joy and all. There’s a place for you in this story. I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday in person or on YouTube.

Brett

Holy Humor Sunday

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Weekly Church UpdateApril 25, 2025“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

This Sunday, we’re celebrating Holy Humor Sunday, a tradition with deep roots in the early church. In Europe, the Sunday after Easter was once known as Bright Sunday, when Christians gathered to laugh, tell stories, and celebrate the “divine joke” God played on death. After all, what greater reversal could there be than the empty tomb?

In the spirit of that joy, we’ll gather this Sunday for a worship service filled with stories, hymns, and holy laughter. We will journey with the disciples as they unpack what life with Jesus has been like and claim their relationship with the risen one.

We will find joy in our God who continues to surprise us with grace, and we will reflect on how the Risen Christ walks with us, even when we don’t recognize him and how joy often arrives when bread is broken, and stories are shared.

As we continue to understand the importance for finishing life faithfully, Holy Humor Sunday reminds us that resurrection joy is meant to last. So come ready to smile, to explore, to try something new, and maybe even to laugh a little.

You are welcome to wear bright colors or something that brings you joy. And if you have a good, clean church joke… you just might get a chance to share it!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Join us in person or on our YouTube page this Sunday.

Brett

Preparing our hearts for the joy of Easter morning

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  –Matthew 28:1

As we prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter morning, we come to one of the most powerful stories in all of Scripture—Matthew 28:1–10, where two faithful disciples arrive at the tomb expecting to find death, and instead encounter new life.

This Sunday, we will celebrate with joy and wonder under the theme: “Finishing Faithfully: Death Is Not the End.”

Jesus’ resurrection reminds us that God’s story doesn’t end at the grave. The faithful witness of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary reveals a powerful truth: even in our deepest grief, even when the future is uncertain, God is still moving stones, still surprising us with life, and still calling us to go and tell the good news.

Easter is a Sunday for hope—for proclaiming that endings in God’s story are never really the end. Whether you are coming in joy or carrying sorrow, Easter morning invites you to stand on resurrection ground and hear again the angel’s words:
“He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

Come ready to rejoice. Come ready to be renewed. Come ready to believe again that love never dies. Come ready to walk with Jesus as he shows us once more how to finish faithfully. I look forward to celebrating Easter with you in person or on YouTube.

Pastor’s Notes 4/11/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” –Matthew 21:8,9

Our Journey through Lent is drawing to an end. I am most grateful and moved by your willingness to face end of life questions with our series, “Finishing Faithfully.” Here is a reminder of the weekly themes that we covered:

“The Dwelling Place of Memory.” “Remember, you are Dust.” “Preparing With Purpose.” “This Will be the Day.” “The End of Life is not the End.” “A Day of Preparation.” “Letting Go is Okay.” This Sunday we will conclude with “Leaving our Legacy.”

Stories of Jesus, Paul, and other Biblical ancestors have reminded us that death is a part of life and there is a faithful way to embrace the process that leads to eternal life. It has been a reflective and intentional season of study, knowledge, reflection, and sharing. Our Wellness Ministry team has gifted us with tools and resources to help us put our plans in place.

Our team will continue to encourage us to put our plans and wishes into place by offering individual and group opportunities to talk through and think about our plans and wishes for when we die. I will be signing up sessions with anyone who would like to meet with me one on one to discuss your memorial service plans and/or record your stories on video!

Our text for Sunday is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as depicted in Matthew 21:1-11. Preparations are made for Jesus’ final return to the Holy City and the large crowd gathers to cheer on the one who has come to save the people. With palm branches waving and shouts of “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” anticipation mounts.  

Things turn quickly and the events surrounding the Passover feast will lead Jesus to his crucifixion. As a congregation we will join our UCC colleagues for Maundy Thursday worship and communion at 5pm at Church of the Palms, on April 17. You are also invited to join me for a service of scripture and prayer on Good Friday at 12 noon in our sanctuary on April 18. Many blessings as we continue of committed journey with Christ. 

Pastor’s Notes 4/3/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. – 2 Timothy 4:6

There’s an old story about a monkey who finds a jar filled with treats. Eagerly, he reaches in and grabs a handful, but when he tries to pull his hand out, he discovers he’s stuck. The jar’s opening is too small for his clenched fist, and though freedom is just a simple release away, he refuses to let go. Trapped by his own grasp, he remains stuck, unwilling to loosen his grip on what he wants.

So often in life, we find ourselves in a similar struggle. We hold on: to plans, to expectations, to past hurts, loved ones, or even to roles we have played for years, because letting go feels like loss. But what if letting go is the path to freedom, wholeness, or resurrection?

This Sunday, we continue our Lenten journey with the theme “Finishing Faithfully: It Is OK to Let Go.” In Luke 9:43-45, Jesus begins preparing his disciples for the road ahead, but they struggle to grasp what he is saying. In 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Paul, at the end of his ministry, writes with peace and confidence, declaring, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Both passages remind us that faithfulness is not just about perseverance; it is also about trust.

What might God be inviting you to release? What burdens are keeping you from moving forward? I hope you’ll join us as we reflect on these questions together, seeking the courage to trust God with open hands and open hearts.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 3/28/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“As members of the Christian Church, We confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world.”

This confession is the opening sentence in the Preamble to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It, or a version of it, is used by many Disciples congregations in worship as an affirmation of  faith and a sign of commitment to faithfully serve within the body.

Last Sunday eleven of our faithful stood before the altar and made this proclamation, and in so doing, reaffirmed baptismal vows and claimed Sun City Christian Church as home.

This wasn’t a planned or premeditated arrangement. It all started when Jo Ann Wood, the newest face to enter our doors, arrived and inquired about what she needed to do to belong, to become an active and vital part of the congregation. In five minutes and a wave of conversations, a handful of folks felt compelled to do the same.

Many would have assumed that for most of the 11, this was a confession professed here, long ago. It was a beautiful reminder of the amazing way the Holy Spirit is moving in our midst and that for the love of Christ to be shared, we must willingly step forward and make the proclamation. We are doing that!

This Sunday, we continue our Lenten journey by reflecting on Joseph of Arimathea, the man who stepped forward to care for Jesus’ body after his death. In Luke 23:50-56, Joseph, a quiet but faithful disciple, takes great care in preparing Jesus for burial—an act of both love and devotion. Even when others had fled, Joseph remained.

His actions remind us that faithfulness doesn’t end with death. In fact, how we prepare for and respond to death—our own and that of others—can be one of the clearest expressions of our faith. As Romans 14:7-9 reminds us, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

This Sunday, we’ll explore how final preparations, whether making arrangements, honoring a loved one, or even considering our own legacy, are sacred acts of faith. Joseph teaches us that discipleship extends beyond life; it is seen in how we honor Christ and one another, even in times of loss.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 3/21/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  —2 Corinthians 5:6

 As we continue our Lenten journey, we turn our hearts toward the promise that “the end of life is not the end.” This Sunday, we reflect on Finishing Faithfully, drawing from Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9, “We have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven” and Jesus’ assurance in John 14:1-4, “I go to prepare a place for you.”

Lent invites us to walk with Christ toward the cross, but it also calls us to trust in the hope of resurrection. In a season of reflection and preparation, we are reminded that our faith is not only for the present but for what lies ahead. How do we live with the confidence that God’s promises extend beyond this life? What does it mean to “finish faithfully” in our relationships, our commitments, and our trust in the Holy?

Recently in worship and fellowship time, we joked together about the risky investment buying ripe bananas can be for an aging congregation like ours! We have earned the right to crack such jokes but there is a reality to be embraced, in that the planning for the future, whether in this early life or life eternal, is never fully complete.

Here are a few questions to ponder between now and worship on Sunday. What gives you assurance when facing uncertainty about the future? How does the hope of God’s eternal presence shape the way you live today? Who has modeled for you what it means to finish life’s journey with faith?

Join us this Sunday as we explore the promise that, as faithful followers of Jesus, death is not the end.

Brett