DHM president to step down

Arnold C. Nelson Jr., president of Disciples Home Missions (DHM), has announced his resignation, effective Aug. 18, 2007. Nelson, who has served in the position for five years, made the announcement at the May 17-19 meeting of the DHM board in Indianapolis. "I tender my resignation as president of Disciples Home Missions with every hope this will allow the whole Church to better determine how the mission of serving congregations and clergy of our dear Church can be carried forward to better serve God and God's whole people," he said. "This opportunity to so serve has been a great honor and I look forward to other avenues to give glory to God in Christian ministry. I leave knowing of no more dedicated servants of the church than those of the DHM staff."

Meet "AG" Woods

My name is Ashley Gavin Woods, but I go by "AG" versus "AJ." I am 20 years old. I have attended and been a member at Central Woodward Christian Church in Troy, Mich., for the past six years. I am the president of the Young Adult Christian Fellowship of the Michigan Region, Disciples of Christ—I lead retreats, worship, discussions, and encourage leadership within the region. I also love to share my thoughts and experiences with other young adults on DisciplesConnect.com.

I find the most difficult issue facing young adults within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is learning what, when, and where their calling is without Disciples of Christ campus ministries. Campus ministries are one of the most important and yet most under-supported ministries of the church. As one young adult said in an unforgettable statement at the General Assembly in Portland, "we are not just the church of tomorrow; we are the church of today". It just depends how much we are willing to support that part of our church. Many college age young adults have no choice but to turn to other campus ministries or no church at all although, I strongly feel that it will become a strength of the Disciples of Christ in the future.

I feel campus and social justice ministries will emerge in young adult ministry within the Disciples of Christ. I say both campus and social justice ministries because I believe they are one and the same. So if we support one of the two ministries, the other ministry will rise up along with the supported ministry. The Michigan State Wesley Foundation of the United Methodist pulled me in with their ministry by empowering and inspiring me to carry out social justice. By providing strong social justice programs, like the Wesley Foundation, the young adult ministries will boom, as will the Disciples of Christ denomination.

Being a young adult means transitioning from who we were yesterday into who we are going to be tomorrow. That means we decide what our life is going to be about, whether we have a college education or not, career or not, family or not, political beliefs or not and most importantly God or no God. And our belief about God will change what we will become tomorrow. What that means for us is that we should bring all our gifts to the table together, with God and our companions, so that we may make believers out of non-believers. If you feel you don't have the strength or gifts to do so, don't doubt yourself and don't give up. It may take more than one try to start bringing people into young adult ministries, but don't give up. The question we should always ask ourselves is: what will I do today that will change tomorrow and the days after? Be excited to bring change into people's lives!

Goodland Disciples Men double pancake receipts

On March 17, the Disciple Men of Goodland, Kans. participated for the second time in the International Day of Pancakes. They raised $240 which was $100 more than the year before. In 2006, Disciple Men from across the country raised $22,000 and if each group increased their profits as the Goodland men did, 2007 could be a banner year for helping children's projects.

It was a good experience for the Goodland men but not just because of the event itself. Oftentimes, churches feel isolated and it becomes easy to forget we are part of a wider church. We might even forget we need to be part of a wider church. The International Day of Pancakes is a good reminder that we are part of something bigger. Alone our efforts are minimal at best. Together our outreach and mission can be even stronger. How quickly could the Kansas regional camp at Tawakoni raise money for a new, "state of the art" playground? With an International Day of Pancake grant, the funds are available this year.

It's true in other ways. The more Disciple congregations participate fully in the life of the whole church the more successful we are in everything we do. Even better, through such participation we become concerned with more than just ourselves. We realize the importance of the unity of the body of Christ, and do the things that work for it. Participating in the International Day of Pancakes is an excellent way to work at building a stronger and more faithful church for stronger and more faithful mission. Join the fun, join the fellowship, and join the mission.

To know more about how your congregation might still participate in this Disciple Men's program that aids in ministries to children go to the DHM Web site, http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/MenPancakes.htm or call Tod Iseminger at (888) 346-2631.

The Rev Theodore Amos is Pastor of First Christian Church, Goodland, Kan.

DWM Leadership gather and plan at site of 2010 Quadrennial

Leadership from the International Disciples Women‘s Ministry gathered in January at the site of the 2010 Quadrennial Assembly in Greensboro, N.C., for their biennial Cabinet meeting. More than 100 women representing the United States, Canada, and Disciples constituency groups, including the Hispanic Conventions, NAPAD, the National Convocation, the current class of Leadership Apprentices, gathered for spiritual enrichment, leadership development, networking and fellowship. The opening speaker, Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, implored women to live into their full potential as followers of Jesus Christ.  The all-inclusive Spirit-led, Spirit-filled worships offered a tapestry of styles and languages.

Women contributed $1,420 in offerings with a 10 percent tithe being sent to DMF plus $320 from Blessing Box offerings from the event. Working groups created an outline for an environmental study and brainstormed for the future of Disciples Women‘s Ministries, and made plans for General Assembly. Visit the Disciples Women Web site at http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/Women/index.htm for more updates.

Historical Society names Exhibit Hall after former DHM trustee

The Disciples of Christ Historical Society (DHS), Nashville, Tenn., has announced that its Exhibit Hall will be named in honor of Oscar Haynes. A layman who has given his life to service in the church, Haynes will become the first African-American Disciple to be honored by room-naming in the Thomas W. Phillips Memorial headquarters of the Historical Society.

Haynes, the nearly 100-year-old Tennessee native, is past president of the National Convocation and former trustee of Disciples Home Missions. Mr. Haynes has also served on the Board of the Historical Society. He has been named a Diplomate of the National City Christian Church Foundation and lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the Reverend Joan Bell Haynes, an ordained Disciples minister.

Glenn Thomas Carson, president of the Historical Society, said Haynes is the "perfect match"for such an honor. "Oscar Haynes is a true servant of our faith and he is a model Christian who spurs all of us along in our own discipleship,"said Carson.

Plans for dedication of the refurbished Exhibit Hall are set for 2008 or 2009. The Historical Society is receiving contributions to secure the honor for Haynes. Inquiries can be addressed to mail@discipleshistory.org or 1101 19th Ave., S., Nashville, Tenn. 37212.

For more information about DHS, visit www.discipleshistory.org.