An updated report on one of our mission efforts in Haiti can be found here: House of Hope I and II, Haiti.  The Regional Minister remembers well this vital work from his pilgrimage to Haiti this past winter.  Remember, our work there through our Global Ministries partners is made possible by your congregation’s generous support of Disciples Mission Fund.

As ChiRho, Junior, and Kids Camps come to a close tomorrow, a sneak review of our week is available on our Flick’r group.  You can view and download them from here.

It’s been a great week with some wonderful campers.  Hope you enjoy the memories of our time together!

From the Regional Minister:

Last evening, Bill Barger, retired pastor of the McMechen, WV congregation passed away.

There will be viewing on Monday evening at the Altmeyer Funeral Home in McMechen from 6 to 9. On Tuesday at 11:00 am his service will be held. Rodney Hubbs, current pastor of the McMechen congregation will be the celebrant.

Bill was a licensed minister of the church. He will be remembered for his wit and for his love of all people (especially those who saw the world very differently than he did.) He was marked by kindness and a sense of God’s peace. He was gentle, and now he is at peace.

Remember the faithful, his family and all the departed in your prayers. He will be missed.

Thaddaeus

For the next three days, three of our regional personalities will be in conference in Indianapolis, IN. Jennifer Allen, Kevin Snow and Lindsey Watts will be leading and participating in the Youth Ministry Backpack Workshop sponsored by the General Youth Commission of Home Missions and funded by the Oreon E. Scott Foundation.

Jennifer Allen is the convener of this important ministry of our general church and wrote the successful competitive grant for this event. She is also one of the principal writers of the backpack (a resource that can be found on our website wvdisciples.org). Kevin Snow of Vinson Memorial and currently in Kansas City, MO is a commissioner and will direct CYF Conference at Bethany College next week. Lindsey Watts of Madison Avenue received a full scholarship to be a participant in this “space limited” event.

Please remeber these three and the whole event in your prayers as they lead the church forward in our ministry to and with youth.

Friday before camp, June 12, 2009

We are entering, quickly, a most holy season in the life of the church. It is church camp and CYF Conference time!   These are important days for our ministry of Christian formation to and with those whom we hold as infants and bless and promise to grow them in the faith we know in Christ Jesus. Camp is a continuation of (and never separate from) our congreagational education programs and youth ministry.

Camp is not simply a week of fun, but it is a week where the faith is shared, explored, deepened and the beloved community of God is made known.  It is in the camp and conference community that a safe place is found. 

Nearly two-hundred of our members will be camping over the next two weeks.  While there we will come to know God and our place in God’s world more fully. Some will sense a call to ministry here. Grace will be found anew. Scripture and church teaching will be engaged. We will laugh and we will pray.

Please remember the camps, the directors and staff, and the whole church in your prayers during these holy days. Also, please pause during worship and commission your campers and counselors with prayer before they head out. We will be praying for you as well.

In Christ,

         Thaddaeus

The deadline is nearly upon us for the 2009 Camps and Conference season.  We hope you’ll visit our Camp info page and downloaded needed forms, which need to be mailed (or faxed: 304-428-1684) to us by Monday, June 8.  Those who fax the forms to beat the deadline should still mail them immediately (with payment, please) to the Regional Office.  We hope the young people of your congregation enjoy a wonderful time of life and growth with friends from around the region.

By Friday, each of the region’s congregations and those who attended last year’s Disciples Women’s Spiritual Life Retreat should receive registration forms for the 2009 gathering at Cedar Lakes, Sept. 11-13.  If you want a sneak peak at the event, or to download a registration form or additional promotional materials, just visit our retreat page.  We know this gathering will be a key moment in the life of our Regional Church.  Questions?  Contact Mary Uhl or David Chafin, or call the Regional Center: 304-428-1681.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Lanette Gilbert as the 2009 Tad Fitzsimmons Youth Ministry Intern.  Lanette is a member and the youth leader of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Moundsville.  She also teaches the 5-7th Grade Class in Sunday School.  This will be her fourth year in being a camp counselor.  

Lanette is a second-year Criminal Justice major at West Liberty University.  “I am still unsure of what I want to do after college, but seminary is definitely an option,” she says.  “God is a big part of my life, and some of my best memories have been at church and at camp.  I am so happy that I get to watch these children grow and experience Christ at camp.  I am excited to work with them yet again this summer and help them (and myself as well) grow closer to God.”

The internship, which centers around the June regional camps and conference, was established to enable young persons to grow in their vocational exploration, in a position of guided leadership of youth ministry, and to encourage them through a modest stipend.  The Regional Church looks forward each year to this life-giving new relationship.

This is from the United Church News Blog:

Gracious God, on this Memorial Day weekend, we remember and give thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of our country. When the need was greatest, they stepped forward and did their duty to defend the freedoms that we enjoy, and to win the same for others. O God, you yourself have taught us that no love is greater than that which gives itself for another. These honored dead gave the most precious gift they had, life itself, for loved ones and neighbors, for comrades and country – and for us. Help us to honor their memory by caring for the family members they have left behind, by ensuring that their wounded comrades are properly cared for, by being watchful caretakers of the freedoms for which they gave their lives, and by demanding that no other young men and women follow them to a soldier’s grave unless the reason is worthy and the cause is just. Holy One, help us to remember that freedom is not free. There are times when its cost is, indeed, dear. Never let us forget those who paid so terrible a price to ensure that freedom would be our legacy. Though their names may fade with the passing of generations, may we never forget what they have done. Help us to be worthy of their sacrifice, O God, help us to be worthy.  Amen.    

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Most of the Region’s Reconciliation Team, which works toward the missional imperative of becoming an anti-racist, pro-reconciling church, was gathered with other regions’ leaders at the annual assembly of the Northeast Inter-Regional Fellowship (NIRF) at Ohio’s Camp Christian earlier this week.  The assembly, which was led by the Rev. April Johnson, Disciples’ Minister of Reconciliation, allowed the 7 regions’ teams to share in an exploration of the challenges and opportunities we face in bringing God’s justice to life in our communities and world.

Much of our time was dedicated to spending time together in our teams to set priorities and begin establishing action plans for our next steps.  The key goals that we have begun work toward  include:

1. Enabling the team to have more effective, ongoing contact and growth together.  Toward this end, we have set another meeting for this year, and have planned for conference calls and other electronic communications on a frequent basis.
2. Raising awareness of our pro-reconciling initiatives in all dimensions and constituencies of the Regional Church.  For instance, Rev. Johnson will be joining us at the Regional Assembly in April, 2010, for workshops and other consultation.  We will be working with our Regional Board and its departments and commissions to educate and advocate for reconciliation.
3. Engaging the congregations and clergy of the region in an examination of our local settings and the entry points for reconciling work.  We will be working with our youth at camps, with pastors (especially around baptism discussions in Pastor’s Classes), and others who will be preparing the way for God’s loving reign of justice and peace to be made known in our world.

Congregations and pastors should expect to see some significant conversations develop that we believe will do much to overcome the many kinds of divisions that bring harm to persons, congregations and wider communities – including racism, sexism, classism, and other “isms” that stand in the way of the gospel being fully known in our world.

It is the hope of the team that the conversations begun in this effort will expand for the sake of God’s glory.  Watch for more of this good news to come!

The youth of the New Martinsville First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be hosting a Strawberry Festival this Saturday, May 23, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.  An array of lunch items, and strawberry desserts will be available for purchase.  The monies raised are to fund this summer’s mission trip.

Whole strawberry pies and strawberry cheesecakes can be ordered in advance.  Just email the Pastor, Bob Brooks.

News from Bethany College and  Disciples Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM):

BETHANY, W.Va. —Bethany Professor of Psychology John H. Hull is the 2009 recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award for Faculty Excellence, given by the Board of Directors of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

“Dr. Hull embodies precisely the qualities listed in the criteria for this award. His passion and his accomplishments as a teacher, scholar and mentor to his students, and his commitment to faith and service to his fellow women and men, stand out as primary reasons for his achieving this honor,” stated Darin E. Fields, Bethany College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “John Hull is unquestionably one of the finest professors at Bethany College.  He serves as an unsurpassed example to his students and colleagues of a life of continuing education and service.”

The 26th recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award, Hull was selected by the HELM Board of Directors for his keen ability to inspire students toward excellence through teaching and personal example, his demonstration of an educational philosophy that focuses on wholeness of person, his continued commitment to grow and learn within his academic discipline and his manifestation of a personal faith. Hull joined the Bethany College faculty in 1976.

An engraved plaque will be presented during a public ceremony at Bethany in the 2009-2010 academic year. The award also includes a $1,000 cash gift for the purpose of Hull’s continued growth as a teacher and scholar.

The T. A. Abbott Award was established through a gift to the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries from the descendants of the Reverend T. A. Abbott, who served as an administrator and faculty member at Culver-Stockton College. Nominees must be full-time teaching faculty at Disciples-related institutions of higher education. Hull is the third member of the Bethany College faculty to be honored with the award.

Bethany College is a small college of national distinction located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.

With a few delays behind us, 2009 Camps and Conference materials are now available online.  We have extended registration deadlines to June 8.

Congregations may download the promotional flyer and a memo from the Regional Minister.  Adult registrants must use the Adult Registration form and the Background Check Release.

Individuals should click here to download the Youth Registration Form  (all camps).  A memo for each camp has been prepared by the Regional Minister to help each camper:  Kid’s Camp (June 17-19);  Junior & ChiRho Camp (June 14-19); CYF Conference (June 21-27).

To view the Youth and Young Adult Page, with a list of these links, visit now.  If you need a paper copy of these documents mailed to you, email David now, or call our office right away (304-428-1681). 

Completed forms and payment must be mailed or faxed (304-428-1684) to the Regional Office by June 8:  1402 Washington Ave., Parkersburg, WV  26101.  Do not mail to the old P.O. box – it is no longer ours.

Hello Friends and Supporters of Haiti,

Kim and I would like to thank you for your continued support of CONASPEH and its mission. We would also like to thank you for your personal support of both of us while we are making our way on the island. As we continue to discover what it means to be a faithful missionary in a place like Haiti we are grateful for the love and support that all of you have freely given us.

I am writing this morning to request a moratorium. While I certainly oppose the death penalty and would love to see a moratorium on it, I am merely asking for a moratorium on sending packages to Haiti. In the past few months Kim and I have spent over $1000 receiving packages from the States. While we are appreciative of the commitment and efforts of individuals and faith communities in reaching out to CONASPEH, we can no longer afford to receive packages with school supplies, clothes, medical supplies, etc. When looking at the amount of money that we are spending just to receive packages and then considering how much all of you are already spending on shipping it becomes apparent that this is not an efficient way in which to help the people of Haiti. For example, if you spend $25 to ship a packages of school supplies Kim and I end up spending an additional $20 – 40 to receive such a package. This means we are often combining to spend $40-50 for a package which may only contain $20 worth of materials. This money could be better used for other CONASPEH projects and/or to buy such supplies in Haiti directly. We are asking that you refrain from sending packages in the future. If you would like to send funds to help CONASPEH purchase such supplies or other things CONASPEH would obviously be grateful for this support.

Thanks for your understanding and feel free to e-mail me with questions or concerns. Peace and happiness to you all.

Patrick Bentrott

The following was just posted to the Global Ministries website, as the official “newsletter” of Kim and Patrick Bentrott, our partners in Global Ministries in Haiti.  You can read it directly on the G. M. site, or better yet,  follow their blog  for much more detailed and enlightening information.

Beginning Our Work in Haiti

April 22, 2009

Last Sunday Kim and I journeyed to the large ocean side slum of Cite Soleil. Mother Teresa once called Cite Soleil, “the poorest two-miles on earth.” Needless to say, spending even a morning in this Port-au-Prince neighborhood was intense. CONASPEH has several hundred small community churches in Cite Soleil and I have been fortunate enough to preach at 3 of them in the past few weeks. However, this week’s visit to Cite Soleil was different than the previous two.

After church concluded, Kim and I stepped outside of the building and were immediately bombarded by children that wanted to hold our hands, touch our white skin, and simply be loved for a little while. The children were scantily dressed; most of them did not have shoes, several were without pants, and all of them were dirty and showing signs of malnutrition.

Pastor Timothy, whose church we attended, led us through the neighborhood to show us a school he started for the community. As we walked the smiling children clung to us while proudly telling us about their school. The kids managed to navigate us through piles of garbage, puddles of stagnant water, and various street vendors cooking and selling rice and fried plantains amidst the overwhelming filth. Finally, we reached our destination where the children took us by the hand up steep concrete stairs to the school. On the balcony of the school, we found a great view of Cite Soleil. The tin roofs of the tiny shanties spread out almost as far as I could see. Stray dogs, goats, and chickens casually meandered through the neighborhood; mothers washed clothes in large bowls of soapy water while their children played soccer in the street with plastic pop bottles. And yet, alongside the poverty and the repressive nature of Cite Soleil, the blue boundless ocean sat lining one of the edges of the massive slum. 

The paradox of the site was profound. For me, the ocean has always been the most spiritual and liberating manifestation of Being in the world. It functions to create a deep sense of connectedness to all life, while speaking to an unfathomable mystery that can never be fully articulated with words or religious dogma. Seeing this beautiful expression of interconnectivity and truth sitting amongst some of the most oppressive poverty in the world was moving. I internalized the paradox myself, feeling both a sense of utter separation from the everyday reality of the residents of Cite Soleil, and also a glimpse into that deeper reality of the shared experience of existence. I believe the obvious dissimilarities between my life circumstances and those found in Cite Soleil can be honored while still being attuned to the unifying force of life that binds us together.

In my opinion, one of the reasons that inhumane situations, such as that of Cite Soleil, continue to exist is because a sense of connectedness with others is absent for much of humanity.

This is perhaps even more true in the United States where our wealth, military power, and sense of cultural superiority has tended to breed a perceived sense of isolation from other forms of life, including people residing in different parts of the world. I’m not sure that Kim and I have a more important job during our time in Haiti than to foster and explore this mutual connection both with the Haitian people, as well as with our friends and family back home. If our collected consciousness is going to evolve into a more loving and compassionate way of being in the world that more fully reflects our divine nature, then we must began to explore the reality that connects us to other people and to the natural world. Eckhart Tolle writes, “True salvation is to know yourself as an inseparable part of the timeless and formless One Life from which all that exists derives its being.” Jesus once said, “Truly I tell you, what you do unto the least of these my brothers and sisters, you do unto me.” Let 2009 be a year where we explore our divine connection with the people of Haiti and everywhere else in the world.

Patrick and Kim Bentrott

Haiti

Patrick and Kimberly Bentrott are assigned to the National Spiritual Council of Churches in Haiti (CONASPEH). Patrick serves as advisor for theological education and diaconal projects and programs.  Kimberly serves as an advisor for health care and diaconal projects and programs.