|
JOYS AND PRAYER CONCERNS
|
Congratulations and welcome to Rev. Marjorie Taggart, new Associate Pastor at First Christian/Waterway in Bentonville, Arkansas. Marjorie will focus on Education, Pastoral Care, and Senior Adult Fellowship Ministries.
Last week I sent word of a family from Kings Highway Christian Church caught in the Albert Pike campground flood in Arkansas and on Sunday learned of another. Thank you for holding them close in prayer. Continue to do so.
Sunday I received a call that Linda Williams, wife of Mark Williams who serves First Christian in Camden, AR, lost her sister, niece, and grand-nephew in the flood. Funerals were held for Sheri Wade (43), Leslie Jez (23), and Kaden Jez (3). Cards can be sent to Linda at: 129 Cleveland, Camden, AR 71701.
The funerals for Anthony Smith (30), Joey Smith (5), and Katelyn Smith (2) were held (Friday, June 18) at Kings Highway Christian Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. Please hold Candice and the extended family in your prayers through this difficult time. Check the church website (www.khcc.org) for information regarding donations toward the funerals. Candice has a sister in the FCC Sulphur church, parents and grandparents in Central Christian and Broadmoor Christian.
Continue to be in prayer for our Gulf Coast as we seek 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. Keep us in your prayers and all those who are trying to control the spill.
Dr Jim Rainwater, former Regional Minister for the Arkansas Region is battling Leukemia and is in need of all of our prayers.
Marilou Coins, a licensed minister sponsored by First Christian Church, Sherwood has a unique ministry called Truckers' Chapel and requests our prayers. Suddenly, today the Arrow Trucking Company went bankrupt. About noon they pulled the cash cards their truckers on the road had for gas and cash leaving the drivers high and dry wherever they were. The Pastor of Trucker's Chapel and Chaplain of the Petro Galloway Truck Stop on I-40 exit 161, Marilou Coins, went most of the way to Ft. Smith for three drivers, got them something to eat, brought them to Little Rock and put them on buses to their homes. Please pray for the Arrow Trucking Company and all their personnel and drivers and for the continued ministry of those involved at the Truckers' Chapel.
Retired Pastor Doug Moore, formerly of FCC Lake Charles, LA, passed away on last Friday. His funeral was Thursday June 10, 1pm at FCC Ocala. Condolences may be sent to Ruby at 718 SE 45th Terrace, Ocala, FL, 34471. Click here for his obituary.
Don S. Browning passed away on Thursday night June 10th. He was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and had continued a vigorous schedule until very recently.
The funeral service was Thursday, June 10th, at 2p.m. at Hyde Park Union Church. In addition, a memorial service at the Divinity School will be planned for this fall. The date is yet to be determined.
He was the Alexander Campbell Professor Emeritus of Religious Ethics and the Social Sciences at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and also served as Dean of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago.
Prayers for his wife, Carol Kohl Browning, their two children, two grandchildren, and a sister.
Mike and Linda White, both ministry staff members at Park Hill Christian Church in North Little Rock, request prayers as their daughter Wendy has been moved to Hospice care.
Our brothers and sisters in Nashville need our help. Disciples Volunteering is working with Week of compassion in a response similar to the Gulf Coast response following Katrina. Many who have come faithfully to work in the GRR following hurricanes are now devastated by flooding. Churches, homes, and even the Regional Office was a total loss. Consider taking a work group to Nashville – call Disciples Volunteering – or make a special gift to Week of Compassion designated for Nashville flood relief.
Regional Assembly Dates. Steve Willis gets the prize this year - on the SCHEDULE portion of the Regional Assembly brochure, the dates are listed as Friday, November 7; Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9. The correct dates are Friday, November 5; Saturday, November 6 and Sunday, November 7.
Poster dates are correct and the front page of the brochure is correct.
|
|
NEWS and
EVENTS
|
|
Meet Sister Denisse Rodriguez from Caminante, one of our partner ministries in the Dominican Republic! She will be sharing about her ministry June 28th 7pm at FCC Fort Smith; June 29th 7pm at Covenant CC in Byram, MS and June 30th 7pm at Cross Street CC in Little Rock, AR.
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
|
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.”
|
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.
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: I will be at Quadrennial Assembly this week and hosting Sister Denisse Rodriguez next week.
From Rick Hamilton: We had a fantastic time at the Yellow Pine Homecoming at Yellow Pine Christian Church in Louisiana. If you ever have the chance to be in North Central Louisiana on the Second Sunday in June, go to Yellow Pine. The music, spirit and joy at this historic church are all inspiring.
This weekend I will be celebrating the marriage of my nephew, Jason Hamilton, and his fiancé Chelsea Wortham in Garland, Texas.
Search Committees I am currently supporting:
FCC Stuttgart, AR
From Michael Elmore: I will be attending the funeral service at Kings Highway CC for Anthony, Joey and Katelyn Smith on Friday. Keep this family in your prayers.
I will be taking off a few days next week to celebrate my wife's an my own birthday. Will be back in the office Thursday.
Search Committees I am currently supporting:
FCC Gulfport, MS
From Vance Moore: This Sunday I’ll be at home celebrating Fathers Day. We’ll worship at our home church, Utica Christian Church. Have a safe and blessed Fathers Day.
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: The week Northwest Christian Church, Columbus, OH and Disciples Christian Church, Hamilton, OH served at the Mission Center. We worked on four separate jobsite. A productive and exciting week was had by all.
WHERE DID YOU SEE GOD TODAY?
From Sara Rozzell: Registration and counselor forms can be viewed and printed on the youth page at www.grrcc.org .
2010 Summer Camp Dates:
June 13-19 CYF
June 19-20 Discovery
June 20-23 JYF
June 23-27 Chi-Rho
July 4-10 FISSH (finished 9th grade only)
|