As promised, I will share a little about my experience at our denomination's recent General Assembly in Orlando.  Different people get different things out of each Assembly, which takes place every other year and changes location each time.  Some people appreciate the worship services that typically feature the most inspiring Disciple preachers (and occasional guests from other faith traditions).  Some like the variety of workshops and learning tracks that address many different topics.  Others look forward to grappling with difficult social or theological issues as a denomination and seeking to find consensus in a diverse body.  While I appreciate all these things, the most valuable part of General Assembly for me centers on relationships.  Life-giving relationships with people I have known for years.  New relationships with people from all over the country who are now part of my network of resources I can connect with in my ministry.  Relationships that develop when two people I know from different parts of the country meet through me and find ways they can learn from one another and strengthen their ministries.

I could share a lot about this aspect of the 2013 General Assembly, but I will tell you about one exchange in particular.  I was talking with my friend Rebecca Hale, who served as an Associate Regional Minister in Tennessee when I was there and now works for the National Benevolent Association.  As we were talking about the new projects her organization is taking on, one in particular caught my attention: They are partnering with churches around the country to create "young adult service communities."  Essentially, the church provides a house, and young adults (typically recent college grads) apply to live together in the house for a year and serve on staff with one or more local ministries or non-profits.  This is not a new concept, but it is new that Disciples are launching their own version and using local congregations to sponsor these communities.

I can't tell you how many times I have met a college senior or recent graduate who is unsure of their next step and wants to find a way to do some vocational discernment.  They're not going to start a grad school program until they're sure of what they want to do, they don't want to move in with friends (or parents) and find a job that doesn't connect with their sense of vocation, and they've thought about seminary but need more time to explore what that means.  One of these service communities may be a perfect fit, allowing them to spend a year making a difference in a new place while forming new relationships, participating in a local church, and doing some discernment about where God may be calling them.  The first batch of Disciple service communities will launch in 2014, but if you'd like more details about what they may look like you can click here to see a similar program sponsored by the United Church of Christ.  Oh, and by the end of the General Assembly I had shared this info with a recent college grad who wasn't sure what to do this year.  She is now applying for a spot in a service community at a Disciple/United Church of Christ congregation in Seattle for the coming year.  Again, it's all about relationships for me.

  

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Click on next to any headline to vist the related Facebook event.

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All 6th-12th grade youth (along with friends and families) are invited to a night at the ballpark as the Texas Rangers take on their division rivals, the LA Angels, this Tuesday, July 30. The group will meet at UCC at 5:15 p.m. to carpool to Arlington for the 7:05 game. $15 covers your ticket and parking fee, and you MUST RSVP since our block of 40 tickets will be first come, first served. Contact Amanda DeWitt at amanda.dewitt@uccftw.com or 817.926.6631 ext. 268 to reserve your tickets. Oh yeah, and it's FREE TOTEBAG NIGHT! Woot!

Parents: If you are willing to drive (and hopefully join us for the game) please contact Amanda to help us ensure we have enough seats. Your parking cost will be covered.

 

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