• Transition Update
• Regional Moderator's Update
• Women's Retreat a Success
• Christmas Offering
• From Congregations' Newsletters
• Disciples Network Gathering Review
• Reconciliation Grant Applications Available
• Common Grounds Ministry Receives New Church Grant
• Poland Mission Trip Reflections
• FCC Winterset Covered Bridge Parade Float
• Clergy Day Apart - December 6th
• Ministers' Institute
• Young Adult Retreat: Potluck
• Herb Lewellen, Minister Emeritus
• Eureka College offers full-tuition Ministry Fellowships
• Christian Theological Seminary Announces Major Gift
• Shared Spirit: Mitchellville CC: Trick-or-Treating For Others

Bill Spangler-Dunning
Lead Transitional Regional Minister and President

Two years ago we began this transition in the midst of chaos, uncertain that we could find our way. So now that we can look back at this time of transition what can we say has been accomplished?

1. We have restructured our budget and ministry ensuring that we do not overspend.
2. Fully paid off the $190,000 line of credit debt.
3. Started a new church in Rochester, Minnesota.
4. Redesigned School for Congregational Learning and increased attendance by more than one hundred people.
5. Consolidated our offices to the Christian Conference Center.
6. Experienced a surge of individuals organically desiring to come together around the ministry they feel called to by God. (Ministries that are not prescribed by a committee or have any sense of asking someone to fill a slot or carry out this ministry because of duty.)
7. Explored and developed new ways of connecting Disciples across the Upper Midwest, i.e. holding meetings in more accessible locations or using technology such as video conferencing.
8. Put forth an intense effort for regional staff to visit and worship with every congregation in the Upper Midwest in the two year transition period.
9. Began partnering with seminaries so we and our students can experience teaching congregations in this region while the students attend seminary in Oklahoma by distance.
10. Begin to experience a sense of energy and passion in the midst of that chaos that gives us that deep understanding that we are not only not dying - we are at the beginning of something new and wonderful.

There is still much chaos and uncertainty that likely will be in our near future; however, we are beginning to feel the Christmas-like experience that occurs at the darkest time of year. The dark shadows are still all around us but we now have the choice of what we focus on as people of faith.  As we come to an end of our transition time and head into the wondrous Christmas time, I believe that God is helping us as "Disciples Together " find new strength and purpose in our ministry.  I believe God is calling to us once again to do ministry together.  I deeply hope you will join me in that belief!

Your partner in ministry,
Bill Spangler-Dunning
BSD

The Regional Board, gathered with a quorum, took a major step forward into a new era of regional ministry at its meeting on November 13 by endorsing a proposed redesign drafted and recommended by a Vision Task Group charged with developing the plan.  For the past year, the group has been praying, listening, exploring, imagining and facilitating conversations across the Region.  The resulting plan, significantly shaped by that wider input, attempts to formalize the “Disciples Together” web approach to ministry that has been emerging over the past several years.  The proposed design, which will be more carefully explained in the coming weeks, involves every congregation more directly in the ministries of the Region, and seeks to honor the movement of the Spirit wherever it appears, while still maintaining careful oversight of core functions like Ministry Commission, Personnel, Property management and investments.

In the coming months, congregations will be equipped with interpretive tools to help them fully understand the proposal with all its opportunities and responsibilities.  Then, at a called Regional Assembly in February, we will come together at Wakonda Christian Church in Des Moines to both experience something of the flavor of this new model for ministry, and vote on the recommended plan.

Please be watching for explanatory details about the proposal, and event details about the called February Assembly and plan to bring a delegation from your congregation.  These are important and exciting days for the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest.

- Rev. Tim Diebel, Regional Moderator (tdiebel@fccdm.org)

From Tammy Rottschaefer:

Well, the Fall Women's Retreat was a great success. Fall weather was beautiful, 83 women attended, Rev. Marti Steussy offered wonderful leadership as our keynoter, and Chaplain Deborah Lewis guided us spiritually.

Bill Spangler-Dunning's letter:
Dear Congregations and Clergy,

I know you are likely very busy during this time of year and don’t have time to read long and wordy letters about why you and your congregation should care about and even more importantly give to the Christmas Offering. With this in mind I have provided a video with my own personal story about how Christmas Offering made a difference in my life. It’s less than 3 minutes and if the story makes sense to you, I hope you will share it in some way with others in your congregation. 100% of this special offering supports many ministries from Camp to Transformation AND New Church to Finding Ministers for Congregations AND Pastoral Support for Ministers to the School for Congregational Learning AND Youth, Men and Women Ministries AND the Christian Conference Center AND more.

The Short answer is that Christmas Offering supports the ministry we in this Region call:

“Disciples Together”

Download the Bulletin Inserts:

Or download the Poster:

(Assembled by Amber Elliott)

As promised, the Disciples Network Gathering was not a typical Regional Assembly. We gathered at the Christian Conference Center, the region's camp and conference facility. Holding it on Holy Ground not only connected attendees to one of our region's spiritual roots, but it also let us assemble without charging a fee. (Some ministers have even reported that they can now attend General Assembly in Nashville, TN because they did not have to use their church budgets for the Regional Assembly).

Here are two anecdotes from the gathering:

Tony Thurston, a member of the Ministers' Institute planning team, was tasked to "make it fun" when he promoted the upcoming institute. Anyone who knows Tony knows that he's a character, and that he can dress the part. Tony wore his "Yosemite Sam" hat and offered ministers $20 off their registrations if they (or one of their church members, by proxy) could pull an apple out of a bucket of water without using their hands. It was fun to try and even better to watch.

General Minister and President, Sharon Watkins, did not even need to fly in to join us for our assembly. "Live from New York!," she joined us at the Conference Center's great hall through the videoconferencing technology, Skype. She blessed us with our new style of gathering and, even more importantly, let us bless her. Attendees thanked her for her witness at President Obama's inauguration and then pushed her for ways General Assembly will be offering practical resources for congregations. While we would have loved to haver her with us, for most of our talk, her "virtual" presence wasn't so virtual.

Bill Spangler-Dunning, Lead Transitional Regional Minister and President, preached at the all-Assembly worship service. Click below to see and hear his words:

Want to do something about racism, poverty and injustice? Reconciliation Grant applications are online at: http://www.uppermidwestcc.org/2010/10/14/reconciliation-grant-applications/.

All proposals must address at least one of the following reconciliation priorities:

• Strike at the root causes of poverty and racism;
• Seek to change unjust systems (e.g. laws, institutions, company practices);
• Seek to overcome the injustices faced by racial minorities and the poor;
• Seek to address the empowerment of minority and/or poverty groups through opportunities for self-development.

The Upper Midwest Region’s Reconciliation Ministry Grants fund for 2011 is approximately $15,000. It is anticipated that projects will be funded with awards ranging from approximately $1,000 to $3,000 each.

Please contact Don Hiscox at dh@uppermidwestcc.org or 515.577.9020 with questions or to apply.

At the November 13th regional board meeting, the board unanimously passed a resolution supporting the "Common Grounds" ministry originally started at FCC Keokuk. "FCC Keokuk has been nurturing a Youth Center ministry over the past several years which has been quite successful, and is ready for expansion and a life of its own as it develops into a new congregation. The amount requested is $10,000 to fund and support this new ministry into which Keokuk has already invested time, talent and money themselves. The region's funding is to support the youth center in their bold move to become a self-sustaining congregation to a new community."

The "Common Grounds" coffee shop ministry began in a former auto repair shop, adjacent to the old FCC Keokuk church building. When the congregation relocated to the north side of town and expanded their building and ministries, Matt Hunt, the pastor behind "Common Grounds," knew the coffee shop would also need to transition.



But the coffee shop didn't move with the congregation; in fact, it didn't even stay a coffee shop! Instead, it moved to the other side of town, in an empty space in the town's mall and is a center for youth. The ministry has also expanded from being a coffee shop and safe youth gathering space to now being a wider activity - education, values, work ethic, spiritual, the arts. It also now holds weekly "Homework Helps" sessions and weekly meals and Bible study.

As Pastor Matt reflected:

To find out more about Common Grounds, visit http://www.commongroundskeokuk.org/ or contact Pastor Matt at fccpastormatt@gmail.com

Editor's note: In Fall 2009, the Stewardship and Mission Interpretation Unit of the region discerned a need to connect with and support our mission partners in Poland. The previous summer (2009), several youth and their pastor, Semko Koroza, visited the camp and churches in the region. 14 participants from the Upper Midwest journeyed to Poland on Sept 1st-16th, 2010. Doug and Liz Searles, two of our region's Global Mission partners. If you have questions about the trip, contact Don Hiscox (dh@uppermidwestcc.org). There's also potential for a trip in Fall 2011.


This is the group from the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest after worship with several persons from the congregation (Evangelical Reformed Church of Poland) (KER) in Zychlin, PO. Pastor Tadek Jelinek is pictured in the back left of the photo.



The UMWCC group helped to build this community smoker.  Folks from throughout the community will be invited to smoke their fish and other meat on the smoker provided by the Zychlin Evangelical Reformed Church.  In the picture are Pastor Tadek Jelinek (left), Missionary Doug Searles (right) and two members of the Zychlin congregation in the center.



The group from the UMW provided over $200 worth of trees for the prayer path/garden.  Two of the trees had special significance.  One, a Cedars of Lebanon tree, was dedicated to Pastor Jelinek.  This was his favorite tree. The other was dedicated in honor of Jennifer Shanno, wife of Earlin Shanno, pastor of the Oakland Christian Church.  Jeni had planned on making the journey with the group, but illness at the very last moment prevented her from making the trip.  She was deeply missed by all.



This building is the Evangelical Reformed Church in Lodz, Poland.  The grassy patch of land just to the right of the building is the location where the parking lot will be constructed.  The parking lot was made possible by generous gifts from the persons who went on the trip and some congregations in the Upper Midwest Region.  This will be the only parking available to the congregation, other than three or four parking spots right next to the building.  The only other space is on the sidewalk.



The distinctive tower of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Warsaw is shown here.  It can be seen from basically throughout the city, and is a very distinctive landmark.  The back wall of this church building served as part of the Ghetto Wall in Warsaw.  The building was left standing by both the Jews and the Nazis when the rest of Warsaw was destroyed during the Uprising in 1944.

This church building is one of only 10 remaining in the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland.  Prior to World War 2, there were over 500 congregations. Now there are 10...and they're joining forces to give birth to a new congregation in Wroclaw.  In Poland, 75-80% of the population is Catholic, 1% is Russian Orthodox, 1% is all other faiths, and 15-20% are non-believers.

First Christian Church of Winterset, IA wowed the community by putting their praise band, Reliance, on a float in the Covered Bridge Festival parade. With the help of a generator, they broadcast songs like “Blessed be Your Name” and “I’ll Fly Away,” representing the diverse nature of the congregation. Due to double booking on the truck that pulled their float, the band found themselves surrounded by VFW members and were thus saluted the entire length of the route. For more pictures, check out their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Winterset-IA/First-Christian-Church-Winterset/48907472155 (you don’t have to log in to see them).

Mon, Dec 6, 2010 9:00 AM – Mon, Dec 6, 2010 4:00 PM
Highland Park Christian Church, Des Moines, IA

Facilitator: Kathy Reardon RN, MS integrates spiritual care, counseling, holistic health promotion, and healing energy work to support individuals facing diverse issues such as: loss and grief; health crises and concerns; pain and suffering; relationship wounds; spirituality and questions of faith; and important life transitional times.

Traumatic events call into question basic human relationships. They breach the attachments created through family, friendship, love, and community, resulting in damage to the structure of the self that is formed and maintained in relation to others. They can shatter, even destroy, the belief systems that serve to give meaning and purpose to the human experience. In addition, they violate the victim’s faith in a natural or divine order to life and, not uncommonly, throw the individual into a state of acute anxiety and disorientation referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or “existential crisis.” If not knowledgeable about and sensitive to the dynamics and effects of PTSC, professionals who provide care in any capacity to victims may themselves fall victim to secondary, or vicarious, trauma. Self-awareness, a strong personal spiritual foundation, and attention to self-care are essential for anyone serving traumatized persons. This day will offer presentation on the impact of trauma on spirituality and on the role of the spiritual care provider working with PTSD. There will be time given for discussion, personal reflection, prayer, and integrating the day’s experience.

Answers to some recent questions about the event:

January 24-26, 2010
All Ordained and Licensed Clergy Invited
Speaker: Dr. Tom Clegg, President of the Missional Transformation Network

Ministers’ Institute begins on Monday, January 24 with registration at 1 p.m.
Tuesday’s program begins at 9 and concludes that evening at 9, with dinner time free.
Wednesday we begin at 9 and conclude at 11 a.m.

To register, print out this form and mail it and payment in to: Christian Church in the Upper Midwest, 5064 Lincoln St., Newton, IA 50208

Potluck: What Will You Bring to the Table?

We will be trying out, or “getting a taste of,” the summer camp curriculum:

• We begin at 7:00pm Monday, December 27th
• Bring a favorite hors d’oeuvre or munchie snack to share with everyone on Monday evening
• Bring a board game, cards, or other interactive game to play
• Prepare for mission work in Des Moines on Tuesday, followed by games (volleyball, dodgeball, etc.)
• We’ll finish on Wednesday morning.

To register, download the registration form or register online at: http://www.uppermidwestcc.org/eventname/2010-young-adult-retreat/

Submitted by Jim Cord, pastor of Indianola Heights Christian Church

On Sunday, October 10, we presented Herb with his "Honored Minister's Pin" from the Pension Fund. Herb retired 25 years ago, but, unfortunately, no one thought to obtain and present Herb the Pension Fund recognition. But we also, by action of the Board and affirmation by the congregation, declared Herb to be "Minister Emeritus" of the IHCC congregation.

A little background:

Herb and Katherine are in a retirement home in Madrid. I have been to see them three times since my coming to IHCC as Interim. I discovered on my first visit that Herb never did any interims following his retirement and, while they have remained members of the CC(DOC), Herb has never taken an active role of leadership ... not even as an Elder or SS teacher in a local congregation. Herb said to me during our visit, "I just don't feel like a minister anymore." That really pulled at my heart. Herb was pastor here as I came to DSM 25 years ago and he was quite nice and always friendly with me. I decided when I heard his comment that we weren't going to let Herb feel completely "put out to pasture."

As a result, we had our celebration ... designating 10/10/10 as "Week of the Ministry" Sunday. We were able to get Herb and Katherine here ...along with 10 members of their family ... without Herb knowing what was happening in regard to the Minister Emeritus thing ... the guy is so humble he probably wouldn't have shown up if he had known what was going to happen. We presented him with the Honored Minister's Pin (his daughter pinned it on him) ... and then gave him a framed certificate/hand-made Chalice configuration that he can put on his desk, fireplace, or whatever. We then took 50 people to lunch at a restaurant following worship.

End result ... we had a very pleased and appreciative retired pastor and a congregation that felt good about what had happened.

Eureka College, Eureka, Ill., is accepting applications for two full-tuition Eureka College Ministry Fellowships for students pursuing vocational ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Recipients also receive two on-site mentorships exploring ministry anywhere in the world, upon approval.

For more information or to request an application, contact Chaplain Bruce Fowlkes at bfowlkes@eureka.edu, call (309) 467-6429 or visit www.eureka.edu/admissions/doc.htm. Review of applications begins January 10.

Other Grants for Disciples of Christ Students ($1,000 each, stackable, up to $8000 maximum):

• Active members of any Disciples of Christ congregation.
• Active members who are also dependents of DOC ministers.
• Active members who are youth leaders in the regional or general church.

Eureka College offers academic degrees in a wide area of the sciences, mathematics, business administration, social sciences, fine and performing arts, humanities and education.

Lilly Endowment provides lead gift for CTS Fund for the Future

(October 14, 2010, Indianapolis, IN) – Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) has received a grant of $1,181,500 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop creative new approaches for educating pastors, ministers and counselors, according to David Herzog, Chairman of CTS’s Board of Trustees.

The grant comes at an important time in the school’s life and during a time when much is changing for denominational seminaries like CTS. It also comes as the seminary searches for a new president and celebrates the ministry of retiring President Edward L. Wheeler.

“The changing demographics of congregational life, the increasing complexity of pastoral ministry and the emergence of new technologies are changing theological education,” stated Herzog. “Lilly Endowment’s gift to CTS will enable us to build upon our current capabilities and explore new strategies to address these realities.”

One million dollars of the grant will serve as a lead gift for the CTS Fund for the Future providing the seminary with resources to develop and implement programs designed to send into the community a sizable and steady stream of excellent pastors who will lead, minister to and sustain thriving congregations.

“Our charge is to engage in a serious re-thinking of what it takes to prepare men and women to be excellent pastors of congregations in a rapidly changing ecclesial and cultural environment,” said Herzog. “This will require us to collaborate in new ways with congregations to attract the most promising students to produce pastors, ministers and counselors with the skills required to address new and yet unknown challenges.”

The remaining $181,000 will fund the presidential transition at CTS. Earlier this year, President Edward L. Wheeler announced his intention to retire effective June 30, 2012. Herzog stated that Wheeler will be named president emeritus June 30, 2011, after 14 years of leadership. CTS hopes to name a new president in time to begin serving as of July 1, 2011. In the final year of service to CTS, Wheeler will serve as a resource to the new president.

“The generous grant from Lilly Endowment will allow CTS to build upon our strong history as a leader in post-graduate theological education and enhance our legacy of ministerial preparation,” stated Wheeler.

According to Dr. Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at Lilly Endowment, CTS is poised to make good use of the grant. “Talented faculty and staff, a sizable endowment, beautiful facilities and a diverse student body all place CTS in an excellent position to make promising new strategic moves that will extend its important role in strengthening religious life in Indiana and throughout the country,” he said.

CTS is related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is one of the most diverse congregational leadership centers in the nation. It is a fully accredited, ecumenical seminary with a student and alumni base representing nearly 40 different denominational and faith communities.

In addition to offering eight graduate-level degree programs, CTS provides dozens of classes annually through its Lifelong Theological Education and Faith Learning Initiative series. It also offers comprehensive counseling services to the community through its Counseling Center. CTS has a rich history of offering the finest biblical and theological education in a caring, supportive environment.

Commentary from Adam Frieberg: In following up with Chris Varnau, Senior Director of Communications at CTS, I asked for some more clarity on the initiatives this grant will fund. Chris let me know that much of the grant has yet to be designated and is waiting for the new President to chart the course. So congregations will see more of an impact once the new president is "transitioned in" and has had the chance to set a vision for the grant.

Editor's Note: This story comes from the pastor of Mitchellville Christian Church in Mitchellville, IA. Look for more stories on our Shared Spirit page -- and, please submit your own stories

Mitchellville Christian Church WOW Youth Group Goes Trick-or-Treating for Others

The Mitchellville Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) WOW youth group went trick-or-treating on Wednesday, October 27th, only it wasn’t beggers’ night, and the kids didn’t receive any candy. This was a different kind of event called Trick-or-Treat -So- Others -Can -Eat.

Some 45 kids dressed in fun costumes went out on a windy Wednesday night to collect non-perishable food items in the community. The community of Mitchellville responded generously, and the youth brought between 200 to 300 food items back to the church, plus a few monetary donations! All donated food and money will go to the Mitchellville Community Share project which helps families in need around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

A fun time was had by all, and God’s good work of caring and sharing were accomplished by youth from grades 1-12! Let the children lead!!