wfn.org | Disciples News Briefs - Dec. 2, 2005

["Wilma Shuffitt" <wshuffitt@cm.disciples.org>]

Disciples News Briefs December 2, 2005Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ)Contact: Wanda Bryant Wills, EditorE-mail: News@cm.disciples.org
SUPPORT YOUR REGIONAL MINISTRY.  GIVE TO THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OFFERINGStrengthen the ministries of your region by giving generously to the Christmas
Special Offering to be received Dec. 18 and 25.  With the gifts they
receive, Regional Ministries support congregations through planning,
visioning, pastoral care, youth ministries, sharing in mission trips and
projects and much more.  Open your hearts.  Support these vital ministries
as they strengthen congregations for mission.  Spread the word by
utilizing the promotional materials available at: http://www.churchfinancecouncil.org  PENSION FUND ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIPEffective Feb. 1,
2006, Eugene T. Fisher will be the Director of Membership for the Pension
Fund.  Fisher will give primary leadership to recruitment of new Pension
Plan members, encourage participation in programs offered by the Pension
Fund, and lead activities to enhance services for all constituencies
within the church.  He will assist with Ministerial Relief activities and
development of new programs for clergy and lay employees.  For the past
four years, Fisher has served as Minister of Reconciliation, Reconciliation Mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Fisher holds a
master's degree in theology from Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Ind., and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Franklin
University, Columbus, Ohio.  Read the full release at: http://www.pensionfund.org/newdirectorofmembership.htm  APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR HELM
LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAMThe Higher Education and Leadership Ministries
(HELM) Leadership Fellows Program may be the only fellowship that comes
with a warning label attached: Warning!  May change your life!	Applications are now available for the HELM Leadership Fellows Program, which
recognizes and supports undergraduate students preparing to take leadership roles as lay people or clergy in the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ).  Current high school seniors and community college students
planning to attend a regionally accredited American college or university
as a full-time student beginning in 2006 are eligible.	For more information or an application, visit: http://www.helmdisciples.org/helm/05/HELM-LFapplications-112105.htm  DISCIPLES CHURCHES CELEBRATE A CENTURY OF MINISTRYCongratulations to the following Disciples congregations for spreading the
Good News of Jesus Christ for more than 100 years. -- First Christian
Church, Broken Arrow, Okla., celebrated their 100th anniversary with a
Thanksgiving pot-luck dinner and church service.  The congregation plans
to have a homecoming celebration this spring in honor of what will be 101
years of ministry. -- First Christian Church, Shadyside, Ohio, recently
celebrated the 100th anniversary of their congregation with a special
service commemorating 1905, the year the church was established.  Members
participated in a typical 1905 worship service and dressed in clothing of
that time period. -- Clyde Christian Church, Clyde, Ohio, began the
festivities to mark their 100th anniversary with an Open House and
fellowship dinner and continued the celebration into the Sunday worship
service. -- Maxon Christian Church, West Paducah, Ky., recently celebrated
their 100th anniversary with musical performances by the McKendree
Singers. -- West Street Christian Church, Tipton, Ind., observed 150 years
of ministry with a 17-minute Celebration Sunday DVD that recaps the last
150 years of West Street's life.  NCC WARNS 'NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND' ACT IS
LEAVING TOO MANY CHILDREN BEHINDThe Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
along with other members of the National Council of Churches' Committee
(NCC) for Public Education and Literacy warned that the 'No Child Left
Behind' Act is leaving more children behind than it is saving.	Declaring
that "Christian faith demands, as a matter of justice and compassion, that
we be concerned about our public schools," the NCC Committee for Public
Education has issued 10 "moral concerns" about the implementation of the
act.  Read the 10 moral concerns at: http://www.ncccusa.org/news/051130NoChildBehind.html	DISCIPLES WILL ATTEND THE NINTH WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
ASSEMBLYAmong the 3,000 expected participants at the Ninth Assembly of the
World Council of Churches (WCC) will be Sharon E. Watkins, General
Minister and President, Robert K. Welsh, President, Council on Christian
Unity, and Sara Critchfield, Associate for Foreign Policy and Young Adult
Advocacy, Disciples Center for Public Witness, Washington, D.C.  They will
be representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United
States as delegates.  The Assembly will be held Feb. 14-23, 2006, in Porto
Alegre, Brazil, and the theme is "God, in your grace, transform the
world."  Since assemblies of the WCC only take place every seven or eight
years, all Disciples congregations are encouraged to participate by
implementing the identified ways that congregations can participate
without traveling to Brazil.  For ways that your congregation can
participate, go to:  http://www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2005/0590.html
NORTHWEST REGION OFFICE MOVES TO NEW LOCATIONThe Northwest Region recently
sold its old office and grounds to the Seattle Housing Authority and has
moved to a space in Kent, Wash.  The new address is 18000 72nd Ave. South,
Suite 171, Kent, WA 98032.  The new telephone number is (253) 893-7202 and
the fax number is (425) 251-4967.  All e-mail addresses will remain the
same.  For more information on the Northwest Region, go to: http://www.disciplesnw.org/  CHURCH EXTENSION ANNOUNCES NEW MARKETING DIRECTORPat
Carrithers has been named Assistant Vice President and Marketing Director
for Church Extension, a general unit of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ). Carrithers is a life-long member of Disciples congregations, most
recently serving as an Elder at Kingwood Christian Church, Kingwood,
Texas.	He is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.,
and has been employed as Creative Director and Marketing Director by
several advertising agencies and manufacturing firms during his 30-year
career.  Read the full release at: http://www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2005/0591.html. To learn more about Church Extension go to: http://www.churchextension.org  PARTICIPATE IN LESSONS AND CAROLS AT CTSJoin Christian
Theological Seminary (CTS), Indianapolis, Ind., in celebrating the words
and music of the Christmas season by attending Lessons and Carols. Musical
selections will be performed by the CTS Cantors and the CTS Gospel Choir,
with plenty of songs for all in attendance to sing along.  Lessons and
Carols will be held Monday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 6 at
12:45 p.m. in the Sweeney Chapel of CTS.  Extend your holiday cheer at a
reception immediately following the Monday evening performance.  Call
(317) 931-2336 for more information.  DECREASE YOUR CHURCH'S UTILITY COSTS
WITH THE EPA'S ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAMThe Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has designed the ENERGY STAR program to support congregations'
concerns for financial and environmental stewardship.  The program assists
churches in making decisions on facilities and equipment that save money
and prevent pollution.	Congregations that commit to substantial energy
savings can cut utility costs 25-30 percent and make significant contributions to a cleaner environment.  By saving money with energy efficiency,
congregations could achieve the equivalent of removing about 1 million
cars and their pollution from the road, or planting nearly 1.4 million
acres of trees.  Learn how your congregation can cut costs by reading the
ENERGY STAR for Congregations Guide at: http://www.epa.gov/smallbiz/archive/doc/congregations.pdf. Begin with the checklist on Page 85 and start
saving money today!   Please note: Communication Ministries is moving to
an improved method of distribution, so you will be receiving two transmissions of the Disciples News Brief this week.  If you do not receive the
Disciples News Brief next week, please contact news@cm.disciples.org ####
DNS Writer:  Kenethia Jackson*The Disciples News Brief is distributed
weekly or as needed by Communication Ministries.  For changes, additions
or deletions to our distribution list, please contact news@cm.disciples.org  wfn