Dear Friends,
When did you experience encounter THIS week? How did your encounter call you out into the world to live out God’s mission? These are the kind of questions we are often asked to explore in LCM. Leading Congregations in Mission is not a program, a set of exact steps or a precise formula to save the church. LCM is rather a journey into the heart of God and into the world. It is an invitation to enter into deep, authentic relationship with God, ourselves and those in our personal lives, congregations, or on the street. It is a challenge to allow the disruptive promptings of the Spirit to shape our lives, our congregations and our world into God’s greatest dream for God’s creation. When did you experience encounter THIS week? Where are you headed because the encounter changed you and is calling you into the world?
The following is the mission prayer being used by participating congregations in the Leading Congregations in Mission Pilot. However all congregations are being encouraged to incorporate this prayer into the life of the congregation as well as in the lives of individual members. The prayer has been shared in various settings.
“God, where will your Spirit lead today? Help me be fully awake and ready to respond. Grant me courage to risk something new and become a blessing of your love and peace.” Amen
From Leading Congregations in Mission Handbook:
Mission Begins with Encounter — A Question for Leaders
How can I see with new eyes God sending me towards people as an expression of God’s love and mission?
Quotes for Reflection:
• When we see Jesus as the Incarnation, we not only see Jesus doing what God is doing
we see an attribute of God. … mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an
attribute of God. God is a missionary God. — Johannes Aagaard
• To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people,
since God is a fountain of sending love. — David Bosch
• God moved toward us in Jesus Christ. We are now called to join God’s movement toward others in Christ. We are also called to have a movement mind-set that calls us to discern and follow the disruptive promptings of the Holy Spirit in mission. — LCM Field Guide Overview p. 4
When discussing the following question: remember leading the congregation in mission,
requires leaders to begin with discerning “where and what” God is sending them as they ask and lead others to do the same!
How can I see with new eyes God sending me towards people as an expression of God’s love and mission?
Peace, DeziRae Astle – Please feel free to respond directly to this email if you have stories of encounter, transformation and mission that you would like to share or if you have questions about LCM, mission in the mission center/your congregation, support and guidance provided by the mission center.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN MISSION CENTER EVENTS: PLEASE SHARE THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN YOUR CONGREGATION!!!)
Camp Paradise Family Camp: June 18-22, 2014. The theme for this year is Do We Know How to Show Christ’s Love? Guest ministry will be Central Mission Center President, Barbara Borkowski, and LCM Coordinator Rob Borkowski. Please pre-register for family camp and let them know the ages of youth attending and if you have any dietary restrictions. The camp schedule is available online at www.cofchristrm.org. For more information and registration, please contact Jim Smith at smiths.villa@hotmail.com.
Attention Camp Paradise Family Camp Attendees! Please bring your empty paper towel and toilet paper tubes to camp with you. It sounds like a craft in the making.
Street Retreat and IYF Preparation Gathering: These two events will happen together the weekend of June 20-22. Everyone grades 9-1st year college are welcome to attend both.
Street Retreat will go Friday evening through Sunday morning.
IYF Preparation Gathering will be June 21 from 9-noon in Denver. All people attending IYF are expected to attend. There will be a possibility of Skyping in so you don’t have to drive if you live far away. But if you can make it, please do! We will be getting to know each other and preparing for IYF by learning info and sharing in fellowship. Please note: You do not have to attend the whole Street Retreat in order to come to the IYF Prep gathering. (But we encourage you attendance!) STREET RETREAT INFO BELOW
Sr. High Street Retreat, ABOLISH POVERTY, Downtown Denver, CO.
Join your friends and awesome leaders in an experience of a lifetime. At past retreats we have made music videos, had crazy photo shoots, 16th street mall scavenger hunts, a grand tea party in hotel lounge area… We have worshipped on the 16th street mall and shared communion; we have learned about hunger, poverty and homelessness; and we have made breakfast burritos for the hungry and worked at SAME Cafe.
Grades: 9 – 1st Year College; Cost: $100 To register: call the mission center office at 303-426-5900 or email Rebecca at brussell@cofchristrm.org Youth Registration forms are online at www.cofchristrm.org
Big Spruce Women’s Retreat is June 27-29. The theme is Practicing Love and Forgiveness. Speaker is Evangelist Ruth Smith. We look forward to seeing you there! Margaret Cheasebro is coordinating. Margaret can be contacted at margaretcheasebro@yahoo.com
Big Spruce Reunion is July 5-12. Guest ministry will be John VanDerWalker, Western USA Field Mission Research Assessment and Support Specialist. The theme is Create Shalom: Abolish Poverty, End Suffering. We will be sharing in an evening adventure celebrating Ireland. Bring your best Irish costume, hunger for Irish food, and excitement to explore the culture of Ireland. For registration information please contact Bill Grimes at wlgrimes@gmail.com or call 719-635-9439. More information can be found at www.cofchristrm.org.
International Youth Forum (IYF): July 15-18, 2014 at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, MO. Early registration deadline is June 10, 2014 and the theme this year is Courage. The cost to attend is $210, with transportation and delegation costs approximately $300 per person (transportation fees combine if attending both IYF and SPEC). Eligible students will have completed 9th grade through the first year of university (approximate ages 15-19). We are now accepting online donations for those wanting to support youth attending IYF at: www.cofchristrm.org.
Spectacular: July 18-26, 2014 at Graceland University. Expanded age range for this year; campers who have just completed 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades are invited to attend! The early registration deadline is June 10, 2014. The cost is $380 – sibling and first time friend discounts apply. Transportation will be coordinated by the mission center and will be approximately $300 (transportation fees will combine if attending both IYF and SPEC). Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to gather with nearly 1000 youth from around North America!
DON’T FORGET!!!Silent Retreat, September 12-14, 2014, Sacred Heart Retreat Center, Sedalia, Colorado, guest ministry Dave and Carolyn Brock, retreat director Marlene Krueger, cost is $140 per person. Mark this date on your calendars. Registration Form available online at www.cofchristrm.org
Registration for Events: Please consider registering for summer events as soon as possible! It helps directors in their planning if they know numbers of people attending. Thank you!
WORLD CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
New process for Registered Children and Youth Worker applications is now in effect. To become a Registered Children and Youth Worker, your application must be received by Legal Services at least two weeks before applicant proposes to begin working with children and youth. Processing cannot be guaranteed outside this timeframe. An applicant is not a Registered Children and Youth Worker until Legal Services has authorized and confirmed them as such. Neither completion of training nor submission of an application guarantees registration. Legal Services looks forward to working alongside you on this. For more information, contact Karen Waring, executive assistant to general counsel.
Plan to attend 21st annual Peace Colloquy October 24–26 on the theme, “Poverty: God Weeps.” The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. (CDT) Friday with the Community of Christ International Peace Award ceremony at the Temple in Independence, Missouri. Throughout the weekend we will explore many vital issues we need to understand to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering throughout the world. We will learn about root causes of poverty, poverty traps, and how our best intents may hurt rather than heal. Come learn how Community of Christ ministries and strategic partnerships can lead to approaches that work and are sustainable. The Colloquy will include programming for adults, junior and senior high students, and children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Learn more at www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy.
OTHER ITEMS:
10 Minute News: For more information from the World Church please go to
www.cofchrist.org/news/10min. The 10 Minutes News Report can be subscribed to electronically (see the side bar at the website titled E-Subscriptions.)