Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. -Ephesians 3:20-21
On July 10th, Brad and I boarded a plane bound for Memphis, Tennessee to attend the General Assembly for the Disciples of Christ. It was our first time attending a General Assembly and to be honest, it was a bit overwhelming as Brad put me in charge of the spreadsheet for this adventure. For those who may not know, Brad is a spreadsheet taskmaster especially for our travels. So, not only was I a tad overwhelmed by the event itself, I was also a bit anxious in making certain that our schedule was well thought out with parking reservations, flights, Ubers, hotel reservations, restaurant choices, and to also choose and register each of us for all the different workshops, mission opportunities, business meeting sessions, keynote speakers, worship opportunities, special luncheons and dinner events and after-hour events. Thankfully all worked out well and we look forward to sharing glimpses into our experiences at General Assembly with you all over the next few months.
The theme for the assembly was BEYOND based on Ephesians 3:20-21 and in many ways, we were challenged to do just that. For this month, I’ll share the various ways in which we participated in the mission of the church. General Assembly reminded us that the Church is not confined to four walls. Stories of mission—from urban outreach initiatives to global partnerships—sparked inspiration and ignited conversations about justice, compassion, and discipleship. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in hands-on service projects and connect with mission-driven organizations, reaffirming our call to love and serve boldly. Brad and I went to Memphis a day prior to the beginning of the assembly to volunteer with Week of Compassion. We built 50 wall panels which were then shipped to Western Kentucky to be assembled for a family whose home was destroyed by a tornado in December 2021. It was an amazing undertaking with about 40 people hammering for over 7 hours, but the outcome was inspiring. Together, we completed the framing for a three-bedroom home! And then offered a blessing over the front door before it was all loaded onto a truck bound for Kentucky. Our second and third mission projects took place on Sunday afternoon. We gathered with other Disciples to assemble hygiene kits for a Memphis shelter and backpacks for local school children. Together we assembled 100 of each kit. We also wrote cards of encouragement to include in the bags along with cards for the children in St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis. Special thanks to each of you for supporting this mission too as CCC purchased supplies for both types of kits through our designated Outreach funds. Together we made a great impact on the city of Memphis and the local agencies that help serve that community.
Until next month’s reflection, may the seeds planted at General Assembly continue to grow and bear fruit in our communities and BEYOND.
Shalom,
Pastor Heidi