'ChristiaNet'

Monthly Global News and Information for members and friends of the
Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ family of churches around the world from 'World Convention’

Number 39 – July 2006

To contact us, or discontinue, write only to worldconv@aol.com  ChristiaNet uses a send-only address. Clint Holloway, Editor

 

Course in Disciples History Offered By Disciples Seminary Foundation

The Disciples Seminary Foundation (DSF) will offer a seminary-level, on-line course in Disciples history and polity this fall. The course is designed to meet the needs of seminarians attending non-Disciples seminaries or licensed and commissioned ministers who need to fulfill course requirements in this area. The course also is open to lay leaders in the Church who are seeking a comprehensive background in Disciples history. The class will be taught by Rod Parrott, former dean of the DSF, and will be offered in partnership with San Francisco Theological Seminary. Interested persons are encouraged and invited to direct all inquiries to info@dsf.edu or call the DSF office at 909-624-0712. For more information about the Disciples Seminary Foundation, visit their website at: www.dsf.edu

 

Great Lakes Christian College (Lansing, MI) will soon begin classes in its new academic program targeted to African-American church leaders. Great Lakes partnered with the Institute for Black Family Development (Detroit, MI) to develop the coursework, which will lead to an Associate of Arts in Family Life Education. The college writes, “This program will be structured and delivered to target the needs of church leaders who must manage multiple responsibilities to their families, their occupations, their communities, and their churches. . . . Great Lakes Christian College is excited about this opportunity to extend our mission to serve a segment of the population not currently served adequately by the College or any other institution.” Visit Great Lakes at www.glcc.edu

 

Standard Publishing Sold

Mark Taylor, Editor of the Christian Standard reported in their July 9 eNewsletter that The Wickes Group of Companies L.L.C., a New York-based private equity firm has acquired the Standard Publishing business from parent company, Standex International. The company will now be known as Standard Publishing Group LLC. Matthew Thibeau has joined the company as CEO having formerly served as president of Harcort Religion Publishers. “There’s something special about faith-based publishing,” Thibeau told Standard employees after praying for God’s guidance for the future of the company. “I’m here because I love publishing, and my faith is incredibly important to me. This is the intersection of the personal and professional in my life.” He told employees their challenge was to work together to discover how to bring the good news of Jesus to a larger world. In a prepared release, Thibeau said, “We will continue to produce the highest quality products for our customers in church markets while also developing new titles and products for additional areas we believe are poised for growth. We are truly excited by this opportunity.” Daniel Kortick, managing partner of the Wicks Group, said, “We believe there are positive growth trends in the niches in which Standard publishes.”

 

Seven Ordained to the Christian Ministry

Hisportic Christian Mission, a U.S. based mission supporting Portuguese speaking peoples, reports that seven individuals were recently ordained to the Christian ministry at the Moriah Christian Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. The seven were: Joao Altino, Felipe de Silva, Rodrigo Oliveira, Rick and Beth Corcoran, Adele Belfsky, and Andre de Silva. All seven of these individuals are now in active ministry.  See the website for Hisportic Christian Mission at http://www.hcm.org/about.shtml

 

Mission Connect: Romania Jerry and Mary Sweitzer of Shelbyville, Kentucky recently led two focused mission trips to Romania. Team #1 consisted of eight preachers and their wives who held the first Preacher Training Conference for 24 ministers and their wives for 4 days in Surduc, Romania. Team #2 consisted of 14 medical personnel –doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and registrars who set up day clinics in 8 villages and treated and gave medications and Romanian Bibles to 748 rural villagers. Mission Connect sponsors new church plants, evangelists, medical, agricultural and educational projects in four parts of Romania. Contact the Sweitzers at  jerrysweitzer@shelbyonline.net

 

News Briefs:

Lynn McMillon, president and CEO of The Christian Chronicle, has assumed the additional role of editor, succeeding Bailey McBride, who retired June 1 after ten years as Editor. McMillon’s appointment follows a recent meeting of the newspaper’s national board of trustees, who set Chronicle policies. See the online version of the monthly newspaper magazine at www.chrisitanchronicle.org. 

 

Alvin O’Neal Jackson, a speaker at the 15^th World Convention in Brisbane, Australia, has been called as Senior Minister of the historic Park Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Park Avenue in New York City.

 

Salvador Cariaga, M.D., 37, has been called as the second president of Sunrise Christian College in Butuan City, Philippines. The inauguration of Dr. Cariaga, who has served on medical missions to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, as well as his native Philippines, will take place on July 21 with Dr. Mike O’Neal, president of Oklahoma Christian University in the United States, as guest speaker.

 

The Stone-Campbell Dialogue recently met in Nashville for their annual discussion group. The outcome of this year’s dialogue was a statement of affirmations concerning the Bible and its interpretation. Representatives from Church of Christ, Christian Churches and Disciples took part in the Dialogue. The event was kicked-off by a worship service in which the World Convention staff all played significant roles. To view a press release go to: www.disciples.org.dns.Releases2006/0672.pdf (in Adobe PDF) 

 

Mark and Sara Maxwell, a primary school –age brother and sister pair from California have set as summer project to collect postcards from all over the world, from as many countries as possible. If you would like to join in sending a picture postcard greeting from the area where you live address your postcard to: Mark and Sara Maxwell, 318 Daytona Drive, Goleta, CA 93117, USA.        

 

Emmanuel School of Religion Press announces the publication of a new volume of Easter sermons and an introductory essay on “Proclaiming the Resurrection” by Myron Taylor. The book, “Proclaiming the Risen Lord,” can be order by sending $17.50 (U.S. postage included) to Emmanuel School of Religion, Taylor Book Order, One Walker Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601. 

 

Prayer Focus

July 30 has been set aside as a National Day of Prayer by the Overseas Mission Board of the Australian Churches of Christ. This day is being set aside as a special day of prayer and praise in celebration of God’s goodness.

 

Coming Events:

19^th Biennial Session of the National Convocation Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be held in Dearborn, Michigan July 28, August 1, 2006. Guest speaker for this event will be U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. of Michigan. The theme is “Reclaiming Prophetic Ministry: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”  For more information and upcoming events see www.disciples.org/convo/index.htm 

 

8^th Annual Pan European Lectureship will be held in Brussels, Belgium August 1-5, 2006. The theme for the lectureship will be taken from 1Timothy 4:16, “How to Save Yourself and Other.” For more information go to www.lectureship.org

 

August 9-12, 2006 is the date for the 14^th Biennial Convocation of the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be held in San Francisco, California. See www.napad.net for information. The theme is “Reconciled in Christ: to serve, to give to love” taken from 2 Corinthians 5:18.

Joe and Nancy Stalcup Seminar for Local Church Historians will be held at the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Nashville, Tennessee September 14-16, 2006. The theme of this year’s seminar is “Using Information Technology to Preserve Your Congregation’s History.” Further information can be obtained by writing Sara Harwell at mail@discipleshistory.org or visiting www.discipleshistory.org

 

The National Missionary Convention will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana November 16-19, 2006 under the theme of “Neighbors and Nations - Every One, Every Place, Every Moment.” Information and registration can be found online at www.nmc-windows.org      

 

World Convention seeks to build up fellowship, understanding and common purpose within the Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ family of churches, now serving and witnessing as part of Christ's church in no less than 178 countries.

SHARE YOUR NEWS BY MAILING OR EMAILING TO WORLD CONVENTION

17^th World Convention

“Together in Christ”

NASHVILLE

July 30 – August 3, 2008