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Message from the General Minister and President
 Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who loves us, feeds us, calls us!
October is the month set aside to honor those called to ministry, and I want to take a moment to offer a word of gratitude and support for you as you serve God's mission with God's people.
You are often the most evident manifestation of God's care in your community - a holy calling. To hold the hand of the suffering, laugh with the joyful, bring the Word to life, invite all to the table and then lead the people forth - are labors of God's love.
Admittedly, it is at times, LABOR. The unpredictable schedule, the emotional demands, the sometimes thoughtless treatment at the hands of those you serve - it is not an easy calling.
But I want you to know you are indeed appreciated. I pray for each of you to be filled with the bread of life and the breath of the Spirit as you respond to God's sacred call - renewed, rejuvenated and ready to continue your good work among God's people.
Blessings on you and your families -
_______ Disciples ministries partner to serve congregation Real Faith Christian Church in Clarksdale, Miss., was in the middle of a major building campaign when disaster hit. The congregation was in the process of adding onto the current 98-year-old structure that included a gym and fellowship hall for use by their struggling community, a new sanctuary, classrooms and media room. Read about how a stream of unfortunate events brought the building project to a halt and how nearly a dozen ministries are partnering to help this courageous congregation complete a project that could revitalize their entire community. For more information, to volunteer or to provide financial support to the Real Faith Christian Church, visit http://www.disciplescef.org/real-faith/ or call 800.274.1883. _______ In Defense of "Crazy"
by Sarah Griffith Lund Editor's note: Yesterday (Oct. 5) began National Mental Health Awareness week in the U.S. Tomorrow (Oct. 7) is a day of prayer for mental illness. When I worked with Chalice Press to create the title for my book, Blessed are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family, and Church, I knew that the word crazy would be part of the title. It had to be. This is, after all, the story of my life and how nearly every contour of it touches the margins of mental illness. Some may believe the word crazy in reference to mental illness exacerbates the already significant stigma associated with mental illness. I get it. I also get that we desperately need to challenge and change the stigma associated with mental illness. You see, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one out of every four people will personally experience some form of mental illness in his/her lifetime. A new survey shows that Christian pastors are not immune either (although few actually talk about it). Crazy, in many respects, is pretty common ... as common, in fact, as our use of the word itself. Crazy is not a bad word. Crazy people are not bad. I pair the word crazy with the word blessed. This comes to me from Jesus' own words recorded in the Gospels when Jesus the Liberator preached his most profound sermon on the Mount and chose to shower blessings upon the marginalized and worthless, Jesus considered them central to God's family and priceless. I say blessed are the crazy as a way to resurrect Jesus's words of blessing to all who know what it is like to live with mental illness. Without apology and from deep within my heart I proclaim that blessed are the crazy and we shall be called children of God. Sarah Griffith Lund is a United Church of Christ minister and the author of the book Blessed Are The Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family, and Church(Chalice Press). She has also recorded a special video for the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding, Tuesday, October 7. For more information and resources, contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) FaithNet group _______
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