Breaking Bread, Spring 2022

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” – Isaiah 60: 1 (NRSV)

“Levántate, resplandece; porque ha venido tu luz, y la gloria de Jehová ha nacido sobre ti. – Isaías 60: 1 (RVR1960)

May the peace of God be with you.

As we arise, from the pandemics, injustices, inequalities, racism, and so much more.  Let us continue growing in our individual and collective power to change this world.  It is the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who encouraged everyone to do that “little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” 

I am inspired by all the good, our congregations, clergy, regional, and general church staff members and partners are carrying forth, in resilience, using resourcefulness, and creativity to serve our communities together. I think we can easily agree, we have been marked by the pandemics, in some ways inexplicable and others unimaginable.  Yet, we continue “the Way” pressing forward, not forgetting our call to continue serving each other and this world.

As I look back, these first two and a half years of service as your regional minister.  I remain humbled and grateful for the privilege of your call.  We are braving one of the most unusual times ever witnessed in our current generation.  When I arrived in our office, we were charged with a long list of concerns and dreams.  With “safer at home orders” issued only 5 months into my arrival.  Some of our clergy and congregations have had more experience with me virtually than “in-person.”  It is difficult, to acknowledge that by the end of 2020, we endured a workforce reduction, and the public closure of our Loch Leven Camp & Retreat Center.  We continue to maintain economic stability.

During my time, we have seen several congregations conclude their visible ministries: First Christian Church, Whittier, Church of the Chimes, Fontana, First Christian Church, Riverside, Antioch Christian Church, Los Angeles and most recently Missiongathering – Pasadena (formerly known as Pasadena Christian Church).  Each congregation has entrusted the PSWR with their church buildings, to help support our regional ministry in varying new and living ways.  In faithfulness, each encouraged us to continue supporting our Disciples legacy, helping to support new churches in their stead or in other places. Some have imagined reinvestment with their proceeds from sale, addressing areas such as capital improvements to help designated congregations and at Loch Leven including camp and retreat program support, and much more. 

It was 80 years ago, All Peoples Community Center, South Central Los Angeles, was founded and launched by Disciples with this same yearning and goal in mind and at heart (meeting the changing needs of its community).  In this same Spirit, we watched the birth of Eastmont Community Center, East Los Angeles and Project Impact, Lynwood, Los Angeles.  These centers are just a few of the many pillars in our region, reminding us, that something new and beautiful is always ahead.  Especially, when we keep our mission and community’s needs paramount.    

In the past few months, the Executive Directors of each center have been meeting with our Regional Leadership to build mutual relationship (synergy).  While, new and living ways are being imagined and planned, to replicate these centers and services all throughout our region.  Among the newest, with the approval of the former First Christian Church – Riverside, a new model will emerge continuing with Disciples presence, ministry, and their beloved pre-school for years to come.

We are happy to announce that Loch Leven Camp and Retreat Center has reopened to the public, having hosted their first few events under the new UCCR camp management.  We’re working to schedule an open house date for all to come and see the new experience at one of our beloved homes.

As we arise anew, our upcoming 2022 Regional Assembly Theme, based in part on the scripture of Isaiah 60:1 (NRSV).  I have been resourced by our Regional Board to hire a consultant that will walk with us to create a new regional leadership type and experience for our Regional Board.  This will be a journey of 18 – 36 months.  I look forward to introducing more of our plans at this year’s Regional Assembly.  We trust in God’s mission for our collective future. 

There is so much more to come. Let us keep each other in prayers as we Arise Anew.

Blessings,
Richie

Breaking Bread, Winter 2022

Reflecting on the Way… ahead! 

“…Think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. 3 After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” – James 1: 2 – 3 CEB

I have heard from several of our Clergy who were moved and challenged by our most recent keynote speakers, in their presentations, during our Regional Gathering and Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.  These were some difficult conversations, because as Disciples, we do not always see eye to eye in our exegesis of a sacred scripture and still we remain, united, counting these challenges as “occasions for joy” for our rootedness is deep in the love of Christ.  

Joy?  Yes!  There is so much to lament in the world, war, pandemic, racism, economic challenges, and disagreements, etc.   There is so much for us to pray!  It can be there are many more things, right now, that can be tests to our faith.  But I think the author of James wants us to imagine more the other side of the tests.  One of my favorite authors, Austin Channing Brown, a while ago wrote a blog, citing the poet Toi Derricotte as revolutionizing black feminism with one line in a poem, “Joy is an act of resistance.”  

Joy?  Yes!  There are still many beautiful things happening in the world that need our notice as well.  We need to respond to all the lament with prayer, advocacy, and our gifts (time, talent, and treasures).  But we to have the many outcomes in the past and present enough to know there are still “occasions for joy.”  If we hold on to our faith, with tenacity, our endurance will complete its work, so that together we will lack nothing and witness our love for God and for each other.  “Joy is an act of resistance” in the face of the seemingly impossible and outlook of a better day ahead.  

We take great Joy in the planning and efforts of our re-opening of Loch Leven Conference Center for Summer Camp this year.  We take great Joy in the beginnings of planning and efforts for a PSWR Hybrid Regional Assembly later this year.  I take great Joy for the congregations of the Pacific Southwest calling me to serve as your Regional Minister.   There is so much happening all around us, please don’t neglect to find that which can bring Joy to you and realize that it is an act of resistance.  

Our Region is filled with a beautiful array of diversities in culture, languages, music, worship, social and theological perspectives and much more.  This has caused me to wonder if you are interested in sharing some of your own thoughts with me about the Way... ahead!  How about we enjoy some time of blogging with each other if you so desire?  

Please consider all the events listed in this PSWR E-News.  Let’s reflect together on the Way… ahead! 

Blessings,
Richie

MLK Jr. Celebration Featured Speaker Rev. Terri Hord Owens

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens will serve as our featured speaker at the MLK Jr. Celebration on January 30, 2022. The event will take place online at 5:00 pm PST. 

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens is the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. She is the first person of color and second woman to lead the denomination. Since her election in 2017, Rev. Hord Owens’ ministry actively reflects the Disciples’ priority of being an anti-racist church, being a movement for wholeness, welcoming all to the Lord’s table as God has welcomed us.  Her exhortation to the church is “Let’s be the church we say we are. It is in being who we say we are that we actively bear witness to God’s limitless love for all.”  

In addition to collaborative service with the ministries that comprise Disciples Justice Ministries, she has been active in leadership in the Poor People’s Campaign, and other ecumenical and interfaith collaboratives, including the Faith Table and most recently the Faiths4Vaccines initiative.  In keeping with the Disciples’ historic commitment to Christian unity, she serves in leadership in both the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

A descendant of one of the oldest African-American free settlements in Indiana and a Disciple since young adulthood, Rev. Hord Owens earned her bachelor’s degree in Government with a minor in Afro- American Studies from Harvard University. Hord Owens’ resume includes more than 20 years in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management in health care and other industries before she entered seminary.

An active lay leader throughout her youth and adult life, Terri has worked with children and youth ministries, taught Sunday School and Bible study in Christian Education departments, and worked to create drama ministries in several congregations. Despite professional success, she felt God had another assignment, and she accepted her call to ministry under the pastorate of Dr. T. Garrott Benjamin, Jr. at Light of the World Christian Church, Indianapolis, IN. A graduate of University of Chicago Divinity School, Rev. Hord Owens served 15 years as the Dean of Students at her alma matter.  Rev. Hord Owens also served as the pastor of First Christian Church of Downers Grove, Illinois, where under her leadership, FCCDG is now an open and affirming, anti-racism, pro-reconciliation congregation. During her pastorate FCCDG nests an independent Hispanic congregation, Fe Y Esperanza, with whom they share in a variety of ministries throughout the year.

Hord Owens is widely sought after as a preacher, speaker and workshop facilitator. Her ministry and intellectual interests include a theology of reconciliation, cultural intelligence, developing inclusive and multi-cultural congregations, and the mentoring of young adults.

Rev. Hord Owens is married to Walter Owens, Jr., and are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens, III and daughter-in-law Adri Owens.

Time to Check your Congregations Info

Information updates

Now is a great time to make sure your congregation's information is up to date in ALEX. Since the data there feeds the find-a-congregation feature on disciples.org, it is vital to make sure your website, phone numbers, and emails are all accurate.

You may also notice that the tabs for congregational staff and ministers are separate now. This is to accommodate the feed from the ministers directory. (see below for more info)

Attendance

Did you know that this Yearbook reporting season your weekly attendance numbers will roll up for you and fill in that spot on your Yearbook report? Great incentive to keep those up! You can not only see your trends in real time, but save a little calculating in January.

 If you already have another software program where you are tracking attendance, you can pull those numbers out and upload them to ALEX. See the instructions

Ministerial staff

Ministers with standing who are associated with a congregation are now showing up in the congregation directory. If you discover that your congregation's minister listed is not accurate, or if you are a minister listed with a congregation in error, please contact your regional office so they can update their records and then pass the information to the Disciples Home Missions Office of Christian Vocations ministers directory. Once that ministers directory information is updated, the correction should appear in ALEX.

Yearbook Subscriptions

Yearbook subscribers have come to rely on some summary reports and tables in the printed yearbook. If you have a subscription to ALEX, you can still access this information.

Once you login as a subscriber, go to the pencil icon (Reporting) on the right and then click the "$ Subscriber Reporting" button.

·    For top congregations for baptisms, giving, participants - click on the "Top Results" tab

·    For the two-year comparison of regional numbers - click on the "Two-Year Region Comparison" tabs (financial or participants)

·    For congregational tables, you can use the search function under "Past Yearbook Entries" to sort and narrow the results, such as by region or year.

User & Subscriber Benefits

As a congregational user of ALEX, you already have access to powerful free tools to track your congregation's current attendance and giving trends as well as look at historical yearbook records.

·    Use of congregational directory for all in the US and Canada, that now includes ministerial listings

·    Use of attendance and giving tracking tools; ability to upload from other attendance software via spreadsheet

·    Ability to correct and make additions to contact information, website links, and staff

·    Ability to submit Yearbook report annually electronically; Disciples Mission Fund uploads automatically; attendance entered in system will roll up for annual averages

·    Access to PDFs of congregation’s yearbook reports and view bar charts of past reports (20 years, one at a time)

·    Download Excel of congregation’s yearbook attendance and giving reports (20 years in one sheet)

What you may not be aware of is that there is more to ALEX when you purchase a yearbook subscription, all in one convenient interface.

All of the above plus…

·    Link inside the application for general ministry and regional ministry reports

·    Searchable ministers directory with email contact if available

·    Full Yearbook data for immediate past year and previous 20 years for entire denomination

·    Links inside the program to additional data reports such as census information and demographics for your geographic area

Breaking Bread, October 2021

Why a Regional Gathering

“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on…” – Hebrews 10: 22 – 25 (MSG)

We are one of thirty-one regions in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Overall, there are many parts of our regional manifestation that is the same. It is easy to recognize there are differences in our geographic territories, numbers of congregations, social and cultural celebrations. This is just to name a few. But there is one more uniqueness we have that I have not seen throughout our other sister regions and that is the existence of a Regional Gathering.

I have been asked by our gathering planning team to share a few thoughts on why this event (and theme). Our Region, like so many others, on the even years enjoys an assembly, it is where we come together, convening our congregations’ delegates for the purposes of conducting business, worship, education, fellowship and serving as a witness to the world. On the off years, we grew in need to stay connected with each other and wanted more opportunities to join in greater relationships, learning, celebrating and unity. Due to the pandemic and public health concerns we chose a virtual celebration.

Last year, our planning committee understood our call to embrace and embody “the new and living way.” This year, we thought about the hardships many of our BIPOC communities are facing, and the challenges our congregations and clergy are finding in responding to our changing culture, difficult conditions, and limited resources. What came to mind was the pericope of Joshua and this crucial time in his leadership. This is not an easy narrative, filled with complexities and still prime for our time as PSWR Disciples. It has not been easy these first two years of our journey. Sin embargo, estamos “Siguiendo El Camino.” However, we are “Continuing on the Way.”

I would like to thank the many volunteers, talents, gifts, and efforts that came from our congregations. Our Region is filled with a beautiful array of diversities in culture, languages, music, worship, social and theological perspectives and much more. Many of these will be reflected in this upcoming Regional Gathering, October 15 – 16, 2021. It has been shaped together with you at heart and in mind.

We are reminded again by the author in Hebrews to become “inventive… in encouraging love and helping out… and spurring each other on.” We are adding some new (to us) technical touches in our virtual Regional Gathering to help us understand, enjoy each other, and continue our building in relationships, learning, celebrating and growth in unity. Please register and attend to help witness our strength and to support the many efforts of our congregations. We are working and praying for a wonderful Regional Gathering.

Blessings,
Richie