• Spring Women’s Retreat

• Pro-reconciliation/anti-racism grants

• Invitation from Gower Church

• Church Visits Showing Pulliam Farm Gift

• Sessions promotional video information

• Camp Dates

• Calendar of Events

• Week of Compassion Update

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Spring Women’s Retreat

March 28-29, 2008

Rickman Center

KEYNOTER: Rev. Colleen Carroll

MUSIC LEADER: Rev. Emily Bowen

Come to the Table – Retreat begins on Friday with registration at 4:30 pm, dinner at 6:00 pm and concludes at 3:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Deadline for registration – March 24, 2008

Costs: Staying at Rickman - $85.00

Staying in Cabin - $75.00

Commuter – includes 3 meals $65.00

See attached flyer and registration form.

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Pro-reconciliation/anti-racism grants

For immediate release

For more information, contact Stacey Nicholas 573/406-9082

The Commission on Mission and Unity of the Mid-America Region of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ recently distributed nearly $31,000 in pro-reconciliation/anti-racism grants.

The Commission on Mission and Unity recognizes that the inclusive nature of the church is broken by racism and its root causes. These grants are designed specifically to support programs that combat racism and its root causes.

Grants were given to the following organizations Northeast Area pro-reconciliation/anti-racism team ($10, 481) Mid-America pro-reconciliation/anti-racism team ($10,200), First Christian Church of Bowling Green ($500), Kids in Motion-Hannibal ($500), Beacon ($1500), Douglass Community Services Head Start ($500), Isaiah 58 Ministries ($2000), and SEGA PR/AR Task Force ($5300).

Projects supported include sending children-of-color to church camps, providing adults-of-color to be counselors at church camps, providing racially diverse classroom material for pre-schoolers, supporting pre-employment training for at-risk teens, and supporting anti-racism training.

The witness and support of this shared ministry for racial justice and reconciliation enables the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to live out the call of a core component of the 2020 Vision to be an anti-racism/pro-reconciliation faith community. The Reconciliation Ministry Offering provides the primary support of Disciples’ efforts to advocate for, educate about and organize to dismantle systemic racism and structural oppression within our ministries and institutions, as well as the communities and cultures served by Disciples congregations.

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INVITATION:

Please join us for the dedication celebration

Of

Antioch Fellowship Center

Sunday, March 9, 2008

At 2:00 p.m.

Gower Christian church

203 S. 34d St.

Gower, Missouri

Reception immediately following

Nursery provided for

Children 3 and under.

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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 to set a date for those who are interested in a visit from the team.

Thank you,

Ken

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SESSIONS 2008 PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

Howdy all,

As an FYI, the six minute Sessions 2008 promotional video has been added to U-Tube. A link will be (may already have been) added to the www.Sessions2008.org  website as well.

Please feel free to use this link with the church pastors and CMF groups in Mid-America. Thanks.

Peace... Jay Stevenson, Men's Ministries

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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

(Completed Grades 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

* MSR Understanding the Bible – Rev. Fran Schnarre May 2-3, Aug. 8-9

* 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

* Women’s Spring Retreat Rickman Center March 28-29

* Summer Camps June 24 Through July 29 2008

* Women’s Mini Retreat July 11-13, 2008

* Sessions for Men July 17-20, 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

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Week of Compassion Update

There continues to be no end in sight to the crisis in Darfur , Sudan , even with the arrival of a strengthened UN force. Recent attacks in West Darfur have displaced more than 25,000 people, worsening a humanitarian disaster that has already killed an estimated 250,000 people and uprooted more than 2.5 million more. More than 2/3rds of Darfur 's 6 million people now depend upon outside humanitarian assistance for survival.

In neighboring Chad fighting between government and rebel forces has caused some 30,000 people to flee to Cameroon . Cameroonian members of Action by Churches Together report that churches, private homes and hospitals are filled beyond capacity with displaced persons.

Week of Compassion continues to respond to the crisis in Darfur on behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples) and hopes to provide at least $100,000 to support the recently issued ACT appeal for 2008 - an appeal of more than $13 million. ACT has rushed a $50,000 grant from its Rapid Response Fund to support the efforts of Cameroonian member, L'Eglise Fraternelle Lutherienne du Cameroun, whose local parishes are serving more than 11,000 of the displaced. The president of the church, Robert Goyek, says the situation is desperate, and the church is responding with its limited resources, but urgently needs outside support. WOC will respond to an upcoming ACT appeal to provide that support.

While the situation in Darfur remains dire, there are glimmers of hope, and indeed, the resources Disciples are sharing with ACT partners on the ground are changing lives. Click below to read one such story.

Story: A Place for All Generations

Week of Compassion also continues to support a major appeal from Church World Service in response to the humanitarian crisis in Kenya following the violence in the aftermath of the country's disputed elections. Twelve CWS and ACT partners are working together in response to this latest crisis on the African continent. Click below for a more detailed report of the situation in Kenya and the churches' response.

Report: Camps Overflow as Violence Worsens

Disciples Close In on Hurricane Work Trip Goal

A major goal of the two-year Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative (September 1, 2006 - August 31, 2008) is to send 750 work groups to our eight Disciples mission stations strategically placed throughout the Gulf South to support ongoing hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts. We have also added a mission station in Greensburg , KS , for tornado recovery work and have included it in our appeal for 750 groups. We are now less than 100 groups away from reaching that goal.

Click below to read a moving letter from Mike and Barbara Lee, who have served faithfully at our Beaumont/Port Arthur mission station.

A Letter of Thanks

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

Dear Friends:

Thanks for all you are doing on behalf of Week of Compassion, especially as we enter the WOC offering season.

Here are two resources that you may find helpful. You can find them both on our website or click on the links below.

Sharing Resources\Changing Lives dvd: A brief minute and a half ppt that makes a good offering invitation for minute for mission.

Watch the video

Daily Devotions for Week of Compassion: Very well crafted and reflective prayers written for each day during the Week of Compassion by Amy Lignitz-Harken, Sr. Minister, First Christian Church, Independence , MO.

Get Daily Devotions

Thanks and God Bless - Johnny Wray

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Have a Blessed Day,

Jan Shrewsbury

Northwest Area Administrative Assistant

816-632-2237