Connection -
January 31, 2008
- Prayer Request
- Get Connected Youth Event
- Request of Help from Webmaster
- Bible Reading Resource
- News Release Legislators and Faith Leaders Discuss
Tax Justice
- Church Visits Showing Pulliam Farm Gift
- Help Needed
- Camp Dates
- Calendar of Events
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Prayer Request
Dixie Burks, one of the NW Area Volunteer Ministry Staff, had
double knee surgery on the 30th at Heartland. She is
recovering well. Please pray for Dixie and Jack as Dixie
recuperates.
*****
We are asking that you each put the NW Area in your prayers
on a daily basis. There are many, many new and exciting doors
being opened by God and we ask for the wisdom and courage to
take advantage of these many opportunities and for the funds to
do all these ministries. We can promise an exciting NW Area
Gathering 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the
First Christian Church, Cameron.
Special guest will be author and executive
administrator for Christian Churches Together – Richard
Hamm. Dick will offer a presentation for congregational
leaders that you won’t want to miss
Get new information about funding sources and
missions
Help kick off the development campaign for the Life
Long Learning Center (and help us find just the right
name for the 160 acre campus in Lathrop.)
Take part in video interviews for the area website
Hear the results of the area’s first financial audit
(and other exciting news) during the area board meeting
at 1 pm)
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Northwest Area Church Camps
Present:
Get Connected
For Youth in Chi Rho and CYF
FCC Gower , MO
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DATE IS FEB 8!!!!
Plan to meet old camp friends and meet new
friends as we “Get Connected.” Registration begins at 10 a.m.
and the event will be 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be great
food, Bible study, games, and more, as well as time for youth
sponsors to talk together. Early bird cost is $7 before Feb. 8.
After Feb 8, cost is $10. Registration form and flier are at
www.nwareacc.org
or contact the Area office if you need more copies. If you have
questions please contact Sue Jameson at nwchurchcamp@yahoo.com.
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Request for Help from
Webmaster
Hello Brothers and Sisters:
I have received some feedback on the area website that more
area churches "stuff" needs to be posted.
If your church has a special ministry, etc. that you would
like to share with the area, please email me a few photos and
information about same and I will put it on the site.
Also, if your church doesn't have a website, and you would
like to pursue this as a ministry tool, please give me a call at
816.916.9670 or e-mail me and I will be happy to help you out.
If you as a minister would like to set up a "blog", let me know
and I will be happy to help you set it up. Finally, if you
already have a web site and would like me to help you make it
better, or evaluate what you have, give me a call or send me an
e-mail.
Thank you and God Bless!
Brian Bullock
Area Webmaster
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New Bible Reading Resource
Scott Killgore at Wyatt Park Christian Church is developing a
new resource to help families and individuals to have access to
daily Bible readings and thought/discussion provoking questions.
From January through December, readers will have the opportunity
to expand their familiarity with the Bible going from readings
from Genesis through Revelation in one year.
Scott and Wyatt Park are making this resource free to anyone
at Wyatt Park's website (www.http://wyattparkcc.org
), scroll down the left side to "Resources" and then click on
"Daily Bible Readings."
Many thanks to Scott for sharing this with the church.
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News Release
|
Contact: Jim Hill
Phone: (888) 420-2426 extension 705
Email: jimhill@baptistgcm.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 A.M. CDT, January 25, 2008 |
Legislators and Faith Leaders discuss Tax Justice
Jefferson City, MO : Approximately 80 Missouri church leaders
and state legislators gathered for the first annual Legislative
Breakfast Forum on January 23, 2008 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel
in Jefferson City . This year’s forum provided an opportunity
for legislators and religious leaders to engage in dialogue on
tax justice as they examined Missouri ’s income tax structure
and related issues. The event was co-sponsored by Missouri
Christians Against Racism and Poverty (MOCARP) and Missouri
Churches Uniting in Christ (MOCUIC).
“I'm very pleased with our first annual Legislative Breakfast
Forum. We achieved our purpose of engaging as the faith
community in dialogue with several legislators on the issue of
tax justice. I'm also pleased that six bishops and judicatory
executives attended and that five additional judicatory staff
were present. I was delighted that we had representation from
the Missouri Association for Community Action, Missouri
Association for Social Welfare, Missouri IMPACT, and Missouri
NEA. It is my prayer that all participants were inspired to
continue to pursue justice for the common good,” stated MOCARP
co-chair, Rev. John Bennett. Bishop Gerald Mansholt, Central
States Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , Kansas
City , commented: "This was an excellent event. It's important
for the church to address these critical social justice
concerns." Bob Quinn, former Missouri state representative, now
the Executive Director, Missouri Association for Social Welfare,
Jefferson City , said, "The legislative breakfast was a great
success, at least from my vantage point.”
The Forum legislative panelists included: Senator Maida
Coleman (D-5), Senator Michael Gibbons, (R-15), Representative
Jeanette Mott Oxford (D-59) and Representative Bryan Pratt
(R-55). Rev. James Morris, pastor, Lane Tabernacle Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Louis, and Barbara Ross,
Director, Office of Social Concerns, Diocese of Jefferson City
(Roman Catholic), provided theological reflection on the tax
justice issue. Religious and community leaders had the
opportunity to ask questions and dialogue with Missouri
legislators following their presentations.
Rev. Patrice Rosner, Director, Churches Uniting in Christ,
and moderator of the panel shared, “While some people question
what faith has to do with politics, I believe that our faith
informs everything - from the way we think to the way we act and
vote. This Legislative Breakfast Forum offered an opportunity
for critical, thoughtful, informed reflection from a faith
perspective on the tax justice issue.” Bishop Paul Stewart,
Third Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church,
St. Louis, and the one who initially recommended “tax justice”
as a topic for this year’s breakfast forum, said, “This was a
great event. Now we need to address the other pressing social
justice issues which face us in this crucial time.”
Dr. Jim Hill, Executive Director, Baptist General Convention
of Missouri, commented, “I’m grateful for the response from the
faith community and the opportunity to dialogue with our
legislative leaders as we work together on the critical matters
of social and economic justice.”
Sponsored by the Missouri representatives of the following
churches: African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church, Baptist General Convention of Missouri ,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America , Presbyterian Church USA , United Church of
Christ, The United Methodist Church. If you would like more
information regarding Missouri Christians Against Racism and
Poverty please contact Dr. Jim Hill at (888) 420-2426 extension
705 or jimhill@baptistgcm.org.
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Church Visits Showing
Pulliam Farm Gift
Doyle Farmer, John Wyatt, Ken and Sue Jameson have
volunteered to
recruit lay people from various churches to visit our area
congregations
to show video presentations, answer your questions, and receive
your recommendations and offers of assistance for developing the
Pulliam Farm as an area life-long learning center. Each church
will be called between February 4 to February 10 to set a date
for those who are interested in a visit from the team.
Thank you,
Ken
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Help Needed
The area office needs shelving to help organize the many
resources that we are building up. We have had plastic shelving
but the shelves are beginning to bow and are in danger of
breaking. If you know of any shelves that are no longer being
used that could be donated, or at a very reasonable price,
please contact the office (816)632-2237 or
nwareacc@nwareacc.org. We greatly appreciate any help you can
offer.
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CAMP DATES 2008
The dates for the camps are as follows:
(All camps begin and end at 10 a.m.)
1,2,3 – Go!
(Completed Grades K-2)
July 16-18 or July 24-26
Jr. Camp
(CompletedGrades 3-5)
June 30-July 4 or July 11-15
Chi Rho
(Completed Grades 6-8)
July 6-10 or July 19-23
CYF
(Completed Grades 9-12)
June 24-29
We are looking for camp counselors. If you would like to be a
counselor at one or more of the camps please contact Sue
Jameson, nwchurchcamp@yahoo.com
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Calendar of Events
LeaderTrecks “In and Through” Training for Adults in
Youth Ministry Feb. 9, 2008
MSR Understanding the Bible – Rev. Fran Schnarre Jan.
4-5, May 2-3, Aug. 8-9
MSR Introduction to Hebrew Scripture – Rev. Tom
Russell Feb. 8-9, March 7-8 and April 4-5
MSR Personhood of the Pastor – Rev. Bob Eichenberger
May 8-10
MSR Christian Ethics – Rev. Bob Flanagan June 6-7,
July 11-12, Aug. 1-2
MSR History and Polity of the Disciples of Christ –
Rev. Ken Watson Aug 21-23
MSR Introduction to the New Testament – Rev. Robert
Atkinson Sept 5-6, Oct. 3-4, Nov 7-8
MSR Stewardship Strategies for the Small Congregation
– J. Joseph Trower Dec. 5-6
Christian Education in the Small Congregation
Get Connected – Chi Rho and CYF Youth Event February
16, 2008
Summer Camps June 24 Through July 29 2008
Women’s Mini Retreat July 11-13, 2008
Sessions for Men July 17-2, 2008
C.R.Y. 2008 Imagine, July 21-24, 2008
www.mid-americadisciples.org
For more information on MSR courses email:
KrystalMSR@earthlink.net or
www.msr-crm.org
***********************************************
Week of Compassion Update
2007 Response Fund Report
For nearly two and a half years, Disciples' workgroups from
across North America have been cleaning out, repairing and
rebuilding for families one home at a time across the Gulf South
in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 hurricane season.
Indeed, on September 1, 2006 Week of Compassion, the Office of
Disciples Volunteering, and the Southwest and Great River
Regions launched the Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative,
which includes, in part, bringing 750 work groups to the Gulf
South by August 31, 2008 to support scores of rebuilding and
recovery efforts from Katrina and Rita. Now, other weather
related disasters have caused us to expand that reach to Daytona
Beach , FL , the valley of Texas and Greensburg , KS .
We are well on our way toward 750 groups, but work groups are
still needed - not just to help us reach the goal, but more
importantly to continue this urgently needed ministry for so
many families still in need of assistance. WOC continues to make
available work trip grants to help groups with ever increasing
transportation costs, materials, etc.
Applications can be down loaded from the WOC website:
www.weekofcompassion.org . To schedule a work group or
request information and details, contact Tod Iseminger at
tiseminger@dhm.disciples.org, call 888.346-2631 or 317.713.2649
- or visit
http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/DisasterResponse.htm
to register online.
We continue to receive amazing stories of personal and
congregational transformation from participating congregations.
Come join us.
WOC Interactive Map\Poster There has been a lot of activity
this week; however, Elaine is participating in the WOC, Office
of Disciples Women Habitat Blitz Build in Beaumont , TX . We'll
catch the map\poster entries up next week. Thanks!
Map for Congregations
Rebuilding one house at a time
Have a Blessed Day,
Jan Shrewsbury
Northwest Area Administrative Assistant
816-632-2237
www.nwareacc.org |
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