We join our sisters and brothers at First Christian Church Honolulu in celebrating 120 years of ministry! Check out FCC Honolulu's Vimeo channel for more "Island Beats", great video updates on the life of our PSWR family across the ocean!
PSWR’s Church in Society Committee is currently accepting applications for the Camile Christian Church Grant and the deadline for applying is September 4, 2014.
Both the requirements for the grant and application can be found on the PSWR website.
This grant is available due to the generosity and foresight of Camile Christian Church which provided a permanent fund through the sale of property for “special projects and outreach”. This grant is available to projects and programs that deal with the “root causes of injustice, poverty and promote Christian growth”. This can be an ongoing program or something new that needs some seed money to come to fruition.
Do you have a mission project or passion for a program that you would like to discuss with someone for brainstorming, resources or help in completing the Camile Grant application? CIS’s Mission Project Consultant, Cheri Metier is available to help! For more information about the Camile Grant, project assistance or what CIS is doing contact Cheri at CIS@disciplespswr.org .
The Belasco Theater, Los Angeles
You are invited to "Sowing the Seeds of Change", a celebration and fundraiser on Thursday, October 9, 2014 at the gorgeous Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. This event will celebrate Saundra Bryant's 30 years of outstanding leadership at All Peoples Community Center, and will raise funds to continue the important work of All Peoples. For more than 70 years All Peoples Community Center has served as a safe haven for the residents of South Los Angeles. Everyone, from children to seniors, counts on All Peoples to provide comprehensive programs, and social services that enrich lives and cultivate community stability.
The event is Thursday, October 9, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets can be purchased online.
Cheri Metier, Church in Society's new Mission Project Consultant is happy to report that over $600 in total (including donations from University Christian Church, Casa de Oracion and others from July's La Asamblea) was raised and used for items specifically needed by those escaping violence in Central America. In just hours this significant amount was collected as a compassionate response to the immigrants fleeing horrific gang and drug violence in their homelands. These monies provided shoes, socks, underwear and feminine sanitary products for the health and comfort of those seeking asylum in the U.S.
As part of a contingent from La Obra Hispania and Refugee and Immigration Ministries of Disciples Home Missions, Cheri delivered these items to the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice of San Diego County (ICWJ) on July 21. The contingent was warmly welcomed by Executive Director of ICWJ, Rabbi Laurie Coskey, Ed.D. She was encouraged to learn that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is taking advocacy leadership for refugees and immigrants and thanked us for the generous donations.
To learn more about what the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is doing in response to this crisis visit the DHM website.
Email Cheri Metier, the PSWR Mission Project Consultant for the Church in Society Committtee.
*The following article was produced by the General Church's Disciples News Service. To subscribe to their informative emails, click here.
"Be Still and Know" ... and act! Biennial Session celebrates past, future
There is an African proverb that says, "A people with no knowledge of their past are like a tree without roots." The board of the National Convocation made sure that participants in the 23rd Biennial Session in Columbus, OH have some roots.
Dramatic interpretations celebrating several personalities from the history of the black Disciples movement were included in plenary sessions. Jocoby Kenoly, the first black Disciples missionary to Liberia, visited through the performance of Rev. Jesse Jackson, telling of his call and the tools he used to carry it out. Several women were portrayed including Rosa Page Welch (Marilyn Williams), Sarah Lue Bostic (Sheryl Nelson) and Lucille Compton (Dee Long). Stories of the Struggle and a celebration of the merger agreement forming the National Convocation were also shared. And beautiful African traditions of dance, drumming and libation offerings were lifted up.
Associate General Minister and Administrative Secretary for the National Convocation Rev. Dr. Timothy James shared his report on the state of the black Church reporting the strength of 479 congregations, remembering Eugene Randall and Raymond Brown and celebrating the current executive leaders of the denomination that include nearly 20 percent of regional ministers, Division of Overseas Ministries President Julia Brown Karimu and the new transitional president for Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, Rev. Chris Dorsey.
And there was preaching! Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA, kicked off the lineup that included Rev. Julian DeShazier (a.k.a. J Kwest) from University Church in Chicago and Rev. Dr. Irie Sessions, first woman called to pastor Warren Avenue Christian Church in South Dallas and president of the Disciples Black Ministers Association.
In addition, national staff of the NAACP visited to bring the participants up to date on some of the legislative and educational efforts of the civil rights organization. Hilary O. Shelton, director of the Washington bureau and senior vice president for policy and advocacy, brought report cards on congressional votes, legislative priorities, a current action alert re: voting rights legislation and an opportunity to join the Quick Response Membership Network. Rev. Keron R. Sadler, HIV/AIDS specialist in the health advocacy branch, shared their three areas of work for institutional and systemic change - the Affordable Care Act, childhood obesity and HIV/AIDS. A grassroots effort to engage churches in the conversation about HIV/AIDS includes faith leader training and curriculum for seminaries (theblackchurchandhiv.org).
And as for action, Patricia Maples presided over reports during the business sessions which followed up on efforts for strategic planning, nurture of clergy, the elder's efforts, a task force to eliminate racist language from Church governing documents, program audit reports as well as accomplishments such as more than 100 Disciples participating in the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
The following officers were installed during the final worship service: president - Rev. Jesse Jackson, Oklahoma City; vice president - Pat Penelton, St. Louis; secretary - Felicia Wright, Houston; and treasurer - John Tiggle, Houston.