In this issue:
SMALLER ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE HOLDS MEETING IN INDIANAPOLIS
A streamlined Administrative Committee met in Indianapolis January 28-30 with fewer members but a charge to keep the church's vision, mission and priorities in view as the Church experiences a number of change processes. The new 20-member committee received updates and discussed numerous church issues, including Reconciliation Mission and the 21st Century Vision Team. To read more, go to www.disciples.org/dns/releases2007/07010.html
DISCIPLES LEADERS WILL HELP CELEBRATE CENTENARY EVENTS AT THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE IN AUSTRALIA
Several well-known Disciples from the United States will help the Churches of Christ Theological College (CCTC) in Mulgrave, Australia, celebrate 100 years of ministry, formation, training and theological discovery.
A series of events have been planned in February, including an art exhibition, a historical exhibition, and a symposium. Symposium speakers on the weekend of Feb. 9-10 are William Tabbernee, president of Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Okla., and former principal of CCTC; David Vargas, co-executive of Global Ministries; and Xiaoling Zhu, executive for East Asia and the Pacific of Global Ministries.
Ana and Tod Gobledale, ordained Disciples pastors and Global Ministries' missionaries serving as professors at CCTC, will host the event and lead workshops. CCTC, the College of the National Conference of Churches of Christ in Australia, is a teaching institution of the Melbourne College of Divinity.
To learn more about the event and Churches of Christ Theological College, visit: www.cctc.vic.edu.au
"UNBINDING THE GOSPEL" WILL GET SECOND PRINTING
"Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism," a best selling book on evangelism, will go back to press for a second printing, Chalice Press has announced. The book, written by Disciples minister Martha Grace "Gay" Reese, is based on a four-year research project in which Reese interviewed more than 1,000 people in some of America's most successful churches in an effort to study effective evangelism.
"This book calls Disciples back to evangelism to re-discover the joy of sharing the Good News," said Ben Bohren, Regional Minister-President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of the Northern California-Nevada Region. "Our regional staff and regional Transformation Team felt so compelled by this book that we made a major change in our plans for Lent, and are promoting this book to be used as a small group Lenten study in all our churches."
To read more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/releases2007/07011.pdf
CHURCHES URGED TO DISCUSS RACE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Disciples congregations are encouraged to discuss the links between race and environment. Members of the Disciples Reconciliation Mission Communications and Interpretation Working Group endorse resource materials recently published by the National Council of Churches USA (NCC), "Environmental Racism: an Ecumenical Study Guide."
"The National Council of Churches is committed to justice for all of God's people and for all of God's creation," said Brenda Girton-Mitchell, NCC's associate general secretary for justice and advocacy. "A disproportionate number of communities that are impacted by environmental pollution are communities of color. As Christians, we must commit ourselves to addressing environmental racism so that all of God's people can live in a healthy and secure environment."
The materials can be downloaded by signing into the NCC Eco-Justice network at: www.nccecojustice.org/network
DISCIPLES MINISTER PICKED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS GROUP
The Society of Christian Ethics (SCE) selected Darryl M. Trimiew as vice-president during its regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 6 in Dallas, Texas. Trimiew will automatically become president of the society next year.
Trimiew is an ordained Disciples of Christ minister and the chair of the department of philosophy and religion at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, N.Y. He also is a member of Park Avenue Christian Church in East Orange, N.J.
SCE is a non-denominational scholarship society, which draws its 950 members from the faculties of universities, colleges, and theological schools primarily from the United States, Canada, and Europe. The society promotes scholarly work in Christian ethics. For more information visit: www.scethics.org
ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS TO FOCUS ON CHILDREN
Social justice advocates from around the United States will gather in suburban Washington D.C., for the fifth annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days under the theme "... and How are the Children?" The event will be held March 9-12 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, located across the Potomac River from Washington in Arlington, Va.
Nearly 1,300 people are expected to attend. At the meeting's conclusion, participants will visit Capitol Hill and ask their congressional representatives to make the needs of children the center of the 2007 legislative agenda. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, and Cliff Kirkpatrick, chief ecclesiastical officer of the Presbyterian Church (USA), will preach during two worship services. For more information, see: www.disciples.org/dns/newsletter/linkredirect.asp?ID=070202a
MARRIAGE SERIES SCHEDULED FOR CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is partnering with the Society of Biblical Literature in a two-day event to discuss the resources the Bible brings to one of the more contentious debates in American life. This two-day event, which will be held Feb. 11-12 at CTS, will discuss ways to better discern biblical perspectives on marriage and how those perspectives illuminate the political issues regarding gay and lesbian couples.
Ordained and lay religious leaders are invited to register for the seminars. A concluding plenary will give event participants an opportunity to share reflections. For more information about registration, see:
www.disciples.org/dns/newsletter/linkredirect.asp?ID=070202b
SOUPER BOWL DAY OF CARING IS THIS WEEKEND
Disciples youth will hold soup pots at church doors around the country this Sunday collecting money for the charity of their choice, as part of Souper Bowl Day of Caring. Many more youth will go door-to-door this weekend to help raise funds for the less fortunate. Souper Bowl Day of Caring draws attention to the needs of the hungry and hurting, during the biggest football event of the year.
About 11,000 groups participated in the event last year, generating over $5 million. Disciples youth played a role in last year's totals, collecting nearly $80,000 in 274 congregations.
Nationally, more than 18,000 interfaith groups intend to participate this year, 450 of which will be Disciples groups.
All of the money collected is donated to a charity selected by the participant. None of it is sent to Souper Bowl headquarters. For more information, visit: www.souperbowl.org or visit: www.weekofcompassion.org
GRANTS HELP WEST VIRGINIA CHURCH CELEBRATE 175TH YEAR
First Christian Church (DOC) of Wheeling, W.V., will observe its 175th anniversary this year and has received two special grants to assist in celebrations. The church was given a $1,683 grant from the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts. The money will be used to re-house archival material using professional materials and methods.
Maggie Sebastian, pastor of First Christian, spent 20 years in the museum/archive profession and will train members of the church in proper handling and re-housing methods. The church also was awarded a $2,500 grant from a funeral home group to fund publication of First Christian's history, a calendar, and their upcoming anniversary dinner in May. To learn more about First Christian Church's history and on-going ministries go to www.bigroundwindow.com
PENSION FUND ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION OF 1099 FORMS
This year, all pensioners will receive not one, but two 1099-R forms. Recent computer conversions in the Pension Fund warrant such a coordination of tax information for the 2006 tax year.
One 1099-R form will report pension amounts from Jan. 1 through July 5, 2006; the other form will report pension amounts from July 6 through Dec. 31, 2006. The compilation of the two 1099-R forms will equal the total amount of reportable pension received in 2006. Please remember that the forms for retired, ordained pensioners include the gross amount of pension and the net amount after the parsonage allowance exclusion (as approved in 2006). For more information, visit: www.pensionfund.org
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUP TO HOST LECTURE, DISCUSSIONS ON CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
First Congregational Church in San Jose, Calif., will be the site of an Adult Education Roundtable program on the afternoon of March 4 at the church. The annual event is hosted by a United Disciples Fellowship group in cooperation with First Congregational.
Bart D. Ehrman, professor and chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill will be the featured lecturer. Ehrman will speak on, "The End that Never Came and the Christianities that Were Lost."
A series of roundtable discussions will follow the lecture for up to eight weeks. Participants in the follow-up sessions usually read and discuss a book written by the guest lecturer. The event is free and open to the public. A reception is planned following professor Ehrman's appearance. For more information about Ehrman's visit and First Congregational Church visit: www.firstccsj.org
TRANSYLVANIA AND ALLTECH LAUNCH LECTURE SERIES
Transylvania University and Alltech, an international biotechnology company, have teamed up to offer a public lecture series on how science affects people's health, life and future. Pearse Lyons, president of Alltech, will give the inaugural lecture on Feb. 6 in Transylvania's Haggin Auditorium. Transylvania, which is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Alltech's headquarters are located in Lexington, Ky.
"Transylvania is fortunate to have the opportunity to host four distinguished scientists on campus to speak to our students, faculty and staff as well as the community at large," said university President Charles L. Shearer. The other series speakers will be Karl Dawson, director of worldwide research at Alltech, on March 6; Inge Russell of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, on April 25; and Ronan Power, director of research at Alltech, on May 8. For more information, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/newsletter/linkredirect.asp?ID=070202c
DISCIPLES CHURCH IN TEXAS PLANS BENEFIT CONCERT
Forest Grove Christian Church (DOC) in Lucas, Texas, will launch its 2007 benefit concert season on Feb. 17 with John Wynn and Friends in concert that evening. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary.
Concert tickets are $10, which include refreshments provided by a local bakery and Starbucks, along with activities for children up through 6th grade. A silent art auction will accompany the concert, featuring pieces from local artists. All ticket proceeds and one-half of the auction proceeds will go to the Allen community outreach "Transforming Lives" capital campaign. To purchase tickets, contribute art, reserve childcare, or for more information, call 972-562-9025 or email info@fgcctx.org
More information can be found at the church website at: www.fgcctx.org
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