Whiteboard: General Assembly

The Disciples General Assembly will be meeting in Indianapolis, IN from July 8-12.

So our Sunday morning worship service on July 9 will have a distinctly General Assembly feel to it!

I'll be preaching on the GA theme: One!

We'll be talking about what it means to be a part of a larger denomination, the important things that are happening at General Assembly (we are electing a new General Minister and President!), and how we can stay connected with the wider church.

Speaking of staying connected -- have you been to the General Assembly website? You can find the Full Docket online, along with all of the Business Items up for consideration. You can support the Special Mission Offerings and learn more about our Nominee for General Minister and President. Oh, and you can even live stream the Worship Services every single night!

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John 17:1-25  Jesus Prays for His Disciples

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.

Church Buildings and Mission

This morning I attended the seminar "Holy Spaces, Batman!: Putting Your Church Building to More Faithful and Creative Use."

The Rev. Jim Michel from Church Extension led the seminar, and he started things off by giving us this handout...

...and asking us to fill it out. Interesting to think about, right? What 10 organizations, ministries, and community programs come to mind for you? Who could and should we be partnering with and sharing our space with?

While you thin up your list, let me share the seven guidelines that Jim lifted up for us.

Guidelines for Effectively Using Your Church Building

1) Get the congregation as a whole to buy in

2) Start with existing relationships

3) Look for partners with a common mission/vision

4) Have a clear understanding of the agreement upfront

5) Address zoning/insurance/code issues

6) consider wear and tear on the building and any increased demand on church staff

7) Assess your building to determine how it can be put to use

Important Work at the Business Session

This afternoon we commissioned a new slate of overseas missionaries to go forth into the world sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. 

It is good and vital work that these Christian servant leaders have been called to, and an honor for the General Assembly to pray a word of blessing upon them. 

Innovate: Session 1 Highlights

General Assembly features several learning tracks this year, and I elected to participate in the "Innovate" section.

So this morning I attended a panel discussion featuring three incredible pastors from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): Rev. Jen Garbin of Sugarbush Christian Church in Guellph, Ontario; Rev. Courtney Richards of Harvard Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Rev. Jose Morales from the Center for Pastoral Formation at the Disciples Seminary Foundation. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes and reflections from each of them!

Rev. Jen Garbin

"What is innovative in this day and age is one-on-one connection with people, where we are not afraid to talk about God."

"Too often we work to sustain the by-laws and structures of the church instead of those things sustaining the true work of the church."

"The key question in all that we do: How do we want to be together? So many conflicts come from not keeping that question in front of us."

Rev. Courtney Richards

"Innovation is not just about reaching hipsters and millennials. It is about offering and extending the opportunity to be authentic."

"Innovation is not a one-and-done proposition...it is about constantly being willing to try something new and keep learning from the experiences. We are a resurrection people, we just forget it."

"We need to talk to our neighbors and say, 'We want to be good neighbors' and then ask them, 'What can we do to be better neighbors?'"

Rev. Jose Morales

"Continuity matters. Even when we are talking about innovation we must root our identity in what it means to be the church."

"Jesus is not here to meet our needs. Let's face it, sometimes what we think we need is the wrong stuff. No, Jesus is here to change our needs."

"Transcendence is the one advantage we have over nonprofits. We can point to something bigger than us, greater than us. Worship helps us to see with wonder, depth, and awe."

"Churches that grow (in depth and sometimes in number) operate out of a sense of expectation. They see their work as the beginning of an encounter with God; not as the end of one."

From the back pew

This is what worship looks like at General Assembly 2015!

I sat in the very back of the auditorium/sanctuary so that you could get a feel for the scope of things. Tonight's worship service centered around a series of brief meditations built around a staggering amount of powerful church music. And wouldn't you know it, our old friend (and alum of the Arizona Region) Erin Wathen brought the word to life in a powerful way with her meditation on Isaiah 40. 

And speaking of powerful music, at an after session sponsored by Chalice Press we packed the basement of a local establishment for a session of "Books & Hymns" where reflections from recent Chalice Press authors were combined with festive, sing-a-long renditions of favorite hymns. Check out that crowd!

Opening Worship

I made it to the Convention Center just in time for Opening Worship...and for my phone battery to give out!

So I only got this one (very blurry) picture before my phone died. Which means I couldn't capture the fullness of the choir, the beauty of the communion table, or the size of the gathered congregation. 

Worship was amazing and beautiful and touching...even if this picture of Bill Edwards (Ohio Regional Pastor) and Glen Miles (Moderator of the Christian Church) welcoming us didn't turn out so well!

10 Reasons to go to the 2015 General Assembly

10. You will make a difference for Columbus, whether you crochet a sleeping mat with the youth, donate blood in the exhibit hall or volunteer to package potatoes with local missions.

9. You will see why Columbus is a terrific place to visit as well as a great place to live.

8. You will have the opportunity to learn about how our Church works and what is new and exciting.

7. You will find out you are not alone by networking with Disciples from across the United States and Canada and meeting faith partners from around the world. Never been to assembly?

6. Did you attend a Disciples-related college or seminary? You will have an opportunity to have a college or seminary reunion during lunch on Monday or Tuesday.

5. You will connect face-to-face with people in ministries that can help your work in your local congregation.

4. You will hear world-class speakers on topics from innovation to faith formation - IN PERSON - in the learning communities. You'll also have your choice of a variety of Sunday afternoon workshops - all included with your registration.

3. You will feel the Spirit flowing among thousands of Disciples gathered for worship and learn the theme song Soaring, all while singing your heart out in praise.

2. You will take the lead in Mission First!, to help set our future key mission directions for Disciples together.

1. You will be inspired to SOAR! Register now!

Keep up with the latest news and questions on the Facebook page  and sign up for the weekly e-letters.

2015 General Assembly

General Assembly (the big old national/international meeting of our denomination) is less that a year away! The General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be July 18-22, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. 

Check out this great introductory video and then scroll down for a whole slew of links!

You can register now for General Assembly and save nearly 20 percent off the full registration price. It also spreads the cost over two fiscal years and gives you a chance to make other plans for enjoying Ohio before and after the event. 

If you have never been to an assembly, there is a page just for you. 

Peruse the first bits of information on the website now to see the learning opportunities and scheduled worship speakers.

Youth information is also beginning to be added. 

See you in Columbus!