Rain In A Rain Forest Is Like Sunshine In California…

Expected, But Not Always Appreciated
by Paul Turner

It’s late summer, which mean it’s the dry season in the City of Mbandaka along the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Yes, a dry season in the middle of a rain forest.   The red dirt and dust carried by the wind accumulates on everything and everyone.  Unlike my home of California, the dry season doesn’t last for 3 to 4 years.  There will be a wet season, and it is unrelenting when it starts.  The impending wet season occupied my brain for a week.  Local Congolese said the rains begin at the beginning of October.  Plenty of time to prepare for elements associated with rain in the tropics - flooding, humidity, heat and mosquitos.  A list of activities to accomplish ahead of the rains was created.  It called for digging drainage ditches to move water away from the house, clearing the gutters so fresh rain water could fill the water tanks, and removing the pile of leftover dry cement next to the new well before it became an unmovable rock. 

Delighted with myself for thinking ahead I went to bed knowing a plan was in place.  Then at precisely 5:30am the very next morning, a torrential downpour began.  Awakened by the deafening sound of Congo rain, I mumbled into the pillow “Isn’t this the dry season”.  Yet, the rain brought cool air from the west.   No heat, no humidity and no mosquitos.  The rain did fill the storage tanks, but did not produce any flooding because the water was quickly absorbed by the thirsty soil.  The pile of dry cement did not harden as feared because it was mostly sand. 

This rain was a blessing, not a curse. That’s especially true when it corresponds with a new or returning arrival.  Sure enough, that evening Rev. Bonanga, President of the Communaute Des Disciples Du Christ Au Congo (CDCC), had just returned home from the United States after attending General Assembly.  While at General Assembly, Rev. Bonanga signed an agreement with Disciples4Water to construct more water wells in the Equateur Province to combat the lack of safe drinking water.  Disciples4Water is an initiative of First Christian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.  They connected with former oil drillers interested in finding a more precious resource for human life – water.  You can visit Disciples4Water.org or like them on Facebook. 

The Congolese concept of rain as a welcoming blessing was further demonstrated in mid-August when it rained during the first day of the CDCC General Assembly Administrative meeting.  The opening worship was held outdoors at a secondary school under the hallway covering.  When 150 Pasteurs Surveillant Principale, or PSPs, (akin to regional ministers) and visitors took their seats to hear the message from Rev. Jeanine Bodjimbe, a hard and fast moving storm came roaring through.   It poured buckets.  The sound was loud and a river of water began running pass the feet of the seated assembly.  Yet, the speaker was undeterred.  She was determined to be heard over the storm as she left the pulpit to walk among the congregation with a raised voice that got louder as the storm continued.  You haven’t heard real preaching until you’ve heard it outdoors amid thunder and lightning. It was an impressive sight. 

Now fully aware that rain comes to welcome those returning home and visitors alike, I wasn’t surprised when it rained the day Rev.  Marco Cable, Africa Executive for Global Ministries, came to Mbandaka.  Rev. Cable’s visit provided an opportunity to visit a few of the ministries supported by Global Ministries.  A highlight of the tour was stopping by the recently completed Women’s Professional Training Center named after former Africa Executive, Sandra Gourdet, affectionately referred to as Mama Sandra.  The “Centre Professionnel Maman Sandra Gourdet” is run by the CDCC Women’s Department, and provides vocational training, meeting space and offices.  This center is a safe space where women can come together to improve their skills and plan new strategies for women in development. 

Yes, the rain is a sign of blessings.  Now, bring on the rainy season.

Paul Turner is a member of Abundant Life Christian Church of Los Angeles and currently serves as the Global Ministries Missionary with the Community of Disciples of Christ in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Paul is a Project Consultant on various community development projects designed to increase the quality of life for communities served by Disciples of Christ churches.

Learning to Soar

On July 18 – 23, thirteen youth and four adults attended General Assembly in Columbus, Ohio as part of the new regional Youth Immersion Ministry program. With funding from the PSWR Anti-racism/Pro-reconciliation Committee and the Oreon E. Scott Foundation, the group experienced multi-cultural workshops, dinners, worship services, and much more all presented by ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The following is a report giving to the Anti-racism/Pro-reconciliation committee on Sunday, August 9th by a youth participant of YIM.

Hi, my name is Rebecca Foster and I am a proud member of the Youth Immersion Ministry. How General Assembly started for me was a half asleep car ride at 4 in the morning driving to the airport, a great way to start your 16th birthday. It was a long travel day, which left you with lots of time to think. And I won’t lie, there was a time when I was sitting on one of the plane seats trying to find a position even remotely close to comfortable for sleeping, thinking to myself… was this worth it? Was this long travel day that I was spending on my birthday going to be worth it. And the purpose of my speech to you today is to tell you that it was. I know that my words probably won't do its justice to explain the way that week made me feel, but I am going to do my best to try.

I know our whole team isn’t represented here, but I want to tell you just how amazing they are. Every single person brings something amazing to the team. To give you an example we started the trip that early morning in the airport practically strangers, only having one meeting prior. That night we were out at dinner (my makeshift “birthday dinner”) and I can tell you that as we sat their laughing and eating, and just talking I would not have wanted to spend that night with anyone else. It was a fast friendship, and by the end, I like to think of us as a family.

There was a moment when I realized just how big and how many different types of people we had in our denomination. We walked in at the very end of the first night service and it was unbelievable how many people stood in that room. Huge amounts of people proudly standing and worshiping God. It reminds me of the feeling I get when flying in a plane. You look down at the ground as houses and cars and people are getting smaller and smaller and you really see just how big the world is. All my life I have been very close to the ground, or close to the church, so to speak, never realizing how big and diverse our denomination really is. That first night when we “took off” I felt high in the air, like it was my first time flying, seeing the magnitude of the Disciples of Christ. That’s when we began to soar.

Even though we were such a large amount of people, the community felt close and welcoming. One morning we went to the Hispanic service. The fear I had going into it was that I would feel like I didn’t belong. I would sit through an entire service feeling disconnected because I didn’t know the language or understand the tradition. I was so wrong. I felt more welcomed and cared for then I do in some English speaking churches. They went out of their way to have an English translator so that those of us who didn’t speak Spanish could understand the message. The biggest sense of community in that service was when the translator would get stuck on a word and the people attending the service would shout out words to help her. These people went out of their way to make others feel comfortable and wanted. That’s how everyone should be made to feel. More importantly, that is how we should make people feel.

The last night service I can honestly say, it changed my life. It pushed me forward in my faith journey. The preacher talked about many things that hit home for me, but one part that I want to share is how he talked about the youth. The speaker made the point that we need young people to know what cannot be done. The innocence youth sometimes carry is seen as a handicap by lots of adults, and because of that youth are made to feel like they can’t change the world, and up until that week, and up until I joined the Youth Immersion Ministry, I believed that. I believed it. Now I see, that can’t be more wrong. The youth’s mindset of not knowing what the limits are and not knowing when dreams should be shut down because of practicality. That is a gift. That is possibly one of the best gifts we have been given. I don’t know what we will accomplish yet, or if we will change the world, but I think we will definitely work hard to change as much of it as we can. At General assembly I learned that we have a responsibility as youth to fight against racism and make every kind of person that may be considered different than you or me, feel safe and comfortable, because we aren’t different. We never have been, and we never will be. We are God’s children and that should be enough to make us feel as one. The youth can’t sit around and wait for the adults to change how things are, because there is a chance they never will. We can’t wait, and we won't, that's what we are about. The Youth Immersion ministry is about us youth making a change. Not making the change later, not making a change when we are older, not making a change when we're stronger. We want to make a change now.

I realize that I am not the only one who attended and I want you to not only hear my experience but to also hear others. So I asked some of the youth immersion ministry to describe their week in a sentence and this is what they said:

“My week at GA was filled with new experiences, great conversations, many awesome workshops, laughter, and memories that will last a life time.”

“Color Brave!”

“I was amazed by all the people there committed to sharing the word of God and making a difference.”

And If I had to describe my week in a sentence I would say: I know I have always loved God, and Jesus, and the church and its community, but this week I had fallen in love with it in the best possible way.

Dear God,

I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done. The experiences you gave to us youth. I mostly want to thank you for those people who have supported us. The people who have seen something great inside us youth. Thank you for recognizing that we care about the problems surrounding racism and judgment and that we aren’t afraid to stand up against it. I have never been more proud after seeing the community, love and support, to be a member of the Disciples of Christ, and more than that, to be a Christian, and most of all I am proud to be one of your children. So thank you. Amen.

Amen and amen!!!
B. J. Barlow
PSWR Youth & Young Adults
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

New Pentecost Tradition Established in Antelope Valley

By Rev. Mitch Becker

On Pentecost Sunday, First Christian Church of Antelope Valley took their worship service outside. It had never been done before and there was some anxious feelings about it, but it turned out to be a true celebration of Spirit! By taking the service outside we moved into our primary mission field which is the surrounding neighborhood. One of our parishioners stood out beside Avenue "J" and waved at cars passing by. Another church member spoke to people about joining our church. One person on a bicycle even stopped to listen to the sermon! By doing something innovative and risky we have learned that the Spirit waits for us beyond the familiar and the comfortable. I'm certain that a new tradition has been established at our church.

How Do We Respond To Violence?

Rev. Diane Kenney, United Ministry

Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, Tansey Chair of Christian Ethics, Center for Religion, USC and Co-founder, the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, USC

Two years ago The Rev. Chip Murray was invited by Church in Society to serve as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaker for our Region. Chip was a long time colleague of mine at USC; I dare to call him a friend.  In despair over the Charleston shootings and subsequent church burnings, I sent him the email that follows. He responded quickly with words Biblical, theological, and activist, which are of help to me and hopefully to others within the Region. 

I wrote: "The responses to the Charleston shooting and the subsequent burning of churches included one that won't leave me alone.  "White people need to do more."  Agreed.  The reality:  but we don't know what "more" means.   If you would put something on paper directed to us "white people who need to do more"  you would do much to kick some of us out out of a state of despair and stunned silence." ~Diane Kenney

[His response] 'How very thoughtful of you to seek ways of making the word become flesh.  It is true that indifference really makes a difference for those who really care.  

We have the options of being careful, carefree, or careless.  The latter two, carefree and careless, detach; the first, careful, attaches. 

If we are careful, full of care, not full of bull, we relate to the troubled and despairing persons and situations with our presence and with our participation.  We recall how few were at the cross when the one to whom they had pledged allegiance drew his last breath.  

On the other hand, we marvel at and applaud the steadfast outreach of Mother Mary, beloved John, and Mary Magdalene.

Here are some suggestions for action:

1.  We might be present at walks that are sponsored by churches and organizations that make a statement with their energies.

2.  We might engage the thinking of social media, daring to risk standing alone, knowing that being out of step does not equate to being out of focus.  

3.  We might join ventures with Black churches that are staging prayer vigils and invoking the two virtues which alone seem appropriate at this time:  forgiveness and justice.

4.  In our own houses of worship we might lead a focus group that makes a statement via prayer sessions and the outreach of love.

Summarily, we confess that God is in the delivery business--He delivered Daniel from the lion's den, saved Jonah from the belly of the whale and then the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace and I know He'll deliver poor me .

The proclamation makes us partners with God in the delivery business, for the love of God and the love of neighbor are embodied in the very essence of love, that which we proclaim as the bedrock of our Zion’s.  

Our nation is holding its breath. If this point in our history passes us by while we simply watch or shake our heads, then we become not just part of the problem, but the essence of the problem itself.    

Endowment Can Start Small and Be Effective

by Jim Cullumber, Christian Church Foundation

The Rev. Brian Daly of Pacific Beach Christian Church has some simple words of advice for congregations without permanent, or endowment, funds: Get started now!

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Rev. Brian Daly

 Daly puts it this way: "It's easy to think you don't have enough resources to start a permanent fund or that your immediate needs are greater than your long-term needs. It took our congregation over 50 years to start a permanent fund and we started it with a $2,000 gift given by one of the charter members of the church who wanted to contribute to something that would bless the church long after she was gone. While it wasn't a large gift, we celebrated it (and her) as if she had given us a million dollars. It was something new and different and provided people an opportunity to think about ways of giving beyond their weekly or monthly offering."

Key to the process was a permanent fund policy. With assistance from the Christian Church Foundation, Pacific Beach Christian Church created a policy that works for them.

"The primary boost to our permanent fund came when we specified in our policy that 'undesignated' gifts to the church via bequests would automatically be directed to the permanent fund," Daly said.

"After we clarified our policy, we received three significant bequests within a year of each other," he said. "Rather than tempting us to debate how and where to direct the money, those gifts were invested directly in the permanent fund. During this time we were also beginning to articulate a vision for the church that included the hiring of an associate pastor and the launching of a home for those recovering from addictions. The timing was such that the congregation is beginning to see how the permanent fund is helping us take huge steps forward toward fulfilling this vision."

Pacific Beach Christian Church

The Rev. Marilyn Fiddmont, the Christian Church Foundation vice president whose territory includes the Pacific Southwest Region, said the congregation located near San Diego is a shining example of what can happen with permanent funds.

"The church leaders took the time to develop a strong policy with the Foundation's help, and now they are seeing the benefits of having a thriving permanent fund," she said.

Added Daly: "So don't wait. Help is available and you will be surprised at the kinds of unexpected gifts you will receive along the way. In the 15 years since we started our permanent fund it has grown to over $475,000 and lots of other seeds for potential gifts have been sown that will likely bear even more fruit in the next 15 years and beyond."

Reprinted from "Disciples Together," Resources for Pastors from the General Ministries of the Christian Church, June 15, 2015.