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Disciple Church Extension Fund partners on disaster response for devastated Texas church
by Katie Marlowe, DCEF
 Within hours of a devastating fire on May 19 at First Christian Church in Lake Jackson, TX, Disciples Church Extension Fund Advisor Jim Michel received a call from the Coastal Plains Area of the Southwest Region telling him about the church's building disaster. As he had done five years ago when a tornado ravaged South Joplin Christian Church in Joplin, MO, Michel put his facilities expertise to work immediately to help the congregation. In 24 hours, he was on site to provide DCEF's Disaster Response Service which is designed to assist church leaders with the immediate challenges of securing a damaged building, navigating the worlds of insurance and construction, addressing legal concerns and more, at no cost to the church.
 However, before that, Jim was present to worship with Rev. Cynthia Myers and her congregation in their parking lot less than 48 hours after the fire. He asks, "Prayers, please, for the leadership and members of this church as we will examine what the next steps for their future will be." While an initial report indicated that the church was not a total loss, Michel reports that the damage is so extensive that it is unlikely any part of the building can be salvaged. In the weeks ahead, he will work with the congregation as they begin the recovery process.
Latest update - Day #3:
"I spent a day and a half working with them on what are their next steps. We met for over 5 hours after the worship service on the parking lot, in the rain. It was a lot of information in a short time but I think that they will be in good shape. Their insurance carrier is Insurance Board (IB) so that's a plus right away. I also did a walk through with the adjuster assigned to this project and he seems to understand churches as well as the quirky things fire can do, so that is a plus. Also, while there I met with the City Code Enforcement official and have developed a good relationship with his office. They will email me after any visit that they make to let me know if they see any issues. Lastly after talking with Joe Boyd with IB, I helped the church get in contact with a remediation company so that we can start getting the water out of the building and begin clean up. After writing all this I am beginning to understand why it seemed like I had been with them a week. Oh, I almost forgot that I met with the Area Minister and the Regional Moderator as well. All in all, a good weekend and a congregation that is extremely thankful to DCEF for having this service."
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Limited spots remain for NBA XPLOR in 2016-17
We still have room for one or two NBA XPLOR Residents for the 2016-17 program year. If you know a young adult aged 21-30 who may be interested in this transformative opportunity, please help us spread the word! The 2016-17 application has been re-opened for a limited time until these spots are filled. Learn more and apply
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Get ready for YOUR
Mission Gathering!
Use the videos and other materials online to brush up on the identity statement. You also might find the Justice Primer (8 pgs. with guide) and Justice Devotions (34 entries) to be helpful. Global Ministries also offers a new three-session adult curriculum called REACH.
Join the prayer effort and receive weekly prompts for prayer and action.
Find out more and sign up for information on the Mission First! page. You can also share your stories of mission on the Mission First! Facebook group.
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Oklahoma Disciples honored
 On Tuesday, May 10, two Disciples were honored at the Dialogue Institute of Oklahoma's 12th Annual Friendship Dinner & Awards Ceremony: David L. Boren, President of the University of Oklahoma, received the Leadership Award, and The Rev. Dr. William Tabbernee, Executive Director of Oklahoma Conference of Churches, received the Dialogue Award. OU President Boren is a member of First Christian Church, Norman, Oklahoma, and Dr. Tabbernee is a member of Edmond Trinity Christian Church, Edmond, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City of Dialogue Institute aims to promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among people of diverse faiths and cultures in Central Oklahoma area by creating opportunities for direct communication and meaningful shared experiences.
Thanks to Regional Minister Pamela Holt for passing on the photo and info!
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| News in the Church Other News |
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 Midway Christian Church a 'Cool Congregation' Runner Up 2015 by Heather McColl Midway Christian Church (DOC) is located in the small historic community of Midway, Kentucky in the beautiful Bluegrass area of Central Kentucky. The town is home to Midway University, a Disciples of Christ affiliated school. The congregation was pleased to learn of being selected as a Cool Challenge Congregation Runner Up in the category of "Sacred Grounds Steward."
The MCC congregation is committed to being a Certified Green Chalice Congregation by incorporating the principles of Green Chalice in decisions which come before the church. During the Earth Day Sunday worship service each year, the congregation reaffirms its commitment by reading the Alverna Covenant. Rev. Heather McColl regularly includes Creation in worship through scripture, prayers, liturgy, sermons and hymns and in special services. Read more
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You are invited to ¡Missionworks!
 ¡Missionworks! is an unique experience for pastors, mission board members, and anyone interested in mission to connect with the global work of the church. Over the weekend of Aug. 26-28 you will find out how to build on your congregation's existing passion for mission and receive tools for sharing about God's mission in the world.
¡Missionworks! will help you to:
- Pray - Discover music, prayer, and worship resources that will connect your congregation to life-giving partner ministries.
- Engage - Learn first-hand from international partners, missionaries, and Global Ministries staff about issues affecting communities around the world and how your congregation can work together to address these challenges.
- Celebrate - Hear the Good News of how the global church is making a difference in the world through your support and efforts.
Global Ministries is also excited to be joined by:
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NAPAD executive search closing soon
 We invite applications for the position of Interim Executive Pastor (IEP) for North American Pacific/Asian Disciples (NAPAD) Ministries.
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NBA & DHM introduce new affinity group
by Angela Whitenhill, M.Div., LCSW, Convener of the Mental Health Affinity Group, NBA
We are excited to announce the formal launch of the Mental Health and Congregational Care Affinity Group! Affinity Group ministries were designed to connect collaborative communities of Disciples working together on particular health and social service justice issues. In response to the General Assembly Resolution 1523, which calls the church to become a "welcome and support to people with mental health illness and disorders," the National Benevolent Association, in partnership with Disciples Home Missions, is carving out a space within the general church for Disciples committed to addressing mental health and mental illness.
With hopes to impact life across the church, the Mental Health and Congregational Care Affinity Group (MHAG) has three main vision areas centered on mental health maintenance and recovery:
- Counter stigma of mental health challenges to help cultivate a welcoming, educated, inclusive church
- Provide resources and educational support for Disciples congregations, clergy, seminarians, and community members
- Collaborate and connect with existing ministries, organizations, and initiatives
Read more
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If you are interested in advertising in future issues of the Disciples News Service, please contact Fred Jones |
| Events, Resources and Ministry in Action |
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 Events |
May 26
June 14
Aug. 7-11
Find more events on the calendar hosted by Chalice Press
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 Resources |
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 Ministry in Action |
Kids to Kids: Responding to the Flint Water Crisis
How important is good, clean water to your everyday life? What would your life be like without it?
This intergenerational guide is designed to educate adults and children on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan (and beyond) including background on how this crisis came about, connecting faith to actions, and ways to respond for all ages.
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You can find ways to plug into mission and more through these ministries.....
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The Disciples News Service, also known as The Disciple®, 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/
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The next deadline to submit news for consideration
in the Disciples News Service:
Friday, May 27, 2016
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