First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Trenton, MO

11/03/2012

Let us not forget the OTHER Sandy disaster -- in Haiti. Our Disciples' Week of Compassion has not forgotten. To donate, go to: https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=2980

While the world's attention has focused on the US, the suffering and consequences for the Caribbean nation are far greater

11/02/2012

As we anticipate Children and Youth Sabbath this Sunday, November 4th, here are some thoughts about why we go to church: "...some of the ways we can take care of our spirit is by praying and going to church."

Last Sunday morning began like most other mornings around our house. The mood was carefree, relaxed and lazy. Until, that is, I announced that it was time to get dressed so that we could leave for church.

10/31/2012

Borrowing from our global mission partners, the United Church of Christ: "All souls on this journey called life, linked across space and time, are HOLY."

Share this UCC greeting with your family and friends.

10/31/2012

If you want to help the survivors of Hurricane Sandy, send a donation to Week of Compassion or help make kits of supplies for distribution by Church World Service. Ask us how.

10/30/2012

Just a bit of levity to bring some "cereal" recognition to the situation before us.

Unfortunately we know all too well life is full of real monsters that are neither fun nor for pretend. We may find ourselves in scary situations, but we don’t have to be afraid.

10/26/2012

Yesterday, Pastors Paul and Karen attended a conference in KC with Dr. Alan Wolfelt, a nationally-known authority on caring for people who are dealing with loss and grief. (He is Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado.) He recommends a radical discipline of self-care for those who provide care and what he calls "companioning" for persons experiencing profound loss and grief. That includes a range of strategies, from drinking 8 glasses of water and taking two naps a day to keeping a monthly routine of spending accountability and support time with a "responsibility partner." We concluded from his presentation that the church at all levels from congregation to judicatory needs to take extremely seriously the needs of its caregivers: pastors, chaplains and middle-judicatory support staff and executives. Thus, the importance of prayer partners and individuals who come alongside their pastor are critical to the success of the ministry. We invite you to engage in this conversation with us.

  If you are grieving, want to support someone who is, or work with mourners in your role as bereavement caregiver, you’ve come to the right place. Our director, Dr. Alan Wolfelt, founded the Center for Loss more than 20 years ago to compassio ...

10/22/2012

We're not alone with our budget woes. George Bullard offers some perspective..and even some hope for a brighter tomorrow.

How has the budget development process gone in your congregation this year? Was there plenty of money to go around? Or, once again did you lower soft or flexible costs like program support and missions because hard or fixed costs like utilities and health insurance went up?

10/21/2012

Who will lead our congregation into God's preferred future for our community? We need a team of four-to-six leaders who will go to FCC in Cameron, MO on November 11 in the afternoon or evening (depending upon the appointment time we are assigned) to learn what kind of leaders we are and how we can look at our congregation's demographics and change our church to be more open to the Spirit of God for this new era of ministry into which we are called!

We invite congregations in Western Missouri to look at the brief video invitation to the free DARE to Lead event on November 11, 2012.

10/21/2012

People like the two Bills of 21st Century Strategies stand ready to help us move boldly into mission for the 21st Century! Check out their newest guidebook!

Church staffing mistakes keep churches from reaching their effective potential. In Effective Staffing for Vital Churches, Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian provide a practical guide for ensuring a congregation\’s effectiveness, faithfulness, and sustainability.

10/21/2012

Ready to grow our church? Eager to have new members, more resources and a more effective witness?

Resourcing and supporting effective and faithful churches by equipping church leaders through consulting, coaching, training, and leadership development.

10/08/2012

Who's ready to lead our congregation into the future? Watch this video and then decide if you might be one of the ones!

We invite congregations in Western Missouri to look at the brief video invitation to the free DARE to Lead event on November 11, 2012.

09/29/2012

This week, starting on October 2, look for and watch a film that will change the way we think about poverty. It may help us to adjust our responses as the Church in mission.

The Line documents the stories of people across the country living at or below the poverty line. They have goals. They have children. They work hard. They are people like you and me.