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

July 9, 2010

Click here for MS Word format.           Click here to see 'Congregational News Around the Region'

              153rd    Weekly Edition                                     2010  GRR CURRENTS

 

JOYS AND PRAYER CONCERNS

Carolyn Clemons, Mississippi Disciples Women cabinet member and life long leader is recovering from a radical mastectomy.  Please keep her in your prayers. Cards may be sent to her at: 110 Wilson Drive, McComb, MS, 39648.

 

Continue to be in prayer for our Gulf Coast as everyone seeks to deal with the oil spill and its affects upon our coast and upon the lives of our people.  This spill is likely to have a more devastating effect on our coast and people's lives than did Katrina.  For updates on Disciples and Interfaith responses, keep checking www.weekofcompassion.org.

 

 

 

NEWS and

EVENTS

 

East Percy Street Christian Church, 100 East Percy St, Greenwood, MS  38930, where Elder Patricia Parker is the Pastor and Minister Rena Baker is the Associate Minister will be having their Annual Soul-Saving Summer Revival, Sunday, July 11th @ 6:00 p.m. and Monday thru Wednesday, July 12-14 @ 7:00pm nightly.  The guest Evangelist will be the Rev. Dr. Robin Hedgeman, past President of the National Convocation and Senior Pastor of the Bethany Christian Church in Cleveland, Ohio.  For more details, please call 662-254-6671.  Come and be Blessed!!!

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

STAFF UPDATES

From Barbara Jones:  This weekend I will be attending family reunion and Mother’s 80th Birthday Celebration and then preparing for AR Retreat.

 

From Rick Hamilton:  I will be on vacation until July 10th.

Search Committees I am currently supporting:

      FCC Stuttgart, AR

    

From Michael Elmore:  I had a restful few days off and am now I’m back at work. Sunday I will be preaching at FCC Hammond. Keep everyone affected by the Gulf Coast Oil disaster in your prayers.

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 18th-21st, MCMC convocation on the 23rd-24th, and the National Convocation in Oklahoma City on the 29th-31st.

     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.