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April 25^th, 2008	58^th   Weekly Edition                                                      2008 GRR CURRENTS
JOYS and PRAYER CONCERNS	Please continue to keep Rev. Hancell Bankester, Pastor at FCC Vicksburg, MS and family in your prayers as he recovers from a stroke. Please keep Patricia Currie and Family in your prayers.  Patricia funeralized her mother-in-law this week.  Patricia is a member of Utica Christian Church in Utica, MS and serves on the MS DW Cabinet as Recorder. Be in prayer for Rev. Curt Burge, Pass Christian, MS, who will have a heart catheterization done on May 1^st.
NEWS	Rev. Dan Thornhill, Pastor at Parkview CC, Little Rock, AR has announced his retirement from the active ministry.  He and his wife, Deborah, have elderly parents in declining heath, and they want to be with them during this time to support them with their presence and love.  Dan's last Sunday at Parkview CC will be on April 27, 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. 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	Mississippi Disciples Women will host their Spring Workshop on Saturday April 26 at Covenant Christian Church in Byram, MS.  Registration will begin at 9:30am and the workshop will start at 10 am. GRRCC Disciples Women would like to invite you to attend their annual Disciples Women Spring Workshops.  The Workshop schedule is as follows: APRIL 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, AR YOUTH WORKER F.E.A.S.T. RESCHEDULED!! - The Youth Worker F.E.A.S.T. (originally scheduled for May 2-4, 2008) has been moved to September 26-28.  This new date will allow more GRR youth workers and youth ministry teams to sign up for a time of Sabbath rest and renewal and will also make it possible for many of our brothers and sisters in the Oklahoma Region to join us for the event.  The Fall event will take place at the Lutheran Camp on Petit Jean Mountain (outside Morrilton, AR) and will cost $95.  Registrations are due with payment by September 10th.  Revised registration materials will be sent to all churches, senior ministers and youth ministers in upcoming weeks.  Please mark the dates (September 26-28) on your church/personal calendar and encourage all who minister with Chi Rho/CYF aged youth to attend!!!  If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Lara Blackwood Pickrel at 479-236-8295. GRR Regional Board will have an online board meeting on May 5^th – 12^th. Camp & Conference 2008. 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. “Strength for Today; Hope for Tomorrow” Dr. Jay McDaniel. You are invited to hear Dr. Jay McDaniel on Saturday, April 26 at First Christian Church Fort Smith, AR in our main Disciples Hall.  Registration begins at 8:30 and his program will be from 9-2 with lunch break.  Cost is only $10 for the catered meal but we need to know in advance. Dr. McDaniel is chair of the philosophy and religion department at Hendrix College and is well published, particularly in the area of Process Theism.  His lectures will introduce this new theology, address then the question of evil and conclude with a discussion on how this affects our spirituality. Let me know if you'd like to be added. Randy Jay, Pastor. 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. 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: It was great to be in Mountain Home, AR again last Sunday.  They are such a joyful group of people!  I don’t think I’ve shared about General Board.  That was a great meeting, and Sharon Watkins is shaping those meetings into worshipful, mission driven conversations rather than institutional reporting and politics.  (What, politics in the church?  Say it isn’t so!)  This is the kind of transformation we all need to be engaged in.  What is God calling each of us to do, and in what way, and how can it further build up the Body?  Pretty simple when you boil it down to that! From Rick Hamilton: Sunday I will be at Elm Tree Christian Church in Bentonville. As we continue to prepare for Regional Assembly 2008, watch for announcements by mail and online. Search Committees I am currently supporting: Lakeshore Drive CC, Hot Springs, AR FCC Jackson, MS FCC Little Rock, AR Parkview CC Little Rock, AR FCC Mammoth Spring, AR FCC Mountain Home, AR (Sr. and Assoc.) FCC Rogers, AR FCC Russellville, AR FCC West Memphis, AR Please contact me directly and in confidence to inquire about any of these ministry opportunities. From Vivian Bryant: I plan to worship/preach at Covenant Christian Church in Byram, MS on Sunday, April 27. From Michael Elmore: I will be attending the Juliette Fowler Homes Board meeting in Dallas, TX this Friday and Saturday and then traveling to FCC Tyler, TX. to preach Sunday and lead a workshop on prayer. Rev. Chris Pulliam who was pastor at FCC Rogers, AR is now pastor at Tyler. From Lara Blackwood Pickrel: YOUTH WORKER F.E.A.S.T. RESCHEDULED!! - The Youth Worker F.E.A.S.T. (originally scheduled for May 2-4, 2008) has been moved to September 26-28.  This new date will allow more GRR youth workers and youth ministry teams to sign up for a time of Sabbath rest and renewal and will also make it possible for many of our brothers and sisters in the Oklahoma Region to join us for the event.  The Fall event will take place at the Lutheran Camp on Petit Jean Mountain (outside Morrilton, AR) and will cost $95.  Registrations are due with payment by September 10th.  Revised registration materials will be sent to all churches, senior ministers and youth ministers in upcoming weeks.  Please mark the dates (September 26-28) on your church/personal calendar and encourage all who minister with Chi Rho/CYF aged youth to attend!!!  If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Lara Blackwood Pickrel at 479-236-8295. 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!