The Wind and Waves. MEET the GMP Nominee CALENDAR. Newsletter of The Coastal Plains Area. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest

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1 The Wind and Waves Newsletter of The Coastal Plains Area MARCH, 2017 Vol. 15, Issue 3 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest cpa@cpadisciples.org Memorial Drive Houston, Texas CPA EXECUTIVEE COMMITTEE Mr. Andy Brink, Moderator Rev. Dr. Michael Dunn, M-Elect Rev. Scott Miller, Treasurer Rev. Elizabeth Grasham, Secretary CALENDAR MARCH 3-4 CCSW DWM Leadership 14 MPT Reports Due 18 DCCI Board 21 Execs & MPT Meeting 25 LIFE HACKS Event 26 Rev. Danielle Cox Installation APRIL 8 BBA Area Assembly 11 MPT Reports Due (Annual) 18 Execs & MPT Meeting 22 DCCI Workday 25 News Deadline MAY 1 Final Deadline, All Camps 7 Area Assembly & Annual Council Meeting 20 DCCI Board We are Disciples of Christ, A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord s Table as God as welcomed us. Disciples of Christ Statement of Identity MEET the GMP Nominee The General Board voted to forward the name of Rev. Teresa (Terri) Hord Owens to the 2017 General Assembly as the nominee for General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). A Disciple since young adulthood, Hord Owens is currently dean of students at the University of Chicago Divinity School and pastor of First Christian Church of Downers Grove, IL. Search Committee Chair Jackie Bunch reviewed the process for the General Board before the members of the board had the opportunity to meet Hord Owens in small groups and in the plenary. Of more than 40 people recommended last summer, nine were screened in accordance with the executive search process. Four were then interviewed in person in October by the search committee. Just prior to the General Board meeting, three candidates were interviewed by the Administrative Committee to determine which candidate to recommend to the board. Rev. Teresa Terri Hord Owens Rev. Owens is widely sought after as a preacher, speaker and workshop facilitator. Her ministry and intellectual interests include a theology of reconciliation, cultural intelligence, developing inclusive and multi-cultural congregations, and the mentoring of youth and young adults. She is married to Walter Owens, Jr., with whom she will soon celebrate 30 years of marriage. They are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens, III. Rev. Dr. Zena McAdams has been called to serve as the Interim Regional Minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest. Zena s history in congregational ministry, experience in regional ministry, and current involvement within the Southwest Region make her uniquely and expertly qualified for the position of Interim Regional Minister Zena believes that the work of regional ministry requires a ministry of presence that becomes more possible through use of technology and good communication. Her administrative skills will help with organizational needs within the regional office as we prepare to welcome the new Regional Minister. Her familiarity with the Southwest Region will provide continuity while also allowing Zena to view the priorities of the Region with a discerning eye. Zena's first day in the office will be March 1. MARCH, 2017 CPADISCIPLES.ORG 1 cpa@cpadisciples.org

2 by Rev. Peggy Edge I write to you while still basking in the afterglow of attending an inspirational Ministers Week in Fort Worth. Judy Dalton, David Finklea, Beth Graham, and Caroline Allen will surely agree that the lectures and sermons on God s creation invite us all to live more responsively as stewards of our dwelling place. As one speaker said, the room is climate, and we are the elephants. This week long program for continued education, networking fellowship with colleagues, and dynamic worship have once again renewed my soul for ministry! Now for the good news! Rev. Dr. Zena McAdams has been named the Interim Regional Minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest Region. Zena is no stranger to us. You may have gotten to know her when she served as Associate Minister of Memorial Drive Christian Church during the 80 s. She may have directed a summer camp that you attended either as a counselor or camper. I know Zena to be a spiritual, pastor who leads with integrity and speaks with great candor. We will be blessed to have her at the helm of the Southwest Region while the Search Committee continues to work towards calling a settled Regional Minister. After more than a decade of discerning how to best serve the congregations and clergy of the Southwest Region, the Regional Council has a Structure Dialogue Group evaluating our next steps of action. Some of the Areas of the Region have struggled to remain financially viable. For example, the Northeast Area Office closed down last fall for lack of funding. While a NEA task force is in place this year to decide whether this is a permanent change. Meanwhile, the Region is tending to NEA business matters. The Structure Dialogue Group has a tremendous opportunity to lead the Region towards a healthier practice of ministry. CPA Moderator, Andy Brink, along with moderators from each of the other Areas and the Region s Executive Committee, make us this Structure Dialogue Group. We lift them in prayer. There is more good news! As of Sunday night, the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has named Teresa Terri Hord Owens as the nominee to be the next General Minister and President of the denomination. You can read more about her in news releases and on the General Church website, But Rev. Danielle Cox, minister of FCC, Texas City, would want you to know that she did her internship with Terri s congregation while Danielle attended University of Chicago Divinity School. In fact, Terri preached the sermon at Danielle s ordination service last May at FCC, Houston. Plan to attend the General Assembly in Indianapolis this summer when we Terri will be elected and installed to lead our denomination as God continues to call us to be a movement for wholeness in the midst of a broken and fragmented world. Meanwhile, the programs and ministries of the Coastal Plains Area are in good hands! Look within this newsletter or visit the CPA website at to hear about the upcoming Congregational Vitality event, Life Hacks: Practical Tools for Your Faith and Ministry. And the promotional and registration information is ready for our Summer Camping program at Disciple Oaks Camp and Retreat Center near Gonzales. With Ash Wednesday we begin again the season of Lent, a time of returning or turning around again and again to live as God invites us to be faithful disciples of the one we follow, Jesus Christ. Maybe this is truly the time for resolutions that matter. May God bless us all in the journey! Grace and peace, Peggy MARCH, 2013 what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 The Wind and Waves 2 cpa@cpadisciples.org

3 Disciples Men Bob Simons, Disciple Men Coordinator I am pleased to report that the BBA/CPA Men s retreat in Gonzales was very successful. The attendance of 50 men was the largest group that I remember and was evenly divided between the Areas. A few items to note: Friday Dinner provided by Tom Evans and the men of The Woodlands CC tasty smoked pork ribs, baked sweet potatoes and salad Keynote Message Rev. Bruce Frogge of Cypress Creek his analysis of millennials and how we must change our thinking and actions to connect with them was outstanding Music Team Rev. Michael Townsend (TWCC) on bass and vocals, Darrell Olges (FCC Beaumont) on keyboards and Don Carey (TWCC) on guitar played like they worked together every Sunday Hospitality and Food Scott Miller and the Disciple Oaks staff had the camp in top shape and served us a breakfast and lunch tasty man food (with fruit and salad bar) During the CPA men s Area Meeting we nominated and elected the Layman and Minister of the year. These individuals have shown leadership and commitment to the success of men s mission in our area. Minister of the Year Rev. Bruce Frogge, Cypress Creek CC Layman of the Year Marty Graham, FCC Beaumont The weather as good as it gets for February. I give thanks to God for blessing our time together. of Future Events General Assembly, Indianapolis, July 8-12 CCSW Men s Regional Retreat, September 15 17, 2017 Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat Keynote speakers, Rev. Brian Feille and Rev. Jimmy Cobb CPA DM Team Tom Evans, The Woodlands CC, past CPA DM Coordinator Marty Graham, FCC Beaumont Marshall Martin, Cypress Creek CC Houston

4 LIFE HACKS Practical Tools for Your Faith & Ministry A CPA Congregational Vitality Learning Event. See pg. 7 Saturday, March 25 Cypress Creek Christian Church Camp forms and information can be found on our website: Camp Scholarships may be available. To apply, please have your pastor call Marilyn at the Coastal Plains Area office at 713/ If you have questions about registration, you may call the Coastal Plains Area office: 713/ Children & Youth by Rev. Beth Graham, Chair Things are humming along with the Children and Youth ministry team. We had a successful Directors Training on Feb. 4 th at Gonzales. Camp flyers, brochure, and registration forms have been sent out electronically and you should be receiving snail mail versions of the flyers soon. If you would like to volunteer to be a small group leader at anyone of our camps please me at pastorbethfccbmt@gmail.com. Family camp is canceled this year due to lack of leadership. We are reaching out to Athens to get ideas of how to make Family camp more successful. Area Youth is invited to the Congregational Vitality Workshop on March 25 th at Cypress Creek Christian church. Our focus will be on Mission. So join us for food, fun, and mission! God loves you and I do too! Rev. Beth Graham

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6 Please see the thank you letter below from Filiberto Periera of SW Good Samaritan Ministries. The salutation is so very important as it is addressed to 'the Partners in Christ of the CPA." Thank you very much to the many congregations who help make this vital ministry a success. Sincerely - Your Partner in Christ, Rev. Peggy Trott, Chair, Missions & Outreach February 14, 2017 Coastal Plains Area Disciples of Christ Attn: Rev. Peggy Trott Memorial Drive Houston TX To our dear Partners in Christ of the Coastal Plains Area. You were on my mind and in my morning prayers today, as persons for whom I am so grateful. If you are like me, you begin each day with thanks for the opportunities ahead and the capacities God offers for fulfilling God s dreams as our own. Our team here celebrates your continuing involvement in that with the latest shipment of 6,250 pounds of beans and 45,000 pounds of rice. WOW! Year after year you have been such generous spirits for the poorest-of-the-poor here in the Rio Grande Valley. We cannot thank you enough. I really appreciated the report in the February Wind and Waves about the one body of Christ focus in planning the future of the church. It fits right into our denomination s Mission First initiative. You demonstrate both in beautiful ways with all of the CPA outreach efforts. We so appreciate that you make us a part of that. We do all we can with what gifts God brings to us. Rest assured that we are committed to being good stewards of those resources. In appreciation and Christian love, F. Feliberto Pereira Director

7 Do you desire a deeper and stronger faith? Do you dream about your ministry becoming more vibrant and effective? If so - this is the event for you! You're invited to join us for a day of sharing, growing, and learning. At Life Hacks, you will be enriched through multiple opportunities to develop and discuss practical tools for living out your faith and leading your ministry. You will be invited to learn about and utilize the strengths and experiences of other leaders. This will truly be an event where everyone will walk away with easy to implement techniques and ideas for improving their ability to be faithful to God's calling on their lives. All are invited - church leaders and church members. There will be something for everyone - even youth! Check out our event website: lifehacks.church! Successful Workday at Disciple Oaks We had a very successful workday at Disciple Oaks Camp & Retreat in Gonzales this past Saturday, February 25 th. We had six churches from the Bluebonnet and Coastal Plains Areas represented with a total of seventeen volunteers working. The group broke into three teams. One began clearing brush along the pond as you enter the campground. Another continued clearing brush between the Director s House and the RV Sites. The last group finished organizing the Mission South Craft Closet, which Chi Rho Camp started last year when they throw-out all the old and broken items during camp. The two areas of brush clearing continue to make the camp look great. We get many comments on the appearance of the grounds. You can now find the items you are looking for in the Craft Closet without having to dig. One thing that group found is that we do not need any more clothes pins as there is a large tote filled of them. If you missed out on this workday mark your calendars for our next one on Saturday, April 22 nd. If you have a conflict and you would like to bring a group up at another time to work on a project, please let me know. We had three volunteers from Round Rock Christian Church come up during the week and painted our kitchen area getting us ready for our summer state inspection. There are always projects that need to be done at camp. I would like to thank all of those that gave of their time this past week here at Disciple Oaks your campground. It takes many hands to keep our grounds and buildings in top condition. Look forward seeing you at camp. Rev. Scott Miller, Camp Director MAY 7 AREA ASSEMBLY and council meeting Cypress Creek Coastal Plains Area Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest cpa@cpadisciples.org visit our website: cpadisciples.org