Another Spirit-filled Regional Gathering is in the books! Find recordings of the worship service and the plenary session here, as well as PDFs of useful information.

Mid-Year Youth Retreats

Youth retreats are just around the corner! Registration is open! The early bird deadline is Dec. 1. The Chi Rho and CYF retreats will be held at the same time again this year. For more information and to register.

Michael Carlson was installed as the settled pastor of Central Christian Church in Marshalltown, IA.

Dennis McKee retired and received the Honored Minister's Pin on Oct. 27.

Don Naftz, pastor at Bloomfield Christian Church, Bloomfield, IA, was sworn in as police chaplain.

Praying Together

Join with Associate Regional Minister Andrea Brownlee for fifteen minutes of prayer on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 9:30 am via YouTube or Facebook. A recording of the prayer time will be available on regional YouTube and Facebook pages.

Thanksgiving Special Offering

Nov 16 & 23

The Thanksgiving Offering benefits the Colleges, Universities, Seminaries, and Divinity Houses affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Higher education has been an important focus for Disciples since the very beginning of the movement. Your gift to the Thanksgiving Offering helps support the education of thousands of students at our fifteen colleges and universities as well as our seven seminaries and divinity houses. For more information and resources.

Christmas Special Offering

Dec 14 & 21 

All gifts made through the Christmas special offering stay here in the Upper Midwest, supporting the many ministries of the region, including supporting congregations in transition. Find graphics, the bulletin insert, and PowerPoint slides here. The Christmas Offering video will also be available here at a later date.

Regional Board Recap

The Regional Board met on Oct. 23. The board approved the following:

• Liz Woodward as head of staff during Josh’s sabbatical
• Housing allowances
• Older Adult grant for First Church United, West Liberty, IA for hearing assist technology

Advent Devotional

Grounded in Grace offers a profound invitation spanning the four weeks of Advent to discover stability, connection, and purpose amidst life's complexities. This Advent journey is designed to help you find grounding in what matters most: your tie to God and one another through Christ. Purchase the devotional here.

Our Visible Homage: An Embodied Love for Jesus

DHM Advent Resource

Disciples Home Missions has made their Advent resource available. It includes calls to worship, reflections, meditations, and more. Find it here.

Christmas Concert - Sara Groves

Sara Groves, a Christian singer-songwriter, will be bringing her Christmas concert to West Des Moines Christian Church, West Des Moines, IA on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7p. She will be performing songs from her Christmas albums O Holy Night and Joy of Every Longing Heart. Purchase tickets here.

Restore & Renew: The Campbell Papers Project

The project aims to preserve, relocate, and eventually digitize the Alexander Campbell Papers and Library, currently at Bethany College, to the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. The Capital Campaign will fund a dedicated library to house the Campbell Collection, ensuring its protection. For more information and to make a gift.

This is a peaceful gathering. The moderators reserve the right to remove anyone who is deemed disruptive to the peaceful gathering.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87558728717...

Youth Leadership Symposium

Youth Leadership Symposium (YLS) is a six-month program that prepares youth to lead in local congregations and supports them in designing and implementing their own project for their home Church. This is not a leadership team, but rather a leadership lab where High School age youth can explore their gifts. This programs imagines 1 youth and 1 adult participant from a congregation. There is no fee. For more information.

General Board Recap

Joshua Patty participated in the online meeting of our denomination’s General Board October 31 and November 1. This meeting begins a new cycle of members with 6-year terms, with classes beginning every 3 years.  Some official actions were taken, including updates to the Board’s standing rules and updates of the General Commission on Ministry’s standing rules, which must be approved by the General Board. There also was significant conversation imagining how General Assembly will take shape on an annual basis and what additional things our General Board can do meeting twice each year, instead of only once.

Children Worship & Wonder Survey

In an endeavor to support ministries that have in some way been involved with Children Worship & Wonder, Godly Play, Worship & Wonder, or a storytelling ministry of that nature, or would like to start one, the Director has put together a survey for individuals and congregations to help gather information. Find the survey and more information about Children Worship & Wonder here.

Social Media Workshop

Communicators Forum

Join this online workshop to gain valuable information on social media platforms and deepen your understanding of content and analytics to strengthen your church or ministry's online presence. The workshop is on Nov. 19 at 1p central. Register here.

Active Shooter Webinar Recording

Insurance Board

The Insurance Board has made the recording of their Active Shooter Webinar available. Find it here.

Disciples Church Extension Fund

DCEF is currently offering a new investment rate of 3.75% for 48 months with a minimum of $100 in new money investment. Contact our Building and Capital Services Advisor, Jim Michel (jmichel@disciplescef.org) or click here for more information.

Preparing Your Church for Winter

As the weather gets colder, it's time to prepare our church buildings for winter. Disciples Church Extension Fund shares these tips:

• Service and maintain your heat source
• Protect pipes from freezing
• Repair or replace inefficient doors and windows
• Seal any cracks in the attic
• Keep water moving off the roof
• Prune bushes and shrubs
• Mark parking and walk way edges for damage-free snow clearing.

Need assistance? Contact Rev. Rosario Ibarra.