Resources for 2009 Week of Compassion Offering Now Online

Where is Your Treasure, is the theme for the 2009 Week of Compassion Offering. Week of Compassion has several materials available to help you and your congregation promote this important offering which goes to help those dealing with poverty, hunger and disaster both here and around the world. To access the Leaders Guide, go to this link.

Church Start Near Dubuque Has New Website

Peosta Worship Center, a new church start has now has a website for their congregation: http://www.peostaworshipcenter.org.

General Assembly Update

The General Assembly is for all Disciples. You can help promote the upcoming General Assembly in a variety of ways. Various Assembly promotional materials, including a press release, Indianapolis tourism details, and downloadable full- and half-page color ads are available for use in newsletters, church bulletins and on web sites. The material can be found under "Promotion Material" at the General Assembly website: www.disciples.org/ga.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS

Are you looking for cost-saving ways to attend the 2009 General Assembly? One of the best means of stretching your GA dollar is to take advantage of early registration discounts that extend through January 31, 2009. Adults who register before the January deadline can save $25 off the full Assembly registration cost. Discounts also are available for youth, young adults, seminarians and Indiana (host) registrants. Check out www.disciples.org/ga for more information.Remember that registration is not required for pre-school and school age children. However, parents can register their children online to participate in age-appropriate programming, such as arts and crafts, children's worship and field trips and pay only $80 for that option.

• Register Online - It's easy and fast. The quickest way to register for the General Assembly is online. Using the online system, you may register groups and make one payment. If you cannot complete the registration process in one sitting, online registration allows you to continue the process at a later time.
• Fax It - You may fax your registration. To do this, first download a General Assembly registration form by visiting www.disciples.org/ga and clicking on the "Registration" link. Print the form and fax it to 317-713-2417. Remember to include your credit card information.
• Mail It - Don't forget that you can still mail in registrations. To do this, you need to download and print the registration form, fill it out and mail it to 2009 General Assembly, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Discounted registrations must be received on or before January 31, 2009.

Please note that French, Spanish and Korean versions of the registration form will be available online in early January. These forms can be downloaded, faxed or mailed to the 2009 General Assembly address.

DISCIPLES YOUTH TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL ASPECTS OF ASSEMBLY

Activities for youth are always an important part of General Assembly. Lots of plans are underway for youth events that will invite and inspire young people to participate in all aspects of Assembly. Special room space is being designed as places where youth can hang out, relax and reflect. There also will be cool "eye openers" and "eye closers" for youth, highlighted by great speakers and a concert. Disciples youth will play a role in each worship service and participate in the all-Assembly Wholeness Café. There will be a "Shadow a Disciples Leader" program for youth, mission opportunities, plus youth-friendly Learning Tracks and Resource Groups. To learn more, go to www.disciples.org/ga and click on "Youth at the Assembly."

Assembly Hotels are Just Minutes from Convention Center

Thousands of quality, affordable rooms have been contracted at eight Indianapolis hotels for the 2009 General Assembly. All of the hotels are within short walking distance of the Indiana Convention Center, where nearly all Assembly events will take place. Four of the hotels are located directly across the street from the convention center, and some are connected to the center by skywalk.

Rooms range from $115 to $137, and must be reserved before June 24, 2009 to get the special Assembly rate. Housing reservations can be made online, by fax, mail or telephone. All housing requests made using the housing form will be handled by the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau. To reserve a room or get more information, visit www.disciples.org/ga and click on the "Housing" link.

Begin Now To Offset Your Travel Miles To General Assembly

Congregations are asked to support the Church in its efforts to green the General Assembly and help offset travel mileage to Indianapolis. Once you figure out your roundtrip mileage from your residence to Indianapolis, ask others to bank GA mileage offsets by walking, biking, carpooling or busing. For each new mile they travel through alternative means (or don't travel due to carpooling), that mile counts toward your offset. Keep track of the alternative miles traveled on a spreadsheet or post a graph in a visible location to mark the congregation's progress.

For more information, download the "Offset Your Travel To The Assembly" guide by visiting www.disciples.org/ga and clicking on the "Keeping it 'Green'" link.

Disciple Church Secretary to Retire After 31 Years of Service

Alice Dalager has served First Christian Church of Spencer, IA since 1977. And after 31 years of dedicated service has decided to retire at the end of January, 2009. She’s looking forward to spending more time with her husband and with her grandkids. First Christian Church will host a retirement in her honor in January.

Mrs. Dalager will be honored during the worship service on Sunday, January 25 at 10:45 am. There will be a reception in her honor following the service.



First Christian Church is a member church of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is currently celebrating 128 years of ministry in Spencer, Iowa. Our building is located at 701 E. 18th Street in Spencer. Our mailing address is PO Box 1440, Spencer, IA, 51301. Phone: 712-262-2945

Christmas Eve Televised Service from National Council of Churches

The following information comes to you from Dr. Richard Guentert,
Regional Minister and President:

The National Council of Churches presents a full hour-long program to be
carried on 190 CBS stations across the country on Christmas Eve, in most
areas in the same time period David Letterman us usually scheduled
(11:35 pm Eastern/10:35 Central). Thanks for helping us spread the news
of this special NCC program to those who might otherwise miss seeing it.

A 10-minute preview of the CBS Christmas Eve program can be found on
YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMBYTPfzChA

The NCC will run this link on the NCC website. Please share it with
colleagues, mailing lists, friends and family in your email
correspondence in upcoming days.

Blessings on your Advent.

Where is Your Treasure?

Where is your treasure?

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

For God, we are treasure: “You are children of the Lord your God. ... the Lord has chosen [you] to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). One of the gifts of being God’s children is that sometimes we are called to be “treasure tenders” for God. We are invited to tend God’s treasures beyond our congregation by participating in Week of Compassion.

Life can be tough at times. Hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis smash communities to bits. Wars and ethnic conflicts shatter the very foundations of life, shoving people out of their homes and countries. Persistent hunger, poverty, lack of education, and ill health shrivel the life and dry the spirit. The current economic crisis right here at home leaves us all feeling a bit uncertain.

But we can do something to respond! Through Week of Compassion, we gently and effectively care for God’s treasures. By sharing some of our earthly treasure—our money, our time, our energy—decisive aid can be sent when disaster strikes. Refugees receive help as they rebuild their lives. We help people help themselves through education, health care, tools, seeds, and resources to improve community infrastructure.

And the sharing is mutual. When we care for people, we can be transformed by experiencing the presence of God. Seeing what others (or we ourselves) have lost, we are reminded what matters most in life. Seeing what others live through, we are inspired to live courageously. Seeing that new life is possible, our hope rises.

Our treasure is doing God’s will, loving God, and loving God’s treasured people, so we all “may take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6:19b). Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

May you find your treasure, and your heart, by sharing resources and changing lives with a generous gift to Week of Compassion.

Please join us in sharing your treasure February 15 and 22, 2009.

Week of Compassion: Sharing Resources. Changing Lives.

www.weekofcompassion.org

(317) 713-2442

Upper Midwest changes ministry policy to include GLBT candidates

From DisciplesWorld:

By Rebecca Bowman Woods, DisciplesWorld news editor

DES MOINES (12/6/08) — Disciples in the denomination’s Upper Midwest region are no longer barred from becoming licensed or ordained ministers if they are not heterosexual.

The region assembly on Oct. 11 voted 163-80 in favor of the change. The previous policy dates back to 1979, when the regional assembly adopted a policy prohibiting gays and lesbians from becoming ministers.

The region’s commission on ministry began studying the issues of sexual orientation and ministry several years ago, according to Patricia Adams Oberbillig, a recently retired Disciples pastor who chairs the ordination unit of the commission on ministry.

They studied scripture and theological writings pertaining to homosexuality and ministry. At some point they discovered they were dealing with two separate issues — the other having to do with Disciples’ congregational polity and the role of local churches in endorsing and supporting ministerial candidates.

“Congregations ought to be able to choose who they want to send to the ministry commission to embark on that time of formation,” said Richard Guentert, regional minister.

In June of 2007, the commission on ministry created a task group to look at 1979 resolution again, Oberbillig said.

According to the recently-adopted resolution, the 1979 policy "supersedes the congregation’s right to determine the worthiness and giftedness of potential ministerial candidates.” The resolution affirms congregations' role in recommending candidates for ministry, Guentert said.

Guentert noted that regional leaders tried to conduct the process and the vote in a way that would respect differing opinions.

In September, they held a “day of discovery” and invited every congregation to learn about proposed change and engage in a listening process. About 40 people attended, Oberbillig said.

The assembly’s vote was preceded by 48 minutes of discussion led by a trained parliamentarian, and the actual vote was taken by paper ballot, Guentert said.

While ballots were being counted, Guentert offered a pastoral word and led the assembly in prayer. “We did everything we could so that either way the vote came out, we could preserve the unity of the body of Christ,” he said.

Dennis McKee, an ordained Disciples minister serving as the chaplain at a retirement community in Bloomington, Minn., favored the policy change. “It wasn’t an open and affirming vote, but at least it took down a road block,” said McKee.


He thought the vote sent another important message: “that there is room for us to be Disciples together even if we don’t agree.”

Disciples New Briefs

CENTER FOR PUBLIC WITNESS NAMES THREE TO ADVOCACY TEAM-The Advocacy Team of The Disciples Center for Public Witness will now benefit from the expertise of three additional Disciples. The new members are Laura Hobgood-Oster, professor of religion at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas; Preston T. Adams III, executive minister at Light of the World Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, and C. Douglas Smith, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. The appointments increase the Advocacy Team to 21 members.The Advocacy Team is a shared ministry among D.C. congregations, Light of the World Christian Church, Park Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in New York City, and the Christian Church Capital Area. Hobgood-Oster, the daughter of former General Minister and President Chris Hobgood, will serve as senior fellow for eco-justice and environmental concerns, Adams, who is also chief executive officer of Project Impact Indianapolis, will serve as senior advisor on juvenile justice and restoration, and Smith will serve as senior advisor on interfaith advocacy. For more information, visit: www.centerblog.org

HISTORICAL SOCIETY INTERVIEWS GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT-General Minister and President Sharon Watkins recently sat down to talk with Glenn Carson, president of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, for an in-depth discussion about her life. In the hour-long audio dialogue that is broken up into eleven segments, Watkins speaks on several topics including being the eldest of five siblings, growing up in a Disciples congregation, her call to ministry and her vision for churches in the 21st century. To listen to the audio segments, go to: www.discipleshistory.org/audio/default.htm

DISCIPLES SEMINARIANS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN-Registration for the 2009 Disciples Seminarians Conference is open to all M.Div. students who have completed a year of study. Scheduled for March 5-8 in Nashville, Tenn., the conference will give seminarians opportunities to meet other new Disciples leaders and learn how the church can help them and the congregation or organization they lead to minister faithfully and effectively. The conference is sponsored by Disciples general ministries and organized by Higher Education & Leadership Ministries. Registration is $95, and a limited amount of travel stipends is available. The registration deadline is Feb. 3, 2009. To register or to learn more about the conference, go to: www.helmdisciples.org/theological/seminarians.htm

MEMO TO ADULT YOUTH MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS: ATTEND YOUTH MINISTRY BACKPACK CONFERENCE - FREE!! As an adult youth ministry volunteer would you like to receive training in youth ministry? Do you have all the knowledge needed to effectively work with youth groups? Would you attend a useful conference if all of your expenses were paid? If the answers to any or all of the previous questions are yes, then the "Youth Ministry Backpack Conference" is for you. This all expenses paid conference will be held at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind., June 12-14, 2009.Please review the attached information. Space is limited, so register early! Applications must be received by March 15, 2009. For more information, see: www.disciplesyouth.com. For questions, contact Tod Iseminger at 888-346-2631 or: tiseming@dhm.disciples.org

UCCIB NAMES EXPERIENCED MANAGER TO NEW POST-The United Church of Christ Insurance Board has named Carl J. Kotheimer to director, loss control and claims. Kotheimer's responsibilities will include heading the development, communication and administration of superior core competencies in risk management and loss prevention programs for all 2,400 church participants.Kotheimer has 20 years of experience as a risk management leader. He was most recently a compliance and claims manager for a Youngstown, Ohio-based company. "His experience in managing compliance, claims and risk management programs for both small and global companies will serve the IB well," said United Church of Christ Insurance Board President and Chief Executive Officer Cathy Green. To learn more, go to: www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/DNS/2008/20081203-UCCIBKotheimer.pdf (PDF)

SPECIAL ADVENT BIBLE STUDY NOW AVAILABLE FROM YOUTH MINISTRY COMMISSION-The Disciples Youth Ministry Commission of Disciples Home Missions has written an Advent Bible study series for youth to use during this Advent season. The study curriculum is especially designed for youth, who, like many people, find themselves dealing with higher than normal levels of stress during this busy time of year."Advent invites us into a time of waiting and preparation, so that we may more fully appreciate the fullness of the Christmas event and the impact this season has on the lives of Christians year round," writers in the study guide note. Weekly themes, activities, discussion starters, and suggestions for worship are included in each week's lesson plans. Download a copy at: www.disciplesyouth.com

LECTURE AT NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN TO HIGHLIGHT JUSTICE AND EQUITY-Social justice issues will be explored during a lecture at Northwest Christian University on Dec. 4. The topic will be "Ethical Leadership: Toward a Just and Equitable Society" and will occur as part of the Trustee Lecture Series on Leadership and Ethics at Northwest Christian University. NCU is historically related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is located in Eugene, Ore.The lecturer will be Carla Gary, assistant vice provost for institutional equity and diversity at the University of Oregon. Gary has been working on the Portland Initiative, a plan that establishes partnerships with Portland schools, community organizations and businesses on behalf of underrepresented students. For more, see: www.northwestchristian.edu/news/112108_TrusteeLecture.htm

PRESIDENT OF CULVER-STOCKTON LEAVING FOR ALMA MATER-Culver-Stockton College President William L. Fox has accepted an offer to become president of his alma mater, St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Fox has been president and senior lecturer at C-SC for six years. During his time as president there, annual fundraising has doubled, and major investments in capital improvements including new buildings, a new track and field facility and substantial interior upgrades have taken place. C-SC is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and located in Canton, Mo.Fox received a bachelor's degree in history from St. Lawrence, a M.Div. degree from the Harvard University Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in history and religion from George Washington University. His resignation from Culver-Stockton becomes effective July 1, 2009. For more, see: www.culver.edu/publicrelations/article.asp?id=3332

JARVIS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE HIRES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS-Jarvis Christian College has named Urissanna Roberson as Director of Public Relations. Roberson, who has worked for the past five years in Tyler, Texas, is charged with the oversight of all activities affecting the image of Jarvis College, which is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Hawkins, Texas.A native of Houston, Texas, Roberson earned a bachelor's degree in radio-television from Sam Houston State University, and a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. She replaces Larry Everett who has accepted a position at Texas College.For more information about Jarvis Christian College, visit their web site at: www.jarvis.edu

SEND AN ADVENT/CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OR PRAYER TO BETHLEHEM-Global Ministries invites Disciples to be among those sending messages of peace to people in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. Individuals, communities, congregations, organizations and partners from around the world are once again invited to e-mail Advent and Christmas wishes and prayers for justice and peace to Bethlehem. The project is being carried out this year in collaboration with the World Council of Churches and its Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF). The tradition dates back to 2000. The wishes and prayers that are e-mailed to organizers will be printed and handed out as personal messages, educational materials at schools and in places of worship, and in the newly established peace house of the Arab Educational Institute opposite the Israeli "separation wall" at Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. For more details and where to e-mail your prayer or message, visit:globalministries.org/news/mee/prayers-for-bethlehem-during.html

HELM LEADERSHIP FELLOWS EXPLORE THE BREADTH OF MINISTRY-We are all ministers. We just minister in different ways. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) cherishes each member as a minister, even if we aren't called into ordained ministry. So how do we live into that calling? The Leadership Fellows Program acknowledges the variety of callings and helps students explore their calls to other forms of ministry. The eighth HELM Leadership Fellows Conference, held in November in St. Louis, Mo., focused on the breadth of ministry, examining the different ways ministry takes place. To learn more about the conference, visit: www.helmdisciples.org/helm/08/HELM-LFConference.htm

####Editor: Wanda Bryant WillsE-mail: news@cm.disciples.org

Retirement Celebration @ First Ames

Celebrating 25 years of Ministry with David Digby

Please join us for David Digby’s Retirement Celebration

When: December 14th, 2008

Program in the Sanctuary: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Reception in Fellowship Hall: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm


First Christian Church
611 Clark Ave.
Ames, Iowa 50010
(515) 232-5766

A monetary gift will also be given to Meg and David as they begin their retirement together. If you would like to contribute please send to FCC in c/o Retirement Gift.

A memory book created from members and friends will be presented to David. Please send your memories, stories or antidotes to “David’s Celebration”, 611 Clark Avenue Ames, IA 50010 or by e-mail to fccames@fccames.org.

Church Closing: Items to Give Away

Church Closing

New Life Christian Church

2200 Walnut St., Granger

New Life Christian Church of Granger would like
to donate items to congregations in
need. Following is a list of items
available. Please contact us if you are interested.

• Hymnals, Digital Hymnal

• Choir Robes Seasonal Decorations

• Wheel Chair Walker

• Plates,Bowls

• Cups, Glasses

• Silverware Trays

• Table Coverings Salt/Pepper Shakers

• Glass Butter Dishes Coffee Urns

• Decanters

• Overhead Projector

• Glass Snack Trays/Cups Punch Cups

• Misc. Pots/Pans Misc. Glass Bowls/Vases

• Banners

• Chairs

• Chalice Hymnals Misc. Choir Music

• Misc. Books

Contact Names:

Janine Weyer – 515-999-2008

Sherri Ingle – 515-999-2288

Congregational Leadership Seminar

The event outlined below is co-sponsored by the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest...brochures and registrations forms will be available soon. This might be something that you want to take a look at as a benefit to your mission and ministry in the congregation.

-Don Hiscox


CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR: LEADING CONGREGATIONS IN A CHANGING WORLD

May 4-7, 2009: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Iowa

The Rev. Dr. George Hunsberger, Professor of Congregational Mission at Western Theological Seminary (Reformed) in Holland, Michigan, will present two seminars for church leaders at three sites across southeastern Iowa during the first week of May, 2009. The world around us is changing rapidly and dramatically, which has brought changes to the church. Leaders in the church often struggle to respond. Dr. Hunsberger, the coordinator of The Gospel and Our Culture Network, will help congregational leaders—both paid staff and lay volunteers—to understand the situation that we are in and how to respond, by drawing on practices that are both new and as old as the Church itself.

The seminars will be repeated three times, in three locations across southeastern Iowa. The evening session is for both paid staff (pastors and program staff) and lay volunteers, especially those who serve on church councils, boards, or vestries. The morning session, built on the previous evening’s presentation, will take pastors and program staff deeper by looking to Scripture as a guide in these rapidly changing times.



Evening Session:The Problematic Vendor Shape of the Church



Face it. The church as we know it and live it in America functions like a vendor of religious goods and services. That’s a far cry from what we encounter in Scripture about who we are and what we’re for. If we really are “God’s people sent on a mission,” how do we shed the vendor understanding and take on the shape of being a “sent people”?



This seminar—for ordained and commissioned leaders, program staff, and church councils/boards—will get us in touch with how important and crucial this shift is for us. Participants will explore practical avenues for living our way into something that is both new and ancient!


Morning Session: Biblical Engagement in Sent Communities



Is it adequate to think that we “study” the Bible? Nothing against studying, but the image of “study” as it works in our culture leaves readers very much in charge: we control conclusions about what the Bible means, what it may or may not tell us to do, and generally how much influence we’ll allow it to have.



What would happen if the church learned an entirely reversed way to be engaged by the Bible? How does it read us, convert us, and carry us into dynamic demonstrations of the gospel? What would happen? Where might it send us? And how might we learn that new way?



This seminar—for ordained/commissioned leaders and program staff—will build on the previous evening’s session. It will not only open new imagination about how God intends the Bible to be a living Word, but participants will practice a form of engagement by which we can experience the Bible’s power to shape and send us into the world as agents of God’s love.

Schedule



Des Moines — Grand View College, Krumm Centrum

Monday, May 4, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 5, 9:00–11:30 a.m.

Cedar Rapids — First Lutheran Church

Tuesday, May 5, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 6, 9:00–11:30 a.m.

Quad Cities — St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport

Wednesday, May 6, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 7, 9:00–11:30 a.m.



The Presenter



The Rev. Dr. George Hunsberger brings a rich variety of personal experience to the teaching of missiology (the study of the mission of the Church). Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he has been a campus staff member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; a pastor; a missionary team leader for Africa Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya; and a teacher at Princeton Theological Seminary and at his alma mater, Belhaven College. He began teaching at Western Theological Seminary in 1989, where he continues his special interests in exploring how the gospel speaks within and across cultures, and in fostering congregations in North America that are missionaries of the gospel within their context.

Dr. Hunsberger is coordinator of the Gospel and Our Culture Network in North America, whose administrative home is Western Seminary. He is the author of Bearing the Witness of the Spirit: Lesslie Newbigin's Theology of Cultural Plurality, co-author of Missional Church: A Theological Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, and co-editor of Christian Ethics in Ecumenical Context: Theology, Culture, and Politics in Dialogue and The Church Between Gospel and Culture. He has also contributed many articles and reviews to missiological, Reformed, and Presbyterian journals.



Sponsors

The Center for Renewal at Grand View College

The Ankeny Forum

The Cedar River Forum

The ILLOWA Coalition

The Christian Church in the Upper Midwest

many many other agencies



Cost: $100 per congregation. Congregations may bring as many leaders as they would like to both the evening and the morning session. Congregations that bring six or fewer participants can pay $15 per person.

Regional Address is Now Online

The last Regional Address given by Dr. Richard Guentert is now available online.

Scott Stillwell in Concert

Dear Disciples,
Elkhart Christian Church invites you to join us as we welcome Scott Stilwell, Director of Music and Fine Arts at West Des Moines Christian Church, to a concert of his original music. Scott's new CD will be available for purchase as well.

When: Saturday, November 8

What time: 7:00 p.m.

Where: Elkhart Christian Church, 124 S. Washington, Elkhart, Iowa (17 miles north of Des Moines)

Why: Thanks be to God! Scott's words are deeply prayerful and thoughtful, and his melodies lyrical.

$$$$: An offering will be taken for S.H.A.R.E. (Self-help and Resource Exchange) Iowa.

Administrative Committee Hears Report On New Approach For General Assembly Action

From Disciples News Service:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE HEARS REPORT ON NEW APPROACH FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

(Indianapolis, Ind. – DNS – Nov. 1, 2008) – Disciples may have new ways of expressing their views on important moral, ethical or religious issues at General Assembly meetings as part of a report discussed at the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Administrative Committee.

The report was among a number of items brought before the fall Administrative Committee meeting. It recommends combining three categories of General Assembly business (Sense of the Assembly Resolutions, Study Documents, and Items for Research and Reflection) into a new category – Call of the Assembly to the Church for Study, Reflection and Action.

The Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform (SCRSR) developed the proposal following a request from the Administrative Committee at its meeting in mid-April, to look at new ways for the Church to address issues of pressing social concern. Many of those issues have come before the General Assembly as Sense of the Assembly resolutions.

“This proposal from the standing committee looks at news ways for churches to engage in the discussion of controversial issues, with an emphasis on prayerful discussion resulting in faithful action,” said General Minister and President Sharon Watkins.

The new process suggests that the General Board select no more than three Calls to come before each General Assembly. The purpose in limiting the number of Calls is to place a realistic agenda before the church of what can be accomplished between assemblies, standing committee members say. However, the Office of General Minister and President will be required to list all Calls that were considered in the General Assembly docket. The 2007 General Assembly looked at 11 business items that fit in the three categories that may be combined.

“We hope this process will allow all parts of the Church to engage more deeply in matters of theological, ethical and moral importance,” said Associate General Minister and Vice-President Todd Adams, who made the report on behalf of the SCRSR. “We believe three Calls is a manageable number that will allow congregations, regions, general ministers and our partners to equip themselves to carry out study, reflection and action.”

The SCRSR suggests several criteria that a Call should meet prior to submission:

• A Call proposal must be submitted with a brief historical statement, rationale describing why this issue should be considered by the whole church, and a list of resources that can be made available to inform the Church in its consideration of and action on the issue.
• A Call will not be eligible for consideration if either of the previous two General Assemblies has looked at the same subject, unless its content or the circumstances leading to its submission are substantially different.
• All expressions of the Church – especially congregations, are urged to consider and take action on a moral, ethical or religious matter confronting the church, the nation or the world.

After a review, the General Minister and President (GMP) will forward three suggested Calls to the General Board. The General Board will then review the GMP’s suggestions and decide on the three Calls that will be forwarded to the General Assembly. As part of its deliberations, the General Board will name ways in which the Church is already responding to this matter. The General Board also will attach an estimate of the financial impact, if any, that the Call might incur, along with a proposal for underwriting the cost.

At the General Assembly, each Call will be voted on and the vote recorded. The vote will be to affirm or not to affirm the particular topic as a matter for action throughout the Church. Calls also may be discussed or considered through the use of a number of models, including a Town Hall Format, an All-Assembly session that might involve a pastoral statement by the GMP’s Pastoral Team, or a general question and answer period. Other General Assembly discussion methods might involve a learning track model, a large group discussion model such as World Café, or web-based dialogue.

After the General Assembly, and once the Assembly has engaged a Call, the GMP will write a pastoral letter to the Church urging the Church to further consideration and action. The pastoral letter will be understood to be speaking to the Church not for the Church.

The Administrative Committee accepted the SCRSR report and provided feedback for the standing committee. The SCRSR will meet again in February for further discussion, and will develop a proposal which will be submitted to the General Board in mid-April for its review. The suggested change requires action by the General Assembly which will meet July 29- August 2 in Indianapolis. The 2011 General Assembly is the earliest that the “Call of the Assembly to the Church for Study, Reflection and Action” process could be used.

###

Written by: Wanda Bryant Wills
wbwills@cm.disciples.org

Possible Name for E-Newsletter

From Associate Regional Minister Don Hiscox:

It appears that we have a few possible names for the new newsletter that the Region will be initiating somewhere around the first of the year...if not sooner...the names came from the suggestion sheet provided at the Regional Assembly...

They are:

• "Juicy Fruit From the Living Vine"
• "Disciples in Mission"
• "E-Spirit"
• "Ministering Collectively"
• "The Prairie Harbinger"
• "The E-Harbinger" (the current name)
• "The Upper Midwest Harbinger"

So, what do you think of these suggestions? Which ones do you like? Do you have any ideas of your own? If so, please send them to Don at dh@uppermidwestcc.org.

Beggars Night at Elkhart Christian Church………………..

Celebrating Beggars Night and opening the church to the community has become a tradition at the Elkhart Christian Church. It’s a great place and time for all “Beggars” – big and little – to warm up with some hot chocolate and enjoy some goodies. There are games and activities available for all ages; playing bingo will get you a great prize!! All are welcome at the church located at 124 S. Washington Avenue, Elkhart, Iowa from 6-8:30 p.m. on October 30; everyone can get a treat even if they don’t have a trick!

Barbara Kalsem
Co-Chair
Membership/Evangelism Committee
Elkhart Christian Church

Plymouth Creek Christian Raises Nearly $2600 for CROP Walk

A Word of thanks to Plymouth Creek Christian Church in Plymouth, MN. They took part in their local CROP Walk at French Regional Park on Sunday, October 12 and raised $2598!

The participants included:

L-R: Mike Barnes, Debbie Lehman, Kimberly Wilburn, Chana Weaver, Maya Ingvoldstad, Steve Larson, Donna Jarvi, LeAnn Von Eschen, Rev. Shane Isaac.

Congrats for all your hard work!

Thanks for Thinking of Us: An Update from the Searles

Thanks to all of you who have put us on your prayer list, or have put us in your worship bulletins under "Joys and Concerns."We are in an intensive 5 months of language study, while we begin to forge relationships and discern needs with the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland and we really need your prayers !!

Also, thanks to churches who are sending bell chimes, or copies of easy anthems or favorite choruses, or percussion instruments, or other helps for our music ministry here. Thanks for those Sunday School materials, too!

Please pray for us as we prepare for church camps during the winter break and in the summer, as well. Your ideas for these would be welcome. In fact, we're hoping a team will come to Poland in July to help out with the camps--hold that need up, won't you?

Your frequent and intentional prayers for a revival and a renewal in the Evangelical Church in Poland are the most important thing you can do to support our ministry, and theirs..Keep those prayers rising!

Liz & Doug Searles in Lodz (Woodge), Poland
thesearles@gmail.com
We're always happy to hear your church news!!

Altoona Christian Looking for Musicians

Altoona Christian Church has two positions they need to have filled:

• We are in need of a Children's Choir Director to work with our children's music program.

• We need a keyboard person for our Sunday morning 8:15 informal service.

If you know of someone in the Des Moines area who would to be a part of a vital music program in a growing church please have them contact Ken Briggs at 515-314-6494 or e-mail at RevKBriggsACC@msn.com

The Sleep Out 2008

On November 15th, Plymouth Creek Christian Church (Plymouth, MN) will again be hosting a sleep out location for the Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners annual fundraiser. (IOCP is the social service organization that serves the cities of Hamel, Long Lake, Medina, Medicine Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, Plymouth and Wayzata.)

IOCP has been very pro-active in helping individuals/families stay in their homes as well as working with CommonBond Communities, Habitat for Humanity, and Outreach Development Corporation to increase the number of affordable housing units in the area.

Pick up a pledge sheet from the Mission Corner of the Welcome Table at Church or online from http://www.plymouthcreek.org/ or http://www.iocp.org/ then start collecting your sponsors!
You will need to supply your own sleep shelter (large cardboard box or tent). More information on what to bring and what to wear will be available at the Mission Corner or on the IOCP website.

We will have breakfast together (everyone is welcome for a free will offering) before attending Sunday service.

For more information about joining us or making a donation, call or email Laurie Leonhardt (763 546-1525 or lleonhardt@comcast.net).

Amy Gopp Selected as New Head of Week of Compassion

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NAMED FOR WEEK OF COMPASSION

Amy Gopp(Indianapolis, Ind. – DNS – Oct. 3, 2008) - The Rev. Amy Gopp has witnessed the crushing impact of war, poverty and natural disaster on people’s lives around the globe. But she also has seen how faith, cooperation and a resilient spirit can instill hope in devastating situations.

Gopp will draw on her experiences as a missionary, preacher, global activist and peacemaker in her newest position as Executive Director of Week of Compassion (WOC). Gopp was called to the position earlier this week after a nation-wide search. She had previously served three years as Associate Director of WOC.

“I am thrilled to be able to serve the Church in this new way,” said Gopp. “This ministry allows me to do all that I love and all that I feel God calls me to do. I am able to preach, connect with congregations, and accompany people that we are serving around the world.”

In her new position, Gopp will continue Week of Compassion’s long tradition of ministering to those in need across the United States and Canada and around the globe. She will lead the ongoing work of Week of Compassion, which serves as the relief, refugee, and development ministry fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In partnership with more than 3200 congregations across North America, the ministry annually channels more than $2.5 million for world-wide humanitarian needs.

Gopp’s goals include continuing WOC’s relationships with key partners, donors and congregations in developing the annual giving campaign that undergirds WOC. She also will work to interpret theologically and practically the work, mission and vision of WOC, as well as help Disciples’ grow in their understanding of disaster response and the ways it often connects to deeper systemic issues within social structures.

“Week of Compassion has been one of Disciples’ most effective ministries,” commented Gopp, who notes that she has been associated with WOC for about 12 years. “I will basically continue to build on the success created by my dear colleague Johnny Wray and work to continue the ministry.”

Gopp will succeed Wray, who has served as director of Week of Compassion since 1992. Wray announced in May that he will leave the position at the end of 2008, citing a desire to spend more time with family in a less travel-dominated field.

In announcing her selection, General Minister and President Sharon Watkins noted: “Rev. Gopp brings not only experience in Week of Compassion’s well-known disaster relief and development work but she also brings a passion for ministries of justice. I look forward to working with Amy in this important position.”

“Amy has served Week of Compassion in an excellent way,” added John Richardson, chair of the Week of Compassion board and regional minister of North Carolina. “I am very enthused about her selection as Executive Director.”

Gopp, 37, is a native of Kent, Ohio. She is an ordained Disciples minister, who credits First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kent, Ohio with helping to form her faith, as well as Camp Christian, a Disciples’ youth-oriented program in Ohio. Gopp received her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C., a Master of Arts degree in Conflict Resolution from the McGregor School of Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York.

Her numerous international experiences include living for four years as a peace activist and missionary in the war-torn former Yugoslavia. She worked in Croatia and Bosnia helping to relieve refugee concerns, promote interfaith dialogue and provide education toward conflict resolution. She also coordinated the award-winning Pontanima, an inter-religious choir based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gopp recalls those experiences as having a profound impact on her outlook and ministry.

“I was amazed to see how people could survive in the midst of so much destruction, death and suffering,” she says. “Living in that area had a huge impact on me. I learned a lot about how people are able to dance in the midst of suffering.”

Gopp also has worked with relief and development efforts in Kenya and the Sudan, as well as been involved in poverty outreach efforts in this country, in places such as New York City.

“I see my calling as one where I must heed my call to bring good news to the poor, but also bring good news from the poor,” said Gopp. “This is the way I live out the Gospel and respond to the mandate to minister to those who are suffering.”

In her free time, Gopp enjoys reading poetry, writing, singing, cooking and spending time with her nieces and nephew.

From the DOC Lectionary Blog

This weeks' reflection comes from Danny Bradfield, a Disciples pastor in California:

...People do often say one thing and then do another. "Who will help out at the church workday?" Fifteen hands go up, but when the work day arrives, only three are present. What happened to the other twelve? They said they'd be there. Where are they?

Read more at the DOC Lectionary Blog.

Faith on Tap: UCC/Disciples Young Adult Fellowship Group

Dear Fellowship members,

All who attended last weeks gathering submitted a faith question. We tossed them in a hat and pulled out a discussion question for this week. This weeks discussion question is:

What is the value of selecting one faith doctrine/cannon instead of many? Why do we only study the bible?...especially as a church with an emphasis on accepting and understanding multiple viewpoints?

And just for fun: If Jesus and Buddha got in a fight, who would win?

Last weeks discussion was very rich...I'm looking forward to this week. Same place, same time: Common Roots CAFE, Thursday (Sept. 25th) 7:00pm.

Any questions please call or e-mail.

In Christ's Body, Amy Wick Moore 651-645-3765

Amy is a UCC member in Minnesota that heads up Come Thirsty, a gathering of UCC and Disciples 20 and 30 somethings. Shane Isaac, pastor of Plymouth Creek Christian Church in Plymouth, MN and Dennis Sanders, a Twin Cities-based Disciples pastor are also involved in this venture.

Community Programming at United Seminary in the Twin Cities

THE CHURCH'S PUBLIC WITNESS: FAITH AND POLITICS

Monday, September 29
7:00-9:00 PM
Steckel Learning Center

Individuals and communities of faith have a responsibility to discern how religious faith relates to our involvement in government and our role as citizens. The elections this fall provide us with an ideal opportunity to explore the connections between our beliefs and our political engagement. This workshop will discuss characteristics of authentic and effective faith-based political involvement, obstacles and strategies for increasing a congregation’s involvement, and positive ways to learn from differing view points.

Led by Trish Greeves, contextual studies coordinator for United.

Fee: $15.00
Students: $5.00
Register online or call 651.255.6138.

Blessing Symbols Still Needed for Regional Assembly

Hi - This is Carla Nelson the person you are suppose to contact if you have any questions about the symbol you are being asked to bring to Regional Assembly. My cell phone number has changed. It is now: 641-451-5153

I have received three e-mails telling me about their churches' symbol. Please send, e-mail or call about your symbol as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Carla Nelson
Hedrick Christian Church
csndoc@yahoo.com
641-451-51533
61 S 3rd St
Ollie, IA 52576

Volunteer Needed

NEEDED! We need a video tech. (with equipment) in order to produce a video of the need for volunteers to help with the flood recovery in the areas devastated by this summer's tornados and floods in our area.The vision: Cedar Rapids – and Iowa – will not be high on the list of “glamorous” places to take a mission trip. However, the need is great and there are some real benefits in coming to Iowa.

The method: Through on-site interviews with flood survivors and mission groups, we hope to be able to put some human faces to the recovery effort. At the same time, CR – Iowa has a LOT to offer in the way of working conditions (mild temperatures; no chiggers, no fire ants, no brown recluse spiders, no poisonous snakes!; an urban environment (lots of entertainment possibilities), etc.

The goal: To produce a video we can send to Regions, Districts/Areas, Clusters and individual churches to help promote CR-Iowa as a viable mission alternative. Call Doug Miller – (319) 393-9532 or email drdoug44@mchsi.com

The Latest From Week of Compassion on Hurricane Ike

Response to Ike's Devastation Begins

Millions of people from the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast all the way up to Ohio and Indiana remain without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Communities in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana are facing the kind of devastation that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left behind just 3 years ago. More than 50 deaths have been blamed on the storm, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and property damages have already exceeded $10 billion.

Week of Compassion continues to gather resources to respond to needs within impacted Disciples congregations and to support wider community relief and recovery efforts. WOC is working closely with the Coastal Plains Area office of the Christian Church in the Southwest to contact local pastors and congregations, but communications and travel in the Area remain a challenge. Here is a very preliminary report to date:

Beaumont, First: Downed trees, damage to Meditation Walk, members' homes damaged

Freeport: Damage to the roof, minister's home, members' homes; extent currently unknown

Galveston, Central: Some water damage, but still standing! Members are scattered and information is still being gathered; some are still in Galveston.

El Redentor and Renovada Sion: Playground destroyed, some roof damage and water entry. Members' homes mild to moderate damage

Houston, First: Flooding in education Wing and sanctuary

FCC, Katy: Relatively minor damage to the church; roof & water entry. Members' homes similarly affected

Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah (housed in FCC Katy): Members' homes minor damage

Houston, Memorial Drive: Trees and debris, some water. At least one member's home seriously damaged by multiple trees falling into the house

FCC, Pasadena: Church and members have mild to moderate water and roof damage

Port Arthur, First: Moderate damage to the church. Associate Pastor Scott Miller reports that those who got new roofs after Rita kept theirs and those who had not will now need new roofs.

FCC, Orange: Several feet of water in the church; at least four members with significant damage

Taylor Lake CC: By some miracle, they have no water in their buildings, but some of their members have serious damage.

FCC, Texas City: Education wing roof peeled off, additional damage caused by water entry. Members with similar damage.

The Woodlands: Trees down all over The Woodlands, so some members' homes will have sustained damage

Lake Charles, LA, First: Church facilities ok, but perhaps as many as 50% of the members have water damage to their homes.

Week of Compassion is also supporting a major Church World Service appeal that is covering not only Ike but also Hurricanes Dolly, Fay and Gustav. CWS has dispatched Emergency Response Specialists to Louisiana and Texas to work with local partners to distribute kits, blankets and other material aid and to assist the coordination of local faith-based, community relief and recovery efforts. CWS has a second and similar appeal to support relief and recovery efforts in the hurricane-stricken Caribbean. Texas Disciple and CWS staffer, Don Tatlock, is coordinating the delivery of relief aid to partners in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Urgent Need for Donations

Your help is needed. Prayers of solidarity and concern for hurricane survivors are important, especially as so much of the news is dominated by news from Wall Street and the election trail. Designated gifts to WOC are needed and can be made online by clicking on the link below or sent to WOC, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O. Box 1986, Indpls, IN 46206. Church World Service has issued an urgent appeal for kits, especially hygiene and baby kits, clean-up buckets and blankets. Volunteer work groups are needed. The Disciples Mission Station at First CC, Lake Charles, LA, is ready to receive groups. Office of Disciples Volunteering Director Carl Zerweck will be in the area next week to assess our mission station at Pt. Arthur/Beaumont and to look at possibilities for a new station(s) in the Houston area. ODV has information and is scheduling groups for trips now for another November Habitat Build in Beaumont and for Phase II of the Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative through December 31, 2009.

Donate to Week of Compassion

From the DOC Lectionary Blog

When I was in college I was part of the Baptist college fellowship. Every so often, we had communion.

I really dreaded communion.

Read More...

Seeking God's Solace on 9-11

A prayer by the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary, National Council of Churches USA

New York, September 11, 2008 -- National Council of Churches General Secretary Michael Kinnamon offers this prayer of remembrance on the anniversary of a day of horror and tears:

Gracious God of all creation:
On this day, we remember our neighbors, of different nations and backgrounds, who died in the attacks we simply call 9-11.

Hear our prayers for their loved ones. May they know the comfort that comes from knowledge and love of you.

May they be surrounded by communities that care for them, even as you continue to care for this fragile and suffering world.

God, we confess that we cannot make sense of the violence inflicted by your children on one another. But even more than understanding, we ask for the strength to be peacemakers, servants of your will for reconciliation.

It has been seven years since the senseless attacks, but we are still in pain. Give us the courage, God, to work for the day when hatred and violence will cease.

Help us to be those who break cycles of retribution, even as we advocate for justice with bold persistence.

Help us to work for that time, envisioned by the prophet, when no infant dies needlessly, when no one labors in vain or bears children for calamity, when even wolf and lamb feed together and no one hurts or destroys your holy creation.

God, be our strength, and may we feel your loving touch today and always.

Amen.

Michael Kinnamon

General Secretary

National Council of Churches

Kinnamon is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Regional Assembly Registration Packet Now Online

Below is a link to the 2008 Regional Assembly Registration Packet. It includes 3 promotional materials for churches: 2 posters, and a bulletin insert. Godspeed. 2008 Regional Assembly Packet: http://tinyurl.com/5rlnot

What you Can Contribute to the "Blessing"

The Christian Church in the Upper Midwest is inviting each congregation to bring a physical item or symbol that will be displayed as part of the Assembly Worship Center. The item needs to clearly represent the gift your congregation contributes to your community or the world. You will also need to provide a one sentence explanation of the item to be read by the Assembly Narrator during the opening worship while someone from the congregation brings the item to the front of the sanctuary.

We will need your brief one sentence description of the item, along with its approximate dimensions for placement and order in the procession to the front of the sanctuary.

Your sentence and written description will need to be provided by September 29, 2008. Send this information to Rev. Carla Nelson at 641-451-0383 or e-mail her at csndoc@yahoo.com

Speakers Chosen for Regional Assembly

The following people have been asked to speak at the Regional Assembly on October 11:

• John Claussen-Minister, Park Ave Christian, Des Moines, IA
• Sara Galindo-Minister, First Christian, Laurens, IA
• Richard Guentert-Regional Minister, Upper Midwest, Des Moines, IA
• Joy Linn-Minister, Spirit of Joy Christian, Lakeville, MN
• Bill Mitchell-Minister, First Christian, Keokuk, IA
• Karen Moore-Intentional Interim, Mt. Ayr Christian, Mt. Ayr, IA
• Allison Robuck-Former Co-Minister, First Christian, Minneapolis, MN
• Larry Squire-Minister, Waukee Christian, Waukee, IA
• Paul Witmer-Minister, Covenant Christian, Urbandale, IA

First president of Christian Church Foundation, James R. Reed, dies at 80

From Disciples News Service:

The Christian Church Foundation has announced the death of Rev. Dr. James R. Reed, president emeritus of the Christian Church Foundation. Reed died Monday evening, September 1, in an Indianapolis hospital, where he had been admitted earlier in the day. He was 80 years old.
Reed was the first president of the Christian Church Foundation and served as the dynamic force behind its ministry from 1964 until retiring in 1991. A visionary leader and passionate about the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in all of its manifestations, Reed was committed to excellence and integrity.

"[Reed] cared about people - traits that today remain key to the Foundation's DNA," said Gary Kidwell, current president of the Christian Church Foundation, in an e-mail sent to the Disciples community announcing Reed's death.

Services for Reed will be held September 5 at Downey Avenue Christian Church in Indianapolis. Memorials should be made payable to the Christian Church Foundation and noted for the James R. and Lucille B. Reed Fund.

A more extensive article was written by DisciplesWorld magazine and can be found here. Reed was the stepfather of Bob Brite, Interim Pastor of First Christian Church in Minneapolis, MN.

Mission Alignment Coordinating Council Holds Its Second Meeting

From Disciples News Service:


(Indianapolis, Ind. - DNS - Sept. 5, 2008) - The Mission Alignment Coordinating Council (MACC) met in Indianapolis this week and engaged in prayer, worshipful work and dialogue. The 12-member council spent time reviewing church-wide response to a working document it developed which is aimed at better aligning the ministries of the Church around its stated mission.
The MACC, which is comprised of Disciples lay and clergy leaders, met from Sept. 2-4. It was created earlier this year at the request of the 2008 General Board. At its April meeting, the Board approved the framework for a Plan of Mission Alignment and asked that the MACC be put in place to develop that plan. The General Board also asked the Moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the General Minister and President to appoint MACC members.

Continue reading...

Registration for 2009 General Assembly Now Open

"...For the Healing of the Nations" is the theme for the 2009 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be held in Indianapolis. The website for General Assembly is now open with information on the event, promotional materials, online registration and how plans to make this Assembly a "green" gathering.

Click here to find out more and to take a gander at the new Disciples website.

International Christian Youth Fellowship Draws Several Hundred Youth

From Disciples News Service:

Hundreds of youths gathered at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., July 24-27 for the International Christian Youth Fellowship (ICYF). Every four years, Disciples high school youth come together for worship, fun, mission work and leisure activities. More than 750 attended the opening worship service on July 24. Before that, at least 450 engaged in mission work beginning July 20. They fixed up transitional housing, labored in food warehouses in Orange, Calif., and constructed new homes.

Read more...

Christian Education Newsletter Available

The latest issue of the RCC (Resource Center for Churches) Newletter has been mailed to those who wish to have paper copies. A link to an electronic copy has been placed on page one of our web site: www.resourcesforthejourney.org This copy and older copies can be seen in our website subsection Newsletter.

Please take a moment to check out the newsletter. It is full of information about programming resources for youth and adults. Of course the resources listed are only a portion of what we have available. See the Catalog also on the RCC Website.

Power and Boundary Training Available in Minnesota

We are pleased to inform you that three MCC (Minnesota Council of Churches) Power and Boundaries trainings are scheduled for fall 2008. Please note that the trainings are from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The first training is in Brooklyn Center on Wed., October 8. The second training is on Thurs., October 30 in Moorhead and the third training is on Thurs., November 13 in Rochester. Click here for the registration form.

Please note the registration due dates below. Because the trainings are contingent on registration (a minimum of 23 people is required), a training will be cancelled if 23 registrations have not been received by the MCC registration deadline. Fees will be refunded or applied to a subsequent training.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 7025 Halifax Ave. N., Brooklyn Center 55429 (early bird registrations due in MCC office by September 24) (all registrations to MCC any time before October 1)

Thursday, October 30, 2008, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 210 S 7^th St., Moorhead, MN 56560 (early bird registrations due in MCC office October 4) (all registrations to MCC anytime before October 9)

Thursday, November 13, 2008, at Christ United Methodist Church, Rochester, MN 56001 (early bird registrations due in MCC office by October 30) (all registrations to MCC any time before November 6)

Rev. Susan Richey Nienaber and Nancy Biele will lead these trainings using lecture, films and discussion. The training includes:

· theological, sociological and psychological context

· power and gender issues in the pastoral role

· appropriate boundaries in the pastoral role

· prevention: vulnerability, and self-care

· implications to clergy of Minnesota criminal and civil laws

Although the cost of Power and Boundaries training per participant could be as much as $197, the early bird registration fee is $150 (early bird registration must be received 2 weeks before the training). Registration fees received after the early bird deadline are a minimum of $175.

· Clergy registering and paying fees independently - send directly to the Minnesota Council of Churches.

Power and Boundaries training is sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Churches’ Committee to End Sexual Misconduct in the Religious Community. The committee is composed of denominational representatives or representative staff who deal with clergy sexual misconduct cases and related issues, who are on, or are invited to be on the committee by virtue of their position in each denomination.

Christian News: August 2008 Edition

The August 2008 Edition of Christian News, the newspaper of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest is now online. You can also download recent issues as well.

New Disciples.org Website to be Launched September 2

From Disciples News Service:

Communication Ministries will launch a new design for the primary web site of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Sept. 2. Disciples.org has been redesigned to utilize new technologies for managing content and will provide new services such as RSS feeds and online giving to the Disciples Mission Fund.The launch will be the first phase of a web site improvement project by Communication Ministries. Future enhancements will include improved and additional resources, and integration with online communities such as MySpace, YouTube and Facebook. Information and online registration for the 2009 General Assembly also will be available on Sept. 2.

To see the new design and to register for the 2009 General Assembly, be sure to visit http://www.disciples.org/ on September 2.

First Christain Keokuk Announces "Saturday Night Alive"

First Christian Church in Keokuk, IA is starting a new service on September 6 (yes, that's a Saturday) called "Saturday Night Alive." Want to find out more? Well, the folks at First have made this video to explain their new endeavor:




The church also has a blog that shares more about the service.

New Info on the Upper Midwest webpage

The following information is now available at the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest website:

• Information on Reconciliation Grants;
• Applications for New Church Grants.
  
  

Both are available at the Resource Page.

Work Groups Needed!!!!!

As you know a Mission Station has been created in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
to accomodate work groups desiring to assist in the cleanup and
rebuild of the areas damaged by flooding and tornados this summer.
The schedule, as of 8-12-08 is below.

I'm wondering if it would be possible to get a whole bunch of other
Upper Midwest folks lined up to go?????????

WE ARE IN NEED OF WORK GROUPS FOR THE FOLLOWING TIME FRAMES.

• August 17-23, 2008 (FCC, Nevada is scheduled...we can easily accomodate 10 more persons)

• August 31-September 6, 2008 (no one is scheduled as of yet)

• September 7-13, 2008 (Capitol Hill, Des Moines is scheduled...we can easily accomodate 10 more persons)

• September 14-20, 2008 (Northwood CC, Indianapolis is scheduled...we can easily accomodate 10 more persons)

• September 21-30, 2008 (FCC, Gibson City, IA is scheduled for 9/22-24...we can easily accomodate a dozen more folks at least for the entire week)

• September 28-October 4, 2008 (Norwalk CC is scheduled for 10/4; FCC Red Oak is scheduled for 9/28-10/1...we can easily accomodate about 15-18 more persons for the entire week)

• October 5-11, 2008 (FCC, Medina, Ohio is scheduled...we can easily accomodate an additional 15 persons

• October 12-18, 2008 (Disciples CC, Cleveland Heights, Ohio is scheduled...we can accomodate an addition half dozen folks)

• October 19-25, 2008 (no one is scheduled as of yet)

• October 26-November 1, 2008 (Legacy CC, Harrison, Ohio is scheduled...we can easily accomodate another dozen folks)

• November 2-8, 2008 (First CC, Zanesville, Ohio is scheduled...we can easily accomodate another half dozen folks)

• November 9-15, 2008 (no one is scheduled as of yet)

The Mission Station will like close for the winter (with the possible
exception of some inside work as it becomes available) on November 15
and likely reopen again in the early Spring 2009.

Looking to build community within the congregation you serve? This
certainly is one way to help in that process...

Interested in helping?

It's simple...just contact the person below to begin the process...

Anne Marie Moyars, Administrative Assistant
Disciples Volunteering - Disaster Response
amoyars@dhm.disciples.org
(317) 713-2666 or toll free (888) 346-2631
Fax Number: (317) 635-4426
Web Site: http://www.discipleshomemissions.org

From the DOC Lectionary Blog

From the DOC Lectionary Blog:

It's easier to say what we believe than to practice what we believe. So for the early Christians it might have been easy to say that "God is the God of all" or "in Christ there is no Jew nor Greek" but putting these abstract thoughts into practice would have been much harder to do. Perhaps these stories are there to remind them that Jesus was more concerned about what comes out of the heart than about what rules you follow and that the first messianic proclamation actually came from a gentile woman. Reminders of things like these were almost certainly needed to help resolve issues of Church governance in the first century. They're also needed today.

Continue reading...

Work groups needed for Iowa flood recovery

From DisciplesWorld:

By Rebecca Bowman Woods, DisciplesWorld news and website editor

INDIANAPOLIS (8/11/08) — Three Disciples congregations have opened their doors as mission stations in Iowa, where summer flooding caused extensive damage in Cedar Rapids and other areas.

After the floodwaters receded, the churches — Noelridge Christian Church in Cedar Rapids, First Christian Church in Coralville, and Marion Christian Church in Marion — worked with the Office of Disciples Volunteering to prepare their facilities, and their members, to host mission groups from outside the area. Now all they need are volunteers.

Carl Zerweck, who heads Disciples Volunteering, estimated the number of homes damaged by flooding in the Cedar Rapids area as “somewhere between 4,000 and 5,400.” Zerweck is concerned about the amount of “cutting and gutting” work to be done before cold weather arrives. “The situation is bad. There’s a lot of need and we really need people to consider going.”

Work groups are needed for several of the weeks from September through mid-November, according to Zerweck. Grants are available through Week of Compassion to help with trip costs.

Continue reading...

Disciples Musicians are denomination’s best-kept secret

From DisciplesWorld:

By Verity A. Jones, DisciplesWorld editor and publisher

TULSA, Okla. — (8/13/08) I don’t understand why the annual conference of the Association of Disciples Musicians (ADM) isn’t attended by hundreds if not thousands of people every year.

It must be the best -kept secret in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), otherwise more than this year’s 103 registrants would’ve been here.

This year’s event at First Christian Church in downtown Tulsa, July 19–24, featured fabulous performances, opportunities to rehearse with remarkable musicians of all kinds, and meaningful worship experiences to boot.

Not to mention the workshops exploring the many facets of Emerging Worship, including controversies that this and other changing worship styles pose to the world of American religious music today.

Oh, and there is the fellowship. This is a group of Disciples, professional and volunteer, who really like each other and enjoy getting together year after year. Some have been doing so for more than 20 years. Go figure.

Continue reading...

World Reformed grouping and Disciples body seek closer ties

by Ecumenical News International

GENEVA — Two global bodies grouping Protestant Christians — the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC) — say they are looking to establish a closer relationship.

“It is significant that several united churches around the world are already members of both bodies and have been a voice encouraging us to pursue closer relationships in the future,” said the Rev. Robert Welsh, the general secretary of DECC. The president of the WARC is former Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick.

The Geneva-based WARC said in an Aug. 11 statement that leaders of the two groups had agreed at a meeting in Nashville, TN at the end of July to continue talking about “the development of a comprehensive partnership in pursuit of the visible unity of the Church.”

WARC general secretary the Rev. Setri Nyomi said the Nashville meeting marked a “potentially significant” step in the pursuit of Christian unity. “We welcome this important move.”

WARC has roots in the 16th-century Reformation led by John Calvin, John Knox and others, as well as in earlier church reform movements such as the Waldensians in the Piedmont valleys of Italy, and the followers of Jan Hus in the Czech lands. It brings together 75 million Christians in 214 churches.

The Disciples of Christ (which in some parts of the world is known as Churches of Christ), grew out of an early 19th century movement with origins in both the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. The DECC is a council of 19 Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, United and Uniting churches established in 1979, and represents 4.5 million Christians around the world.

In October 2007, WARC agreed to merge with the Reformed Ecumenical Council, with which it has an overlapping membership, to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches in 2010.

The DECC member churches are to consider a proposal that DECC become an associate member of WCRC to allow closer ties in relation to the programs and governance of the new communion of churches.

Registration and Promotional Materials for Regional Assembly Now Available

Registration forms for the 2008 Regional Assembly of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest are now available for download. For information on this year's gathering, please go to the Regional Assembly page.

Online Courses Available

The registration deadline for two upcoming courses “History and Polity of the Disciples of Christ” and “Introduction to Christian Thought” is August 21st. Information for both courses is below along with a link to our website where you can download the registration form. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me.

Krystal Jacobs, Office Administrator
Missouri School of Religion
Email: krystalmsr@earthlink.net

History and Polity of the
Disciples of Christ

The purpose of this on-line course is to explore and analyze the history, polity and characteristic beliefs of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Specific aims of the course include the following:

• ¨ Becoming familiar and knowledgeable about the origins, development, growth and current status of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

• ¨ Understanding and articulating the characteristic beliefs and practices which make the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) a unique part of the universal church while celebrating the Disciples' ecumenical pilgrimage.

• ¨ Identifying and being aware of how the polity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) works.

Instructor: Rev. Ken Watson, D.Min. is the recently retired Associate Minister of First Christian Church in Columbia, Missouri. Responsibilities in that position were to give staff oversight for Adult Christian Education, membership development, local outreach, worship, property concerns, and the unique Computer Lab which the church began developing in 1994. A native Missourian, Ken was raised in Warrensburg where he also completed his undergraduate education in Psychology in 1967. Following graduation, he attended Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky, graduating in 1972 with a Doctor of Ministry degree. After serving pastorates in Iowa, he came to Columbia in 1978 to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Missouri and was granted that degree in 1985. From 1981 to 1984 he served as Associate Minister for Broadway Christian Church in Columbia. From 1984 to 1994 he served as Associate Regional Minister for the Christian Church of Mid-America, with primary responsibilities in leader development, Christian education and overseas ministry relationships.

Start Date: September 2, 2008 Course will run for 12 weeks
Registration Deadline: August 21, 2008
Cost: $350.00
Texts:

• Joined in Discipleship: The Shaping of Contemporary Disciples Identity, Mark G. Toulouse.
• Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by William E. Tucker and Lester G. McAllister

Click for more information and to register

Introduction to Christian Thought

This course will be an introduction to the breadth of theologies and issues central to Christian Thought including analysis of their socio-historical roots. Attention will be given to significant theologians and social movements that have impacted the contemporary landscape of thought.

Rev. Christine Isham-Walsh, Phd. Ordained in the Christian Church (DOC) in 2005, Christine received her PhD from Drew University with an emphasis in contemporary ethics. Her dissertation explored issues of racism in Christian Feminist Theological Ethics and was titled: Engaging Differences: Replacing the search for essentials in feminist theological ethics with a conversation on difference. She has served the local church in various leadership positions, as Elder, and Sunday school teacher as well as well as Associate and Senior Minister positions. She currently balances working for the State of Missouri Department of Social Services, filling various pulpits on Sundays, and the busy lives of her two teenagers with great joy and by the grace of God.

Start Date: September 2, 2008 Course will run until October 30
Registration Deadline: August 21, 2008
Cost: $350.00

Texts:

• Modern Christian Thought: The Twentieth Century. James C. Livingston , Francis Schussler Fiorenza, Sarah Coakley, James H., Jr. Evans , eds. Fortress Press, 2006.

• Building a Biblical Faith by Charles Bayer. Chalice Press, 1994.

Click for more information and to register.

First Christian Minneapolis Looking For Pianist

First Christian Church of Minneapolis (Disciples of Christ) is seeking a part-time, regular pianist for weekly, 10:30 a.m. Sunday services. There may be some additional rehearsals and special services during the week. Candidate should be versatile in a variety of worship styles and improvisations. Position to begin in early September 2008.

For more information, please contact First Christian at 612-870-1868 or fcc-mpls@qwest.net.

News from the Minnesota Council of Churches

Prayer at the Fair -Sundays, August 24 & 31, 2008, 9:15 – 9:45 AM, State Fair Bandshell

Skipping worship on Sunday August 24th or 31st? You don’t have to! Come to the Bandshell for an uplifting, spirited worship service that celebrates the abundance of life. Sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Churches, the casual service contains both the familiar forms of church including hymns, prayers and a sermon and also gets into the fun spirit of the Fair with our “bulletins on a stick." Celebrants represent the many denominations that make up the Minnesota Council of Churches, making the service a celebration of Christian Unity. For more information contact Gail at (612) 230-3210.

Minneapolis CROP Walk to Benefit Refugee Services Sunday, October 12, 2008, 2PM beginning and ending at Augsburg College

Join the fight against poverty by participating in the Minneapolis Metro CROP Walk. Sponsored by Church World Service, proceeds will benefit the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services and other international and local disaster relief, refugee assistance and long-term self-help development programs. Click here to learn more about an August 21 recruitment rally, registering online and more, or call Kristin at (612) 230-3219.

Darfur: Where is Our Moral Compass Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 5 – 6 PM, State Capitol Grounds This non-partisan event will create international awareness about Darfur, focusing on current conditions and what can be done to improve the situation. The event will include an interfaith prayer service, Camp Darfur (a reenactment of what life is like in Darfur), stories from survivors of genocide, and speakers. For more information click here or contact Lynne at (612) 230-3211.

Interfaith Service a Meaningful Commemoration Over 1,000 people gathered at the Basilica of St. Mary on August 1, 2008 for an interfaith prayer service in commemoration of the 35W bridge collapse year anniversary. The Service was organized by the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Basilica of St. Mary with cooperation of the office of Governor Tim Pawlenty and Mayor R.T. Rybak. View photo gallery online.

Camp Stories

From Associate Regional Minister, Bill Spangler-Dunning:


From a distance, standing at the parking lot looking down the hill at
closing circle as the high school campers are saying their good byes, it is
easy for one to be overwhelmed and yet not fully understand what is behind
the tears.

Sure, they cry because they have made deep friendships that may last a
lifetime but closing circle means that for now they must leave each other
and this makes them cry.

Sure, they cry because a week of intense experience with God and their own
faith lives touches them deep in their souls and closing circle means this
concentrated faith time will also be coming to end.

Sure, they cry because they are exhausted having slowly given of
themselves to others all week and it is at closing circle as others are
hugging them goodbye that they realize just how much they meant to others.

Sure, they cry because a week of camp can inspire them for the rest of the
year and the joy that fills their spirits provides the fuel to carry their
faith into the world.

As I watch parents watching the closing circles and listening to the tears I wonder as we change (grow older) do we remember just why we cried during out closing circles. Or maybe even more what do we need to change to make sure we experience our faith and life at a level that changes our lives enough to make us cry tears of joy!

Thank you all for your support of the Christian Conference Center and our
camping ministry!

Bill Spangler-Dunning