Greetings from the Sabbatical Regional Minister

Isaiah 40:28-31 (New International Version)

28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

During the past days and weeks, our country has encountered the severe challenges brought about by the repercussions of Hurricane Harvey and violent encounters emanating from the Charlottesville-related protests.  Many private citizens and agency personnel have risked their lives on the behalf of others.  We give thanks for those who sought to rescue and save - even at the risk of losing their own lives.

Let us continue to support those in need of prayer, donations, and presence.  As we strive to provide spiritual, physical, and financial support in the face of these often reoccurring and debilitating events, some may have become fatigued and weary.  Remember: we are encouraged not to place our hope solely in our human abilities lest we forget to place our hope in the Lord who promises to renew our strength, and to increase our power to keep on walking, to keep on running!

We give thanks to the members of the Pacific Southwest Regional Personnel Committee and Regional Board for granting to our Co-Regional Ministers, Don and Susan, a much-needed Sabbatical leave.  Susan’s leave began on August 1 and will conclude on September 15.

Don’s leave began on August 14 and will conclude on September 30.  Many of us have viewed Facebook photo postings of their visits to Croatia and Italy.  We pray for their safe journey home.

Hopefully, you and your family have shared a fun-filled summer.  As another school year begins, our thoughts and prayers are with new and returning students, parents and school personnel throughout the PSWR near and far.

To all adult/youth leadership and other volunteers who participated in the recent Youth Leadership Retreat which was held at Loch Leven, September 1-4 - Thank you!

Excitement abounds throughout the PSWR as we rapidly approach these upcoming events!

     The 2nd Annual Don Shelton Mini Golf Memorial Classic, Sunday, September 17

     The 13th Annual Don Shelton Memorial Classic Golf Tournament, Monday, September 18

     The Regional Gathering, Saturday, October 21 at First Christian Church of Pomona

Our region is grateful for the relentless planning, preparation, dedication and hard work of leadership teams and others who afford us these outstanding opportunities.  Please be sure to register for your events of choice soon!

It has been a unique pleasure to serve as your Sabbatical Regional Minister.  I have always appreciated the endeavors of Don and Susan in fulfilling their assignments as Co-Regional Ministers.  However, since serving in this capacity, I have acquired an even deeper and broader understanding, scope, and insight into the multiplicity of extraordinary skills, abilities, and spiritual acuity required in their positions of responsibility.  Let us - persistently and consistently - pray for them as they strive to provide valued leadership, oversight and care for all of us in our Pacific Southwest Region.

To an outstanding Regional Staff and others in our Region who have so willingly, faithfully and respectfully supported my endeavors to serve efficiently in this capacity - Thank you!

Embracing an Ever-Evolving Future and Hope
for Wholeness and Unity in the Midst of Our Diversity

Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Bynum
Sabbatical Regional Minister

Disciples of Christ in DR Congo Have a Vision to Help the Visually Impaired

Article by Paul Turner
Missionary with Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo, Global Ministries

Approximately 90 people suffering from various eye diseases visit Bolenge Hospital each month. The nurses and doctors on staff do a good job diagnosing eye problems and prescribing appropriate medication. However, like most other hospitals in the interior provinces of DR Congo, there is no practicing ophthalmologist on staff to perform needed eye surgeries and follow-up care. 

This is why more than 1,000 people recently put themselves at considerable risk to journey hundreds of miles from Mbandaka to Basankusu for the chance to receive free eye surgery sponsored by Catholic Charities. The Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo (CDCC) works ecumenically on a host of healthcare outreach activities.  The exodus of people in need of urgent eye care was confirmation of CDCC’s efforts to build capacity at Bolenge Hospital to address the high number of eye disease cases. 

The two most common eye diseases diagnosed at Bolenge Hospital are Glaucoma and Cataracts. Cataracts are responsible for half of all blindness in the world.  In developing countries like DR Congo, people with cataracts routinely go blind. This is unfortunate because the treatment is simple and the costs can range between $15 and $100. Yet, the price is still out of reach for many, and there are very few trained ophthalmologists in the country to perform eye surgeries and dispense treatment.

Dr. Yourson Bosolo, Director of CDCC Health Department, wants to change this. First, he wants to attract two resident Ophthalmologists who will provide continuous care for the 90 patients per month that come to Bolenge Hospital with impaired vision.  These specialists could then be deployed via the boat ambulance to diagnose and treat people living in remote villages. They could also help alleviate the huge backlog of patients in need of Cataract surgery. Second, he wants to acquire the equipment necessary to properly diagnose eye diseases and recommend precise treatment.

Just last year National Geographic published an article stating how close we are to eradicating human blindness thanks to groundbreaking research and new treatments.   The article also contained some interesting facts about global blindness;

o   There are 285 million people worldwide who suffer from vision loss that interferes with daily activities.

o   39 million of them are totally blind.

o   Most of the visually impaired live in developing nations. The vast majority of the world’s blind live in Africa and Southwest Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.).

o   Vision impairment is caused by eye disease, conditions like structural abnormalities and aging.

o   Some 80 percent of cases are preventable or treatable.

o   Eye disease increases as the population ages. 82 percent of the blind are over 50.

The article also points out that eye disease is predominantly a problem of the poor, with a wide gulf between developed and developing countries when it comes to care. A leading cause of blindness is Diabetes, another chronic disease that disproportionately impacts the poor. Visual impairment and blindness affects whole families and society, because families must sacrifice to care for a visually impaired family member, while the loss of economic activity and access to education can impact a society. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Bosolo says, “we need the specialists and the equipment to be effective in treating the people we know with eye disease”. Dr. Bosolo is open to medical camps with volunteer doctors as a means to address the current need, but he knows the more sustainable solution is making Bolenge Hospital a year round destination for diagnosis, treatment and surgery to address all forms of eye disease.  

It’s good to know that one day human blindness may be a thing of the past.  Let’s pray that the race to cure blindness also includes the ability to deliver them to the poorest regions of the world. 

Youth Coordinator Veronica Martinez on General Assembly 2017

One. The running theme of Disciples of Christ's General Assembly this year. Never has a single word meant more than it did at the General Assembly. It's funny how we don't think about mundane, everyday words; much less about how valuable and significant they can truly be and the impact they can have on our lives.  

Attending General Assembly was such an exciting adventure. To have the opportunity to travel with such an amazing group of people (PSWR Young Adult Leaders) to a conference who's purpose was to encourage, and practice, unity amongst our churches was a genuine pleasure and blessing.  

I'll admit, I was a little naïve towards what I thought I would actually receive that week. Although I was excited, I had almost the same expectations as that of any other conference I had ever attended. What I didn't expect was the various cultural backgrounds and mindsets I would interact with. It made me start to wonder, what exactly does it mean to be one? 

At the heart and core of the General Assembly was this idea that we can unite people, in spite of their many differences, for one sole purpose and that's to praise and worship our one true God. As I spoke with different people, I discovered very quickly just how truly different we all are. Never had I encountered so many believers who thought so differently than I did. I found myself really struggling in my heart and mind. It made me really ask myself, "Could I truly be united with others who didn't think like me? How could I expect acceptance and unity for my own personal beliefs yet neglect to even acknowledge the views and beliefs of others'?  

 I think Rev. Jose Morales said it perfectly the first night of Assembly, "Safe unity does not equal unity at all. True unity is service and sacrifice. True unity is done at foot level." 

True unity is done at foot level. But this level of unity is driven by a single force: love. A sacrificial love like Christ demonstrated. A love that serves others without any pretense. And that’s exaclty the kind of love I saw during those 5 days, a sacrificial love. I saw people serving together, serving each other, no matter their race, sex, or background. My favorite part of the whole assembly? Getting together to take part in communion while the worship team played a beautiful rendition of Israel Houghton's Alpha and Omega. And that's really what it's all about it isn't?  Jesus welcomed all to the table. He died for all. And His desire is that none would perish.  

I am a Bible study leader for high school and college aged girls and one of the youth coordinators at my church. My desire for the young people in my church is that they would learn to love and serve others with a sacrificial love. A love that knelt at the feet of others and placed their needs before even their own without a single question.

I am thankful to the region for allowing me to be a part of such a beautiful experience. It's an experience that both challenged me in my walk with Christ and rekindled a desire to love God and love people. My encouragement to other current and/or aspiring young leaders: be a part of the leadership at the regional level. Get involved and take advantage of these incredible opportunities that may come your way. Getting involved means bringing more unity to our churches. It allows us to impact those lives outside of our own congregations. But getting involved also means allowing God to grow you in ways you never even dreamed about. It’s a precious gift that I will carry with me and live out for the rest of my life. 

-Veronica Martinez
CdO Youth Coordinator

The Hatchery Hosts Spiritual Activists & Writers Brian McLaren and Gareth Higgins

We're delighted to be hosting spiritual activists and writers Brian McLaren and Gareth Higgins for a unique event at the Hatchery. It's called The Seventh Story Experience: 27 Hours in a New World, and takes place ‪on Friday, October 13th in the evening, and all day and ‪evening on Saturday 14th. 

It's the first time we'll be doing this event together: an interactive immersion in the idea of how to change the story we're telling about the world and our lives, turning anxiety into hope, scarcity into abundance, and struggle into ease. It will be genuinely new, which means, of course, that it will dive deep into the past...

We want to fill the space so we're asking our friends in the area if they would be willing to come on board to support the event by spreading the word, and recruiting people to attend. I would love a group from your community to be there, and I'd like to ask if you'd be willing to enthusiastically promote it to the community.

More information and registration are available here: http://m.bpt.me/event/2991062

Please consider joining us, and please spread the word. At a time of political strife, cultural anxiety, and when so many of us are feeling disheartened, we believe this will be a significant and helpful event, that has the potential to change our minds and our lives for the better.

Hope to see you there,
Spencer Burke
Executive Director
HatcheryLA 

Rev. Steve Willis on Life as a Police Chaplain in Vegas

Although I’ve never desired to be a cop, even as a small child – I’ve always respected what a difficult job it is for those who are sworn to “serve and protect”.   In our culture, police are more scrutinized and more criticized than virtually any other group.  Of course, there have been multiple instances when police officers should be scrutinized and held accountable.  There have been instances of abuse of power and excessive force.  There are (and have been) wide-spread instances of profiling, racism, and corruption.  However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of our men and women in blue take on that difficult job because they want to be part of making the community in which we all live a better place.

Likewise, as a member of the clergy, I too have a desire to make our community a better place.  I too would like to utilize my training and skills to help people and to make a difference.  I also must admit that (despite the respect and trust that we desire) members of the clergy have also been guilty of some very unethical and ungodly practices – often inflicted on those we are called to shepherd and teach.  So, what am I to do with this information?  How can I help be part of the solution instead of just lamenting about the problem?

In my case, I decided that in addition to my duties as Senior Pastor of FCC-Las Vegas, that I would also serve as a volunteer chaplain with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.  Once I cleared the very extensive background checks and completed their training and orientation, I was assigned to serve the Convention Center Area Command – the city’s largest substation and the one that patrols the LV Strip.  It has been an eye-opening experience, to say the least.  The Department asks its chaplains to serve at least 20 hours per month.  Sometimes that includes time in the substation getting to know officers and civilian staff.  However, most of the time, it means that I’m riding along with a patrol officer, (equipped with my own ballistic vest and uniform – but not a weapon), and being a part of every call that they respond to during that shift. 

On my very first shift, what really struck me, and continues to make an impact – is that when an officer makes a traffic stop, he or she will place their right hand on the back of the car as they approach the driver.  The reason for that is that IF the driver were to open fire and mortally wound or kill the approaching officer, then at least that officer’s fingerprints would be on the car as evidence of that officer’s presence.

I’ve always heard that police officers place their lives on the line every single day.  But I’ve learned that statement isn’t clear enough.  Police officers place their lives on the line at every call, in-between calls, and on their off days.  In most cities, police officers are referred to as “the best of the best”.  So rather than complain about all that’s wrong with our police departments and society in general – aren’t we as Christians (and especially the clergy) called to do more?  I’m proud to do whatever I can, to serve those who are called to serve and protect my community.  I challenge you to find a way to serve your community (beyond the church) as well.

Steve Willis, Senior Pastor

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Las Vegas, Nevada