Connecting
Everywhere...Every Day
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PO Box 50998 Nashville, TN USA 37205-0998 615-298-1824 Visit our office at 4101 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205 USA |
GLOBAL VISION
-Gary Holloway
This month I have things global on my mind.
Globally, I was struck by statistics from Pew Research Center on the median age of Christians in different parts of the world:
Sub-Sahara Africa: 19
Latin America/Caribbean 27
Asia/Pacific 28
Middle East/North Africa 29
North America 39
Europe 42
Of course, these reflect the median age of the entire population of those areas.
Those of us in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are sometimes heard bemoaning the aging of our churches and doubting the future of our movement. But our movement is alive and growing in many parts of the world.
I do not want to be misunderstood. As one well over the median age of Christians, I believe God loves older Christians as well as younger ones. But in terms of our Stone-Campbell global family, what strikes me is the vibrancy and youth of our churches outside the West. If you were at our Global Gathering in Brazil, you witnessed that for yourself. You can see it again when you attend our Global gathering in South Korea in 2016. If we are to continue to be a World Convention, we must focus on those young and vibrant churches of the Global South.
What we need a global vision to see that God is indeed at work in his world. We see this not through statistics but by faith. And we rejoice that our labor is never in vain in the Lord.
To continue to promote that vision, World Convention needs your prayers, wisdom, and gifts. Please pray daily for this ministry and for Christian unity. Please send us your ideas on how we can connect our churches everywhere everyday.
And yes, we need your generous gifts. I hope you do not get tired of my asking for support for World Convention. Two passages come to mind. Paul tells the Corinthians, "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). All of us live each moment by the gracious gifts from God. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). I know Jesus meant that we should continue to ask our loving Father, but sometimes God gives through others.
Which brings me to the definition of fundraising that I was taught: "Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching others the joy of giving."
"The Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' " (Acts 20:35). Your gifts to World Convention will bless you and others as we maintain our global vision of God's work.
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 Daily Disciple | |
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Events are hosted by the organization within the listing. Please visit the accompanying website for event details and participation.
Notify the office if you know of an unlisted event.
April 29-May 3, 2013
Pepperdine University Lectures
May 20-21, 2013
Eubanks Institute for Missions Conference
May 20-22, 2013
32nd Annual Sermon Seminar
Austin Graduate School of Theology
June 5-8, 2013
Christian Scholars Conference
Lipscomb University
www.lipscomb.edu/csc
June 25-30, 2013
Oregon Christian Convention
www.oregonchristianconvention.org
July 3-6, 2013
Summer Celebration
Lipscomb University
www.lipscomb.edu/summercelebration
July 9-12, 2013
North American Christian Convention
July 13-17, 2013
Disciples General Assembly
October 30-November 8, 2013
10th Assembly-World Council of Churches
November 14-17, 2013
Eastern Christian Conference
November 17-22, 2013
Secretaries of World Christian Communions -Geneva
June 25 - 29, 2014
IDWM Quadrennial Assembly
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Sermon Seminar
Austin, Texas
Austin Graduate School of Theology is pleased to announce its 32nd Annual Sermon Seminar May 20-22, 2013. Known as a "roll-up-your-sleeves-and-go-to-work seminar," it has become a haven for preachers, ministers, Bible class teachers, and church leaders from across the country and various places around the world to enhance their biblical knowledge, work on their preaching and teaching skills, worship together, and be strengthened by Christian brothers and sisters.
Speakers include Bruce McLarty, Mark Hamilton, Todd Still, Allan McNicol, Daniel Napier, Todd Hall, and Eddie Sharp. www.sermonseminar.com/
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...join in the conversation
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The Stone-Campbell Movement:
A Global History - available now!
After years of work, The Stone-Campbell Movement: A Global History has been released. Order this comprehensive volume now from chalicepress.com. Epub and PDF versions also available at even greater savings! Encompassing the world history of the Stone-Campbell tradition, this book is the newest and most complete volume available. A joint venture of Christian Board of Publication and Disciples of Christ Historical Society, this volume is edited by D. Newell Williams, Douglas A. Foster and Paul M. Blowers. |
Click and Go to World Convention web site
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to our Everywhere, Every Day Ministry
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| ChristiaNet
April, 2013
Issue 118
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The Women's Desk
Come before Winter
Keats Island, British Columbia, March 11-15, 2013 
I don't believe I have ever traveled so far, by myself, to be with women I didn't know - but I sure am glad I did!
Come before Winter is a ministry of women for women involved in mission or ministry. It serves to provide space, time and structure to retreat..to reflect...to renew!
Oddly enough, I wasn't thinking I needed renewal. No spiritual darkness, physical health is good, work has been fulfilling, there are even some new adventures on the horizon. I went because I have a fondness for Canada, because I used to dream I'd be a missionary nurse, because founder Karen Alexander's presentation in Brazil intrigued me, because I wanted to learn from my Church of Christ sisters, because God's irrepressible nudge kept pushing me.
So I found myself on an island north of Vancouver to study Exodus and stretch into new friendships, amazed by the ways the common experience spoke uniquely through each woman there. And yes - I came away refreshed - filled by God's Spirit!
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to our Everywhere, Every Day Ministry
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GWC Service Projects
Hope Home & School - Mozambique
Kléber and Juracema Ribeiro write -
The hope of the kingdom of God, present and future, rises as a big challenge ahead of us; as a church, we work to achieve reaching the least-evangelized peoples and unreached.
As servants, we understand that when we engage in mission, we are sharing the mission of a missionary God, which is the beauty of the incarnation in Christ Jesus, who, being God by nature, emptied himself, humbled himself and voluntarily lived among us. The Holy Spirit calls us to serve one another by the passion we have for the gospel.
Here in Mozambique, we thank God for everything that is happening in our country, because we have seen the hand of the Mighty Lord sustaining us for the work to which He has called us.
Hope Home - On January 12, we married two young people who live in the Hope Mission, Anthony and Rabia. It was a moment of joy for all of us. Please pray for this couple - they are being used to help in the work of the Mission -
Hope School. On January 19, we met with all parents and the school year resumed on January 21. Many parents are still seeking to enroll their children at the Hope School, but now we cannot accommodate any more children. Please pray that the Lord will continue to use the school as a means of evangelization of children.
Church Planting - We ask you to pray for our national workers, that the Lord strengthen them and their families at the villages where they are announcing the message of salvation.
As a church, we have the task of being intercessors for the unreached ethnic groups. We praise God for your prayers!
Thanks for all the support you have given us! May the Lord repay in blessings on your lives!
EsperancaMocambique.blogspot.com/
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Acting GWC President Monica Fife has received permission from the doctors to travel. Jeff, Monica and Isaac Fife are getting ready for a mission trip to Mozambique if God allows by providing the resources. Plans are to leave Brazil on June 11th and go back to Brazil on June 22nd.
Monica will use art to teach the Bible to the children at the Hope School. She will teach morning and afternoon classes from 1st to 8th grade; the school has over 1000 students. Donations of school supplies (colored pencils, crayons, water base paint, etc.) are needed.
Monica will also encourage Juracema (Brazilian missionary), and she will work with the women's ministry in Nampula.
Jeff will be instituting the "Hands On" Bible College, for the church leaders. Leaders from the 72 village churches will come together at the Hope Mission leadership center where Jeff will be teaching.
Isaac will use soccer and other sports to witness to the school students.
We need your help to make this mission trip possible, Kleber and Juracema are expecting us.
BrazilRiverofLifeMinistries.blogspot.com/
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Harvest View Academy - Kenya
Nancy Phiri writes -
We wish to thank the Global Women Connecting ministry for reaching out to the third world countries and for your desire to help the little known institutions like "Harvest View Academy" who are struggling to bring change in the society and to help destitute children who are at risk of child trafficking and child abuse.
The total number of children in Harvest View Academy this year is 368. Non-residents are 350 and residents 18 children. Martin and I have dedicated our lives to help these children by providing them with food, clothes and shelter. We also offer them primary school education. We are currently taking care of 18 destitute children in our institution. 7 are girls and 11 are boys. Each of them has a story to tell.
The school has a small farm where we normally plant vegetables, tomatoes and onions to help feed the children. Due to lack of rains and access to water our farm has dried up and right now we don't have food to feed the children.
The dormitories where children are sleeping are currently in a pathetic condition. We have killed 4 snakes at different times in our girl's dormitories in the last one month. These snakes get access through the holes which stretch to the dormitories. The children are so traumatized and we fear that if urgent measure is not taken then we might have a serious accident of a child being bitten by a snake. We need money to repair the areas which have trenches and holes urgently. Note that the children are still using borrowed beds which should be returned this year as per our contract agreement last year.
It is very encouraging to know that you are all praying for us. Without your prayers it could be very difficult for us to move on and especially with the current financial strains and challenges which we are going through.
Urgent Needs (as of April 1, 2013)
-LEARNING MATERIALS, CLOTHES and SANITARY TOWELS
-FOOD FOR 4 MONTHS -RENOVATION FOR THE DORMITORIES
-10 BEDS AND 10 MATTRESS
Preparations are underway to distribute current funds (your gifts collected through the Office of Disciple Women). You may make additional gifts through ODW. Please visit GlobalWomenConnecting.org for forms (part of our brochure) and for news updates.
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United Reformed Church to Close
Evington Road, Leicester UK
It is with sadness we have learned of the closure of the Evington Road URC (formerly Church of Christ) in Leicester, UK. The final service is being held on Sunday 14th April when Revd Professor David Thompson of Westminster College, Cambridge will be the guest preacher.
The church which is 104 years old was very much involved in hosting visitors to the 2nd World Convention held in Leicester in 1935. Their vestry holds photographs of those attending the First World Convention in Washington DC in 1930 along with one of the 2nd in Leicester. There is also a wonderful sketch of the National City Church of Christ - Washington dated 1930.
Over the years Evington Road, URC has been pleased to have had serving ministers - Eric Hart (1956-59) and Stanton Wilson (1965-69) from Australia and James Cox (1975-77) from the USA. One of our own former ministers, the late Revd A Victor Smith came having served, with his wife Nellie, as missionaries in Malawi for 37 years. Nellie is still a member of the church and has continued to help with financial support to the churches in Malawi.
Items within the church are being made available to other churches where there is need. Historical items not retained locally will be made available to any of the churches wanting them. Please contact John Allison john.77@virgin.net.
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Korea 2016
We Are One in Christ
World Convention President Kang Lee announces 2016 Global Gathering to 300 ministers in Korea last month.
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