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“Help These Women” |
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In the winter of 1995, I was serving a
congregation in Garland, Texas. One night, I received a phone call from a
person here in Shawnee. That phone call was the first step in the forming of a
relationship with a covenantal group of churches called “The Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City.” At that time, the region
consisted of 82 congregations. Ten years later, we number 92 congregations,
with a membership of nearly 32,000 members. This Greater Kansas City Region has
the densest concentration of Disciples of Christ congregations and members in
the United States and Canada. And Bread of Life Christian Church is part of
it. You are part of it. “So what?” you are probably saying to yourself. “What does that have to do with me? I’m here. They’re nearby – but – we just go our separate ways – never the two of us to meet.” But the truth is: we do meet. The local congregation and the Regional Church have a relationship that affects each other, and makes a difference on how we are disciples of Jesus. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he was very aware of the importance of relationships in the Church. In the letter, he appealed to Christians there to “be of the same mind” (2:2) instead of divided or squabbling with each other. His letter envisions the kingdom of God as a community of Jesus’ disciples living in Christian unity, and in which “the interests of others” are placed before our own (2:4). Years before, Paul had gone to Philippi, in northern Greece, to preach and teach about Jesus. The people of Philippi heard and believed his words, and a Christian congregation was born. He loved them, and he taught them whatever he could before he moved on to continue his missionary work. Paul established other Christian communities as well. In addition to Philippi, there was Antioch – and Ephesus – and Thessalonica – and Athens – and Corinth – and Rome. As he moved from city to city, he was the cement that held together this loose network of churches around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul, probably imprisoned in Rome at the time, named two women who were not getting along, and urged them “to be of the same mind (there is that phrase again) in the Lord” (4:2). And then, because he understood that the Church of Jesus Christ is about covenantal relationships, he went on to urge the other Christians of Philippi to “help these women” (4:3). Paul knew that Christianity is not a solo religion. It is a faith system that is built on a relationship with Jesus. Paul was wise enough to know that Jesus’ way is hard enough that we cannot be a disciple in a vacuum. We need each other to lift each other up and work together, doing the things we cannot do alone. A Christian congregation cannot be a congregation in a vacuum, either. There are just too many things that God calls us to do that demand more of our resources than what a single church can provide. What can churches do together that we cannot do alone? The covenantal group of congregations, called The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City, maintains a camp and conference center called Tall Oaks. Just two weeks ago, about half of our congregation held a twenty-four hour Spiritual Life Retreat there. The retreat was led by our Associate Regional Minister for Spiritual Health, Rev. Katheryn Graham. During the summer, Tall Oaks and our regional clergy and laity provide camps and conferences for our church children and youth. What can churches do together that we cannot do alone? Some of the women of our congregation participate in a monthly regional ministry of Disciple Women. Just ask Beverly Sherwood how enriching this ministry is! The women from the congregations of our region, including Bread of Life, participated in the Fall Disciple Women retreat at Tall Oaks just last month. No one congregation can support the facilities and staff to make these things happen – but a region of churches can! What do churches do together that we cannot do alone? Have you noticed the wooden communion ware we use every week? Did you know that Christians in Haiti gave it to our congregation? In February, four members of Bread of Life went to Haiti on a mission trip organized by Karen Yount, minister of Budd Park Christian Church, and Associate Regional Minister for Disciple Women and Congregational Transformation. It was on that trip that our people received the chalice and plate. Suanne and I went on a second trip with Karen in June. Our region of churches has organized at least one, and often two, of these mission trips to Haiti each year since 2000. To date, six of our Bread of Life people have gone on at least one of these trips. No one congregation has the resources and people to support these annual trips to Haiti – but a region of churches can! What do churches do together that we cannot do alone? This congregation keeps Monday nights clear on the calendar to encourage you to be a servant for Christ at Micah Ministry. This amazing ministry to the poor and the street people of Independence Boulevard is an effort supported by many of the Disciples congregations in the Greater Kansas City Region. We give both our money and our time to feed, teach, and clothe as many as 400 people each week. No one congregation has the money or the motivated people to resource Micah Ministry by itself – but a region of churches can! What do churches do together that we cannot do alone? In the summer of 2004, this congregation received an unsolicited check for $200.00 from the New Church Ministry-Kansas City, a committee that encourages the planting of new Disciples congregations in the Greater Kansas City Region. It was a gift of their prayers and support for what we are doing. That same group of people put forth their recommendation to the Regional Board of Directors that we be recognized as a Disciples of Christ congregation in formation. Thirteen months ago, this same committee bought me an airline ticket to San Antonio, Texas, for the New Church Planter Training and Workshop sponsored by our denomination. This past winter, we received a grant of $10,000 from the New Church Ministry for capital purposes and plans for future growth. Through the encouragement of the New Church Ministry of Kansas City, ten new Disciples of Christ congregations have been formed in the past five years! No single congregation can support the forming of this many new congregations – but a region of churches can! What can churches do together that we cannot do alone? Four times a year, representatives from the 92 Disciples of Christ congregations gather to oversee and give shape to the ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City. I am this Board of Directors’ moderator for the next eighteen months. Bev Sherwood is our Secretary. Bread of Life is linked to these, our sister congregations of Kansas City, in a number of important ways. We are doing things together that no single congregation can. During these next three weeks, you have an opportunity to sign the charter document of the founding of this new congregation. To do so is to enter into a covenantal commitment to Christ, to a denomination called the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and to the larger Christian body of Christ throughout the world. But to be a charter member of Bread of Life is also to be a part of a covenantal group of 92 (and growing) churches called the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City. When Paul wrote to the Philippians and said, “Help these women,” he was talking about two Christian individuals in the Church. But Paul’s words also speak to us – church to church. He could have just as easily said, “Help these churches,” for these other 91 congregations are our sister congregations, linked in Christian unity to one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. They need us – and we need them. Let us pray. Great and Gracious God, your Son taught us that to follow him is to be in relationships – to him and to all Christians – wherever their congregation. Thank you for the witness and ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City. We thank you for our Regional Minister: Paul Diehl; our Associate Regional Ministers: Katheryn Graham, Mike Graves, and Karen Yount; the staff at Tall Oaks: especially the Brackins, and the Christiansons. We thank you for the support staff in the regional office and at Tall Oaks. We thank you for the clergy and lay volunteers who give guidance to the region’s work. Thank you, O God, for the way the ministry of this region has touched our lives, and may we find ways to use the gifts you give us to touch the lives of others in this region. We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. |