For those unable to join us in person, there will be a live videocast 

of the worship service at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Go to the church's website, or use one of the links below.

If you miss the live service, you can find it archived on YouTube.

Peace Rocks

Help paint PEACE rocks this Sunday, the 21st, following service. Materials will be provided. We are making these to give away at our table on Pride Sunday. The more, the merrier!

Pride Parade - June 4th at 11:00 AM

March with us! We have a new banner and new t-shirts (or wear one you already have). We will walk together, sing, and share our fellowship with other Pride folks. Please let us know if you plan to march, can help with pre-march organizing, or can spend time representing Peace United Church of Christ at our table. Sign up after services or contact Cathy Sarto ([email protected]). More details to follow!

The interfaith service is at 9:30, downtown, on Plaza Ln. (off of Pacific near Union St.). We hope that you can join us there too!

Worship June 4th

Sunday, June 4, Peace UCC will be part of an interfaith Pride worship service organized by Out In Our Faith, 9:30 am downtown, on Plaza Lane. (see map)

Also, for the Santa Cruz Pride festival that day, we’ll have a table with literature and tchotchkes in the display area staffed by people from our church, and there’ll be a PUCC delegation marching in the parade at 11am. On our campus at 900 High St., Matt Broadbent will lead a worship service, beginning at 10:30am

Please join our delegation! COPA 20th Anniversary Convention

Our Peace delegation of at least 30 members and friends will be commuting together: Let us

know if you’ll be joining us on the bus which will leave from St. Stephens Lutheran Church in

Soquel at 3:15 on Saturday, May 20th . Pastor Dave will be joining us!

Our institution is a proud member of Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action, COPA. On Saturday, May 20 th nearly 800 people will gather from across the region to celebrate COPA’s 20th Anniversary. This convention will be an opportunity for three things: 1) celebrate our victories over the past years, 2) obtain commitments from public officials to advance the issues we’re currently working on (such as housing, the Pajaro flooding crisis, and workforce development), and 3) renew our covenant and show local leaders that we intend to stick around for another 20 years!

We will have faith, business and political leaders from around the region. Guests that have already confirmed include Catholic Bishop Daniel Garcia, several Capitola and Santa Cruz City Council members, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, and County Supervisor Justin Cummings.

Join our delegation for this important event on May 20, 2023 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Golden State Theatre in Monterey. Bus transportation will be arranged as well as carpooling. There will be a sign-up after our service, or you may call our Cathy Sarto at 831-234-1397 or Ken Thomas at 831-420-7422.

Peace Pledge Drive

July 2023 - June 2024

Pledge Season is still underway! You have received a letter from the Stewardship Committee along with a Pledge form for the upcoming 2023-2024 Fiscal Year. Several people have testified during Sunday services regarding their own understanding of stewardship. Pledge Sunday was April 30, 2023, when we consecrated our financial commitments for the coming year. Our goal was to receive 100 Pledges by that date, totalling $300,000. So far, we have received 61 Pledge forms totalling $192,030 - less than ⅔ of our goal.

Please remember that in order to budget for all our mission and ministry – programs, maintenance, and staffing – we need to estimate (accurately) our income from all sources. Your Pledge helps us to prepare a responsible budget and plan our work for next year. If you have been giving regularly but not Pledging, please know that we appreciate your gifts - but we still need your Pledge, in any amount you can afford. If you have already sent in your Pledge, we thank you! If not, please do so ASAP. 😁

With appreciation, your Stewardship Committee:

Bill Walton, Bob Lange, Jane Heyse, Karen Cozza and Lisa Johnson

Introducing New Member

Alexandra Guerrero

One of our new Peace UCC members, Alexandra Guerrero, has dual citizenship, as her parents are from Mexico, and she was born in the US. That means she can vote in the US and in Mexico. Spanish was her first language, so when her family moved to San Diego, near Imperial Beach, she learned English as a

youngster.

Her family often visits relatives in Tijuana. Alexandra went to school in Chula Vista as part of the School for the Performing Arts (SCPA) magnet program and was active in dance and cheerleading. She and her friends started a club called “We Mean Green” and did community service projects such as cleaning beaches, parks and trails. In Junior High, she became good friends with Cristalyn Murray. Her family includes a younger brother, Hiram. She misses her younger brother, and says, “Every time I go home, he gets even taller and looks older.” This summer when she returns to San Diego, she hopes to work at a nearby water park.

When Alexandra was looking for colleges, she chose UCSC because she liked the smaller city of Santa Cruz and all the green trees on campus. She likes to take walks and runs for exercise. And her friend from Junior High, Cristalyn Murray, chose to attend UCSC also. Her field of study is Literature and she

would like to become a journalist and write and research articles, or work as an editor or for a publishing company.

When Alex and Cris arrived on campus, they began visiting churches and since Peace UCC was close by, it was first on the list. Jane welcomed them and since they arrived early, they sometimes help Jane set up coffee hour. Alexandra said, Everyone was very friendly and it feels like a welcoming family while away from home.” She decided to join the church after attending Pastor Dave’s session to become more involved in the congregation. She has been a liturgist on Sunday mornings and will work with Cris to update our Peace United Instagram pages with new pictures and articles about what is happening at Peace.

Vera Taylor Scholarship 2023-24

The Vera Taylor Scholarship Committee is accepting applications from church members for scholarships for 2023-2024.

Who can apply?

1. Full-time students or soon-to-be students who have been members of Peace United Church of Christ for at least one year.
2. Qualification

• Attend a college or university or accredited vocational school; e.g. culinary arts, dental hygiene, and the like in an undergraduate or graduate level program.
• For mini-grants to learn or enhance skills and strategies for church or community outreach activities by taking training in a program that leads to a certificate or degree for such things but not limited to Hospice, elder care, child care, working with homeless persons or prisoners, crisis hotlines and counseling, English as a second language, and immigration support. 

Where can I find an application? (All questions are accepted.)

Please contact Chris Wellens for a link to the application ([email protected])

Senior Perennials on Tour! 

Please join us on Sunday, May 21^st as we go on a tour of Common Roots Farm which we learned about at our last meeting. We will carpool from church to arrive there, 301 Golf Club Drive, at noon.

Common Roots Farm is an urban organic farm where people with and without disabilities grow healthy food and build community.” It is associated with Coastal Haven which is the community there for adults with and without disabilities.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact Lynn Walton. She needs to let Heidi know how many will be attending. Contact:  [email protected]

Garden Plot Available

If your gardening space is limited or maybe you live in an apartment, and would like to have a place to grow vegetables or flowers.  

We have an opportunity for you. The fenced and irrigated garden space at Peace United is available. If you are interested, contact the office with your name, email, and phone number. [email protected]

We can provide information and guidelines to follow.

House Hunting

Our church’s faithful audio/video technician, Kevin Rothwell, is looking for a new place to live. If you or someone you know has a studio apartment or large room that he could rent, please call or text him at 831-588-9488, or send an email to [email protected]



Update on Pajaro Recovery Team! 

About 20 Peace United members signed up to provide assistance to Pajaro flood victims. Over the past month, several of us have volunteered at the donation sorting and distribution centers in Watsonville. The Santa Cruz Volunteers Organization has received lots of bags of used clothing, toys, and supplies. It is a huge job sorting all those donations into boy’s, girl’s, men’s, and women’s clothing items by size. As this is done, we put the requested clothing and household items in bags for each family. When a family’s order is filled and bagged, other volunteers deliver these bags to the families still living at the fairgrounds or hotels.

We learned that the Santa Cruz Volunteers sorting and distribution centers will shut down on May 16 and this effort will transfer to Monterey County. Since there is an abundance of used items, they are accepting only new items on their list, as well as gift cards and money to purchase blankets and household items.  

In Pajaro, the mud and debris are cleaned up now, and people are beginning to repair homes and move back. I hope to have more information about how we can help these families as I make contact with resource centers that are coordinating this effort.

If you are available and interested, please contact Karen

at [email protected].

We Want to Hear Your Voice

Sign Up to Be A Liturgist!

We would love to have you as a liturgist (reader) in one of our Sunday morning worship services. It's a wonderful way of serving!

Sign up for a Sunday to read live and in person and we'll connect with you by e-mail on the Tuesday prior, sending all the information you'll need for getting ready.

If you'd like to give it a try, click on this link to choose a date.

AFC Spring 2023 Newsletter

Spring is the season to get involved, whether it’s the Annual AFC Gala, Concert to End Homelessness or the March to End Homelessness...now is the time to get involved! View all upcoming AFC events, plus a story of unexpected generosity using this LINK

Please Be Aware!

WE ARE TARGETS! Especially because we are a community of generous people inclined to be helpful, we are targeted by internet scammers. And one of the most perversely effective frauds these days will play on your trust of me. Beware!

Read More

Watch Out For Scammers

Peace United staff and leaders will never solicit you by e-mail, asking you to purchase or send gift cards or electronic funds for any purpose. Contact the church office if you have any concerns about emails you may receive.

Masks Optional

On February 23, the church council voted to make the wearing of masks optional for worship services beginning on March 12. If you have concerns about this change, or feel that it will affect your attendance on Sunday morning, please reach out to share your concerns with our pastor, [email protected] or our moderator, Maryse Postlewaite, [email protected]

Throughout the pandemic, the church has kept the health and well-being of our community at the forefront of decision-making. Every few months we have reviewed and revised our COVID safety policies, striving to respond to new scientific knowledge and adapt to a dynamic public health situation.

With the rollout of many new treatments and a high degree of vaccination, both state and federal agencies are ending the special status of COVID-19 as a public health emergency. In most public spaces, wearing a mask is now optional. This feels like the right time for our church to move to a masks-optional policy as well.

Small Groups and Ministries of Outreach

Use this link to find information about our various small groups and

ministries here at PUCC.