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by Vienna Cobb Anderson (abridged - full version on beliefnet.com)
God of all blessings,
source of all life,
giver of all grace: ...
... We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty
that the eye can see,
for the joy
that the ear may hear,
for the unknown
that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space
that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.
We thank you for setting us in communities:
for families
who nurture our becoming,
for friends
who love us by choice,
for companions at work,
who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers
who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands
who call us to grow in understanding,
for children
who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn,
who offer us hope for the future......
.....For these, and all blessings,
we give you thanks, eternal, loving God,
through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
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Responding to the Ferguson grand jury decision
Emotions are raw in the wake of the Ferguson grand jury decision involving the death of Michael Brown. People feel unheard, threatened and confused.
As we seek to be a movement for wholeness in a broken and fragmented world, our call is to open our churches as places of dialogue and action. Our challenge is to open our hearts to a difficult conversation around race and systemic injustice.
To assist your congregation in this conversation, resources have been assembled. Click here for additional links to resources and statements from Reconciliation Ministries, National Convocation, our General Minister and President, the National Council of Churches, Churches Uniting in Christ,
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Giving Tuesday: responding to God's abundance
You've heard of Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday for locally-owned businesses and even Cyber Monday. But do you know about Giving Tuesday? As a generous people who live lavished in the abundance of God, Giving Tuesday highlights our natural reaction to grace. Consider an extra gift online to Disciples Mission Fund to support mission from regions to overseas to local congregations. Or you might consider a gift to the Christmas offering for regions, or online to Week of Compassion for disaster relief and long-term development needs, Reconciliation Ministries to battle racism or the Center for Faith and Giving to develop a culture of generosity.
If you give a special gift on Tuesday, consider posting a challenge for others to give on social media tagged #GivingTuesday.
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| News in the Church Other News |
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Woman to Woman Worldwide 2014
 Woman-to-Woman Worldwide is an effort by Disciple Women to experience solidarity with one another, to affirm the unity of the church in Jesus Christ, and to join the common struggle for justice and peace in the world today by educating and advocating for those needs. Journeys occur annually. Recent destinations include China, Mexico, and, most recently, Italy and France. Subscribe to Just Women to read more stories from the most recent trip.
Torre Pellice, Italy
Oct. 21, 2014
By Adiana Gonzalez
As our bus driver, Felice, skillfully maneuvered the bus through the narrow winding roads up the mountain, we all marveled at the beauty of what is the mountainous city of Torre Pellice. As Felice brought the bus to a stop, we began our trek on the sandy brown dirt road of the original Waldensian community hundreds of years ago. The cool air breeze felt perfect as the fog blended the horizon where mountains met skies.
After passing the newest Waldensian church and various homes of the townspeople, we encountered the natural forest distinguished by its narrow dirt pathway. Luscious trees overpassed above us as we walked passed water streams trickling along beautiful rock segments patterned in brilliant tones of brown and gray. We even encountered a water fountain supplied by nature itself with fresh crisp water straight from the mountains. Read more
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National Council of Churches meets in St. Louis in November
Mr. Jim Winkler, General Secretary and President of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.; the Rev. Willis Johnson, pastor, Wellspring Church, Ferguson, MO; the Rev. Robert Welsh, ecumenical officer of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and, the Rev. Kathryn Lohre, ecumenical officer for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and immediate past-president of the NCC joined other members of the NCC at the board meeting in St. Louis in issuing a statement about the racially charged unrest in Ferguson.
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Foundation strong going into 2015
 Looking ahead to 2015, the Christian Church Foundation is the strongest it has been in its 51-year history, reported President Gary Kidwell to the Board of Directors. Gifts through the first nine months of the year topped $4.2 million and $16 million has been deposited in accounts owned by ministry partners.
More information
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Chautauqua Institution has distinct Disciple flavor
For almost 140 years Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has had a presence on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution which is located on beautiful Lake Chautauqua just east of Erie and south of Buffalo NY. During the nine-week summer session the Disciples' houses serve over 350 guests, providing affordable housing, a comfortable place to prepare meals and enjoy friendships in close proximity to the amphitheater where many of the programs are scheduled.
The Chautauqua Association of Disciples of Christ has a new web site at www.chautauquadisciples.org. On the web site there are links to learn more about the Disciples' houses, the new Graybiel House, the Chautauqua Institution and the calendar of events for 2015. There are several videos with great pictures and information.
The hosts at the Disciples houses are Betty and David Lollis. If you are interested in registering for a week in the 2015 season please contact them at Chautauqua.DOC@msn.com Disciples housing is affordable and children are welcome.
Each week of the season has a different theme which last summer included a week with Ken Burns and his current projects. Each week there are two or three symphony concerts; each day religion department lectures by theologians such as Bishop Spong, Karen Armstrong, John Dominic Crossan; recreation on the shores of Lake Chautauqua and many visual and performing arts.
In a recent article Bishop John Shelby Spong said: "I admire Chautauqua's dedication to expand knowledge. I appreciate its religious vocation to put religion in general and Christianity in particular into dialogue with truth arising from any and all other sources. As such, Chautauqua lives out in a very public way my ambition for every Christian Church, namely to be a place where life is celebrated, where knowledge is sought, where the arts are acknowledged and where faith is Relevant."
The Disciples' presence at Chautauqua has been a well kept secret within the denomination for too long. We invite you to go to the website and explore.
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 Events |
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An Appalachian Advent at Christmount
Pacific School of Religion's new Master of Arts in Social Transformation - online information session, Dec. 1
NYC church to host concert of Chopin with Brazilian jazz flair to benefit arts program Dec. 6
Mid-America Center for Ministry offers introductory ministry class in January
Women and Worship Conference: Finding Our Voices, Expressing Our Vision, Jan. 13-14, Tulsa
Phillips' Re-Mind and Re-New conference, Tulsa, Jan. 14-15
Disciples Development Conference, Orlando FLJan 21-23
Christianity21 conference, Phoenix
Jan. 22-24
Upper Midwest ministers' institute on human rights, Newton, IA Jan. 26-28
Children Worship & Wonder Story Teller Training, Florence AL Feb. 6-8
And the Children Shall Lead UCC faith formation model training, Chapel Hill, NC
Feb. 21-22
Black Ministers Retreat, March 3-5, Montgomery, AL
Children Worship & Wonder Story Teller Training, Germantown TN Mar 6-8
Children Worship & Wonder Story Teller Training, Guyton GA Mar.13-15
Progressive Youth Ministry conference, Chicago
Mar. 19-21
Faith Forward ecumenical youth, children workshop, Chicago Apr. 20-23
Association of Disciples Musicians, Liberty, MO, June 23-28
Find more events on the calendar hosted by Chalice Press
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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 28, 2014 |
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