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In This Issue
Upcoming
Events
January 7 Deadline for Jan. 19 Newsletter

January 13-14 ReMind ReNew at Phillips Seminary

January 14 HPA South Clergy Cluster

January 15 Deadline for Application for the Intro to Hebrew Bible from Phillips Seminary

January 15 NBA XPLOR Cornerstone Deadline

January 18 MLK Day

January 21 Registration Deadline for Mid Winter Retreat at Black River Center for Learning $90 til Jan 21, $115 after

January 22-23 Mission West youth meeting at Ceta Canyon

January 22-23 CCSW Regional Council

January 25 Deadline for Feb. 2 Newsletter

January 25-27 CCSW Regional Committee on Ministry at UCC in Ft. Worth

January 25-March 11 Intro to Hebrew Bible class from Phillips Seminary 

January 29-30 Regional Youth Ministry Council in Dallas

January 30 LBCR Board Meeting

February 3-5 Mission West Mid Winter Retreat at Black River Center for Learning for 3rd to 12th graders

February 10 Ash Wednesday

February 15 Healthy Boundaries Training Class at University Christian Church, Ft. Worth, TX

February 15  $500 Deposit Due for YAM (Young Adult Mission Trip) to Ecuador.

February 15-18 Brite Divinity School Ministers Week at UCC Ft. Worth

February 18-20 Progressive Youth Ministry Conference in Dallas, TX 

February 18 Documentation deadline for April interviews with Regional Committee on Ministry

February 19 NBA XPLOR Extended Deadline


NBA XPLOR accepting applications 
for 2016-17  

Cornerstone: Deadline:  Jan. 15, 2016
Extended Deadline:  Feb. 19, 2016
NBA XPLOR is committed to cultivating a diverse population for our 2016-17 cohort of 25+ residents. You may know a young adult who would be interested in the XPLOR experience. An ideal applicant is any young adult (21-30 years old) with an open heart and open mind, who is ready to ask, what did God create my soul to do?  Learn more  |   Read the latest stories from NBA XPLOR residents 


Calendar
The Mission West calendar is being added to daily.  Please email
if you would like your event added to this calendar.

January 5, 2016
 
Happy New Year!
new_years_fireworks.jpg
We hope your new year is off to a great start!  In this newsletter you will find information on the Hebrew Bible class offered, Mission West Youth meeting scheduled for Jan 22-23 at Ceta Glen, mid winter retreats, Minister Weeks, and so much more.

If you would like your ministry happenings to appear in the newsletter, please email us your photo's and stories by the 7th and 25th of each month. 
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
Registration Deadline Jan. 15th
Dr. Lisa Davison from Phillips Theological seminary will offer an 8-week online course,  Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, beginning the week of  January 25, 2016  and ending the week of  Monday, March 11 , specifically designed for persons in commissioned ministry training programs in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  The cost of the course will be $100 plus the cost of the book.

This is a required course for commissioned ministers in cooperation with Mission West School for Ministry.  Registration is now open. The
deadline for  Application is January 15, 2016

Students will learn about the historical backgrounds of these texts as well as the process of their composition and canonization. 

The biblical materials will be approached from an academic/critical perspective with insights into how they can be used in different ministerial contexts.

Students will be able to meet the weekly requirements of this course on their own schedule. This type of online learning is called "asynchronous." This means students can view presentations over the Internet and participate in weekly discussion boards at a time convenient to them.

At the beginning of the class, and in the syllabus, Dr. Davison will provide explicit instructions about which day of the week to expect new presentations and the time period for posting on the Discussion Forums.

Students will not have to be online and in front of their computers at the same time in this course. To earn credit, students must watch the presentations from Dr. Davison, participate in the online discussion boards, and complete the written and reading assignments for the course.

Course Duration: Online, 8 weeks: January 25 - March 11, 2016

Cost: $100 (does not include the cost of the textbooks)

Textbooks:
- New Interpreter's Study Bible  on Amazon

Instructor:   Dr. Lisa W. Davison
Johnnie Eargle Cadieux Professor of Hebrew Bible,  Phillips Theological Seminary



To pass this course, students must:
  • Read all assignments from the required textbooks and supplemental materials
  • View weekly PowerPoint presentations and other materials posted on the course page for students to access
  • Participate in a monitored discussion board, posting every week
  • Pass an online Hebrew Bible content exam
  • Submit a 7-10 page paper at the end of the course on an assigned topic
* This pass/fail course is not transferrable to a Phillips master's degree program. Students in this program are also ineligible for financial aid from Phillips Seminary, but you can apply for a scholarship from Mission West.

For information about the course,  email  Josh Linton or call him at 918.270.6463.  

For additional questions for Mission West, email Charlotte Hoppe or call her at 915-525-1209.


Mission West Youth Meeting Jan. 22-23 at Ceta Canyon
January 22-23, 2016 from 9 pm on Friday Night to Saturday late afternoon at Ceta Canyon in Ceta Lodge to evaluate the last retreat/rally and continue to plan for 2016 youth events for Mission West. Participants will review a proposal for bringing all three area youth councils/outdoor ministry councils to one Mission West Council.  The proposal is under review and will be available before the meeting.

To attend, please register here.
Healthy Boundaries Training
You may now register for the Healthy Boundaries Training scheduled  Monday, February 15, at 10 am  at University Christian Church in Fort Worth. For those attending Ministers Week that begins that afternoon, you may choose to come in early to complete this training. Registration is $50, whether  online  or by   PDF/paper copy . Contact the Regional Office at  ccsw@ccsw.org  or  817-926-4687  for details. 

Mission West will have boundaries training at First Christian Church, Lubbock on August 27, 2016. More information will be available in the next newsletter. Contact Charlotte for more details.

Further training opportunities will be on the Regional website calendar so check there for updates. Currently, we have another training scheduled Saturday, April 16, at 9:30 am at Rolling Oaks Christian Church in San Antonio.
Clergy, Christmas Gifts, and IRS
Is It Taxable?  May I Deduct it?
Every year someone will ask (usually more than someone) "Does the minister have to report a Christmas gift from the congregation for tax purposes?"  Often, along with that question comes the query "Is my gift to the staff Christmas gift tax-deductible?"  We asked an expert, Sheri Simon, who is a CPA and has a Master's Degree in non-profit tax law. Read more to see what she had to say.
Where in the West is Charlotte? 
To see where Charlotte is traveling over the next few months, see our calendar page

Quick Links
Churches seeking pastoral leadership
Senior Minister
Westmont Christian Church
Lubbock, TX

Senior Minister
Community Christian Church
Lubbock, TX

Pastor
Union Congregational UCC
Friona, TX 

Pastor
First Christian Church
Big Spring, TX

Pastor/New Church Planter
First Christian Church
Santa Fe, NM

Pastor
First Christian Church
Hooker, OK

Pastor 
First Christian Church
Plainview, TX

Associate Minister of Youth and Small Group Development
First Christian Church, 
Perryton, TX

Pastor
First Christian Church, 
Miami, TX

Youth Minister
First Christian Church,
San Angelo, TX

Pastor
First Christian Church
Canyon, TX

Pastor
First Christian Church
Albany, TX

Pastor
First Christian Church
Stratford, TX

Inquiries for more information should be directed to:
Lead Minister, Mission West
Web Page Almost Complete
We are almost there!
The new web page is almost ready for publication! 

By following  this link  you will find a preview of how the web page is shaping up. I need your help.   sad_businesswoman_help.jpg I am also looking for additional photo's of our vast landscape, ministry happenings, and other photo's to help liven up the website.  If you have anything that can help elevate the website, I welcome it!
Also, if you have any resources that you use on a regular basis for:
  • preaching and worship
  • congregational work
  • youth
  • or anything else that would be beneficial 
I would love to include them in the  resource section  the webpage.
 
Feel free to browse around the preview site and offer any feedback. I welcome any input to make the site better. Please keep in mind, there are still places the need filling in, but we are getting close!

Brad Brock seeks Ordination
West Mesa Christian Church in  Albuquerque   is very  excited to be sponsoring  Brad Bock   in his candidacy for ordination.   Brad, who is a veteran of the USMC, is enrolled  in the new hybrid MDiv program through  the Claremont School of Theology in  Claremont, CA.  He is looking forward to his  first appointment with our Regional Committee  on the Ministry in January, 2016.
.
Mid Winter Retreat and Rally

Registration is Open for Midwinter Retreat and Rally for students 3rd to 12th grade!

 

Session 1 @ Black River Center for Learning on February 5-7, 2016. Registration by Jan. 21st will be $90, after is $115.

 

Session 2 @ Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat on February 26-28, 2016. Registration by Feb. 11th will be $90, after is $115.

 

 Download the Black River Flyer                           Download the Flyers for LBCR for 6th to 12th Graders and for 3rd to 5th Graders

Save the Date for Phillips Seminary ReMind ReNew

ReMind ReNew 2016
What is the conversation about race Christians in the U.S. should be having?
  
The January 2016 Remind & Renew is intended to be a contribution to the conversation and argument about race that pockets of the nation and some religious communities are having.

While the conversation about race should be pursued with more vigor and expanded to more places, it is not the endgame. Liberty and justice for all is closer to what the goal should be.

The speakers we've invited for the conference represent various sectors of the church and academy. They have been asked to address the question, "What is the conversation about race Christians in the U.S. should be having, and how might that conversation contribute to liberty and justice for all?"

Speakers include: Sharon Watkins,  William Barber, Jennifer Harvey, Leah Gunning Francis, and Chebon Kernell.  You can find more information, register, and pay on the Phillips Seminary  webpage under ReMind Renew via this link:  http://ptstulsa.edu/RROverview2016.    


Save the Date for Brite Minsters Week

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SAVE THE DATE
Ministers Week 2016
February 15-18

The Power to Bless
February 15-18
Join us as Barbara Lundblad, Timothy Sandoval, Sara Miles, and Peter Steinke explore the many ways we as pastors and communities have the power to create wholeness in our world. Other speakers and workshop leaders include Sandhya Jha, Mack McCarter, Katie Hays, Mike Hunter, Micah James, and Roger Weddell.  Michael Bedford is our featured organist.  Check out the full schedule and list of offerings at   www.brite.edu/mw .  Registration opens TODAY.
We look forward to seeing you at Ministers Week 2016!
 


YAM Young Adult Mission Trip
The third deposit in the amount of $500 for the YAM Ecuador trip is due on February 15th.  You can still join the fun, contact Alex Smith today!

You can find more  i nformation on the mission west web site, under the events portion, looks for the  young adults tab .  
Download the  updated Flyer  and  FAQs Contact Alex Smith for more information.
DSM Registration Open (Disciple Summer Mission)
Six years of Disciple Summer Mission will commence this summer. The trip that has gathered over 500 youth and adults this past summer, started with a simple trip started by four youth minister friends. These four friends started with wanting to gather their youth together to do a mission trip together. 

In 2011,  80 youth and adults gathered in Midland, Texas to help rehabilitate houses, and spend time with the elderly and the young.  This trip grew to 140 youth and adults in 2012 when the trip moved to Northwest Arkansas. This trip also included experiencing and joining the rebuilding efforts of Joplin, Missouri.  In 2013, 326 youth and adults traveled to New Orleans with Disciple Summer Mission. We painted, put insulation and drywall into homes that were still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.  The summer of 2014, the leadership team made the decision to paint the town in Oklahoma City with 350 youth and adults from 28 churches in 7 states. We were able to paint the exterior of 30 homes.  The summer of 2015, was a big step for Disciple Summer Mission in planting two trips in different locations. The leadership team headed up a trip in Albuquerque, New Mexico and another trip in Nashville, Tennessee with a combined 520 youth and adults. Community organizations were the focus of both trips in helping in community gardens, food banks and worked with multiple organizations that help men and women in recovery and children in impoverished communities.

The leadership team has grown over the last few years and the team is excited to announce that there will be two trips in the summer of 2016. The locations for the trips will be St. Louis, Missouri and central Texas. 

  • Each location will accept 300 youth and adults per trips. 
  • The St. Louis trip will be Monday, June 27-  Friday, July 1, 2016. 
  • The central Texas trip will be Monday, July 4-Friday July 8, 2016. 
  • Cost will be $275 per person.  
  • The deadline to reserve spots by filling out the online group registration form is March 1st and a deposit of $75 per person is due at this time.
  • The remaining balance and individual  online forms are due on May 1st. 

The St. Louis trip's contact person is Jessie Gray and she can be contacted at (501)993-8263. The contact person for the central Texas trip is Alex Smith and she can be contacted at (512)971-9411.  If you need further information, please go to their website at : https://disciplesummermission.com


Mission West | missionwest@ccsw.org | www.missionwestccsw.org
2717 Stanley St. Ste A
Amarillo, TX 79109