New Building for FCC in El Dorado Springs

On July 10th First Christian Church in Eldorado Springs held a dedication ceremony and open house for its new building. The festivities included a ribbon cutting, special music, much thanksgiving, and a resolution of congratulations from the Missouri House of Representatives. Here is Pastor Jack Daniel's message from a recent newsletter:

 

What are the odds of a tornado striking your house? About 1 in 4,513,000.

What are the odds of an asteroid hitting your house? About one in four billion. What are the odds of finding a 4-leaf clover? One in ten thousand.

What are the odds that a church which is 133 years old would be able to build a 3600 sq. ft. addition and be debt free upon the completion of the building? I’m not sure what the odds against such a feat are, but I know it is a rare occurrence. We are so blessed! We are so fortunate!

This new building provides a much larger fellowship hall for meals, programs, and concerts. It offers the pastors and administrative assistant new office spaces. And Oh My ! The kitchen is phenomenal. Did I mention a stage to be used for such things as skits, Christmas pageants, and musical concerts?

Thanks be to God for this huge blessing, made possible by a very, very generous bequest by Nadine Hansen, other valuable contributions, and a huge number of volunteer hours by our Church folks.

Recently Church insurance provider met with our trustees and among other things, he listed the replacement value of our new addition at $ 360,000. Folks, we have spent in the neighborhood of $ 210,000. How can this be? The answer is good planning, frugal shopping, and probably around 5,000 volunteer hours given to the project. How grateful we are!

I pray that his new building will serve the needs of those in the church family now. I pray that it will provide outreach ministry opportunities to reach out to individuals in our community. I pray that it will be there for our next generations of people who meet here at 300 S. Main.

Community Christian Church to Share its Facilities with Table of Grace

Community Christian Church of Jefferson City, Missouri, and Table of Grace, a congregation in formation in Jefferson City, have entered into a covenant that invites Table of Grace to “nest” in the Community Christian building on Ellis Boulevard.  Both churches are congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America. 

Under the new arrangement, Community Christian will continue to engage in all of its current ministries and activities, including Sunday worship, fellowship and Sunday School, and Table of Grace will continue to hold its weekly worship service and church dinner on Saturdays.  Rev. Coletta Eichenberger, Interim Minister of Community Christian, said, “Our Church extends an extravagant welcome to our sisters and brothers from Table of Grace to share our sacred space and abundant facilities in the continuation of their important ministries.” 

Table of Grace will continue to operate a ministry called “The Pantry” from the Community Christian facility.  The goal of The Pantry is to provide food to alleviate hunger in the short-term while providing strategic culinary training and resources to families regardless of income, religion or any other factor.  The location of Community Christian on the city bus line will allow The Pantry to better serve Jefferson City residents in need of food assistance.

In responding to Community Christian’s welcome, Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman, Pastor of Table of Grace, said, “At its core, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is about unity amidst diversity.  We give thanks to God for the opportunity to live out our Disciples identity in shared sacred space with our sisters and brothers at Community Christian Church.” 

Community Christian Church was formed in 1964 by members commissioned by First Christian Church of Jefferson City and has been in its current location since 1966. 

Table of Grace was established in 2011 as an inclusive community of faith and has been meeting at the former Rickman Center in what was the Regional office building.

Pastor Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Congregation

Congratulations to Rev. Dr. James Brooks as he celebrates 15 years with First Christian Church in Edwardsville, Illinois. Here is his letter to the congregation reflecting on their ministry together.

On June 12th, 2016, I celebrated 15 years of ministry with you.  I am reminded of this by my son who was born 3 days after my first sermon at FCCE.  I am inspired by the ministry we share together.

In 2001, our budget was $110,000.00 & now it is $330,000.00.  In 2001, we had a staff of 3 & today we have a staff of 10.  In 2001, insurance cost us $4,500.00 & now it costs over $12,000.00.  We have invested over $500,000.00 in our facility and land to provide for present and future generations.  We have given our staff at least a cost of living increase every year, including those years of the latest recession.  We have tithed to needs beyond our threshold.  

We birthed a contemporary worship service.  As a congregation we took the risk to raise money over and above the budget to fund a new worship service, to remodel our fellowship hall, and to change our Sunday morning schedule.  This leap of faith lead to passing the faith to another generation, just as we prayed.

Our traditional worshipping community has continued to be a rich liturgical experience.  This worship opportunity continues to serve a valued portion of the congregation from before my arrival to today and into the future.  We are blessed by this worship style!

Together, we have hosted 5 student ministers, sponsored 3 people for ordination, sponsored 2 people for commissioned ministry and have created our first full-time Associate Minister position on staff.  We did this regardless of orientation, race or gender for the table of the Lord is that radically open.  These are important ministries of developing leaders for the church universal. 

In 2001, our ministry to minors could be counted on one hand.  This year we chartered a bus to take 31 youth & sponsors to camp.  We are about to birth a JYF for youth 5th grade and younger to compliment our existing dynamic weekly youth ministry.

We created the E-Event!  For 3 years, we hosted a 1 day gathering focused on evangelism.  We gathered over 100 people from 25 congregations, from multiple denominations, to strengthen efforts to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We have shared our blessing of facility.  Over 15 outside groups use our facility each year.  We have hosted gatherings focused on closing the gaps in our community’s social safety network.  This in the midst of our own ministries who make increasingly higher demands upon our facility.

We have consistently celebrated 10% of our worshipping community joining our church each year.  This made us vibrant as we mourn the loss of cherished members.  The new members have diversified who we are making us more like the local community we serve.

In the midst of our shared ministry, I am raising my son, Joseph.  I obtained my doctoral degree.  I have served on a multitude of regional & general church ministries representing our congregation.  I have served as the chaplain for the Edwardsville Police Department since 2005.

More than all this, we have worshipped Jesus Christ and we have shared the faith with our brothers & sisters near and far.  We have seen lives & relationships transformed.  For this, I am most thankful to serve with you.  May God bless us in the years to come!

 

A Little Help from My Friends

                                        Photo courtesy of Becky Piening.

On Saturday, April 30th the Webster Groves Christian Church sanctuary was transformed into a cabaret for an evening of fun, food, fellowship, and A Little Help from my Friends. This musical tribute concert of Beatles music was performed by the congregation's praise band Wind of the Spirit.

The event was a fundraiser for local ecumenical organization Webster-Rock Hill Ministries which provides food, emergency assistance, tutoring, and other community support. Though the concert itself was free, over $1,500 was raised for the cause through the raffling of a Beatles box set, contributions for the refreshments, and general donations.

The following Sunday morning brought a 'Beatles service' where the removal of a traditional sermon time made way for several musical selections from the night before and brief reflections of their related faith themes. 

Bridgeton Fund Grants Awarded

The 2016 Bridgeton Fund grant applications have been reviewed by the trustees and the following grants have been awarded:

Abbey Road CC - $5,000.00 for campus ministry
FCC Poplar Bluff - $5,000 for boiler repair
Liberation CC - $5,000 for a shortfall in funding
Millersburg CC - $6,399 for roof replacement
Webster Groves CC - $2,000 for Hope Partnership Journey

This total of $23,399.00 was available for distribution based on the fund's policy. Unfortunately, market performance had a negative impact and not all congregational requests could be met.

Find more information about the Bridgeton Fund on the Southeast Gateway webpage. Applications will be accepted again in December.

Youth Spaghetti Supper at FCC in Edwardsville Raises Funds for Hospital

First Christian Church in Edwardsville held its annual youth spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Sunday, March 13th.  It was great to see the youth working together and having fun while raising money for Children's Hospital.  Thank you to all of the parents and youth that worked so hard to make this event successful.  We would also like to thank those who joined us and those that donated food for the dinner.  Together we raised $710 for Children's Hospital in St. Louis.  The youth will use these funds to purchase needed items and will deliver them to Children's Hospital very soon.

Story and photos courtesy of Associate Minister Jeff Wrigley. 

Building Bridges and Friendships in Cape Girardeau

On March 6th, Abbey Road Christian Church in Cape Girardeau hosted an Interfaith event called “Building Bridges and Friendships” with our local Islamic Center.  The event was designed to establish positive relationships with our local Muslim neighbors through a potluck meal and dialogue.  We had over 50 people attend from both communities and had a fabulous feast of great variety. 

Following the meal, we honored the Islamic call to prayer with both traditions praying in their respective ways.  Our dialogue time consisted of three topics with a presenter on each topic from each tradition.  The topics were:

  1. Is the ‘other’ my neighbor?
  2. Misunderstandings and Truth
  3. How I live out my Faith

This gathering was a great success in every way and both traditions felt they had learned much and grown in appreciation of the other.  We plan to have a follow-up in a similar fashion hosted by the Islamic Center.

Story and photo courtesy of ARCC Transitional Minister Ron Routledge.

Reconciliation Grants Available

We are all aware of the fact that Racism exists. Technology has finally made it impossible to deny. We have seen it with our own eyes, no more doubt that people of color are treated differently.

Church, we need to stop being silent, sitting on the sidelines watching our brothers and sisters face injustice day after day.

Racism is a sin that hurts everyone, the targets of injustice, those acting unjustly, and those who just let it continue by inaction.  It is a learned attitude and a system of privilege that stacks the deck against some women, men and children, making life much more difficult than it has to be.  The Gospel compels us to actively care for those who are marginalized, oppressed, and are in positions of little power in the system. 

All over Mid America Region our congregations are asking – WHAT CAN WE DO?

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America supports projects sponsored or co-sponsored by Disciples congregations that address root causes of racism and foster reconciliation. We support you with prayer, and with resources including reconciliation project grants.

We have a brochure with information about Reconciliation Ministries, recent projects in Mid-America, and how to make contact.  You can find the application form and application scoring guide used to prioritize grants as well as worship bulletin inserts that can be customized to get Reconciliation project ideas from your worshiping community. All these documents are available for download here.

Dismantling racism can seem an insurmountable task but even small projects that develop positive relationships can make a big impact. Not sitting idly by can spark the interest of youth and younger adults, teach our children, and send a message to our communities that we follow Christ who said to love one another and show special care for those who need it most, the powerless, the abused, the ones whose lives don’t seem to matter. 

If you have an idea, apply for funding.

Remember, half of the money raised each year in the fall Reconciliation offering comes right back to our region for these grants, so give generously. 

Commission on Mission and Unity,Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mid-America

Backstage Faith - New Campus Ministry of Abbey Road Christian Church

It started with a simple question during a college Sunday School class. All the students in the class were theater majors at Southeast Missouri State University.  “How do we get your friends here?” The answer was a resounding, “You won’t.”  Theater majors tend to be night owls who really don’t start their day until noon or later. Further complicating the issue, many theater majors have been rejected by the church for being different. It's hard to get them into a church building. So the proposal was made that we should have a Bible study on campus. One phone call to the college asking for space to have a Bible study told the pastor that that was out of the question. Separation of church and state wouldn’t allow it.

The college class settled on a 10PM Thursday time and began looking for a coffee house or pub or business that would let them meet at that late hour. As word began to spread that a new campus ministry, liberal in nature, that targets theater majors was looking for space, business owners started coming forward to offer help. Abbey Road Christian Church wound up with a satellite location (15 Spanish St) in downtown and Backstage Faith was launched on November 6, 2015. The first two meetings have been very successful.

The basic core values of Backstage Faith are acceptance not judgment, faith not religion, and love beyond fear.  We ask college students to accept acceptance, reclaim and build their faith, and make this world a more beautiful place.

 Rev. Randy Cook is the campus minister and he has office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 1PM to 5PM at the downtown location. If your church has a connection with a Disciples college student on the SEMO campus, please call the church (573)335-3422 with contact information. If anyone would like to donate to help this cause please make your checks to Abbey Road Christian Church for Backstage Faith.  

Story and photos courtesy of Randy Cook.

Christian Ministries Scholarships Awarded

 

This semester's Christian Ministries Scholarships have been awarded for four individuals pursuing theological education. Read about their programs of study and their messages of appreciation below.

 

 

 

 

Linda James is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Phillips Theological Seminary.

I am so grateful to Christian Ministries Scholarship Fund f or granting me the scholarship to relieve the financial burden of my D Min work this year. I am so humbled to be chosen for this help and you faith in my dream to complete this degree. I believe this degree is a very important component to answering God's call to ministry.

Matthew Limback is pursuing a Master of Arts at Phillips Theological Seminary.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the Disciples Women of Mid-America and the Christian Ministries Scholarship Fund for their generous support during my seminary career. As I approach the last two semesters of my time at Phillips Theological Seminary, it is humbling to realize all of those who have given so that I could not only attend seminary but do so without substantial debt. Disciples have long valued education and have seen it as a tool to both understand scripture and follow the path of Christ. Through this scholarship as well as many others, I am able to not only seek ordination but continue to serve in rural Missouri where I feel so called. I am proud to be part of a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world” and truly blessed to be a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ in Mid-America).

Heather Patten is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Lexington Theological Seminary.

I am so grateful for the assistance the CMSF is providing toward my theological education. Thank you very much.

Geoffrey Weinman is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Phillips Theological Seminary.

I want to give my utmost appreciation to the CMSF for their support of me for the last three years.  The journey to be a seminary educated person is not an easy one, but with the help of CMSF that burden has been lighter.  The love and care that is shown by supporting future ministers of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one that can often go unnoticed by those who are not completely in the know, but it is a great help for the greater church.  As I wrap my seminary education I can honestly say the support I have received and felt from the CMSF has carried me, allowed me to flourish and to realize my call of being an active participant in God’s creation.  

Learn more about the Christian Ministries Scholarship Fund and how to support it here.

Broadway Christian Church Open & Affirming

After a year-long process of study, discernment, and discussion, Broadway Christian Church members voted to be an open and affirming congregation.

 

Immediate changes include the adoption of a new welcoming statement:

The congregation of Broadway Christian Church proclaims that we are a place of welcome to all, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance, socioeconomic background, criminal history, or theological perspective. We welcome all to this congregation, to Christ's table, and to service within the church. We recognize the faith, baptism and spiritual gifts of all Christians and those yearning to know Christ and celebrate that we are all children of God, striving to do God's will. 

The recent vote also provides authorization to conduct same sex unions at the church.

The congregation will be taking a look at its personnel policies, amending them to make sure that they are nondiscriminatory when it comes to matters of gender orientation and sexual orientation. 

Read more about the process in their October newsletter here.

Rickman Center Sold - A Letter from our Moderator

With mixed emotions, I write to report to you that the sale of the Rickman Center property closed on September 22.  As some of you may already know, the property was sold to a Jefferson City group of companies: The Farmers Companies.  The Farmers are a very highly regarded business in Jefferson City, who operate the quarry across the highway from Rickman (among other enterprises), and who are well known locally for their community-mindedness.  As we understand it, the Farmers plan to use the fifty acres closest to the highway for some aspect of their business operation, but will be donating the remaining 150 acres (including the main campus with all the buildings) to an international non-profit organization: Halo Worldwide, which has programs in Jefferson City.  Here is link to their main webpage, and then a link to their Jefferson City program:

https://haloworldwide.org/

https://haloworldwide.org/jefferson-city-mo/

Our understanding is that Halo plans to use the Rickman lodge as transitional housing for homeless and at risk teens.  They are continuing all existing leases, which means that our own Disciples' congregation, Table of Grace, will continue operating on site.  Halo will likely be hosting camps during the Summer, potentially including some of ours.  It appears there will be many opportunities for synergy to develop between Mid-America Disciples, including our local Jefferson City congregations, and Halo.

The Farmers made a full price (as professionally appraised) offer of $1.1 million, which was accepted.  Because there were initial direct conversations with the Farmers, we did not have to list the property with a commercial real estate agent (saving about $75,000).  Further, we had been advised to expect the sale to take 2-5 years.

Many of you will remember that Sara Reiter, Second Vice Moderator, led a Property Task Force (Gene Hilton, Scott Fritz and Judy Ridlen), which studied the possible options for Rickman in 2013-2014.  They recommended that CCMA sell the property, which was approved in 2014 first by the CCMA Executive Committee, then by the Council of Areas, and finally by the CCMA Regional Assembly in St. Louis.  In early 2015, a Sale Task Force (Gene Hilton, Joy Faires, Paul Ratcliffe, Nike Thompson and Leon Whitney) began to work on the process of selling Rickman, which led to the result described above.

Given our difficult decision to sell the Rickman property, this is a very positive outcome.  One million dollars will be transferred to the Christian Church Foundation to an unrestricted account, the Rickman Legacy Fund, which will be invested as if it were an endowment (meaning the principal will remain untouched and grow), with 75% of the annual distribution flowing to Mid-America youth and outdoor ministries, and 25% to Mid-America leadership development.  After deducting the costs of the sale, the remaining $100,000 will be transferred to the CCMA operating reserve (what we used to call the "historical fund").  Our regional operating reserve (a bit like a household's "rainy day" fund) had diminished to a level that was much less than optimal.  This will restore the region to a sound fiscal position.  The distribution of funds just described was approved by the CCMA Executive Committee and the Council of Areas this Summer, and our Regional Assembly in October will be asked to affirm these decisions.

Many years of wonderful ministry occurred at the Rickman Center.  Thanks be to God for all those years!  May we all look forward to continuing and renewing these ministries in new ways, and to creating and nurturing many new ones.

Guy Adams
Mid-America Moderator

Table of Grace Member Receives Scholarship to Eureka College

Matthew Capestro of St. Louis and William Compton of Independence, Ky. received Disciples Leadership Program scholarships to attend Eureka College this fall. 

The full-tuition, four-year scholarships are awarded to two freshmen each year based on membership in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), leadership, academic excellence and the commitment to explore during college a life of faith-based servant leadership. Fellows receive two on-site mentorships exploring service anywhere in the world. The program accepts students from all majors. 

Capestro is majoring in philosophy and religion.  He is a son of Richard and Nancy Capestro of Tipton, Mo. He attended Table of Grace church, Jefferson City, Mo., where he began a music ministry and planned themed services. He later was a resident at the Christian Church’s National Benevolent Association XPLOR 10-month program for young adults exploring careers in Christian service. He is active in LGBTQ support and advocacy groups and helped form a faith-based LGBTQ group in Ferguson, Mo. He formerly was a pharmacy technician for eight years. 

Compton is majoring in psychology. The son of Joe and Amy Compton of Independence attended Walton-Verona High School, where he earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average and was president of the senior class, Student Council, the choir and Spanish Club. He was a member of the Youth Advisory Board, cross-country team, Beta Club for community service, Drama Club and had lead roles in musicals. He is a member of Independence Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where he is a junior deacon, a member of the church board, performs music for worship services and is a leader in local and regional youth activities. He volunteers at a church camp, a food pantry and other organizations that provide food and shelter to the underserved. 

 

For more information about the Disciples scholarship, contact Eureka College Chaplain Bruce Fowlkes at(309) 467-6429 or bfowlkes@eureka.edu or go to www.eureka.edu/admissions/doc.

Eureka College was chartered in 1855 by anti-slavery activists who were members of the Christian Church. It is among 14 colleges and universities affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  It offers bachelor’s degrees in the sciences, mathematics, business administration, social sciences, fine and performing arts, humanities and education. 


End Racism Sunday, September 6th

Our brothers and sisters in the African Methodist Episcopal Church have called all Christians to participate in a “Confession, Repentance and Commitment to End Racism” Sunday, to be observed on Sept. 6. We write to encourage all Disciples to accompany our ecumenical partners in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the National Council of Churches and Churches Uniting in Christ, among others, in recognizing this moment to come together as God’s children.

 

This is part of a letter sent to all Disciples urging participation in this special event on Sunday, September 6th. 

Read the whole letter here and please plan to participate!

Christmount Christian Assembly Seeking Executive Director

The Executive Director oversees the total operation of Christmount, including:

  • Fund raising,
  • budgeting and financial affairs, 
  • public relations and collaborations, 
  • resource development, 
  • facilities,
  • programming, 
  • marketing, 
  • staff management and volunteer development, and
  • utilities management for private homes located on the grounds.

The Executive Director reports to an Administrative Board of Directors.

Christmount is a year round camp, conference and retreat center, offering summer youth camp programs, numerous year round adult conferences and retreats, and individual and family retreats. The ministry includes Camp Lakey Gap, a unique and highly valued camping program for persons on the autism spectrum. Christmount also hosts groups from all denominations, non-profit organizations and government agencies.

Christmount employs 13 full-time staff and up to 33 part-time staff. The budget size is just over $950,000.

Persons interested in the Executive Director position should contact Mr. Howard Orebaugh, Chair of the Search Committee at christmountsearch@gmail.com.

General Youth Council Applications Due September 15th

The General Youth Council is composed of fifteen to seventeen members (10 youth, 4 adults, plus staff) who meet at least once a year to plan, implement, evaluate the general youth ministry program for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  The General Youth Council seeks to be representative of youth in the whole church through a balance of gender, racial/ethnic background, and geographic representation. If you have just completed 10th grade consider applying to the council. Elected members will serve two years.

Find all the information, including how to apply, here.

Christian Church of Mid-America Seeks Transitional Regional Minister Team Member in the Northwest

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America
is seeking candidates for the position of
Transitional Regional Minister Team Member-Northwest

 

 Qualifications: 

  • An ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
  • Enough congregational experience to relate/resonate with pastors and congregations
  • Adept at forming relationships quickly
  • A team player
  • Good communication skills
  • Good administration and organization skills
  • Experience in administrating the search and call system helpful, but not mandatory
  • Skilled in communications
  • Availability for travel

A successful candidate for this position is one who has knowledge and experience with regard to racial diversity, and/or willingness to grow in this area.

To apply:  please contact

 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America
 Reverend Dr. G Mike Weinman
 mike-olaccma@sbcglobal.net
417-865-0850
500 South Ave.
Springfield, MO 65806

Application deadline: 

            October 15, 2015

 

Job Description
Transitional Regional Minister Team Member

             Vision.        The Mid-America Region is envisioned as a continuously
                                 developing network of relationships that includes broader
                                 and deeper participation by congregations, ministers, and
                                 laity in congregational clusters, learning communities, and
                                 shared mission and ministries.

            Mission.      The Mid-America Region’s mission is to provide resources
                                and support for congregations, individually and collectively,
                                as they seek to be more faithful, effective, and sustainable
                                in the mission to which God calls us.

Values.         In keeping with Ephesians 4:11-12, Mid-America Disciples
                      affirm the core values of true community (mutual support)
                      and accountability), deep Christian spirituality, and passion
                      for justice.      

Geographical location:  St. Joseph/Cameron, MO – relates specifically to northwest part of Missouri

Accountable to:  CCMA personnel committee and governance board

Ministry duties:

  • Communicate and embody the Region’s vision, mission, and values
  • Administrate the search and call system
  • Provide pastoral care for the ordained and commissioned ministers and their families
  • Attend clergy cluster meetings and provide additional support for the clusters
  • Be available for Sunday preaching and other relationship building opportunities in the congregations
  • Conduct ordinations and installations of new ministers
  • Be available to congregations for conflict mediation
  • Participate fully in Regional Minister Team staff meetings
  • Attend Regional Board meetings and Regional Assemblies
  • Attend Commission on the Ministry meetings
  • Provide staff support for ministries assigned to portfolio (by negotiated agreement among the team)

 

Regional Minister Team Member Bill Rose-Heim Announces his new call to Greater Kansas City Region

Below is a portion of Bill's August 7th letter to the Northwest Area. Read the whole letter here.

There will be new leadership coming to serve Disciples in this part of the Region in late 2015.
This week the Regional Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City extended a call for me to serve as their next Regional Minister and President for the 80+ congregations there.  My duties will begin November 16, 2015.
I will continue to serve here until October 31st as Regional Minister Team Member and NW Area Minister, assisting in helping to make a smooth transition for my successor.
The Mid-America Region Executive Committee will appoint a Search Committee soon and NW Area Disciples will be well represented.  The hope is to call a qualified ordained pastor to serve as a Transitional Regional Minister Team Member who will live in Cameron or a neighboring community and serve Disciples here.  That might be one of the pastors now serving in the Area.  A profile will be made public as soon as it is completed and interested ministers will then find application instructions on the mid-americadisciples.org website.
Should there be a gap between my departure and the new RMT Member's arrival, a plan will be published on the mid-americadisciples.org NW Area page that will provide contact information and instructions.  That information will also be shared by email and print so that anyone who is interested will have the information needed to receive the support desired.
The timing of this change is inconvenient to some of us.  On the other hand, I sense God's perfect timing.  We might compare it to planting time, when farmers' schedules are anything but predictable.  They do whatever must be done to put the new crop into the freshly prepared soil.
We will have opportunity to talk together in the days to come.  For now please know that I am grateful to be serving with you.  I hope to be preaching among you when invited during the next eleven Sundays. 
May the grace and peace of Christ Jesus set the tone for all that we do, experience and say, 
Bill

Christian Church of Mid-America Seeks Transitional Regional Minister Team Member

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America is seeking candidates for the position of Transitional Regional Minister Team Member.

 

Qualifications:

  • An ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
  • Enough congregational experience to relate/resonate with pastors and congregations
  • Adept at forming relationships quickly
  • A team player
  • Good communication skills
  • Good administration and organization skills
  • Experience in administrating the search and call system helpful, but not mandatory
  • Experience with youth and outdoor ministries
  • Availability for travel

A successful candidate for this position is one who has knowledge and experience with regard to racial diversity, and/or willingness to grow in this area.

To apply please contact Rev. Dr. Mike Weinman, Christian Church of Mid-America in the Springfield office: 500 South Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65806-3102, phone 417.865.0850.

Current search and call papers will be required.

Application deadline is August 31, 2015.

 

Job Description Transitional Regional Minister Team Member

Vision.     The Mid-America Region is envisioned as a continuously developing network of relationships that includes broader   and deeper participation by congregations, ministers, and laity in congregational clusters, learning communities, and shared mission and ministries.

Mission. The Mid-America Region’s mission is to provide resources and support for congregations, individually and collectively, as they seek to be more faithful, effective, and sustainable in the mission to which God calls us.

Values. In keeping with Ephesians 4:11-12, Mid-America Disciples also affirm the core values of true community (mutual support) and accountability), deep Christian spirituality, and passion for justice.

Geographical location:  Northeast MO – relates specifically to Northeast clusters 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

Accountable to:  CCMA executive committee and governance board

Ministry duties:

  • Communicate and embody the Region’s vision, mission, and values
  • Work with the search and call system
  • Provide pastoral care for the ordained and commissioned ministers and their families
  • Attend clergy cluster meetings and engage in a process of energizing and nurturing cluster development
  • Be available for Sunday preaching and other relationship building opportunities in the congregations
  • Conduct ordinations and installations of new ministers
  • Be available to congregations for conflict mediation
  • Participate fully in Regional Minister Team staff meetings
  • Attend Regional Board meetings and Regional Assemblies
  • Along with the other Regional Minister Team members, carry and lead a proportionate share of mission and ministry areas (as mutually agreed upon within the team); these currently include: attend Commission on the Ministry meetings, provide staff support for the Christian Regional Youth (CRY) and Region-wide outdoor ministries, supervise the contract staff for the African-American Convocation, and provide staff support for Region-wide leadership development

Why CRY is important to Mid-America

Ed. Note: The Christian Regional Youth Festival (CRY) is an annual leader development event usually hosted on a Disciples college campus. The CRY Cabinet, consisting of youth from around the region elected by their peers and adult sponsors, meets quarterly to plan and organize the event. CRY operates on the principal that youth are not being prepared for ministry someday but are being better equipped to engage in ministry today among their peers. Begun in the mid-1970’s, CRY has produced leaders who serve with distinction in their communities, congregations and the wider Church. This is yet another example of the many ministries that Mid-America Disciples support through giving to the Disciples Mission Fund. 

Dear Mid-America Disciples of Christ,

Why is CRY important to the Disciples of Christ Mid-America Region? I sat for a while and contemplated how I would answer this, because there are so many answers to this question.

The Christian Regional Youth Festival helps promote leadership in the church. It brings youth together on a spiritual level, it shows them that they are important, gives them a sense of confidence - not only in the church but in normal day to day life - and it does all of this while allowing them to have fun. Although I personally find all of these aspects CRY brings to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be important, I think the most beneficial part of the CRY Festival is that you are put in an environment where you can witness God in your peers and others, and grow closer to God.

In Genesis 1:27 "God created mankind in his own image", but before attending CRY, I had never really witnessed God in other people. We live in a world were evil sells. The news always shows evil stories, magazine covers preach about cheating celebrities, and even our school systems spend more time in history class teaching us about the evils of wars rather than the good deeds of our ancestors.

In a world like this, it's hard to see Jesus in others. But when you attend the CRY Festival, it's no longer a challenge because you can easily see the kindness, joy and love in others. So, is CRY important to MidAmerica Disciples of Christ? Yes, because there is nowhere else I've ever been or heard of that can demonstrate in four short days what God is truly about: love and acceptance of all.

Zach Pugh, 2015 C.R.Y. President