Winter 2019-2020 Volume 19 Number 1 Great Expectations! For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, Advocate is Going Digital saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Thank you for supporting The Disciples Advocate. Please be advised that future issues of the Advocate will be in digital form. Jeremiah 29:11 The Advocate will continue to offer news about the exciting ministries Read the Bible in a Year 3 of Disciples Home Missions and our broader church and partners. Suicide Rates 3 Thank you kindly for your support! Preaching Conference 4 Sotello V. Long President New Exec. Dir. & Min. Named to Disciples Home Missions LGBTQ+ 5 Higher Education 5,10,14,21,25,29 Sustaining Transformative Ministry Street Named in Honor of Minister 6 Effective pastoral ministry is like given: Prayer, devotional time in scrip- 2020 Experience 7 a chef using an expensive knife. To ture, and discernment, for instance. Global Ministries 8,9,17 even a skilled chef, that knife, carefully But we should also participate in hand-crafted by a master bladesmith practices involving artistic creativity, Woman-to-Woman Worldwide to great precision, can become a hin- as well as intentional ways of bringing Delegation 12 derance, even dangerous, over time. everyday parts of our lives into spiri- Mission Centers 16,17,18,23, 28 Used extensively tual context, and and not taken care ongoing practices HELM 19 of, dulling and nicks that instill deep joy Light A Candle 23 in the cutting edge and gratitude in can bring ruin to life that transcends DPF 24 what is attempted regular moments of by even a great cu- stress, frustration, Have you considered linary expert. and toil. making a gift to Every clergy A resource for person regularly discovering and experiences stress- deepening such ors and resistance. Such can dull and practice is the Well-fed Spirit Website, nick abilities of ministry into eventual at: www.wellfedspirit.org. in your will? ineffectual and even damaging effort. Ultimately, though, it is not If so, please contact Each clergy person must counter such enough to hone one’s own life of prac- Rev. Sotello V. Long wear-and-tear, with ongoing care and tice for the sake of personal growth, at repair. alone. Rather, for clergy the call is to (317) 713-2684 Prospering in the ministries to hone one’s own spirituality, in order to DHM Equipping Disciples which God calls us requires an ongo- help others also learn how to nourish for Christ ing honing of our capacities for min- their own lives. istry. This includes developing a body of personal spiritual practices that are Rev. Warren Lynn chosen based on one’s own personal- Executive Minister for Christian Vocations Donate ity, needful edges, and more. Some Disciples Home Missions to DHM more-classical Christian practices are click on ad The Disciples’ Advocate Sotello’s Inspirations & Insights! Dear Disciples and readers, would draw near to God must believe that God exists and that God rewards those who seek God. Hebrews 11:6 The foundational biblical text for this edition of the (3) I believe that by the grace of the Trinity – God, the Advocate is Jeremiah 29:11! Great I AM; the Holy Spirit and Jesus, our Great High For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Priest - all things work together for the good of those the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an who love, seek and serve God. We seek God through expected end. prayer in aligning ourselves with God’s will. Through this I off er three basic beliefs for believers in Christ to have act of submissive obedience we open ourselves to God’s great expectations! activity in and through our lives and circumstances. The (1) I believe that God loves us; (2) I believe that we Holy Spirit divinely connects us with God through Jesus. live by faith; and, (3) I believe that by the grace of the Refl ect on the following texts: Likewise the Spirit helps us in Trinity – God, the Great I AM; the Holy Spirit and Jesus, our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, our Great High Priest - all things but the Spirit [directly] intercedes for us work together for the good of those 1) I believe that God loves us; with groanings too deep for words. And who love, seek and serve God 2) I believe that we live by faith; and, [the Spirit] who searches hearts knows (1) I believe that God loves us. 3) I believe that by the grace of the what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Being made in God’s divine image I Trinity – God, the Great I AM; the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints according believe that there is a depth of life and Spirit and Jesus, our Great High Priest - to the will of God. And we know that for love that can only be fi lled by God those who love God all things work all things work together for the good of and enlivened in our love for God, together for good, for those who are humanity and all creation. This is those who love, seek and serve God. called according to [God’s] purpose. evidenced in the new commandment Romans 8:26-28 from the Lord to the disciples: A new commandment I give The former priests were many in number, because they to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you were prevented by death from continuing in offi ce, but he holds also are to love one another (John 13:34) his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Con- and the profound salvifi c text: sequently, he is able to save to the utt ermost those who draw For God so loved the world, that God gave God’s only be- near to God through him, since he always lives to make gott en Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, intercession for them. Hebrew 7:23-25 but have everlasting life. John 3:16 So live with great expectations because God loves us; (2) I believe that we live by faith. For me, faith to live we live by faith and things work together for the good of by is the capacity to act on God’s word. It is our positive those who love, seek and serve God. Be encouraged “and response to God’s grace - to what grace has already made let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we available. Salvation, for example, is available to eveyone shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9!) by grace. It is appropriated through faith. Each one of us Seize the day and join the opportunities to walk by has the gift of the measure of faith. That’s wonderful to faith as God leads you to participate in the ministry or know since the Bible says that without faith it is impos- ministries shared in this edition that resonate with you! sible to please God. Refl ect on the following texts and seek God’s wisdom for living by faith. God’s love, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 We walk by faith not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:2-3 Sotello V. Long Now it is evident that no one is justifi ed before God by the President law, for “The righteous/just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 Disciples Home Missions And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever 2 The Disciples’ Advocate Increasing Suicide Rates Demand Informed “Soul Safe” Faith Community Leadership Did you know that 60 percent of our nation’s deaths by gun violence are the result of suicide? Suicide, like gun violence itself, is a growing problem in our communities. Where and how can faith leaders respond? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is now seeking to equip faith leaders to creatively respond to suicidality by off ering Soul Shop™ suicide prevention training in many of it’s chapters. This one-day training provides core guidance for faith leaders to respond to suicidality and other impacts of desperation in their communities. This training is appro- priate for those who lead a faith community (e.g. Pastor, Rabbi, Imam, Deacon, Minister) or those who are in a leadership or teaching role with members of a faith community (e.g. youth minister, spiritual teacher). It is appropriate for several leaders in a single faith community to att end. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (www.afsp.org) off ers a variety of resources for individuals, families, and now, faith leaders as well. You can fi nd an AFPS chapter near you on the www.AFPS. org website or fi nd more information about Soul Shop at soulshopmovement.org. Rev.. Dr. Kate Epperly Minister of Justice and Advocacy for Families and Children “Faith Comes by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God” Feed your faith and starve your doubts by building up your spirit in the Word of God.