General Youth Council to visit legislators

During the weekend of February 17 to 19, 13 youth and adults gathered in Indianapolis to talk and dream about the future.  More specifically, the General Youth Council planned for three church wide events  for 2006, '07 and '08. 

In April of 2006, the General Youth Council will travel to Washington D.C. to talk to their congressional representatives about tobacco legislation.  During this trip they will be meeting with the legislators and taking part in a media event to publicize the dangers of tobacco use for young people.  This is a unique opportunity for our GYC leaders to put their faith in action for an important health issue in our country.    

In July of 2007, the General Youth Council, along with the Southwest Region, will be hosting activities for all youth during the General Assembly in Ft. Worth, Texas.  These include "eye openers", youth-led worship and special interest groups during General Assembly.  Look for more information about these activities in the future.

In July of 2008, the International Christian Youth Fellowship event will take place at Chapman University with the theme, "Read the Book … be the movie."  This gathering for all Disciples youth will include several opportunities for youth to grow in their faith with such activities as a mission day, special worship services and concerts, and great workshops.  The dates for this event are July 24 to 27 in 2008.  Look for more information in the Advocate in future issues.

DHM Youth Ministry Commission initiates programs for churches

DHM's Youth Ministry Commission recently met in Indianapolis to continue its planning for work with volunteer youth ministers.  The YMC designed a training and resource guide that will be available in 2007.  The guide is intended to support the work of those who volunteer in local congregations.  The YMC is also developing an on going contact system that will send ideas, tips, "how-tos" and other information to these same volunteers.

To be included on the contact list, please send your name and e-mail address to jlawrenc@ dhm.disciples.org  Pastors are urged to send the names and e-mail addresses of your volunteer youth workers so they can receive these helpful e-mails.  The contacts will be sent on a regular basis, twice per month, and will begin in May, 2006.

Kansas Disciples Men model teamwork to benefit children

Disciples Men in Kansas are focused on the bigger picture: working for the benefit of children.  Last year, as in previous years, Kansas men held pancake breakfasts around the state. Their work paid off. In 2005, the International Day of Pancakes Committee awarded them a $4,500 grant toward the installation of new playground equipment at Camp Tawakoni, east of Wichita, Kan. Funds for the grants came from the hundreds of men's pancake days held around Kansas and  across the country. After receiving their grant, men from five different congregations converged on Camp Tawakoni, all focused on the task of installing the playground for the benefit of hundreds of kids.

How was this possible? According to the Kansas Disciples Men Web site, the men have a mission that is bigger than themselves.  It states that "Disciples men's ministries is concerned with 'Keeping the Spirit alive in Kansas' particularly for the men in Kansas. We are always seeking ways to encourage, promote and establish men's groups in local congregations."

So when Disciples Men in your congregation serve up pancakes this year, think about the children in Kansas, and quite possibly the children in your region, who will benefit from Disciples Men working together.

For more information on Disciples Men, pancake breakfasts, or pancake grants, visit the DHM Web site at www.discipleshomemissions.org or contact Tod Iseminger, (317) 713-2649 or tiseming@dhm.disciples.org.

—The Rev. Tod Iseminger, Director of Men's Ministries, is a native of Sioux City, Iowa, and is a member of Geist Christian Church, Indianapolis.

Disciples Men from Indianapolis provide Children, Worship & Wonder set to California congregation

Norma Jean and Karl Bosworth are members of Southport Christian Church, Indianapolis, Ind., and have been involved in the Children Worship & Wonder program for many years. Norma Jean is one of the DHM storyteller trainers who is especially gifted in helping congregations set-up and organize their children's worship centers. Karl is a master woodworker and has crafted hundreds of sacred objects for children's worship centers, including the one at Lexington Theological Seminary.

In the later months of 2005, Karl and other members of the Christian Men's Fellowship of Southport lovingly crafted all of the wooden objects needed for Children Worship & Wonder and offered them as a gift to another church. Several churches applied to receive this gift but ultimately the decision was made to give the materials to Casa de Oración (House of Prayer) of Fullerton, Calif. Casa de Oración was established as a new Disciples church in September of 2005.

Congratulations to Casa de Oración. And thank you Southport Christian Church!

We hope this story of generosity and commitment to children's ministries will inspire others to share their time and talents.

Fangmeier estate makes gift to DPF

Disciples Peace Fellowship has received a gift of $2,300 from the estate of Bob and Julia Fangmeier.

Bob, a former Executive Secretary for Disciples Peace Fellowship, worked as director of Christian Citizenship and later as director of International Relations. He was also editor of the Christian Action Newsletter that was sent to thousands of individuals and congregations. He led annual United Nations Seminars. Julia worked for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and was an active participant in the vital work of ending discrimination in public accommodations, schools and housing.

Bob died Oct. 1, 2000, and Julia died April 29, 2002. Julia and Bob are survived by two children, Deborah and Robert Jr., five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. They will both be remembered for their legacy of peace, justice and their concern for all of humanity.

Web extended feature...

Because of the Fangmeier's generous gift, we want to express our appreciation and gratitude through this article for their generous gift as a way of renewing the memory of Julia and Bob and for all who knew them.

Julia entered Yale University Divinity School in 1942 and was ordained as a Disciples minister in 1946. Bob attended American University in Washington D.C. where he received the Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Political Science and Public Administration.

In the 1940s, fate brought both of them to Cleveland, Ohio, Bob’s hometown. Julia came to serve as Religious Education Director at Heights Christian Church and Bob was working as a newspaper reporter.

It was here where they met through mutual friends, and in 1950 they were married. Six years later they moved to Indianapolis where Bob took a staff position at Disciples national headquarters, then the Missions Building.

Very soon they joined Downey Ave. Christian Church. A few years later, Julia took a position with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. She felt a deep commitment to issues of racial justice.

This job was her answer to the call of Christian ministry, and for 17 years, she was an active participant in the vital work of ending discrimination in public accommodations, schools, and housing. She retired from this work in 1984.

During these years, Bob was working as director of Christian Citizenship and later as director of International Relations. Bob eventually served as Executive Secretary for the Disciples Peace Fellowship. He was editor of the Christian Action Newsletter that was sent periodically to thousands of individuals and congregations throughout the United and States and Canada.

He organized and led hundreds of clergy and laity on annual United Nations Seminars conducted at the U.N. building in New York, and Washington Seminars on government, meeting with members of congress on legislative concerns of the church. In these and many other ways, Bob made important contributions throughout years of national and international turbulence and crisis.

In addition to their professional accomplishments, Julia and Bob were just plain and genuinely good human beings. They lived a simple life in their small cottage-like home on Campus Lane only a short walk away from Missions Building and Downey Avenue church. At evening meals he always gave thanks to God for the food and when finished eating he always thanked Julia for the meal.

Bob had three things that he enjoyed daily. He loved his cup of coffee throughout the day at the office; at lunch he routinely enjoyed a cheese sandwich with a Washington apple; on Sundays he enjoyed nothing more than sitting in his favorite chair with his pipe, cup of coffee and the Sunday edition of the Washington Post newspaper.

Julia was quiet and always soft spoken. Her voice, whether reading scripture or preaching or just in simple conversation, made you want to listen intently.

A member of her family once commented that Julia was one of the most gracious women she had ever known and she had never heard her speak an unkind word. Julia loved poetry and wrote many poems. She was a Letters member of the National League of American Pen Women, and served as President of the Indianapolis branch from 1996 to 1998. Julia and Bob were always politically active through the years and had become good friends with their Congressman, Representative Andrew Jacobs Jr. Rep. Jacobs commented about Julia to those who knew her that ... "she is a saint.” It was always easy to know why he would think that way about her.

Julia and Bob both loved reading books. Bob wrote two books; Danger and Hope in the Holy Land and Murder in Irvington. They enjoyed having conversations about a book they had read and discussing characters, circumstances and plots in the story. It is said that Julia and Bob were very loving toward each other.

Their love was inspiring and instructional for many others. In many ways their lives exemplified loving kindness and generosity.

—Garnett Day retired from Church in Society in December 1994. Day started with CIS as coordinator of the Coordinating Committee on Moral and Civil Rights in 1963. After that, he worked with National Impact, an NCCC legislative action program and as the Disciples representative to the National Farmworker Ministry. In 1985, Garnett became the Executive Secretary of Disciples Peace Fellowship. Throughout his period at CIS (predecessor of Department of Education and Mission under DHM) Day's position was that of director of Church and Community.

Celebrate World Refugee Day - June 20 (This year's observance takes place Sunday, June 18)

Each year, people around the globe observe World Refugee Day on June 20th. Congregations are encouraged to celebrate this year on Sunday June 18th. Resources to aid in your celebration are available from DHM's Refugee and Immigration Ministries Web site at www.discipleshome missions.org/rim/-select World Refugee Day where you will find links to:

1. RIM Worship Resources-Already available are Calls to Worship, Prayers, and Litanies;
2. Church World Service worship resources and a bulletin insert-Available in late March on the theme "Passage to a New Life;"
3. Material from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-Available in early June, but material from previous years are still available.

You are invited to use these materials during your Sunday morning worship service, in Sunday School Classes, or in other creative ways.

If your congregation has resettled a refugee, celebrate that ministry and reflect on the thousands of refugees still waiting for such an opportunity. If your congregation gives to Week of Compassion, celebrate the refugees you don't even know who have benefited from the assistance they received in refugee camps overseas. If your congregation has advocated for the rights of refugees, celebrate the effort you have made to keep the lamp of liberty burning bright for future refugees.