Friday, May 6, 2016

Upcoming Webinars

NBA Webinar: Perfect Love Casts Out All FearMental Health, the Criminal Justice System, and the Church

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

1:00 p.m. CST / 2:00 p.m. EST

Live webinar via Fuze - register here!

With the recent rise in mass shootings and debates over gun laws, many of us have been thinking differently about mental health and the criminal justice system. This webinar will explore the complex and longstanding relationship between mental health and the criminal justice system, describe justice issues relating to this relationship, and set the ground work for the church to think differently about our response to, and relationship with, the prison population.

This webinar is the first in a mini-series of joint webinars offered by the NBA Prison & Jail Ministriesand NBA Mental Health & Congregational Care Affinity Groups.

Webinar Presenters:

Angela Whitenhill, M.Div., LCSW: Psychotherapist, Chaplain, and Convener of the NBA Mental Health Affinity Group
Rev. Dean Bucalos: Pastor of New Life in Christ Christian Church, Program Coordinator of Mission Behind Bars and Beyond, and Mission Specialist for the NBA Prison & Jail Ministries Affinity Group

Learn more about this webinar and register today!_

Refugees are welcome!

Learn more about an expanded effort to help new residents through a webinar May 12. You can also plug into events across the United States such as the welcome dinner sponsored by the University Christian Church in Hyattsville, MD.

A kickoff webinar that featured interfaith and Congressional leadership is archived and available for viewing. For Disciple-specific info,

contact Sharon Stanley -Rea atsstanley@dhm.disciples.org. Read more!

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Message from Bill Spangler-Dunning

From The Disciples Together Express April 2016

We are excited to spend time together dreaming with God to help determine what new ministries will help us be better church in the Upper Midwest. ... quote from Operations Council members

Sometimes meetings are just meetings and they need to happen. However, sometimes meetings turn into expressions of passion driven ministries and when that happens everyone gets excited to be part of the church!

This is what happened at the February 27th Operation Council meeting and these are some of the results:

1. Regional Gathering moves to August 27th: With a deep belief that it will be more helpful and invigorating for the leadership to focus attention on one gathering rather than the present two gatherings. The Operations Council voted to cancel the May 7th meeting and move to one gathering a year. This decision was made with the hope that one gathering, focused on resourcing for helping congregations would be compelling to clergy and to members of the congregations. This gathering will be focused on a Saturday but will provide opportunities for people to stay overnight for their own family and/or church retreat. The Operations Council also determined that when we gather we should always share in communion and in some kind of mission that changes the world.

2. Mission Council formed: In an attempt to help strengthen congregations and connections across the region a new council focused on organizing, developing and educating around mission trips has been called into existence. In brief, this group of people will begin to make it easier for churches and individuals to take part in a mission trip. They will do this by collecting a list of churches already going on mission trips, become a resource for churches seeking sites for mission trips, organize/plan mission sites in region as needed and provide education and inspiration around the very reason why mission trips are valuable to both churches and individuals.

3. Change to Operations Council meeting structure and schedule: The Operations Council will now meet in-person ‘live’ 4 times a year. We rejoice in this love and energy for the ministry we do together as Disciples in the Upper Midwest. It is compelling that these individuals are excited to travel the distances to meet together.

In between these in-person ‘live’ meetings we will now alternate our meetings:

A. Meet one month to make decisions on grants and other administrative issues

B. And the next month focus solely on dreaming up and discerning new ministries that God might be calling us to do together.

That would be enough to confirm that there is excitement and purpose yet again in this Region to be church at our best, however, what also happened is that the members of the Operations Council made me proud to serve as your Regional Minister…Full of purpose and energy. for the future of the church.