The Great River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

July 16, 2010

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154^th Weekly Edition 2010 GRR CURRENTS

JOYS AND PRAYER CONCERNS

Wendy White’s funeral will is Friday, July 16, 1pm at Park Hill Christian Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Clergy officiating are Rev. Miles Cook and Rev. Barbara Jones. Wendy passed away Sunday afternoon, July 11, after a long battle. Her parents, Mike and Linda White, are the Director of Music and the Associate Minister of Park Hill Christian Church.

Vance Moore had outpatient surgery this week, but you wouldn’t know it. He told the doctors he was preaching a revival this weekend, so they better patch him up fast! Say a prayer of thanksgiving for good results and a prayer for healing and pretend I didn’t say a word about his surgery in the Currents! ~Barb

NEWS and

EVENTS

From FCC Greater New Orleans: Word arrived regarding the filing of claims with BP. If you are affected, and need to file a claim, the link is:

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9033791&contentId=7062345

From Barb: I was on a conference call with the head of the EPA, representatives of the Jewish federations, Evangelical churches and the National council of churches. Janet Woodcock (EPA) updated the findings on the oil disaster and the latest can always be found here: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/ .

The Regional Ministers of the gulf states and Week of Compassion met by phone and determined that Week of Compassion should be the location of Disciples information regarding the disaster, rather than each of us trying to keep up on the same information. You should have received a Week of Compassion Update last week with a letter from us. Updates will be coordinated through WOC. http://www.weekofcompassion.org/gulf-oil-spill.

Michael referred an article to me earlier today from a website I wasn’t excited to refer you to, so I did some research on the author of the article and decided to list some of his articles for your reference. Dahr Jamail is a 4^th generation US citizen from Houston TX who began his blog covering the Iraq war. He is now covering the disaster in Louisiana. He is an award winning independent news journalist – not affiliated with any network, corporation or vested interest – and his perspective is just that – he says what he sees and what he hears and what he thinks, thus considered “radical” news blogger,. Articles so far:

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/living-on-a-dying-delta

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/fending-for-themselves

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/no-free-press-for-bp-oil-disaster

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/mitigating-annihilation

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/toxic-dispersants-near-gulf-harm-humans-and-wildlife

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/hell-has-come-to-south-louisiana

They are being picked up by various news outlets but I’d rather go to the source… and they are not free from opinion, include direct quotes from people living through the disaster, and include some profanity. I say this so that you can choose NOT to click on those links. The story he is telling is consistent with the stories Michael reports, and what I heard on the conference call with church workers sponsored to live and work on the front lines whether Jewish, Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical Protestant.

For standard new coverage I respect www.nola.com, and their coverage is summarized:

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/

PS. People in Louisiana prefer the term “oil disaster” to “oil spill”.

Disciples Women. RETREAT Schedule.

AR Retreat August 6-8 at AR 4H Center, Ferndale

MS Retreat September 25-26 at Lake Tiak-O’Khata

LA Retreat October 2-3 at Tall Timbers

Registration forms can be downloaded from the Disciples Women’s page at www.grrcc.org.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY:

MANY FACES OF MINISTRY – NOVEMBER 5-7, 2010 in McCOMB, MS

Keynoters: Johnny Wray, former director of Week of Compassion (Friday night) and Bob Shebeck director of Global Mission Partners from Division of Overseas Ministries (Saturday morning). Worship Sunday featuring Revs. Donald Dick and Barbara Jones.

Check your church office for registration forms.

Do you know any students headed to Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall? First Christian Church of Baton Rouge, LA is the only Disciples church near LSU. We have a growing and vibrant Young Adult Disciples (YADS) group and would love to welcome any students or young people in the Baton Rouge area. If you know of anyone between the ages of 18 – 30 that will soon be living in the Baton Rouge area, especially LSU students, please pass on their name and email or phone number to Rev. Laura Phillips, Associate Minister of FCCBRLA (laura@fccbrla.org or 225-205-7169). FCC would love to welcome them to the Baton Rouge area and to our Young Adult Disciples (YADS) group!

Mississippi Christian Missionary Convention (MCMC) Disciples Standing on the Solid Rock will present its 123rd Annual Convention July 22-24 at the Regency Hotel in Jackson, MS. The theme for the Convention this year is “Disciples Standing on the Solid Rock”. The convention is being hosted by Elder Russell Myers and the United Christian Church in Jackson, MS. Elder Patricia Parker is MCMC President and Elder Russell Myers is MCMC Vice President.
The MCMC Educational Pre-Event is scheduled for July 21, 2010 at United Christian Church in Jackson, MS. Rev. Steve Wallace is the presenter for this year’s event. Rev. Wallace will present sessions on “How to Connect with God” and “Maturity and Spiritual Disciplines”. Registration for the event is handled through Deitra Blackwell and Disciples Institute. The entire day is $35.00. If you can’t come for the whole day, you can register for just the morning session for $25.00 or for just the afternoon session for $15.00.

Morning Session “One Size Fits All!” - a claim often made, but rarely, if ever, accurate. The product may “work” for everyone but not in the most effective way. When we talk about how we can grow spiritually, we can get into the one size fits all mindset. One method of prayer, one style of Bible Study, one sort of worship is to touch each of us in the same powerful way. Yet all too often that is not what happens.

How to Connect with God is a seminar that helps explain how one size doesn’t fit all. Instead God has created us with differences and those differences sometimes need different pathways to lead us closer to God. In this seminar we will look at 9 of those pathways, their characteristics, and how we can utilize them to grow spiritually. As we examine these pathways, many of the conflicts and misunderstandings among people as they reach out to God will be seen in a new light. This can lead to greater appreciation for one another and more effective ministry in our churches.

Afternoon Session “Do more…Do More…DO MORE!” Is that the message you hear when you think about Spiritual Maturity? We want to grow in our faith but it can be exhausting to keep up with the escalating time and energy we feel is demanded. But is “more” really the answer? Are we just supposed to “do more” praying, “do more” worshipping, “do more” giving, “do more”…. Or are these actions supposed to be used in a way that actually does help us mature spiritually?

Come to the Spiritual Maturity & Spiritual Disciplines workshop and find out what it takes to grow spiritually and how much more fulfilling and enjoyable your spiritual journey can be for you.

Anyone living in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area and attending Southeastern Louisiana University or career people between ages 18-30, we would welcome them at First Christian Church in Hammond, 305 East Charles Street, Hammond LA 70401. We are the only FCC (DOC) in Hammond. Please send name, telephone number, email address to Rev. Bill Eubanks, 985-345-0374, email fcchammond@bellsouth.net. We would love to begin a college/career class.

Position Opening for Executive Director. Division of Homeland Ministries. The Executive Director of the Office of Disciples Women will be a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and, as a woman who draws on a deep personal faith, she will articulate and exhibit a passion for women's ministries. She will be responsible for:

· the development of general planning for the life and ministry of women in congregations and regions of the CC (DOC) in the United States and Canada;

· related laity emphases and program;

· general program planning and implementation of Disciple Women's Ministries in the United States and Canada; and,

the relating and representation of women to the priorities, mission and ministries of the CC (DOC).

Rev. Warren Lynn, Director of the Office of Search and Call of the CC (DOC), at the toll free number (888) 346-2631.

More complete details about this executive position opening, including job responsibilities and duties, can be found on line at: www.discipleshomemissions.org and clicking “about DHM.”

Want to check your congregation’s giving? Disciples Mission Fund has a new look online! The link below will take you to Disciples Mission Fund's website to view Comparative reports of offerings. www.disciplesmissionfund.org.

The Association of Disciples Intentional Interim Ministers will be hosting The Intentional Interim Minister training the week of September 20th - September 24th at Christmount Christian Assembly. This training is being provided by the Interim Ministry Network, Inc. (www.imnedu.org) utilizing two Disciples trainers and is for those who have already completed the Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry training or its equivalent. Applicants must also apply through the IMN prior to attending. The registration cost, at a significant discount, includes lodging, meals and training fees and will be $1000 for ADIIM members and $1100 for Non-Members. (A $100 deposit will be requested to hold your place.) There are grants for up to $1000 available for Disciples Ordained Ministers through DHM.

For more information please contact James Cotten at pastorjamesc@gmail.com. To request an application packet please call the Ozarks Lakes Area Office at 417.865.0850.

Disciples' Bicentennial History Book and Workshops. There are less than two months left during the Disciples’ Bicentennial Anniversary! We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the publication of The Disciples: A Struggle for Reformation, our bicentennial history (2009) authored by D. Duane Cummins. It is the successor to Journey in Faith, written by McAllister & Tucker in 1972. The reviews for Cummins' new volume are highly favorable, strong and solid. To view more information about Dr. Cummins’ new book, follow your browser to
http://www.chalicepress.com/The-Disciples-Deluxe-Edition-Leather-Hardcover-P169.aspx.
The Disciples: A Struggle for Reformation is available in a leather hardcover edition and paperback. cumminsdd@gmail.com, 255 Sears Lane, Swanton, Maryland 21561, 301-387-8088.

From Barb: The Laurence Schmidt Center (A ministry to clergy by the Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services) is extending the fall sign up deadline to the end of July for Clergy & Spouse Support Groups in Fort Smith and El Dorado, Arkansas. Groups meet monthly for 2 hours and are completely confidential. Cost for group is $25/session or $125 for August - December. All group members are responsible for paying for each month regardless of attendance. In December you will be given the opportunity to sign up for the January - May groups.
If you or someone you know would benefit from a Support Group, please call or pass their number along: 501-664-7777.

Also from Barb: I have a group of girlfriends who have stayed together over the years via daily email since 1991. We’re from all over the country, and if you think back to friends you’ve had inside and outside the church over the years, you simply go through live events together – from daily frustrations and anxieties to precious moments with husbands and children. I shared in the funeral of a friend’s daughter’s suicide, she came from Virginia for my brother’s funeral. Disciples Women is like this too. If we took away all programming, women in the church would gather to tend to what needs tending. I’ve wondered lately why more women are being drawn to ministry. I think it has to do with the nature of stress in the churches and their communities. Read the attached article and think about it… for yourself – male or female – and for the dynamics in your church under stress. How do things like this (common sense, by the way, just verifies what we know) help us strengthen our churches and REACH OUT to our COMMUNITIES with GOOD NEWS? How can the gifts MEN bring best be used in these times of stress? If “fight or flight” is primarily true for men, how do we minister to that in church?

STAFF UPDATES

From Barbara Jones: I will participate in Wendy White’s memorial service at Park Hill Christian Church today and then be in Little Rock this week.

From Rick Hamilton: This weekend I will be at Parkview CC in Little Rock working with their New Beginnings process.

From Michael Elmore: I will be preaching at Covenant CC this Sunday. Also this Sunday is the last Sunday for John Kirby as Pastor at Westside CC.

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

FCC Gulfport, MS

From Vance Moore: July is in full swing and most of our time is at Westside. We will be at Utica for revival on the 18^th-21^st, MCMC convocation on the 23^rd-24^th, and the National Convocation in Oklahoma City on the 29^th-31^st.

We continue to work with the Outreach Workshop. Let us know if you’re interested. We’ll begin with the workshops sometimes in August/September.

This We’re continuing to work on workshops for “Critical Presence”. If you would like for us to bring the “outreach” workshop to your church call me or the Regional Office.

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

FCC Newport, AR

Community CC, Hardy, AR

Westside Mission: Groups from FCC Owensboro, KY and FCC Bargersville, IN came this week. Lots of hard work and fun!!

WHERE DID YOU SEE GOD TODAY?

From Sara Rozzell: Check out the youth page at www.grrcc.org.

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July 16, 2010