Church guide

On this day in 1619 Africans from Angola were violently ripped from their families and homelands and brought to Virginia to be sold as "property." Thus began a legacy of slavery and systemic racism that still affects us all. We repent and work for justice in Jesus' name.

Request for Prayer Partners! Our Region is hosting Bridging Trauma Awareness to Healing and Reconciliation workshops Thursday and Friday. If you are willing to join us in prayer over those two days, would you like or comment to let us know that you will keep the leaders and participants in prayer during this time? Please share this as you are led. Thank you!

The Memorial Service for Rev. Dr. Jerry Porter will be held at Community Christian Church, 4601 Main Street, KCMO, 11:00 am, Saturday, August 24th. Please share this with friends you know who may want to attend.

A bittersweet day as South Summit Christian Church voted to conclude its ministry after years of vibrant ministry and mission. SymbioBiz – a small business incubation nonprofit - met on the church campus. Its founder described how of the over 1,000 guests to the 58 events, many had avoided church but found a warm welcome from the pastor and members of South Summit Christian Church. Worship today included a blessing of the backpacks and a former member of the Regional Youth Cabinet offering communion to her pastor, Rev. Jill Sullin. South Summit Christian Church will host the final service of worship and celebration of their ministry together September 29 at 10:00 am. Later in the day, Dayson Marar, leader of a home Bible study with Chuukese Christians met with Rev, Dr. Delesslyn Kennebrew and Rev. Travis Smith McKee of the New and Transforming Church Commission at Fairview Christian Church to explore the potential of a new Disciples church plant in the Northland. Let’s keep each other lifted up in prayer this week!

What are we doing for our children this school year?

Community Christian Church: Blessing of the back packs and school supplies and all who will be in the classrooms next week (#BEYOU #BELOVED, Allison Bright - 2nd year student at Brite Divinity School and aspirant to ordained ministry preaching from the joyful epistle (Phillipians), children's art show, and, later at Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center, Chef Theo at the grill, supper with friends, and New Song with the traveling Last Swim of the Season participation trophy. A blessed day. To all those in school this week: God bless you and inspire you! Special thanks to teachers, administrators, school staff and the bus drivers whom we remember for a lifetime for their skill, dedication and caring dispositions.

Dear Colleagues: This is a reminder that you are invited!! A pair of exciting and powerful community events are happening soon and you are encouraged to participate in them and to invite your friends to join you!! (And, please hurry, since registration is limited!) A COMMUNITY RACIAL HEALING FORUM will take place on the evening of Thursday, August 15, 6:00-9:00 pm. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.) (Light supper provided, at NO COST to participants.) BEYOND DIVERSITY workshops will be held in Friday and Saturday, August 16-17, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. each day (Continental breakfast and lunch provided each day, at NO COST to participants.) Both events will take place at: UNITED BELIEVERS COMMUNITY CHURCH 5600 E 112 Terrace Kansas City, Missouri 64137 These tremendous opportunities will empower participants to engage in productive conversations about race in intra- racial and inter-racial spaces. *** Participants will develop the skills to engage in productive conversations about race in intra- racial and inter-racial spaces by using the Protocol for Courageous Conversation. *** Participants will develop strategies that will sustain and deepen racial healing work within their own communities, organizations, and with partner organizations. *** Participants will hone their racial equity leadership skills with expert support from our team. Again, please note that there is NO COST for either the Thursday evening forum or the 2-day workshop on Friday and Saturday! But REGISTRATION is required!! You can sign up for the Thursday Forum on August 15 Forum here. You can sign up for the 2-day Beyond Diversity workshops on August 16-17 here. (Please note that the workshop is limited to the first 100 who sign up. So hurry to make sure you are a part of the workshop.) For further information, please feel free to contact any of the following: Lia McIntosh -- 816-560-4284 Darron Lamonte Edwards -- 816-309-1171 Bob Hill -- 816-506-1014

In case you missed this with all the General Assembly excitement.

To all the clergy who preach with courage and clarity about what Jesus taught . . . Keep it up! Inspire justice!

Let us pray for the people of El Paso. Let us also pray and work for solutions to the increasing violence, fear, and hatred in our land.

Here is something that ay be of interest to worship planners. If you have not already done so, please LIKE our Facebook page and encourage members of your congregation to do the same to get access to more opportunities to support the work God is doing through you.

Saturday August 3 from 9-11:00am- Court Watch Training held at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church 9300 Nall Ave, Overland Park KS 66207 PLEASE RSVP to Laurie Anderson: laurieanderson@earthlink A part of immigrant accompaniment within IJAM is a demonstration of our love for our neighbors through the Immigration Court Watch program. For an immigrant, at best, the deportation process is a complex, confusing, and scary process. IJAM trains and coordinates immigration court watch teams to observe the court room on a weekly basis. To become a team member, you must attend a mandatory two-hour training and attend debriefing session. Teams observe in two to three-hour segments, immigration court is open from 8:30am-4pm Monday through Friday. The purpose of immigration court watch program is to hold immigration judges accountable to the DOJ Ethics guidelines. In addition, we provide a silent presence of accompaniment to our immigrant brothers and sisters navigating the judicial immigration system. One outcome of the court watch program is that observers are equipped to report to their congregations and circles of influence about the harsh realities of family separation and the difficult and highly stressful deportation process. IJAM works closely with local immigration attorneys in debriefing the outcomes of the court watch program. In addition, IJAM works with other regional affiliates in collaboration to advocate for systemic change in our immigration court systems.

This is too good to overlook! Disciples Seminary Foundation is offering free, 1 hour online trainings and affordable short courses for pastors and lay members of churches in English, Spanish and Korean. Check it out! www.dsf.edu/discover.

BRIDGING TRAUMA AWARENESS TO HEALING AND RECONCILIATION~ CLICK LINK FOR DETAILS AND FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION: https://www.kcdisciples.org/arpr.html

Opening Day at General Assembly in Des Moines was rich with celebration of having exceeded our 2020 goal of 1000 new churches. Plenty of young Disciples are providing leadership at this event. General Minister and President Rev.Terri Hord Owens urged Disciples to abide in Christ through spiritual practices so that the work of the Church may bear good fruit. Rev. Travis Smith McKee helped to lead music for worship (guitarist). Pastor Terrell McTyre, Minister of New Church Strategies encouraged Disciples to inspire 1 million new Disciples in the next decade. Standing beside him is the new Associate Minister of New Church Strategies, Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez - one of the pastors of Multi-Nation Christian Church in Kansas City! Wish you were here!

One of the distinctive characteristics about Disciples of Christ is our desire to deepen our understanding of this gift of faith and how we might better put it into practice. Several of us are enjoying the pre-Assembly event: Doing and Denying Justice: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Social Justice with Dr. Lisa Barnett (Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity at Phillips Theological Seminary). We are being introduced to primary sources that reveal our long history of discomfort with "rocking the boat" lest we give excuses for disunity in the Church. We have been strangely silent or ambivalent about issues that called for a more courageous response. What the Spirit would have us each say and do today in response to what we have been taught by Christ are gross failures to love God and/or neighbor?!

Please share this opportunity widely with young adults in your places of ministry. https://www.nbacares.org/xplor

An important pastoral letter that YOU can sign: https://disciples.org/general-ministries/children-and-families-in-detention/

We need each generation, let’s tear down the walls that divide us and build bridges that connects us. Women - clergy, lay, and all let us serve together.

We are more powerful together than as an individual, reach out to a sister today!

Community Christian Church: Blessing of the back packs and school supplies and all who will be in the classrooms next week (#BEYOU #BELOVED, Allison Bright - 2nd year student at Brite Divinity School and aspirant to ordained ministry preaching from the joyful epistle (Phillipians), children's art show, and, later at Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center, Chef Theo at the grill, supper with friends, and New Song with the traveling Last Swim of the Season participation trophy. A blessed day. To all those in school this week: God bless you and inspire you! Special thanks to teachers, administrators, school staff and the bus drivers whom we remember for a lifetime for their skill, dedication and caring dispositions.

Steve Root, Facilities Manager, and volunteers Larry Evans and Keith Asaeli clean up fallen branches.

Greater Kansas City Disciples this week: Rev. Dr. Matthew Silvers and Rev Sharon Cantrell were honored as Central Baptist Theological Seminary Alumni of the Year for their work in building a more just world. CDTS President Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall presented the awards and Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez, President of the CBTS Alumni Association was Master of Ceremonies. Allison Bright, Master of Divinity Student at Brite Divinity School was received under care of the Greater Kansas City Region Ordination and Standing Commission, co-sponsored by Community Christian Church. Rev. Dr. Le Anne De Tar Newbert received her Master of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary and was awarded the Harvey E. Dana Award for Excellence in Writing, the Peace and Justice Award, and a Presidential Citation for a graduate with the highest Grade Point Average. CONGRATULATIONS!

April 27 was declared Odell Talley Day by David Alvy, mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City Kansas. This was part of a lively celebration of Minister Odell Talley, musician, singer,composer, theomusicologist with the Poor Peoples Campaign and Music Director for Swope Parkway United Christian Church. For pictures of the celebration (with captions), go to the home page of kcdisciples.org. To sample some of this incredible Disciple's music, go to the link in the comment section below.

Greetings! NOW is the time!!! Visit www.newtransformingchurch.com for application and more information!!!! #SHARE

Around our Region, Disciples celebrated the last three days of Holy Week in a variety of ways. Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers involved in preparations and service-related activities and to the congregations (like Raytown Christian) who started new services designed with people in mind who have not been active in a church in a while (or ever).

Great way to start off Holy Week! New Vision Christian Church was commended by our Regional Board for their many ministries and their outreach to the community - including an Adopt a Block program. Rev. Dr. Kevin Harris Sr. is the Senior Minister and recent author of another book, EXEMPLIFY. Living Water Christian Church celebrated 15 years of inclusive welcome, witness, worship, and service with their founding pastor Rev. Laura Guy. On Palm Sunday evening members and Disciples friends consecrated the new sanctuary that will also serve as a gathering place for community organizations. Among the spirited hymns and songs was one composed by the praise team leader Paul Grant. A Blessed Holy Week to all!

Belton Christian Church worshipped with their handbell choir and worked on a variation of the World Cafe to get input from congregation members for planning their future. Hats off to the creative lay leaders and to Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jim Bottrell and Christian Education Director Ginny Bottrell!

This week was a sacred time with Disciples Reconciliation Ministries core trainers: Sandhya Rani Jha (middle) and Nathan Hill (middle left). At least 11/29 participants from 5 states have already indicated that they will be back May 6-8 for Train-the-Trainer. This will make possible a Region-wide initiative to work with all Disciples and ecumenical colleagues in the KC Metro who want to learn how, together, we can learn how to recognize institutional racism and work to reshape the way we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Grateful to the leaders of this event and the wonderful Tall Oaks staff and to participants who made a huge investment of time in funds to be here. We thank God for you and for this effort in our movement for wholeness in a fragmented world, welcoming all to the Table of te Lord as God has welcomed us!

Great day at All Nations Breakthrough Church with several baptisms and a powerful message from Pastor Kimani. Given the effect of weather on church attendance, we recommend that when your congregation has to cancel services, go online and check out one of the online streaming services at a Disciples church in an unaffected area. You'll have the opportunity to "visit" and experience some of what other Disciples are doing with worship.