The Indiana e-Christian

Youth and young adult groups from Central Christian Church in Lebanon combined to carry out three mission trips this summer.

Chi Rho youth from Central Christian in Lebanon bring down the walls of a house being razed in Neon, Ky.

A group of Chi Rho youth and their sponsors, 16 people in all, traveled to Neon, a community in southeastern Kentucky, from June 14 to June 20.  While there, the group worked with HOMES (Housing Oriented Ministries Established for Service), a non-profit organization that builds and repairs houses for low income families living the Neon area.

The group’s task for the week was to demolish one of two houses in such bad repair that they were creating a health and safety issue for the surrounding neighbors.  It was the hope of the HOMES staff that after the two homes were demolished and the lots were cleared that the town would use the ground for a community playground.

What at first seemed to be an overwhelming task was accomplished as the group’s skills, confidence and determination increased.  By the end of the week, the youth had made so much progress that they were split into two groups, with one group returning to finish work on the house and another group assigned to help pour footers for a new home being built.

A group of 13 CYF youth and sponsors traveled to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to work from June 21-27.  Hosted by First Presbyterian Church, the group spent the week working on a Habitat for Humanity build.  Although it was was first Habitat build for most of the group, they worked diligently with the Habitat staff and local volunteers to take a house from a slab foundation to locked with windows and doors in less than five days.  The workers from Central even had time to share an evening meal with their sister congregation, Central Christian Church, in Murfreesboro.

Then, during the week of August 2-8, seven young adults traveled to Kent County, Mich., near Grand Rapids, to work with Habitat for Humanity there.  Hosted by Wyoming Park United Methodist Church, the group spent its first day working at the Habitat ReStore, where local builders and stores can donate surplus building and decorating supplies.

The rest of the week they worked at two houses being renovated for Habitat-qualifying families. These are houses that are too good to tear down and just need some TLC to once again be livable and bring pride to the neighborhood. Most of the work involved preparing and painting walls and woodwork, doing small repairs to windows and doors, cleaning, and helping make lists of those things that still need to be completed.

The youth and young adults of Central Christian Church, Lebanon, demonstrated their ability to rise to a challenge and their commitment to giving of themselves to benefit others.

The popular and provocative Saltsburg Distinguished Lecture Series returns to Christian Theological Seminary on September 23 and 24 to challenge audiences with the question: “Do I Know that Jesus?”

All three lectures are free and open to the public.

This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi whose three addresses will examine the portrayal of Jesus and Christian Identity in Latin America and the Hispanic Caribbean.  In particular, Cardoza-Orlandi will explore:

• The American missionary and national evangélicos encounter and debate about who Jesus is for the Latin American continent;
• The non-elite and popular evangélico religious expressions of Christ in the region
• The current encounter and interaction between popular religions—Spiritism and Afro-Caribbean religions—and the evangélico tradition.

Lecture one
Latin America for Christ!
Wednesday, September 23
Cross-cultural Interactions in Search of Identity Between American Missionaries and Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean Evangélicos
6:00 pm, Common Room, CTS

Lecture two
Beyond the Crucifix and the Scriptures
Thursday, September 24
Images and Sounds of an Erotic Latin American & Caribbean Christ
1:00 pm, Common Room, CTS

Lecture three
Jesus Among the Spirits
Thursday, September 24
An Emerging Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean Christology from the Encounter of Religions
6:00 pm, Common Room

Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi is professor of world Christianity at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and chairs the Governing Board of the Hispanic Summer Program, Inc. He will begin a new appointment as professor of global Christianities and mission studies at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, in July 2010.

Cardoza-Orlandi’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the fields of world Christianity and mission. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico as well as the United States and Canada.

More information on the Saltsburg Lecture can be found at www.cts.edu/events or contact the office of Lifelong Theological Education at LifeEd@cts.edu.

Rev. Ilumbe celebrates his joy at being in Indianapolis. Rev. Sandra Gourdet (left), Africa Executive for Global Ministries and Rev. Richard Spleth (right), Regional Minister for the Christian Church in Indiana, were among the delegation welcoming Rev. Ilumbe and Rosette to Indiana.

Rev. ILUMBE Ndjongo and his wife, Mama Rosette, arrived in Indianapolis Thursday evening, July 2.  They will be guests of the Indiana Region for five weeks.   Over 100 Hoosier Disciples gathered at the Indianapolis International Airport to welcome the couple.

Rev. Ilumbe is Principal Supervising Pastor (PSP) of the Mbandaka District of the 10th Community–Disciples of Christ in the Congo (10-CDCC).  He expressed great joy at being in Indianapolis, a place he has known all his life as the home of the missionaries who came to his country beginning over 100 years ago.

The Mbandaka District and the Christian Church in Indiana entered into a mission partnership in May 2008.

Hoosier Disciples have the opportunity to welcome other Disciples guests. Rev. BONANGA Eliki, General Secretary and Legal Representative of the Disciples Community in the Congo and his wife, Mama Anna, will be arriving at the Indianapolis International Airport at 5:29 p.m. on Sunday, July 26.

130 Hoosier Disciples gathered at the Indianapolis International Airport on July 2 to welcome Rev. Ilumbe and Rosette from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rev. Bonanga will be a major speaker at the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada when it meets in Indianapolis July 29-August 2. All Indiana Disciples are invited to come to the airport to welcome Rev. Bonanga and Mama Anna to Indiana.

Central Christian Church in Seymour, Ind., will launch its Forty Days of Community campaign on February 22. Forty Days of Community is a follow-up to the popular Forty Days of Purpose campaign developed by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life.

Families at Central Christian will commit to participate in a small group during the Forty Days of Community, and each of the twenty-five small groups will work on local mission projects. The combined groups will also work together on a major community mission project. Forty Days of Community will continue through March 29, when a special Celebration Service will conclude the campaign.

According to Saddleback Church and its affiliate, Purpose Driven Ministries, churches that participated in 40 Days of Purpose experienced an average attendance increase of 22 percent, an increase in giving of 20 percent and participation in small groups increased 102 percent.

According to Warren, 40 Days of Community moves people from focusing on God’s purposes in their personal lives to focusing on God’s purposes in their church and community.

In addition to exploring 40 Days of Community, Central Christian has spent much of their outreach time serving in Haiti on medical, dental and construction missions. A group leaves for Haiti February 20 and will return March 1. Doctors, nurses, construction workers and a dentist will be going to help those with medical and dental needs.

Last summer many families and churches in Iowa experienced historic flooding. Mission stations were set up at that time to help people rebuild. Those mission stations will be open again this spring and summer.

The office of Disciples Volunteering has also set the Alternative Spring break as a mission project to help rebuild Cedar Christian Church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Please view the video for more information about the Alternative Spring Break Opportunity.