Regional Happenings (Page 4)

Dear Disciples, Each year, the College of Regional Ministers submit to the General Board of our denomination an annual report summarizing the activities within our regions in a given year. The 2020 reports were starkly different from the 2019 reports, which glowed with financial improvements, strong vision, and congregational growth. 2020 had a different description. Surreal! But, as we read each report, we did not feel despair. We felt the hope of each Regional Minister and their congregations. Today, I wish to share with you the report for North Carolina (embedded below as well). I hope it encourages your heart to know how many times as a covenant of fellowship churches you made sweet lemonade from the sour moments of a surreal year. I am so proud of you, Christian Church in North Carolina, and I pray that you will remain hopeful for God’s abundant grace afforded to each one of you. Peace. Bishop Valerie J. Melvin, Regional Minister …

The Center for Faith and Giving is pleased to announce that our 2021 annual campaign resources are now available on our website. This year, these resources are unique in that we are creating them dynamically as the year progresses (so that they best reflect the moment we are in) and they are free. A simple link connects users to a registration using their email address (so that we can send them the materials as they update throughout the year) and to the current materials available. The site also has a forum so that users can ask questions, share their own ideas, and give us an on-going evaluation of the resources so we can adjust in real-time to the needs of congregations in your Region. The landing page (https://centerforfaithandgiving.org/created-to-be-a-steward/) contains an introduction and FAQs and the link to register for the materials. I have included artwork for you to use in your promotion of these resources. We hope to make it easy this year – with no work for your region to do, save to point people in our direction with a ready-made link (and no invoices to pay!). Contributors this year will include Linda Parker, Janet Long, Carol Devine, and Scott Hardin-Nieri – with some additional writers to be named later in the year. We are addressing stewardship as self-care, creation-care, resource management, and sharing the gospel. The materials necessary to run a financial campaign in these “Covid times” will be a part of the resource package. Yes, we do have an investment in the creation and delivery of these resources, and should your region wish to make a gift to the Center for Faith and Giving, we will gladly receive it! Such gifts make it possible for this ministry to provide quality stewardship materials for the whole church as we seek to create a culture of generosity that can sustain all of our good work. Going forward, we hope to provide annual campaign materials free of charge every year. With gratitude, Bruce Barkhauer Minister for Faith and Giving Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Box 1986 Indianapolis, IN 46206-1986 317-713-2404…