Disciples Together
September 22, 2014

Thanksgiving offering to support students in Disciple-related schools 
 
By Guy Waldrop

 

The Thanksgiving Offering

Offering received
Nov. 9 & 16

provides direct support to our Disciples related schools to develop leaders for our communities and the church. This offering helps underwrite the education of students attending our 14 member undergraduate institutions and our seven seminaries or divinity houses. It helps ensure that when students from our congregation go away to study they will Come Home to a Disciples institution.


For generations thousands of students have attended the Colleges and Universities of the Christian Church receiving both a quality education and the opportunity to remain within our Disciple's heritage. The Thanksgiving Offering helps continue this tradition. Consider how important teaching and learning is to our faith community. Then, consider our investment not just in the student's opportunity to learn but also as an act of stewardship for future generations.

Likewise, consider the many generations of pastors, who, if not for the support of faithful congregations and individuals over the ages would not have flourished as our pastors, teachers and leaders. Our institutions help prepare our pastors for the service and leadership they provide to our communities, let's thank them by supporting the Thanksgiving Offering.

 

Prepare now to receive an offering on November 9 and 16 by getting the Special Day Thanksgiving promotional resources available at [email protected]. Worship resources are also available on the Disciples Mission Fund website,

 

Consider the various ways you as a pastor and leader you will promote and participate in the Thanksgiving Offering in the life of your congregations this November 9 and 16.

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Partnership is key to mission that benefits seniors

Christian Church Homes (CCH), whose mission is to provide quality affordable housing to seniors that contributes to their dignity and well-being, recently honored Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) with their Partner Award at their annual gala Fundraiser in Oakland, CA.  (Read more about the event here.) The partnership between the two Disciples ministries developed out of work on a landmark lending agreement that provided CCH with a multi-million dollar DCEF line of credit to be used as "predevelopment funding" to leverage other loans and construction dollars to begin senior housing projects in numerous locations. 

 

While DCEF traditionally provides loans to congregations for construction and renovation that result in buildings that support relevant ministry, it also has developed additional lending options, including lines of credit, which enable church organizations to explore different and bold ways to "right-size" space for the sake of mission. More information about DCEF's building planning and capital financing is available at www.disciplescef.org/borrow and www.disciplescef.org/plan.   

 

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New identity materials posted

Danny Gulden of Sandy Springs Christian in Georgia and Robyn Bles of Crestview Christian in Kentucky have put together some worship resources to support your identity efforts. You can find them linked under the preaching tab on the identity page.

 

If you don't have your identity "month" planned yet, the Council on Christian Unity would like to invite you to pick a stretch of four to 12 weeks between now and July 2015 to have small group studies and/or a book study and/or a sermon series on the Disciples identity. Suggested approaches are outlined on the disciples.org/our-identity page.

 

Materials available free of charge on the disciples,org/our-identity  page include four videos in English, Spanish, Korean and French; four small-group study guides for those videos in all four languages; an individual study guide that could be used as "homework" for a group video study; sermon samples and resources (under preaching) as well as posters. 

 

Study guides for Sharon Watkins' book of personal reflections and stories - Whole: A call to unity in a fragmented world are also available. The book contains study questions at the end of each of its six chapters but there are also two four-week options provided that follow a modular approach and a chapter approach respectively, provided by Teresa Crist and David Torres. Royalties for books purchased for the "one read" effort will go to Disciples Mission Fund.

 

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October is Ministry Month

by Pension Fund staff


 

Did you know that half of all ministers starting out will leave the ministry within five years, and only 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form?

 

Pension Fund is asking for your help in making an impact: If this is something you're passionate about

  • Share the "Ministry Still Matters" video via email and social media
  • Use the hashtag #ministrystillmatters
  • OR submit your ministry story to Pension Fund at  www.pensionfund.org/ministrystillmatters (How does ministry still matter to you? How can you encourage those in ministry? When did you first accept the call to ministry?)
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Resources and continuing ed

  

Events

Resources

 Online classes 

 

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter with resources for pastoral ministry, please opt out by unsubscribing at the link provided below.
 
Featured Links
Offering received Sept. 28 & Oct. 5

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Ministry Still Matters ministry month materials for October from the Pension Fund

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All Saints Day materials available from Christian Church Foundation 

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July 18-22, 2015

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General Ministries

  
Racial/Ethnic Ministries
  
Other resources

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Challenged by trying to explain Disciples Mission Fund?
 
You can download this video and get other information at www.disciplesmissionfund.org
How Your Offerings to DMF Support Mission in the Church
How Your Offerings to DMF Support Mission in the Church