The Story Behind the PSWR Immigration Immersion Project

Each year the Regional Youth and Young Adult’s ministry provide an immersion experience for young leaders to practice and engage the tools of faith they’ve gained from their training. This year we felt compelled to extend this opportunity to young adults from around the General Church – United States and Canada. In the past we have sent young people to unfamiliar areas of the world for most of us. When considering what unique opportunities we could host for folks from around our larger Church, it only seemed natural since we share a border with another country that we tackle issues of immigration and deportation.

With the support of a grant from the Oreon E. Scott Foundation, our region hosted a 10-day immersion experience for eight young adults, four youth, and a number of adults from around the PSWR. Five days of training were provided by immigration resource ministry Matthew 25, Obra Hispana National Pastor, Lori Tapia, our Associate Regional Minister, B. J. Barlow, and conversation that engaged perspectives on racism and cultural sensitivities. The other five days took participants across the US-Mexico border to visit border patrol agents, deported veterans, and our sister church Iglesia de Las Todas Naciones in Tijuana.

The results of this project are continuing to be revealed to us. Our hope is that with the gathering of resources, personal stories, and close encounters with our immigration system, these young leaders will work to provide support and services to immigrants throughout the General Church and beyond.

To hear the impact the program had on one participant, visit: https://youtu.be/4ciShEqHPg8 or watch the video below.

REGIONAL MINISTER SEARCH: RECAP OF THE SEARCH TO DATE

For the last four months, Regional Minister Search Committee members have been meeting with groups throughout the PSWR to listen and gather input about the Region and our future Regional Minister:

• 225 people in groups/committees of the Region were included in 23 meetings 
• 375 people attended 11 Region-wide congregational listening sessions from Hawaii to Las Vegas and Bakersfield to San Diego; 60% of attendees were from our Hispanic Convención churches 
• 60 responses have been received via the online survey. YOU CAN STILL PARTICIPATE! (http://www.disciplespswr.org/minister-search)
• Flyers were handed out about The Search at the National Hispanic Assembly, National African American and NAPAD Convocations to spread the word about our search on a national level
• Each church was mailed a hard copy letter encouraging people to take the on-line survey or attend a listening session
• The July and August E-Shout newsletters and Regional Facebook page included publicity about the online survey and participation in The Search process

The position description and Regional profile are being crafted based on the feedback received. They will be reviewed by a regional minister from another region, our denomination’s General Minister and President, Terri Hord Owens, and the PSWR Regional Board before the job opening is posted at the end of September 2018. If you know someone who should be considered for the position of the next PSWR Regional Minister, please give them the website above. 

September 24th Launch of the Certificate for Spiritual Entrepreneurship

We know you have heard bits and pieces from us and the PSWR about this new emerging discipline of Spiritual Entrepreneurship.  It is an exciting time to be on this side of the innovation curve and we are honored to be one of a few incubators in the country to be doing this work.  The PSWR is doing some amazing and innovative work and we are proud partners!  We just finished our April launch of our Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship and we would like you, and maybe perhaps even your team, to think about being involved in the next launch coming September 24th.   

Within our Christian communities and congregations you can't help but be a part of conversations that are asking questions of what it means to move our faith into the future in ways that are transformational and meaningful.  At Hatchery LA we are an incubator for Spiritual Entrepreneurship and are asking what it looks like to innovate our theologies and methodologies in ways that are sustainable and viable for movement into the 21st Century.
 
With that being said we have teamed up with some friends to talk a little bit more about what this looks like.  We would like to invite you to a series of conversations in which we explore theological questions, dilemmas of practitioners and hear from some of our own Certified Spiritual Entrepreneurs.  Through this series of conversations we will be looking at some of the implications of moving faith into the future in ways that make sense theologically, spiritually and organizationally. 
 
This is completely free.  We just need you to sign up and you will have access to all three conversations when they are released starting September 6th.
 
Our conversation partners include Peter Rollins, Sue Phillips and Certified Spiritual Entrepreneurs.  Peter Rollins is a writer, philosopher, storyteller and public speaker who has gained an international reputation for overturning traditional notions of religion and forming “churches” that preach the Good News that we can’t be satisfied, that life is difficult, and that we don’t know the secret.  Sue Phillips is the Director of Strategy at the On Being Impact Lab, the founder of FAITHIFY, the first denominationally-affiliated crowdfunding site, and is the co-author with colleagues Angie Thurston and Casper ter Kuile of Faithful and Care of Souls which explore emerging models of spiritual innovation.   Finally, three Certified Spiritual Entrepreneurs from Hatchery LA’s Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship program, Chaz Snider, Natasha Holmes and Alex Tan will be sharing about how the discipline of Spiritual Entrepreneurship helped move them forward in their ministry and in their own call and passions.    

Click here to learn more and sign up for free.  Looking forward to sharing these conversations with you!  And, more than that, exploring the intersections of Future and Faith!
 
See you soon!
Spencer Burke, Maria French and Barry Taylor
The Hatchery LA Team

MILE Marker #105

by Revs. Don Dewey and Susan Gonzales Dewey

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Our predecessor Don Shelton used to write a column called Dawn Breakers, and it was about things he learned along the way that “dawned” on him. This last weekend, our congregation in Las Vegas held a memorial service for Rev. Steve Willis, their pastor, who died in a tragic accident on July 30th, 2018.  It was an emotional weekend for his wife, his family and his congregation and I want to share some of the things that “dawned” on us over the last month. 

The Pension Fund is our friend. If you work for the church in any way you are eligible to join the pension fund they not only provide a pension for church pastors and employees, but they stand ready to help out in time of tragedy and difficulty. 

Keep your paperwork up to date. If anything changes in your life setting make sure your pension fund papers and insurance and other legal documents are up to date. We all tend to feel immortal and do not want to think about our death but it will come, and almost always before we are ready, and sometimes it comes way to early. 

You might never know how many people you have touched and how deeply. Yes the sanctuary in Las Vegas was full even all the extra chairs, with family, congregation members, chaplain colleagues, and at least one young man who felt the Steve had been such an important part of his life growing up that he came from San Diego to just be with other people who loved Steve. On your worst day, remember that when you love people it impacts their lives in ways far beyond your understanding. 

Grief takes many forms and it takes as long as it takes for people to move to the new place in their lives. Some respond with anger and some just have to keep busy and some just fall apart and some just carry sorrow along with them. 

It is important to just stand with those who grieve. It might be at the service, yes it matters who shows up. It might be in the many days after and just be prepared to listen. Even when we know the one we love is in the arms of our loving God, our loss that they are not here to love us is still so painful and takes time to heal. 

Wilderness isn’t always a bad place to be. After a loved one is gone it often feels like we are in wilderness, alone and lost, but wilderness can also be a place to hear and see new things, and a place to listen for Gods voice and Gods calling. 

It is important to take time to laugh and to love while we are here. This is the only day we have.  And if God gives us a new day, give thinks.  

Together on the journey,
Don and Susan
Your Regional Ministers

MILE Marker #104: COURAGE

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

Think on these things…

In the midst of these hot, dog days of summer, we hope you are all finding time to relax, rest, and perhaps get away or enjoy time with family and friends.

Therefore, we want to invite you to take a break from all the bad news that seems to at times be overwhelming and let us offer up a little bit of good news in what’s happening around your Region.

For the PSWR, as with most Regions, summer means camp! We are nearing the end of our summer camp season and they have each been a great success. We did have to cancel our Mini camp because of the fire up near Big Bear. Camps are good news because they provide, year after year, opportunities for faith formation that often lasts a lifetime for our children and young people. They are good news because dedicated Directors and Counselors take a week out of their busy lives to guide, teach, encourage and love our young people in their Christian faith.

In addition, our Loch Leven camp hosts young people from two of our ministry Units, All Peoples Community Center and Project IMPACT. Both of these amazing ministries connect with families and children who need assistance, support, and opportunities to build better lives. We are grateful to be partners in ministry with them.

Our youth and young adults have also had another busy summer with a Spring retreat in May, still others traveled to Israel-Palestine, while others traveled on an educational tour to the East Coast while another team traveled to Hawaii for a service project of leading a Vacation Bible school! Each of these opportunities is building leaders for our church today and tomorrow! 

We also celebrate the good news that through our Regions New Church Development Committee, we have launched four (4) brand new ministries in our Region!

•       Beloved Christian Church, San Diego – Rev. Dale Suggs

•       Life Ministries Christian Church, Los Angeles – Pastor Ronnie Taylor

•       Missiongathering Christian Church, Pasadena – Rev. Rich McCullen

•       Casa de Fe, Baldwin Park – Angeles Coronado, Jr.
 

Through the work of our new ACTS 2 Program and generous support of our Regional Board, we have been able to support 8 growing ministries in our Region:

Young Jae Kim, South Bay Korean Christian Church

Ernesto Ramirez, Iglesia de Valle Christian Church

Heather Robertson, Wahiawa Christian Church

Courtney Stanton, E. 105thStreet Christian Church

Eddie Anderson, McCarty Memorial Christian Church

Gabriel Lopez, E. Whittier Christian Church

Sung Wan Cha, Wilshire Korean Christian Church

Nasario Orozco, Iglesia Encuentro con Dios Christian Church
 

More good news! The Region is committed to also working with congregations who’s Regionally owned facilities needed some renovation work so that new and growing ministries could flourish:

•       Temple City Christian Church, El Monte

•       Casa de Refugio, Covina

•       Casa de Fe, Baldwin Park

•       Iglesia Cristiana Emanuel, Rialto

•       FCC & Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo, Lynwood

•       Rivera Christian Church, Pico Rivera

•       Community Worship Center, Gardena

•       LA Korean Christian Church, La Crescenta
 

This summer we celebrated two more classes in DSF’s CMS (Certificate of Ministry) program. We have now had over 100 pastors and laity who have participated in this educational program graduate!

We have been blessed to have a number of our pastors and laity involved and actively engaged in the Poor Peoples Campaign led by Disciple leader The Rev. Dr. William Barber! Even now, our Region is hosting an Immigration Immersion Project involving youth and young adults from across our Denomination as well as those right here in the PSWR with the purpose of understanding, educating, and seeking responses to the issues of immigration and the impact on our brothers and sisters of color.

The PSWR was well represented at both our National Hispanic Assembly in Phoenix, Arizona and our National Convocation in Birmingham, Alabama. The PSWR was involved in both leadership positions and program participants! Our National NAPAD Convocation is coming up in August and again we will be well represented by staff, pastors and laity from the PSWR!

There is lots more good news around our Region including several Installations, Ordinations, and FCC San Bernardino celebrating their 150th Anniversary.

This is just a glimpse of some of the good news happening here in your Region and the way in which together we are answering the call of our General Church’s 20/20 vision for being a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. 

We continue to seek ways to live into the four priorities of our General Church:

• Formation of 1,000 new congregations by 2020

• Transformation of 1,000 current congregations by 2020

• Leadership development necessary to realize these new and renewed congregations

• Becoming a Pro-reconciling/Anti-racist Church
 

As well as our Regions goals:

·     To be One Church

·     To be a Missional Church 

·     To develop vital, healthy, growing congregations

·     To be a well organized and administered Region
 

So we invite you hold onto these words from the Apostle Paul:

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”~ Philippians 4:8-9
 

Together on the journey,
Don and Susan
Your Regional Ministers