A retreat designed for Disciples youth ministry leaders will be held March at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Arizona. The sponsoring group is Disciples Youth Ministry Network, funded by a grant from Disciples Home Missions and several regions.

Click here for more details.

Need ideas for promoting stewardship, either year round or in a campaign? You can call a couple of local people as nearby resource persons. Giovanna Arnold (revgsa@comcast.net, 503-991-5102) is a Disciples minister and a member at Keizer Christian Church in Keizer, Oregon. She attended a Disciples general church event on stewardship earlier this year. Mary Lee Planer (503-629-0987) is a member at Cedar Hills United Church of Christ. She has resourced a number of UCC churches and is available to other denominations as well.

Several Disciples congregations in Oregon and Washington have already started New Beginnings. It is a congregational tool for self-assessment and decision making, led by Church Extension. Matt Rosine of the Church Extension staff will host a "webinar" on Thursday Nov. 12 for Disciples who want to learn more about New Beginnings.

Meeting Description:
Hundreds of Disciples congregations are in need of redevelopment.  Many of these congregations have seen declining attendance for years.  Many are in changing communities.  Still others have mounting maintenance and financial needs.  How can these congregations find direction for planning their future?

The New Beginnings Assessment Service is a tool to help congregations gain perspective and see opportunities within and around them.  It is designed to help church leaders make a bold, new decision for their future.

This free, one-hour, online presentation is for church leaders (lay or clergy) who are concerned about their congregation's future.  You're invited to see and hear an overview of the New Beginnings Assessment Service.  Join us to ask your questions and learn how your congregation can benefit from this new service from Church Extension.

Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2009
Time: 03:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Matt Rosine
Questions?: (800) 274-1883

Presenter Information:
As a congregational services consultant, Matt provides leadership to the New Beginnings Assessment Service of Church Extension.  Working directly with regional partners of the Christian Church, he helps congregations to assess their strengths, capital assets and possible challenges and helps them find life-giving options for moving forward in their ministry.
A graduate of Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School, Matt has served congregations in Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, TX.   He currently lives in Indianapolis, IN and attends Allisonville Christian Church.

The Commission on Ministry of the Oregon region is exploring a survey course for basic Disciples ministry education. The course will combine on site and online presentations, spread over three months. Topics covered will include, Bible study, church history, Disciples history, theology, spiritual disciplines, conflict resolution. stewardship, worship, ethics and pastoral care. Cost for the 12 week course will be $395, with limited scholarships available. Please let the Regional Ministers know by December 1 if you have interest in the course. 

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon will host an event on "Radical Hospitality in the 21st Century" on April 20. The speaker will be Dr. Luis E. Lugo, Director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Plans are still in the works for this day time event next spring. More information will come out later, but EMO asks that we help get the date out early.

On Nov. 7, Regional Board members will receive a CD with information on numerous regional ministries. These include the Christmas Offering, a Power Point overview of Oregon Disciples ministries, announcements of future events, 2010 Women's Pray and Play, 2010 regional church camp dates and the current newsletter. Talk to your regional board representative or call the regional office if your congregation does not have someone attending the Nov. 7 regional board meeting.