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November 16^th, 2007	38^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2007 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	Faye Farmer, Dave's grown children Kate, Beth, Mary and John, and Kings Highway Christian Church, in the passing of Rev. David E. Farmer, Minister for Congregational Care.  Dave suffered a massive stroke on Friday, and was taken off life support on Saturday once his family arrived.  The family, congregation, region and extended church family gathered to celebrate his life and ministry Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at Kings Highway Christian Church.  Rev. Bob and Karen Allen came to participate in the service as well as Rev. Jeff Wilson and his family. Click here for Rev. Farmer’s obituary.
NEWS	Shirt Sale. We have a very limited number of Great River Region Logo shirts left and ON SALE! Yellow, Green, and Light Blue Polo style shirts in Men’s XL and Women’s XL and XXL sizes are available in limited quantities at the bargain price of $20 each! Please call the office for color availability as quantities ARE limited. (501)562-6053 First Christian Church in Jackson, MS has church pews that they can no longer use.  Any congregation interested can contact the church for more information.  601-977-9477. Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth held their annual board meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at Denny’s Restaurant in Jackson, MS. Michael Dickson, newly licensed minister, was installed at Associate Pastor at FCC Sulphur, LA last Sunday by Rev. Michael Elmore, Regional Pastor and Rev. Frank Johnson, Interim Pastor.
EVENTS	Mississippi Christian Missionary Convention will hold their board meeting on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at United Christian Church in Jackson, MS at 10:00 am. The Central Arkansas Minister/Spouse Fellowship will host their annual Minister’s Dinner on November 30 at First Christian Church in Maumelle, AR.  Pastor Searcy Mc Burnett is asking all who plan to attend to RSVP the church at 501-851-2432. Southern District Minister/Spouse Christmas Luncheon will be December 1, 2008 at FCC Baton Rouge, LA. Contact Rev. Michael Elmore for information and reservations. Parkview Christian Church invites you to hear Rusty Jackson. If you are a Hog Fan, you will remember that for five years, he was the sports anchor for the Hogs in Fayetteville on KATV Channel 7. Rusty is now home after a year in the mission field with Adventures In Missions (AIM). AIM is an interdenominational mission organization that focuses on disciplining. It emphasizes prayer and relationships in working among the poor around the world. Rusty will be the guest preacher at Parkview Christian Church in Little Rock, AR on Sunday, December 9, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. sharing his adventures and faith in Jesus Christ. Rev. Dan Thornhill is the Pastor. The Office of Disciples Women is sponsoring the first ever Women’s Blitz Build.  Partnering with the Office of Disciples Volunteering and Habitat for Humanity the women of CCDOC will help build a house in Beaumont Texas. Click here for Flyer and application.  The dates for this event are January 20-24, 2008 in Beaumont, TX.  The event is open to any woman interested in attending. GRR Disciples Men Retreat will be January 25-26, 2008 at Westside Mission Center in New Orleans, LA. Rev. Steve Wallace will be our leader. The theme will be "Spirituality for Men." Cost will be $50.00 a person. We will be sending out registration forms after Thanksgiving. SESSIONS 2008. Disciples Men…don’t forget to plan now for next year’s SESSIONS 2008 event to be held July 17-20, 2008 in Oklahoma City, OK.  Our General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Rev. Dr. Rick Lowery, Mark Briley and Rev. Bill Lee will be the featured speakers.  What a wonderful Christmas/birthday gift for the man in your life.  There is also a discounted registration fee for young adult men. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS SEMINAR:  Now is the time to begin fundraising for IAS 2008.  The weeklong trip to Washington D.C. and New York City will take place March 15-22 and will cost approximately $1500.  The trip is open to High School Juniors and Seniors and is a powerful way to help older teenagers connect their faith with major issues in the world.  If you are interested, know of a youth who should attend, need fundraising ideas or would like more information, please contact IAS Director Ronny Nowell (ronny@arkansas.net) or visit the website:  www.iasdisciples.com. THE NEW DEADLINE FOR $500 DEPOSIT IS DECEMBER 1ST!!!
STAFF UPDATES	From Barbara Jones: I was with Kings Highway Christian Church from Saturday until Wednesday, and was honored to step in and give leadership for communion in Sunday's worship, which Dave Farmer had been scheduled to do.  It was good to see so many Disciples at his graveside service in Monroe on Tuesday and the Memorial Service on Wednesday. This coming weekend will be a catch-up weekend for me.  Next week I will travel to Fort Worth to be with Kenny & Andrea and Kris & Brooke as they all use their new wedding presents for a shared Thanksgiving dinner!  From Vivian Bryant:  I will be on vacation from November 18 through December 3, 2008.  Happy Thanksgiving to each of you!!!! From Michael Elmore: Michael Dickson, newly licensed minister, was installed at Associate Pastor at FCC Sulphur last Sunday by myself and Rev. Frank Johnson, Interim Pastor. I will be preaching at Westside CC New Orleans, LA this Sunday. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: LOCATION PICKED FOR MIDWINTER MISSION WEEKEND 2008:  This mission event for youth in grades 7-12 will take place in New Orleans at the Westside Mission. During the Martin Luther King Jr. long-weekend (January 18-21, 2008), youth will stay at Westside and work on various ongoing hurricane recovery projects while also coming together for worship and fellowship.  Please keep this event on your youth calendar and keep an eye out for registration materials/costs! CYF MIDWINTER: will take place February 22-24 at Camp Couchdale.  This retreat for 9-12th graders is a wonderful opportunity to come together in a new semester and regain our focus on God!  Please keep an eye out for registration materials and be sure to mark your calendars! FEAST:  This event for adult youth ministers/youth workers will take place at the Lutheran Camp at Petit Jean Mountain, May 2-4 and will feature keynotes by Randy Kuss! Please mark your calendars! CHECK OUT THE REGIONAL WEBSITE FOR YOUTH EVENT DATES AND INFORMATION! The dates for retreats and camps are already posted!!!  Also, be sure to check this site periodically for updates, links and useful information for everyone involved with youth ministry! Rick Hamilton: This past week I was blessed to be a part of the community which celebrated the life and ministry of Rev. David Farmer. On Sunday, I will be at First Christian Church, Ozark, Arkansas; where we will celebrate the covenant of calling Rev. Dana Hoover as pastor of the church. Sara, Robert, Ryan, and I are then looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with family in Austin, Texas. May God richly bless everyone’s celebration.