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Online community offers Advent app
by Rev. Melissa Fain, Fig Tree Christian Church
Most congregations have some kind of online presence. It might be a website, a Facebook page, or a Twitter handle. Some might post their sermons on YouTube, while others might have a minister who blogs. For Fig Tree Christian, it's all online. Everything is made for an online audience. The sermons are intentionally in blog form for easy access. There is a place to submit prayers, or pray for others. About twice a year there is a bible study.
All this work is done to reach a demographic who calls themselves "nones." These people are still eager to learn about the bible, but for whatever reason, they do not feel comfortable in a physical church. These people are very tech savvy. They have smart phones and tablets loaded with apps.
For the first time since the launch two years ago, Fig Tree Christian will have an Advent Devotional App in response to a query that kept coming up online: Where are all the female voices? There are many female Christian voices out there; they just are not being highlighted enough. The app, titled From Her Voice, highlights nine female voices, each from their own unique context. They are all different ages, not all are Disciple, and not all are ministers. Even the ministers within the group have different pastoral contexts. From Her Voice daily takes different aspects of the nativity and brings new life to the story. This project, in all its forms, can be found on Upcoming Events on Fig Tree Christian.
In a physical church a group could purchase a bible study or devotional. In an online setting, everything must be created from scratch. All of the bible studies have been personally researched and written. All the images used on the website are designed in Photoshop. Music has to either be in public domain or written for the site.
Additional Advent resources are listed on http://disciples.org/resources/
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July 18-22, 2015
Columbus, Ohio
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Nominations for the
2015 General Board and
2015-2017 Moderator Team are now being accepted online! _______
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| News in the Church Other News |
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Husnia and Hawa Bakhteyari thank First Christian, Lynchburg, VA for its support as they build new lives.
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Virginia church befriends asylum seeker
By Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea, director, Refugee and Immigration Ministries
Hawa Bakhteyari is opening the eyes of First Christian Church, Lynchburg, along with community and Lynchburg College friends. They are learning personally of the extreme persecution endured by Afghani women and men. he church first met Bakhteyari through a connection with her younger sister Husnia, who has studied at Lynchburg College. The women's father was killed by Taliban supporters, and Hawa herself has experienced trauma for her refusal to marry.
The church and friends have supported Hawa's ongoing English study in hopes she can transfer to Lynchburg College. At last summer's Virginia Assembly in Lynchburg, members of FCC's Outreach Committee met with Refugee and Immigration Ministries (RIM) Director Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea and Week of Compassion's Associate Rev. Dawn Barnes to form a mission partnership to help Hawa build a safe life.
In consultation with Disciples Home Missions' immigration attorney, Tana Liu-Beers, Hawa presented her case to the Immigration Clinic & Legal Aid Justice Center of the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville. On Oct. 21, Hawa had her official asylum interview in Washington D.C.
The following Sunday, Refugee and Immigration Ministries presented the church a "Heart of Hospitality Award" for their commitment to welcome the sisters. Hawa and her sister Husnia attended in traditional Afghani costumes, shared gifts of homemade Afghani food, and offered thanks to the church and community for their ongoing support
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Preorders being taken for study
Disciples Women's Ministries is proud to announce that the second Bible study written by Disciples women scholars for Disciples women is in its initial stages of writing. Orders for extra, non-subscription copies of the Just Women 2015 Spring Bible Study - "Women of the New Testament: Finding their Voices" placed by Feb. 1, 2015, will ship free. The 2014 edition, "Women of the Bible: Seeking Justice", sold out and will not be reprinted. Please pre-order the 2015 issue to insure you have a copy for your group's study.The Bible study is part of the paid yearly subscription to Just Women.
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Thanksgiving offering invites students home
 For generations thousands of students have attended the colleges and universities of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), receiving both a quality education and the opportunity to explore our Disciple's heritage. Likewise, consider the many pastors, who, if not for the support of faithful congregations and individuals would not have flourished as pastors, teachers and leaders.
The Thanksgiving Offering 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.
These colleges, universities and seminaries are an extension of a learning Church, challenging students to understand and respond to God's call to serve.
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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: disciples.org/dns/subscribe-to-dns/
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": disciples.org/dns/submitting-news/ The next deadline to submit news for consideration
in the Disciples News Service: Friday, November 7, 2014 |
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