Season 4, Episode 2 Our young people have been through a lot of compound grief in the last several years. Between school shootings and other forms of mass gun violence, racial injustice, and the ever-growing climate crisis, the youth in our communities are feeling the stresses of our society on top of a global pandemic that has … Continue reading Navigating Grief in Children and Youth Ministry
2022 Pentecost Offering: Turning Struggle into Steadfastness
Stories of struggle are nothing new to the church. From the persecution faced by early Christians to civil rights movements led by faith leaders, the church has found its strength in times of unrest. The COVID-19 pandemic is yet another chapter in this long history, both nothing unique and yet entirely different. Through it all, … Continue reading 2022 Pentecost Offering: Turning Struggle into Steadfastness
There is a Balm in Chicago
Rebecca Anderson grew up Evangelical, but as a young adult, she didn’t consider herself a religious person. That didn’t mean she didn’t dip her toes in the waters of different communities of faith. And then she attended a local church in Boston at the suggestion of a fellow non-religious friend, which changed her life. In … Continue reading There is a Balm in Chicago
2022 Pentecost Offering: Turning Struggle into Steadfastness
Stories of struggle are nothing new to the church. From the persecution faced by early Christians to civil rights movements led by faith leaders, the church has found its strength in times of unrest. The COVID-19 pandemic is yet another chapter in this long history, both nothing unique and yet entirely different. Through it all, … Continue reading 2022 Pentecost Offering: Turning Struggle into Steadfastness
Trauma-informed Church in Pandemic Recovery
Season 4, Episode 1 These past few years have been very strenuous for our whole community. With issues on top of the pandemic such as police violence, the threat of war, and other collective traumatic experiences, the need to not only understand how trauma affects an individual's spirit but how to walk alongside those who are experiencing … Continue reading Trauma-informed Church in Pandemic Recovery
Your Pentecost Offering Gifts Boost Ministry to Folks in Springfield, MO
The Connecting Grounds (TCG) has always been a Disciples congregation, it just didn’t know it. That’s what Christie Love’s good friend, a Disciples of Christ pastor, told her when she called in the middle of June 2020. TCG’s landlord had just informed the new Springfield, MO, congregation that it must move or end its ministry doing … Continue reading Your Pentecost Offering Gifts Boost Ministry to Folks in Springfield, MO
How the church can respond to sexual assault
A condensed version of this post appeared in the April issue of the New Church Know-It-All. “Every 68 seconds an American is Sexually Assaulted,” according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The Canadian Women’s Foundation reports that sexual assault occurs at a rate of 22 incidents per 1,000 people aged 15 and … Continue reading How the church can respond to sexual assault
Leaders’ Retreat 2022
Picture this: you and a small group of other pastors gather on a lakeshore in the spring. Over the course of a weekend, you hike on walking trails and paddle in a canoe or kayak, all while cultivating leadership skills, self-awareness, and spiritual development. Leading a community of faith is challenging; why not have a … Continue reading Leaders’ Retreat 2022
Terrell McTyer’s farewell party
Join us to say goodbye to our Minister of New Church Strategies, Pastor Terrell L. McTyer! Visit the New Church Ministry Facebook page to watch a live send-off filled with tributes and speakers from across the denomination. If Terrell has made an impact on the life of your faith community (and we're sure he has), … Continue reading Terrell McTyer’s farewell party
Jose Martinez announced as transitional NCM leader
Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF), which oversees New Church Ministry (NCM) on behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), announces a transitional leader for the NCM Team. Jose Martinez, Associate Minister of New Church Strategies, will join outgoing Minister of New Church Strategies Terrell McTyer in overlapping leadership until the end of January, when … Continue reading Jose Martinez announced as transitional NCM leader