BREAKING BREAD

PSWR Disciples,

We’ve entered this Advent season, expecting, hoping and observing many time-honored traditions to mark the coming of the light for this world. In some of our Spanish-speaking congregations, “Posadas” are practiced; It is the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s seeking shelter until all might find a home that will host everyone to celebrate. In many of our English-speaking congregations, the advent wreath and candle lights might be seen. A weekly lit candle for hope, faith, joy, peace and the Christ candle to remember Christmas. In most all of our congregations, caroling events can be heard and joyfully experienced. In these and many more ways, we remember to make visible our great light in the darkest places of our world. 

This season, Rev. Terri Hord Owens, Our General Minister and President reminds us:
“that nothing can separate us from God’s love, but that we are called to act, that we are called to be visible in the world for justice, for hope and for peace.” 

Please enjoy the fullness of her Advent Message:
https://disciples.org/from-the-gmp/general-minister-and-president-offers-advent-greeting/

In my first 75 days as your Regional Minister, I have traveled from Canada to Southern California and Tijuana, Mexico, meeting committees, congregations, with clergy in district meetings, and have begun making preparations for visits to Las Vegas and Hawaii. Please know, I am already in awe of how our congregations are making Christ visible in the midst of the PSWR.  In this new beginning, there is so much I look forward to share with you. Whether you remember Christ by finding shelter for others, or by bringing light to the darkest places. We are called to keep breaking bread and responding to this world’s needs. We will continue to do so because we have “a future with hope.”  I’m thankful for you! 

Have a Wonderful Advent and a Merry Christmas, PSWR.

With Light and Hope,
Richie

2020 Youth and Young Adult Global Service Projects

For the past four years, we have commissioned young people in our region to participate in Global Immersion and Service Projects to build leadership in the spiritual struggle for unity of all people with love like Christ. In 2020, we are organizing a team of leaders to travel to three locations: Queensland, Australia; Puerto Rico; Los Angeles, California, USA. Funding for these trips are included in the 2020 Youth/YA Budget, a designation to Youth Ministries from the recent template distribution, individual gifts, congregational support, and additional support garnered by YIM/YLT/YALL participants.

Here is a little bit of what we hope for each project.

1. Queensland, Australia (late July/early August, 18 years and older): In March 2019, Australia’s High Court awarded 1.64 million dollars in reparations to the Ngaliwurru and Nungali groups of Aboriginal people from the Northern Territory of Australia. The judgment is especially significant because the High Court awarded what amounts to damages for the cultural and spiritual losses endured from Western Colonization. Clearly this is a small expression to a much larger conversation all over the world. How will the Church choose to be an advocate in the work of reparations for indigenous people in the United States?

Our trip to Australia will focus on the spiritual development of young leaders while strengthening education in three ways: 1) Develop a faith connection with our Churches of Christ and Uniting Church Global Ministry partners in Australia; 2) Research the process of effective advocacy for reparations in America; 3) Engage cultures and faiths of the indigenous people of Australia.

Out of this Global Immersion, we expect young leaders to develop a clearer approach to advocacy, strengthen an Interfaith (Disciples) Identity of diverse faith expressions, and practice Christian Service that strengthens our sensitivities to different global perspectives. We hope to connect with local faith communities, non-profit advocacy groups, government leaders, and fully experience indigenous cultures of Australia. We expect opportunities to labor with our faith partners and engage in worship communities as possible.

2. Puerto Rico (Early June): In 2017, hurricane Maria devastated Domenica, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Our ministry partners in Puerto Rico have worked hard to recover and are still working to bring healing. Many of our young people have built friendships and personal connections with families on the island, and have been asking to return to help in any possible way.

While in Puerto Rico in 2016, we discussed the powerful camp ministry program of the CCDOC present on the island. Camp leaders shared their interest in building a stronger connection with the PSWR, and our young people saw the opportunity to learn how to be more effective in engaging new campers through some of the methods employed by our ministry partners.

Associate Regional Minister, Francisco Ramos, has also been busy making connections for our young church in the PSWR. With his help we will have the opportunity to do creation care, develop understanding of the connection between nature and spiritual development, and dig deep into the environmental blessings of the island.

Our goals for this trip include: 1) Assist in hurricane recovery; 2) Learn and build a connection with the effective camp ministry program of Puerto Rico; 3) Experience God through Creation Care and Environmental Theology.

3. Los Angeles, California (Mid July): Amazing ministry and service is happening at our Disciples’ Community Centers right here in Southern California. This summer our young people will have the opportunity to engage with several ministry units of the PSWR that serve young people. As we plan programming, we hope to build partnerships with Eastmont Community Center, Project Impact, and All People’s Community Center to raise awareness and build community investment in Los Angeles through the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

While staying near the sites for 4 days, we hope to assist with mentorship, engage in construction projects, strengthen our faith network, and engage in meaningful spiritual practices with young people from Los Angeles through these and other affiliated organizations. Our goals include: 1) Strengthen our local Disciples Identity; 2) Labor with DOC ministry partners to empower young people; 3) Experience God through local service and giving.

PSWR Global Service Projects don’t always mean we must travel great distances to encounter God and serve with God’s people. In 2020 we will experience God through amazing service right here in Southern California!

Youth and Young Adults interested in participating in these or future Global Service Projects are asked to commit to regional ministries through the YLT, YIM, or YALL leadership. Our regional leadership programming seeks to equip young leaders that are sensitive to cultural needs and differences while engaging spiritual practices that prepare us for widely diverse perspectives of God. These are important principles when engaging in vulnerability and service on a global scale. As Disciples of Christ, we hold true to the teachings of Jesus Christ as the most important commonality among us. Developing young leaders that honor this tradition is essential to maintaining God’s love wherever we go. 

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about YLT or YIM, please visit our Youth Ministry page.

YIM Learns Significance of Cultural Identity and Assimilation

Sometimes it is hard to find the balance between celebrating specific cultures and finding our common identity as followers of Christ. On November 23, the Youth Immersion Ministry explored the importance of both at the Chinese Lantern Festival in Pomona and discussed YIM’s mission to honor cultural differences while remembering that we all have common identity. Young people from across our region engaged in conversation around racial stereotypes and how those stereotypes often shape the way we see value in cultures.

While visiting the festival, it became clear that understanding how cultures function in the United States is not very easy. We are a diverse community and yet we often congregate in groups that are most familiar to us. This can provide safe space, but it can also perpetuate segregation. With intentionality, we can be the kind of Church that seeks to create safe space for everyone all the time. We can be the kind of Church that allows authenticity of cultural expressions while together.

Revelation 7 paints a prophetic picture of this vision. Christ’s revelation to John includes all nations, tribes, and languages joining together around the throne of God. It is hopeful to think that one day we might all be able to use our diverse expressions and stories to honor God TOGETHER. We believe that this is what YIM is all about: learning ways to serve Love together, not by conforming to a dominant expression, but by diversifying what is common to all of us.

Having opportunities like the Chinese Lantern Festival guides our journey toward ONE CHURCH. YIM offers a special ‘Thank you’ to all those who support the work we do. Also, ‘Thank you’ to NAPAD leaders, Young Jun Yang and Young Lan Kim, for sharing their insights and providing leadership for young people that is welcoming and gracious.

We are building a new church together where all cultures are honored as an expression of God’s unending creativity and love! If you know a young person who might like the opportunity to join this movement, please encourage them to speak to their pastor about it and visit our Youth Ministry page to download more information about the Youth Immersion Ministry (YIM).

BREAKING BREAD

“(Keep up your courage and eat) 35 After he had said this, he took bread;
and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. 36
Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.”
– Acts 27: 35 – 36a NRSV

 When we gather or come together around a table, it is no ordinary doing. In this action, we’re setting aside for a few moments life’s challenges (in this text - storms and an impending shipwreck). We provide care, witness and celebration in the presence of all in our breaking bread and partaking of it. We can have confidence that someone is being nourished and encouraged, even if only the faithful few. In this season of thanksgiving, let us enjoy the gift of breaking bread and sharing with others much, much more than just the fixings.   

In this season of giving thanks, let me say: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I/we have so much to be thankful for and among the very top of the list is all of you, our PSWR Disciples! I would like to thank our regional planning committee, regional volunteers, regional leadership, regional staff, regional young adults, regional youth and to all in PSWR who “showed up and showed out!” Over  400 Disciples from all across our region and wider church, came together for our Regional Gathering in October. We had two worship services, a regional business session, one Bible study, 11 workshops and registered 95 Disciples on site (317 pre-registered). We pride ourselves in hospitality! However, we were overwhelmed by everyone who gave us so much love when there were not enough chairs to find for lunch. Our regional staff will meet with our planning team to ensure our Disciples Ministry Center will be ready for an even larger Assembly, next year! Thank you, again to everyone for a Pastors Summit, Regional Gathering and Installation Service that exceeded all of my expectations. 

I’m thankful for you. Please keep me and our regional staff in prayer, as we will be in prayer for you, in this our new chapter in ministry together. Let’s keep breaking bread! 

To God be the glory! 

With Happy Thanksgiving, 

Richie  

Happy Birthday Wonderful Disciples Women of the Pacific Southwest Region!

Disciples Women is celebrating our 145th birthday in 2019. This is a celebration marking October 21, 1874 , as the day that Caroline Neville Pearre organized the women to address the mission and ministry that was then lacking in the church. Convicted during her prayer time in April of that year, she recognized her call to initiate the Christian Women’s Board of Missions (CWBM) that would be organized and managed exclusively by women. One supporter described the CWBM as knowing no distinction between home and foreign missions —its field was the world.

Since then Disciples Women have been organizing and advocating to serve the needs of God’s people across time, culture and geography.

The CWBM provided training programs that equipped thousands of young people and established four Bible Chairs at state universities.

In 1886, a group of women in St. Louis, recognizing a need to assist poor and orphaned children, and led by Mattie Younkin, began what is now the National Benevolent Association, the social services ministry of the church.

In 1895, Nancy E Atkinson, a founding member of the CWBM, and her husband received news of the death of a pastor who left behind a nearly blind widow and several children with no means of support. Establishing a fund to provide support for this family was the beginning of the Pension Fund.

Sarah Lue Bostick was a field worker for the Christian Women’s Board of Missions and the National Christian Missionary Society and became one of the first African American women to be ordained to Christian Ministry in the late 19th century.

During the 1890s, Hispanic women in Texas began to organize within congregations and later began networking across congregations and regions. In the 1970s, with preparation of materials in Spanish and a growing desire to connect throughout the diversity of the church, the relationship has grown. Hispanic women have always had representation on the IDWM Cabinet.

The CWBM joined with interdenominational churches to provide the first college for women in Central China. Ginling College in Nanjing became one of the most influential schools for higher learning among women in China. A Disciples woman, Minnie Vautrin, became a legendary heroine for her efforts to save the women at the school during the Japanese invasion.

Joining provinces of Canada and the organized states of the United States in cooperative work, the women formed the International Christian Women’s Fellowship in 1953.

Late in the 20th century, Asian women began to network and organize. Even prior to this organizing work, Asian women, like Maureen Osuga, served on the IDWM cabinet.

The work of many has been celebrated across the last 145 years and Disciples Women in the United States and Canada continue to find their voices and live out their call today. In recognition of this history of service and worship, we celebrate our 145th birthday.

To observe this milestone and to participate in the ministry ahead, Disciples Women invites you to give a gift of $145. Our goal for 2019 is to have at least 1,450 individuals or groups offer gifts of $145. We appreciate and celebrate all gifts and hope you will celebrate our birthday with us throughout the year. Please make all checks payable to Disciples Women with a notation in the memo line of “145th birthday” and mail to: Disciples Women, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206. If you prefer, you can give online at https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/product/donation-discipleswomen/ and choose the “145th Birthday” option on the drop down menu.