About Bloom in the Desert
Bloom in the Desert Ministries is an open and affirming United Church of Christ congregation that worships weekly and connects daily with our community for good.
All are welcome.
Our Vision:
Bloom chooses to build a loving, safe, inclusive faith community that is intellectually challenging, emotionally supportive and filled with the strength, integrity and social responsibility that spirituality inspires.
Our Mission:
Guided by teachings of Jesus Christ, Bloom is a community of believers that strives to uplift and heal one another. We gather to worship God, witness our faith in the living of our lives and uphold one another in Christian living. United in our diversity we are inclusive and embracing. We agitate for God's peace and justice in our community and around the world.
Our Core Values:
We are a people of God's extravagant welcome.
We are a people of covenant.
We work toward a just and loving world through service and generosity.
We listen for the still-speaking God.
We encourage a life of inquisitive and thoughtful searching.
We are grounded by Christian faithfulness.
We celebrate the joy in life.
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CLICK Below for FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Bloom
CHURCH OFFICERS
Left to Right:
Carl Toland, Clerk
Rich Fluechtling, Moderator
Brian Schimpf, Vice Moderator
Larry Metcalf, Treasurer
To contact, please use the following emails:
moderator@bloominthedesert.org
clerk@bloominthedesert.org
treasurer@bloominthedesert.org
Our Settled Pastor
Bloom in the Desert Ministries is excited to announce our new settled Pastor, Rev. James Bowman Harris, who joined us officially on August 1.
Pastor James earned his BA, Cum Laude in Biblical Studies with a dual major in Preaching Ministry from Point University in Georgia and went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta.
He was ordained into the United Church of Christ (UCC) at his home church, Kirkwood United Church of Christ in Atlanta and has served on the Board of Directors in the Southeastern Conference of the UCC. He has served congregations in Tennessee and Illinois before returning to Florida where he served as a hospice Chaplain in Fort Myers and as a chaplain with Gulf Coast Medical Center.
Prior to joining Bloom in the Desert, Pastor James served as a Hospice Chaplain and Bereavement Specialist with VITAS Healthcare in Wesley Chapel, FL. After serving for 5 years in chaplaincy, Rev. Harris began feeling God calling him back to serve as a pastor and the members and friends of Bloom in the Desert Ministries share his excitement in his return to that capacity with us.
Please join us in person or online on a future Sunday at 10:00 am as we worship together with Rev. Harris as our spiritual leader!
Administrative Assistant
Bill Wallace greets visitors, answers the phone, and produces our weekly bulletins and assembles reports for Bloom's Open Council and Congregational meetings. He comes to us with a background of 25 years working in Episcopal churches in Santa Monica, Anaheim, and Santa Ana as a parish administrator, secretary, and office manager. The transition to Bloom was easy, and Bill enjoys his interaction with parishioners and visitors to the office.
Bill and his husband, Larry Metcalf, joined Bloom shortly after visiting and are grateful to have found a spiritual home here in the desert.