We are the Church together.
Through your support of the Special Offering, Week of Compassion is prepared to respond immediately when there is need from a disaster.
Flooding in Eastern Oregon damaged many homes last week, as well as roads and bridges, making travel difficult. Rev. Marc Mullins of First Christian Church, Pendleton reports that the community worked together quickly to provide needed assistance to those who were displaced and to coordinate clean-up as the waters began to recede.
Within a few days of the flooding, Pastor Mullins shared the following message with his congregation:
I have just received word that five grants will be sent to the church from Week of Compassion to be distributed to five families in our congregation who have been impacted by the recent flood… I expect these grant monies to arrive next week.
It just so happens that these next two Sundays are the days when we receive our annual special offerings during worship for Week of Compassion. This is the first time I have been impacted personally by grants from Week of Compassion. I often hear how money is distributed to victims of hurricanes, typhoons, famines, wars (resulting in refugees), etc., but this is the first time that I have had members of a congregation I serve receiving such financial support. As a result, I have decided to change my sermon for this next Sunday to reflect the blessings provided by our Week of Compassion funds. | | Invitation to join in prayer
Creative Spirit that infuses life with meaning and movement, fill your people in the region of Kentucky with the hope of new possibilities as they search for a new regional minister. We pray for your guidance in their season of change. Amen. | | | | Why you should get rid of that boiler in your church's basement
When you think of being eco-friendly, what images come to mind? Do you see solar panels and electric cars? What about an HVAC system?
Well, that’s exactly what Hillside Christian Church (HCC) thought of when it decided to replace its 20-year-old, bandage-covered boiler chiller unit. Members of the Kansas City, MO congregation didn’t want to continue repairing it, they wanted to replace the boiler with high efficiency HVAC units to reduce their carbon footprint, quit burning fossil fuels, and move to electric.
After all, HCC prides itself as a community center. On any given month it has a dozen social assistance agencies using the space for their own program needs, whether it’s for people with debilitating brain injuries, support groups for folks with addictions, or youth and children sports and homeschool groups. HCC members have a Christian youth theater group in their community that uses the church’s classrooms and its fellowship hall three times a week for four different sessions during the school year. That amounts to hundreds of children and teenagers over the course of a month.
| | | | Week of Compassion special offering received this week
Each year in February, congregations across the United States and Canada collect a special offering for Week of Compassion. This year, these offerings will be received by many congregations Feb. 23.
Funds received through the offering allow the Church to respond to disaster when it occurs, enabling Week of Compassion to immediately provide grants for urgent needs like emergency supplies, water and food. Special Offering is a time when congregations come together to lift up and celebrate this important work that we do together.
A variety of resources are available to share in your congregation, like videos, bulletin inserts, children's activities, and more. | | | | National Benevolent Association extends XPLOR 2020-21 application deadline
The NBA initiates ministries designed to establish and grow partnerships with health and social service supporters and providers. Drawing upon this rich history, NBA continues to assist Disciples to join systemic justice work with direct care and action. In 2014, we launched NBA XPLOR, a prophetic movement of young adults who are considering lives of care and service. The Residency provides 10-month professional development and vocational discernment opportunities for 21- to 30-year-olds to live simply in community and engage in direct service and justice work. Through NBA XPLOR, we partner young adults with Disciples congregations, regional and general ministries, and wider communities—positively engaging neighborhoods, the congregations, and the young adults. We are currently accepting applications for our 2020-21 cohort. Applications for this XPLOR cohort will be received until all spaces are full. Your applications are welcome and you will be contacted immediately with updated news on openings. For questions and more information, contact Rev. Ben Bohren. To learn more about the XPLOR program, visit nbacares.org/xplor. | | | | Upper Midwest opens search for new regional minister
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Upper Midwest is seeking to call an ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to the position of Regional Minister and President. A Regional Profile and Position Description are posted here.
All applicants are required to provide updated search and call paperwork in order to be considered. Furthermore, all applicants are required to submit a Letter of Interest to the Upper Midwest Regional Office by March 1, addressed to: Search Committee Chairperson, Rev. Suzie Moore, Christian Church in the Upper Midwest, 5064 Lincoln St., Newton, IA 50208. | | | | 2020 Year Book reporting window open through March 15
The annual Year Book & Directory is all about connections between expressions of the Church. Congregations and clergy, general and regional ministries, and General Assembly reports and resolutions are contained in each issue.
The reporting window for the 2020 Year Book is open through March 15.
Visit disciples.org/yearbook to download instructions, answers to frequently asked questions, instructional webinar for congregations, PDF forms in English, Spanish, Korean, and French, and to submit your report online.
The Year Book serves as an invaluable resource for church staff and members, as well as the official record of a year in the life of our Church – and it’s not complete without you! | | | | Applications open for HELM scholarships
The Leadership Fellows program is a leadership development program for Disciples undergraduate students. Each of the four years of undergraduate education has a different focus: Community, Transformation, Global Awareness, and Mentoring. Click here to learn more about the Leadership Fellows program and to access the online application.
For Disciples students pursuing a PhD in the field of religion, HELM offers two scholarships, the William Gilbert and Florence Leonard Jones Scholarship and the Ann E. Dickerson Scholarship. Click here for more information on these scholarships and to access the online application.
All application materials for both the Leadership Fellows Program and PhD scholarships must be received by April 30. If you have questions, please contact Jon Barnes. | | | | Disciples Home Missions offers free Lent devotional resource
The season of Lent is the period prior to Easter. The period, which lasts from Ash Wednesday to Easter, extends for 40 days (excluding Sundays). The observance of Lent varies greatly among Christians, both in denominational participation, and according to personal practice.
Lent is regarded as an opportunity for reflection, as the time approaches to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The contrast of experience and emotion, in recalling these two events is to be expected. It would not be exaggeration to think of Good Friday and Easter as the best and worst events in history. This tension affects the nature of the reflection that believers engage in. | | Additional resources and opportunities
| | | | Creation Care and Lent: A Q&A with seminary professor Leah Schade
With Lent and Easter coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this year, Rev. Leah Schade, a professor at Lexington Theological Seminary and a climate activist, had the opportunity to combine her passion for the Earth with a powerful and practical devotional resource for congregations. The result is For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotional, which features daily devotions and spiritual practices focused on caring for God’s creation, as well as a bonus section called "50 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day during the 50 Days of Easter."
“Creation care is an urgent concern for Christians today,” says Schade. "The climate emergency and environmental crises we face directly impact the people of God. Farmers in our congregations deal with increased flooding and droughts. Children in our churches suffer from asthma due to air pollution. Churches in areas hit by catastrophic storms fueled by global warming minister to people in the aftermath of the devastation. And as we watch the extinction of so many of God’s creatures, we are called to advocate for 'the least of these' within our Earth community.” Read the rest of the interview, which includes how to use the devotional as a congregational resource for Creation care this Lent, here. | | More opportunities to put ministry into action
- Register for 2020 Ecumenical Advocacy Days national gathering (April 24-27 in Washington, DC)
| | | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment