*Please note that some activities are not church-sponsored or may be private; contact the church office to confirm.

Looking ahead to July, the Missions and Outreach Committee will be collecting cases of pint-sized bottles of water for a neighborhood City of Mesa hydration center.

The committee thanks you for your generous and continued support of our projects!

This year’s Mission Project focuses on a critical need in our own connection, supporting food pantries in the North District of the Desert Southwest Conference. St. Matthew UMC is invited to join churches from across the Conference to support the Annual Conference Mission Project. To find out how you can give, click the links below:

Fred Rogers famously asked, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”—a simple yet profound question that calls us into deeper relationship with the people around us. As followers of Christ, we know that being a neighbor means more than just sharing a street or a zip code—it means sharing in one another’s joys and struggles, and showing up with compassion. Our “Reaching New People in New Ways” team has been studying who lives in our neighborhood, and some of what they’ve uncovered is both heartbreaking and full of possibility: many of our neighbors feel isolated, unseen, and alone.

This is where our calling meets their need. We have a sacred opportunity to discern how we might be present with those who long for connection. It may be as simple as a kind word, an open invitation, or a new ministry of presence.

Please join us in praying that God will show us how to intentionally care for the people who live right in our backyard. And remember—we are not alone in this holy work. We do it together, led by the Spirit, trusting that God’s love has already gone ahead of us. Let’s be the kind of neighbors who make space at the table, who listen well, and who reflect the heart of Christ.

You are loved and appreciated,

Pastor Joel

Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference,

Grace and peace to you in the name and spirit of the Risen Christ who calls us to health and wholeness.

At our annual conference session last year in Tucson, we cast a vision of “A Healthy Church for A Healthy World.” . . . The first facet of the vision is to form and grow healthy individuals in Christian discipleship. To provide leadership in this area, we are creating a new Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development position. This director will resource churches, clergy, and laity in faith formation at every age and stage of the discipleship journey, ensuring that we have intentional discipleship and leadership pathways that will help shape and form current and future lay and clergy leadership in the church. Special focus will be given to the discipling of leaders from historically under-represented groups.

I announce that it is my intention to appoint the Rev. Joel Bullock, outgoing pastor of St. Matthew UMC in Mesa, as the new Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development beginning July 1st. Joel has served in a variety of ministry settings with a deep commitment to nurturing faith in people of all ages. He earned his theological education at Anderson University School of Theology, taking his Methodist courses at Claremont School of Theology and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is a national trainer with the Godly Play Foundation, helping others engage with a formational and imaginative approach to spiritual development. Throughout his ministry, Joel has created space for individuals across generations to connect with God, grow in their faith, and live it out in the world. He is passionate about empowering leaders to discover and use their gifts and excels at resourcing and equipping them for effective ministry. His calm presence, attentive listening, and grace-filled leadership will be invaluable as he supports the people and ministries of our conference.

Rev. Bullock will be based in Tucson, AZ. Please join me in welcoming Joel and praying for him as he steps into this new role.

. . .

Addaan namnama ken rag-o (With hope and joy),

Bishop/Obispo Carlo A. Rapanut (he/him)
The United Methodist Church
Desert Southwest and New Mexico Conferences
dscumc.org | nmconfum.com

In exciting leadership news, Monique Lopez, formerly UMOM's COO, has been named Deputy CEO! Monique has served UMOM with compassion and strength for the past 8 years. We're so grateful for her leadership and look forward to seeing her shine in her new role.

And finally, as all parents out there are already well aware, school is out for summer! That means our onsite Boys & Girls Club has shifted to full day operations to support the kids of UMOM, keeping this onsite resource busier than ever. Keep an eye on our volunteer opportunities to see how you can get involved!

From the weekly newsletter 6/6/25:

From the weekly newsletter 5/9/25:

Fellowship Time is alive and well in the Activity Center after service each week! Come join your fellow worshippers for conversation and light refreshments. We've started something new this spring: Fellowship Time (including providing food and cold drinks, setup, and cleanup) is now hosted by a different committee each month. But Nolan will continue to make us delicious coffee each week!

Hope to see you in Fellowship Time next Sunday!