Josette Thomas, Lilly Thomas, Christy Hightower, , and

Two sisters, Josette and Lilly Thomas, talk about how they first started attending First Congregational Church in Santa Cruz, California at the ages of five and eight. They share their thoughts and feelings about the church changing its name to...

Nicholas Piediscalzi and Christy Hightower

Nick Piediscalzi, a retired minister, talks about what brought him to Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz California. He admires the active, lively congregation here where people are not afraid to be vulnerable in church. Nick explains: “In...

Nicholas Piediscalzi and Christy Hightower

Nicholas Piediscalzi, a retired United Church of Christ minister, talks to us about his personal experience and relationship to peace, as well as his work in peace-making in larger settings. As a minister in Chicago in the 1940s and 1950’s...

“We had the spirit of working together” – founding parent of Santa Cruz Waldorf School, Alison (Keeler) Carrillo

Alison (Keeler) Carrillo shares with us her experience of “plunging in” as a founding parent at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School back in the 70s, her 41 year connection to the school, how the parents over the years have made...

Suzanne McLean and Mary Male
January 19, 2017 App Interview

Suzanne's faith began with singing in the choir and has led to her leadership in providing shelter services for the homeless throughout the community. Building community is part of everything she does, and she's learned to do that at Peace...

Mary Caravalho and Christy Hightower

Mary Caravalho's mother died young of cancer and Mary honored her mother by taking on her mother's role of staying in touch with her cousin Judy throughout Judy's life. Now Mary honors her cousin Judy by uncovering and telling the...

David Dodson and Christy Hightower
January 15, 2017 App Interview

David Dodson tells the story of his father, Dwight Dodson, who was the senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago in the 1950’s. That church prided itself on its history of having been formed by a group of...

Interview with Grant Erickson and Lisa Johnson

Grant Erickson talks with Lisa Johnson a month before his 95th birthday. He started attending First Congregational Church in 1976, and thinks that the name change to Peace United Church in 2013 was a good expression of the Church’s values....

Stoney Brook and Christy Hightower

Stoney Brook talks about how being a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago in 2014 touched and changed him in unexpected ways. Among other things the pilgrimage was the gateway to his setting up the first Veteran's Treatment Court in...