• Camp Offering
• Camp Lost and Found Items
• Missional Church Conversation Tuesday, August 7, 2007
• Area Board Meeting Saturday, Sept 29, 2007
• Workshop Offered October 27, 2007
• Area Praise Team
• 2008 Disciples Development Conference January 18-20, 2008
• Week of Compassion Update

CAMP OFFERING

Many thanks for sharing your child with us at camp this summer!  We were really blessed by the camp offering for the new Camp and Conference Ground.  The Offering totaled $2,295.85,which is more than double the offering in years past.  A huge thanks to all of you who made this possible. 

An amazing gift of 160 acres of land for a camp and conference center has been given to the Northwest Area by a faithful woman of prayer, Sharon Pulliam!  The land is near I-35 and Highway 116, north and east of Lathrop.  Although the land is currently in probate, we are beginning to raise funds to build what we believe God will use as a camp and conference center for children, youth and adults for years to come. 

The camp offering you send with your son or daughter will help to purchase:

The Northwest Area Staff

CAMP LOST AND FOUND ITEMS

If you have information about any of these Lost and Found items please contact the area office (816)632-2237 or nwareacc@nwareacc.org

MISSIONAL CHURCH CONVERSATION

Missional Church conversation this Tuesday from 1-4 pm.  Join us for bible study, communion, and conversation about what God is doing in our local communities.  First Christian Church, 4th & Pine, Cameron. 

AREA BOARD MEETING

Please mark your calendars for an Area Board gathering on Saturday, September 29.  This will be our first meeting with a new format - in answer to your suggestions; less business and more fellowship, learning, and worship.

It appears that all systems are go for a special workshop, October 27, 2007, to be held at First Christian Church, 4th and Pine, Cameron, MO. Danny Stewart will lead participants in "Creating a Safe Enviroment for Churches to Dream and to Grow." Christian Church Foundation Vice President, Kirby Gould, will focus on "Funding Miracles Through Long Term giving. Churches grow when their people are well equipped for servant-leadership in community mission, when their people, practice vibrant spirituality, and when good stewardship is partnered with good accounting procedures that fosters trust and the entrustment of greater gifts. Both Danny and Kirby will share stories congregations that have practiced good stewardship with Kingdom-building and disciple-making results. Both seminars will be offered twice so all would have the opportunity to share in both. A light lunch would follow (donation).

The schedule:

9:30 AM - Registration and coffee
10AM to !0:25 AM Setting the stage for Dreaming
10 AM to 10:45 First round of the two seminars
11AM to 11: 45 AM second round of the two seminars
11:45AM to 12:15 PM Dream sessions for Area and for Individual Churches
12:15 AM Light Lunch and fellowship.

NW Area Pastor, Doyle Farmer is organizing the event and registrations will be handled through the NW Area Office: nwareacc@nwareacc.org or 816-632-2237.

Area Praise Team Forming!

Among the many outcomes to emerge from CYF camp this year, several NW Area high school youth have expressed a desire to form a praise team with help from John Wyatt and Bill Rose-Heim .  With video training from Paul Baloche (Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord) and some Saturday rehearsals, we hope to be up and serving as guest worship leaders for youth functions throughout NW Missouri by January, 2008.  We welcome any musicians age 13 - 18 and college age musicians (vocalists, instrumentalists) and technically gifted (sound engineering, choreography, recording) who are willing to help mentor them to excellence in service to Christ.  Contact John Wyatt at wyatts1990@hotmail.com or Bill Rose-Heim at br_h@nwareacc.org.

2008 Disciples Development Conference

Jan. 18-20, 2008

Tampa (Fl) Westshore Marriott

This year's event will include:

Registration just $179; hotel rooms available at $105/night

Watch for registration materials this fall!

WEEK OF COMPASSION UPDATE

Each day another 2000 people flee the war, lawlessness and growing political and economic chaos in Iraq . According to the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees, some 4.5 million people have fled to other parts of the country or sought refuge in nearby nations, including 1.4 million who have fled to Syria and 750,000 to Jordan . Whether inside or outside Iraq, the vast majority face "dire conditions" - including few work opportunities; limited or no access to social services, health care, and water and sanitation; and rapidly rising prices for shelter, food and other basic necessities.

Church World Service and Action by Churches Together have just issued a major appeal to their members to respond to this growing humanitarian crisis both inside Iraq and in neighboring countries. A brief summary of the appeal includes:

> support of a major food parcel and hygiene kit distribution project through International Orthodox Christian Charities to nearly 3,000 Iraqi families in Iraq and Syria;
> support of a Norwegian Church Aid program to provide psychosocial care to youth in three youth centers in Baghdad and Basra and implement a water filtration project that will benefit some 200,000 people in Basra;
> a food parcel, medicine and clothes distribution project with the Middle East Council of Churches and its network of local churches in Jordan and Syria;
> initiatives with local Iraqi non-governmental organizations (unnamed here for security reasons) to provide medicines and medical equipment to Iraqi hospitals; provide food parcels, school and hygiene kits to children; equip school libraries, and develop conflict mitigation programs and other community- based projects.

Week of Compassion has provided an initial grant of $14,000 toward the CWS/ACT appeal and is working on a second grant of $10,000 to secure 28 medicine boxes from IMA-WH (International Medical Assistance - World Health) that are a critical part of the appeal. Because of the size and nature of the appeal, WOC hopes to increase Disciples support and will depend upon designated contributions - which can be made to WOC, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O, Box 1986, Indpls, IN 46206 or online by clicking below.

Volunteer opportunities for Disciples work groups abound - indeed, the need for Disciples work groups has never been greater.

All of our Gulf Coast mission stations have an urgent need for hurricane recovery work groups this coming fall and winter. Seven stations are now operating in Gulfport, MS; New Orleans, LA; Metairie, LA; Covington/Slidell, LA; Lake Charles, LA; Beaumont/Pt. Arthur, TX; and Los Fresnos, TX. Week of Compassion does have work grant funds available.

Also, the Greensburg , KS , mission station is operating out of FCC, Kinsley , KS , and FCC, Pratt , KS . WOC has recently provided a grant to the South Central Kansas Tornado Recovery Organization to support a major home rebuilding initiative.

The Office of Disciples Volunteering (ODV) has scheduling details and other information on these and numerous other volunteer opportunities. Call 888.346.2631.

Click below for the latest additions to the WOC interactive map/poster. For a complimentary copy of the map/poster for your congregation, call the office at 317.713.2442 or send an e-mail to ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.