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The Blessing Box Turns 50
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For its 50th birthday the Blessing Box is getting a new look!
The new Blessing Box will be easier to assemble and will feature
the new ICWF logo. It will be available from Christian Board
of Publication beginning with General Assembly in October.
Using the Blessing Box is a spiritual discipline even more
than a financial one. It helps keep a focus on gratitude to
God and on the responsibility to share blessings with others.
The amount put in may be a dime, a quarter or more. The amount
is not nearly as important as the discipline of regularly
remembering God's goodness thru the acts of dropping in coins
and praying prayers of thanksgiving.
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August/September: For 50 years,
the women of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have had
a special way to express their gratitude to God for the blessings
they have received—the Blessing Box. The Blessing Box was created
in 1953, the result of a dream of the women who founded Christian
Women's Fellowship. Jessie Trout, who was CWF'S co-founder and first
executive secretary, developed the idea as an over-and-above way
to help fund the wider mission of the church.
Since that time, blessing boxes have been kept in the homes and
offices of women across the church to enable them to express their
gratitude for everyday blessings by giving to others. Thanks is
given for a sunny day, a birth, a reconciling experience, a welcomed
phone call, a child's smile, a beautiful snow fall, a flower in
bloom, relief from pain, a good book, a safe journey, and many other
things. It is a way of saying "Thank you, God, for your world
and especially for people."
Has the Blessing Box made a difference? Yes! In addition to cultivating
life-long habits of thanks-giving, the Blessing Box has generated
millions of dollars in mission support. During the 1999 to 2002
quadrennial, Blessing Box offerings amounted to nearly $1.03 million
— an average of over $258,000 per year. This makes a significant
difference in the mission of the church at home and abroad.
DHM Reconfigures Staff
August/September: Disciples
Home Missions has recently reconfigured its staff to align itself
more closely with the Vision Team Report adopted by its board in
Nov. 2001. That Report asked DHM to develop partnerships to carry
out its work and focus on three priorities: leadership development,
congregational life and vitality and Christian vocations.
To be faithful to the vision, DHM president Arnold C. Nelson Jr.
has announced that current staff will be reduced by five positions
and has added the services of Lon Oliver and promoted Billye Bridges.
Meanwhile, plans are underway to call a coordinator of transformation
to assist regions and congregations with revitalization efforts.
Nelson said, "Though these staff changes were difficult, we
trust the new configuration will bring us closer to living out the
vision of the whole church."
Leader development is a piece of that vision. Because of the anticipated
decline in the pool of pastors by 2020, when nearly two thirds of
Disciples pastors will have retired, the Vision Report emphasized
a need to enter into partnerships which will facilitate recruitment
and development of lay and clergy leaders who can start new and
revitalize current congregations.
The Vision Report also sees congregations as mission outposts
for Christ's church. Without leadership, congregational vitality
is compromised. Therefore, the Report suggests a coordinated and
collaborative network of support and resources to help congregations
become vital in ministries of worship, discipleship, outreach, evangelism,
and witness through covenanting or recovenanting with constituency
groups.
Christian Vocations will focus on strengthening support for clergy
and specialized ministries while the Search and Call office will
continue to enhance its work with pastors seeking relocation. This
will both decrease the early departure of persons in ministry and
facilitate a climate of call throughout the church.
New staff configurations will find staff working within existing
networks of Disciples leaders, regions and congregations who have
a passion for and committment to the 20/20 vision, as outlined by
Disciples General Minister and President, Richard Hamm. Staff will
find themselves sharing great ideas from Disciples everywhere and
will be serving as connectors for programs, models and strategies
that work.
DHM commits to connecting people to the life-changing love of
God by developing partnerships throughout the Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) that strengthen congregations and leaders to make a difference
in the world by revealing the light of Christ.
Interim
Ministry Responsibilities Have Been Transferred
June/July: Recently, the Pension
Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Disciples
Home Missions (DHM) agreed to transfer the listing of persons available
for ad-interim and supply ministries to DHM's Office of Search and
Call.
DHM will continue the generous level of care which the Pension
Fund offered in this area to ministers and congregations in the
past. In this ministry which is new for the Office of Search and
Call there are other concerns to focus on as well. One goal is to
enhance the distribution of information among regions and congregations.
DHM also hopes to increase the denomination's ability to meet the
particular needs of each congregation facing a transitional time
between called pastors. Even more work is being done with relation
to liability and clergy care during interim times. The church is
in the midst of its own sort of transitional time. The church celebrates
how interim ministry has been facilitated in the past. DHM is seeking
ways to care for interim ministers now and in the future. In the
midst of this changing time the Office of Search and Call needs
the help of all involved; DHM especially asks for the patience and
grace of the interim ministers for which we are most seeking to
offer care.
It is in this spirit, we ask all Interim/Transitional ministers
with standing, who are currently available for ad-interim ministry,
to provide an up-to-date electronic ministerial profile for the
Search and Call system. Each minister will also need to complete
and provide the other Search and Call forms, as well. The latest
software program, which ministers use for this process, is available
for download online at: www.suran.com/minpro.
The Office of Search and Call is striving to be sensitive to how
such a request impacts interim ministers. DHM is also aware of the
great number of our clergy doing ad-interim ministry who do not
have direct access to computers. While significant financial and
staffing limitations at DHM do not allow for every interim minister
to file their Search and Call profile in hard copy form, there is
a present commitment to provide real solutions for those who have
no other means to submit their materials.
Any minister needing help with this process is encouraged to call
the Office of Search and Call at (888) 346-2631. Ministers are especially
encouraged to seek creative help through the resources of their
regional office, and/or the pastor of the congregation where they
are a member.
The Rev. Warren P. Lynn,
Director of the Office of Search and Call in Christian Vocations,
is a native of Salem, Ore., and a member of Allisonville Christian
Church, Indianapolis, Ind.
Disciples Men Make Pancake Grants For 2003
June/July: At the February
2003 meeting of the Executive Committee of the General Conference
of Disciples Men, $36,300 in Pancake Grants were awarded. Listed
below are the recipients of this year's grants:
- Disciples Men of Tylersville Road Christian Church, Mason Ohio
— $12,000. Funds will be used to build a deck, steps, handicap
ramp and sidewalks for a modular education facility for children
and youth.
- Disciples Men of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
of Northern California and Nevada — $7,500 Funds will be
used to landscape and paint a new dining hall at regional camp.
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Upper Midwest
— $5,000 Funds will be used for improvements at regional
camp.
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest Region
— $5,000 Funds will be used for multi-purpose building in
Gladewater,
- Texas "Jacobs Institute", a school, dormitory and
women's shelter.
- Community Christian Church, Marana, Ariz. — $6,800 Funds
will be used to install new playground equipment, indoor furnishings
and paint at their Children's Center.
Disciples Men raise funds in March (and year round!) through Pancake
Breakfasts, and then make awards for Pancake Grants. Pancake Grants
are given for hands-on projects that are to be done by Disciples
Men and that benefit, children and youth. In 2002 awards were given
in Alabama, Northwest Florida, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma,
Southwest, Tennessee, Virginia and Ohio. For more information about
Pancake Breakfasts and/or Pancake Grants, please contact: Carl
Zerweck, III, Acting Director Disciples Men, (214) 418-3675,
or Patti Bradford,
Administrative Assistant, Disciples Men, (888) 346-2631.
Keep Flipping Those Flapjacks!
Young adults plan pre-event, and activities for General Assembly
Theme: “Be Present.”
June/July: In November of
2002, a small group of young adult Disciples gathered in  Indianapolis
to discuss their vision for Young Adult Ministry, particularly with
regard to the upcoming General Assembly. With the support of Bruce
Fowlkes and other Disciple leaders, the group has evolved into the
General Assembly Young Adults (or GAYA) planning team. It has recently
devoted much of its energy to the planning, funding, marketing,
and staging of an assembly pre-event.
The Young Adult pre-event will begin on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003,
and will be held at beautiful Montreat Conference Center near Asheville,
North Carolina, with transportation being provided from the Charlotte
airport on Thursday and then back to the Charlotte Convention Center
on Friday (in plenty of time for opening worship). Breakout sessions
will include Spirituality, Social Justice, Music, Visual Arts, Eco-theology,
and Reconciliation, with an overall focus on ways in which to “Be
Present” at General Assembly. The approximate cost per person
will be $65, which will include transportation, lodging, meals,
and all materials for the pre-event.
In addition to the pre-event, the GAYA planning team is also hard
at work on preparations for activities to occur during the actual
assembly. Stay tuned for more information on thought-provoking after
sessions, fantastic music, and public witness opportunities that
will be finalized in the near future.
As most of these activities, including the pre-event, have never
taken place with an organized group of young adults, their chances
of success will be greatly increased by word-of-mouth sharing. If
you are in contact with a young adult coming to General Assembly,
please make them aware of these activities and encourage them to
contact the GAYA group with any questions at GAYADisciples@yahoogroups.com.
If interested in ways you can support the GAYA team in the funding
or implementing of these events, please e-mail them at the same
address. Also, keep checking the Home Mission Advocate, the Young
Adult Ministries page on the DHM Web site, and General Assembly
publications for more information and pre-event registration materials.
Sarah Green is
a member of Compton Heights Christian Church, St. Louis, Mo., and
a member of the General Assembly Young Adult team.
AIDS Care News
June/July: The 2003 Theme
for  the
World AIDS Campaign and World AIDS Day will continue to focus on
the stigma and discrimination that increases the suffering of all
people affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The campaign aims to help
people break through the silence and barriers to effective HIV/AIDS
prevention and care.
Live and Let Live is the current slogan. Last year the supporting
materials were aimed at individuals. This year the materials will
be aimed at organizations. Ideas for action, posters and key campaign
messages are being developed and posted on the Web
site.The e-mail address for the World AIDS Campaign is wac@unaids.org.
Have you renewed your partnership with the AIDS Ministry Network
of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)? Do you want to become
a partner in this AIDS Network? You can sign up online.
A $20 annual donation is suggested to support the work of the AIDS
Ministry Network. If you have questions or suggestions please contact
Kaye Edwards.
Notes to Clergy
June/July: The Office of Christian
Vocations is planning direct experiences with you at the General
Assembly, October 17 to 21. We have scheduled a meeting with all
ordained and licensed clergy on October 20 to introduce the staff
and services of the Office of Christian Vocations. Prior to that
event a meeting of special interest to women in ministry and licensed
ministers will be held October 18. At that time staff specific to
those ministries will be introduced. All meetings will be at the
Convention Center and the locations will be identified in the next
Home Mission Advocate. If you have questions please call (888) 346-2631.
These events are to include ordained and licensed clergy regardless
of form of ministry. Retirees are welcome. The staff of the Office
of Christian Vocations will be present. The Office of Christian
Vocations in Disciples Home Missions exists to serve all clergy,
active and retired. Our ministry is serving your ministry.
Contact Office of Christian Vocations staff, Danny
Thompson or Warren
Lynn.
Church Revitalization
April/May: Resources promising
church revitalization are numerous and vary widely in approach.
Going through a process to decide which program best serves your
congregation can be confusing and costly. A DHM working group is
researching as many resources as possible over the next nine months.
Out of this research we will be developing resource reviews, and
making our recommendations available to the whole church. We will
also be evaluating the effectiveness of DHM and
Church Extension's programs, "Faithful Planning" and "Claiming
God's Vision."
If your congregation has experience with revitalization programs
that have helped, we need to hear from you so your congregation
can help others. We welcome all ideas related to church revitalization.
Please direct your comments to the convener of the working group,
Billye Bridges or
administrative assistant, William
Culp.
DHM Partners with Pension Fund
Interim ministry support has moved to the Search and Call Office
April/May: The Pension Fund
of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Disciples Home
Missions have reached an agreement to coordinate the listing of
persons available for ad interim and supply ministries in DHM's
Office of Search and Call, effective April 1, 2003.
The shifting of responsibilities from the Pension Fund to the Office
of Search and Call is intended to enhance the distribution of information
among regions, congregations and placement candidates and to integrate
this process as part of regular Search and Call procedures.
Ministers, with standing, currently available for ad interim ministry
will need to complete Search and Call forms available online at
www.suran.com/minpro . The Pension Fund will continue to promote
ad interim ministry among current and future retirees.
Jubilee People: Centered and Balanced 2003 Christian Family Week
April/May: Traditionally, Christian
Family Week is celebrated in Canada during the second week of October,
beginning on their Thanksgiving Sunday. In the United States, Christian
Family Week is celebrated during the second week of May, beginning
on Mother's Day Sunday. However, your church can use these excellent
materials anytime of the year. The materials are not dated so you
can pick the time that best suits the needs of your congregation
and join in this ecumenical celebration of families. Free materials
can be downloaded from the Web site here.
You may also want to check out National Council of Churches of
Christ Family Week resources here.
Printed copies of Christian Family Week materials can be ordered
from DHM. If you have questions or need additional information contact
Kaye Edwards, director
of Family and Children's Ministries.
DHM calls new executive director of the Office of Disciples Women
California lay woman to start in April
April/May: INDIANAPOLIS —
A laywoman, former administrator and management executive, has been
called as Executive Director of the Office of Disciples Women. Adonna
Bowman begins this assignment April 22. She is a life-long Disciple
and is a member of Westchester Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
Los Angeles, Calif. She will give staff leadership to the Office
of Disciples Women, including administration and development of
general planning for the life and work of women in the congregations
and regions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She will
also provide leadership for general program planning and implementation
of Disciples Women/Christian Women's Fellowship Ministries in the
United States and Canada.
In the Pacific Southwest Region Adonna served the Regional Women's
Commission as communications director; served on the planning committee
to create a Women's Action Web experience for the region; and chaired
a Spiritual Growth Retreat for women co-creating and leading a workshop
on how to start and build women's groups and programs in the church,
with an emphasis on how to reach younger women. Bowman was director
of registration for the 2002 Quadrennial Assembly for Women held
in Louisville, Ky. She also served on the Regional Anti-Racism Team.
Bowman most recently completed the two year Certificate of Ministry
Studies Program offered by the Disciples Seminary Foundation, Claremont,
Calif., and the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, Calif. Completion
of this certification program qualifies her to seek ministerial
licensing. Adonna, a member of the Pacific Southwest Region's first
class to complete the two year program, will graduate on May 25.
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