Robert Alvarez, Second Vice Moderator announces each business item.	James Brewer-Calvert speaks from the floor in favor of the Order of Ministry resolution.
Angel and Ana Guardiola on the way to lunch after the business session.
The Youth and All Assembly Choirs perform during worship.

Hello Friends,

As the fourth day of the General Assembly concludes, I have just come from evening worship where the theme was most definitely “Revival.”  And I am so revved that I can’t wait till morning to write this report!  Rev. Frank Thomas of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, TN, brought a Holy Spirit-blessed message grounded in the Pentecost text from Acts 2.   It’s difficult to put the power of this worship into words – 6,000 Disciples gathered in an ordinary convention center transformed into a worship space.  There were young and old; men and women; many races and ethnicities; from most states and many nations.  We sang together, prayed together, and gave together to the “13^th Check” offering for retired ministers.  We were graced with music and dance from the praise team, the All-Assembly Choir, and the All-Assembly Youth Choir.  We left two hours later, singing “Revive Us Again,” and I really think God is at work, reviving the Disciples of Christ. 

But the day was action-packed with other events:  

• Mission work continued for the fourth straight day.  Hundreds have participated through many projects including a blood drive, knitting prayer shawls, gardening and clean-up projects, and a non-perishable food drive. 
• The third and final business session concluded on Saturday at noon.  You really have to be there to see how these work – despite the rules, the formality of process, and the many (sometimes lengthy) resolutions, there is something of the Holy Spirit at work here, too, as Disciples speak passionately from their positions on issues and then vote. Even with this passion, generally a spirit of “agreeing to disagree” prevails.  If you’d like to learn more about the resolutions and the outcomes of the votes the complete reports are at http://www.disciples.org/GeneralAssembly/StatusofBusiness/tabid/562/Default.aspx. 
• General Assemblies are also great opportunities to learn about the ministries of the church.  Tonight I attended a dinner hosted by Disciples Home Missions where we learned about the great work being done through the many teams of this general ministry, ranging from Office of Disciple Women to the Office of Disciples Volunteering, Refugee and Immigration Ministries, and many, many more.
• There is something going on almost around the clock at a General Assembly.  Even as I write this a Prayer Vigil for Health Care Reform continues at the Convention Center.

Sunday morning as you worship at PCCC I will be with you in spirit, even if not in person.  I’ll be worshipping at a local church service here in Indianapolis.  But there is more than one service to attend:  nearly 75 area churches have invited guest preachers, as well as 6,000 Disciples to worship.  Our Georgia ministers preaching are:  Rev David Grandgeorge, Rev. Jim Brooks, Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock, Rev. Katie Hays, Rev. Linda Whitmire, and Rev. Erin Cooper.

May your Sunday worship revive you!

Yours in Christ from Indianapolis,
Kathy McDowell

Hello Friends,

Friday was a great day at the General Assembly of Disciples in Indianapolis.  But for me, maybe best of all was getting together with the Disciples from Peachtree Corners Christian – like many of our other churches from Georgia, the PCCC delegates (Will Perdue, Jamie and Buddy Ray, and I, along with Will’s Dad Bill, and Augusta First’s John Anderson) had a chance to get together for lunch.

In addition to this fellowship, Friday was all about LEARNING:

·      The afternoon learning sessions began.  There were over a hundred choices to choose from ranging from discussion of assembly issues, to evangelism, to Sunday School, to church starts and transformation. The only problem was deciding what to attend from so many choices!

·      The morning business session saw classic Disciples as we (6,000 of us) discussed just how we would debate and decide our issues of justice and prophetic witness at future assemblies.  The verdict?  Still TBD in Saturday’s session.

·      Music was again wonderful, led by Bill Thomas of Church of the Valley, Van Nuys, CA.  Other recognizable performing artists and actors in the exceptional praise band were Andra Moran, of Vine Street Christian Church, Nashville, TN; and Laura Hall and Drew Powell of Church of the Valley, Van Nuys, CA.  (Go ahead, google them and you’ll see.)  But celebrity or not, this praise group is the big choir with a big heart.

·      It was with a sense of pride that all of us awaited the message brought by Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, our General Minister and President, who preached Friday evening in worship.  And we had our chance to show our pride and appreciation for her participation in the January National Prayer Service in Washington, D.C. But pride isn’t part of Dr. Watkins’ persona as she brought us a message based on John 17 that “We Are One.”  She began and ended her message with projected photos of a baby dedication in the Congo at a Disciples of Christ church, reminding us all that along with this baby and each other, we are all family.  And in case you’re wishing you could have been there, you can view and hear this online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0V151e3Gs.
Other worship highlights were music brought by “Imperfect Youth” a choir from Torrey Pines Christian Church, La Jolla, CA, and more youth music from the All Assembly Youth Choir.  We were all clapping and on our feet!

 It’s great to be a Disciple!

Yours in Christ from Indianapolis,
Kathy McDowell

Click on the photos below to see a larger version

Former General Minister and  President Dick Hamm chats with Zena McAdams and the Brewer-Calverts prior to the business session.	Rev. Tom Stephenson of Central Christian Columbus speaks against the resolution on Time and Place during the business session.
Henry Brewer Calvert heads into the morning business session.	I'm not following the Brewer-Calverts, they just always seem to be there when I have my camera out!
Georgia Ladies at the CWF Luncheon.
Rev. Michael Weeks and Jamie Ray are just two of the Georgia participants in the Wholeness Cafe dialogue.
Rev. Troy Tatum of Watkinsville Union and Rev. Danny Gulden formerly at Sandy Spring chat in the exhibit hall.	HELM Leadership Fellows Jesse Stephenson and Henry Brewer-Calvert are honored on the board in the HELM exhibit.
Over 400 youth are registered at the assembly - here's the crew from Peachtree Christian Church.	. . .and their fearless leader Rev. Nancy Oliver.
	Rev. David and Kay Grandgeorge from Guyton Christian Church following dinner at Houlihans.

From Rev. Kathy McDowell:

Hello Friends,

As the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) continues, we have continued to worship, learn, and fellowship together as a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”   Highlights of Thursday’s Assembly which I am reflecting on this early Friday a.m.:

• Wonderful evening worship, this time a Service of Confession and Repentance, with moving music and opportunities for a time of prayer designed to do that which we sometimes fail to do - confess and repent of our own wrongdoing.  At this same service, Rev. Doug Skinner, pastor of Northway Christian Church, Dallas, TX, brought a message reminding us that our brokenness often stems from our failure to say (and mean) “I’m sorry.”  Also at this service, Rev. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and President of our denomination led an engaging children’s moment using that old board game “Sorry.” 
• Times of learning that were exceptional:  Dr. Richard Lowery brought a morning Bible lecture on the texts of Genesis, especially the creation and fall stories.  Dr. Lowery is professor of Hebrew Bible and currently the Interim Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY.  Later in the morning Dr. Newell Williams presented a lecture on “Stone-Campbell Spirituality.”  Dr. Williams is the Moderator of our church and  President and Professor of Modern and American Church History of Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University.
• The much-awaited Wholeness Café offered us nourishment – but not from the usual cafeteria fare.  This was a way of conducting meaningful conversations with Disciples from across the country on topics including:  “Let the Children Come,” Building Partnerships for Mission,” “Do Justice,” “Practice Hospitality,” and “Make Disciples.”  What a great way this was of talking together!
• The Disciple Men and Disciple Women met separately at lunch gatherings.  I attended the women’s gathering where the excitement is building for the 2010 Quadrennial, the every-four-year Disciple women’s gathering.  This will be held June 23-27 in Greensboro, NC.

Don’t forget if you have high-speed internet access, you can see parts of the Assembly live.  Each night at 7:30 p.m. tune into worship led by our own General Minister and President Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins at http://www.disciples.org/.

Yours in Christ from Indianapolis,

Kathy McDowell

Click on the photos below to see a larger version

Rev. Michael Weeks checks in with Credentials.	Apparently they passed him! Angel and Ana Guardiola receive their voting badge.
Andy Campbell of FCC Griffin is all smiles to know his photo will soon be on the web site.	Dr. Roger Sizemore of The Christian Church in Savannah and family.
Jamie Ray likes the Rocking Chairs that Rev. Jamie Brame brought from Christmount.	Jamie ran into Rev. Zena McAdams, former interim Regional Minister and a friend from Texas.
Lois Kelly of FCC Atlanta and Rev. Kathy McDowell of Peachtree Corners Christian Church .	. . knit prayer shawls with Jamie Ray as they watch . . . . . . Rev. Ray Miles receive his Assembly Stole on the big screen.
Robert Alvarez, Second Vice Moderator and member of Aposento Alto helps lead the business session.
Revs. James and Betty Brewer-Calvert of FCC Decatur.	Rev. Gerald Demorest and John Anderson past chair of GA Men.
	L-R: Revs. Doug Job, Katie Hayes, Phil Price and Linda Whitmire.
The Ray of Hope Christian Church Choir at Worship.
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale on the "Big Screen"	Delivers the Word of God to the Assembly.
Your webmaster - near midnight, sitting in his RV putting this report on the web.

Hello Friends,

The General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has begun and here are some impressions from the first day (Wednesday).

We are a church of both “seniors” and “juniors.” At dinner on Wednesday I met Verla, a ninety-year-old Disciple at assisted living in Indianapolis, who was enjoying the evening along with the help of her walker and a readiness to strike up a conversation with everyone. That same evening, my dinner partners included Robbie, 7, and John, 4, two young Disciples from Illinois. Along with the delight of feeding the sparrows pieces of leftover biscuit (we were eating outdoors), I enjoyed meeting their mother, a Disciples minister who grew up at Sandy Springs Christian Church.

Worship last night was beautiful and full of rich contrasts:

• We began worship with a dramatized reading of the first creation story in Genesis 1 written by James Weldon Johnson in 1871, “The Creation (A Negro Sermon).” This poem was accompanied by projected images and dancers.
• As worship continued, in a decidedly contemporary twist, a group of dancers and drummers processed in, followed by VIPs and dignitaries and children, while we sang “All Creatures of our God and King”, a 12th century hymn originally composed by St. Francis of Assisi.
• The children’s message, a retelling of portions of the Genesis 2 creation story, was carefully delivered in the style of “Godly Play” by Dr. Kaye Edwards, of Disciples Homeland Ministries.
• And the sermon delivered by Georgia’s Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA, reminded us that we are all “a piece of work” (God’s work) and as such, we have work to do in our broken, but God-blessed world.
• Finally, although many of us present last night may come from small churches, we are a church that is no small church! Our denomination of smaller churches is a big church at its biennial General Assembly. There are estimated to be some 6,500 present at this event.

Once again, I was reminded in worship and through Dr. Hale’s preaching that this church of ours is truly a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” Two hundred years after the first stirrings of unity ignited our founders Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, and Thomas Campbell to begin the very first Christian movement founded in America, that movement is still going strong! The highlight of worship last night for me was sharing communion with people of all colors and ages and races and ethnicities; children and babies sitting with their parents in a carefully designed floor space at the front of the convention hall; persons on walkers and in wheelchairs; youth and young adults; people from Disciples congregations in every corner of the U.S. and into parts of Canada. In our church, big and small, “we welcome all to the Lord’s Table, just as God welcomes us.”

Yours in Christ from Indianapolis,
Kathy McDowell

Rev. McDowell enthusiastically explains the worship
opportunities at General Assembly.

Good discussion from all present.