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In this issue:
- Thanksgiving Special Offering To Be Received This Sunday
- Ministers Connect With Youth Through Social Networking Web Sites
- Global Ministries Celebrates 10th Anniversary And Commissions Seven Missionaries
- Disciples Volunteers Respond To Need For Hurricane Recovery
- Pension Fund Board Sets Additional Benefit Accounts Rate
- World AIDS Day Will Be Observed On December 1
- NCC General Assembly Approves Message On War, Biotechnology
- Emory Professor To Speak At Transylvania On Terrorism
- PSR Lectures To Feature Scholars And Social Leaders
- Yakama Mission Focuses On American Indian Heritage Month
- Jarvis Christian College Inducts Five Into Honorary Business Society
THANKSGIVING SPECIAL OFFERING TO BE RECEIVED THIS SUNDAY
 Your gifts to the Thanksgiving Special offering this Sunday, Nov. 19, will benefit the 14 Disciples colleges and universities that serve more than 23,000 students. It also will help support the seven Disciples-related theological education institutions that are partners with the church in educating a ministry for the 21st century. This year’s theme is, “Spirited Schools.”
A new PowerPoint presentation about the offering that can be used in worship is now available. For the presentation, more stories about Disciples students, and complimentary promotion materials, visit www.churchfinancecouncil.org/pages/dmf/tgiving06
MINISTERS CONNECT WITH YOUTH THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING WEB SITES
Lara Blackwood, youth minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fayetteville, Ark., knows how to stay in touch with the young people at her church. Each morning she starts her day by reading blogs that have been posted at MySpace.com, the most popular social networking Web site. The site allows ministers like Blackwood to not only advertise activities and events, but also to communicate with young people – offering encouragement and advise, when necessary.
Youth ministers like Blackwood and Julie Richardson Brown at Beargrass Christian Church (DOC) in Louisville, Ky., say they are aware of the promises and pitfalls of connecting with youth and young adults through the Web sites. To read more about their comments, as well as those of youth leaders from other denominations, go to www.northjersey.com
GLOBAL MINISTRIES CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND COMMISSIONS SEVEN MISSIONARIES
 “Singing a new song together… at the point of deepest need” was the theme of the Common Global Ministries Board’s (CGMB) semi-annual meeting Nov. 8-12 in Cleveland, Ohio. Along with the regular business agenda, the board, international partners, staff and missionaries celebrated the 10th anniversary of this unique mission structure in American Christianity.
A worship service to celebrate the partnership, known as Global Ministries, between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ began the festivities. Throughout the meeting, messages from international partners were read and distributed in newsprint.
One of the highlights of the gathering was the closing worship service. Both Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and John Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, preached challenging messages to encourage Global Ministries to continue “singing a new song” on behalf of the two churches, and in partnership with others around the globe. During the service, seven missionaries also were commissioned. For more information, click here: www.globalministries.org
DISCIPLES VOLUNTEERS RESPOND TO NEED FOR HURRICANE RECOVERY
 So far, 138 Disciples groups have signed up to participate in the Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative. That number, achieved in only 10 weeks, represents nearly 20 percent of the groups needed to reach Disciples Home Missions' goal of 750 groups by Aug. 30, 2008. To add your church group to the list of Disciples making a difference, contact Tod Iseminger at Disciples Home Missions, (888) 346-2631 or visit: www.discipleshomemissions.org/DisasterResponse.htm
PENSION FUND BOARD SETS ADDITIONAL BENEFIT ACCOUNTS RATE
The base interest rate for all Additional Benefit Accounts (Tax Deferred, IRAA, and Benefit Accumulation) is established each year by action of the Pension Fund Board of Directors of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at their November meeting. The new rate becomes effective on January 1 of the following year.
The board of directors at its meeting on Nov. 9-10 set a new base rate of 4 ½ percent for calendar 2007. The board uses a formula, which blends both current and historical rates of return to determine the new base rate. This annual base rate, when combined with the Good Experience Credit (when granted) will produce the total return for the Additional Benefit Accounts. For further information, visit: www.pensionfund.org
WORLD AIDS DAY WILL BE OBSERVED ON DECEMBER 1
Local groups and churches around the world are encouraged to observe World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. The annual observance helps to raise awareness of the global AIDS epidemic caused by the spread of the HIV infection. This year’s theme is: "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." Materials and information are available at www.worldaidscampaign.org
A joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, known as UNAIDS brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN organizations to the global AIDS response. That group estimates that by the end of 2005, a total of 25 million people will have died of AIDS since it was first recognized in 1981.
NCC GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES MESSAGE ON WAR, BIOTECHNOLOGY
The General Assembly of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) and Church World Service recently approved a pastoral message on the war in Iraq and adopted a new policy on human biotechnologies entitled, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.” Two other resolutions, based on the assembly’s new human biotechnologies policy, also were approved. One calls for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning. The other seeks more oversight of the development of bio-warfare weapons.
“Simple cooperation is not enough to bear the weight of the witness our times demand,” said Michael Livingston, NCC president. “Being a national council means that we bear witness together, stand and testify together, that we become the exclamation points, like the cross stabbed into the ground on Calvary.” The NCC General Assembly met Nov. 7-9 in Orlando, Fla. To read the assembly’s pastoral message, go to: www.ncccusa.org/news/061109generalassemblywrap.html
EMORY PROFESSOR TO SPEAK AT TRANSYLVANIA ON TERRORISM
 Emory University philosophy professor Nicholas G. Fotion will discuss how we should deal with the phenomenon of terrorism, why he believes it is not going away and other questions when he presents the 2006-07 Rick O’Neil Philosophy Lecture, “Terrorism: New World Disorder.” The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Nov. 21 in Carrick Theater at Transylvania University.
Fotion is the author of numerous books and articles dealing with ethics - both medical and military - as well as terrorism. He has presented papers at many national conferences and given lectures at universities in Australia, Russia, South Africa and the United States. The lecture is sponsored by Transylvania’s philosophy program and Sophia, the university’s philosophy society. Transylvania is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lexington, Ky. For more information, contact the public relations office at 859-233-8120 or philosophy professor Peter Fosl at 233-8129 or pfosl@transy.edu
PSR LECTURES TO FEATURE SCHOLARS AND SOCIAL LEADERS
 The theme for this year’s Earl Lectures, sponsored by Pacific School of Religion (PSR), is “All the Rivers of Paradise: Christian Responsibility in an Interfaith World.” The Earl Lectures will be held at First Congregational Church of Berkeley Jan. 23-24. The lectures, which are free, will feature Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub, professor of Islamic studies and comparative religion at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.; Tat-siong Benny Liew, associate professor of New Testament at PSR; Bernice Powell Jackson, World Council of Churches president for North America; and author, theologian, and international lecturer Choan-Seng Song.
The Pacific School of Religion, one of seven seminaries of the United Church of Christ with strong ties to The United Methodist Church and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is located in Berkeley, Calif. A pastoral conference for renewing collegial relationships and 30 workshops for skill building also are scheduled Jan. 23-25. More than 600 participants are expected. Registration is required for the pastoral conference. For more information, visit www.psr.edu or call 510-849-8274.
YAKAMA MISSION FOCUSES ON AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which offers an opportunity for the Church to review histories and relationships between the peoples of the Americas. The most recent Journal from Yakama Christian Mission suggests that this might be an appropriate time to review the relationship between Native Americans and the dominate culture. It notes that many people of non-Native American culture have minimal knowledge of Native history before and since the arrival of European settlers.
The Yakama Christian Mission, which is located in White Swan, Wash., provides Christian social services to the community of the Yakama Nation on behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). To read more reflections on National American Indiana Heritage Month in the current Journal, go to: www.disciplesnw.org/yakama/journal.html
JARVIS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE INDUCTS FIVE INTO HONORARY BUSINESS SOCIETY
 Five people recently were inducted into the Delta Mu Delta International Business Honor Society on Nov. 13. Four Jarvis Christian College students and one honorary member were recognized for their scholastic and academic achievements. Students who are inducted into the society must be either a junior or senior and maintain a 3.25 or better grade point average. Jarvis, based in Hawkins, Texas, is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). To read more, visit www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2006/06157.pdf
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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)
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