Prayers for South Bay Korean Christian Church

Dear PSWR Board members and staff, 

The PSW Regional Board discussed the future of the South Bay facility at several board meetings beginning in July, 2018. The South Bay Korean Christian Church (SBKCC) spoke directly to the Board at their November 2018 meeting to present their desire to stay in the property. After serious deliberation, the Board decided to proceed with the marketing and sale of the property, and I informed the (SBKCC) leadership of this decision in writing in January, 2019. 

Marketing of the property began and after many showings and many offers by developers, the Region received an offer from the Los Angeles Archdiocese to purchase the property. Don and I were authorized to act on behalf of the Board. The exact terms of the offer will be discussed during an executive session of the Board during the electronic meeting scheduled for next Monday, April 15th. As the certainty of this offer became more concrete, I wrote to tell the SBKCC congregation of the imminent transaction. 

While the escrow is expected to be very short, April 30th, one of the critical conditions addressed during the negotiations was the continued use by the South Bay Korean Christian Church of the 2-story Fellowship Hall building until after Christmas, 2019. This is the space that they have used for most of their years at the campus. The Diocese did request to be able to use spaces in that building after consultation with the SBKCC congregation and to be able to use the Sanctuary at the close of escrow. To be clear, the SBKCC congregation will continue to be able to worship, fellowship and serve. And, the SBKCC will have eight months, with the support of Regional staff, to plan for their future. 

The Regional Board is committed to assist SBKCC with this anticipated change. The leadership of South Bay Korean Christian Church on several occasions, including the November board meeting, were informed that the Region has a model to provide for transitional support for this congregation. A board-approved template will be considered soon; it will make provisions for monetary assistance for the existing congregation. In addition to this template assistance, SBKCC will continue to receive Acts 2 funds to support the funding of their pastoral compensation. 

I would ask all Board members and staff to join me in praying for the South Bay Korean Christian Church congregation as they go through the stages of grief and loss. As with all grieving processes, we can anticipate that the congregation will experience denial, shock, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. And the Region is committed to walk alongside them as they do. 

Blessings, 

Norm Williams

Updated Regional Staff Emails

The Region is updating all staff email addresses. This change will standardize and, in most cases, shorten our email address in order to decrease typos and misdirected communication. Don’t worry. Staff will continue to receive emails sent to their previous email addresses as well, but all outgoing emails will now coming from the new email addresses listed below. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to strive to equip leaders in the PSW with effective administration skills (and tools) and to expect excellence in all aspects of administrative leadership.

Rev. Susan Gonzales Dewey
Co-Regional Minister/CEO
sgdewey@docpswr.org

Rev. Don Dewey
Co-Regional Minister/President
dondewey@docpswr.org

Bruce Indermill
Senior Administrator
bindermill@docpswr.org

Branden Hendricks
Administrative Assistant
bhendricks@docpswr.org

Janelle Vannoy
Administrative Assistant
jvannoy@docpswr.org

Michel Johnson
Support Staff & Camp Registrar
mjohnson@docpswr.org

Alisa Fraumeni Mittelstaedt
Communications Coordinator
alisa@docpswr.org

Rev. JoAnn Bynum
Associate Regional Minister
Director, African-American Ministries
j.bynum@docpswr.org

Rev. Francisco Ramos
Associate Regional Minister
Director, Hispanic Ministries
framos@docpswr.org

PSWR NAPAD
napad@docpswr.org

Rev. Young Lan Kim
Associate Regional Minister
Co-Director, NAPAD
youngnapad@docpswr.org

Rev. Young Jun Yang
Associate Regional Minister
Co-Director, NAPAD
yangnapad@docpswr.org

Rev. BJ Barlow
Associate Regional Minister
Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Bjbarlow@docpswr.org

Tanya Lopez
Disciples Women Ministry
tlopez@docpswr.org

Getting Ready For #Abide2019

It is not too late to register for the 2019 General Assembly in Des Moines, IA. You can participate in up to six different workshops, help out with local missions, hear inspiring music and sermons, have a little fun in an escape room or with the local “Good Times” committee and get a handle on what Disciples are up to across the globe.

Your registration covers the regular workshops and exhibit hall access. Children and youth alike have structured activities and there are local missions to participate in as well. You can get ready for the event with eight Bible studies that focus on the theme text of the 2019 General Assembly.

Registration: https://ga.disciples.org/registration/
If you have already registered for GA and would like to adjust you registration to add meals or change education choices, you can re-enter the registration system with your code and make those adjustments.

MissionFest! applications are still being accepted from congregational leaders. Fore more information about MissionFest! or to fill out an application, click here.

Housing Options
For housing options, visit https://ga.disciples.org/housing/ The Upper Midwest region in matching up General Assembly participants with alternative lodging stays via their website. Please Contact the regional office directly with any questions.

PSWR Leaders
The PSWR is proud to present three leaders at the 2019 General Assembly! Ruben Del Pilar will be one of the preachers, Belva Brown Jordan will be Moderator Elect and Bill Bailey will be the Parliamentarian.

Pre Assembly Trainings

DSF Discover is thrilled to provide TWO trainings will prepare you for GA 2019 Resolutions. For more information about these trainings, visit our CEU page.

Additional Workshops
If you have already registered, you may not be aware of two Sunday workshops and one on Monday that were recently opened. On Sunday, Transgender 101 and Trans People, Human Stories will be offered consecutively. On Sunday, Refugee Simulation will be offered, followed by a Q&A session with Disciples Home Missions Refugee and Immigration Ministry. On Monday in the second session, The State of Engagement in Your Church, a workshop on church management software by Blackbaud will be offered. For more information about educational workshops, click here.

Young Adults
Young Adults (ages 18-35) will have an opportunity to have some guided conversations on tough topics during the General Assembly. For conversation topics, click here.

PSWR Reception
On Monday, July 22, the Region will be hosting a Reception at 8:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Room EIC 308. Find the complete Reception Schedule here.

Post-Assembly Event
Disciples Public Presence and other justice organizations in the Church are organizing an action at the Iowa state capitol on Wednesday, June 24, around noon. Boxed lunches are available for purchase. For more details about this event, click here.

For more information about General Assembly 2019, visit https://ga.disciples.org

PSWR Welcomes Paul Turner of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Next month, our region has the opportunity to hear about what is happening in Democratic Republic of Congo.  Paul Turner has been working as Mission Co-Worker, serving with Global Ministries of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) & United Church of Christ partner, Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo (CDCC).  His role was to consult with various CDCC departments on a growing portfolio of development activities such as micro lending, agriculture, clean water, healthcare, vocational training & income generating projects.  His current work involves management consulting for a CDCC operated social enterprise selling eyeglasses to support the establishment of an eye care center at Bolenge Hospital.  He also supports the Women’s Vocational Center with recruitment & planning, and the health department’s partnership with Disciples4Water.

He will be visiting our Region May 1-31, 2019 and available to make presentations to your congregation in a variety of ways.  During this time he will be based in the LA area.  Global Ministries requests that a receiving congregation provide meals for the time he is with you and/or hospitality, as needed.  Please contact Susan Richardson (see below) right away to request a date and time during for him to present to your congregation, organization, ministry meeting, etc.  After his years serving in the Congo, he has much to convey to our Region.

Contact Susan Richardson at  kymomcat@aol.com  or (510)506-2590

From the PSWR Global Ministries Committee

Our Summer Camp Program Needs YOU!

Summer is Almost Upon Us!

The Camp Ministry Committee is so excited for summer camp and we are currently looking for volunteers!

Whether you are returning as a volunteer or you’ve never been to camp, The Camp Ministry Committee wants to prepare you to serve well by providing top notch volunteer training. Our Camp Leadership Training will take place on Saturday, June 8th, 9 am - 5 pm at Loch Leven Camp and Conference Center with guest camp expert, Jim Cain. We will cover the camp basics as well as empower you with the tools and resources to be prepared for camp in a leadership role. (Download the event flyer HERE.) All 2019 summer camp volunteers are required to attend this training day. REGISTER HERE FOR THE TRAINING

If you are interested in any of the Volunteer positions (Director, Chaplain, Keynote, Counselor, Musician, Health Care Manager, Loch Leven Programming, etc), for this year or even next winter or next summer, please take 5 minutes to fill in this application. If you know someone who has Camp or Educator experience, please send them this link as well!

Camp Leadership Application: http://bit.ly/CampLeadershipApp

For those who have never been a part of volunteer Camp Staff, here are some benefits of coming no  to Camp!

• By gaining first hand experience at camp, volunteers will foster the leadership skills that companies and other organizations are looking for. For example working as part of a team, problem solving, building communication skills, and demonstrating a strong work ethic. 

• Letters of recommendation by camp directors/leaders are sure to provide specific examples of skills that will be valued by prospective employers and/or universities.

• In addition to creating vast numbers of alumni over decades, camps draw employees and leaders from across the country and around the world, making them a great networking opportunity for connections beyond the boundaries of camp.

• Camp often provides a global experience without the expense of long-distance travel; it is not uncommon for Campers and Staff to be from a variety of places and cultural perspectives from around the US and World. 

• You get to keep any additional training you may acquire (like CPR, First Aid, and activity specialist certifications) that may also help you land a job at home or school working in a wide range of settings.

The Camp Ministry Committee is looking forward to your participation this summer! If you have any questions, please email us directly at: pswrcampministry@gmail.com

Blessings,
The Camp Ministry Committee

To learn more about the Camp Ministry Committee and it’s updated core values, click here.