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Church-wide Thanksgiving Offering highlights leader development INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 18, 2002 -- Leader development will be the emphasis for the 2002 Thanksgiving Special Day Offering to be received in Disciples of Christ congregations this fall. According to the Rev. Richard L. Hamm, general minister and president of the Disciples of Christ, leader development is key to the three-part 2020 Vision of the Disciples of Christ -- a plan to establish 1,000 new congregations, revitalize 1,000 congregations and ordain 225 ministers a year by the year 2020. The Thanksgiving Special Day Offering will support leader development through Basic Mission Finance, the common mission fund of the 800,000-member denomination. The Thanksgiving Special Day will highlight leaders development provided by the church's 33 regions, ten general units and 21 related colleges, universities and theological education institutions. The Thanksgiving Offering will be received at different times in Canada and the United States. Disciples in Canada will receive the Thanksgiving Offering on Sundays, Oct. 6 and 13. In the United States, Disciples will receive the offering on Sundays, November 17 and 24. Through Basic Mission Finance, leader development for ordained ministry has taken a giant leap for Korean-American Disciples through the establishment of a Cooperative Program in Korean Studies. After several years of discussions, this accomplishment came through the partnering of the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples, the Division of Higher Education, Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, the Disciples Seminary Foundation in California, San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Mission Imperative Fund, which is funded by a small percentage of Basic Mission Finance. Timothy Lee, a Disciples Korean professor of theology, has joined Brite's faculty and directs this new program. Students in the program will complete the first two-thirds of their seminary education at Brite's partner institutions: San Francisco Theological Seminary and Disciples Seminary Foundation. Upon successful completion of a language test, students will finish the final one-third of their seminary education at Brite in English and receive a Master of Divinity degree. The program is open to Disciples who are graduates of a four-year college or university, who believe they are called to ordained ministry. In addition to financial support of Disciples seminaries, Basic Mission Finance also funds leader development opportunities for clergy and laity through regional workshops, seminars and assemblies. Gifts to Basic Mission Finance fund educational ministries including: The Division of Higher Education's Leadership Scholars Program to help clergy and laity with transformational leadership in the church and wider community, Church Extension partners who teach new leaders how to faithfully plan and expand their church facilities and ministries, and Homeland Ministries colleagues who provide workshops, seminars, convocations, conferences and other learning experiences to assist congregational leaders in their diverse ministries. The Thanksgiving Offering is one of four Special Day Offerings received during the year for Basic Mission Finance, the common means by which the general and regional ministries are financed. For more information about the mission and ministry of the Disciples of Christ, contact the Disciples Web site at www.disciples.org. For resource materials to promote the Thanksgiving Offering, contact the Church Finance Council Web site at www.churchfinancecouncil.org or by e-mail at shirley@cfc.disciples.org. Resources also are available by calling 317-713-2440. -- End -- 02-82 pdf of full page ad Daniel R. Gangler, communication director |