In this issue:
DISCIPLES CHURCH BURNS TO GROUND; CONGREGATION INTENDS TO PRESS AHEAD
Center Point Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Greenville, Texas burned to the ground last week, apparently as the result of a lightening strike. The church, which has a congregation of about 40, plans to rebuild. It was declared a total loss, according to Charles L. Faulkner, Center Point's minister emeritus.
Faulkner also reported that new African-American hymnals and Bibles were lost in the blaze. Faulkner's personal library, pulpit robe and stoles also were destroyed. Week of Compassion is sending the congregation a $1,000 solidarity grant as an expression of concern from the whole church. The Center Point congregation has asked for prayers from Disciples. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 1003, Greenville, Texas 75403-1003. For more on the fire, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07166.html
GIVING WATER TO COMMUNITY WITH NO HOPE IS 'GOD-GIVEN THING'
More than a dozen people who traveled to Kenya recently saw first-hand the importance of clean water in the East African nation. Participants on a People-to-People Pilgrimage learned about the challenges of maintaining supplies of clean water from church officials in Kenya. The Sept. 17-29 pilgrimage was coordinated by Global Ministries, a common witness of the Division of Overseas Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Wider Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ.
A lack of clean water can create despair. Water is the "stuff of life that both humans and animals need," Robert "Gibson" Gichuki, projects coordinator director for the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), told the visitors. "When you take water to a community that has no hope, that is a God-given thing. Our goal is to continue to bring hope to the people of our country." To learn more about the pilgrimage and ways Global Ministries partners are helping support water projects, see: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07167.html
THANKSGIVING SPECIAL OFFERING WILL BENEFIT HIGHER EDUCATION
Your gifts to the Thanksgiving Special Offering will help ensure a strong cadre of future leaders for our Church. The offering, which will be received on Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, benefits 14 colleges and universities and seven theological institutions that receive funding from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As with other special offerings this year, the theme is: "Thank You! Your Gifts Change Lives."
Disciples related colleges and universities are committed to strong, liberal arts, value-oriented general education. To learn more about the offering, go to:
www.disciples.org/dns/newsletter/linkredirect.asp?id=071026a
TWO OHIO CHURCHES BECOME ONE DISCIPLES CONGREGATION
They don't have a new name yet but two Harrison, Ohio churches will merge into one Disciples congregation soon. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Harrison Christian Center, a nondenominational church, are merging. The congregation at First Christian voted unanimously to combine with Harrison Christian Center on Oct. 7.
First Christian is known as an innovative and growing church that has been experiencing transformation over the past 15 years. It averages about 375 people in Sunday worship. Harrison Christian has strong youth and small group ministries and averages approximately 175 people in Sunday worship. William T. McConnell, lead minister of First Christian, and Mark Garrett, pastor of Harrison Christian, have discussed the possibility of merging for several years. Members of the merged church have been asked to submit suggestions on the new church's name. To find out more, see: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07168.html
DISCIPLES COUPLE BECOMES CO-MINISTERS OF PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION
The Christian Church of the Pacific Southwest has installed Don Dewey and Susan Gonzales Dewey as co-regional ministers. They were installed on Oct. 20 during a ceremony at Church of the Valley in Van Nuys, Calif., which was officiated by General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins. The Deweys had previously served at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ventura, Calif., where he was senior minister and she was associate minister.
The couple said they will be working toward ways to bring more people into leadership in the region, both clergy and laity. Pacific Southwest is among the top regions in creating new churches. The Deweys, who replace Don Shelton, will serve at least one six-year term as co-ministers. For more, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07169.html
DISCIPLES MINISTRIES REACH OUT TO TROOPS IN WAR ZONE
Two Disciples from Texas are directing ministries that offer support to troops serving in the war zones. Carol Neal, a member of Memorial Drive Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Houston, heads up a program at her church that sends care packages to soldiers each month. In another effort, Navy chaplain William Fauntleroy directs the "Warrior Transition Program," which helps sailors who are on their way home from the combat zone readjust to civilian life.
Fauntleroy, who is a member of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dallas, is stationed in Kuwait. "Medical science has shown us how the trauma of combat changes the human brain," said Fauntleroy. "We want to change it back in accordance to the divine design." For more, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07174.html
BETHANY COLLEGE CHOOSES ITS NEXT PRESIDENT
Bethany College has selected Scott D. Miller as its 19th president. Miller, president of Wesley College in Dover, Del., will assume the presidency of Bethany on Jan. 1. He replaces G.T. "Buck" Smith, who is retiring after four years as president of Bethany, which is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Bethany, W.Va.
Miller, 48, has been president of Wesley since 1997. While he has been there Wesley's enrollment has tripled and its endowment has doubled. "Dr. Miller's legacy at Wesley is one of exceptional accomplishment," said Charles "Chip" R. Dashiell Jr., chair of Wesley's Board of Trustees. To get more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07170.pdf (PDF)
CHURCHES UNITING IN CHRIST REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ERADICATING SYSTEMIC RACISM IN NORTH AMERICA
The Local and Regional Task Force and the Racial Justice Task Force of Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) made significant progress during meetings in Columbus, Ohio last week. The Local and Regional Task Force of CUIC affirmed a program in which each of its member communions would take responsibility for making CUIC visible in a given city.
The Racial Justice Task Force of the organization agreed with the affirmation of the CUIC Coordinating Council (www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07152.html) that the primary focus of CUIC’s ecumenical relationship should be eradicating systemic racism in North America. To find out more about the meeting of CUIC’s Local and Regional Task Force, see: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07172.html. To read more on CUIC’s Racial Justice Task Force meeting, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07171.html
DISCIPLES CENTER FOR PUBLIC WITNESS ADDS FOUR SENIOR ADVISORS
Four Disciples advocates, including a leader of the Black Ministers Fellowship, a missionary in residence, a workers rights organizer, and the religious outreach director for a leading civil rights and civil liberties organization, have joined the Advocacy Team of the Disciples Center for Public Witness. Each will serve as a senior advisor to the center, helping its staff, fellows and interns deal in a more informed and effective manner with issues and concerns in the advisor's field of expertise.
Eric Brown, senior pastor of Woodland Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbus, Ohio, a leader of the Black Ministers Fellowship, and co-founder of "We Believe Ohio," will serve as senior advisor to the center on voter education and civic participation. Marla Schrader, a Global Ministries missionary in residence supporting the work of the Ramallah Friends Quaker Meeting, will serve as a senior advisor on Middle East issues and concerns.
Jessica Vazquez Torres, former staff for the Disciples Reconciliation Ministry and current national outreach religious coordinator for Interfaith Worker Justice, will serve as a senior advisor on worker's rights and issues affecting working families. Stephen Baines, former Southern Baptist minister and now director of interfaith outreach at People For the American Way, will serve as a senior advisor on judicial nominations and election reform. To read more on the Center, please visit: www.centerblog.org
NCC, AARP TURN ATTENTION TOWARD UNMET NEEDS OF POOR
The National Council of Churches Health Task Force and the American Association of Retired Persons are urging all Americans to push for policies that improve the lives of the poor and those without access health care services. The "Divided We Fail" campaign is aimed at renewing a national discussion about how to better address the needs of the people who have silently slipped to the margins of our society.
The Health Task Force of the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) stress that the "Divided We Fail" effort reflects the Gospel message found in Matthew 25:34-40, which teaches the followers of Christ that what they do unto "the least of these" they have done it unto Him. For more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07173.html
VANDERBILT DISCIPLES HOUSE STUDENTS RECEIVE VALUABLE LESSONS FROM PASTORS
Ministry students at Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt gathered during fall break, Oct. 23, to meet with experienced Disciples pastors Janet Long, senior pastor of Washington Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Elyria, Ohio, and Roger and Michelle Jenks, pastors of Grace Community Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Aurora, Ill., to talk about leadership in congregations from a Disciples point of view. Each of the ministers presented distinct but effective ways of leading for Disciples churches.
The "Wise Practice" events occur twice a year and address topics that previous Disciples House students, now pastors, wished they had covered prior to beginning congregational ministry. It is part of the Midterm Congregational Immersion Project, an effort at Disciples House-Vanderbilt funded by the Lilly Endowment to improve the quality of preparation for ministry in the local church. The first event focused on the "priestly" ministries for Disciples (funerals, weddings, and baptisms) and involved six Disciple pastors. Elizabeth Knowles-Bagwell is the Project Director. For more information, visit the Disciples House website at ww.vanderbilt.edu/divinity/disciples.html
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TO HAVE TALK ON 'IMAGINING CHURCH OUTSIDE THE BOX'
Christian Theological Seminary will host a dialogue on Oct. 30 among four theologians who will discuss what really matters in the life of today's congregations. The event is entitled "Imagining Church Outside the Box." It will feature Tom Ehrich, an Episcopal priest, publisher and syndicated columnist; Frank Burch Brown, a professor of religion and the arts at CTS and the University of Chicago Divinity School; Scott Seay, a Disciples minister and assistant professor of the history of global Christianity at CTS; and Teri Thomas, senior pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.
The discussion will be held at CTS's Shelton Auditorium and examine whether or not institutional overhead and mindset is extremely detrimental to churches, and how rethinking church might help their witness become more effective. CTS is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Indianapolis. For more details, go to: editor.ne16.com/he/vo.asp?FileID=112811&MemberID=26691322&MailID=3425812
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