World Day of Prayer

One of my most enduring memories of growing up in a Disciples church was the presence of the CWF (Christian Womens Fellowship), now known as DWM (Disciple Womens Ministries), in every aspect of congregational life.  Not the least of which was the church’s prayer life.  Those Disciples women in Childress embraced prayer as a way of being.  It is no different at Northway today!  I suspect it is pretty much the same at most Disciples churches, wherever they might be located. Thus, it should come as no surprise that a great number of Disciples women will be celebrating a special day of prayer–The World Day of Prayer–on Friday March 2.

The World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service. This annual day of celebration is the first Friday of March.

 Through World Day of Prayer, women around the world

• affirm their faith in Jesus Christ
• share their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their opportunities and needs

 Through World Day of Prayer, women are encouraged

• to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation
• to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures
• to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and for them
• to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society

 Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and both have immeasurable influence in the world.

The season of Lent encourages us to prepare for the celebration of Easter through spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation.  It is therefore very appropriate that the World Day of Prayer falls within the Lenten season.  And from my own experience of the CWF at my home church as a child, it is most appropriate that today’s DWM lead the way in embracing a life of prayer that is promoted through the World Day of Prayer.

To learn more about World Day of Prayer, go to: http://www.worlddayofprayer.net/index.html

We Are Already Doing Something—Week of Compassion

When tornados hit Joplin Missouri last year, people came up to me after worship on Sunday morning and asked, “What can we, as a church, do to help?” The answer to their question was, “We are already doing something…through Week of Compassion.”

For as long as I’ve been a Disciple (and that goes back to before my birth), I can remember the emphasis our church has placed on The Week of Compassion. Although I didn’t really quite grasp what it was all about when I was a child, I did understand enough to know that it was a pretty big deal in our little church in Childress and that it was pretty important to my mom and dad that they contribute to that yearly special offering.

As years went by and I became more and more aware of the extent of human suffering throughout the world, I finally began to understand more clearly what Week of Compassion was all about. We take a special “Week of Compassion” offering during two Sundays in February each year. What is this offering for? The stated mission of Week of Compassion is to equip and empower disciples to alleviate the suffering of others through disaster response, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and the promotion of mission opportunities.

In practical terms, the Week of Compassion works through implementing partner organizations to facilitate relief and development efforts in areas of great need by providing financial resources. Through Week of Compassion, we channel our resources and concerns to the humanitarian needs of suffering people within the United States and in the world.

This means that we, as a church, were doing something through Week of Compassion when tornados hit Missouri and Alabama and when wildfires struck Texas last year. We were also in Japan responding to those affected by earthquakes and tsunamis and in East Africa offering aid in the midst of devastating drought and famine. Week of Compassion special offering allows us to respond immediately when a need arises.

The strong commitment to Week of Compassion offering that I saw as a kid at Central Christian Church in Childress, Texas is just as evident today at Northway Christian Church. It is one of the ways we fulfill our mission to serve others enthusiastically. It is one of the ways we embrace the stated mission of our denomination to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps “to the ends of the earth.” It is one of the ways we respond to Jesus’ command that we “love one another” as Christ has loved us.

To learn more about Week of Compassion, visit http://www.weekofcompassion.org/.

Frequently Asked Questions – Barry Preston

At the January Board Meeting, the Ministerial Staff answered some of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we receive on a regular basis.  Below are the answers to some of these questions:

1. Who is in charge of Pastoral Care at Northway?

To answer this, we need to make a distinction between “pastoral care” and “congregational care.”  Pastoral care is front-line, critical or emergency care offered by any of the pastors at Northway.  A minister at Northway is always “on-call,” for pastoral care emergencies.  This is handled on a rotational basis, so you might be seen by Lea on a Monday, Doug on a Tuesday, Mark on a Wednesday, Barry on a Thursday, etc.  “Congregational care,” in the most general terms, is rooted in our Christian mission to create community intentionally, and it is a ministry through which each and every member of our community offers love and support to one another at all times. In more specific terms, congregational care is the ministry at Northway that provides caring support to our church members and the surrounding community through ministries such as Grief and Divorce Recovery, Stephen Ministry, After Hospital Ministry, New Baby Ministry, Shawl Ministry, Card Ministry, Homebound Ministry, Prayer Ministry, and Christian Hospitality Ministry.

2. What is happening with Matters of Faith elective classes?

This year, we will not offer an elective class each and every week (as we have the past couple of years). Instead, we will offer electives on a more selective basis.  These electives will include “Discover Northway” (February and October), Christian Caregiving (March), and our annual adult forums in August and December.  Additionally, we will continue to offer short-term classes on important matters in the life of the church. We are encouraging everyone who is looking for a spiritual growth opportunity during the education hour to check out one of our existing Sunday school classes or one of our new Sunday morning small groups.        

3. What are these new Sunday morning small groups?

Sunday morning small groups study the Bible, focusing on spiritual reading (lectio divina) and/or group discussion and life application of the Scripture.  Along with meeting together during the Sunday education hour, the groups will be encouraged to: participate in service projects offered through Northway’s Outreach ministries; offer Christian care for one another in times of need; participate in community-building fellowship events; and support one another in ongoing spiritual formation. Small groups will meet for 12-weeks at a time, followed by a 4-week break, during which leaders can take a sabbatical from their leadership duties and group members can attend adult education forums or elective Matters of Faith classes.  We currently have two small groups: one meets in Holy Grounds and is led by Judy Echols; the other meets in the Music Suite and is led by John O’Neal.