Area Minister Report: August, 2008
North Texas Area Officers: Moderator: Bob Williams of Warren Avenue - Dallas, Vice-Moderator: Maria Garza of Rosemont Christian Center, Secretary: Deborah Jones of Irving First Christian Church, Treasurer: Susan Kirby, Parliamentarian/Nominating Committee Chair: Rev. Les Massey of Casa View Christian in Dallas.
The North Texas Area exists to serve its churches – to help them do more together than they could do apart, to resource them in times of need, to pastor its pastors, and to speak a prophetic word of challenge, encouragement and direction. Acts 2:42-47 reveal at least five areas of church life in which the Area seeks to strengthen congregational life:
FELLOWSHIP: through assemblies and meetings, the Area provides regular opportunities for church folk from all its churches to sense the larger church by fellowship. The 2008 Area Assembly featured Luis Bernard from the Borderlands Institute at Brite Divinity School as keynoter, and Andra Moran with music, a concert, and a Praise Team Workshop. We had our post-Easter Pastor’s Retreat at Disciples Crossing with ministers from NEA. We have had multiple major meetings to discuss the Regional Purpose, Mission and Structure. A major upgrade to the Area website will include a mini-site for each Area church.
EVANGELISM: New churches are key to an Area’s evangelistic spirit. There is interest from two different Asian congregations to investigate affiliation with the Disciples, and at the July Cabinet meeting, a new church start in far Northwest McKinney was authorized. The New Church team will serve as Search Committee for a pastor-developer to start in January, with worship slated to begin in September of 2010.
EDUCATION: three trainers from New Church brought a bi-vocational ministry training workshop to Dallas for 36 Hispanic pastors and spouses. The Licensed Ministry Training program helps train 40 licensed ministers. Steven Goss from Harris Methodist Hospital was taught this year and Dick Lord will be the master teacher this fall. Camp participation is going well, though the number of campers was less than last year. We anticipate good Fall Rallies and Mid-winters. Camp Director training is coming up. Our new CE Committee Chair, Susan Gary, had great ideas for more effective CE Area programs. Nash Wiggins, a Vanderbilt Seminary student, is serving as our summer intern, working with our African American congregations in youth and children’s ministry.
WORSHIP: worship at Area Assemblies and the Advent and Ash Wednesday services for clergy seek to model excellence in worship as well as meet spiritual hunger. Associate Area Minister Irie Session and I both speak at NTA church services as asked. The NTA is hosting the 2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at East Dallas Christian Church with Dr. Glen Carson for Disciples of Christ Historical Society as the keynoter, talking about the developing rapprochement between the Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ.
OUTREACH: with the help of our Mission Intern Peggy Nelson, and new chair of Outreach Debbie Bobbitt, as well as the Mission Center committee chaired by Gray Powers, Outreach is a major theme this year. Northway Christian sent a Mission Team to the Area Office to further develop the Mission Center as an attractive site. Rev. Nelson is working up a directory of NTA Church Outreach to enable our churches to know what the other churches in the Area are doing and to encourage synergy. At the Area Assembly in January, Amy Gopp of Week of Compassion will be the keynoter, and we will have an Outreach Fair at which Area Churches can display what they do in Outreach.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Larry. J Ross
Area Minister
North Texas Area
Lyn Robinette
Administrative Assistant
North Texas Area
Past Reports:
