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February 22^nd, 2008	50^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2008 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	Rev. Stan McDougal, FCC Russellville, AR in the death of his Aunt. Rev. Michael Elmore, Regional Pastor, in the death of his Uncle in North Carolina. Rev. Joel Sweat in Tupelo, MS recovering from back surgery. Tornado Victims. Continued prayer for individuals and families who sustained injuries, property damage and death as a result of the tornado activity in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Rev. Lucian and Carol Lee, FCC Meridian, MS are the proud grandparents of Amy Marie born on February 15^th, 2008. Becky and Ray McDade are the proud parents. Beverly Alexander, sister of Rev. Dr. Vivian Bass Bryant Regional Pastor, was hospitalized, had surgery and is now recovering from her second surgery for a recurrent bulging disc.
NEWS	Waterway Christian Church (a satellite ministry of First Christian Church Bentonville, AR) is worshipping in a permanent facility. Tours and interest groups for this innovative model for new church starts and ministry settings will be available during Regional Assembly. Southern Tornadoes Leave Deadly Wake. More than 50 people were killed and hundreds more were injured last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in the worst tornado outbreak in nearly 25 years. Read full story at http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=3607 Help Disaster News Network connect survivors with disaster response resources. Your tax deductible donation can be made online at this address: https://www.disasternews.net/donations/dnn.php#paypal/ *** If your church is serving in Tornado relief, Week of Compassion wants to know! Please notify the Regional Office or your Regional Pastor. We will report to Week of Compassion and facilitate the grant process to help offset the expense of responding. Kentucky Ham Meal pictures!! THANK YOU! Disciples are ALIVE! Here are many pics of this year's Kentucky Ham Meal for Missions held at FCC Meridian, MS.  45th Annual event raising thousands of dollars for ten mission agencies! Click here: Get up and go on the Road In Between. Acts 8.26- powered by SmugMug Love, Tom Sikes 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 Disciples Institute Web Site. Check out the new Disciples Institute web site!  We have information about Disciples Institute and some of the course offerings and up-coming events.  Also check out the Bi-Vocational Ministers blog.  You will find news and wisdom for the special needs of bi-vocational ministers.  Check back also for the Disciples Institute Survey.  We want to know how to offer the most valuable classes and workshops! Link:  www.disciplesinstitute.org Deitra Blackwell, Executive Director. Disciples identify Internal Revenue Service Resources for Churches Do you have questions about your parsonage or housing allowances? Are you concerned about the correct way income taxes should be withheld for ministers? Have you ever wondered whether churches or charities can become involved in the campaigns of political candidates? These questions and many more are answered in a series of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publications aimed specifically at religious institutions. Please click below to access the articles: Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf Charities, Churches and Politics www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=161131,00.html IRS Reminds Charities and Churches of Political Activity Ban www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=175818,00.html Tax Guide For Churches And Religious Organizations projectfairplay.org/irs-guidelines Rev. Dr. Todd A. Adams, Assoc. General Minister and Interim President of Church Finance Council The Schmidt Center Opens a New Counseling Office in El Dorado, Arkansas ... Beginning in March, pastors, church professionals and their families can receive services from the Laurence Schmidt Center at their new location at First Presbyterian Church in El Dorado, Arkansas.  Appointments can be made by calling the Little Rock office (501-664-7777) or e-mailing Rebecca at rebeccaspooner@veralloyd.org Rebecca will be providing counseling services and spiritual direction on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month.  In March, individuals can be seen on March 14th and March 28th.  To see the complete issue Click Here. The Laurence Schmidt Center primarily exists for church professionals and their families, but others will be seen as long as counseling time is available.  However, the majority of slots are reserved for church professionals and their families. 2008 Week of Compassion offering – the dates are February 17-24. Click Here for the regional news release. Thank you so much for your support of Week of Compassion! Elaine Cleveland.
EVENTS	East Percy Street Christian Church in Greenwood, MS will sponsor their annual Leadership Banquet on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 7 pm at the church.  The Banquet theme is Developing Godly and Effective Leaders for the Kingdom of God.  The theme scripture is Titus 1:7-9.  Rev. Dr. Vivian Bass Bryant will be the keynote speaker.  The host Pastor is Elder Patricia Parker. Mississippi Christian Missionary Convention (MCMC) District VI meeting will be held on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 9 am at Indianola Christian Church in Indianola, MS.  Rev. Dr. Vivian Bass Bryant will be the speaker at this event. Southern District Ministers will have a luncheon meeting on Thursday February 27 at FCC Slidell, LA. Basics of Ministry. Michael Elmore and Frank Johnson will lead a workshop for licensed ministers on Ministry 101 at FCC Baton Rouge, LA on February 29-March 1. If interested contact Michael at michael@grrcc.org. GRRCC DW Joint Planning Cabinet Meeting will be held February 29-March 2, 2009 at C.A. Vines Retreat Center in Little Rock, AR.  This is the planning meeting for all three Disciple Women Cabinets.  Our very special guests will be the IDWF Executive Committee.  Bridging Faithful Spirits and Healthy Minds conference co-sponsored by the University of AR for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Feb. 28 in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, AR. This second annual event, which includes presentations from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is free and open to faith leaders, mental health professionals and educators, with a limited number of seats available for the general public. To register, contact Shelia Moore at 660-7550, or register online at http://www.uams.edu/psych/faith_conference.asp. To see full press release, click here. You are invited to attend the 38^th Annual Assembly of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference.  The Annual Assembly will be held March 3^rd – 4^th, 2008 at First United Methodist Church, 2727 Jackson Street, in Alexandria, LA, with worship at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (626 4th Street, Alexandria).  Registration fee is $75.00 per person (includes lunch and dinner on Monday) Lodging expenses are separate.  For more information Click Here. If you have any questions feel free to contact LIC at LAInterchurch@aol.com. LIDRN and LIC are hosting an Interfaith Public Policy Summit on  Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at: Catholic Life Center (in the Bishop Tracy Center) 1800 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA  70808 from 9am to 4pm (check in begins at 8am). Registration Fee: $15.00 (includes lunch) This gathering is to discuss recovery public policy issues in preparation for an advocacy “Legislative Day” in Baton Rouge, LA. Registration form is attached (Excel file).  Registration form and PayPal options are also available at:  http://www.lainterchurch.org/LIDRNHomePage.htm. Louisiana Storytelling Association, Reverend Neil W. Early, President, 337.238.1959 mnearly@wnonline.net, www.louisianastorytellers.org Annual Liars Contest! Just when you think you have heard it all!  A Liars Contest is more than standing up, telling a whopper, and sitting down.  One must tell a wild, tall tale and make the audience suspend their disbelief and accept it as truly happening to the teller.  This story is to be sustained for 8-10 minutes in the telling.  The panel of judges will be listening for story quality as well as the talents and skills of the tellers.  This is an intentionally family event which will take place this year in Leesville, Louisiana.   The “Annual Louisiana Liars Contest” will be on Saturday, 8 March, 2008, beginning at 2:00pm in the Historic Old Courthouse on Third Street in Downtown Leesville.  The tickets are a suggested donation of $5.00 a person. Economics and Justice in Disasters Conference March 29-April 1, at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN featuring speakers from academia, government agencies, and faith-based disaster-response groups. Participants are expected to include leaders from national faith groups and denominations with programs and ministries dedicated to the increasing and specialized work of disaster ministry, as well as representatives from FEMA, the American Red Cross, and VOAD groups (Voluntary Organizations Active In Disasters). Conference presentation and audience participation topics include: - Green rebuilding - Global warming and disaster vulnerability - The impact of changing immigration laws on disaster response - Hidden rules of class and race - Curbing predatory lending practices following disasters - Engaging special populations for more effective recovery - Partnering with community-based development corporations - What's right and wrong with federal assistance - Disaster as an opportunity to improve housing stock - Professionalizing and privatizing disaster recovery-the impact on local capacity - Worker justice in disasters-and the status of unpaid volunteers Church World Service, www.churchworldservice.org, is supported by public donations, grants, and by 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches and communions in the United States. A Domestic Disaster Ministry Forum registration form and information may be downloaded from www.cwserp.org/reports. (Follow the links for 2008 Forum Brochure and Registration Form) The very first WeekEnd of Compassion will take place April 11-13 in Nashville, TN at the historic Scarritt-Bennett Center.  WeekEnd is designed for Disciples to have time and space away, for one weekend, to exchange ideas about outreach, compassion and justice.  Everyone is welcome. Through worship, preaching, music, meals, workshops, panel discussions, and Bible study, we will explore and celebrate the various ways WOC has responded to suffering and how it has helped so many implement their own ideas to confront needs in their respective communities and around the world.  There will also be a pre-event service build with Habitat for Humanity on Friday afternoon.  Rev. Amy Gopp, Week of Compassion Associate www.weekofcompassion.org (317) 590-3147 phone, (317) 713-2588 fax. SESSIONS 2008 in Oklahoma City is going to be a huge event for all Disciples Men from around the country.  The event is going to be held July 17-20, 2008 at First Christian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.  Do you ever feel like your life is like a giant puzzle?  Putting together the pieces of life's puzzle can be a daunting task.  But by surrounding yourself with fellow Disciples all trying to figure it out together, you will find the picture coming into focus.  To find out more about this important gathering of Disciples Men and how your life can come into focus go to: http://sessions2008.org/ or contact Rev Tod Iseminger, Minister of Leader Development at 800-346-2631. Partners in Ministry ’08 Workshop. A workshop for ministers, church musicians, dramatists and visual artists will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at FCC El Dorado, AR.  For more information contact Deitra Blackwell, Exec Director Disciples Institute, 501-517-2474 or disciplesinstitute@grrcc.org. Bill Tenny-Brittian, the Senior Editor of NetResults, will present a free workshop in Little Rock on "Church Transformation and Growth."  The workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at the Pulaski Heights Christian Church, 4724 Hillcrest Ave., Little Rock, AR www.phcc-lr.org. Pastors and lay persons from the Great River Region are invited to participate.  Please register by contacting the church: (501) 663-8149 or phcc-lr@sbcglobal.net no later than April 11. Shari Coote, Pastor. Columbia Theological Seminary Spring Events at Lifelong Learning at CTS. Click here to see the Spring schedule. The Lifelong Learning website has been updated –take a look! Online registration available for most courses. For many events, a housing registration option is provided. For more information contact Pat Roper, Lifelong Learning Registrar at 404.687.4587 or roperp@ctsnet.edu. Plans are being made for the GRR Regional Assembly that will be held on November 7-9, 2008 at FCC Bentonville, AR. Mark your calendars and plan to attend.
STAFF UPDATES	From Barbara Jones: Study Leave Update: I’m headed into the last three weeks of my classes, which will be followed by an intensive week long class in Chicago the end of March.  It is hard to believe that this leave will be over then!  I thought you might be interested in my final papers for the classes: · Marketing and PR for Nonprofits:  I have to compare marketing strategies of niche publishers, one for profit and one nonprofit.  Christian Board of Publication will be my nonprofit and Arkansas Business Publishing will be my profit in the comparison. · Diversity in the Workplace:  I have to report on a protected class and issues of inclusivity in the workplace.  I’m focusing on disabled employees in a congregational setting. · Role of CEO and Board:  I have to analyze a nonprofit’s governance structure and policies, leadership positions, planning processes, and performance indicators.  I’m focusing on the region and will have a report for the board on what we have yet to do in shaping our ministries. · Last quarter my final papers were on Evaluating Care to Clergy in the Great River Region, and Multi-Generational issues for the Congregation. I am very grateful for this time to sit back and study.  I have learned so much and will continue to do so, with application toward greater servant leadership of our region. Barb Rick Hamilton: Sunday I will be at First Christian Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas, where I will be leading the Annual Stewardship Campaign. Rev. Albert Lee Nirschl has announced his retirement from First Christian Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas, effective March 31. 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: This weekend I plan to attend and address Mississippi Christian Missionary Convention (MCMC) District IV meeting on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 9 am at Indianola Christian Church in Indianola, MS. I will also keynote the Leadership Banquet at East Percy Street Christian Church in Greenwood, MS at 7 pm. On Sunday February 24, 2008 I plan to worship with East Percy Street Christian Church in Greenwood, MS. The Great River Region Disciple Women Cabinet Retreat will meet at C.A. Vines Retreat Center in Little Rock, AR on February 29-March 2, 2008. Our guests will include the IDWF Executive Cabinet.  All cabinet members are encouraged to attend. From Michael Elmore: Southern District Ministry Committee met this week and licensed Claire Sanders as Associate Pastor of FCC Pineville, LA and Andrew Packman as Ministerial Assistant of FCC Baton Rouge, LA. Our Mission Stations (Grace DOC, FCC Gulfport, FCC Slidell, FCC Greater New Orleans, FCC Lake Charles) and our Mission Center at Westside CC continue to host volunteers from across our denomination as they come to help with our recovery from Katrina and Rita. Thanks to all the volunteers and to our churches who host them. I will be worshiping at FCC Lafayette, LA this Sunday. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: CYF SNOASIS (Feb 22-24):  This event for 9-12th graders will focus on the theme:  Transformers! (Romans 12:2-4) and will feature keynotes by Randy Kuss.  We look forward to seeing all of you there! F.E.A.S.T.:  This event, designed exclusively for youth ministers/youth workers, will take place at the Lutheran Camp on Petit Jean Mountain over the weekend of May 2-4.  Be on the lookout for more information coming soon! Camp & Conference 2008 brochures are in the mail! Deadline for Counselor/Steward/Youth Commissioner/Intern applications is April 14th.  Deadline for camper registrations is May 21^st. 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!