Mission Together

Ministry Resources and Ideas for Church Leaders

December | 2022

Musicians Host Series of Concerts

How can special music be utilized to reach your community?

What could your church do to welcome community members into your building during the Christmas season?

Musicians from West Des Moines Christian Church and First Christian Church of Keokuk have partnered together to host a series concerts this Advent season. The concerts are designed to allow listeners to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child again. The group is performing a total of 3 shows in West Des Moines, Keokuk, and Kansas. During the music set, original songs by Mark Ehrhardt, Luke Ehrhardt, and Brian Nixon are performed.

The group also performed selections from Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God". The congregation was invited to stand and sing a few traditional Christmas carols (with new arrangements) as well as hear the story of Christmas told through new songs.

Music is a wonderful way to tell our old, old story in a new way, and a great way to invite others to join us.

How could you partner with other churches to tell the Christmas story in a new way?

The Christmas Special Offering on behalf of our Upper Midwest region will be received Sundays, December 11 and 18.

Financial gifts help us as Disciples Together to resource congregations and ministers, host church camps and region-wide gatherings, and so much more.

The 2022 Christmas Special Offering video may be downloaded here or accessed through YouTube. Graphics and other resources are available here.

Hurricane Relief Update from Our Partners at Week of Compassion

Week of Compassion, the Disciples disaster response ministry, has published updates on their responses this hurricane season.

Though funds are raised for one specific week each year, hence the name "Week of Compassion", this ministry works all year long to provide a ministry presence in the most devastating of times. Week of Compassion works around the world to be the hands and feet of Jesus during natural disasters, war, famine, and any other human disaster that comes up.

If you would like to know more about Week of Compassion, or read their updates about hurricane season, click this link.

Regional Youth Ministry Reading Group

Beginning in January, a group of youth workers from around the region will be gathering virtually to learn together. We will be reading Andrew Root's "The End of Youth Ministry?" A monthly meeting time will be established once the group is formed. We will read 1-2 chapters a month and finish by the end of the school year. Email Tiff Williams to be included in the group and receive the Zoom link.

Who is a youth worker? Anyone, layperson or pastor, who works regularly with young people. (Sunday school, youth group, Christian Education chair, etc.) Please sign up by December 22nd to be included in the group.

Email Tiff Williams to be included in the study.

The All Congregational Gathering of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest was held Saturday, October 15th at Christian Conference Center in Newton, Iowa. This year's education offerings were offered in the style of TED Talks. 6 learning tracks themes were chosen and three talks were provided on each theme, making 18 talks total. Some sessions were pre-recorded, and some were presented live. All of the learning track talks will be available later this week on the region's YouTube channel.

Among the many education offerings that were presented, two tracks were especially geared toward hands on ministry: the Missions track and the Ministry Sharing track. We hope you'll watch the recordings, and if possible, share them in your congregations. Subscribe now to our YouTube channel so that you don't miss the videos when they premiere in a few days.

Global Ministries Prayer Calendar

Please hold these missionaries and their mission sites in your prayers.

DECEMBER

Dec. 4 – Phyllis Byrd, Kenya

Dec. 11 – Alex Maldonado, Colombia

Dec. 18 – Fiona Kendall, Italy

Dec. 25 – Palestine

Click here for weekly written prayers with an accompanying scripture verse for Global Ministries mission sites.

Regional Calendar of Events

December 11 - Christmas Special Offering Collected

December 18 - Christmas Special Offering Collected

December 21 - After Christmas sermon available on the region's YouTube channel

December 24 - Christmas Eve

December 25 - Christmas Day

December 26 - 30 - Christian Conference Center office closed

We Want to Hear about Your Ministry

Is your church doing something new or creative? Are you finding a unique way to serve a need in your community? We want to hear about it and share your story with the rest of the church! Our goal is to share at least one new idea from a congregation each time we publish this newsletter.

Please send your story to Tiff Williams, Associate Regional Minister, and she will get in contact with you about your ministry. Sharing your church's story could spark a new idea in a sister congregation. As Disciples Together, we will be stronger in our ministry to the world when we share what God is doing through us in our communities.

Click to Email Tiff

Support Regional Ministries

Christian Church in the Upper Midwest | www.uppermidwestcc.org