|
In this issue:
- General Minister And President Among Three Disciples Meeting With The Pope
- Pentecost Special Offering To Be Received May 4 And May 11
- Administrative Committee Recommends Review Of Sense-Of-The-Assembly Resolutions
- Disciples Exceed Goal Of Sending 750 Work Groups To The Gulf Coast
- Consultation Calls On Disciples To Become An Inclusive Community
- CBP Positioned For Sustainable Growth
- Disciples Musicians Annual Conference Registration Available
- Church Extension Promotes Two To Vice-President
- National Hispanic And Bilingual Fellowship Will Be In July
- Collins To Join Foundation Development Staff
- General Youth Council Kits Are Now Available
- American Council On Gift Annuities Lowers Rates
- Eight New Missionaries Are Appointed To Serve In Global Mission Areas
- Georgia Congregation Builds Homes In Tijuana, Mexico
GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT AMONG THREE DISCIPLES MEETING WITH THE POPE
 General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins will meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday evening, April 18 in New York City. She will be joined by two other Disciples clergy, Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches and Suzanne Webb, president of Churches Uniting in Christ and pastor of Union Avenue Christian Church in St. Louis, Mo.
The Disciples will be among about 250 church leaders who will join the pope in an ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph Parish Church in Manhattan. The prayer service is among a number of public and small group appearances the pope is making during his April 15-20 visit to this country. To read more, visit: www.disciples.org/watkins/news/2008/04/17a.asp
PENTECOST SPECIAL OFFERING TO BE RECEIVED MAY 4 AND MAY 11
 Disciples pastors and congregations are encouraged to read a letter from the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA that invites all congregations in the NCC's 35-member communions to join in a time of prayer for unity and reconciliation - the marks of the Holy Spirit that were manifest at that first Pentecost experience recorded in Acts 2. The invitation to read the letter is extended by Robert Welsh, President of the Council on Christian Unity and Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President. To read the letter from Welsh and Watkins, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08037.html
To read the NCCC letter, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08038.pdf
Disciples also are invited to "Share the Chalice of Love, Hope and Mission," as we support the New Church Ministry program of developing new congregations as one of the priorities of our church. That offering will be received in congregations on May 4 and May 11. For information and resources on the offering, go to: www.churchfinancecouncil.org/default.aspx?TabID=112
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS REVIEW OF SENSE-OF-THE-ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS
The Administrative Committee of the General Board has forwarded a recommendation to the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform that calls for a review of sense-of-the assembly resolutions. The Administrative Committee, meeting in Indianapolis from April 11-12, is asking the Standing committee to remove this type of resolution, while determining other more effective ways for Disciples to explore challenging issues of our time. The General Board will receive the report of the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform at its April 2009 meeting. To read more, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08032.html
DISCIPLES EXCEED GOAL OF SENDING 750 WORK GROUPS TO THE GULF COAST
Disciples have exceeded their goal of sending 750 volunteer work groups to the Gulf Coast to help in hurricane recovery efforts. Leaders of Disciples Home Missions and Week of Compassion announced a new partnership two years ago, known as the Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative, that would strive to send hundreds of Disciples work teams to the area between August 1, 2006 and August 30, 2008. So far, 753 teams are registered.
DHM and Week of Compassion congratulate Cowden Lake Christian Church in Coral Mich. for registering to send the 750th group to the Gulf. They are scheduled to work in Louisiana in early August. Despite having exceeded their goal, Disciples are reminded that there is still time to join the effort. To read more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08033.html
CONSULTATION CALLS ON DISCIPLES TO BECOME AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
 A recent Consultation on "Becoming a Multicultural and Inclusive Church" held at the Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis on March 27-29 called upon Disciples of Christ to welcome diversity as a strength to reach out in witness to our society and world; to embrace difference as a mark of our unity in Christ; and, to become the church God wants us to be as a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial and inclusive community that reflects Christ's love for all persons.
Thirty-five persons participated in the Consultation, including equal representation from each of our church's constituency groups - African American Disciples (the National Convocation); European-American (White) Disciples; Hispanic Disciples; and North American Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD) - along with two Haitian pastors from new congregation starts. To read more, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08034.html
CBP POSITIONED FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
 Christian Board of Publication reports that it "had an extraordinary year" in 2007 in the key areas of content development, staff development and financial stewardship. Among the highlights is "Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism," by Martha Grace Reese, which became the best-selling trade book in CBP history. Hundreds of congregations across at least eight denominations and associations are using the book and its companion resources.
CBP also noted that is now financially sound, having posted five consecutive years of surplus revenues and a steadily improving balance sheet. To read more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08035.pdf
DISCIPLES MUSICIANS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE
The Association of Disciple Musicians (ADM) National Conference registration is now available. A mini conference registration option is new this year as well as clinicians and workshops for contemporary music. The full conference with quality clinicians for worship, handbells, organ and chorus provides a range of resources for musicians serving churches of all sizes and formats. The 47th ADM National Conference will be held at First Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma from July 19-24. Visit www.adm-doc.org to learn more.
CHURCH EXTENSION PROMOTES TWO TO VICE-PRESIDENT
 Church Extension recently announced the promotion of Gilberto Collazo to the position of vice president for Missional Development and Operations and William (Bill) Singer to the position of vice president for Loan Services.
Collazo is now responsible for collaborating with Church Extension's other vice president for Missional Development and Operations, Lori Adams, in leading staff in organizational transformation to implement the vision and priorities of Church Extension.
Singer is responsible for all aspects of Loan Services within Church Extension, including the application process, risk assessment review, the approval process, the disbursement of funds, the monitoring of payments, the development of alternative capital formations and forecasting and loan projection. To read more about the promotions, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08036.pdf
NATIONAL HISPANIC AND BILINGUAL FELLOWSHIP WILL BE IN JULY
"Growth and Discipleship: Challenges of the 21st Century," will be the theme for the 14th National Hispanic and Bilingual Assembly. The assembly will be held in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., approximately 20 minutes from New York City. The biennial gathering will include worship, workshops for adults and youth and business. Online registration is now available. All registration material can be found online at: www.obrahispana.org/14asamblea
COLLINS TO JOIN FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT STAFF
W. Darwin Collins, regional minister for the Christian Church in Pennsylvania since 1994, will join the executive development staff of the Christian Church Foundation this fall, working with congregations and donors in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Northeast states. To read the complete story, go to: www.disciples.org/ccf/news
GENERAL YOUTH COUNCIL KITS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
The General Youth Council is looking for five high-school aged students who are seeking a leadership opportunity and a chance to have an influence on the direction of youth ministry among Disciples. The Council is also in need of two adults who would like to work with the future leaders of the church.
Applications are being accepted until July 1st. The application kit can be downloaded at: www.disciplesyouth.com
Successful candidates will be notified of their status after the International Christian Youth Fellowship (ICYF) meets in July. Those with questions about the application process can contact Tod Iseminger in Disciples Home Missions at 888-346-2631 or tiseming@dhm.disciples.org
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON GIFT ANNUITIES LOWERS RATES
The payout rates on charitable gift annuities written July 1, 2008, and afterward will be reduced. The Christian Church Foundation, which handles this life-income gift contractual agreement for ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), suggests individuals contemplating this type of gift plan to complete it prior to June 30 to receive the current, higher payout rates. To learn more, go to: www.disciples.org/ccf
EIGHT NEW MISSIONARIES ARE APPOINTED TO SERVE IN GLOBAL MISSION AREAS
 The Common Global Ministries Board met in Indianapolis April 3-5 and approved the appointment of eight missionaries. Kim and Patrick Bentrott will serve in Haiti for four years, Bruce and Linda Hanson will serve a four year term in Honduras, Erin McKinney will be a one-year Global Mission Intern to the Dominican Republic, Jeffrey Mensendiek will spend four years in Japan and Doug and Liz Searles will spend three years in Poland.
During its meeting, the board also had an interfaith dialogue with a Muslim leader from Indiana around the issue of peace and Islam and passed a resolution in favor of Japan's article 9 on peace. To read the resolution, go to:
www.globalministries.org/eap/news/resolution-in-support-of-japan.html
GEORGIA CONGREGATION BUILDS HOMES IN TIJUANA, MEXICO
When most young people say they are going to Mexico for Spring Break, they are likely not going to build houses for the poor. However, youth missionaries and young-at-heart sponsors from Sandy Springs Christian Church in Atlanta, Ga., did just that from April 5- April 12 in Tijuana, Mexico.
Working with AMOR Ministries (AMOR is Spanish for "love" and an acronym for Aiding Mexican Orphans and Refugees) the church's Mexico 2008 Mission Team built two houses. The homes are 11' x 22', divided into two rooms - with a cement foundation, and stucco finished exterior. The houses provide a more livable space for local families than their previous homes. The houses are designed by local people to blend in with the community, not to set up walls of social division between the recipients and their neighbors in the community.
This will be the church's 13th trip to Mexico. To read the full story, go to: gadisciples.org/news/Cong/Sandy_Springs.htm
####
Editor: Wanda Bryant Wills
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org
If you are interested in submitting news for distribution in the Disciples News Service, please review our "Guidelines for Submitting News and Information to Disciples News Service":
www.disciples.org/dns/dnsguidelines.pdf
(in Adobe PDF Format)
|
