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Volume 13, Issue 7 July 2017

Inside this issue:

From the New

Webmaster

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Reunion 3

From the

Editor

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Connecting You

to Mission

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Rio Grande Mission Center 2017 Calendar

July 2-8 - Jr. Hi Camp—Arizona

July 4-8 - Jr. Camp—Arizona

July 8-14 - Reunion—Sacramento Mountain Retreat

Aug 12-13 - Leadership Retreat—Sacramento Mountain Retreat

Sept 23-24 - Women’s Retreat—Sacramento Mountain Retreat

Nov 11-12 - Mission Center Conference—Clovis NM

Rio Grande Mission

Upcoming events :

Please remember all of the Camps this month.

Also plan to try to attend one of the other events on the calendar. Our Mis-

sion Center is better when we share together. It helps the Mission Center as

a whole and our local congregations.

As we work together we find more ways to live our Motto:

We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of Joy, Hope, Love and

Peace.

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... I am the new webmaster for the Rio Grande Mission Center website. If you haven't yet, check it out at www.rgcofc.com

I am sending out a plea to all of you for information about your congregations. I am specifically looking for things like (but definitely not limited to):

Photographs - events and activities, people based as well as church grounds - all of the congregations have beautiful buildings, both inside and out, and you all do phenomenal things worthy of being photographed. I'm looking for candid, cell phone shots - not anything professional. Relaxed, reverent, fun, and thought provoking

Events - when are your services? Do you have a sewing circle that is open if someone wants to come check us out? I know Juan Tabo does. When do you have your potlucks? Are you having a special event - a baby blessing, garage sale to raise funds for the homeless, participating in a 5K run to help raise money to buy Sunday School books for the kids?

Tell me something special about your congregation - is it located in a pecan orchard or is the building 300 years old and have an interesting history? What do you offer that is unique and different from the other churches in your area? Nothing is insignificant - you never know what piece of information may cause someone to walk through your doors that has never been there.

Stories - did someone in your congregation do something really cool like climb the Eiffel Tower in the dark, or win an award for being best student? Has someone been trying to learn piano and is making wonderful progress?

What is your background? How did you end up being pastor, tell me your journey please (in addition to the fact that I am interested, an outsider may be interested as well).

Now is the time to brag and brag big!! I am proud of all you, now be proud of yourselves and allow Carol and I to show you off a bit. I promise to let you know when I post something you send me so you can tell your congregations and help spread the news. Do you have an open Facebook group or page? If so, please provide me with the contact person's email so I can share the information with them as well.

I know this is a lot, and I don't need all of it at once, but any help you can provide would be really

(Continued on page 3)

From the New Webmaster—Nanci Wallace

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Apostle Linda Booth as our Guest Minister brings a dynamic and inspiring spirit to our Adult Classes and Worship Services. You won't want to miss it!

Registration forms will be available soon on the website www.rgcofc.com. Jon Brinkmann will be Director this year and John Williams will be business manager. Get your registration forms in early to John Williams so that we can plan for housing and meals.

appreciated. Oh, and just so you know, I WILL pester all of you monthly until you send me something though I promise to be nice about it - so expect to be totally annoyed with me.

Thank you all in advance for the work that you do, for being willing to help Carol and I (remember, Carol does the newsletter and needs information as well - we will be sharing!!), and for your dedication to bringing people to Christ and helping people grow and understand their personal journeys with Him.

Please feel free to call me directly if you wish to talk over the phone about any of this.

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Blessings,

Nanci Wallace, Webmaster -Rio Grande Mission Center 505.916.1233 or 303.494.7667

(Continued from page 2)

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To start things off, let me share a little bit about myself. I was raised in the Church. My Grandmother was a member and my Mother and I attend the Amarillo Congregation.

My father was in the Air Force. We lived in Okinawa, Alabama, California, Florida, Canada until he retired back in his home town of Amarillo. I attended camp ZIYOCA every year that I could. A couple of years after I graduated High School, I married a church member and had 2 sons. A few months after the second was born, we separated then divorced. About a year later, I met my current husband, Fairon. When we met, we were both single parents and within a year we had another son. Bringing our family to 4 sons.

We did our best to raise our boys while Fairon worked as a Mechanic and a few stints on farms. We also worked his family farm for a time, in Stratford OK. I learned to build fences, plow fields, bale hay, and milk cows among other things.

When all of the boys were in school, I went back to college and earned my Accounting degree. I worked as an Auditor traveling around Oklahoma for a time, until my brother passed away in 1999, then we returned to Amarillo in 2000 to be closer to my parents.

I currently work at Amarillo College as the General Accounting Manager in the Business Office, and have for more than 10 years. I love the fact that I can use my education and do the work I love for an organization that helps so many people better their lives. I try to use my faith to make me a better Manager, Supervisor, Mother, Step-Mother, Grandmother of 7, Wife, and church member. I love to sing, and work the computer at church.

My favorite thing is sharing God’s love and try to use my flaws to show that everyone is worthy. This is me in a nutshell. There is a lot more, but I don’t want to scare you off. You may see more of my stories, because I love to share them as I feel led.

What about you? Who are you? Please share. Carol (Light) Bevel

From the Editor—Carol Bevel

I would like to thank Nanci for taking on revamping the Mission Center website (rgcofc.com). Please take a moment to read Nanci’s plea for your help, and consider what you can do to help us both share the exciting things that are going on in your congregations that might spark some idea in the hearts and minds of the rest of us.

I don’t know for sure, but I hope that you enjoy hearing about other people in our Mission Center. In addition to what Nanci asked for, I would like you to consider:

doing a spotlight on members of your congregation and sharing things that they have accomplished or done

Maybe share about some trips or visits you have made

Any inspirational items that touch your heart and maybe would someone else’s

Original poetry or short stories

Anything else that you might think others would be interested in

In the past, I have used items that I found on Facebook after asking for permission. I have no problem

doing that as well. If you could tag me in it or share it as a message to me, I will be glad to include it in the

next issue. I don’t have a lot of time to scroll through FB, so please don’t count on me finding it on my

own.

I would love to know better those in our group.

Thanks Carol ~ Administrative Assistant to the Mission Center

President, and Newsletter Editor

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This information comes from a Newsletter that I subscribe to from the World Church. Please consider doing so for more interesting informational updates.

Scripture Resources Page Gets an Update Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith have revised an extensive list of scripture study tools on the church's website. Several new titles were added to a collection of others that have proved their usefulness. Perhaps most important, the materials are aligned with "Scripture in Community of Christ.”

The list, Reliable Tools for Serious Scripture Study, is one of the many resources on the site. The volumes described are for personal or congregational use and include Bibles, commentaries and lectionary-based resources. Links to websites offer sermon helps and study series recommendations, including series for young adults.

Tony Chvala-Smith is a Community of Christ Seminary professor and Charmaine Chvala-Smith is the seminary chaplain. Both are scripture and theology consultants at International Headquarters.

Saying Yes to Love and Hope

When the World Church Finance Board arrived for its 3-4 June 2017 meeting at the Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA, members encountered more than 50 financial reports, numerous concerns, and information about disturbing trends.

When the board left, it had a Worldwide Mission Budget of nearly $18.7 million for fiscal year 2018…and abundant hope. Read more here.

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