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From the President
The Moderator and Financial Secretary of one congregation I served referred to themselves as "the gloom and doom boys." They used the phrase at congregational meetings as an indicator that what was to follow would be anything but good news. To them, nothing in the life of the church was ever on an upswing.
Not many years into my ministry with that congregation, the tide of "the gloom and doom boys" started to change. Years later they would acknowledge in the past tense, "Do you remember when we used to refer to ourselves as "the gloom and doom boys?" Once you experience the church from a different vantage point, from a vantage point of success, you never go back to the worn, get-no-where phrases of yesteryear.
Yogi Berra, star baseball player and manager for the New York Yankees, always had a way with words and phrases. He once said, "You can observe a lot just by watching." Well, I have watched the church and its leadership put itself down, run out of enthusiasm, give up on accomplishing its mission, grow tired, and become angry. Each time the church and its leaders retreat into this defeatist mentality, they make a mockery of the one who said: "You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world . . . let your light shine before others . . . and give glory to your Father in heaven"[Matthew 5:13a, 14a, 16].
Instead of gloom and doom the church and its leaders must live in anticipation of the light of Christ breaking in upon them in a mighty way. So mighty that they are lifted up, filled with holy excitement, focused on mission, alert, engaged, and filled with a spirit of celebration.
Do not let gloom and doom have the ultimate word in your life or in the life of your congregation. God is still in the business of washing the gloom and doom away. As Yogi Berra said in what might be his most famous saying, "It ain't over till it's over." There are hundreds of thousands of church leaders and congregations across the globe who are letting their lights shine. I pray that you and your congregation are among them.
Observingly yours,
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Disciples Women
The Fall 2014 issue is scheduled to mail the beginning of October. If your subscription has expired and you have not renewed, please take a moment to do so online. A fast and secure way to place an order.
Woman-to-Woman Worldwide
If a woman in your congregation is part of this year's journey, there is a newly posted resource available ~ a general commissioning service for the Woman-to-Woman Worldwide participants.
Please join us in prayer as these women travel October 10 to 23
~ Dear God, please give them eyes to see and ears to hear the things you will teach them. Grant them travel mercies. And may they grow in faith and wisdom so that we, through them, may learn more clearly what it means to be members of your beloved global community. Amen.
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General Youth Council
General Youth Council Application Process is Open
The General Youth Council is accepting applications! Applications will be accepted until October 15, 2014. If you are an adult or a youth who is interested in serving on the General Youth Council please fill out and turn in your application. The next term begins January 2015 and goes through December 2016.
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Young Adult Commission
Young Adult Commission Applications are Being Accepted
If you are interested in connecting and empowering Young Adults to engage in the ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), you can fill out an application to serve on the Young Adult Commission. The next term of service begins January of 2015 through December of 2016 and applications are being accepted until November 1, 2014. Go here to see the expectations for those who serve on the committee.
Come serve with us!
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
We are pleased to announce the availability of two new resources to help your constituent congregations encourage employment of people with disabilities - a Bulletin Insert and Suggested Steps for Congregations. Both are available on the Interfaith page of the AAPD website. Links to each resource are embedded below.
The Bulletin Insert, which seeks to raise awareness with respect to this issue, is designed with space in the upper right corner for you to insert your organizational logo before posting to your website and promoting to your constituent congregations or member organizations. It can also be shared as is without your organizational logo. See the "how to" .pdf below for instructions on inserting a graphic in an Adobe Acrobat X Pro document. Instructions may differ for other versions of Adobe. If you need assistance, Danny Ellison of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies has offered to help. Simply send your request with logo attached to: Danny.Ellison@abhms.org
Suggested Steps for Congregations, provides information for congregations that want to take additional steps to encourage employment of people with disabilities in their communities.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Now is an excellent time to promote these resources to your members. As you do so, please let us know of news releases, stories, and media activity related to your efforts so that we can highlight these via IDAC's Facebook page, AAPD's Disability Daily, and Twitter.
How To
DHM Bulletin Insert
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Family & Children's Ministries
Upcoming Events with the Association for United Church of Christ Educators (AUCE)
The Association of United Church Educators (AUCE) is a group of lay and ordained United Church of Christ educators who share similar passions with many of our Disciples educators. AUCE holds regional events throughout the year with excellent speakers and workshops we have no doubt would be helpful to your ministry. Check out what's on the calendar for this October:
PNEUMA 2014 Conference ~ October 13-16, 2014
Zephyr Point Conference Center in Lake Tahoe, NV
More information and registration here.
GLAUCE ~ October 14-16, 2014
Techny Towers Retreat Center in Chicago, IL
Contact the Great Lakes Region for registration info.
Note: Events are open to all and do not require membership.
Light a Candle for Children Prayer - now through October 19
Light a Candle for Children (an annual advocacy and prayer vigil project that invites congregations to focus, pray, and advocate for children) continues through October 19. Subscribe to daily meditations written by Disciples and UCCers via email,Twitter,Facebook or printable pdf booklet.
Children Worship & Wonder Upcoming Story Teller Trainings
Sept. 26 - 28, 2014
Hilton Christian Church ~ Newport News, VA
Nov. 7 - 9, 2014
Erlanger Christian Church ~ Erlanger, KY
More trainings are in the works for this fall. Visit our website for the most current schedule and to register. Or contact Jessica Kramer if you are interested in hosting a training event.
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Clergy Continuing Education Grants
Clergy Continuing Education Grants awarded through Disciples Home Missions
The period of application for clergy continuing education grants awarded by Disciples Home Missions for the 2015 calendar year will be between September 1 and October 31, 2014. This is a change from last year's application period, and is meant to facilitate application requests for events earlier in the calendar year.
If you would like to be considered for a DHM Clergy Continuing Education Grant next year (2015), you must apply during the application window. Visit our website for instructions and an application.
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