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SEGA NEWS

SEGA CONNECTION     February 2008 Issue

You should let everyone know about
> it.  It's www.anysoldier.com  The site gives you specific information from
> actual soldiers as to where you can send letters of support, letters of
> thanks, and care packages to them over there.  It is not a scam and a
> person's efforts go straight to the soldiers in the field.  I ordered the
> free mailing packages and forms necessary to send packages to the soldiers
> from the U.S. Postal service.  Now all I'll have to do is pack them with
> goodies (from the $0.99 store) and mail them.  Not that I can even afford
> to, but it is just too moving when I view the site.  I wish I could send
> everyone everything requested like babywipes and chapstick, simple things
> and pleasures here at home we take for granted.  It is just a wonderful
> website.  If you don't already know about it, please take some time and
> check it out so you can feel comfortable telling the church about it.
> Maybe someone there would like to help the soldiers too.

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JANUARY 16 through++++++++

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Disciples News Service
July 8, 2010 

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In this issue:

    * Disciples Women are renewed and 'awakened' at the 2010 Quadrennial Assembly
    * Committee requests church participation in General Minister and President questionnaire
    * Association of Disciple Musicians gear up for conference
    * Women take away valuable lessons about Disciples Mission Fund from Quadrennial pre-event
    * Reconciliation Ministry grant proposals due in mid-July
    * NAPAD Biennial Convocation set for August in Seattle
    * Indianapolis churches hold special events to raise funds for Haiti
    * Midway College to open School of Pharmacy in 2011
    * Legendary basketball coach and Disciple John Wooden dies
    * Eureka College receives large endowment gift
    * Former president of Historical Society, James Seale, dies
    * Missouri School of Religion offers parish nurse course

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DISCIPLES WOMEN ARE RENEWED AND 'AWAKENED' AT THE 2010 QUADRENNIAL ASSEMBLY
Disciples women from 44 states joined with their international sisters and other guests at the 14th Quadrennial Assembly to celebrate God's presence among them and the unique gifts that women contribute to church life. The June 23-27 event in Greensboro, N.C. offered opportunities for worship, Bible study, community projects, and fellowship. The conference theme was "Awake! Awake" (taken from Judges 5:12a). Over 1800 women attended the assembly which takes place every four years. Attendees also included 76 men, 40 young people between the ages of 11 to 17 and 20 international guests.

"I think this has been an awesome way to meet all my sisters in God's family from around the world," said Adele Station, of First Christian Church in Reidsville, N.C. To read more about the many activities that took place at Quadrennial, go to:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/652/Disciples-women-gather-in-North-Carolina.aspx

COMMITTEE REQUESTS CHURCH PARTICIPATION IN GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Disciples are invited to participate in an online questionnaire that evaluates the ministry of General Minister and President Sharon Watkins, as well as seeks information about the Church's hopes and goals for the next six years.

Please visit www.disciples.org and click on Review/Search and Call Committee to take the questionnaire. During the 2010 General Board meeting in April, GMP Watkins outlined her desire to serve another six-year term, which would run from July 2011 to July 2017. The committee is looking for candid responses to assist in its recommendation to the Administrative Committee which will meet in October. Your response will remain confidential, limited to only a few members of the Review/Search and Call Committee. No personal data will be shared with GMP Watkins or the Administrative Committee; it will only be used for statistical and follow-up purposes.

You are encouraged to complete the online questionnaire, however, you may also print the questionnaire and mail it to: Review/Search and Call Committee; PO Box 162327; Memphis, TN 38186-2327.

August 2 is the last date to submit your input. Please share this information with your regional, congregational, Facebook, Twitter and other contacts to ensure a large response.

ASSOCIATION OF DISCIPLE MUSICIANS GEAR UP FOR CONFERENCE
Worship leaders and musicians from all parts of the church will meet in Lexington, Ky. later this month for the 49th Annual Conference of the Association of Disciple Musicians (ADM). The conference will take place July 24-28 at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lexington, Ky. John Opsata and Larry Sivis (worship), Andra Moran, (emerging worship), Lynne Gackle (choral), Robert Hobby (organ), and Tim Waugh (handbells) will be among the featured guests.

Besides worship, there will be plenty of other activity options at the gathering, including sessions on "Chapel Choir," "Instruments in Worship," "Healing and Music," and "Organ Literature: Playing Favorites." Organizers are inviting anyone interested in the musical life of their church to consider membership in ADM and attendance at the annual conference. Find complete registration details on the summer conference at: www.adm-doc.org

WOMEN TAKE AWAY VALUABLE LESSONS ABOUT DISCIPLES MISSION FUND FROM QUADRENNIAL PRE-EVENT
A number of Disciples women feel they are prepared to tell others about the many ways Disciples Mission Fund transforms lives. Forty-one women participated in a Quadrennial pre-event designed to create a cadre of Disciples Mission Fund advocates. During the training, the women learned about the history of DMF - the church's common fund - and how DMF allows Disciples to pool resources to accomplish world-wide mission.

"We have to do a better job of telling our story of mission and outreach and our encounters with the holy," said Associate General Minister and President Todd Adams, who helped coordinate the training. "We also need to show how DMF connects to the church and why others should support it."

DMF supports the work of more than 70 ministries of the church, including regions, racial/ethnic ministries, colleges, universities and seminaries, and general ministries. To read about the DMF advocate training, visit:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/653/Disciples-women-will-share-the-good-news.aspx

RECONCILIATION MINISTRY GRANT PROPOSALS DUE IN MID-JULY
Reconciliation Ministry is receiving grant proposals until July 15, 2010, for general, regional and recognized ministries of the Church whose projects promote the denomination's pro-reconciliation/anti-racism mission priority. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is bringing to fruition the healing that brings wholeness in its communities and congregations through projects sponsored by these grants, said Minister of Reconciliation April G. Johnson. The 2010 grant proposals are for 2011 projects.

Successful programs from the 2010 grant cycle included leadership development training for new church pastors, ecumenical and interfaith collaborative anti-racism training, programs for ministerial preparation as well as camping opportunities for youth and young adults from across the diversity of the Church's regions. "We are excited to witness the implementation of our mission to 'foster life-giving community within our Church and with the whole family of God,'" Johnson said.

Grant applications can be secured at www.reconciliationministry.org or by contacting Nancy Kirkpatrick, Reconciliation Ministry assistant, at 317-713-2587.

NAPAD BIENNIAL CONVOCATION SET FOR AUGUST IN SEATTLE
Nearly 200 members of the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples (NAPAD) community are making plans to meet in Seattle, Wash. for the 16th Biennial Convocation. The theme of the convocation is "Be Hope for the World" and will take place at Seattle University from Aug. 4-7. The theme is derived from Rom. 15:13 and Heb. 3:6. Timothy Tseng, Young Lee Hertig, and General Minister and President Sharon Watkins will be keynote speakers.

Watkins will preach during opening night worship on Aug. 4; Tseng, president and executive director of the Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity will speak at the evening plenary session Aug. 5; and Hertig will address the convocation Aug. 6. A youth pre-event will take place, as well as business and a variety of workshops. To register or for more information, go to www.napad.net

INDIANAPOLIS CHURCHES HOLD SPECIAL EVENTS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HAITI
Allisonville Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis will host a concert by well-known television performers Laura and Rick Hall to help the church fund a mission trip to Haiti. The concert will take place on July 24 at 7 p.m. A group from the church had initially planned a trip to Haiti in January, which was postponed after the massive earthquake struck the country on January 12.

Laura Hall is known as the improvisational pianist on the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway." She also has performed on other television shows, as well as at the 2007 and 2009 General assemblies, and at the 2010 Quadrennial Assembly. Her husband, Rick Hall, has appeared on such shows as, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Saving Grace," "According to Jim," "Seinfeld," and "The Middle." To read more about the church's trip to Haiti and the Halls' upcoming concert, see:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/654/Earthquake-scrubs-Indiana-churchs-trip-to-Haiti.aspx or call the church at 317-849-3957.

Southport Christian Christ in Indianapolis is hosting Pancakes for Haiti and Community Fest on Saturday, July 10 from 7 a.m. until noon. This is a virtual Spiritual Mission trip to Haiti with proceeds to rebuild a school. There will also be an exclusive interview with Indianapolis Colts receiver, Pierre Garcon, whose family is from Haiti. The event will be held at the church. For more information, call 317-784-4431. To read more about Southport Christian, go to: www.southportchurch.org

MIDWAY COLLEGE TO OPEN SCHOOL OF PHARMACY IN 2011
Midway College will begin accepting students for its new school of pharmacy in January. The new Midway College School of Pharmacy will be located in Paintsville, Ky., and begin classes in August 2011. The college's school of pharmacy will offer a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree, and initially enroll up to 80 students per year, with plans to expand to at least 320 students per year.

"As we have made visits and had discussions with local leaders, it was obvious from day one that this was the right community for this project," said Midway College President William B. Drake Jr. "This is a community that values education and is welcoming. We could not ask for a better partner." The pharmacy school will temporarily be located on the Mayo campus of Big Sandy Regional and Technical Center in Paintsville until a permanent site can be established. Midway College is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). For more, see: www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/DNS/2010/20100707-Midway.pdf

LEGENDARY BASKETBALL COACH AND DISCIPLE JOHN WOODEN DIES
Disciple and legendary college basketball Coach John Wooden recently died at the age of 99. Wooden was born into a Dutch-Irish family in 1910 in Hall, Ind. He attended Disciples churches in Indiana and later in Los Angeles, Calif. He died June 4 in Los Angeles. From 1964-'75, Wooden's University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball teams won 10 national championships, including 88 consecutive games over one stretch.

Wooden's family moved to Martinsville, Ind., eight miles away from Hall, Ind., after his freshman year in high school when his parents, Joshua and Roxie, lost the family farm. "He was born and raised in my home state of Indiana and was a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the church in which I was born, baptized and ordained, so I've been hearing about 'Coach' all my life," said Central Ohio story teller and supply preacher Jeff Gill. Read Wooden's obituary from Newsday at: www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=john-wooden&pid=143327829

EUREKA COLLEGE RECEIVES LARGE ENDOWMENT GIFT
A central Illinois couple with longtime ties to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has left a significant gift to Eureka College. Eureka College has received an endowment gift of $450,665 from Nelson J. and Janet A. Smith of Metamora, a nearby rural community. The couple designated that the money go to the college for scholarships and repairs of campus buildings.

Janet Smith graduated from Eureka College in 1945. She died in September 2007. Metamora farmer Nelson Smith died in March 2009. They were members of the Eureka Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for more than 50 years. Eureka College is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The school is located along the Ronald Reagan Trail, named after one of Eureka College's most famous graduates, President Ronald Reagan. To get more, see: www.eureka.edu/news/releases/spring10/smith_gift.htm

FORMER PRESIDENT OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY, JAMES SEALE, DIES
James M. Seale, president emeritus of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, has died. Seale, a native of Middleboro, Ky., died June 27 in Hopkinsville, Ky. He was 79. Seal was ordained at Pond Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Madison County, Ky., in 1951. He served on numerous boards across the life of the church and was the author of two books, A Century of Faith Caring and Forward from the Past. He also wrote articles for numerous publications.

Seale attended Lexington Theological Seminary and Transylvania University. Among the many boards that he served on were the Cane Ridge Preservation Project, Christian Church Homes of Kentucky and Disciples' United Christian Missionary Society. He was president of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society from 1983 to 1995, when he retired. He is survived by his wife, Mary Dudley, two children, two grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. To read Seale's obituary, visit: www.discipleshistory.org/news/news_archive/seale_obituary.html

MISSOURI SCHOOL OF RELIGION OFFERS PARISH NURSE COURSE
A week-long basic preparation course designed for nurses serving in a parish/faith community is set for Aug. 9-13 at the Regional Mission Center of the Disciples of Christ in Jefferson City, Mo. Sponsored by the Missouri School of Religion, the course itinerary includes prayer and daily devotion, and covers such topics as "Health, Healing and Wholeness in the Faith Community;" "Ethics of Parish Nursing;" "Functioning as a Ministerial Team:" and "Family Violence."

Among the presenters for the course are Alvyne Rethemeyer, a registered nurse and a retired director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center in St. Louis, Lynne Jerichow, a parish nurse for the Mexico United Methodist Church in Mexico, and Fran Schnarre, director of educational ministry at the Missouri School of Religion in Jefferson City. The course hours have been approved for continuing education credit (CEU). To get more information, go to: missourischoolofreligion.org/coursesevents/parishnursing/2010-parishfaith-community-nursing-basic-preparation-course/

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Availability of Temporary Immigration Status for Haitian Ends July 20!Haitians who
were in the United States on a temporary visa or in undocumented status when the
 earthquake struck Haiti last January have until July 20th to apply for Temporary
Protected Status (TPS) which will allow them to remain in the United States until
at least next summer.  Refugee and Immigration Ministries (RIM) has prepared information
on how to apply for TPS. RIM is a program of Disciples Home Missions supported by
your Week of Compassion offerings.
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Wine To Water: Paris, TN

{The following was written by Rev. Megan Huston, pastor of First Christian Church,
Paris, TN. As a seminary student, she served as an intern with Week of Compassion.}
In the Gospel of John, Jesus' first miracle is at a wedding. In the middle of a
great celebration, the wine runs out. Spurred on by his mother, Jesus turns water
into wine. It's a compelling story -- Jesus offers abundance in a moment of scarcity.
In that same spirit, First Christian Church, Paris, TN, has tried to live into a
 ministry that offers life to communities in need, seeing abundance in times of
scarcity.
Not long ago, I spoke to Brandon Gilvin, WoC's Associate Director, who told me about
a new initiative Week of Compassion was trying with some churches: "Wine into Water."
The project teams Week of Compassion, Church World Service's "Water for All" program,
and local congregations. Like the folks John writes about in the Gospel who gathered
for a wedding in Cana, churches put together a social event: a wine tasting with
 hors d' oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, a concert -- whatever sort of celebration the
church would like to put together, and the money they raise from admission or contribution
goes to clean water projects through Week of Compassion and Church World Service.
When I heard about a fundraiser for Week of Compassion involving wine and compassion,
I knew that FCC Paris would be interested! I was right. Our entire congregation
immediately got to work. We spread the word around our small community of about
10,000. We convinced the hottest band in town to donate their time. We even persuaded
a Methodist brother across the street to donate all the wine! It didn't hurt that
the best caterer in town goes to FCC. Pretty soon, we had pulled together one exciting
shindig.
We had to organize advertisng and ticket sales, so we got posters made and each
committee member was asked to sell about 20 tickets. Pretty soon, we were hearing
about our own event from friends and neighbors.
We aren't one of the "big" churches in town. We don't have a gym or other elaborate
facilities. We're like a lot of Disciples churches in a lot of towns all over the
country: a congregation of about 100 active members trying our best to love God
and serve our neighbors.
With a little creativity and some collaboration with Week of Compassion, we were
 able to put together one of the most exciting fundraisers anyone could remember
 in Paris. We also hit the right notes in term of advocacy; by sharing photos and
stories of East African communities who would benefit from the project, we raised
awareness about the "Water for Life" project and one of the regions it serves.
Our evening of fun raised $3000 to help create clean water systems: new wells, cisterns
and dams. It will also go to help increase advocacy about water issues all over
the world, and help fund educational initiatives about water, hygiene, and health
across Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
Since our party, our congregation feels like we've really contributed something.
 We took our gifts and created life for others. We participated in a miracle.
For more information on how your congregation can sponsor a "Wine into Water" fundraiser,
email Brandon [mailto:bgilvin@woc.disciples.org].
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Religious Services for Persons in Immigration Detention

Church World Service (CWS) has a contract with the U.S. government to hire employees
to provide religious services for persons in the immigration detention centers owned
and operated by the U.S. government.  CWS is now seeking to expand its program to
other detention centers that are run by corporations that have a contract with the
U.S. government.  CWS is in the process of working with the Department of Homeland
Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement to develop a pilot Volunteer Religious
Services Program in Iowa and is seeking multi-faith clergy and faith leaders in
Iowa to help develop this program.  Additionally, CWS is looking for other possible
sites for the development of similar programs.  If you are near an immigration detention
site and are interested in helping to develop a program to provide multi-faith services
to detainees, please let us know.  CWS also needs translators for the Detainees
Handbook (a two page document) which is given to each detainee, so he or she will
understand the religious services available in detention.  Presently they have the
document in English, Spanish, French, Creole, Arabic, Panjabi, and Amharic.  If
you are able to translate into other languages, please let us know.  CWS also needs
soft covered Bibles, Korans, rosaries, Muslim prayer beads, prayer rugs and Holy
 Scriptures of other faiths in many languages.  If you are able to provide any of
these materials please let us know.  Contact Joan Maruskin at Church World Service
(jmaruskin@churchworldservice.org or 202-203-0676) or Jennifer Riggs, Director of
Refugee and Immigration Ministries (RIM), at jriggs@dhm.disciples.org [mailto:jriggs@dhm.disciples.org]
or 1-888-346-2631.  RIM is a program of Disciples Home Missions that is supported
through your Week of Compassion offerings.
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Haiti: Homeless, With an Uncertain Future

The devastating Haiti earthquake that led to 1.9 million people losing their homes
forced most into around 1400 temporary settlements in Port-au-Prince and other areas.
Now thousands have been evicted from these sites without any viable alternative.


Teaching "Human Rights, Peace, and Harmony" in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Church World Service works for peace in a volatile region and helps build the capacity
of young people.


Scholarships for Young People Available for Travel with Foods Resource Bank

FRB invites its young volunteers to come travel overseas. Thanks to a grant from
 the John Deere Foundation, FRB is pleased to be able to offer matching scholarships
to help cover travel costs for young people interested in agriculture and growing
solutions to world hunger.


Those interested in traveling should contact FRB with their request. If their application
is accepted, the grantee will receive a scholarship for half the total travel cost.
 Check out the newsletter for upcoming overseas trips.


This is a great opportunity to visit the overseas program your growing project supports
or to learn about life and agriculture outside the US. If you are interested in
applying for a scholarship, please contact FRB at (888) 276-4372.



WoC Recommended Reading List

Week of Compassion invites you to expand your horizons! Follow this link for a recommended
list of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that address the kinds of issues to
 which Week of Compassion responds in the world. Links to Amazon.com are provided.
Consider starting a WoC book club!



Click here to learn more [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103512296449&s=5968&e=001eDu_84srwIOH4UWTfVE9yOzXh0Rma26zT0Wvx5yw-taEUtTvaD56eOEFP58zJVIxTcEfpbojwajqEsSgtYegMPpFW8ZPiy2m5NI28fij4MfOyviobdoR6_RY18-XWKxLFxeMpZYWcsCDaMk2u9hB4VCeUjaHqCu4O-t09gHHPAQ=].



This Week's Responses

Disaster Relief & Emergency Assistance
Honduras, Tropical Storm Agatha

Oklahoma (2), flood relief

U.S., 2010 summer emergencies



Development & Long-Term Recovery
El Salvador, food security

Vietnam, clean water project

U.S., poverty initiative

^+++++++


Like (or love) Week of Compassion on FacebookDid you know Week of Compassion is
also on Facebook? In our efforts to update you on the work of Week of Compassion,
we post updates online on our website, on Twitter as well as Facebook.



If you're one of the millions of people using Facebook to stay connected, like us
here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103512296449&s=5968&e=001eDu_84srwIMq71ChNIhbELUrcWzk47Pp2vkDG1jdZnS570-T2hS6tv4f-LxNomCaQ_sjtbZ5rRZn9Ag_D3wU6FRyui7od6tSpCGtAxt1lnEbcArOSDvSYUu1W9S6ewLA]
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Week of Compassion is sharing resources and changing lives. Thank you for sharing
your resources and helping to change lives.

Sometimes it's a stove, fridge, and dishwasher. Sometimes it's a loss that is immeasurably
more difficult.
Over the last few weeks, floods and tornadoes have struck a number of states, including
Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas
and Wyoming. Some 30 people have died in these recent incidents, and another 20
perished in flooding that affected a campsite in Arkansas, including a family from
King's Highway Christian Church in Shreveport, LA.
This weekend, tornadoes struck Billings, MT, and fires burned out of control in
Flagstaff, AZ. As is the case with all disasters, we are monitoring these situations
with our ecumenical partners, such as Church World Service, as well as through our
regional and local ministries. Through Week of Compassion, the ministry of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) is able to be present at times of severe need.
While we might not be able to precisely predict when a disaster might strike, we
 can be prepared to respond. By contributing a gift to our designated Response Fund,
you can help position us to respond quickly and faithfully when people are at their
most vulnerable.
To contribute to our designated Response Fund, please visit us online.

 Sometimes, a simple gift can make all the difference. Your gift might just change
someone's life.
Kyrgyzstan: WoC Partners Distribute Food Aid
Through our invaluable partnership in the ecumenical ACT Alliance, WoC is responding
in conflict-torn Kyrgyzstan.
The ACT Alliance's Central Asia Forum is using its well-established local network
to provide food to people in need in the cities of Osh and Jalalabad. Local ACT
partners based in the region are buying agricultural products from local farmers
 to avoid long and dangerous transport routes. In the first response to the crisis
since last week, they have been able to facilitate the impartial distribution of
 20 metric tons of rice and vegetables in the city of Osh.
Using local capacities to identify urgent needs and to facilitate direct supplies
from local farmers is working well. At the same time, this approach is supporting
local producers. ACT will continue developing this mechanism. A first assessment
 within the ACT network estimates that local farmers can supply up to at least 5,000
metric tons of potatoes, rice, flour, vegetables and livestock for slaughter from
existing stocks. Local partners were able to quickly pre-finance the mobilization
of food resources.
Besides empowering local partner capacities in southern Kyrgyzstan, ACT is preparing
7,000 family relief packages in Bishkek which will be sent to Osh in the course
of this week. Each package will include around 15 kgs of dry food rations and kitchen
utensils for one family. HelpAge is complementing the packages with the provision
of hygiene items. On June 23rd, ACT will send a team of experts to Jalalabad and
 Osh to assess the needs in the field and to identify priorities for further ACT
 operations. The mission is being coordinated with other international NGOs including
Eurasia Foundation, HelpAge, MSF, Oxfam and others.
Thank you, friends, for your commitment to people recovering from devastating natural
disaster and those grappling with the harrowing results of violence and human conflict.
Each time you live into that commitment, you reach out with courageous compassion.
+++++++

Guatemala Flood

Through our partners at Church World Service and the ACT Alliance, Week Compassion
is responding to the floods in Guatemala. Our friends at CIEDEG--Conferencia de
Iglesias Evangelicas de Guatemala--are assisting 2,000 families with food supplies,
hygiene kits and water filters. The assistance is being targeted for families in
 41 communities.


National Clergy Teleconference on Immigration

Friends,



Sojourners has invited clergy from across denominations to participate in an upcoming
conference call on Immigration.  Please take a look at the details below and consider
joining in:



Recent legislation in Arizona and protests around the country have thrust immigrants
and border security into the spotlight and our national psyche. But the conversation
is often filled with fear-based misinformation. As faith leaders, we have the responsibility
to educate our members about this controversial issue - from a theological foundation.



We know it's not an easy job to be both a pastor and a prophet for biblical social
justice. Sometimes it can feel like these are conflicting roles! However, there
are numerous biblical and contemporary examples of leaders who are doing both on
 the issue of immigration.



Join Sojourners for a national teleconference on June 24 to hear from local pastors
and faith activists who have experience leading congregations and organizations
on this controversial topic - the call is free and open to all faith leaders.



"Faithful Perspectives: A Conversation on Immigration and Your Congregation"

National Teleconference for Clergy and Faith Leaders

Thursday, June 24

1 to 2 p.m. EDT


Bread for the World Receives Award

Congratulations to David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, for winning
 a World Food Prize! The award is the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for food and
 agriculture.

WoC Recommended Reading List

Week of Compassion invites you to expand your horizons! Follow this link for a recommended
list of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that address the kinds of issues to
 which Week of Compassion responds in the world. Links to Amazon.com are provided.
Consider starting a WoC book club!



This Week's Responses

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance:
El Salvador, floods & mudslides

Guatemala, flood relief

Michigan, local development

Louisiana, flood recovery

Kentucky, flood relief

Tennessee, flood relief






Like (or love) Week of Compassion on FacebookDid you know Week of Compassion is
also on Facebook? In our efforts to update you on the work of Week of Compassion,
we post updates online on our website, on Twitter as well as Facebook.




Week of Compassion is sharing resources and changing lives. Thank you for sharing
your resources and helping to change lives.

Disciples News Service
June 16, 2010
 
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In this issue:

    * Kansas City Pastor Prime Example Of Barnabas For New Church Ministry
    * Week Of Compassion Poised For Response To Gulf Disaster; Continues Relief Work In Southern Sudan
    * Two Global Church Networks In The Reformed Tradition To Merge
    * Michigan Calls Two As Transitional Regional Ministers
    * Pre-Eminent Disciples Scholar Don Browning Dies
    * Disciples Home Missions Awards Black Leadership Project Grants
    * Conference On Offender Reentry Set For September
    * Pacific School Of Religion Taps Washington Professor To Be Interim President

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KANSAS CITY PASTOR PRIME EXAMPLE OF BARNABAS FOR NEW CHURCH MINISTRY
A Kansas City Disciples pastor is living out the meaning of church evangelism and partnership. Edith Mendoza was already pastor of Alta Vista Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), when she felt God's call to plant a second Disciples congregation in nearby Liberty City, Mo. In partnership with New Church Ministry and the Greater Kansas City Region, Mendoza launched Alfa y Omega Iglesia Cristiana (Discipulos de Cristo) in 2009. The congregation was nested in Liberty Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

"God put in my heart the need of the Hispanic community in Liberty, Mo.," said Mendoza. "I had been struggling with it and praying about it." On Sundays, she divides her time between the two congregations. Mendoza "has a heart for seizing opportunities to connect to people," said Rick Morse, vice president of New Church Ministry and Mission Initiatives. To find out more, see: www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/643/New-Church-Plans-A-Partnership.aspx

WEEK OF COMPASSION POISED FOR RESPONSE TO GULF DISASTER; CONTINUES RELIEF WORK IN SOUTHERN SUDAN
Week of Compassion, the relief, refugee and development mission fund for Disciples is currently determining how best to respond to the Gulf oil spill. The deep-water spill was caused by an oil rig explosion on April 20, and is seen as the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. WoC is partnering with Church World Service, as well as with the Great River Region, which is identifying and cataloging needs.

"If there are needs our friends and congregations can identify, specifically, please let us know so we can respond," WoC Executive Director Amy Gopp said regarding the oil disaster.

As one example of its international relief response, Week of Compassion continues to contribute to the work of Action by Churches Together (ACT) in response to the lingering drought in Southern Sudan. WoC also has remained a supporter of ongoing needs in the Darfur region of the country. The help that WoC is giving in Southern Sudan will provide food for at least 8,700 and help 5,342 children in 14 schools in the region. To learn more about Week of Compassion's work, visit:
www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/DNS/2010/20100616-WoCReport.pdf

TWO GLOBAL CHURCH NETWORKS IN THE REFORMED TRADITION TO MERGE
Several Disciples will attend the historic merger of the world's two largest networks of Protestant churches in the Reformed tradition later this week.

On Friday, June 18, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) will come together with the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) during council meetings in Grand Rapids, Michigan to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

The Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC), comprised of groups from around the world with roots in the Stone-Campbell movement, has been engaged in dialogue with WARC since the late 1970s. The new merger extends the partnership to the newly formed WCRC. Disciples attendees at the meeting will represent DECC. To read more, visit:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/644/Church-Leaders-Will-Help-Celebrate-Merger.aspx

MICHIGAN CALLS TWO AS TRANSITIONAL REGIONAL MINISTERS
Two long-time Disciples pastors have been called as transitional regional ministers in Michigan. Eugene W. James, Jr. and Maggie Mills were installed in the position, which they will share, in May. James currently serves as pastor of Northwestern Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Detroit, Mich. and has been active on a number of church-wide committees and boards.

Mills has been a senior volunteer staff person for the region since retiring from active ministry in 2007. She has assisted the region with search and call duties and served on the region's administrative committee, as well as provided a one-day educational event for lay leaders each year. Mills is an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The transitional team says they will focus on improving the region's financial outlook as well as establishing projects that help bring Disciples churches in the region closer together. To find out their plans for the region, visit:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/645/Coregional-Ministers-in-Michigan.aspx. To learn more about the Christian Church in Michigan, visit: www.michigandisciples.org

PRE-EMINENT DISCIPLES SCHOLAR DON BROWNING DIES
A distinguished scholar, author and the former dean of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago has died. Don Browning, the Alexander Campbell Professor Emeritus of Ethics and the Social Sciences in the Divinity School, passed away June 3 at his home in Hyde Park, Ill. He was 76. Browning was known and respected for his writings and studies on the influence of religion on American family life, and the intersection of psychology and religion.

An ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he was a prolific author and editor, mentor and colleague. He was dean of the University of Chicago Disciples Divinity House from 1977-1983. He also had served as a member of the faculty of the Graduate Seminary of Phillips University before joining the faculty of the Divinity School. Browning died at home with his family nearby. A funeral service took place on June 10 at Hyde Park Union Church. To read more, go to:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/646/Disciples-Scholar-Don-Browning-Dies.aspx

DISCIPLES HOME MISSIONS AWARDS BLACK LEADERSHIP PROJECT GRANTS
The Disciples Home Missions Black Leadership Projects Committee has awarded $27,999 in Black Leadership Project Grants. The eleven grant awards will fund proposals that will develop, nurture and strengthen church leadership for African American congregations. Black Leadership Project Grants can be requested by a congregation, region, or staff of a general ministry.

For more information on grants, contact Billye P. Bridges at 888-346-2631 or bbridges@dhm.disciples.org. For guidelines and information on 2011 grants, contact Lois Robinson at 888-346-2631 or lrobinson@dhm.disciples.org

CONFERENCE ON OFFENDER REENTRY SET FOR SEPTEMBER
Registration is continuing this summer for a conference that will explore Christian involvement in helping ex-offenders re-establish their lives. The conference, entitled "Opening Gates, Opening Hearts: Christian Responses to Offender Reentry," is sponsored by the Missouri School of Religion. It will take place on Sept. 11 at Christian Fellowship Church in Columbia, Mo. Registration costs $30 prior to Aug. 20, and $40 thereafter.

Among the topics to be discussed are "Collaborating with the Missouri Reentry Process;" "What You Can Do as a Local Church;" and "Probation and Parole, What Do They Expect?" More than 30,000 people are in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections. About 97 percent of them will eventually return to their communities. To learn more about the conference, go to:
missourischoolofreligion.org/coursesevents/continuing-ed/opening-gates-opening-hearts/

PACIFIC SCHOOL OF RELIGION TAPS WASHINGTON PROFESSOR TO BE INTERIM PRESIDENT
Pacific School of Religion's Board of Trustees has appointed Hubert G. Locke to a three-month term as acting president of the seminary. Locke is a retired professor and dean emeritus of public affairs at the University of Washington. PSR's current President, William McKinney, is retiring at the end of June. Locke will serve from July 1 to Sept. 30. In the meantime, PSR will elect a "term president" to serve until a full president is appointed.

Locke was acting president during President McKinney's sabbatical in 2003. He is a member of University Christian Church in Seattle. He also was the first executive director of the Citizens Committee for Equal Opportunity in Detroit, Mich., and taught public policy at University of Nebraska. He has authored and edited several books concerning race, criminal justice and religion. To find out more, go to:
www.psr.edu/news/hubert-locke-named-acting-president-psr

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Sympathy for the Smith, Frazier and Webster Families
It is always tragic when disaster strikes. When it hits close to home, however,
we mourn in a very different way.

Last Thursday night, a family from Kings Highway Christian Church in Shreveport,
 LA,  lost three of its four members to a flash flood that tore across their Arkansas
campground. Anthony and Candice Frazier Smith, son Joey and daughter Cateline were
camping when the flood hit. All but Candice were killed. Several family friends
with whom they were traveling also died.

Candice's sister, Cherie, parents Kim & Paul Frazier and grandparents Betty & Vernon
Webster sre all active in the Great River Region and have ties to Central Christian
and Broadmoor Christian, as well as King's Highway.
Week of Compassion grieves with the Smith, Frazier, and Webster families, and the
entire Great River Region. We give thanks for the lives of this precious family,
 and thanks for an extended church family, especially Kings Highway Christian Church
and Associate Regional pastor Michael Elmore, as they have provided support in a
 time of uncertainty and grief.

A fund has been established to help Candice in these difficult circumstances. Those
wishing to contribute can find out more information by visiting the Kings Highway
website. 
Thanks for and to all who reach out in the many ministries of compassion that make
up who we are as a movement. We keep you in our prayers daily.

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International Guests and WoC Partners Visit the States

Week of Compassion has invited the participation of three international women, representing
several of our partner organizations, to the Quadrennial Assembly (QA) in North
Carolina from June 23-27. Nana Doliashvili, from the Republic of Georgia, is the
 Director of the Tbilisi Youth House Foundation. Josipa Mihaljovic is from Bosnia
and Herzegovina, representing the Bosansko Grahovo Women's Association and our Build
a Village integrative development program. In 2008, WoC Director Amy Gopp facilitated
the Woman-to-Woman Pilgrimage to Bosnia and Croatia, along with the Office of Disciples
Women, where they met Josipa and other program participants. Jovana "Vanja" Savic
is from Belgrade, Serbia, where she works in communications for the Church World
 Service Balkans Office. All three women hail from an area in eastern and south
central Europe where war, conflict, and displacement have been commonplace. Through
WoC's close partnership with Church World Service, we have supported all three women's
work.



Nana, from post-Soviet Georgia, is now itinerating through the state of Georgia!
 Josipa is being hosted by women in the Tennessee and Michigan regions. Jovana is
now traveling through Idaho and Montana, where she is speaking about human trafficking.
Jovana has extensive experience in the field of human trafficking, particularly
the trafficking of women, and will bless the Quadrennial Assembly with words of
wisdom for how Disciples women might address this tragic reality. Jovana is the
Rosa Page Welch scholarship recipient to QA, funded by the Council on Christian
Unity.



Week of Compassion welcomes our special guests and partners to the United States
 and to Quadrennial Assembly!



Southern Sudan Still in Need

As we continue to support the tremendous needs in the Darfur region of Sudan, we
 cannot forget the South. Southern Sudan faces the consequences of more than two
 decades of civil war, which is coupled with an influx of returnees, environmental
factors and widespread tribal conflicts. The long period of drought and failure
of the long rains in Eastern Equatoria state (since 2009) has had a severe adverse
affect on the population, whose only harvest this year is expected to be in September.
The March 2010 South Sudan Annual Needs and Livelihoods Assessment reports that
30% of households in Eastern Equatoria State are severely food insecure, with an
 additional 42% of households moderately food insecure.



Week of Compassion continues to contribute to our Action by Churches Together (ACT)
response to reduce the impact of the drought on human lives and to support displaced
households in Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei States. Our support will help 8,700
households by providing food and will also help 5,342 children in 14 schools in
the region. This support will be complemented by peace-building activities.



Drought and Famine in Mali

In 2009, three regions of northern Mali experienced low, sporadic rainfall, half
 the usual average for these desert areas. Low rainfall has resulted in depletion
of underground aquifers, excessive levels of salt in the few remaining wells, and
a complete loss of grass and leaves on desert trees. The traditionally nomadic population
in these regions usually follows routes defined by access to water and fodder. These
traditional sources have largely failed, and by the end of April 2010, the little
financial reserves used by the pastoralists to purchase and transport fodder and
 water for their families and livestock had been exhausted. By April 2010 reports
of animal deaths were common, closely followed by malnutrition in children and now
increasingly in adults. As most families are pastoralists living hundreds of kilometers
from urban centers, these early figures are anticipated to be much higher as the
 situation develops. Families have been forced to move to non-traditional areas
in search of food and water, causing tension between different ethnic groups, where
the hosting community has little choice but to try and protect its limited reserves.
Hundreds of herders have moved to northern Mali from Burkina Faso and Niger, and
 on finding limited resources in Mali, are now too weak to return.



At this point, the Malian Government's Early Warning System estimated that 258,000
people in the main towns of Gao and Kidal were suffering from malnutrition in April.
The Government distributed 6,970 metric tons of food to 3,310 families. Families
 who have moved to look for fodder and water for their animals are not able to access
the distribution centers. These families at the edge of the towns are the most vulnerable.
Often, women and children are the ones left behind while the men go in search of
 water and fodder with the remaining animals. In a rapid assessment, ACT Alliance
members estimate at least 4,000 nomadic families are now camped on the edge of the
town with dying animals. The situation is now critical with a need to distribute
 food, water and fodder to prevent major human death and a level of animal depletion
from which it will take many years for families to recover.



Through ACT, we are supporting grassroots community emergency committees that have
already identified the most vulnerable and are distributing food, water and fodder.
Thanks to our partnership with ACT, Week of Compassion is contributing to this rapid
response to avert human and animal death in northern Mali.



Gulf Oil Spill

We have received a number of calls regarding ways that people can help respond to
the devastating oil spill along the Gulf Coast.



1. The actual clean up effort is dangerous. We do not want to expose untrained volunteers
to that level of toxicity. Nor do we have the capacity to train a large number of
people in those skills.


2. Our primary partner in this sort of disaster is Church World Service. They, like
many other organizations, are still figuring out the appropriate way to provide
help, and are having conversations with fishers, shrimpers, and aid partners on
the coast to see the best way to provide aid.


3. As is our protocol when disasters occur in a region of our church, we have been
in touch with the Great River Region about this. They are currently identifying
and cataloging needs to which we can respond.


4. We are still monitoring the situation. The nature of the damage done by an oil
spill is different from other disasters such as earthquakes, and tornados. How the
spill affects personal property and people's livelihoods may require a different
 type of response or assesment. If there are needs our friends and congregations
 can identify--specifically--please let us know so we can respond.

News from WoC Partner IMA World Health

After a decade of fruitful collaboration with IMA, the Protestant Church of Congo
(ECC) has been selected as one of the principal recipients of a project grant funded
by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 
This Week's Responses

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance

Tennessee (2), flood relief

Sudan, emergency relief

Mali, drought relief

Haiti (2), solidarity grants

Haiti, medical assistance for Haitian evacuees

Pakistan/Afghanistan, security crisis

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Tropical Storm Agatha Takes Central AmericaLooking for a way to involve and inspire
your congregation? Whether you're a minister, Sunday School teacher, Bible Study
 leader, or a member who wants to make a difference, you can help to provide urgently
needed health care in the developing world.


On 29 May 2010, a low pressure system developed into a tropical storm over Central
America, spanning the area from Guatemala to Nicaragua. Since then, the storm has
killed at least 145 people - 118 in Guatemala, 17 in Honduras, nine in El Salvador
and one in Nicaragua. Dozens of people are still missing after landslides and floods
destroyed entire communities. El Salvador and Honduras have declared red alerts.
 In Guatemala, the Government has declared a State of Public Calamity.


On 1 June, the Central America Action by Churches Together (ACT) Forum hosted a
teleconference of national forum coordinators of affected countries. Results of
the preliminary assessment by the forums indicate that each country has been affected
differently. Worst affected is Guatemala, because of the eruption of the Pacaya
volcanoa week before, and because of the strength of tropical storm Agatha. In Guatemala,
ACT members and WoC partners have already supported clean-up activities at community
level, provided shelter and assisted with evacuation of the population.


As an immediate response, the ACT Alliance schedules distribution of food, and non-food
assistance,such as hygiene kits, kitchen utensils and water filters. Rehabilitation
activities will includedistribution of seeds, agricultural inputs and tools and
technical assistance for small holders, in particular those with children, women
 and elderly.


CWS is supporting efforts by fellow ACT Alliance members. Among those responding
 is the Conference of Evangelical Churches of Guatemala (CIEDEG), a long-time CWS
partner.


Oil Spill in the GulfThe yellow gale continued to sweep regions in Northwest China
on Sunday after severe sandstorms hit Gansu province and killed three people in
the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region over the weekend.



The damage done by the oil spill in the gulf has been shocking. For those who live
in the Gulf, there are ways to get help and to contribute in safe, appropriate ways.


Needs Continue in Haiti

As Amy reflected earlier this week, Haiti continues to face challenges in rebuilding.
 Two of our partners, Chris Herlinger of Church World service and Rick Santos of
 IMA World Health, have recently made the media rounds, raising awareness of the
 need for continued work in Haiti.  

Stop Violence Against Women

Support the International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 so you can help stop
violence against women and girls worldwide. Currently, one in every three women
and girls worldwide is physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime.
 In some countries it's two in three.  If enacted by Congress, the provisions of
 this act would help millions of girls and women around the world escape violence
and related poverty.


Eureka College -- A Courageous Campus

Week of Compassion Salutes Eureka College for their work in response to the earthquake
in Haiti.  Though not a "congregation" in the strictest sense of the word, we celebrate
the contributions of the entire campus by recognizing them as a "Courageous Campus"
in our "Courageous Congregation" Feature [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp

This Week's Responses

DISASTER RELIEF & EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE RESPONSES
Illinois, flood relief

Tennessee, flood relief

Iowa, tornado damage

Pakistan, displacement due to flooding

Mexicali, earthquake



DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY & REHABILITATION
Indiana, food security

Laos, food security

Disciples News Service
June 3, 2010 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this issue:

    * Disciples-Related Farm For Adults With Autism Enters Pepsi Refresh Project
    * Disciples Pastor Who Briefly Served In Scotland Dies
    * Four Seminarians Will Work With Global Ministries As Mission Summer Interns
    * Oregon Disciples Teen Organizes Community Garden
    * Disciples Women's Quadrennial Will Take Place In Late June
    * World Week For Peace Calls For Prayer And Learning About The Middle East
    * National Hispanic And Bilingual Assembly To Take Place In Orlando
    * Insurance Board Offers Webinar To Discuss Keeping Churches Safe
    * July Celebration To Mark 175 Years At Missouri Church
    * Students At Disciples House Participate In 'Wise Practices'
    * Culver-Stockton Students Do Mission At Home And Abroad
    * Disciples Pastor Called As Pacific Southwest Region's Minister Of Stewardship And Giving
    * Disciple Chosen To Lead National Discussion On Economy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DISCIPLES-RELATED FARM FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM ENTERS PEPSI REFRESH PROJECT
Join the Pepsi Refresh Project and help adults with autism. But this Pepsi challenge doesn't involve drinking sodas. Instead, supporters of the Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community in Hiram, Ohio are asking people to vote for their project at a special web site between now and June 30. The project receiving the most votes will win $50,000.

The Hiram Farm was included on the Pepsi site on June 1. The farm is a multi-partnered venture that helps adults with autism 'grow, learn, and work.' The farm was launched by Hiram Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 2009. If it wins the top prize, the money will be used to construct a building on the farm, says Roger McKinney, pastor of Hiram Christian.

"We are an independent, church related social service agency," said McKinney. About 90 percent of our funding comes from the state of Ohio. But it's the remaining 10 percent that we couldn't make happen without help from others." You can read a more complete story on the farm that appeared in Church Extension's 2009 Annual report by going to: www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/630/Partnerships-find-fertile-soil-in-farming-model.aspx

You can help Hiram Farm become the top vote getter in the Pepsi project by visiting: www.refresheverything.com/hiramfarm

DISCIPLES PASTOR WHO BRIEFLY SERVED IN SCOTLAND DIES
A former Disciples pastor who served churches in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, as well as Scotland has died. John "Jack" Henry Keppel Jr. died May 1 in Wheeling, W.Va. He was 88. From 1955 to 1958, Keppel and his wife, Mildred, and their two sons went overseas to answer an urgent call for ministers from the British Churches of Christ in Falkirk, Scotland.

Keppel received his bachelor's degree in religious studies from Bethany College. He earned a master's degree from Yale Divinity School. The Keppel family visited many re-building communities throughout Europe and the Middle East on their way home from serving in Scotland. A memorial service took place at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Wheeling on May 16. To read John Keppel's obituary, see:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/631/Disciples-Pastor-Who-Served-In-Scotland-Dies.aspx

FOUR SEMINARIANS WILL WORK WITH GLOBAL MINISTRIES AS MISSION SUMMER INTERNS
Four Disciples seminarians will start a ten-week internship with the Indianapolis Global Ministries staff on June 7. Each intern will learn about the work of the office in which he or she will serve, as well as work on a special project that contributes to Global Ministries "critical presence" emphasis. In July the four students will travel to Southern Africa with Julia Brown Karimu, GM Mission Personnel Executive and Sandra Gourdet, GM Africa Area Executive, for a two week People-to-People pilgrimage. To find out more about the four seminarians and additional details of their internship, visit:
globalministries.org/news/news/college-of-mission-interns-to.html

OREGON DISCIPLES TEEN ORGANIZES COMMUNITY GARDEN
Oregon Disciples teen Vanessa Gorski is completing a senior high year that she won't soon forget. Vanessa organized a community garden as her senior project. The garden consists of 16 raised beds located on her church's property, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Medford, Ore. Some of the produce grown there will benefit the church's food pantry.

"Coming together to create this garden has been a real turning point for our congregation as we seek out new opportunities for service," said Alicia Speidel, pastor of First Christian. Gorski spent the entire school term organizing the project, called a "Come-Unity Garden." She began by knocking on doors in surrounding low-income apartment complexes to invite neighbors to join the project. She recruited several partners, including the Korean and Latino congregations that nest at First Christian and local businesses, which donated materials. Oregon Co-Regional Minister Cathy Myers Wirt participated in the ribbon cutting for the garden.

To read a newspaper article about Vanessa, who will attend Chapman University in the fall, visit: www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100524/NEWS/5240320

DISCIPLES WOMEN'S QUADRENNIAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN LATE JUNE
Disciples in all parts of the United States and Canada are making plans to gather in Greensboro, N.C. on June 23 for the start of the Disciples Women's Quadrennial Assembly. Women - and some men - will be part of the nearly 2,000 people who will join with international colleagues for prayer, worship, learning, and fellowship through June 27. In addition, attendees will be able to participate in a Habitat Build, assemble health kits, be part of a blood drive, and learn more about women's health issues.

Several activities also have been planned for men, including golf, baseball, a tour of the Richard Petty (Motorsports) Museum, and discussion with church leaders.

There is still time to register. Go to quadrennial.org for more information.

WORLD WEEK FOR PEACE CALLS FOR PRAYER AND LEARNING ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST
Churches and people world-wide are praying and learning about issues of peace and justice for those in Israel and Palestine. Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ joins in prayer with the heads of churches of Jerusalem. Global Ministries has issued a letter calling attention to the situation in that part of the world. The letter specifically mentions the May 31 Israeli attack on the flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and the need to work for peace in the region. To read the letter, go to: www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/DNS/2010/20100603-WeekOfPrayer.pdf

NATIONAL HISPANIC AND BILINGUAL ASSEMBLY TO TAKE PLACE IN ORLANDO
Family and youth will be the focus of the 15th National Hispanic and Bilingual Assembly in Orlando, Fla. from July 8-11. The Assembly's theme is taken from Joshua 24:15: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The presentations and workshops will revolve around issues concerning family. Special features are: Seminarians in "New Voices of Hispanic Ministries" and featuring the six conventions (Hispanic geographical areas) in "From the Heart of Our Conventions." A pre-gathering on Thursday morning, July 8 will highlight the important roles that pastors, their spouses, and their children play in effective ministry.

"We will celebrate our mission and the importance of being a family--La Obra Hispana within the greater Family of God," said Huberto Pimentel, national pastor for Hispanic Ministries.

Other activities include a youth program, a children's program, an Assembly Banquet, workshops and a concert. To register for the Assembly, visit: www.obrahispana.org

INSURANCE BOARD OFFERS WEBINAR TO DISCUSS KEEPING CHURCHES SAFE
Setting up financial control for your church will be the topic of a June 23-24 webinar hosted by the Insurance Board. The webinar is the last in a spring series of "Safe Church Webinar Series" focusing on loss control, safety and related insurance issues affecting churches and related ministries.

The late June webinar is entitled "Building Trust, Preventing Disaster - Financial Controls for Your Church." To register go to: https://insuranceboard.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/event.pl

If there are other subjects that church and lay leaders may want to learn about in an upcoming fall series, contact Carl Kotheimer at the Insurance Board at 216-736-3244.

JULY CELEBRATION TO MARK 175 YEARS AT MISSOURI CHURCH
The Fourth of July weekend will be a special one for members of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Independence, Mo. The church will host a weekend of activities commemorating its founding on July 4, 1835. The summer activities build on other events that have taken place this year, including Sermons Sundays with special guest preachers, a coffee shop and talent show, and special worship music.

Beginning Friday, July 2, reunions will take place in Independence throughout the weekend in celebration of the congregation's "'Great is Thy Faithfulness' 175th Anniversary." Other activities will include sermons on Sunday, July 4, with guest preachers, reflections from past and present members, and a grand finale celebration including food, games, fellowship, and fireworks. For more information, see:
www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/DNS/2010/20100603-FCCIndependenceMo.pdf

STUDENTS AT DISCIPLES HOUSE PARTICIPATE IN 'WISE PRACTICES'
The recent flooding in Nashville did not dampen the spirits of those who attended the Fourth Annual "Wise Practice" event for Disciples ministry students at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Gatherings took place last month at the Disciples Divinity House and Vine Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nashville, Tenn., preceding graduation activities.

Wise Practice teaches Disciples aspects of pastoral ministry. Students attended sessions on funerals, church weddings, and baptisms. On May 13-14, seven Disciple students also graduated in ceremonies at the Divinity School and at the Disciples House. For more, see: www.discipleshousevandy.org

CULVER-STOCKTON STUDENTS DO MISSION AT HOME AND ABROAD
Culver-Stockton students recently took on mission assignments that made a difference not only in another country but also in their own area. For three weeks, C-SC students in the business ethics course did mission work in either Mexico, Illinois or Missouri. They were able to learn business ethics practices through a hands-on approach.

The Culver-Stockton students who traveled abroad for the three-week mission project worked in partnership with the Instituto Biblico Berea in Los Cristales, Mexico. Other students completed mission work in Quincy, Ill., and Canton, Mo., where C-SC is located. Their mission projects included work at the Salvation Army, a soup kitchen and nursing home, among other locations. To find out more, go to:
www.culver.edu/publicrelations/article.asp?id=3584

DISCIPLES PASTOR CALLED AS PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION'S MINISTER OF STEWARDSHIP AND GIVING
The Pacific Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has called Dan Oliver to its newly created position of minister of stewardship and giving. Oliver, an ordained Disciples minister, will work part time in his new assignment, which became effective in April. His responsibilities include educating the Pacific Southwest Region's congregations about stewardship and giving capabilities.

Oliver has been associate pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Orange, Calif., and was church relations director at Chapman University for 10 years. He recently served as director of community and faith relations for Project Impact, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based, national mentoring organization that works to improve the lives of troubled teens and young adults and a unit of the region. For more, see:
www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/632/New-PSWR-Minister-of-Stewardship.aspx

DISCIPLE CHOSEN TO LEAD NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON ECONOMY
A Texas Disciples minister has been selected to lead one of several national town hall meetings that will take place simultaneously across the country this month. Ralph Curtis Steele of Bedford, Texas, was chosen to facilitate a national town hall gathering in one of up to 20 cities on June 26. The exact location of his assignment will be determined later. The town hall meetings are entitled "AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy."

The town hall meetings will be a national discussion to find common ground on choices about the federal budget. Steel is an ordained Disciples ministers and a chaplain. He was formerly a pastor at churches in Hopkinsville and Mayfield, Ky. For more about the town hall meetings, visit: usabudgetdiscussion.org

####

The next deadline to submit news for consideration
in the Disciples News Service:
Friday, June 11, 2010

Editor: Wanda Bryant Wills
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org
For more information and news about the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), please visit our web site at www.disciples.org.

If you are interested in submitting news for distribution in the Disciples News Service, please review our "Guidelines for submitting News and Information to Disciples News Service": www.disciples.org/Default.aspx?tabid=79

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Haiti: Where to Begin?
What if we could simply wrap our arms around an entire island, and heal all that
 ails her?
There are no words sometimes. An embrace seems easier -- perhaps even more powerful.
No words. After my first post-earthquake visit to Haiti last week, I am left searching
for language to describe what I saw, heard, felt.
How to describe a place so desperate, hurting, destroyed--and yet so colorful, vibrant
and so downright engaging?
Port au Prince: Tent City. City of angels. City of mass chaos and destruction.
City of possibility.
But where do we start? How does one pick up a shovel and begin clearing the debris?
I saw the tired and worn hands of Haitians struggling to survive, depending on small
shovels, valiantly striving to conquer heaps of rubble so high they rival two and
three-story buildings (the ones lucky enough to still stand, thanks to better construction
methods). The Presidential Palace is now backstage to one of the largest urban camps
in the world. But who is that man--blessed to have a job!--so meticulously mowing
its lawn? Green grass against weathered white. The red and blue of the Haitian flag
somehow ride the breeze and wave, proud yet pathetic.
Young boys--and boys will be boys--long for toys in camps where there are none to
be found. Plastic bottle tops double as toys, and for some brief moments under a
 hot and humid Haitian heat, they amuse. I ask the boys if they go to school and
 they beam. Favorite subject?  Multiplication and division.
Go figure.
The latrines, water purification system and tanks, and food we are supplying through
Church World Service and the ACT Alliance hardly seem enough. And yet basic needs
are met. Even those not affected by the earthquake come to the camps, assured of
 finding clean water and something to eat, not to mention community.
Abject poverty or natural disaster?
A need is a need is a need.
"If we use the earthquake as the basis for long-term sustainable development in
Haiti, it could be very good," asserts Pastor Guillometre Herode of the Christian
Center for Integrated Development, one of our partner organizations. Will we make
the same mistakes of previous years? Can we love and--at the same time--get out
of our own way? How do we hold Haitian hands as they embrace being the agents of
 their own development?
Behind the plot of CONASPEH's crumbled concrete--now cleared, thank goodness--lies
a sanctuary of trees and tents. Children leave their tented classrooms to go home
to either another tent or to sleep outside on the street for fear of sleeping inside,
should there be another quake. CONASPEH shelters them not only with education but
also with compassion. School is in session in this sanctuary of trees and tents;
 education leads to development. I meet with the committed CONASPEH Committee under
the trees, next to the tented classrooms. In a mélange of French, Creole, and English,
we pray and process.
Across town--way across town, in the shanty-town of Carrefour--a brand new House
 of Hope also stands proud and beautiful, almost as if in protest to the overwhelming
ugliness of some of the worst destruction in the entire city. Needless to say, homes
in the slums were not built to withstand earthquakes. The House of Hope, our long-time
partner, is back up and running, thanks to our generous contributions, and seems
 to have hardly missed a beat. Hundreds of street children, former gang members,
 and "restavek" kids (children working as domestic servants) meet to enjoy a hot
 meal, learn about children's rights and nonviolent conflict resolution, and find
creative space to sing and dance in the new building and property. It is a sight
 to behold!
Port au Prince: City of Possibility.
What if we could simply wrap our arms around an entire island, and heal all that
 ails her?
Funny, as I begrudgingly left the island, it was Haiti that had embraced me.
I am--yet again--left without words.
I trust that you find yourself in that embrace, too, as we continue to work together
to heal and love.
With immeasurable gratitude for your gifts to our response in Haiti,
Amy
+++++++

What Have You Missed?
Just yesterday, I was speaking to KK Wiseman, a Disciples pastor in Nashville, TN.
She had just returned from a meeting with colleagues, who expressed surprise when
she described the flood damage from which Nashville is recovering.
After all, the Tennessee Regional Office was destroyed. Several of our churches
experienced flooding, and the homes of many church members were lost. After a well-publicized
failure of the national media, coverage of the flood damage made its way into the
news cycle.
And still, people close to the workings of the church in Tennessee missed it--the
severity of the flood, and in a couple of cases, the fact that it even happened.
 As KK reflected, if we can miss something happening in the middle of the United
 States, what else might we miss around the world?
This past weekend, I attended an excellent symposium on the Congo, sponsored by
our friends and denominational partners at Global Ministries. Though many of the
 issues facing the Congo--such as ongoing violent conflict, the role of mining in
fueling the conflict, the use of systematic sexual violence to destabilize entire
villages--are well documented, one speaker in particular, Muadi Mukenge 

an advocate for women in the region, raised something else we often miss--an issue
facing women in the Congo and in other regions facing severe poverty: fistula.
A tearing between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs,
fistula often happens when women receive substandard obstetric care. Women with
fistulas experience incontinence of urine and/or feces, which produces severe odor.
Their families and communities often abandon or marginalize them.
What's most amazing is that it only costs about US$450 to repair a fistula, and
yet, it is a medical condition that largely goes untreated, mainly because people
who can do something about it MISS IT.
At Week of Compassion, we partner with great organizations like IMA World Health,
Church World Service, and Global Ministries, all of which work to support community
health issues like fistula across regions facing severe poverty. Through your partnership,
we continue to make a difference all over the world. However, none of us can make
a difference in the lives of people in North America or around the world if we don't
know what people are facing; part of reaching out in Courageous Compassion is spreading
the word about the issues our sisters and brothers face all over the world. And
doing so starts by asking a simple question:
What have we missed?
--Brandon
+++++++

Weekly Roundup

Volunteering
This spring, Week of Compassion and Disciples Volunteering teamed up to support
the Church World Service Ecumenical Build in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Several Disciples
Churches joined the volunteer efforts. Josh Baird of Disciples Volunteering recently
represented us at the Media Day event. Learn about this project by dropping by the
website:


http://www.neighborhoodcedarrapids.org/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103425654858&s=5968&e=001ZMCcupJ4A-sEOCJkOheQqLlbpKwIDe2TtQMR2Vb0XVOzrCrJT8j-dTdzmxa8g1OqzJxkBuOkkd2TdEqjurhlZKRe-Kd02vrGr-vMAjqRfI-wNf5lr6FR8yWm_D3Q5iZwU0KfnVeJQk4=]

The Congo
Global Ministries is sponsoring a symposium on human rights issues in the Congo
this weekend. Room is still available, if you can make it to Indianapolis on Friday
and Saturday. This will be a great opportunity to learn about some of the important
issues facing this conflict-torn, resource-rich region of Africa:

College Students!
The North American Region of the World Student Christian Federation, the oldest
global ecumenical organization for students, is hosting an eco-justice conference
in Ottawa, ON in June:



In the News:
An independent scientist says the Gulf oil spill appears to be even larger than
he previously thought. Steve Wereley of Purdue University told a House subcommittee
that he estimates the well is gushing nearly 100,000 barrels a day; BP's official
estimate is 5,000 barrels

Nashville Update
The flooding in Nashville has a human cost, and a cultural cost as well:

Responses This Week:

DISASTER RELIEF & EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE



Tennessee (13), flood relief
Kentucky (3), flood relief
Oklahoma (3), storm relief
Haiti, earthquake recovery
Haiti, solidarity grants
Chile (3), earthquake recovery
DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY
India, food security
Nicaragua, food security
Sri Lanka, drama therapy with IDP population
Syria, agricultural development
Lebanon, conflict resolution
Egypt, women's empowerment
DR Congo, income generation
Zimbabwe, agricultural development
Guatemala, capacity building
Tanzania, health care
Global South, capacity building
Serbia, women's empowerment
Republic of Georgia, vocational education & employment for youth
Cambodia, rural development & conflict resolution
++++++++

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