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April 4^th, 2008	56^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2008 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	Little Rock and surrounding communities experienced severe weather last night.  The following report is current as of Friday, 4/4/08 at 11am: · First Christian Church in Little Rock took a direct hit by one of the tornados.  The following is a link to pictures I took this morning using my phone camera.  Every building & roof is damaged.  Quite a few windows out.  Roof has a hole into the sanctuary.  They have not yet decided what to do about Sunday services.  Rev. David King is the interim pastor. · http://grrccdoc.smugmug.com/gallery/4651160_8Nhof#274633186 Shelly Seay, daughter of L.T. and Liz Langley, FCC Camden, AR who is celebrating her 50th birthday.  Shelly has been struggling with a major illness and doctors thought she would not live to see this day.  We celebrate with you!!!!!!!!!
NEWS	Don’t forget to submit your report for the Yearbook and Directory if you have not done so. 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. 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 of Christ Historical Society today launched a major update to its website www.discipleshistory.org. The site includes a fully searchable catalog, index to periodicals, and digital images. Two new programs are featured on discipleshistory.org. First, Journeys in Faith helps individuals write their spiritual autobiography, which then will be made available online. Second, Streamers helps congregations teach the history and beliefs of the Stone-Campbell movement. It is an in-depth curriculum developed in partnership with Disciples Home Missions. It is available for free download at discipleshistory.org. The site also includes a staff blog sharing thoughts and insights on research, programming, and church life. Glenn Thomas Carson, President. The Schmidt Center. A Ministry of Home & Family Services. To see Hot Topics and other upcoming events Click Here. FREE Webinars on U. S. Religious Landscape Survey and on Spiritual Strategic Journey Process. During the month of April, George Bullard is offering four FREE Webinars on two different subjects. Click here details for each one. Feel free to sign up for your choices. Each is limited to approximately 20 participants.
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. Partners in Ministry ’08 Workshop. For ministers, musicians, dramatists, and artists at FCC El Dorado, April 5, 2008. 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. GRR Regional Board will be meeting April 18-19, 2008 at FCC Bentonville, AR. 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. 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. Disciple Home Mission is planning five area church transformation workshops beginning in September of this year. The one for our area is planned for January 16-18, 2009 at Oklahoma City. Michael Elmore, Regional Pastor is working with the area committee and planning the event for our area. A flyer can be found at the following link http://www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2008/08025.pdf
STAFF UPDATES	From Barbara Jones: My study leave has been a very blessed time to focus on our shared ministry in light of best practices in nonprofit management.  I’ll be sharing one of my papers with the regional board at its April meeting and will be adding useful resources to our website over the next few weeks.  I had outpatient surgery Monday (3/31) and was not able to be at Sonny Fountain’s funeral, but Bill McKnight attended and represented the region.  Tuesday and Wednesday I rested, and am back in the office as of Thursday.  I’ll be getting updated on the last three months and preparing for the general board meeting in Indianapolis April 12-15, staff meeting and regional board meeting that next weekend, so it’s quite a welcome back! The studies and the time off allowed me time to think and pray about our history and growth and future as an important part of the ministry of Christ’s body.  I am looking forward to our gathering as a Regional Assembly in November when we’ll be able to talk together about what God is doing in our midst and how we are responding. Thank you again for this productive and restful time of leave, Barb Rick Hamilton: Saturday I will be addressing the Men’s Retreat at FCC Fort Smith, AR. Sunday, I will be at FCC Mountain Home, AR Next week I am looking forward to working with New Congregations in Little Rock, AR and Moss Point, MS. 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 will attend the Great River Region Disciples Women Spring Worship to be held at Cross Street Christian Church in Little Rock, AR on Saturday, April 5, 2008.  The workshop will begin with registration at 9:30 am and program will begin at 10 am.  From Michael Elmore: I will be preaching and leading an assessment process at FCC Lafayette, LA this Sunday. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: DEADLINES APPROACHING!!! Counselor/Steward/Youth Commission Applications are due in the Regional Office on April 14th!  If you (or members of your congregation) are interested in serving as a counselor or steward at camp this summer, please fill out the application and background check form found in the Summer Camping Booklet and mail it back by the deadline.  Also, if you have any sophomores or juniors in high school (or adults who work with youth) who you believe would be strong servant leaders, please encourage them to fill out the Great River Region Youth Commission.  The GRRYC application is also found in the Summer Camping Booklet and the deadline is also April 14th. Registrations for the Youthworker F.E.A.S.T. are due in the regional office by April 18th.  This event, designed for adults who work with middle school and high school youth (youth ministers, youth sponsors, Sunday School teachers, etc.), is intended as a time for youth workers to experience Sabbath rest and a faithful community of peers.  Forms have been mailed to every congregation; if you would like to have a form re-mailed, please call the Regional Office and let us know! 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!