114^th    Weekly Edition                                     2009  GRR CURRENTS

JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS

           . . . .the storm came, the lightning struck, the fire came.  Not too long ago that was the story at First Christian Church in Trumann, AR.  Fire destroyed the sanctuary building and smoke damage damaged the rest of the structure.  A beautiful story of God’s love is emerging from the ashes of what could have been the end of Disciples church life in Trumann.  Sleeves rolled up, prayers uttered and a group of dedicated Christians led by Pastor Leonard went to work.  The sanctuary has been “gutted” and work is ready to begin rebuilding.  Hopes are to rebuild the sanctuary, tear down the “add-on” building and construct a 50X100 multi-purpose building just to the rear of the sanctuary.  The church is meeting in the old Singer Sewing machine factory headquarters.  FCC is not waiting on buildings to be rebuilt.  There’s a new spirit in Trumann. Attendance is up 25% since the fire and stewardship’s up too. Determination abounds here. It’s a real blessing to see God’s people doing God’s work.  And there’s an opportunity for YOU to help. Funds from insurance and church savings are available to rebuild the sanctuary and hopefully construct the exterior of the new building.  When the new building goes up they’ll need sheetrock hung and finished, trim installed, painting, etc.  Remember hearing about the old days when churches came together and helped in times like these.  God’s doing a mighty thing in Trumann. We’re looking for volunteers to help out.  If you’re experienced or just having a willing spirit and want to be a part of this “God Thang”(J), call Bro. Vance (504-715-1465), email BroVance@grrcc.org , call Pastor Leonard Harp (870-243-4391) email harp07@centurytel.net or just call the Regional office (501-562-6053).

Congratulations to Rev. Rufus Edwards of Port Gibson, MS on his call to Christian Chapel CC. Keep Rufus in your/our prayers.

Congratulations FCC Baton Rouge, LA has called an Associate Minister, Rev. Laura Phillips, a recent graduate of Lexington Theological Seminary.  We welcome Laura to FCC Baton Rouge and our Region. 

Rev. Josh Baird at Grace DOC in Covington, LA, along with 18 other Disciples- are in Eagle, Alaska until September 15th (they left August 21st).  Prayers are appreciated for them and the small village they are serving.  The trip was organized through Disciples Volunteering in response to a personal plea from FEMA.  Disciple volunteers are assisting in the clean-up and rebuilding from catastrophic ice jams & flooding which occurred in May along the Yukon River leaving many homeless.  Winter begins in just a few short weeks in Eagle, Alaska.  Temperatures during the winter can be as cold as -80 degrees.  You can find out more by visiting Josh's Mission Blog www.gd4jc.org.

NEWS and

EVENTS

New Beginnings.  "Come and See" what New Beginnings is all about!  Matt Rosine from Church Extension will be at FCC Little Rock, AR, 1500 N. Mississippi Avenue on Friday, September 11^th from 1:30 to 3:30 and at FCC Jackson, MS, 645 Briarwood Drive on September 12th from 2 to 4pm to introduce what the "New Beginnings" project could do for your congregation.  It's a two hour event and ALL congregations are encouraged to send their pastor or a leader to attend.  Rick Hamilton will be in Little Rock and Michael Elmore will be in Jackson.  Click here to see the brochure.

This program is an assessment tool designed to help those churches that may be struggling with questions about the future - what will we do in the future, or even will we still be here in the future?  The assessment service that this program provides helps churches make good decisions for the future.  To date, over 100 Disciples churches have experienced renewed witness in their communities thanks to New Beginnings.  New Beginnings service provides:

·     personalized data about your congregation and community

·     a model for analyzing the data and drawing conclusions for your ministry

·     leadership training

·     a small group discussion process for reaching a decision about your church's future

On September 18th and 19th First Christian Church of Sherwood (2803 East Kiehl, Sherwood) will be hosting a workshop on Spiritual Maturity.  This workshop will look at what spiritual maturity is and is not, misguided effort to reach it and tools to help achieve it.  The workshop will begin on Friday evening at 6:30 and run until 8:30pm.  We will pick back up at 9am on Saturday and conclude by noon.  Cost for the workshop is $20/person (group rates available).  Attached is a poster for this workshop and if you would be willing to print it and post it at your church we would be grateful.  For more information or to pre-register please contact:   

Steve Wallace, swallacegs@aol.com, (501) 217-9129.

Central Christian Church, Hattiesburg, MS on Sunday, October 11 will be celebrating their church's founding.  They will be having a group photo of members and friends of the church following the worship service.  Also a covered dish luncheon will follow the worship service.

FCC Meridian has a unique Raffle for Missions -- see attached -- tickets and a place to stay for the Arkansas / Ole Miss game on the Ole Miss 20 yard line...  Now, you realize here in the GRR, right here in the GRR (think "Music Man"...) we have LSU, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, U of A, Arkansas State, UA/Pine Bluff, to name a few... and of course let's include TCU in the mix...  so I'm just sayin'... anyone who wins those tickets can wear whatever they want to the game and root for whichever team they want!!  It's for MISSION... and that's what we are about!  Barb

Another General Assembly of the Christian Church has concluded and we have all returned to our home communities and congregations.  For an overview of the assembly, you can get overviews and commentaries at two primary locations:

http://www.disciples.org/GeneralAssembly/tabid/59/Default.aspx or http://www.disciplesworld.com/index.html.  Next assembly:  Nashville!

Disciples Men.  A Truly Blessed Day for DM in SE sector of GRR.  FCC Slidell hosted a Disciples Men Min-Retreat on 15 Aug2009.  29 Men from five churches: Moss Point, MS, Slidell, Greater New Orleans, Hammond and Baton Rouge, LA attended.  The Rev Michael Karunas delivered an outstanding interactive presentation: "Lessons learned from a Perfect Game."  (Using Mark Buehrle's perfect game for the Chicago White Sox last July as a basis, what lessons about faith and our relationship with Christ can we learn from it?). The feeling of greater fellowship and spiritual discourse was pervasive in our short time together.  There is no doubt that the Lord was in our midst.  Skip Mullen of Slidell won the judged chili cook-off and all enjoyed a great luncheon of man-food (cannot attest to how welcome they were in their homes later that night). The event was closed in joyful noise, Communion and Benediction.

Click here to see PICTURES that have uploaded to the FCCSlidell Photobucket account.
I have linked it below.  The password is 'jesussaves'. 
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt192/FCCSlidell/Mens%20Retreat/

First Christian Church Fayetteville, Arkansas is seeking applications for a part time Youth Minister position.  For ministry description and further inquiries, please contact Sara Hamilton, Search Committee chair, at (479) 586-1814 (cell) or shamilton@kraft.com.

First Christian Meridian, MS.  Mission Video of where we will be in Venezuela Aug 22-29 ROW Mission.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7O-YburrO4&feature=channel_page 
This is last year's video of the Venezuela Mission Trip to the Warao Indians.  We are flying into Caracas and then driving all day to the river.  Two hour boat ride to our lodge on the river.  Leader: Ben Mathes, Rivers of the World Founder www.ROW.org.  Sharing the gospel via solar powered DVD players of The Jesus Film in Warao Indian language.  Medical trip too!

  Please pray for our team of 12.  Thank you.  Tom "Parson" Sikes, TRSikes@aol.com

Union Avenue Christian Church:  DOES YOUR CONGREGATION HAVE STUDENT(S) COMING TO ST. LOUIS?  Union Avenue CC, located in the heart of the St. Louis area, would like to be a church home away from home for students at Washington University, Saint Louis University, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, UM St. Louis, etc.  All visitors, including Cardinals, Rams and Blues fans, are welcome.  If you know of someone coming to St. Louis, please help us to reach out to them.   Send contact information to Suzanne Webb, Senior Pastor at: swebb@union-avenue.org or call 314 361 8844.

Foundation for Ministry Course.  Next Session Begins September 12.

The Foundations Course for Ministry looks at 24 areas of ministry giving helpful perspectives and practical tools.  It is intended for licensed ministers, church staff members, and those discerning a call into the ministry.  The Course takes place over 13 weeks and is a combination of 12 weekly webinars (1¼ hours each) and two Saturday gatherings.  Topics covered include the Bible, Spiritual Disciplines, Connecting People to God, Ethics, Administration, Conflict, Worship, Stewardship, Group Dynamics, Counseling, Communication Skills, Theology, Preaching/Teaching, Learning Methods, Church History, Disciples of Christ, Pastoral Care, Goal Setting/Evaluating, Relationships, Wedding/Funeral & Special Services.

  Some of the comments from participants are:

       “These classes have been very helpful to me. I would recommend anyone considering the ministry to participate.”                                                         Pam Decker, FCC, Newport, AR

        “These classes are really very well taught and explained. I feel that I have learned a lot from them and am sure that anyone who takes these classes will have a much broader outlook on everything from Spiritual Discipline to the Bible. I am very happy to say I personally have learned a whole lot more than I expected in such a short time.”      Marilou Coins, FCC, Sherwood, AR

        “I think the variety of topics that are covered are very good. I like the pace that you go over the material. It never drags and the information is very good. I’ve learned a lot “

                                                                                              Karen Allen, FCC, Guthrie, OK

The Foundations Course is taught by Rev. Stephen Wallace and Dr. Julie Wallace (licensed psychologist). Cost for the entire course is $395.  To sign up or find out more email Rev. Stephen Wallace at swallacegs@aol.com or call (501) 217-9129.

New Generation Christian Church.  2811 Martin Street, Pascagoula, MS 39561

Pastors, I need your assistance in our search for transportation for the church.  We are in need of a van or small bus to enhance our community ministry.  I am asking for you to reach out to the churches in the region and inquire as to whether they have a van or bus for sale or donation.  Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.  Also, the new sanctuary is wonderful.  The church is excited about its new location in Pascagoula and we are also as excited about reaching out into the highly diverse community in which we are located.  We are looking forward to all the things that the Lord has in store for us.  We are also planning to have a dedication service in the near future as soon as it is not so hectic with regard to scheduling. Thank you once again and God bless each of you.  Yours In Christ, Rev. James "Jay" Green.  www.newgenerationchristianchurch.com.

Healthcare Reform.  Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, You are no doubt aware of the debate on health care reform currently taking place in the United States. I recently attended a conference on health care, organized by and for religious leaders to help us understand the current discussion. We heard from health care policy experts, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mark McClellan (who served in the Bush administration) and other political leaders. They assured us that health care reform can happen this year. But we, the faith community, must act to make it happen.  

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and action.  In Christ, Sharon E. Watkins,

General Minister and President.  Click here to read full article.

Disciples News Service.  Click here to see full issue.

• General Minister And President Calls For Disciples' Involvement In Health Care Reform
• Week Of Compassion Announces New Associate Director
• Moderator Newell Williams To Present Historical Reflections At Assembly
• Traveling Communion Table To Grace Chapel At General Assembly
• General Assembly Food Drive Will Help Combat Hunger
• Polish Youth To Visit U.S. Churches, General Assembly
• Historical Society Launches New Online Card Catalogue
• Colorful Bumper Sticker Touts Disciples Statement Of Identity
• Disciples Home Missions Awards Black Leadership Project Grants
• Disciples Benevolent Services Renews Partnership With Youth-Service Organization
• Disciple Among Faith Leaders Talking Health Care Reform At White House; Health Care Reform Rally To Be Held At Assembly
• Ecumenical Meeting Strives For More Collaboration And Unity
• Lynchburg College Professors Training Educators In St. Lucia
• Northwest Christian University Bolsters Support For Adult And Online Studies

ONLINE Certificate in Pastoral Ministry Courses.  The Missouri School of Religion has four online Certificate in Pastoral Ministry Courses offered this year.  You now have the option of registering for a course online with a credit card.  Just click on the Register Online button.  Please remember that if you order text through Amazon, to use the link on the Missouri School of Religion website, they donate 4% of your sale to us, with no charge to you.  For more information, feel free to contact me.  Krystal Jacobs, Office Administrator, Missouri School of Religion, Center for Rural Ministry, P.O. Box 104685, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4685, Phone:  573-635-1187, Fax:  573-636-2889, Email:  krystalmsr@earthlink.net;  New web:  www.missourischoolofreligion.org

Disciples Institute.

1.        Churches Don’t Have Financial Problems; Churches Have Spiritual Problems! Rick Hamilton, GRR Regional Pastor, and Disciples Institute are presenting a stewardship workshop at Real Faith Christian Church in Clarksdale, MS on Saturday, August 29^th.  Come to learn:

a.   The different reasons people give to the church and how to honor these motivations in stewardship campaigns and stewardship moments.

b.   How to effectively structure a stewardship campaign

c.   How to craft stewardship moments each week in worship to educate your members about abundant living and faithful use of God’s resources.

Please contact Deitra Blackwell at disciplesinstitute@grrcc.org for a brochure and further information.

2. We are organizing a new Education for Ministry year and want to include you in this life-changing program! It is a four-year program that focuses on the Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, and Disciple History.  We will meet by telephone and/or computer each week for 34 Lessons.  We will have a group that meets in the daytime and one that meets in the evening.  Contact Deitra Blackwell at disciplesinstitute@grrcc.org for more information.
3.  

Cool Resource.  In my research for our board meetings, I found the following resource and thought some of you might be interested: http://www.www.independentsector.org/programs/research/ReligiousCong.pdf
It's a study of congregations of all faiths and their service to the community.  What caught my eye was where we pick up people that fall through governmental cracks.

Available Now from Chalice Press: A Travel Guide to Christian Faith (by Dawn Weaks) has three components. The Before You Go booklet gives first-time seekers an easy-to-understand synopsis of the Christian faith. If they wish to learn more, the Traveler's Edition serves as a student workbook, while the Tour Leader is for the instructor.
This group package offers a 25% discount off the regular full price, and includes:

            ·one (1) copy of the Tour Leader

            ·ten (10) copies of the Traveler's Edition

            ·ten (10) copies of the Before You Go

To order, call 1-800-366-3383 or click here:  A Travel Guide to Christian Faith Group Package.

Cyrus N. White, President and Publisher, CBP/Chalice Press/Lucas Park Books

Disciples Benevolent Services.  Employment opportunity that is currently available with Disciples Benevolent Services.  Advertisement and job description for the position are attached.  We have begun the nation-wide search this week. If you have any questions about the position, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I can be reached at cgraber@nbacares.org.  Sincerely, Cheryl A. Graber, Director of HR Services.

Religious Worker Visas - new rules for employers.  Attached are new rules for employers of religious workers who are here in the United States on R-1 visas.  Rev. Jennifer Riggs, Director

Refugee and Immigration Ministries, jriggs@dhm.disciples.org, (888)346-2631 toll free or

http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/rim.

STAFF UPDATES

From Barbara Jones:  FCC in Little Rock has called Rev. Kevin Robbins as their new pastor and his installation will be the first Sunday in October at 3pm!  Click here to see full invitation.

From Rick Hamilton:  I will be spending the Labor Day weekend at home with my family.

     It is a joy to welcome Rev. Shawn Wallace to First Christian Church, Rogers; and Rev. Dana Hoover officially to First Christian Church, Russellville.

     After the holiday, I will be off to staff meeting in Little Rock, followed by hosting the Come and See event for New Beginnings at First Little Rock. Please see article near the top of currents for more information.

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

FCC Harrison, AR (Assoc/Youth)

FCC Sherwood, AR

FCC Fayetteville (Youth)

Please contact me, in confidence, to inquire about any of the above Ministry Opportunities

From Vivian Bryant:  Preparing for the DW MS Retreat to be held at the Duncan Gray Conference Center in Canton, MS on September 12-13.

 Regional Pastor Michael Elmore on sabbatical at Niagara Falls.

From Michael Elmore:   I am back from my sabbatical and have been in the office this week getting caught up on all that I missed.  My sabbatical was a wonderful time.  The highlight was two weeks in England where I toured London, spent 4 days on retreat at St. Mary the Virgin Convent in Wantage and a week of CE at Oxford University.  I have pictures and stories I will be happy to share with you.  During the sabbatical Peggy and I had some R&R, I began research and writing a paper on Spiritual Foundation for Church Re-Formation, it is about 3/4 completed, will share with you when it is completed hopefully by end of this month.  In other words my sabbatical was a time of rest, study and reconnecting with God.  Thanks for your prayers and for your support while I was away.  I am especially grateful to the Regional Board and Barb for allowing me to have this time.  Now it is back to work.

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

FCC Leesville, LA 

FCC Vicksburg, MS

FCC Lake Charles, LA

Broadmoor CC, Shreveport, LA

FCC Baton Rouge, Associate Minister

From Vance Moore:  On Saturday I was blessed to be part of a group of excited members of Real Faith Christian Church, Clarksdale, MS as they participated in a reoccurring event.  They go out into the neighborhood around their church and pick up litter and visit with their neighbors.  It’s invigorating to see this type of event.  They’re reclaiming the neighborhood in a real and practical way.

     I’ll be at home in Crystal Springs for Labor Day.  Looking forward to going to my home church in Utica!!!

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

     Highland Drive Christian Church—Jonesboro, AR

Westside Mission:  Memorial Christian Church in Ann Arbor, MI came to Westside.  Small in numbers but mighty in impact.  They worked hard installing the subfloors in the transition house.  Thanks to our volunteers for a job well done!

Oh, by the way, WHERE DID YOU SEE GOD TODAY?

From Sara Rozzell:  Check out the youth page of the website on www.grrcc.org.