Disciples' Advocate
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Summer 2020 Volume 19 Number 2 2020 A New Thing Isaiah 43:18-21 DHM Board Announces Janice Newborn 3 Interim President Elections: A New Thing in 2020 6 The Board of Disciples Home Mis- Spencer’s guide for her life has Global Ministries Connections 6,24 25 sions (DHM) is thrilled to announce been Micah 6:8. “I can’t stay connected What We DO NOT Want in 2020 4 the call of the Rev. Sheila P. Spencer to God without loving my neighbor as DHM’s Interim Presi- and doing justice. It is Seeing Clearly Through the Storm 7 dent. Employed by DHM important to continue The Jesus Way Curriculum 8 since 2008, Spencer has Disciples Home Missions’ been serving as Acting commitment to be a Pro- Kansas Christian Home 9 President of DHM since Reconciling/Anti-Racist Homelessness Prevention 9 the departure of the Rev. Ministry. Having deep- Sotello V. Long. ened our understanding Passing the Peace 10 Spencer’s qualities of systemic racism, Christ ReconciliationGiving 11 as a connector and ad- compels us to advocate vocate for all brought for justice, fairness and LTS Receives Grant 13 her to the top of the list equality within Disciples Ministries Across Generations ? 14 for consideration: she is Home Missions and our passionate about how the Rev. Sheila P. Spencer world.” Black Ministers Retreat 15 life changing love of God “This is an important Bethany College Highlights 16 has infused her life and how she has moment in our history,” Spencer says. seen it during her time at DHM. Continue on page 5. See Spencer. Disciples Hidden Treasure 20 DHM Calls Immigration Legal Counsel MAG Covid-19 Resources 22 Disciples Home Missions rejoices brings to Disciples a palpable passion, Christmount Events 26 to announce the call of Natalie B. sensitivity of heart, strong desire to be Why We Need Disciples Scouting 29 Teague as the next Immigration Legal of service, integral legal experience, Counsel for the Christian Church (Dis- and an indefatigable determination to Protect Refugee Resettlement 30 ciples of Christ)! Natalie advocate for and defend has traveled, studied, and immigrant legal concerns. volunteered extensively Natalie is grateful in Mexico and Central for a smooth transition Have you considered America and is fluent in from outgoing counsel making a gift to Spanish. She worked with Tana Liu-Beers and for immigrants in education the support of the DHM and healthcare before go- community. She wel- ing to law school to become comes opportunities to an immigration attorney. connect with and support in your will? Natalie previously prac- the Disciples community, If so, please contact ticed immigration law in a so please consider liking Disciples Home Missions Natalie B. Teague faith-based nonprofit and “Disciples Immigration DHM Equipping Disciples as a solo practitioner in private practice Legal Counsel” on Facebook or visit- for Christ and has taught undergraduate courses ing disciplesimmigration.org. on immigration law and policy. She The Disciples’ Advocate Disciples and COVID-19 The Christian Church (Disciples of Chrit) has compiled a collection of resources and statements for pastors and congregations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are updating this page with more resources as available. Many of the resources are from the ministries of Disciples Home Missions. Meet Alex Starting this fall, congregations will have access to will be shared among your congregation’s attendance, Alex, a database that will be shared by the whole Church. financial or other leaders. Each congregation will have General Minister and President Terri Hord Owens set just one e-mail address/password combination that is this as an objective early in her tenure, knowing from shared among the pastor, administrative assistant and her earlier experience in corporate settings that business whomever is designated to enter attendance and/or intelligence (data) is key to making informed decisions. financial data. The warehouse can be accessed on the Alex will position Disciples to finally have a real-time web via computer or mobile device. directory and picture of churchwide trends that has Once a year, a snapshot of all data will be taken for been impossible with the current year book system. historical records (like the year book does now). Alex, But there’s more! The goal is that as we build out the however, will allow for an online interface that will be system there will be an opportunity to have more church updated in real time. intelligence. Together congregations, An added benefit of Alex (the da- regions, and general ministries will be tabase) is that your giving to Disciples able to analyze trends in geographical Mission Fund and the special offerings areas, see changes in staffing models, will be updated as soon as it is received look for ways to combine strengths, so you will have accurate records of and more. We will eventually have all your tithing to the whole Church. (No our historical data in the system to get more digging for the Easter and Week a firm grasp on the past as we chart our future together. of Compassion totals in January the next year!) This work is only possible if we have good data. Your congregation’s data will be rolled up into The Alex database will draw in select data from our region-wide totals that your regional staff will be able current year book legacy system, from the financial to see for a real-time picture of activity. As your data database maintained by Treasury Services, and from accumulates, you will be able to easily see trends and the ministerial directory housed in Disciples Home patterns in the previous months and, eventually, for Missions. Congregations will be able to update their several years. Other congregations will not have ac- contact and staff information in real time for submis- cess to your data until the year book “snapshot” but sion to the regions for verification before pushing it out congregations and regional ministers will be able to to the existing databases housed in general ministries. download individual congregations’ data for study, Your region is gathering initial contact names and profiles, and more. e-mail addresses now for the fall introduction. You will Training video and instructions will be available this receive an e-mail invitation from [email protected] to fall so you will want to make sure the regional office initiate your account. A single e-mail and password has accurate contact information. 2 The Disciples’ Advocate Originator of Woman-to- Woman Journeys Passes Away Janice Newborn, longtime staff in general book, Women on a Mission about African- church ministries and originator of the Dis- American women in the Disciples of Christ. ciples Women’s Woman-to-Woman program, Her biography was also featured in a video passed away April 21, 2020, in Claremont, series – Wisdom of Women, Volume 2 – pro- Calif., at the age of 91. She was the spouse of duced by Disciples Women. the Rev. Ernest J. Newborn, Sr., Acting President of Disciples who passed away in November Home Missions, Rev. Sheila Spen- of 2019. cer, said, “Janice Newborn was Executive Director of Dis- a treasured mentor and trusted ciples Women. Rev. Dr. Patricia source of wisdom. Throughout Donahoo, said, “Janice Newborn her life and ministry, she has sown was instrumental in creating the encouragement into the lives of Woman-to-Woman Worldwide so many of us. I am especially program of Disciples Women. thankful for her ministry and work This program has expanded the within Disciples Women and Dis- worldview of women for the last ciples Home Missions. She was a 30 years by creating opportuni- true gift and I am forever grateful.” ties to learn from women of faith Janice Newborn Newborn leaves behind two in other countries. Not only do children, Ernest J. Newborn II and women learn first-hand the struggles of our Mary Jo Newborn Wiggins, their spouses and sisters but also provides the opportunity to several grandchildren. work with Global Ministries in sharing and Arrangements are incomplete at this time publicizing the programs serving our sisters in though a memorial service is being planned in those countries. The work of Disciples Women Claremont this summer. The family requests, is indebted to her leadership.” in lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Newborn’s During her career with the Church, New- name be made to the Christian Church Foun- born worked in the Indianapolis offices of the dation for the Ernest J. and Janice Newborn Division of Overseas Ministries, Disciples Fund. Online gifts may be made at christian- Women and Disciples Home Missions, retir- churchfoundation.org/give. ing in 1994. She was featured in Melvia Fields’ Visit our virtual worship map online to find congregations offering virtual worship experiences each week. http://www.wellfedspirit.org/virtualworship/index.html 3 The Disciples’ Advocate How Do We Deal With What We Do Not Want To See In 2020? Garfield is one of those comic strips that sometimes That poem took my breath. If it does not cause you evokes more than a polite smile. to think or feel something, you might want to check for In the first panel of one such strip, Garfield is sitting metabolism. at the table with a feast in front of him: Turkey, The powerful dissonance of attributing those dressing, biscuits, vegetables, pies and more. words to God is exactly the point. He is obviously enjoying it. In the corner of We could end hunger. Since we have not, that panel is the subtle image of Odie the dog are the hungry to conclude that God somehow outside the window. wants it this way? Why else would decision The second panel is a closer view of Odie; makers fail to end the scandal of hunger? he’s covered with snow and has empty water How do we deal with what we don’t want and food dishes.