-
Funding Ministries and Missions
Workshop Oct. 27
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Youth Sponsor's Training Event
-
Stewardship Concerns for Clergy
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Ministry Appreciation Month
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Crop Walk to Overcome Poverty
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Bible Trivia Night Oakland Christian
Church 10/29/07
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QPR Training with Carl Crabtree
10/29/07
-
Message from Brian Bullock, Web Master
-
Dare 2 Share
-
Souper Bowl of Caring
-
Grant Request for Commission on Mission
& Unity
-
Week of Compassion Update
*********************************
Funding Ministries and Missions Workshop!
We need to have your reservations by October
23 so food and packets can be prepared. Thank you for calling
or emailing this information. (816)632-2237 or nwareacc@nwareacc.org
You are invited to attend 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 Environment 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 of
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 will follow (donation).
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. See
attachment
*********************************
Youth Sponsor's Training Event
Upcoming Youth Sponsor's training event
Sunday, October 28 from 3 to 5 pm at FCC Maryville.
Contact Donna Rose-Heim for further information (816)632-2237 or
drh@nwareacc.org
*********************************
Stewardship Concerns for Clergy
From: Ed Varnum [mailto:edvarnum@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:29 PM
Dear Colleague:
On October 30, 9 a.m. to noon, I will be
leading the third in a series of stewardship seminars for the
Greater Kansas City Region at Community Christian Church, Kansas
City , MO.
I wanted to specifically call this to your
attention because this particular presentation will seek to
address stewardship issues specific to clergy. It is open to any
Disciples of Christ minister including those outside the Greater
Kansas City Region. Simply contact the regional office at
913-432-1414 to register and for further information. The
registration fee is only $10.00.
The first half of my presentation will offer
seven principles for pastors in congregational financial
campaigns.
The second half will be a forum/discussion on
specific stewardship issues for clergy.
STEWARDSHIP: Unique Concerns for Clergy
Community Christian Church, Kansas City , MO
4601 Main Street
Kansas City, MO.
October 30, 2007, 9 - noon
Grace and peace,
Ed
Dr. Ed Varnum
Toward Your Mission in Christ
http://www.coreministries.net/
(573) 499-0466
*********************************
October is Ministry Appreciation Month
It would be completely out of character for
any one in congregational ministry to blow their own trumpet,
so, we'd like to take a minute to tell you about just a few of
the things your pastor has done this year.
Tried to live a life in character with
all biblical messages preached
Took phone calls at 2 am – some were
actually real emergencies
Stayed faithful to disciplines of
prayer and rest and refused to go along with the trend
to live under relentless stress
Swallowed hard and listened carefully
to people whose favorite way of expressing personal pain
is to be one
Believed in the Great Commission and
the Great Commandment – even when appeals for community
outreach and practicing charity in the church were
sometimes met with blank stares (from a few of the
elders!)
Politely declined opportunities to
serve when doing so would rob another of the chance to
use their gifts and to enjoy deeper discipleship
Looked past the man or woman in the
mirror who looked like and felt like something from the
shadow side of the Kingdom to see the Christ within
Repeated the step above for every
person who came in to reveal that they had just made a
very costly mistake
Refrained from smiling or screaming
when non-tithers went on and on about how the church
could not afford the extra 16 cents a year when the hall
light in the narthex was left on
Sat half a day in court, the rehab
clinic, the hospital, or the bank because someone's life
had become unmanageable and no one else would come
Cheered loudly at ball games – for
someone else's kids and grandkids
More than a few times reached into a
thin wallet or purse to help someone who might not make
it past the social concerns committee's checklist of
eligibility
Prayed for every person served and
really meant it when asking for God's blessing
Dared to believe all that God honors
promises, that even the best of us can drift from God,
that even the worst of us gets to experience every
promise Jesus made to believers
Made a conscious choice to organize
personal life around God's claim – even if that meant
giving up the big boat, the fabulous cruise, building
the perfect house or having a manicured lawn
Bragged about you at clergy lunches
and persuaded us that they were blessed to serve and
lead among you
Heroes? No pastors, associate pastors,
youth ministers, music ministers, or education directors we know
would consider themselves extraordinary.
October is traditionally Ministry Appreciation
Month, a time to honor the answered calls to serve and lead in
constantly changing contexts, a time to point to those who serve
us and to tell our kids that one day God may call them and that
will be a good thing.
How we express appreciation is as different as
our DNA. An unexpected gift of food, a night out, a book,
a card, a poem, a picture, a funny text message, a prayer, a
good deed done or a gift donated in another's honor, whatever
the Spirit leads you to do, do it gladly. Whenever
you appreciate one of these servant-leaders, you honor the One
who called them to serve and lead you.
*********************************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Christian Board of Publication
314-231-8500 x1326
Cindy Meilink, cmeilink@cbp21.com
ST. LOUIS, MO - The Christian Board of
Publication announced today that it would develop more resources
specifically designed by and for two significant sources of
emerging leadership in the church: young adults and professional
women.
Young Adults
"Who are our most effective new pastors? Many are young adults.
Who are our most effective new leaders within congregations?
Many are young adults. Look around -- young adults are usually
everywhere healthy Christian community is happening," said CBP
president Cyrus N. White. "The level of creativity, the
boldness, the care for others - it's stunning. Right now, they
are shaping who we are as church and how we connect to the world
and each other. CBP supports them - with new content, new media,
new models."
Professional Women
"We recognize that there are significant numbers of women in
congregations who we don't reach with existing resources. These
women are active in the life and leadership of their
congregations and communities. Most are working, many are
single, many are parents, and all carry a deep connection to
their congregations. These women often care for everyone else in
their lives - spouses, children, clients, their churches. We
want to serve them in ways that matter to them."
"We reaffirm our long-standing commitment to women's
ministries," said White. CBP publishes New Day for Christian
Women, a publication popular with women that features
individual and group studies on spiritual formation, Bible
study, and mission. "We are deeply grateful to the women in
local congregations that make New Day so successful, and
we intend to continue publishing New Day and following
their suggestions for improving it," said White.
Community and Collaboration
CBP marketing and sales director Cindy Meilink is calling for
volunteers. "To be sure that we are doing things that matter, we
are hosting advisory groups to create, critique, and
collaborate. One of these will be of Disciples women and men,
25-40 years of age and from varied professions, to play with
ideas for young adult resources. Another group will be diverse
women who want to have voice in the big conversation about what
is available to them in their congregations. In all the groups,
these will be people for whom Christian community matters,
mission matters, relationship with God matters," she said.
"There are lots of ideas in play, so the big fun will be seeing
who steps up and then choosing the places to start."
If you want to join in, or if you know someone who does, please
contact Cindy Meilink at 314-231-8500, ext. 1326 or email:
cmeilink@cbp21.com. CBP will ask participants to spend about two
hours per month on a conference call as well as an annual one-
to two-day gathering.
Christian Board of Publication publishes
resources that support congregational ministries for inviting
people into deeper relationship with God, equipping them as
disciples of Jesus Christ, and sending them into ministries
called by the Holy Spirit. Through its Chalice Press and Lucas
Park Books imprints, CBP publishes a variety of resources for
pastors, seminarians, and laypersons. The Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) recognizes CBP as one of its General
Ministries.
###
*********************************
CROP Walk to Overcome Poverty: October
21@1:00 pm at the Riverwalk in St. Joseph
I never did believe that my walking would
reduce anyone's poverty. All these efforts bear fruit but
they do not, by themselves, change the world. What these
walks can do, however, is to provide a context in which I can
change. I may not know how to eliminate poverty, but I
know the One who can. I may not possess wisdom or passion
sufficient to dedicate my life to eliminating poverty for all
but I know how to walk. Especially early in my journey to
become a disciple of Jesus, it was walks like this that brought
me into contact and conversation with hard-core
Christ-followers, people who let the gospel own them in ways
that made their parts of the world forever different.
Because we walked, we talked. My youthful passion was
blessed by exposure to seasoned wisdom from transformed lives.
My sense of guilt about my participation in poverty's prevalence
was lifted by ambling with people in a variety of ages and
stages who also wanted to be led by Christ. On October 21,
Nate and I will be singing with Voices of America , so I cannot
walk with you this year. I do hope that some of you will
take this or another opportunity to simply walk and talk with
people who want to follow Jesus into the community, determined
that one day every person will have what they need to serve and
to lead with us. BR-H
*********************************
OUT OF THE DARKNESS PRESENTS
QPR TRAINING WITH CARL CRABTREE
The support group that Scott Killgore, pastor
of Wyatt Park Christian Church, facilitates for people who have
lost a loved one to suicide - Out of the Darkness - is bringing
Carl Crabtree back to St. Joseph for another session of QPR
Training. It's free, with the costs being covered by Out of the
Darkness. For further information contact Wyatt Park
Christian Church (816)232-3374.
QPR TRAINING
Monday, October 29, 6:30PM
Wyatt Park Christian Church
2623 Mitchell Ave.
St. Joseph, Missouri
Thanks!
Scott
*********************************
Message from Brian Bullock, Web Master
Hello Fellow Servants of Christ!
This is Brian Bullock. I am the webmaster for the
Northwest Area Christian Church's web site.
If you have not yet checked out this resource, I ask you to
please go and browse through the site. www.nweareacc.org .
Please pass this site along to others.
We are also very interested in your feedback on the website.
Please go to
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JQp_2fu3MgRfnpMZ7ogPnCTw_3d_3d
and complete this very quick and simple survey. We are
very interested in your feedback and ideas!
Also, as Bill has previously communicated, we are in need of
some volunteers to help us continue to develop this very
potentially powerful medium as an avenue of ministry. If
you know of someone that could do this, please let me know.
If anyone ever wants to talk to me about this, please call me at
816.916.9670 or e-mail me.
God bless you all!
Brian
P.S. I am also a worship leader at the FCC in Lathrop.
If interested, here is a song I wrote called "Total Worship".
I love being a worship leader and my goal is always "total
worship" heart, mind, strength. God is good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6IqAxm9DQs
*********************************
Dare 2 Share
Our youth have been attending Dare2Share
Conference in Lincoln , NE in the Spring. The Survive Tour
will be at the Pershing Center in Lincoln , NE on Feb 22 & 23,
2008. This is the third year we will be attending with
numbers increasing from 10, to 15, now to 20 for 2008.
Promo videos and free DVDs are available on the Web Site at the
following URL:
http://www.dare2share.org/
About Dare 2 Share
The Mission :
Energizing and equipping teenagers to know,
live, share and own their faith in Jesus!
The Need:
Did you know 2 out of 3 Christian teens will,
according to George Barna, participate in a "graduation
evacuation" from the body of Christ once they graduate high
school?
"There is no way in which the tactics
currently being used will stem the tidal wave of spiritual,
moral, and psychosocial problems faced by the current and coming
generations of adolescents."
Youth ministry needs to become increasingly
purposeful and call students to something more.
Dare 2 Share's Answer:
We at Dare 2 Share Ministries are fully
convinced that the answer lies in raising the bar spiritually
for teenagers, calling them to make a difference by taking Jesus
Christ and the Great Commission seriously.
The driving concept behind this movement is a
calling , much like the calling Jesus gave to his
disciples...a dare to share.
We are on the verge of the first ever
100,000,000 member generation.
Dare 2 Share conferences
are held each school year in key metropolitan cities across the
United States that motivate and train students to reach out to
those around them by living and giving the life-changing message
of the gospel in a contagious epidemic of love and truth.
The Leader for Dare2Share is Greg Stier, who I
first heard at a Promise Keepers event. More about Greg
can be found at the following URL:
http://www.gregstier.org/my-story/
He is a wee bit wild . . . like the Apostle Peter and Paul after
they had about 20 coffees, but he captures everyone and anyone
he talks to . . . and challenges you . . . and gets you excited
about doing it!
Bye for now!
Rodney Hopper, Pastor Rock Port Christian
Church
*********************************
Souper Bowl of Caring
The Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1990 in a
Columbia , SC church with a simple prayer and the vision to
mobilize young people to fight hunger and poverty in their
communities. Since that year, tens of thousands of youth
have participated and generated $41 million for soup kitchens,
food banks and other charities in communities across the
country.
The concept is simple: young people ask others
to give one dollar each to help those in great need on Super
Bowl Sunday. Each participating group then gives every
dollar they collect directly to charitable organization of their
choice, which, in the past, has included the Week of Compassion
and other Disciples projects and causes.
Last year, over 350 Disciples groups joined
this effort and raised close to $115,000. What a tangible way to
demonstrate Jesus' love and compassion for our brothers and
sisters in need! In 2008, we hope to have 500 Disciples
groups participate and collect $150,000 for organizations that
fight hunger and poverty!
Would you share Souper Bowl of Caring with the
congregations in your region? Souper Bowl of Caring can
provide you the resources you would need, including:
' sample emails to pass along to your local
congregations;
' articles for newsletters;
' letters for mailings to congregations;
' the Souper Bowl of Caring logo for your use
as you deem appropriate; and
' a sample blurb for your Web site.
(Please email caroline@souperbowl.org for
these resources.)
We hope you will encourage all of the
congregations in your region to register and participate.
Together, we can share God's love with our neighbors in need.
Join us!
Amy Gopp, Week of Compassion
Tod Iseminger, Disciples Youth
Caroline Stephens, Souper Bowl of Caring
Anne Marie Moyars, Administrative Assistant
amoyars@dhm.disciples.org
(317) 713-2666 or toll free (888) 346-2631
Fax Number: (317) 635-4426
Web Site:
http://www.discipleshomemissions.org
Mission Trips are available to the gulf coast
and Kansas that could transform your congregation. Call
us, let's talk!
*********************************
Grant Request for Commission on Mission and
Unity
Attached is an application form to request a
grant from the Commission on Mission and Unity for 2008.
Applications must be postmarked by January 25, 2008. Applicants
will be notified of awards by March 1, 2008. See the
attached form for further information.
*********************************
An Opportunity for Transformation
It has now been over two years since the U.S.
experienced one of the worst hurricane seasons in meteorological
history - the summer of Katrina, Rita, Wilma and a score of
other storms that ravaged the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S.
Gulf South. In the ensuing two years, hundreds of Disciples work
groups comprised of thousands of Disciples members and friends
have lent a hand, first to the relief and clean-up work and now
to the ever important, long-term recovery and reconstruction
work. Indeed, we recently passed the 2/3rds milestone toward the
Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative goal of sending 750
hurricane work groups between September 1, 2006 and August 31,
2008.
Of course, one reason Week of Compassion and
the Office of Disciples Volunteering have encouraged groups to
go is because the work of church volunteers has never been more
important in the aftermath of what quickly turned from being one
of our nation's worst national disasters to a national shame. We
have heard again and again that the church, as much as any other
organization - private, government, secular - and perhaps more
than most, has led the way in recovery efforts throughout the
Gulf Coast . But there was also another reason - one perhaps a
little more theological, a little more ecclesiological, one that
is grounded in the belief that ministries of service and
compassion can provide remarkable opportunities for
transformation and renewal to those who are served and those who
do the serving. If a good picture is worth a thousand words,
then a good story has to be worth a thousand sermons. I would
invite you to click below and read one such story. If you are
interested in such an opportunity, call the Office of Disciples
Volunteering for information and details. The call is free:
888-346-2631. Week of Compassion will even provide a work trip
grant to help. You will find a downloadable grant application at
www.weekofcompassion.org/pages/grants/pgrant.html
Story: "Hosts Switch Roles, Gain
New Outlook"
WOC Map/Poster
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.
Map for Congregations
Have a Blessed Day,
Jan Shrewsbury
Northwest Area Administrative Assistant
816-632-2237
www.nwareacc.org |
