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350 Disciples youth and adults unite for summer mission in Oklahoma
by Rev. Regina Attaway
The idea of four Disciple youth ministers has turned into a gathering of 350 youth from Disciple churches and other denominations. Rev. Fester Coffee-Prose, Rev. Brent Parker, Rev. Cory Glover and Rev. Regina Attaway started Disciples Summer Mission with the idea of wanting to do a mission trip together. Rev. Fester Coffee-Prose said, "We could never have dreamed what God would do with that small idea." In 2011, nearly 80 youth and adults gathered in Midland, Texas. We worked on houses, spent time with senior adults in nursing homes, and in after school programs with low-income children. In 2012, more than 140 youth and adults traveled to northwest Arkansas to serve the communities of Rogers, Bentonville, and Fayetteville. On two of the days, the groups crossed the border into Missouri to join the continuing efforts to rebuild Joplin. The youth served senior adult families, homeless shelters, and helped to cross off items from the overwhelming to-do list of Americorp.
In the summer of 2013, Disciple Summer Mission (DSM) traveled to New Orleans. DSM worked with the Epworth project in Slidell, LA. Great community was not only built among the 326 youth and adults that attended but also with homeowners. Houses were painted, ramps were built, and insulation and drywall put into homes that were still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Rev. Karakay Kovaly was added to the leadership team on this trip. Each year has been filled with meaningful work, growing community between multiple Disciples of Christ churches across the Southwest Region and beyond. Churches from the Episcopal and Nazarene denominations join us for this great trip.
Last year, DSM headed to Oklahoma City, OK. Over the course of three days, the group of nearly 350 youth and adults from 28 churches in 7 states fully transformed the exterior of 30 homes with a fresh coat of paint. The community that gathered together was impacted mightily by our shared work, by time together at the Oklahoma City Memorial & Museum, and by the many lives which were changed as a result of being the recipients of God's grace...both the homeowners and the missionaries.
Due to the overwhelming response DSM continues to experience to our summer mission projects, Disciple Summer Mission has made the step of faith to host TWO TRIPS in 2015. The DSM leadership team has committed to hosting a trip to both Albuquerque, NM and Nashville, TN. Both trips will take place June 29 - July 3. Registration information and trip details for each event will be our website (www.disciplesummermission.com) soon. Come join the largest gathering of Disciples youth and other denominations for Disciple Summer Mission 2015.
Check out a few newspaper articles of our past trips
Midland/Odessa: http://www.mrt.com/top_stories/article_defe034e-6e80-5f47-ad82-11c0e63233e0.html
Oklahoma: http://www.ertribune.com/?p=9877
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Colorado church hosts confessional booth
by Rev. Jeff Wright
 On a Saturday and Sunday in August, Heart of the Rockies Christian Church participated in Fort Collins' NewWestFest, an annual community-wide celebration that draws over 100,000 people to its musical venues and booths worked by both commercial ventures and nonprofit organizations.
The idea for the confessional booth was taken from Donald Miller's book, Blue Like Jazz. Miller writes about how, at Reed College in Portland, a group of students had created a booth with the intention of not receiving the confessions of their fellow students, but rather offering their confession as Christians to the community-at-large.
Our use of the "confessional booth" had the same purpose: to share our trust in a God of unconditional love in a unique way. Instead of expecting festival attendees to confess to us, we were quick to let passers-by know that we were confessing how the church has often failed the culture and how, as Christians, too often we have not reflected the humility and compassion of Jesus. In their own words, each booth attendant was able to explain the booth and express their sorrow over the ways the Church has often stirred division and judgmentalism in a community instead of healing and reconciliation.
The booth was adorned with posters that read,
IT'S OUR TURN
TO CONFESS TO YOU
ASK QUESTIONS
VOICE YOUR DOUBTS
NAME YOUR HURTS
The booth stirred many conversations, scores of smiles and "thumbs up", and occasions of healing. We were probably the most photographed booth at the festival. Comments ranged from expressions of sincere thanks, to a Catholic who expressed her hesitation about our use of the confessional, to a few shouts of derision and one woman who said, "That's so fun! This is the best booth. It's darling. I love it!"
Here are other comments, which our booth workers recorded over the two days.
- "You know what? I straight up thought this was a fortune teller booth."
- "Thanks for having the courage to do this."
- "It's good to have an alternative Christian voice out here."
- "Are there puppets behind the curtain?"
- "Is there a priest in there?"
- "Do you know how sacred the confession booth is for Catholics? I get your message but I don't like the booth"
- "Thank you for this. Can I take your picture? It means a lot."
- "You know why I don't go to church? Same reason I don't go unicorn hunting!"
- "Just yesterday, my friend was telling me how I should think and act and I told her, 'That's not what the Bible says.' My friend said, 'What's the Bible have to do with it?' Thank you for your message and for being here."
- From a member of another church: "Very cool. Just wanted to see what your message was. Good job."
Our church's booth exposed a world hungry for a community marked by humility, authenticity and grace. Those of us who worked the festival were surprised by the number of persons who smiled approvingly, gave a "thumbs up", and engaged us in grateful conversation. Each of our folks has a story or two to tell.
On Sunday afternoon, two women passed the booth. One of them declared, "I'm a lesbian" - as if mockingly confessing what she thought was an anathema to the church. I couldn't resist.
I ran after them, tapped one of them on the shoulder, apologized for chasing them, and said, "I just want you to know that we're not
asking people to confess to us. We're Christians who know we have enough to confess ourselves. Our booth is about seeking the forgiveness of others."
I said, "My guess: you guys have been hurt by the church." The first said, "No, the church hasn't hurt me, because I don't care what the church says." The second said, "I was raised in a Christian school. I've been hurt by the church. Many times." I said, "I didn't personally hurt you. But I'm part of the community of faith that did. I'm sorry." She said, "Thanks for telling us what you're doing. I appreciate it. I like your shirt, too. Can I buy one?"
She returned with me to the booth, where we gave her one of the bright lime-green t-shirts that read, "As a Christian, I am sorry for actions that have hurt others in the name of God."
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DCEF is represented at the CCH Gala by (from left) Ellen Mitchell, Melissa and Bill Singer, Mary Beight and Bridget Steen.
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Disciples Church Extension Fund honored by Christian Church Homes
Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) was honored recently by Christian Church Homes (CCH) at their annual fundraising gala in Oakland, CA. CCH presented DCEF with their Partner Award to recognize the ministry's role in providing financial resources and other forms of support that helps CCH provide affordable quality housing to seniors in numerous communities around the country. Renowned actress and humanitarian, Rita Moreno, was the event's keynote speaker. Read more
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Registration open for 2015 Disciples Development Conference
Registrations are now being accepted for the Disciples Development Conference slated for Jan. 21-23, 2015, in the Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando, FL.
Hosted by the Christian Church Foundation, the conference brings together fund-raisers for all ministries related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Keynoter this year is Judith Nichols, CEO and principal of New Directions in Philanthropy. Her three presentations over the course of 2 days will cover aspects of "The New Dawn of Philanthropy."
Conference registration is $190 prior to Dec. 1 and $250 thereafter. The host hotel, Rosen Centre, has rooms for $125 per night plus tax.
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National ministry leaders attend Leadership Academy held in Indianapolis
Courageous leadership requires you to walk a difficult, unpopular and sometimes dangerous path. The work of a ministerial leader can be thankless and lonely. Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation will offer a Fall Leadership Academy at the Marten House Hotel and Conference Center, September 22-26, 2014 to address many issues that impact congregational leaders.
"The Leadership Academy is designed to help empower leaders to make bold and courageous decisions about their faith in order to become a transformational leader for this era of God's mission," says Gilberto Collazo, president of Hope Partnership. "We continue to see a great need for an event of this magnitude that brings together leaders at various stages of their ministry," he adds.
Hope Partnership is expecting 80 plus congregational leaders and potential new church pastors of the Christian Church to attend this national event. In addition to tracks for new and transforming church leaders, the event will feature new learning communities for interim pastors and leaders of new social service ministries. Preachers and presenters for Leadership Academy reflect the diversity of the Christian Church and the diversity of talents needed for leadership in today's church. Preachers for the week include Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Rev. Marvin J. Owens, Jr., Pastor of Michigan Park Christian Church in Washington, D.C. Also presenting during the week will be Rev. Suzanne Castle, author of Brim: Creative Overflow and Rev. Dr. Richard L. "Dick" Hamm, author of Recreating the Church.
Throughout the week participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops including church planting, transformation, social media and marketing. Participants will also visit local congregations, entrepreneurs and social service ministries.
Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). You can learn more online at www.HopePMT.org. Our mission is to empower courageous leaders as they guide the Church into life-giving expressions of God's mission. Leadership Academy is offered twice each year.
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July 18-22, 2015
Columbus, Ohio
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 Ministry in Action |
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If you are interested in advertising in future issues of the Disciples News Service, please contact Fred Jones |
 The Disciples News Service, also known as The DiscipleŽ, is distributed weekly or as needed by Communication Ministries. For changes to your subscription options or to subscribe to this newsletter, please visit: www.disciples.org/Default.aspx?tabid=76 If you are interested in submitting news for distribution in the Disciples News Service, please review our "Guidelines for Submitting News and Information to Disciples News Service": www.disciples.org/Default.aspx?tabid=79 The next deadline to submit news for consideration
in the Disciples News Service: Friday, September 26, 2014 |
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