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March 28^th, 2008	55^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2008 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	Judy Row, IDWM President. Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. An information site has been created for those who would like periodic updates at www.caringbridge.org/visit/judyrow. I ask for your prayers for the IDWM Executive Committee and the Office of Disciples Women as they will be picking up the pieces I will not be able to attend to in the months ahead.  Keep my family in your prayers as we embark on this new journey.  I believe that even though there will certainly be difficult days ahead, God will continue to embrace us, walk with us, and sustain us. Serving with you, Judy. Mr. Burl Nowell, father of Rev. Ronny Nowell (FCC Rogers, AR, Associate Pastor), is critically ill.
NEWS	Don’t forget to submit your report for the Yearbook and Directory. Southern District Ministry Committee met and voted to License Frank Sherard as Minister of St. Charles Ave. Christian Church in New Orleans, LA. Frank has been mobilized to serve with the Navy in New Orleans. He and his family are from Missouri where Frank served in UCC and Disciple Churches. We welcome Frank to our Region. A Covenant of Calling service is being planned for June 22^nd, 2008. 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. We have information about Disciples Institute and some of the course offerings and up-coming events.  Also check out the Bi-Vocational Ministers blog.  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. A Ministry of Home & Family Services. To see Hot Topics and other upcoming events Click Here. Update on Christian Unity March 2008.  “A season of ecumenical meetings! . . . wherever Christians join hands for common witness in God's name on behalf of others - Disciples are there!” These words were written by Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of our church, as she reflected upon her experience of participating in a series of ecumenical meetings since the beginning of the New Year. See copy of her pastoral letter “Disciples At Their Best” at http://www.disciples.org/watkins/lettersmedia/2008/EcumenicalWitness/ -  Christian Churches Together in the US (January 8-11) where Dick Hamm, our former General Minister and President, now serves as Executive Administrator. See news release at http://www.disciples.org/ccu/news/2008/0801.CCTSecondAnnualMeeting.html - The Plenary of Churches Uniting in Christ (January 11-14) where Suzanne Webb, Pastor of Union Avenue Christian Church in St. Louis, served as President, and Patrice Rosner serves as Director of CUIC. See report on this Plenary at http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=12805 -  The meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (February 12-20) where Sharon Watkins serves as the Disciples representative to that 120-member governing body and Robyn Fickes, a seminary student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, participated as a steward. See news story at http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=13045 -  The Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (February 25-26) where Michael Kinnamon now serves as General Secretary. See http://www.ncccusa.org/news/newshome.html With best wishes, and deep gratitude for the exciting opportunities I am privileged to have in my ministry as president of the Council on Christian Unity. Robert Welsh
EVENTS	GRRCC Disciples Women will hold its first Spring Workshop at Cross Street Christian Church in Little Rock, AR on April 5.  Registration will begin at 9:30 am.  The workshop will run from 10am till 3pm.  All materials for our 2008 study groups will be on sale there including the new DW denominational study magazine.  Salad luncheons will be provided for $5.  See you there!!! GRRCC Disciples Women would like to invite you to attend their annual Disciples Women Spring Workshops.  The Workshop schedule is as follows: APRIL April 5                    AR DW Spring Workshop Cross Street CC, Little Rock, AR April 12                  LA DW Spring Workshop FCC, Monroe, LA April 26                  MS DW Spring Workshop Covenant CC,  Byram, MS MAY May 3                    LA DW Spring Workshop FCC, Slidell, LA May 11                  Mother’s Day JUNE June 7                   AR DW Spring Workshop FCC, Fort Smith Don’t forget, we will have limited copies of the new Disciples Women study curriculum available for purchase. 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 have been mailed.  Deadline for Counselor/Steward/Youth Commissioner/Intern applications is April 14th.  Deadline for camper registrations is May 21^st. 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. 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). 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) Partners in Ministry ’08 Workshop. It’s not too late to register for the Partners in Ministry workshop for ministers, musicians, dramatists, and artists at FCC El Dorado, April 5, 2008.  Now that Easter is over, you are no doubt ready to make plans for the next few months.  Get some great ideas about using the arts to help your congregation connect with God in worship.  Learn the importance of symbol, metaphor and music for young people.  Find ways to preach so that people from multiple generations can get your message.   Network with others in situations like yours.  Ministers:  bring your creative people.  Creative people: bring your ministers!  Call Deitra Blackwell at 501-517-2474 or email her at disciplesinstitute@grrcc.org to register. 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. 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. 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. The 20^th Biennial Session of the National Convocation will be held in Memphis, TN on July 25-28, 2008.  The theme for the Convocation is God, Our Weapon in Spiritual Warfare.  II Corinthians 10:3-5.  GRRCC clergy interested in attending this event are encouraged to contact the Regional office concerning scholarship assistance.  Those clergypersons interested in attending will be asked to pay the registration fee.  Other costs will be negotiated as part of the scholarship package on a first come first serve basis. 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.
STAFF UPDATES	From Barbara Jones: Will be on Study Leave January – March 2008. Rick Hamilton: I have been honored this week to work with the Ministerial Support Committee for Lara Blackwood-Pickrel. I will be in Rogers, AR this weekend, and will then spend the final week of Barb’s Study leave on administrative tasks. 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 West Memphis, AR FCC Little Rock, AR From Vivian Bryant: I plan to attend the Church World Service Disaster Response Forum held in Nashville, TN on March 29-April 1, 2008. From Michael Elmore: In April I will begin working with FCC Lafayette, LA and FCC Pineville, LA on a Transformation Assessment and Process. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: 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!