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December 7^th, 2007	40^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2007 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	On Sunday, December 2^nd FCC Fayetteville, AR celebrated 4 Baptisms, an Infant Dedication, and a Confession of Faith! The funeral for Cecil Barnett, Minister of Music at FCC Jonesboro, AR was on Tuesday, Dec. 4.  Cecil was 65 years old.  Please keep his wife Sandra, their three children, 6 grandchildren, and church family in your prayers. For the last couple of years First Christian Russellville, AR has been including in the Prayers of the People, prayers for churches in the Great River Region (Two each week).  Beginning the First Sunday of Advent, we began offering prayers for the clergy of the Region. (Two each week.)
NEWS	Jones on Study Leave January – March: The Regional Board voted this week to approve study leave for Executive Regional Minister Barbara Jones. To read the request approved by the board, click here. She will be taking three courses through Capella University: Diversity in the Workplace, Roles of Nonprofit Board and CEO, and Marketing and Strategy for the Nonprofit. 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. Click on this link for an article in Disciple World about re-building efforts taking place through Grace DOC in Covington, LA http://www.disciplesworld.com/article.html?v=6&i=10&s=Living%20Faith&id=946 Need a Robe & Cap? Charles Poole in Shreveport, LA has a black and white clergy robe and cap to donate. He can be reached at 318-868-2860 or charlesmpoole@bellsouth.net.
EVENTS	The National Convocation Board meeting will be held this weekend, December 7-8, 2007 in Indianapolis, IN.  Vivian Bass-Bryant will be attending representing the Black Minister’s Fellowship.  This is the board which sponsors the Annual Black Minister’s Retreat and the National Convocation held biannually. 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. Henry Scott, a hurricane Katrina evacuee, and a renown flutist, will be with us to provide special music for our service.  Henry is currently the Director of Bands for JA Fair High School in Little Rock, AR.  He has taught adjunctly at Philander Smith College, Arkansas Baptist College, and Henderson Middle School.  See article about him. Rev. Dan Thornhill is the Pastor. 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: Attending the Conference of Regional Ministers. Rick Hamilton: This Sunday I will be at Elm Tree Christian Church in Bentonville, AR. Search Committees I am currently working with: Lakeshore Drive CC, Hot Springs, AR FCC Jackson, MS FCC Mountain Home, AR (Assoc) FCC Rogers, AR FCC Stuttgart, AR FCC West Memphis, AR From Vivian Bryant:  Vacation was wonderful.  It is good to be back though. From Michael Elmore: I’ll be working with Vance on a program for the Regional Minister’s conference which will be held in New Orleans this week. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: MidWinter Mission Weekend forms are in the mail!  Be on the lookout for the registration packet and remember that the registration deadline is January 7th.  This mission event for 7th-12th graders will take place over the Martin Luther King Jr. long-weekend at Westside Christian Church & Mission Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Camp & Conference 2008 brochures are heading your way soon!  Keep an eye out for these important registration materials. Deadlines for Counselor/Steward/Youth Commissioner/Intern applications is April 14th.  Deadlines for camper registrations is May 19th. Check out the youth page on the regional website (www.grrcc.org).  We have added the new youth event calendar, information on a great retreat for adult youth workers and links to many youth ministry resources!