In this issue:
- New ‘Big Picture’ Team Meets
- Thanksgiving Special Offering Approaches
- Registration Underway For General Assembly
- Souper Bowl For Caring: Calling Disciples Youth
- Study Resource For Stone-Campbell Dialogue Available
- Brazil Shantytown Clinic Celebrates 10th Anniversary
- Historical Society Tour Of Germany Set For May
- New Church Ministry Encourages New Church Planters To ‘Risk The Ride’
- NCC Releases Report On Global Warming And Bottom Line
- PSR Hosts Healing Service, WWII Exhibit; Plans Conference
NEW ‘BIG PICTURE’ TEAM MEETS
The newly-created 21st Century Vision Team met in Indianapolis earlier this week to review the mission and structure of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and to talk about ways the church might become more faithful, effective and mission-focused.
The 20-member team from across the life of the church is expected to help General Minister and President Sharon Watkins identify benchmarks of progress toward effective ministry. A report is expected at next summer’s General Assembly. Read complete release at: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2006/06146.html
THANKSGIVING SPECIAL OFFERING APPROACHES
Disciples equip leaders for today and the future through a special offering received during the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving Offering supports fourteen Disciples-related colleges and universities, and seven theological institutions. These “spirited schools” strive to equip “spirited leaders” for Disciples ministries. A new PowerPoint presentation for use in worship is now available. For the presentation, more information and complimentary promotion materials, visit www.churchfinancecouncil.org/pages/dmf/tgiving06.
REGISTRATION UNDERWAY FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY
 Hundreds of Disciples are already registering and making hotel reservations for the 2007 General Assembly. Set for July 21-25 in Fort Worth, the biennial gathering will have inspired preaching, ideas for church transformation, and opportunities for mission and fellowship. Other highlights include an All-Assembly Fiesta with food, games and celebration.
Learn more at: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2006/06147.html or visit the General Assembly website at: www.disciples.org/ga
SOUPER BOWL FOR CARING: CALLING DISCIPLES YOUTH
Disciples youth have been challenged to help make Souper Bowl for Caring another success in 2007. Last year, young Disciples raised more than $92,000 for the charitable initiatives that benefit from Souper Bowl For Caring. Youth from schools, community groups and faith-based organizations across the country joined the campaign in early February to raise money on or near Super Bowl Sunday which benefits charities.
“We are called by Jesus to feed the hungry people we see,” said Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). “I encourage Disciples youth to participate in this ecumenical grassroots movement to transform the largest weekend of football into the largest weekend of caring.” To read more and find out how to participate, see: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2006/06145.pdf or www.souperbowl.org
STUDY RESOURCE FOR STONE-CAMPBELL DIALOGUE AVAILABLE
In 2009 the Stone-Campbell movement will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address,” the document that gave form, content and shape to the Disciples’ identity and vision of unity. (For more information on the Declaration and Address, see www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/tcampbell/da/da_reader.html.)
Today, there are three “streams” of churches that are part of the original movements of Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell: the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.
Through the work of Disciples of Christ Historical Society, a 16-member task force (five persons from each stream of the Stone-Campbell movement, plus the executive director of World Convention) has been established for the purpose of promoting a worldwide celebration. The task force has proposed Oct. 18, 2009, as the date for the 200th anniversary celebration when congregations who are part of the Stone-Campbell family around the world will join in using common prayers, litanies and hymns to celebrate a “Great Communion Sunday.” A “Study Manual for Local Dialogue” has been developed by the U.S. Stone-Campbell Dialogue to encourage local contact, learning and sharing. The manual is available at: www.disciples.org/ccu/pdf/Studyguide.pdf. For further information, please contact Robert Welsh, president of the Council on Christian Unity, rwelsh@ccu.disciples.org.
BRAZIL SHANTYTOWN CLINIC CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY
 A health clinic that serves the shantytown community of Canal do Anil in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, celebrated its 10th anniversary Oct. 19. The clinic was founded by Barbara de Souza, who established the Association of Community Health Educators in a poor area of Rio de Janeiro. De Souza is a global mission volunteer and former missionary of Global Ministries, a common witness of the Division of Overseas Ministries (DOM), the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ.
The association developed a health education program to serve the community, which included encouraging the study of diseases, their causes and prevention and maintaining a health center. The idea was to serve impoverished populations by teaching them health care techniques that they could share with others in the community. To read more about the project’s 10th anniversary celebration, visit:
www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1470&Itemid=1
HISTORICAL SOCIETY TOUR OF GERMANY SET FOR MAY
Disciples of Christ Historical Society is sponsoring a 10-day tour of Reformation Germany in 2007. The tour is set to depart on May 29 and will be led by Thomas Kleinert, senior minister of Vine Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nashville, Tenn., and Glenn Thomas Carson, historian and president of the Historical Society, a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which also serves Churches of Christ and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.
Kleinert is a native of Germany. The tour is limited to only 25 persons and will cover many cities of importance in the German Reformation. Interested persons should contact the Historical Society immediately for complete information. Call toll-free (866) 834-7563, or email mail@discipleshistory.org.
NEW CHURCH MINISTRY ENCOURAGES NEW CHURCH PLANTERS TO ‘RISK THE RIDE’
"When God calls us to do ministry, the tools will also be provided to help us to carry out the task," said Rick Morse, vice president of New Church Ministry and Mission Initiatives, for Church Extension. "All that is asked is that we be faithful to the calling." This was one of the many lessons offered during the Fall New Church Planters Training presented by New Church Ministry Sept. 25-29. See full release at: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2006/06148.pdf
NCC RELEASES REPORT ON GLOBAL WARMING AND BOTTOM LINE
Regional church leaders from Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas met to discuss global warming and how to reduce overall congregational energy expenses at gatherings in August and September. The briefings, sponsored by the National Council of Churches USA (NCC), were based on the report, “Bottom Line Ministries that Matter: Congregational Stewardship with Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Technologies,” which was released recently by the NCC. The document details how churches can utilize both energy efficient practices and clean energy technologies such as solar energy. It is available at www.nccecojustice.org.
PSR HOSTS HEALING SERVICE, WWII EXHIBIT; PLANS CONFERENCE
 Pacific School of Religion hosted a healing service on Sept. 26, where PSR’s chapel committee and Dismantling Racism Committee heard testimony from students on their experiences of racism on and around campus (a recording of the service is available under Chapel Sermons in PSR’s online audio library). A community-wide assembly on dismantling racism – one of the four pillars of PSR’s 2005-2010 strategic plan – was held on Oct. 16 in the campus chapel. 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.
PSR also hosted a photography exhibit Oct. 5-16 about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Badè Museum. The exhibit’s opening reception featured a talk by Nagasaki survivor Sumiteru Taniguchi, a delegation of Japanese youth from Gensuikyo engaging in dialogue with American youth activists, and a screening of the Academy Award-nominated documentary short by Steve Okazaki, “The Mushroom Club.” PSR will conduct the “Ministry as Vocation Conference” Nov. 3-5. This conference is designed for those interested in pursuing a call to ministry or considering seminary education. To register, see the website at: www.psr.edu or call (800)999-0528, ext. 1253.
****PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO DISCIPLES NEWS BRIEFS NEXT WEEK.
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Editor: Wanda Bryant Wills
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org
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