Spring 2015 4Tucson Magazine by 4Tucson

In this Issue... 3

Prayer Holiday What is 4Tucson? The mission of 4Tucson is to partner with every sector and domain of society based on common love, common goals and the common good to make Tucson one of the most livable cities in the world, allowing each partner to determine what part it should play. We see the Christian church engaged in the needs and dreams of Tucson, serving as a catalyst to bring about spiritual and societal transformation for the prosperity of the entire community.

National Day of Prayer: Christians are invited to make a day of it!

Educator Refreshment Retreat aims to rejuvenate, encourage, and spiritually strengthen teachers

Exponential Transformation

Unleashing Generosity

What are domains?

Journey of Generosity: Excelling in the grace of giving

Our society illustrates change through one of three primary sectors: public, private, or social. 4Tucson has taken those three sectors and identified 12 specific areas of influence within our city. Those areas of influence we call domains. Our city is made up of groups of people within domains who have expertise and unique knowledge in a variety of subjects. Each person within a domain will tend to view a specific problem from his or her own perspective. For example, if the specific problem were homelessness, someone in the Education Domain may believe the solution is more education. A professional in the Healthcare Domain may believe the solution revolves around dealing with mental illness, while a leader in the Business Domain may see the problem as a lack of motivation or opportunity. Individually, these views are not the solution to the problem of homelessness—but collectively, each holds a piece to the answer to discovering a real and sustainable solution. Our purpose is to identify difficult problems within the city and bring the expertise of people from a wide variety of backgrounds to focus together to discover and implement long-term solutions. Each domain has a domain director who coordinates the programs and projects that help create solutions to problems encountered within that domain. Visit 4Tucson.com to see a full listing and detail on each domain director. 4Tucson is currently in need of a domain director for the Business Domain. Former Business Domain Director Tony Simms is now serving as 4Tucson’s Chief Operating Officer. The new Media and Arts Domain Director is Paul Oatman. Former Media and Arts Domain Director Francine Rienstra is now overseeing 4Tucson’s Marketing Department. 2

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Church-School Partnerships engage Christians in loving revitalization

Visit 4Tucson.com to see our statement of faith.

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Education + Engagement = Power A winning equation for governmental change

Poverty and Homelessness One 4Tucson partner who has answered the call to help

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For The Better Pastors’ Prayer Summits are making a positive, unifying difference

Separate Churches, One Faith Church of the Week program promotes and unifies Tucson’s churches

What Team Do You Play For? The fun vision of the new 4Tucson Sports Domain Director

Environmental Mindset New 4Tucson Environmental Domain Director has a mission to fulfill

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Editor: Adam Colwell Assistant Editor: Meg Villanueva Contributing Writers: Suzette Howe, Andrea Arthur Owan, Emily Pearson, Janis Van Keuren, Kathy Watson, and Lily Winchester Graphic Design: Caryn Metcalf Printing: Arizona Lithographers Project Management and Production: Adam Colwell’s WriteWorks

4Tucson Magazine Spring 2015 4Tucson Magazine is published quarterly and distributed free of charge online at 4Tucson.com and in print. Copyright 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without consent of 4Tucson. No unsolicited material is accepted for publication. 4Tucson is located at 5151 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 1600, Tucson, AZ 85711.

Prayer Holiday National Day of Prayer: Christians are invited to make a day of it! by Lily Winchester As an annual day of observance, the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 7 comes and goes virtually unnoticed by many people, even those within the Christian community. 4Tucson Prayer Domain Director Brian Goodall wants that to change—and he has a vision to see this day regain significance and importance, with most Christians in Tucson participating. “What I would love to see is the Christian community all across our city make an effort to visit one of the sites to pray,” said Goodall. “We believe that when we pray, God responds. Prayer is a privilege that God gives us as Christians to partner alongside Him in what He wants to do in our city.” Goodall emphasized that 4Tucson’s role is to champion and support the Pima County National Day of Prayer Task Force, coordinated by Veronica Acosta. The Pima County National Day of Prayer Task Force organizes and leads the day’s activities. Many of the churches and ministries participating this year have done so for the past several years. The task force continues to actively recruit other organizations to be host sites for the day. “The goal is to get as many of those opportunities on the calendar as possible, so there’s access for just about everybody in our city to participate,” Goodall said. “I think it’s honoring to God when we join with other Christians on a national or global level.”

afternoon or evening, the entire day can be spent united in prayer with fellow Christians. Goodall says the National Day of Prayer has also proven beneficial locally by providing different congregations an opportunity to work together on the same cause. He also reaffirms the promise of 2 Corinthians 7:14 that calls on Christians to humble themselves and pray so that God can bring renewal. “As Christians increasingly participate in seeking God’s face for our community and humble ourselves, He will respond,” Goodall said. “He will heal the areas of our community that are hurting, not functioning properly, and are broken.” The theme for the 2015 National Day of Prayer is “Lord, Hear Our Cry” with 1 Kings 8:28 serving as the theme scripture: “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.” Dr. Jack Graham is the 2015 Honorary Chairman. To learn more about Pima County National Day of Prayer events, call 520419-9744 or email Veronica Acosta at vacostandp@aol.com. Lily Winchester is a third generation Arizona Wildcat, graduating in 2010 with a BA in Journalism. Her passion is to inform people with the truth. She is also very involved in her church and its ministries.

The National Day of Prayer is recognized as a day for Christians in the United States to pray for their communities and nation as a whole, so it is very important for the Tucson community to join in. In the future, Goodall envisions this day becoming an all-day affair. “It would be cool if the Christians in our community made a holiday out of it,” he said. “Imagine if each one of us planned to take the day off from work every year and spent it going from place to place, joining in with other Christians in prayer for our city and nation.” With the large variety of events being scheduled, it is possible. For example, by attending a breakfast at one host site, lunch at another, and then going to other events in-between and in the 4Tucson Magazine

Educator

Refreshment Retreat aims to rejuvenate, encourage, and spiritually strengthen teachers by Janis Van Keuren 4Tucson and GAP Ministries have designed a retreat for educators to be refreshed, rejuvenated, and discover that their job is their ministry. Matt Merrill and his wife, Alia, will conduct the weekend retreat in June. Merrill is the community transformation coordinator for GAP and his wife is a teacher in the Tucson Unified School District. It will be modeled after a similar retreat they attended in Phoenix three years ago. One teacher who attended that event, Merrill said, expressed that “God spoke to me in such a way that it got me through the whole next school year.” The Merrills say the retreat is needed because teachers, especially those in middle and high school, are encountering struggles with their students they never anticipated nor were trained to deal with—teenagers living in their cars in the desert, children cutting themselves, and blank faces borne out of depression, loneliness, and isolation. The Merrills hope the retreat will connect educators so they will see they are not alone, pray with each other, and will learn how God can make a difference in their classrooms.

Merrill will be speaking on prayer strategies that create a classroom environment where God can work. He says praying before school, during lunch, and after school helps teachers to prepare themselves and their classroom environment. “We will also look at how to receive healing from God for all the bitterness and wounds in an educator’s life,” he said. “We want to help them process that and operate in freedom.” John O’Hair, headmaster of Desert Christian Schools, will discuss the topic, “Healing Life’s Wounds.” After he speaks, Merrill says there will be a devotional time for journaling and “pouring out one’s heart to the Lord.”

“God is miraculous,” said Merrill. “He wants to show up for you. Whether you preach the Gospel directly or not, Jesus does fit into your role. He is relevant to you and what you do.” 4Tucson Education Domain Director Bernadette Gruber adds, “A lot of teachers feel they have to shut off God as they walk through the classroom door. But their boundaries are larger than they think.”

“Our goal is that a year from this retreat, teachers will come back as victors,” said Merrill, “and will have had an overall sense of peace throughout the year by knowing how to deal with stress as it comes.” Gruber adds: “We want to bless them, tell them they did a good job, and give them a moment to be appreciated and loved on.”

At the retreat, Gruber will be speaking on the following topics: “The Legal and Appropriate Boundaries When It Comes to Christianity” and “The Bible in Public Education.” “We want teachers to be rejuvenated and liberated, knowing they can share God’s love and still be a good educator,” Gruber said. “We want them to know what they can do from an academic standpoint and when it is appropriate in the curriculum.” Teachers can even hold Bible studies at school with other teachers on their own time, Gruber added, which strengthens them and builds fellowship.

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The Educators’ Prayer Retreat will be June 12-13 at GAP Ministries, 2861 N. Flowing Wells Rd. It begins at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night and resumes Saturday at 9:00 a.m., concluding at 3:30 p.m. The $15 cost includes all meals and refreshments from Friday’s dinner through Saturday’s lunch. Materials are included in the fee. You can register online at the 4Tucson and GAP Ministries websites. Janis Van Keuren is a freelance writer who has authored stories and devotionals appearing in Christian publications and an anthology. She also writes her own blog, “Heart-Filled Moments” at heartfilledmoments.com

Exponential

Transformation

4Tucson Church Domain Director David Drum shares at the Church-School Partnership meeting February 17. Photo by Sue Johnson

Church-School Partnerships engage Christians in loving revitalization by Lily Winchester The heart and soul of every community is its school. When one school is transformed, the neighborhood is transformed. If the majority of schools in a city are transformed, then that city is transformed. 4Tucson is working to revitalize the schools of Tucson by training Christians to engage in their communities. A joint effort between the Education and Church Domains, its Church-School Partnership program aims to team every school in Tucson with a church within a five-year period. Now in its third year, the program is striving to achieve that goal, having already garnered over 100 church-school partnerships that span seven school districts. “The message we want to communicate,” says 4Tucson Church Domain Director David Drum, “is that the Christian community is here to make the school’s job easier, not harder.” Church-school partnerships are relationship driven. In order to build strong relationships, participants are encouraged to serve unconditionally, without any agenda or motive other than to validate the teachers, students, and staff. Churches are encouraged to find out the school’s needs and meet those needs. “The purpose is to encourage and equip churches to engage and be involved in their local school,” said 4Tucson Education Domain Director Bernadette Gruber. “In the last couple of decades, we haven’t been engaged in our local schools as a Christian community. Now we are seeing many doors open and invitations given to come back and serve.”

“We are here to be salt and light in our community. Part of doing that is serving in our neighborhood schools,” Gruber said. 4Tucson holds regular training events to spur these partnerships along. The most recent meeting was February 17. Trainings cover several topics such as how to start and grow a partnership, how to explore opportunities to stretch financial investment, and how to incorporate prayer. Details on how to legally and appropriately express religious liberty are shared, and testimonies on partnership results are highlighted. Approximately 25 existing partner schools and 40 participants representing 17 churches attended the February meeting. Participants heard several presentations and spent considerable time networking with one another. Several participants indicated their desire to begin new partnerships, while others gave positive feedback on what the meeting meant for them. “I’m feeling very encouraged,” said one participant, “knowing that there are various ministries to support our new efforts.” Another was grateful for “a ton of really practical application,” and a common sentiment was captured by a third participant who said it was “extremely encouraging to hear from, and fellowship with, people with similar callings and interests.” Contact Bernadette Gruber (Bernadette@4Tucson.com) or David Drum (Dave@4Tucson.com) to learn more about the ChurchSchool Partnership effort and how you can get involved. Lily Winchester is a third generation Arizona Wildcat, graduating in 2010 with a BA in Journalism. Her passion is to inform people with the truth. She is also very involved in her church and its ministries. 4Tucson Magazine

UNLEASHING

A brighter, more vivid Tucson starts with generosity. Photo by Sue Johnson

GENEROSITY

Excelling in the grace of giving

by Andrea Arthur Owan How do you change the collective mindset of a city that has been known for its anti-business mentality, political ineffectiveness, crumbling infrastructure, and overall “poor man” attitude? One way is to make Tucson the wealthiest and most generous city in the country. As 4Tucson Executive Director Mark Harris, Philanthropy Domain Director Linda Goode, and 4Tucson Board Member Jim Weisert point out, when a person encounters a paradigm shift in his attitude about how God views generosity—and makes generous living a central theme in his life—then all other areas of life change and everyone benefits.

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First, Harris points out, people need to know how to handle their finances in obedience to the Bible. “God’s people should be the best money managers,” he says. “It’s hard to be generous when you’re a slave to debt.” To teach people how to be biblically responsible with money, 4Tucson provides family budgeting and money management classes and encourages other faith-based classes offered in many churches. Next is a transition phase. Once you literally and spiritually emerge from poverty and debt slavery and move into the realm of stability, you can then fully support the work of Christian individuals, churches, and ministries by being intentional with your money. To champion this life of generous giving—one where Christians aren’t just earning and saving money, but creating it and then freely giving it away—there is Journey of Generosity (JOG), a retreat focused on unleashing generosity in believers.

“God’s people should be the best money managers. It’s hard to be generous when you’re a slave to debt.” – Mark Harris, 4Tucson Executive Director

For Goode, JOG is not just about being generous but seeking God’s kingdom first and being open to His call. It’s examining your faith and heart to discern how you can be generous in all areas of your life. For Weisert, JOG inspires him to take an honest look at how he views his possessions and investments and then ask, “How can I live a more generous life?” For all three, JOG has caused them to raise their understanding of biblical finances to a new level. The experience has deepened their walk with Christ, and it’s an experience they’re eager to share with others. Harris and Weisert want their children to experience it, and they both ache to see Tucson become a city that people want to

proudly call home. “It breaks my heart that my children don’t want to return to Tucson,” Weisert says. “It’s about generational legacy,” adds Harris, saying it builds into children the love of Christ, so they will then give generously out of gratitude for their salvation. Before he attended JOG, Weisert said he and his family lived what he thought was a generous life. He now sees that he’s been storing up more treasure on Earth than in Heaven and wants to change that. “Our new goal,” he said, “is to give everything away before we die. I never truly understood God’s plan for generosity until I went to this retreat.” JOG is an intimate time spent with peers to discuss the generous life. Videos and a facilitator guide attendees through discussions exploring how generosity has the power to bring joy, freedom, and purpose to life. It focuses on your heart. There is never a request to donate money at JOG, nor is there a fee to attend. “It helps refocus your beliefs about money, brings clarity and vision to every part of our lives, and it brings honest, rare discussions about wealth,” Weisert says. “At the end, you leave with an action plan.” For more information on Journey of Generosity or to attend a retreat, contact Linda Goode at Linda@4Tucson.com. View testimonials at www.generousgiving.org. Andrea Arthur Owan is a freelance content writer, published author, speaker and public presentation specialist with over 40 years of experience. Connect with her at andreaarthurowan@gmail.com or through her inspirational blog, “Broken Hearts, Redeemed.”

EDUCATION +

ENGAGEMENT

= POWER

A winning equation for governmental change by Andrea Arthur Owan While the Bible doesn’t promote one form of government over another, God does provide a standard—the truth—to inform how a government should act. People need to know that truth. Only then, says 4Tucson Government Domain Director Paul Parisi, will a government be able to perform its duties: protect people, judge good and evil, and then punish evil and promote good. The United States of America, Parisi says, “is a unique experiment. God gives us rights because we are human beings. We democratically elect representatives to protect our rights. If those rights are taken away, then we have a form of slavery.” To help swing the government pendulum away from the “slavery” direction many believe it’s headed in, and refocus city and state governments on a truth-guided course, 4Tucson has taken a visible, city-altering role in several areas that Parisi thinks all Christians, including pastors, should be engaged. It begins with 4Tucson-sponsored United States Constitution classes. Parisi says knowing the Constitution, how it affects you, and what it does and does not state are important to understanding the American form of government. Classes cover a wide range of topics such as, “Was the ‘American Revolution’ a Revolution?” and “Is Our Constitution Written from a Secular Viewpoint?” Class instructors have included U.S. Congresswoman Martha McSally, University of Arizona Professor Emeritus Dr. John Harmon McElroy, former 8

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Arizona Representative Jonathan Paton, Pastor Jim Purdy, author Benjamin Wick, and Christian educators Josh Dalton and Claire Morgan. 4Tucson also sponsors the Truth Project, a DVD-based small group curriculum developed by Focus on the Family that helps believers look at life from a Christian perspective. “It opens people’s minds to God’s truth in all aspects of life and is complimentary to the Constitution classes,” Parisi said. The weekly study was most recently held at North Swan Baptist Church. The Government Domain has strategic alliances with other like-minded groups: Christians United for Israel, Alliance Defending Freedom, Institute for Better Education, Family Research Council, Center for Arizona Policy, The Patriot Academy, and Tus Vecinos en el Barrio. Parisi believes the most important thing Christians can do is to pray for their elected officials. “It brings God into the equation,” he says. “We pray for all elected officials, regardless of their political persuasion or religious beliefs. Many of them are open to hearing God’s voice.” Parisi also outlines steps people can take to be come more responsible citizens. “First, register to vote. Second, get involved. Attend Tucson City Council and Pima County Board of Supervisors meetings and voice your opinions. Write, email, and call them. Elected officials do listen to the people.” He also encourages people to be aware of what bills are pending or being discussed at the

Arizona legislature. He points to a new feature called “Request to Speak” at www.azleg.gov. He says it allows you to put your opinion in public record on different bills and it is actually read into the public record. Well-educated, actively-engaged Christian citizens, Parisi believes, will promote and elect great officials—and the government will change for the better. For more information on the Government Domain, their classes, how to become involved, or be a Truth Project host church, contact Paul Parisi at Paul@4Tucson.com. Andrea Arthur Owan is a freelance content writer, published author, speaker and public presentation specialist with over 40 years of experience. Connect with her at andreaarthurowan@gmail.com or through her inspirational blog, “Broken Hearts, Redeemed.”

POVERTY& homelessness One 4Tucson partner who has answered the call to help

Carrie Farra at her encampment. The problem of homelessness in Tucson is as old as the city itself. Photo by Chloe Carlson by Janis Van Keuren Poverty. The word paints an image of a littered downtown street. Under a doorway, a grubby, unshaven man sits in darkened clothes washed with perspiration. Out in the desert, a mattress is tossed under a palo verde tree layered with dried ocotillo branches for shade. Someone will sleep there tonight under a thin, torn sheet. Economically, poverty is defined by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services as a household of four with a cash income of less than $24,250 a year. In Tucson, about 25 percent of the population live below the poverty level, according to a recent survey. Additionally, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 Tucson adults are homeless. In response, 4Tucson is endeavoring to bring businesses, government, shelters, Christian organizations, and churches together to reduce poverty and homelessness. “We are sending out a clarion call to muster a task force that will 10

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investigate and alleviate the crux issues causing poverty,” said 4Tucson Social Services Domain Director Arthur Tigney. “Economics, education, and family backgrounds all play a role. We want to determine what different organizations have already developed and collaborate with them to make a greater impact on poverty and homelessness. We do not want to replicate efforts.

Answering the call: Gospel Rescue Mission One of the organizations 4Tucson already works with on poverty reduction is the Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM), headed by Executive Director Pastor Roy Tullgren III. In 2014, GRM sheltered 39,183 men and 23,030 women. On a daily basis, it provides shelter, vocational training, and addiction recovery programs for about 70 women plus children. At the men’s center, they provide 102 beds plus floor mats accommodating another 23 men. “The poor and the oppressed are close to God’s heart,” said Tullgren. “I believe that’s why the Lord blesses the mission. We are doing work

that is tender to His heart.” All GRM programs are biblically focused, and residents are required to attend a daily Bible study, evening chapel, and to attend a local church each week. “A lot of people think we are three hots [meals] and a cot,” said Tullgren. “Everything is tied in spiritually. That’s what the secular programs are missing. We are after a heart change. There is a change in the people’s values and character. They see who they are in Christ and how to treat others. If these things don’t change, they’ll probably make the same mistakes and things won’t work out.” Since its beginning in 1953, GRM has worked with those known as the “chronically poor.” Tullgren describes them as people who are in and out of jobs, only occasionally have a place to stay, may have drug addictions they can’t kick, or could have mental illness. Now, though, he says, there is an increase in those who are “economically poor.” “These are people who have lost their jobs and their apartments. They’ve never been homeless, and they’re scared to live on the streets. They come to the mission embarrassed, with just the shirts on their backs, desperate and feeling like horrible human beings with no future.” When men and women arrive at GRM, they go through an evaluation of their needs, where they are headed, what skills they possess, and how the shelter can help them. Men can stay for up to four days with this first step. They can then decide if they will join the vocational training program and work at the mission to maintain landscaping, clean the kitchen, or help pick up donations of food and clothing. About one-third make this commitment.

Doing chores earns a stay for up to four weeks. After that, men can enter a work program and begin searching for employment. Once they locate employment, they are required to save 80 percent of their income in the form of a cashier’s check to themselves so that they will have enough money to acquire an apartment and pay utilities. Women are processed using the same evaluation as the men in the first seven days. Next, most women chose to enter the mission’s shortor long-term recovery programs. Usually this includes a transitional phase that includes vocational training while the women wait to enter recovery. The women work in the kitchen, receive donations, or sort the free clothing that will be given to every guest at the mission. This gives them skills they can list on a resume when looking for a job. During their stay at the mission, the women live in freshly painted, mini two-room apartments that have a private bedroom and bathroom. If the women discover that after three months they no longer need recovery, they can start looking for a job and saving money. An optional four-month short-term recovery plan provides Christian counseling, addiction meetings, life skills classes, and access to a computer-equipped learning center to prepare for the General Education Development (GED) test. Many who graduate from the Gospel Rescue Mission programs hold down jobs, have homes and raise families, and are involved in their communities. Their success gives hope to others. Janis Van Keuren is a freelance writer who has authored stories and devotionals appearing in Christian publications and an anthology. She also writes her own blog, “Heart-Filled Moments” at heartfilledmoments.com.

For The

Better Pastors’ Prayer Summits are making a positive, unifying difference

by Lily Winchester Tucson once had a reputation for being a place of disunity between churches. However, since the first Pastors’ Prayer Summit six years ago, 4Tucson Church Domain Director David Drum says things have started changing for the better. “It changed the spiritual atmosphere in our city,” Drum said. “I think many of the things that we’re seeing today can be directly correlated back to that first prayer summit.” According to 4Tucson Prayer Domain Director Brian Goodall, the summit was started by the personal conviction of Pastor Pat McClanahan and a group of eastside Tucson pastors who felt the urgency to spend a few days away to pray as a group. “They knew that God is the only one capable of healing our community, so there was an urgency for them to seek His council together,” Goodall said. “They also had a conviction that we can’t expect our city will be reached unless our pastors choose to work together.” Drum said the event was the first time a significant number of pastors were willing to commit that much time—three days—for the purpose of praying together. He also said that the group of pastors who participated was diverse ethnically, denominationally, and geographically. Drum was one of those pastors, and he believes each one was strategically selected by God to be there. “We came down the mountain 100 percent clear that we’re on the same team,” Drum said. “We’re all praying to the same Lord; we have 12

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the same basic heart’s desire for ourselves, for our city, for our families, and for our congregations.” More Pastors’ Prayer Summits have occurred in the years since then, bringing about amazing results that Drum and Goodall say include the birth of 4Tucson itself. Today, over 60 congregations partner with 4Tucson—and there’s a strong belief that the best is yet to come. “Change happens top-down and culture happens top-down,” Goodall said. “I think what we’re able to see right now is a lot of collaboration, relational development, and synergy happening within our pastors. We can expect to see the fruit of this unity trickle down throughout our congregations in the years to come and impact our community in even greater ways.” A goal of the Pastors’ Prayer Summit is to put individual agendas aside and allow God to lead. Now, Drum and the other participants are seeking God to discern if the greater Christian community is ready to start tackling problems in our society in this way. “Things that had never been possible before in our city are possible and are happening now,” Drum said. If you are a pastor and would like to participate in the next Pastors’ Prayer Summit, contact Brian (Brian@4Tucson.com) or David (Dave@4Tucson.com). Lily Winchester is a third generation Arizona Wildcat, graduating in 2010 with a BA in Journalism. Her passion is to inform people with the truth. She is also very involved in her church and its ministries.

Separate Churches

ONE FAITH

Church of the Week program promotes and unifies Tucson’s churches by Emily Pearson “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:5 ESV) Each individual member of a church is united through Jesus Christ to form one body—the body of believers in Him. This is the common application of the above passage. However, the Church of the Week program would interpret the verse in a broader sense: Each individual church is united through Christ to form the body of believers in a city. According to David Drum, 4Tucson Church Domain Director, the mission of Church of the Week is to unite churches in the city by praying intentionally for each other. “We’re not competing with other churches. We’re on the same team,” said Drum. “We’re praying God’s blessing for the other churches.” Through the program, a short questionnaire is sent to the church being featured that week. The questionnaire asks the recipient to describe the church and tell something unique about it, reveal something exciting God is doing in the church, and list one or two prayer requests. The completed survey is then sent to each church participating in the program for their use. Some churches include the questionnaire in that Sunday’s bulletin, and many churches take time during their service to pray for the featured church and its needs. This unique program was started two years ago when 4Tucson determined it had a diverse base of churches that accurately reflected the ethnic and cultural diversity of the city. “We wanted every part of the body to see this as theirs,” said Drum. Spanish speaking churches, African-American churches, denominational and nondenominational churches, and even a Messianic Jewish congregation are all represented. Church of the Week is an active way to bind churches together with prayer and love. Some churches additionally mail notes of prayer and encouragement to the pastor of the spotlighted church. Digital copies of the surveys are available on the Tucson Church of the Week Facebook page, as well as on the 4Tucson website. Radio stations such as KGMS, K-LOVE, KCEE, and KVOI air 60-second recordings of Church of the Week. ““We’re told that thousands of people hear this each week,” said Drum.

Mandy Urbalejo, the new administrator for Church of the Week, was looking for ways to be more serious in her walk with Christ when she heard about 4Tucson. “I felt like I should be doing more than just attending church on Sundays,” said Urbalejo. In addition to creating and sending out the Church of the Week email to every participating church, Urbalejo supplies church contact information to radio stations and keeps the contact list updated. She describes her work as keeping everyone connected, like branches to a vine. “It’s even better if you can connect a great institution to other great institutions and carry each other’s burdens.” Currently, about 50 churches participate through the email list, but the number of participants could be larger due to the availability of the surveys online and on the radio. Drum encourages others to get involved because it is an easy way to learn about God’s love and to be united with others in Christ. Anyone interested in joining Church of the Week can email Mandy Urbalejo at COTW@4tucson.com. Emily Pearson is a student at the University of Arizona. 4Tucson Magazine

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What Team Do You Play For?

The fun vision of the new 4Tucson Sports Domain Director by Kathy Watson For 37 years, Ed Noble worked for the Safeway Inc. in California, while simultaneously earning a degree in biblical theology. He always felt his next step would be to join the staff at a church and perhaps even become a pastor. Yet when retirement arrived, church positions in California were few, leading him to consider a move eastward with his wife Joanne to a ministry opportunity with a different and decidedly fun direction.

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“We had Tucson on our radar screen,” Noble said. Joanne had always loved the desert, and once they were relocated, a pastor friend suggested Noble look into 4Tucson. “I’d never heard of it, so I looked at their website right away and was totally taken in—hook, line and sinker.”

www.lutheransonline.com/saguarochapter Legal Shield | www.oatmanpw43.legalshieldassociate.com Legendre Wade Marketing LLC Christian Senior Residence Kolsrud Fast Food, LLC Iota Engineering | www.iotaengineering.com

4Tucson Partner Churches Book of Life | www.bookoflifecc.org Christ Community Church | www.ccctucson.org Beth Sar Shalom | www.shalomtucson.org Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Cactus Community Church of the Nazarene Enchanted Hills Baptist Church | www.enchantedhills.org Faith Community Church | www.faithtucson.org Grace Temple Baptist Church | www.gracetemplembc.com Northminster Presbyterian | www.npctucson.com Pathway of Hope Foursquare Church | www.pathwayofhope.net Tucson Church International | www.tucsonchurch.org Victory Worship Center | www.vwcaz.org

Noble emailed 4Tucson Executive Director Mark Harris and shared his surprise to hear that the Sports Domain still didn’t have a director. Noble was encouraged by Harris’ reply: “Maybe we were just waiting for you.” Noble prayed about the position for a couple of weeks before coming to the realization that it was a no-brainer. “The Sports Domain grabbed me because I like sports. I am very competitive. Whatever I participate in, I want to do well or win,” Noble said. “I like the aspect of how sports and Christianity can mold a person. A lot of one’s heart and moral character can be developed through being coached in sports. A coach can influence more young people in one season than most people can affect in their entire lifetime.”

Desert Hope Lutheran Church | www.deserthope.org Pantano Christian Church | www.pccwired.org Neighborhood Church | www.crossroadstucson.com New Life Community Church of the Nazarene | www.nlccnaz.org Light the Way Lutheran | www.lightthewaymissionchurch.com Grace Community Church | www.gracetucson.org Fountain of Life Lutheran | www.follutheran.org

4Tucson Magazine

Noble believes God has put coaching on his heart and is excited to experience how God will continue to lead him as 4Tucson’s Sports Domain Director. “My number one goal is for this domain to be fun,” he says. “The whole concept of play is a gift from

Ed Noble in the shadow of Arizona Stadium on the University of Arizona campus. Photo by Chloe Carlson God. Anyone can think of a time when they were a kid and they went out and did something for hours. No one told them to do it. They did it because they loved it. That idea, that concept of play, is instilled in all of us.” “Sometimes as we get older we forget that,” he said. “Nobody ever asks, ‘What team do you work for?’ They ask, ‘What team do you play for?’” Noble feels blessed to partner with fellow brothers and sisters who are standing in the gap for this city through 4Tucson. “Once I stopped and looked back at my life, I saw that God has always given me all I need. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for: a place to serve on the frontlines where I can really make a difference. God can take any sport He chooses, use it for His good, and bring people closer to Him.” Kathy Watson is a freelance writer who lives in Vail, Arizona.

Environmental Mindset

Environmental Domain Director has a mission to fulfill

Living Water Ministries | www.lwmaz.org

by Suzette Howe

Fuente de Vida

Joy in the Spirit Fellowship Church of Jesus Christ Peniel

If you don’t believe Christians should be environmentally minded, you might want to consider the words of new 4Tucson Environmental Domain Director Dan Porzio.

“Our environment is made up of all the resources, conditions, and surroundings that influence our lives,” Porzio says. “We have a responsibility before God to be good stewards of everything that He has given to us.”

www.openheavensfellowship.com

Porzio is committed to fulfill the domain’s mission: • to organize and teach a biblical worldview of creation and responsible use and allocation of natural resources, specifically water and power; • to engage the community to bring about societal transformation by enabling cooperative stewardship of all of our resources; • to work with interested groups, government, and citizens to find sustainable long-term solutions for managing and conserving our shared natural resources to the highest and best use of people.

Sunshine Ministries Inc.

Living in New Jersey for the first part of his career as an engineer, Porzio built several custom homes with energy-efficient solar panels to heat hot water and utilized geothermal standards without the use of computers. He also assisted in building an underground home designed as half of a sphere with a flat bottom and full side of solid glass; it was 1,200 square feet and covered in dirt for the best thermal protection available at that time. Porzio moved to Tucson two decades ago and has learned about the desert and the challenges of improving water and power policy. Today, he is a design specialist for Intelligent Design Heating and Air Conditioning, offering solar power generating systems, indoor air quality solutions, and whole house water purification. Porzio plans to get input from key people in positions of influence or in direct control over decisions being made for Arizona. He also

Dan Porzio enjoying the environment at Tucson’s La Encantada shopping center. Photo by Sue Johnson wants to study aquifer locations and surveys of ground water reports and projections to address specific questions: is City of Tucson water clean or tainted with chemicals? What is the City of Tucson doing to save water from our rainfall and rivers that go dry? Where has Central Arizona Project water been added, and how has it changed the ground water levels in the Santa Cruz Valley? Finally, Porzio hopes to create a task force or coalition in water and energy utilization that will work toward significant changes that can be made with the greatest results possible.

Hope Community Church | www.hopetucson.com Casa de Adoracion Tucson | www.cdatucson.org Desert Rose Community Church | www.drcctucson.org Faith Christian Fellowship | www.fcftucson.org Catalina Heights Real Life Christian Fellowship | www.reallifetucson.com Life in Christ Community Church

4Tucson Partner Organizations Love Thy Neighbor Ministries | www.ltnm.org GAP Ministries | www.gapmin.com Tucson Refugee Ministry | www.tucsonrefugeeministry.com Desert Christian Schools | www.desertchristian.org Gospel Rescue Mission | www.grmtucson.com Community Renewal | www.transformingtucson.org Christian Family Care | www.cfcare.org Institute for Better Education | www.Ibescholarships.org Hope of Glory | www.tucsonhope.org Hermundslie Foundation Teen Challenge | www.azteenchallenge.org

“Different government agencies, non-profits, and other organizations all have their own ideas [about the environment],” he said. “We need specific details regarding laws and policies currently in place in Arizona so we have a better understanding on what actions we can take. Then we need to construct a practical working framework involving all of our shared interests, because the principles we must agree on will have a lasting impact for the entire southwestern region.” Suzette Howe develops marketing and graphic materials, promotional campaigns, image branding and product displays. She is married, has three children and lives in Tucson, AZ.

Good Neighbor Ventures | www.goodneighborventures.org Ministry Resources Intl. | www.ministryprep.com Love Everlasting Ministries | www.loveeverlastingministries.com Answers for Life Pregnancy Center | www.afltucson.com Human Life International Inc. | www.hli.org United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona | www.unitedwaytucson.org Christian Care Tucson | www.christiancare.org Helping Hands for Single Moms Tucson | www.helpinghandsforsinglemoms.org Abba’s Storehouse Foundation Wayland Baptist University | www.wbu.edu/tucson God’s Vast Resources | www.gvrconnect.org OCJ Kids | www.ocjkids.org Deeply Rooted Ministries

As of February 20, 2015

4Tucson Magazine