Mile Marker #101: Change

“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
-Amos 5:10-25

How many of you like change? I like the change I initiate. But as we live into this season it is easy to see we are in a season of change. There always seems to be a season of change, the question is how do we initiate the change we hear called for from our God; especially when we do not all agree on what that change needs to be?

You might be familiar with the Rev. Dr. William Barber, he is a Disciples of Christ pastor from North Carolina and he has been heading up the New Poor Peoples campaign: A National Call for Moral revival.

Today, many issues in our country that have bible foundations as moral issues have been politicized. It is now difficult to read Isaiah or Amos without people saying that we are being political, when these prophets were simply calling for the rights of the poor.

So some of you might not appreciate this Mile Marker as I talk about the actions of the New Poor Peoples campaign.

Recently I went to their organizing meeting at McCarty Memorial CC, (The 1000 seat sanctuary was full) and I went to their training meeting last month for those who are interested in participating in one of the 6 rallies taking place in Sacramento this spring.

This is all new for me, organizing for action. Several pastors from our Region are a part of the leadership for the California activities, so I went to support them and learn.

As I came home my brother, who usually has very different opinions than I do, asked what this was about. I told him this was a movement to change the national narrative about poverty, racism, (peace) war economy and care for the ecology.

One of the most amazing parts of the training was to see the on-line check in of people in 46 trainings in 30 states across the nation all being trained at the same time for 40 days non-violent action.

What I learned was that organizing often assumes every one is informed and on board with the ideals of the movement but that is not always reality. There were people there from churches and unions and social action groups. People who care about the needs or women and children, our education system, our immigration concerns, needs of the poor, issues of racism, people seeking peace in a country that currently spends 53 cents of every federal discretionary dollar on military spending and only 15 cents on anti-poverty programs with 140 million people who are poor or low-income and people whose concern is care for the ecology.

What I learned was this movement seeks to encourage impacted people to step forward so this nation can see the poverty and pain in this nation; the movement is seeking to make this nation cry together about the suffering in our nation so people will seek change together.

One of the important items lifted up in the training for Non-Violent action, was to listen to person opposing, and try to understand what is at the core of their concern, listening from our hearts and listen to words spoken.

It takes courage to listen, courage to listen to the voices of those who do not agree with us/me/you.

* Courage to listen to the needs of the world
* Courage to listen to the people who are struggling
* Courage to listen to the protests of people
* Courage to listen to the brokenness
* Courage to listen to people who have different ideas about how the world should be
* Courage to listen to the voices of complaint, pain, need, brokenness, protest.

Don and I will be in Sacramento along with other pastors from the Region on May 14th for the first of 6 weekly actions, this one on the needs of the women and children in our country and the issues of education. Please pray for this movement so together we have the courage to listen and to change the national narrative about poverty, racism, (peace) war economy and care for the ecology.

Together on the journey,
Don and Susan Your Regional Ministers

From Graduation to Incorporation: Doing Youth Ministry Better Together!

This year I celebrate 20 years of youth ministry leadership. I taught my first youth bible study group at Oak Forest Baptist Church in Chesterfield, VA when I was 18 years old. I can remember how special an experience it was at that age to share leadership among my peers and older adult mentors. Although I was no longer officially a part of the youth group (having just graduated high school), I appreciated the opportunity to transition out of what our church called “youth group” into full blown adulthood. Without the inclusive culture at OFBC, I may not have ended up in ministry today.

Having an opportunity to keep engaged in a peer group as a growing leader has an impact on how well a young person can transition from one stage of life to the next. Young people are much more likely to stay connected to the mission of the church when they can keep attending the community in a way that makes the most sense to them. Unfortunately, too many 18 year old youth feel abandoned by the church when they graduate high school because of the limited options they have in the church. Many are encouraged to simply graduate into the adult Sunday school class with their parents and grandparents without any intentional transition. As the Fuller Youth Institute puts it, “Giving seniors a ‘graduation Bible’ and hoping for the best just isn't cutting it.” Whether or not we like it, this oversight of transitional education has a direct correlation to the 50% of young people who leave the church after graduating high school.

Although I have personally benefitted from a transitional multi-generational ministry, there is plenty of researched reasoning and application behind implementing in our churches. Some schools call it “split classes”, “multi-grade classes”, “combination classes”, or “transitional education”. The goal is to provide intentional co-mentorship connections between younger youth, older youth, and adult supporters. Research shows that each young person is greatly benefited when surrounded by a team of five adults (Sticky Faith, 2016). If we can safely and effectively build community cross-generationally, it will make for a stronger faith and ministry together in our local churches throughout the PSWR.

Just a few years ago Disciples Home Mission began a campaign to raise awareness of the cross-generational nature of ministry for youth. One cannot simply provide pastoral care for a high school youth without considering effective communication with parents, siblings, and grandparents. Youth ministry incorporates ministry with children & teens & young adults & adults & seniors. The Rev. Dr. Oliva Updegrove, former Associate Minister at FCC Orange and current Minister of Family & Children’s Ministry for DHM, has adopted the “&” to symbolize the necessary connections to the generations that influence ministry for young people. Dr. Updegrove provides a bi-monthly newsletter with resources and events from around our General Church that promote “Ministries Across Generations.” In fact, DOCFamilyandChildren.org proudly proclaims the importance of “Connecting the Whole Body to the Whole Mission.” We cannot achieve this vision without being intentional about the connections between generations.

Transitional Ministry may be new to many of our churches, but it has been a part of our regional culture for quite some time. Having visited a majority of the active youth ministries in the PSWR, I can tell you that the dominant model we use in most of our churches is based on grade levels. However, some of our churches (and our largest regional church) have a transitional structure that defines “youth” quite differently. Almost all our African American, Hispanic, and Asian congregations operate in a transitional ministry structure. Youth and Young Adults do ministry together. Young Adults graduate from youth group when they can demonstrate a maturity that warrants the shift. Likewise, in many of our communities of color there is an intentional training program for young people to step into leadership in the church, whereas many Anglo congregations require very little leadership training in order to participate as an adult. It is in these diverse approaches that we are tasked to provide an effective and inclusive Youth and Young Adult Regional Ministry. It is quite a task, but we are making significant progress in finding an effective median.

Recently the PSWR Youth and Young Adult Ministry has responded to the research behind transitional education by providing opportunities for multi-generational discipleship. At UNITE2018 in Redondo Beach this past February, nearly 135 high school youth, young adults, and adult supporters joined together to build leadership and faith skills. At this conference, there was a deep sense that we were all learning and growing together in a balanced and respectful way. The end result was powerful: high school youth were performing as leaders at a level much higher than we have experienced at other regional events while our young adults/adults felt inspired by the energy of their excitement. UNITE2018 demonstrated that multi-generational ministry (with an emphasis on high school youth) nurtures healthy community and mutual learning.

There are some risks associated with multi-generational ministries that certainly need our undivided attention. We are tuned in to the influence of peer pressure and the access young adults have to things experienced in adulthood that high school youth do not. We also understand how important it is to provide education specific to the developmental stages of each participant. For these and other reasons, we strongly encourage and support church communities to provide chaperones at our regional conferences. Likewise, anyone over the age of 25 who is active participant in a Disciples Congregation is welcome to be trained as a camp counselor. Furthermore, it is the policy and practice for all regional youth and young adult events to have supervision of prepared and responsible adults who have undergone a criminal background check. The PSWR Youth and Young Adult Ministry holds the safety of our young people a high priority (evidenced by decades of well-organized and successful programming) and are committed to provide such adult leadership each time we gather together.

Regional youth and young adult ministry functions best when it provides generalized learning experiences that nurture connection among all our 110 congregations, life application for all participants, and faith formation of our young people. We provide these experiences in a diversity of ways: 1) Conferences, 2) Camps, 3) Retreats, 4) Leadership Training (i.e. YLT,

YIM, YALL), 5) Service Projects/Global Missions. PSWR Camps are intentionally age specific. Our Leadership Training ministries (YLT, YIM, and YALL) are also age specific. However, we are also working to address what Barna Research Group calls “vocational discipleship.” This is when we teach “young people about the integration of faith and occupation, helping them to better understand the concept of calling and emphasizing the meaning and theological significance of work (not just their potential for professional or financial success).” (Gen Z, 2018) In order to do this, it is essential that we begin to consider the traditional models of youth ministry (focusing on cognitive spiritual development) insufficient for preparing young people for the “real world” of adulthood. In other words, knowing about God is good, but we also need to help young people apply their faith to their calling in authentic and meaningful ways. The good news is, local congregations and regional ministries can work together to do this really well!

Where local youth ministries are able to provide in-depth biblical formation, Regional Youth and Young Adult Ministries have a broad capacity to provide spiritual support from all over the PSWR. As Disciples, this strikes a beautiful balance consistent to how we operate as an organized Church. Regional staff works to promote and empower local ministries by engaging faith with the resources and opportunities that impact communities in the PSWR and beyond. BUT, we are only able to provide these resources when local youth ministries trust that what we provide is safe and effective for their faith community.

The PSWR Youth and Young Adults Ministry promises to always provide the most effective, appropriate, and meaningful content possible within a safe environment of qualified adult supporters. We are committed to the vision of our General Church while honoring the diversity of faith and practice present in our local churches. With this promise, we are asking for your support. Regional Youth and Young Adult Ministries must start with a devoted and trusting partnership with local churches. None of us are our best without one another. The more we all work together to make it happen, the better our chances are for a stronger future in youth and young adult ministries. We must be willing to think outside the box to provide ministries that are welcoming to all young people in the PSWR. I would love the opportunity to continue the conversation with interested leaders so that we can strengthen our partnership in providing the best ministry possible for our young people. Why should we do this? Well, because the faith of our young people depends on it.

On the Journey Together in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin J. Barlow
Associate Regional Minister

For more information on ministries, organizations, and resources that support the concept of transitional education, please visit the following websites: www.youthbuild.org, www.stickyfaith.org, https://www.barna.com/product/gen-z/, http://www2.oaklandnet.com/government/o/DHS/s/YouthYoungAdults/OAK022075, https://naaee.org/eepro/blog/intergenerational-education

How Hatchery LA has been moving and doing...

Greetings from Hatchery LA! We have so many wonderful things to share with you! So much has happened between newsletters! The first thing that we would like to share is that we launched our Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship course last week on April 23rd! We are thrilled to have 35 students enrolled! Not only are we working to equip PSWR Pastors for 21st century ministry, but also we have ministry leaders from all different denominations joining us from all over the world! We have had such an overwhelming response to our course offering! We are looking forward to journeying over the next 12 weeks with this cohort as we prepare for our next Certificate launch in September!

In other news, earlier in April, Maria attended the Wild Women of the West interregional women’s conference. She was invited to help lead the worship service on Friday night and was honored to partner with Rev. Marilyn Williams, IDWM President, in presiding over and administering communion. It was an amazing time of connection with women all over the Disciples, as well as getting to know leaders at the general office! As we intentionally work to continue to build relationships within the Disciples, both within the PSWR and nationally, we appreciated this opportunity of connection, community and friendship.

Lastly, Spencer had an opportunity to speak to the women’s group at Pastor Steven Fietz’s church, First Christian in Torrance. We are so thankful to be able to connect with churches and congregations in the PSWR and to find out how we can best partner with them and be a resource for them.
 

In closing, before Spencer spoke at First Christian he was setting up his computer to connect to their projector. An adaptor was needed because Spencer has a newer computer and the inputs have changed, the way information is passed through has been iterated and a connection was not possible without the proper translator. So he ran out, picked up the adaptor and made the connection happen. In some ways, Hatchery LA is acting as an adaptor for those called to do ministry in a time when the religious landscape is changing and shifting faster than we can imagine. The way we gather, the way we worship, even the medium of the message is evolving and forming based on how culture is evolving and forming. We have a new computer that can’t get the message across because it is trying to connect to equip without the proper channel.

Hatchery LA exists to serve ministries and pastors, first and foremost, in the PSWR. We want to be the adaptor that helps you connect the message to new cultural contexts. We believe this is where the future of the church lies.

Looking forward to sharing more next time!

Mile Marker #100: A Spring of Hope

By Revs. Don Dewey and Susan Gonzales-Dewey, Co-Regional Ministers 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

So begins the 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. Reflecting on our world today and specifically what is going on in America, this same sense emerged for me that we are in the best of times and the worst of times.

It is easy to feel we are in the worst of times when it appears the public has been numbed by the constant mass shootings that fill our media outlets regularly. It feels as if no place now is safe or sacred. Our theaters, concerts, schools, even our churches are no longer places of safety. Who would have thought that our children would have to participate in an “active shooter” training exercise as a part of their school experience?

Our political government meant to serve and protect the American people has now become more divided than ever in recent memory. To even talk of “politics” now stirs up conversations about divisiveness, suspicion and mistrust on every side. The level of animosity among our political leaders seems to be rising and spilling over into our public lives.

And as we listen to the cries of our sisters and brothers in the Black Lives Matter movement we are again starkly aware that the insidious nature of racism is alive and well in America. Most recently we have witnessed a rise in white supremacy groups and open demonstrations of KKK and Nazi-type groups in our communities.

We could go on with this sense we are in the worst of times when we see a growing awareness of sexual harassment occurring from our highest government officials to Hollywood tycoons and with other persons of power and influence, sparking the “me too” movement. Or we could look at the continual abuse of our broken immigration system to perpetuate false scapegoats for our unjust economic disparities, destroying families and disrupting communities. Yes, perhaps Dickens says it well, “…it was the season of Darkness.”

Yet however dark, we do not lose hope; our scriptures remind us:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” ~ Lamentations 3:21-24

In this Easter Season we reclaim again that we are people of the resurrection! Death, darkness and despair no longer have power over us. We are people of light and life and our ultimate trust is in our God who can make a way when there is no way!

I could not help but be inspired and filled with great hope as thousands of people of faith showed up in force at the March for Our Lives in D.C. and across the country, to stand against the gun violence epidemic and stand in solidarity with young leaders who are threatened every day by gun violence in their schools and neighborhoods.

Who could not feel the pain and the passion of young people like Emma Gonzalez and others as they risked speaking truth to power? Listening to these courageous voices and witnessing the powerful statement of marches across this country and around the world affirmed the hope we proclaim. This was “…the season of Light.”

In a recent Facebook post, former General Minister and President Dick Hamm shared a collaborative piece titled “A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis” to ask again what it means to claim Jesus as Lord. This was such a hopeful piece in light of all that is dominating our social media that I was encouraged and inspired to feel that perhaps with all the foolishness going on that perhaps this was also a “age of wisdom.” Here is the link for those who have not yet seen this: http://reclaimingjesus.org.

Susan and I are members of the Los Angels Council of Religious Leaders who meet regularly to fellowship and share in concerns that face our churches/places of worship and communities. One important event that is coming up very soon is called A.C.T. NOW!

On April 3-5, 2018 the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and our partners will gather in Washington, D.C. for a historic event to launch its Truth and Racial Justice Initiative. This will mark 50 years since the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, and people of faith are challenged to commit to doing our part to eradicate the entrenched racism that grips the United States and paralyzes our ability to see every human being as equal.

The challenge for our communities and us is to join in truth-telling, leading to actions that right the wrongs, and, with God’s grace, bring healing and wholeness to all people, and unity to the nation.

A.C.T. NOW!
· AWAKEN ourselves to the truth that racism is ever-present, deeply rooted in American culture, and profoundly damaging to our communities.

· CONFRONT racism, speak truth to ourselves, our communities and institutions, and stand against injustice.

· TRANSFORM the hearts, minds, and behaviors of people and structures that shape society.

I share all this as encouragement in what might seem a “…season of Darkness” to remind us that our God is faithful and God’s steadfast love never ceases. I pray that we might see this time as a challenge for us to be about creating “an epoch of belief.”

I am aware that many in our Disciple communities participated in these recent marches, are actively engaged in addressing issues of racism and discrimination as well as working to find solutions to our immigration problems. I know too, that so many of you are speaking out, praying and finding ways to bring light, life and hope into this dark time. Each one of these acts, no matter how small, is a hopeful sign of God’s ever moving Spirit in our midst.

Just as the Easter Season reminds us of new life that begins to emerge after a period of winter darkness so too may we be faith-filled people of life and joy and see this time as our “spring of hope.” So continue your work, your prayers, and your support. Let your voices be heard and your lights shine. Let courage be your clarion call to action and do not lose hope!

Together on the journey,

Don and Susan Your Regional Ministers

THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL

By Maria Francesca French, Director of Innovative Training and Creative Strategies for Hatchery LA

I and my colleagues at Hatchery LA, along with Disciples of Christ leaders from Urban Mission and First Christian Church Oceanside, have just finished a 6-month incubation process in Spiritual Entrepreneurship led by Columbia University School of Business and Glean Incubator. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this incredible learning community and want to share three of our big “takeaways” from the experience.

1. We are not alone! DOC-affiliated programs (including Hatchery LA) made up 4 of the 10 programs or projects that participated in Columbia’s Spiritual Entrepreneurship class. What an “aha” experience it was to share the class with a diverse group of people with perspectives and faiths different from ours – yet, all who are seeking new ways of expressing and operationalizing their faith in a 21st Century reality. From the Jewish community, to the Lutherans and Methodists as well as a Muslim based project – it became quickly apparent that we share a common desire to be relevant to the populations we serve, and similar struggles to create new models of church or faith that are sustainable. It is enough of an issue for enough people that Columbia Business School developed this curriculum!

2. We can’t presuppose the questions that people are asking about God and community. We live in a radically different world than 50-, 20- or even 10-years ago. The questions about God and community that people are asking today are different than before. That means we must be intentional about first listening to those in our community and being open to new questions, and then developing responses that are relevant.

3. Love the problem, not the solution. This was the mantra of Columbia’s University’s Spiritual Entrepreneurship program director. Too often we are quick to jump to the solution without really understanding the problem – an understanding that would inform a successful outcome. So, rather than starting with the solution and working backwards, our attention was continuously drawn to the problem we were trying to solve. This allowed us to work on identifying the questions mentioned above, and then create and test and dissect and define and redefine thoughtful, strategic responses. For Hatchery LA, we are seeking to respond to the shifts in culture and the world, inviting others to engage new questions of god and new ways of engaging god that promote community, sustainability and viability.

If Spiritual Entrepreneurship sparks your interest, consider joining Hatchery LA in a Certificate program:

Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship, Discovery Phase. This is a 12-week course preparing you for your journey toward spiritual innovation, the practice of it and the need for it. Move swiftly through theories of innovative theology, finance, technologies, culture, coupled with training on lean methodology and why this matters for the future of your context. Apply here.