NewsWire to Migrate

To enable our readers to more easily access this NewsWire, we are migrating it to a different home at WordPress effective Oct. 1. At that point the only significant difference you'll notice is if you have your newsreader or widget set to a blogger.com address. You are urged, in that case, to change your feed to: http://wvdisciples.wordpress.com/feed/.

The move is to enable those who use Internet Explorer to more easily access articles as they appear on any widget in RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Previous articles will remain on the blogger site, but will also be migrated into the WordPress location. After Oct. 1, no new items will be added at blogger.

Hope this isn't too confusing. Those who only read the news on our website should notice no significant change. Please visit often, and download the desktop widget on our homepage if you want to really stay up-to-date. Other features will be enabled soon, so stay tuned!

Just a smile

Friends, it is not the habit of this webmaster to pass on things that come in the many forwards in his mail. For a day like this, when much of the world is in pain and suffering some high anxiety on Wall Street, I offer "A Smile from God".

Hope you smile, too.

--ed.

Bethany President to be Installed

From The Old Main Journal, Bethany College's online news:

BETHANY, W.Va. — The installation of Dr. Scott D. Miller as the 19th President of Bethany College will be just one of the highlights for students, alumni and friends as West Virginia’s oldest college celebrates an event-filled Homecoming Weekend from Oct. 3-5.

The festivities officially tee off at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 3 when more than 100 golfers are scheduled to hit the links at Highland Springs Golf Course in the fourth annual Hugh “Tiger” Joyce Scramble. Homecoming registration begins at noon in the Erickson Alumni Center. The Installation Ceremony for President Miller is set for a 2:30 p.m. start in Commencement Hall at the College’s historic Old Main. There will be an Installation reception in the Old Main Corridor from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and President Miller will host a Donor Recognition Reception from 6-8 p.m. at his home, Christman Manor at Pendleton Heights.

Friday’s activities continue with the annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction from 6-9 p.m. at Harder Hall. This year’s inductees are Edward Blundon ’66 (basketball), Daniel Swickard ’72 (football), Margaret Fillinger ’86 (softball) and Jeff Weekley ’96 (baseball). There will also be a men’s/women’s soccer doubleheader against Geneva College beginning at 6 p.m. at Bison Stadium. The final event on Friday’s agenda is the annual Homecoming Art Exhibit Reception, set for 8-10 p.m. at the Renner Union Gallery.

The events of Saturday, Oct. 4 open with the eighth annual Allison’s Run/Walk at the Cunningham Soccer Complex. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the event to start at 9 a.m. Dedication ceremonies for the newly-restored Christman Manor at Pendleton Heights are scheduled for 10 a.m. and there will be an Open House for the Judith R. Hurl Education Center, the former Bethany Primary School, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Registration and tailgating at Bison Stadium starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Homecoming Parade scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. Kickoff for the Homecoming football game against Thomas More (Ky.) College is at 2 p.m. with halftime festivities including the introduction of the Hall of Fame inductees and the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen. The Bethany volleyball team will host a triangular match with Waynesburg University and Westminster College, beginning at 11 a.m. There will be a live band concert at the tailgate area immediately following the football game with a Wine and Cheese Social set for 6-7 p.m. at Harder Hall.

Saturday’s festivities conclude with the annual Alumni Awards Banquet and Wall of Fame Induction, set for a 6:30 p.m. start at Commencement Hall. The Bethany College Alumni Association will present Linda Comins ’77 with the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award while David Jolliffe ’74 has been chosen to receive the Alumni Community Service Award.
The Rev. Dr. A. Dale Fiers ’29 will be inducted to the Bethany College Wall of Fame. Dr. Fiers became the first president and general minister of the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) when the denomination adopted a formal structure as a church. Fiers marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma, Ala. and brought Disciples leaders together to create the denomination’s poverty and race program. Dr. Fiers passed away on Sept. 28, 2003 at the age of 96.

Homecoming Weekend concludes on Sunday, Oct. 5 with a 10:45 a.m. worship service at the historic Bethany Memorial Church followed by a noon brunch at Harder Hall.

Rev. Thaddaeus Allen, on behalf of the Christian Church in West Virginia, will be presenting an affirmation of gratitude to Dr. Miller which is also signed by Dr. Sharon Watkins, our General Minister and President.

Bonnie Thurston: Contemplative Prayer Weekend in Pittsburgh

The Rev. Dr. Bonnie Thurston will lead "Attending to God's Presence: Contemplative Prayer in the Christian Tradition" at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 17-18. The seminar, which will include times of silence, will be offerd at minimal cost to participants. It begins at 7:00 p.m. Friday and closes with Evening Prayer on Saturday at 3 p.m. Advanced registration is required. More information is available by calling the church (412)421-2752, or visiting their website.

The program is underwritten by the Fred Rogers Memorial Fund at the church.

Disciples Men: Cookin' for Mission

The following release is from the Office of Disciples Men. A brochure for new program is available by contacting them, or David at the Regional Office:


Greetings!

For years, the International Day of Pancakes has been a successful vehicle to pair up Disciples Menʼs groups from across the country to projects that will directly impact the lives of children across our denomination. Disciples Men have answered the call to get involved in childrenʼs lives to make a difference. Now the Disciples Men are responding to another much needed call. Due to financial limitations, Disciples Home Missions has been forced to eliminate the funding that partially supported the budgets of four missions centers. The centers that have been greatly affected by this cutback are: Yakama Christian Mission center in White Swan, Washington; Inman Christian Mission Center in San Antonio, Texas; All Peoples Christian Center in Los Angeles and the Kentucky Appalachian Ministry.

The Executive Committee of the General Conference of Disciples Men, in February of 2008, voted to approve a transformation of this vital program and the distribution of funds. Beginning in 2009 all funds collected from the International Day of Pancakes will be distributed to all four of the mission centers previously mentioned. Since all four mission centers directly affect the children who live in these areas, the basic purpose of the program will not change, only how the funds are distributed. Pancake breakfasts are recommended, but not essential. Your local menʼs group can choose to have a fish fry, pig roast, yard sale or even a ham and yam dinner. Be creative in how your group raises money.

All monies received January 1 through December 31 will be distributed the following year.
Attached please find a brochure for your use to help promote this new and exciting Men's Ministry. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Office of Disciples Men at (888) 346-2631 or tiseming@dhm.disciples.org.

Anne Marie Moyars, Administrative Assistant
Office of Disciples Men
Disciples Volunteering - Disaster Response
General Youth Council
Youth Ministry Commission
Young Adult Commission
Scholarships/Continuing Education
amoyars@dhm.disciples.org
(317) 713-2666 or toll free (888) 346-2631
Fax Number: (317) 635-4426
Web Site: http://www.discipleshomemissions.org

October: Month of the Ministry

Congregations are urged to celebrate the ministry in varied ways, and to encourage the life of their pastors and other clergy in their midst. The Pension Fund has a number of good resources for this fine effort: www.pensionfund.org. Also, watch this site in the coming days for more suggestions from your Regional Church. Don't delay; love a minister today!

Worship & Wonder Training at LTS

A training event for story tellers for Children Worship & Wonder will be conducted at Lexington Theological Seminary on Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 15-16. Full information may be found at Disciples Home Missions: http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/FamilyandChildren/CWW.htm#events.

Global Missions Video to Air

In this age of natural disasters and injustice, it’s refreshing to be reminded that ordinary people still can make a difference in the world. That reminder comes in the form of a new documentary called “Connecting Threads.”

The video is the latest documentary produced by the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It will debut on NBC TV stations nationwide starting on Oct. 5, 2008.

“Connecting Threads” shows viewers how ordinary people are sharing their talents and time to work with others for a better world.

“It's not often that we have an opportunity to take a trip around the world in less than an hour,” says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, head of the UCC’s communication department. “'Connecting Threads' enables viewers to experience diverse people, landscapes and religious perspectives; while being reminded that the Christian faith is global in its reach and inclusive in its mission."

The documentary takes viewers to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southern Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, and the Middle East and Europe.

“Watching ‘Connecting Threads’ brings the voices and lives of our global neighbor’s right into our homes and hearts,.” says Jan Aerie, a spokesperson for Global Ministries, a shared world ministry partnership of the UCC and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In 2007, Global Ministries had a total of 147 missionaries served in 44 countries.

For additional info go to: http://www.ucc.org/connecting-threads/
Regional Note:
Currently, in our immediate regional area, WSAZ in Huntington/Charleston is scheduled to air the program Oct. 5. The link above will give you connections to the other area stations with email info, should you desire to encourage them.

Disciples News Service Update

September 25, 2008

SOUTHWEST REGION CHURCHES STRUGGLE TO RECOVER FROM IKE

Disciples are responding to the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ike in communities around the country. Week of Compassion has sent grants to several churches in Texas and Louisiana that took the brunt of Ike's fury. Last week, a $3,500 grant was issued to First Christian Church in Orange, Texas, and a $5,000 grant to First Christian Church in Lake Charles, La. More help will be needed.

"The damage from Ike will equal or exceed that of Katrina and Rita" said Dani Loving Cartwright, Regional Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest. "Many members of affected churches lost everything. We need your help."
In addition, Fredrick Nixon, pastor of Community of Faith Church in Houston, Texas, is requesting prayers and thoughtful petitions of courage and strength for the following: his church, the Coastal Plains Area of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Houston Association of the United Church of Christ, the La Amistad Love and Learning Academy and the Houston-Galveston community. To learn how to help, go to: www.weekofcompassion.org

RECONCILIATION MINISTRY OFFERING WILL BE RECEIVED THIS SUNDAY AND ON WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY

On Sunday, October 5th, Disciples will get their first opportunity to celebrate World Communion Sunday in conjunction with Reconciliation Ministry’s Special Offering Sunday. World Communion Sunday (WCS), with its emphasis on Christian Unity and Reconciliation Ministry whose emphasis is racial justice, have been brought together in this way because “the aims of ecumenism and the aims of racial justice belong together in the ministry of Jesus Christ,” according to a recent General Assembly resolution.

Resolution 0719, adopted at the 2007 Ft. Worth General Assembly, recommended that WCS and the Reconciliation Offering be celebrated together to encourage congregations to express the Church’s commitment to Christian Unity while also seeking God’s justice in addressing the sin of racism.

To support this churchwide effort please remember to give generously to the Reconciliation Special Offering, which will be received in congregations this Sunday, Sept. 28th and on Sunday, Oct. 5.

April Johnson, Minister of Reconciliation, has written a reflection that reminds Disciples of their identity and call to stand in unity and solidarity for the full inclusion of every member of the human family. To read Johnson’s reflection, go to: www.reconciliationmission.org/offerings/johnsonletter

PENSION FUND ANNOUNCES PREMIUM RATE INCREASES FOR 2009

The Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), trustee for Christian Church Health Care Benefit Trust, has announced premium rate increases for 2009 Churchwide Health Care participants. For those who were enrolled in CWHC prior to Jan. 1, 2006, health care rates generally will be increased by 3 percent. Participants who enrolled after Jan. 1, 2006 will see 5 percent increases. Persons ages 60-64 in either group, however, will have no increase in premium rates.

"These increases are less than half of the national health care inflation rate," said Pension Fund President James P. Hamlett. The Pension Fund also announced that Medicare plan rates will increase by 5 percent beginning in 2009. But premium rates for dental coverage will remain the same for the third straight year. For complete premium rates or to join the program, visit: www.discipleshealth.org

LIGHT A CANDLE FOR CHILDREN PRAYER VIGIL SET TO BEGIN

The Annual Light a Candle for Children 40-Day Prayer Vigil started earlier this month. Information packets are available online or by calling Connie Metts in Disciples Home Missions at 888-346-2631. The Light a Candle Prayer Vigil leads up to the Children's Defense Fund's Children's Sabbaths Observance, Oct. 17-19.

The theme of the national Children's Sabbaths Observance is "When Will We Hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Call to End Poverty in America?" For more information on the Light a Candle for Children Prayer Vigil and Children's Sabbaths, visit: www.discipleshomemissions.org/FamilyandChildren/candle.htm

CHALICE CAMP 2008 PLANNED FOR MINISTERS IN TRAINING

Space is still available to attend Chalice Camp 2008 for anyone who is preparing for licensed or ordained ministry, any minister new to the Disciples of Christ and those learning ministry in a new context. The retreat will be held Oct. 17-19 at Barbee Christian Camp in northern Indiana and will be hosted by seminarians from Christian Theological Center.

Chalice Camp '08 will feature sessions on baptism, the Lord's Table, weddings, funerals, ethics, and values and heritage. Disciples leaders will share information about resources such as Church Extension, Churchwide Healthcare programs, and Search and Call. Camp Barbee facilities, located near Leesburg, Ind., include a retreat house, cabins, dining hall and meeting rooms. For more and online registration, go to: www.indianadisciples.org/chalicecamp.php

STUDENTS ORGANIZE 'CONGO WEEK' OVER CONGOLESE CRISIS

The Division of Overseas Ministries/Global Ministries encourages Disciples to support "Break the Silence" Congo Week, Oct. 19-25, to help raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis occurring in the Congo. Students from 100 countries and 1,000 campuses will hold events, including films, lectures, demonstrations, and more, on their campuses dealing with the Congo crisis in October. Nearly 6 million people have died in the Congo since 1996. More than half of them have been children under age 5. Hundreds of thousands of Congolese women have been raped in the battles over the country's wealth.

College students on several campuses are the key organizers of Congo Week. The students also have organized "Cell Out," an observance that will take place Oct. 22, when everybody is urged to turn off their cell phones from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and refrain from text messaging. Many Congolese people have been killed over Coltan, a precious mineral that is used in cell phones and other electronic devices. To learn more about "Break the Silence" go to: www.congoweek.org/english and "The Cell Out":globalministries.org/news/africa/the-cell-out.html

THIRD FRED B. CRADDOCK SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN DALLAS

The Stalcup School of Theology for the Laity will hold the Third Fred B. Craddock Seminar on the Gospels Sept. 27 in Dallas, Texas. The seminar is entitled "Negotiating the (Roman) Empire in the New Testament" and will be presented by Warren Carter, a nationally known New Testament scholar. Carter is Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School. His work focuses on the gospels of Matthew and John and the issue of the ways in which early Christians negotiated the Roman Empire.

Among the topics to be presented during the study is the question of how contemporary followers of Jesus negotiate contemporary forms of empire. The seminar will be held at Northway Christian Church. Registration is $35 and includes a light lunch. To register or for more information, visit the Brite website at www.brite.tcu.edu/stalcup or contact the Office of Lay and Continuing Education by calling 817-257-7580 or s.brandon@tcu.edu.

EUREKA COLLEGE TO HELP TRANSFORM SPECIAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Eureka College, in partnership with the Associated Colleges of Illinois' Center for Success in High-Need Schools and four other ACI member colleges, is embarking on a five-year initiative to support Transforming Curriculum in Special Education (T-SPED), a collaborative initiative to enrich special education curricula. The project will be funded with a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

"Faculty all have experience in the public school setting and recognize the importance of developing collaboration skills in all teacher education candidates. Commingling the special education and elementary and secondary education programs will further enhance our students' preparedness for the workplace," said Debra Loomis, special education professor at Eureka College, which is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). To get more, see: www.eureka.edu/news/releases/fall_0809/specialed.htm

FOUNDER OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CENTER, DAN GENUNG, DIES

Former Disciples minister Dan B. Genung Jr. has died. Genung, 93, passed away Aug. 12 at the Pilgrim Place Health Service Center in Claremont, Calif., where he had been in hospice care. Genung founded the All Peoples Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Los Angeles, Calif., and the All Peoples Community Center.

Genung and his wife, Frances Ulrich Genung, catered their church ministry to all ethnicities, beginning with Japanese-American families when those families returned to Los Angeles from internment camps during World War II. Dan Genung later served congregations in the California cities of Oceanside, La Crescenta and Hollywood. For more, go to: www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=14046

'PRAYER AND ACTION' WILL ACCOMPANY GATHERING OF TENTS IN D.C.

With the "Gathering of the Tents" to take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Nov. 7-9, Disciples congregations and hundreds of communities across the country are being urged to plan local activities as part of a nationwide "Interfaith Weekend of Prayer and Action for Sudan." Over the past year, the Tents of Hope project has grown to include 330 cities in 45 states across America. The goal of the project is to bring an end to the genocide that has devastated Sudan's western province of Darfur, where countless crimes against humanity have occurred.
Since the conflict began in February 2003, ethnic violence has taken the lives of at least 200,000 people, mostly among farmers, who have joined rebel groups fighting the central government in Khartoum. For more, see: www.tentsofhope.org

####

Editor: Wanda Bryant WillsE-mail: news@cm.disciples.org

Your Global Ministries Update

Your Global Ministries Update: September 25, 2008

Disciples and UCC… together in God’s global mission

- Visit us at: http://www.globalministries.org/

Please download the MONTHLY MISSION STORY for your church bulletin or newsletter:
September 2008: pdf or text only or espanol
October 2008: text only or pdf bulletin insert format
To download the WEEKLY PRAYER for Sunday Worship, click here: Republic of Congo
Will you participate in the Cell Out for Congo on October 22? Cell Out

Connecting Threads DVD Series to Appear on NBC We are thrilled about the national exposure Global Ministries will receive when NBC affiliate stations are invited to run the one-hour version of our Connecting Threads video series during the month of October. Several have already committed to showing it, but many have not yet. The key is to contact your local NBC TV stations to encourage them to air Connecting Threads. The Connecting Threads website http://www.ucc.org/connecting-threads/ will have a list of all of the NBC stations, email address and phone numbers of the program managers. Information on which stations have agreed to broadcast it and the airdates will be listed on the website, too.
We appreciate all you can do to get the word out, and don't forget to ask your local station and be sure to watch it at home!http://globalministries.org/news/nbc-to-air-global-ministries.html

World Communion Sunday is October 5. Go to Global Ministries website for bread recipes, liturgies, stories, and ideas for celebrating World Communion Sunday in your church!http://www.globalministries.org/resources/special-days/WCS/

Congo Week – October 19-25. Congo Week is a global initiative led by students to raise awareness about the situation in the Congo and provide support to the people of the Congo. Congo Week will occur from October 19 - 25, 2008 on in communities throughout the globe from Brazil to Belgium, South Africa to Sweden, Kenya to Korea and in many other localities. Join with over 100 countries and in solidarity with the people of the Congo during Congo Week.

Click here for more information, including Congo Week Worship Resources:http://globalministries.org/news/africa/congo-week-worship.html

Report from Joint Fact-Finding Mission to South Korea Two regional human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) based in Bangkok and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) located in Hong Kong—conducted a fact-finding mission from July 21 to 24, 2008, in Seoul, South Korea, to examine human rights violations during the daily candlelight vigils that have been held since May 2. The specific focus of the mission was curbs on freedom of opinion and expression and riot police attacks on human rights defenders—lawyers, journalists and medical workers—at the vigils, which have been held to protest the April 18 agreement with the U.S. government to import U.S. beef into South Korea. The vigil participants have been concerned about insufficient safeguards to protect people from contracting mad cow disease, i.e., threats to people's right to health. Click here to read more, including the full report: http://globalministries.org/news/eap/final-report-of-fa.html

Bethany/LTS Event Cancelled

The Sept. 27 Elders Workshop and conversation at Bethany has been cancelled. We will keep you informed of upcoming rescheduling as it may occur, so keep your eyes on this NewsWire.

Reconciliation Offering Oct. 5

On Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, Disciples will receive the Reconciliation Offering as we share the cup of salvation and bread of life utilizing the theme "Come to the Table." Reconciliation Ministry leads the pro-reconciliation/anti-racism work of Disciples by dismantling systems that promote racism and oppression. The funds provided through the annual offering are used to empower each expression of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to critically and creatively engage in ways we take seriously our call from God to be one body, many members and many gifts. The funds are shared between the Regions and Reconciliation Ministry.

Please give generously to this offering that facilitates camps and conferences and education and training that opens each member of the Church to assume an anti-racist and pro-reconciling identity. For more information and promotional materials, go to: www.reconciliationmission.org/offerings

Men's Retreat Photos Posted

A few snapshots of the WV Disciples Men's Retreat are now available at our Flickr site. You can also access them from the photo panel at the bottom left column of our homepage. Hope you'll send in your pictures of relevant regional church events, too, or drop us a link to your photo page wherever it may be!

Lilly Endowment Program for Small Congregation Pastors

From Virginia Theological Seminary and their Summer Collegium:

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer Collegium, a Lilly Endowment project in support of small congregations. Twenty-five clergy and their spouses/partners from all Christian denominations will be invited to spend nine days at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, focusing on Body, Mind, and Soul: Celebrating, Strengthening and Sustaining Clergy Wholenss in Small Congregations.

The Summer Collegium takes place June 24-July 1, 2009, and applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2008 to be considered. All expenses for the event, including travel, meals, lodging, books, pulpit supply and child care at home are paid for by the grant. For more information and an application packet, visit our website at www.vts.edu/education/collegium or call Marilyn Johns at 703-461-1760.

Marilyn Johns, D. Min.
Project Manager, The Summer Collegium
Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22304
703-461-1760
www.vts.edu/education/collegium

Men's Retreat a Heartwarming Experience

Men from around the Regional Church concluded their annual retreat this morning with Holy Communion in God's great sanctuary, under a beautiful maple tree at Cedar Lakes. Watch for photos from the event to be posted to our Flickr site in the next few days. For those who attended, it was an encouraging time of growth in faith and fellowship. We look forward to welcoming many more of our brothers at the next retreat, Sept. 25-27, 2009!

Child Abuse Prevention Mini-Grants

From the office of the Executive Director of the WV Council of Churches, Rev. Dennis Sparks:

Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia
Announces Availability of Community Mini-Grants

More Info
- $1,000 Mini-Grants Available for Local Projects

Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia is pleased to announce the availability of mini-grants for innovative local child abuse and neglect prevention projects in the state.

The Good Beginnings Mini-Grant Program will provide up to 10 grants of up to $1,000 per year for community-based projects that use creative and effective strategies for preventing child abuse and neglect before it occurs.

Applications may be submitted by public or private institutions, schools and faith-based communities.

Grant guidelines are available on the Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia website at www.preventchildabusewv.org. The application deadline is October 17, 2008.

Good Beginnings Mini-Grants are funded with support from the West Virginia Children's Trust Fund, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the WV Department of Health and Human Resources.

More information about ongoing efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect in West Virginia is available at the WV Children's Trust Fund website, www.wvctf.org and the Prevent Child Abuse WV website, www.preventchildabusewv.org.

For specific questions about the mini-grant program, please contact Genny Ferri, Community Partnerships Coordinator, at 1-866-4KidsWV (866-454-3798) or email genny@teamwv.org.

Kim Bentrott, Mission Partner, Shares Story

The Region received this communique from Kimberly Bentrott, 1/2 of our new Global Missions partner team. We wanted to share it with you:

Hello!

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your faith communities for agreeing to sponsor Patrick and I as we leave for Haiti. It has been our honor and our privilege to start relationships with various faith communities around the country. Making the decision to work for the next four years in Haiti was very difficult for both Patrick and I as fear and the unknown clouded our call. However the knowledge that we do not go to Haiti alone, that we are supported and prayed for by your faith communities, that we take YOU with us to Haiti gives us tremendous courage. THANK YOU for that.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves formally to you all. Some of you have heard our story and can disregard, or file. :) But often we are asked, "why Haiti." The answer, of course, is never so simple.

I am originally from a small town in Kansas. I grew up on a farm raised by my father (a farmer) and my mother (a high school English teacher). Patrick grew up in Maquoketa, Iowa--a small town as well. His father has worked in the banking industry, and his mom stayed at home to nurture her 3 boys. Patrick grew up in the UCC, and first learned about the world outside of Maquoketa through mission trips arranged by his pastor. These were very formidable experiences for him. I grew up in the United Methodist Church and truly felt the presence of a Church Family there. We have always been so grateful for our beginnings--they formed the foundation of our life's journey.

I completed my undergraduate degree at William Jewel College in Liberty Missouri. Part of my undergrad education was spent at Oxford University, England--my first venture overseas! During this experience, I discovered the awe and joy of travel and living in a different culture. Patrick likes to joke that he attended most schools east of the Mississippi as he sought out his life's path. He started in Illinois State Univ. as an English major and did an exchange program to the University of Rhode Island. When he realized he was not sure of the direction to take his life, he took a year out of school to do a year of volunteer work.

After college, I moved to Washington D.C. for a year as a full time volunteer through Americorps. It was there that I met my handsome husband. We worked together at a medical facility for the Homeless of D.C. called Christ House--an outreach mission that grew out of the Church of the Savior. Patrick was the activities coordinator (taking the homeless of D.C. to such venues as the Opera and baseball games), and I was the medical assistant. Our year in D.C. was a powerful one. It changed the way we saw our country and how we interpreted our Christianity. We also discovered the incredible joy that comes through service. The friendships we found with such unlikely folks whose life experiences were so drastically different from our own were the most powerful part of that year. It was in D.C. that our path in life was better defined. I knew I wanted to dedicate my medical career to the under-served populations of our country and world, and Patrick felt the call to turn his studies to theology and how Christ asks us to be active participants in the world.

I returned to Kansas City to get my medical education at the University of Kansas, School of Medicine. During my time at KU, I was able spend several months in Guatemala on a Spanish emersion and medical mission rotation. Patrick moved to Chicago to finish his undergrad education at Elmhurst College. During his senior year, he spent a semester in Calcutta, India learning about Hinduism and about the Indian culture while serving in Mother Teresa's school for street children and in the home for the destitute and dying. As many of you know, traveling to developing nations has a way of completely wiping your eyes clean and changing your world view completely. The disparities in lifestyle in our world is shocking. Yet the experience of making connections with people of a different culture is overwhelming and intensely spiritual. Despite the differences that define cultures and populations, our simple humanity unites us. And the glue in that interaction is God. So in these experiences, Patrick and my passion for overseas mission was ignited.

The last 3 years of our life has been spent in Denver where Patrick has finished his Masters of Divinity at Iliff School of Theology and I finished my family practice residency. We had no idea that we'd be leaving the country so soon. Like many young Americans, we had collected a healthy dose of school loans. So our "plan" was to get jobs, start a family, hopefully sprinkle our lives with travel here and there, and put off our dream of living and working overseas until retirement. In January, as I was about to accept a job offer in Denver, Patrick called Global Ministries in search of a summer volunteer opportunity to do before we started our "real jobs." Instead, Julia Brown Karimu asked, "Well, how about being full-time missionaries in Haiti?"
Haiti. Wow. I'll never forget the day Patrick called me with the proposition. Even though there were a ton of questions to ask, even more research to do... I was overwhelmed with the feeling that our lives were to be forever changed. The decision to go to Haiti was not an easy one. Haiti is a severe country with frequent upheavals and volatility that rise out of its extreme poverty. Kidnappings, riots, hurricanes, environmental despair, starvation, disease. When it comes to Haiti, there are a lot of reasons to get scared. But God challenges us in ways that often that asks us to get really uncomfortable. Despite our fears, things started falling in place. We both felt a little "haunted" with events and interactions with people that lead us closer and closer to Haiti. And meeting with the Global Ministries Board in April convinced us that this opportunity was a must, something we had to try, had to commit to.

And now here we are.

Our jobs in Haiti are loosely defined. We will be working with CONASPEH--the spiritual organization of 4800 protestant churches in Haiti that is working to raise up the voices of these faith communities and instigate change. Patrick has been asked to be a consultant to the seminary sponsored by CONASPEH and teach a little. His main job will be networking with the many church partners of CONASPEH, allowing them to be better connected and better heard. I've been asked to be a advisor to the nursing school, teach public health in the communities we visit, and work in the medical clinics sponsored by CONASPEH. We will need to learn Creole, and we have a lot of learning to do about the culture, but the challenge excites us.

We leave for Haiti on October 28th after our week-long missionary training. The last few months have been spent moving out of our apartment, selling most of our belongings, traveling to churches and visiting family. We are energized by the faces and letters of people pledging their love, prayers and support.

So thank you, thank you for your relationship. Patrick and I welcome you to the mission we all are embarking on together. We are honored to be your eyes and ears in Haiti, to represent your congregation there. Together we are opening ourselves to the transformation that Christ has instore for us, and we all pledge our lives to the service of people in desperate need.

We welcome e-mail and letters. We'll be sending out a quarterly newsletter, but also will keep a more frequent "log" of our experiences on our blog (see below). Warning: I tend describe things honestly, from my vantage point... and from whatever state of human emotion I find myself in. You are welcome to pass our e-mail or our blog to people you think might enjoy the interaction.

Blessings to you and your communities. We look forward to getting to know you all better and to forging a friendship over the next 4 years.

Sincerely,
Kim and Patrick

For postings on musings and events in our life, check out our blog at www.kimandpatrick.blogspot.com

Dare to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Regional Minister's Gratitude for Good Deeds

As the faithful have gathered, I have impressed by the good deeds that are being offered to God by Disciples. The church is full of generous giving people. At our most recent Women’s retreat, the offerings were plentiful. They brought gifts for everyone under the sun! Through your sharing with the Disciples Mission Fund, you are making ministry possible around the world. And whenever disaster hits, Disciples are there (I commend to you Church World Service and Week of Compassion as our vehicles of grace to the world in these moments.) I know of at least 2 of our members who are going to Texas to help rebuild lives as a result of Hurricane Ike. So, I have been impressed. I am reminded by watching us in action of the song we sing at camp and in worship. It is true that “they will know we are Christians by our love” yes “by our love.”

Love,
Thad

Dr. Bill Allen to Serve PA Region

From The Keystone Online, Pennsylvania Regional Online Newsletter:
Rev. Dr. William Allen called to be PA Region’s Interim Regional Minister
After a summer of prayer and interviewing, the Executive Committee is pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. William Allen has been called to serve the Pennsylvania region as a full-time interim regional minister beginning on October 1. Rev. Allen served as the Regional Minister of West Virginia from 1988 until his retirement in 2007. He brings to the region not only his 19 years of experience as a Regional Minister, but also a deep walk with the Lord, strong Disciples roots, a collegial style of leadership, as well as pastoral and financial skills. Before serving as the regional minister in West Virginia, Rev. Allen was the pastor of Bethany Memorial Church in West Virginia from 1970-1988. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Bethany College, his Masters of Divinity at the Yale University Divinity School and his Doctor of Ministry at the Claremont School of Theology. Though he has been asked to come out of retirement, Rev. Allen is “a servant of the church” and is “excited about this new adventure” as the interim Regional Minister of Pennsylvania

Mission Partnership - WV Region and Haiti

At the recent Disciples Women's Spiritual Life Retreat, Regional Minister Thaddaeus B. Allen announced that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia has entered into a new mission partnership with Kimberly and Patrick Bentrott.

The announcement was made to coincide with the 2008-2009 study emphasis of Disciples Women, as the Bentrotts will begin service in Haiti in October (downloadable materials for the study are available at www.discipleswomen.org).

Kimberly and Patrick Bentrott have been appointed by the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ to serve a four-year term with the National Spiritual Council of Churches in Haiti (CONASPEH), beginning September 1, 2008. Kimberly will serve as advisor for health care and diaconal projects and programs. Patrick will serve as advisor for theological education and diaconal projects and programs.

Watch for more information from this new partnershp on this site, and arriving in your church offices soon, and please keep the Bentrotts in your prayers as they enter into ministry in this most distressed region of our world. Opportunities for you to visit Haiti will be made available later this fall.

Storm Response: from Church World Service

The following are excerpts from Church World Service Hotline, regarding the recent storms on the Texas Gulf Coast and also Haiti.

Texas Gulf Coast--(Updated 9/15) After leaving a wake of death and destruction across the Caribbean, Hurricane Ike crashed ashore at Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 13, battering southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana and bringing heavy rains and winds to a multi-state area. Some two million homes and businesses remain without power and at least 30 deaths have been attributed to the storm as it has moved northward, leaving a wide swath of flooding. In some coastal areas, officials estimate it may take up to a month to restore utilities.

Lura Cayton, CWS Emergency Response Liaison, is point person with local response organizations for CWS Texas and Louisiana efforts--from the provision of emergency supplies to long-term recovery training and recovery project development assistance. CWS’ Art Jackson is helping to assess needs in Texas.

Pre-positioned supplies. "In the last week and a half we have sent out huge amounts of material resources--blankets, Hygiene and Baby kits and Clean-up Buckets to both Louisiana and in recent days to Texas as they prepared for Ike," reports Donna Derr, CWS Director of Emergency Response.

Working in partnership. CWS works with local partners to ensure that people with the most limited means recover from disaster, and has a history of working with long-term recovery groups on the Gulf Coast. A CWS-Habitat for Humanity International grant helped families in Louisiana and Texas re-build following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

How to help. "These last two weeks we have seen an incredible number of urgent requests for kits and blankets. Our kit inventory is rapidly depleting and we anticipate many further requests over coming weeks," reports Derr. She urges groups to make CWS Kits and hold Blankets+ events--as well as support their local CROP Hunger Walk. "The CWS Kits are needed as soon as possible," she says.

Church World Service is appealing for CWS Kits and for donations to help purchase recovery supplies locally. Cash and CWS Kits, says Derr, are the best ways to help, both domestically and in the Caribbean.

Caribbean Hurricanes--"Since the passage of the hurricanes, our country is experiencing an economic and social catastrophe," says Polycarpe Joseph, Executive Secretary of long-time CWS partner in Haiti the Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice. In Haiti, four storms have hit in recent weeks.

"People have lost everything from their homes and have had nothing to eat," Joseph continues. "It is a situation without precedent in our history. The hurricanes have aggravated the already precarious life of the population."

Joseph reports that there are more than 800,000 direct victims and more than 672 deaths. About 40% of the agricultural sector is destroyed.

"The people need food, clothing, medicines, plastic sheeting, wood, nails, cement."

CWS is responding by supporting long-term partners in the Caribbean. The initial CWS response includes providing a grant to Christian Center for Integrated Development in Haiti for immediate relief efforts.

CWS also plans to provide material assistance (blankets, hygiene kits, baby kits and medicine boxes) to our partner church in Cuba, Iglesia Bando Evangelica Gedeon. Read more about CWS response to needs in the Caribbean in the Newsroom at www.churchworldservice.org.

Hurricane Relief: from Week of Compassion

Relief Assessments Underway After Ike Batters SE Texas

Week of Compassion is grateful for the many inquiries by email and phone about the impact of Hurricane Ike and WOC's response. WOC is making contact with area ministers in the Southwest Region and with local pastors and congregational leaders. Because many of those pastors evacuated in the face of Ike and because cell and internet service has not yet been fully restored, communications remain a challenge. It will take several more days before we have adequate assessments from our churches. Preliminary reports do indicate damage to First CC, Texas City; First CC, Port Arthur;and Northwood CC, Beaumont. The city of Galveston bore the brunt of the storm, and there are two Disciples churches (Central and Second) on the island. Orange, TX took several feet of water and heavy winds as well, and we are waiting to hear from FCC there. First CC, Lake Charles, LA, reports that 50% of its membership may have water damage, and there are sure to be numerous other congregations with members affected. Of course, overall needs from Ike are staggering. Several million people remain without power, damage in the greater Houston area is extensive and the recovery will take years.

WOC is also in touch with regional offices in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan about the impact of rains and winds from both Ike and Tropical Storm Lowell, which swept in from the Pacific days earlier.

We do know that Ike's impact in the Caribbean, especially in Haiti, has been deadly and very destructive. Numerous Action by Churches Together members are responding across the region, and Church World Service has issued a major appeal to its member communions for a shipment of kits, blankets and other material aid to support church partners' recovery efforts. WOC is responding on behalf of the Disciples. WOC has also provided emergency grants directly to several local church partners for immediate assistance.

Altogether, WOC has provided just under $100,000 to congregations and church partners in response to Hurricanes Dolly, Fay, Gustav and Ike, and we anticipate requests over the next several weeks to exceed this amount significantly as assessments are received from congregations, Church World Service and local recovery partners.

Your help is needed. If you hear of Disciples congregations or members affected, please don't hesitate to contact WOC right away. With major power outages and disrupted phone and internet services, it is a challenge to be in touch with all our pastors.

Designated contributions for hurricane relief and recovery are urgently needed and will be used in their entirety as directed. Gifts can be sent to WOC, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206 or made online at www.weekofcompassion.org.

Also, CWS has issued an urgent appeal to congregations of its member communions for hygiene kits, baby kits, clean up buckets and blankets. Click below for more information.

Because of the well-established mission station program developed after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it may be possible for Disciples work groups to participate in debris removal and clean-up efforts relatively soon. Assessments are still being made with current mission stations in Lake Charles and Beaumont/Port Arthur about their capacity to receive groups. Also, additional mission stations may be established as assessments are completed. Contact the Office of Disciples Volunteering for information on times and places available and coordination of recovery efforts.

Week of Compassion will continue to provide information to the church via these Updates and on our website as we receive more information, along with details on responses we are supporting through our churches and recovery partners.

Thank you!

CWS Kits

Elders & Pastors Workshop Sept. 27 at Bethany College

“The Elder Becoming a Spiritual Leader in Your Church”
Sponsored by: Lexington Theological Seminary
Dr. Jerry Sumney, Workshop Leader

Pastors: Join Dr. William Turner of LTS in a discussion of a new satellite D.Min. program at the Bethany College campus from 1-3 p.m.

Download Workshop brochure (344 kb) or register online with credit card at www.lextheo.edu.

Clergy to Discuss Boundary Issues

The gathering of the College of Ministers, scheduled for Sept. 24 at New Martinsville, has had a content revision. The area of focus for the day will be boundary issues - a topic vital to our life together as church. The Commission on Ministry is urging all ministers to be present for the day, which will include lunch. The gathering begins at 10 a.m. Contact David Chafin to reserve.

Women's Event Great Success

About 170 women, and 4 fortunate men, attended the annual Spiritual Life Retreat at Cedar Lakes last weekend. Many joys and blessings were the result. Watch our Flickr site for posting of photos, coming soon. Meanwhile, here are a couple of samples.

Women's Retreat Begins - from the Regional Minister

This evening will mark the beginning of the 2008 Disciples Women Spiritual Life Retreat in this fine region of Christ's Church. I invite the church to be in prayer for this event.

We pray that this will be a time of renewal for those in attendance. We give thanks for the leadership of this holy convocation and commend them, also, to God.

We give thanks for the women of the church. They keep grace and mission before us.
Thaddaeus