• Regional Assembly Presents: Disciples Network Gathering (October 9, 2010)
• School for Congregational Learning A Huge Success!
• Week of Compassion Responds in Iowa and Around the World
• Colfax Flood: Thanks from Howard Street Christian Church
• Christian Womens' Fall Retreat (Oct. 1-3, 2010)
• Around the Region
• CYF Assembly 2010: Faithbook
• DiscipleShare Relaunched
• Stasia Fine Ordained
• Reconciliation Grant Applications Available
• Clergy: Re-Imagining the Church Together (October 26, 2010)
• Clergy Day Apart, October 4th

This year’s regional assembly is family-friendly, fun, and free! In an atmosphere resembling a fair or a family reunion; we will celebrate being Disciples Together. With a “TV theme” honoring our diversity and unity – Feel free to “channel-surf” all day! This year the Assembly’s greatest need, is your involvement! Please check out the “channels” below and plan to attend, participate, or serve.

• Nick at Night: Youth Activities, Children Activities, Bounce house, Mini-golf, etc. All youth and children need to be signed in at the Pool Shelter by their parents to take part in the fun.
• Movie Channel: Now Showing: Feeding the 5,000! Food booths ran by congregations; set up a food booth, sell food to help feed the multitudes at the Assembly.
• Animal Channel: Free Horseback rides near Chi Rho area. Operated by Circle R Ranch, (Wranglers for the Conference Center Equestrian Camps) all riders will need to stop at the bunkhouse the day of the Assembly to fill out permission forms.
• Do It Yourself Channel: Shared Ministry booths/demonstrations, i.e., Angel Food Ministries, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Financial Peace, Pen making, Stamping for Outreach, Stained Glass, Greeting Cards, Sidewalk Sunday School, etc. If you have a ministry idea you’d like to share with other Disciples, please call or email Connie at the regional office.
• Being Green: Tips and ideas on living a green lifestyle and saving money for your church or home. Demonstrations and hands-on experience provided.
• Extreme Home Makeover: Mission Project of the Day: work on a house damaged in the flood at Colfax, Ia, near the Conference Center – This option can be chosen during the “Program” times and does not take up the entire day. Call or email Connie at the regional office if you can help on this mission project.
• Discycles (Disciple Motorcycles): Rally, ride, park and display your motorcycles Strugis-style. More information will be emailed to you after you register for this program, call of email Connie at the regional office.
• Super Nanny: Free Daycare available from 9:45-3:30 with licensed and bonded professional child care providers for ages 2-5. Providers will have written information sheets for parents to fill-out. Children are also welcome at all events/programs with their parents.
• The Iron Deacon Contest: 6 Games make up the Great Contest; get a team together from your church – all ages welcome – teams can vary in size from 2-8 persons. Race to accomplish “church” tasks such as filling tiny communion cups, stacking chairs & tables, preparing bulletins, fishing, J etc.) Trophies for winners!
• Music Channel: Live music all day on the stage at the outdoor chapel or in a centrally located tent (depending on weather). Praise bands and other musical entertainment present their music constantly throughout the day giving us a heavenly backdrop for our ears to enjoy! Feel free to bring your lawn chair and relax in God’s lovely Autumn beauty.
• Food Channel: Cooking demonstration by Tim Diebel, Regional Moderator. Also there are food contests for the best: pies, pickles, jello salads, & communion bread; blue ribbons awarded. Please enter your goodies!
• Reality TV: One highlight of the day: General Minister & President Sharon Watkins will attend our regional meeting “Live” via Skype at 1:00 pm – Be sure to stop by to hear her greeting and welcome her to our assembly! Reports will be given by various boards and units of the regions. This is a year of thanksgiving for the many blessings of God!
• Shopping Network: Set up a booth to sell your church’s bazaar items, i.e., cookbooks, jelly, fall/Christmas decorations, etc. Booths are open throughout the day and at the congregation’s discretion.
• Disciples Network: One of the highlights of the day will be the combined worship service of all Disciples Together. This will be held at the Outdoor Chapel (weather permitting) on the beautiful Christian Conference Center grounds. There are bench seats available or feel free to bring your lawn chair. Bill Spangler-Dunning, Lead Transitional Regional Minister will be the keynote speaker, music will consist of camp songs with a guitar and old fashioned hymn singing. Communion will be taken together in this large group celebration!

Registration forms are available from your church office or on the region’s website at uppermidwestcc.org. This year you may register as individuals, or as a congregation (simply send in an estimated number of folks who will attend from your church). Questions? Call or email Connie at the regional office: cddumw@gmail.com or phone: 515-255-3168. See you in October!

Dangerous and devastating water flooded central Iowa in the days before and after August 11th, 2010. Particularly hit were the communities in Colfax, Ames, and other towns in central Iowa. Week of Compassion fortunately had funds available to give grants to two families of Grant Park Christian Church in Des Moines. Sandra and Don Deery and Denny and Linda Capps all received Week of Compassion Solidarity Grants. We thank Week of Compassion for the assistance, and you for your continued support for this disaster relief and development assistance ministry.

Week of Compassion also recently shared a video from a long-term partnership in Cedar Rapids, IA. From the floods of 2008, Week of Compassion partners with Church World Service and Lutheran Disaster Response in the Ecumenical Build. Click below to watch the video:

By Bert Burns, member of Howard Street Christian Church (and Regional Minister of Camp and Conference Center Ministries)

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. As children, we learned to sing this song in a round or just for fun. When the flood hit Colfax early last month, it was not fun and it definitely was not a stream. As you have all heard on the news, many families had several feet of water and lots of damage to their homes. But there were ‘Bright' spots amidst all the debris and mess.

Within hours, Week of Compassion had made contact, offered immediate emergency money and anything else they could do to help. The Howard Street Christian Church in Colfax, sat within feet of the rising water, but on a small knoll, so that no water damage was sustained. The church community did what it always does: reached out to those in need. The morning the river left its banks there were people in the kitchen, whipping up cinnamon rolls and preparing lunch for those volunteers who were moving people out of their homes, sandbagging or rowing down the street to assist in any possible way.

With the addition of a large multi-use room two years ago, there is lots of space, so the church became the Red Cross Center and clothing, food, water and furniture started pouring in from all over the state and even some from out of state. The response was immense and awe inspiring. Meals were served morning, noon, and night.

Local churches and area DOC churches have kept on feeding the volunteers and victims to this date. Next week, volunteers will come in from Kentucky and Michigan to help with the rebuilding process. Furniture and household items have been moved to a building downtown, owned by a member of the church and clothing items are being housed now at the Catholic Church in town. The DOC trailer that was housed and used in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area during the floods of '08 is now in Colfax and being used to assist with tools in rebuilding/cleanup efforts.

The quick response and outpouring of love and support from the churches, region wide, has been such a comfort to those who needed it and will continue to need in weeks to come. This truly has been a showing of how following Jesus' teaching of loving your neighbor, can be a blessing to us as well as the "neighbor". A large dose of Thank You goes out to all who lifted a hammer, cooked a meal, or said a prayer.

Koronis Ministries Conference & Retreat Center
Paynesville, MN

Sanctuary in the Stories
**Telling stories of women throughout the Bible**
**Telling stories of women throughout our lives**

Women of all ages are invited to gather in a beautiful retreat setting to explore and experience ways in which extending a sense of sanctuary can be an intentional part of how we relate to each other, and to God’s world around us.

Cost: $100 - $150 (double occupancy)
Includes 2 nights lodging, program, 5 meals
Full & partial scholarships (at Retreat Center rate) are available through the Beth MacWhorter Fund.

* * *
Retreat Leader: Marti Stuessy
She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and MacAllister-Petticrew Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, where she has been teaching—and storytelling!—since 1988.

Retreat Chaplain: Deborah Lewis
Retreat Coordinators: Alison Phillips Robuck and Tammy Rottschaefer

	Retreat Flyer
	Retreat Flyer
	Registration Form
	Registration Form

Editor's note: These notes from around the region come from congregations sending their newsletters via post or e-mail (amfumw@gmail.com); they also come from individual congregation members sending me the announcements. Have good news or needs to share with fellow Disciples? E-mail me!

Excitement and Fall Programming Begins:

• "Warning: Anyone male or female, regardless of age, who fails to wear a hat, cap or bonnet will be seated on the sinners bench." (Worship in the Park, September 12th, Hymn Sing & Potluck!) FCC Creston, Phil Coe.
• "Church in the Park…Bring a lawn chair with you" (Chariton & Woodburn churches join together for worship and breakfast at Red Haw State Park on September 12th )
• "Last Call for Puppeteers! After being in their boxes for over a year, the puppets are really anxious to get out and start performing and they need your help." (Puppet ministry) FCC Newton, Mark Young.
• "I look so cool in my cape!" (Super Heroes: Be a Super Hero for Jesus. Wednesday Night Program) Park Avenue CC, Des Moines, John Claussen.
• "Head Lice. Head Lice are Always Among Us" (Article by the Parish Nurse concerning school starting, Joann Prosser) FCC Burlington, Tom Smith
• "Clay Balls" (Story of a man who found old clay balls and threw 50 of them in the ocean before one accidentally broke; discovering a priceless jewel inside. Moral: May we see the people in our world as God sees them; the hidden treasure inside each person.) FCC Hampton, Alan Berneman
• "Former Pastor Ventures into Mysteries" (Former Silver Bay pastor, Penny Fritze-Tietz has authored 2 books; can be purchased at the Silver Bay Historical Society Building) United Protestant Church, Silver Bay, MN, Kayla Price.
• "What Three Words?" (From a nationwide poll, What 3 words do people like to hear spoken? Answer: 1. I love you. 2. You are forgiven. 3. Come to supper! Message: All three sets of words are found in Christ: Jesus loves you. Jesus has forgiven you. Jesus invites you "Come to Supper!") Central Christian Church, Waterloo, Brent Cantrell.
• "Wanted: Choir members-whereabouts unknown. Last seen: Hiding out in the congregation." (New choir members welcome!) FCC Keokuk, Geoffrey Mitchell.
• "Church Basement Ladies" (A musical comedy that congregation members can attend together in Amana…"You’re in for a treat!") Noelridge Christian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA, James Cotton.

Faithbook: Connect. For Real.
November 19-21, 2010
Christian Conference Center, Newton, IA

High school youth (CYF age), plan to attend CYF Assembly at camp. More details to come in next month's DT Express.

Regional Minister for Communication, Adam Frieberg, has had a "pet project" for the last 9 years. It started out as DisciplesDocs, a website for youth group leaders and camp counselors to download curriculum written by leaders around the region. Then, in 2006, it expanded as a program for people to submit and share their curriculum from around the country. It also let camps share their pictures / videos / blogs with each other. At the time, the project was graciously hosted by the Christian Church in Kentucky.

Technology has evolved and so has this ministry. Facebook has become the central networking tool for church campers to connect following their weeks on holy ground. But the need still exists for a curriculum-sharing tool.

DiscipleShare has now relaunched and features even more free curriculum to use. 177 separate lessons, to be exact. It is sponsored by the Disciples Youth Ministry Network (DYMN), led by a volunteer group of youth ministry professionals. The DYMN planning team also serves as an editorial board (a.k.a. uploaders and spell-checkers) and helps direct how the project will continue to evolve.

In the coming months, we plan to explore:

• Building a network of mission and work trip sites
• Creating a "lesson planning" tool for youth ministers and Christian education directors to chart out an entire year of curriculum
• Linking with other Disciples youth ministers' resources (such as youth ministry job listings)

To submit curriculum you've written, or to use what others have offered, visit http://www.discipleshare.net

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Upper Midwest celebrated the ordination of the Reverend Stasia Marie Fine, 29, at 2:00 PM on Saturday, July 10, 2010. About 120 people gathered for the ceremony held at Noelridge Christian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The ordination service featured a blend of music, sermon, liturgical dance, and reading of the Word.

Participating churches included host Noelridge Christian Church; First Christian Church of Mahtomedi, Minnesota; Shueyville United Methodist Church of Shueyville, Iowa; Elkhart Christian Church of Elkhart, Iowa; and First Christian Church of Falls Church, Virginia. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Reverend Don Hiscox, Regional Minister for Congregational and Clergy Care in the Midwest, led a group of nine pastors who represented Stasia. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Reverend Dani Loving Cartwright, Regional Minister in the Southwest, was welcomed back to the state of Iowa.

The joyous occasion was the culmination of study, prayer and preparation for Stasia, who graduated from Northwestern College (St. Paul) in 2004, studied as a Disciples House Scholar at the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2007-2008, and earned her Master of Divinity Degree from the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. last May.

For more than forty years, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has sought to address issues of racism and poverty through Reconciliation Ministry. The Upper Midwest Region has a reconciliation grants program which is funded with a portion of the Region’s annual Reconciliation special offering. Proposals are accepted from congregations and/or organizations with the capacity, competence and experience to accomplish project objectives.

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

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

2011 Grants Schedule
Applications due: 4:00 PM, January 14, 2011
Notification of awards: March, 2011
Grant Period: March 2011 - 2012

Inquiries: Don Hiscox,
Regional Minister for Congregational and Clergy Care
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) In the Upper Midwest
5064 Lincoln Street, Newton, IA 50208-8327
Phone: 515-577-9020
dh@uppermidwestcc.org

2011 Rec Grant Cover Sheet
2011 Rec Grant Promo Sheet
RFP Guidelines Rec Grant 2011

Upper Midwest Clergy are invited to “Re-Imagining the Church Together”, an opportunity to share congregational stories of change and transformation, as well as struggles and conflicts.

Event organizers write: “In sharing stories we hope to create an open and Spirit-led atmosphere where relationships, support, networking and ideas on congregational transformation can occur. Throughout the day there will be singing, prayer, reflection, food, fellowship, encouragement, networking, and sharing of resources.”

When: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Who: Upper Midwest Clergy
Where:

• Des Moines (Highland Park Christian Church)
• Cedar Rapids (Marion Christian Church, Marion, IA)
• Laurens, IA
• Muscatine, IA
• Ottumwa, IA (Davis Street Christian Church)
• Red Oak, IA
• Lakeville, MN (Spirit of Joy Christian Church)

Visit the regional website in coming months for registration forms. Please direct any questions to Mary Jane Button-Harrison (maryjane@fccames.org). The Congregational Transformation Task Group is creating and planning this event.

Mon, October 4, 2010
Christian Conference Center, Newton 10:00am – 3:30pm
Made in the Image of God:
     Creativity in the Arts and Spiritual Life
Pasha Buck, Facilitator

Come explore the ways that creativity can feed your spirit. Not an artist? Not a problem! Pasha Buck understands that we nurture our spirits in silence -- exploring and expressing ourselves through the arts feeds us and opens channels of communication and awareness of God.We will explore how to let go of blocks to creativity and how to foster and nurture creativity, which, in turn, fosters and nurtures spirituality.

Pasha Buck is a licensed Disciples pastor and a retreat leader who has done spiritual direction for over 35 years. She remains a farm girl at heart who is deeply connected to the land. A day spent with Pasha is a delight!!

This day is provided at no cost. Lunch is provided for a freewill offering.
Pasha is opening this workshop to include lay folk.

Rev. Terry Steeden is co-leading a trip to Israel next March 16-26, 2011. It is an 11 day tour beginning in Minneapolis. There are a few seats left and we would like to fill this once in a life time trip to capacity. We have tried to create a mix of spirituality, history, philosophy, Jesus, Hebrew Scripture, archeology, contemporary issues, all in an ecumenical setting. See this PDF for detailed information… Or contact Terry at terrysteeden@hotmail.com or 952-929-4609.