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Ohio churches take action with march
By Julie Cory with Vicki Lynn and Jodi Stillisano
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Left to right: Rev. Bill Meyer, interim pastor at First Christian, Kent, OH; Rev. Julie Fischer, Christ Episcopal Church; and Rev. Avery Danage of Kent United Church of Christ
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On August 2, 2015, members from the First Christian Church in Kent, OH, and 45 members from Harmony Springs Christian Church in Akron, led by Rev. Joel Engman, worshiped together and then joined with members from other Kent congregations, including the Kent Untied Church of Christ, Christ Episcopal, St. Patrick's Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church to walk from First Christian to SpelmanChapel AME Church about 3/4 of a mile away. The walk was the first step in a movement toward justice and reconciliation in the Kent area.
The spark for the idea of a march in Kent was a combination of events:
- the recent formation of a new Interfaith Alliance for Justice and Reconciliation in Kent
- a General Assembly resolution (GA 1518 - Black Lives Matter: A movement for all)
- a study published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer which listed Kent as the most racist city in NE Ohio
- the burning of black churches
ˇ the shooting in Charleston, SC (also noted at the General Assembly with GA 1539 - Charleston and Beyond: Terror, Intimidation and the Burning of Black Churches)
When they combined these events, the clergy in Kent felt they needed to make a common witness, to affirm that this was unacceptable and that it required a response from people of faith.
They decided that one thing they could do was to support the members of the local AME church as they grieved the loss of their brothers and sisters in South Carolina by symbolically walking with them and by worshiping with them. The idea of a march was put forth at First Christian Church on a Sunday morning and shared with other clergy and congregations. In a short time the march was organized and about 400 people walked together to join the members of Spelman Chapel in worship.
Next steps are being considered, and the clergy are looking for ways they can facilitate anti-racism training for the community. Several men, including Rev. Dr. L.A. Gatewood from Spelman Chapel, will be attending the Ohio Region Men's Retreat which will highlight the issues of racism and justice.
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The Reconciliation offering will be received in most congregations Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. Materials should be arriving in congregations after Labor Day.
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Find out more about Mission First!
General Minister and President Sharon Watkins introduced the Mission First! pilot project at General Assembly. Find out more and sign up for a mission gathering on the Mission First! page.
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DHM offers educational grants for Disciples clergy
Applications for 2016 grants will be accepted Sept. 1 - Oct. 31. Grants will be considered for events happening ONLY in the 2016 calendar year. It is applicant's responsibility to ensure application and regional endorsement forms are received before deadline; no exceptions. More info
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| News in the Church Other News |
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It's a go!
 A new printing of Chalice Hymnal will proceed in September as preorders have reached goal to make the printing feasible.Because this is a limited print run, CBP cannot guarantee that orders placed after Labor Day (Sept. 7) can be filled, so congregations are strongly encouraged to place their order this summer. Read full release
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Disciples Church Extension Fund and Hope Partnership seek vice president/chief financial officer
Disciples Church Extension Fund and Hope Partnership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Inc. are seeking candidates for the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. This position has been created to provide oversight for all aspects of the ministries' financial operations. Applications will be received through Sept. 18, 2015. Read more.
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General Youth Council applications open
 Applications will be accepted for the General Youth Council until Sept.15, 2015. If you are an adult or a youth who is interested in serving on the General Youth Council please fill out and turn in your application
. The next term begins January 2016 and goes through December 2017
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________
 Sharing living water: Disciples4Water, a group based at First Christian Church in Edmond, OK, signed a five-year partnership agreement with the Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo for joint well projects at the General Assembly last month. Pictured is Rev. Eliki Bonanga signing the agreement along with Janet Helms of FCC Edmond. Full story
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Disciples Women's Endowment Fund
 The Disciples Women's Endowment Fund (DWEF) was established in 1990 as the Women's Endowment Fund (WEF) to provide the opportunity to contribute to a permanent fund that benefits the work, both now and in the future, of women in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This fund allows women, both the donor and the recipient, the opportunity to make a tremendous difference in the shaping of the world to come through decisions they make today.
For information on guidelines and an application, visit the Disciples Women web page. The deadline for applications is Oct. 15. Grant requests cannot exceed $5,000.00. Funding categories include Leadership Development, Scholarship Support, Outreach Ministries, Faith Development and Women's Programming. For more information contact Regenia Smith, Ministry Associate for Disciples Women, rsmith@dhm.disciples.org
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| Events, Resources and 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: 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, August 28, 2015 |
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