AZDisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

Global Ministries

Arizona Global Mission Team

New Year’s greetings from your AZ Region Global Mission Team!

First, some great news: After a moratorium following the COVID Pandemic, Global Ministry Co-Workers are now visiting Disciples and UCC congregations across the country, with several of them available this year in Arizona to speak during worship, or at small group events. To schedule a visit to your church, please contact Global Mission Team Co-Chairs Al Beasley (abeasley6@cox.net) or Amy Hirsch (revaehirsch@gmail.com).

We are expecting several visiting Ministry Co-Workers in the coming year. Please read about them below and contact Al or Amy to schedule a visit to your congregation.

Click here for more information on our visiting Ministry Co-Workers:

In addition to scheduling visits from Ministry Co-Workers the Arizona Global Mission Team is also available to facilitate the process of becoming a Global Mission Church. Several of our Arizona congregations have already completed this process, and the team would be happy to visit with you to discuss your church achieving this distinction. You can begin reviewing the process at globalministries.org.

The third part of our exciting New Year agenda is to promote Church-to-Church partnerships. We believe that walking with Christians and people of other faiths from around the world can enhance the life, faith, and witness of your church.

Reflection from Rev. Amy E. Hirsch

The Arizona Region sent me off to serve as a Division of Overseas Ministries (now Global Ministries) missionary (now known as mission co-workers) to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1989. I will never forget the letters I got from churches, Chistian Youth Fellowship groups, CWF (now Disciple Women) groups and Sunday School classes while I was in the jungle on the Equator. Those letters, drawings and support sustained me when the situation in Zaire was bleak. Initially, I taught English at Zaire Christian Institute. Then, I worked with women and children teaching nutrition and running a feeding program for malnourished children out of the Bolenge Hospital.

I was evacuated in 1991 due to civil unrest. The Zaireans were sobbing, tearing their clothes and rolling in the dirt as we missionaries departed. I was saddened that we were plucked from danger while they continued to live with uncertainty, corruption, heat and humidity.  Division of Overseas Ministries (now Global Missions) helped those evacuated process our experiences and reintegrate back into society successfully.

As part of the ministry of the AZ Global Mission Team, I would encourage Disciple churches in Arizona to: 1) Become a Global Mission church. Global Ministries has resources to assist churches in learning  about overseas missions. Instead of the old model of sending out missionaries (a giving at), the focus is now on (a giving with). We are called to ask the deeper question of what it means to give and receive when it comes to global missions.  2) Engage with returning mission workers. Co-workers from Botswana, Mexico, and Colombia will be available to visit Arizona congregations in 2025. 3) Consider becoming involved in the Church – to – Church program as a church. Visit the Global Missions website for details on the above three programs. www.globalministries.org

Let us learn from our Congolese neighbors as together we serve in ministry.

Rev. Amy E. Hirsch (aka Mama Bombundo)

Feed My Sheep: a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and India

REPORT ON THE GLOBAL MISSION BOARD PILGRAMAGE TO SRI LANKA AND INDIA

Submitted by LaVerne Thorpe, Global Mission Board Member

First let me introduce myself, I am LaVerne Thorpe a long time Disciple woman.  I have served in many ways within the church at all levels from the local, regional, national and international levels.  From kitchen clean up and cook to representing the church at the world conference in Brazil and serving as Vice President of the International Disciples Women’s Ministries.

In 2018 I was nominated and accepted the call to serve on the Global Ministries Common Board.  In that position I was honored to be invited to be a part of the Global Ministries Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and India in September of this year. This trip is part of the kick off for the South Asia initiative to learn about our mission partners and to generate support for our Christian brothers and sisters in that part of the world.

I am available to share this information with you and your church in any format you require.  Possibilities include a women’s meeting, during Sunday morning worship, or during the Sunday School hour or perhaps as a bible study.  If this is something you would like to schedule feel free to contact me at 313-407-7951 or email me at allbyhand313@yahoo.com.

Our Pilgrimage started in Colombo Sri Lanka with the Church of the American Ceylon Mission.  We were warmly greeted by Rev Sullivan, church leaders and members.  The church leaders gave a presentation on the history of the church and an overview of the political situation in the country, the many mission efforts and their hopes for future projects.  There have been dramatic consequences from the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by unknown ISIS suicide terrorists that killed 290 and injured 500 people.  Christians were targeted at the three churches, three hotels and two guest houses that were bombed on Easter Sunday in three cities.  Many people have left because of fear of further violence.   The church has to contend with real and dangerous religious discrimination in a mostly Hindu country.  After the bombings the church has worked hard to initiate gatherings of inter-faith groups to promote peace and the freedom of religions or beliefs and the rights of all persons.  In spite of the challenges the church is thriving and serving the communities with day care centers, career training centers, efforts to prevent human trafficking and homes for orphan children.  I am truly impressed with the scope and breadth of the church’s mission work.  In light of the hardships they have faced from a painful church split, religious discrimination, racial discrimination and fallout and fear resulting from the recent bombings they are serving the needs of their communities in meaningful ways in 67 churches and church centers.  They are determined to heed and follow God’s word to “feed my sheep” and to be peacemakers.

The next leg of our pilgrimage took us to New Delhi, India and to the Church of North India.  We were again greeted warmly by the church leaders and members. We were in time for a morning worship service and served tea and cookies after service.  We were give an in depth overview of the church history, goals, mission work and challenges via a power point presentation.  In 1970 six churches, the Council of Baptist churches, the Church of the Brethren, Disciples of Christ, the Church of India, The Methodist Church and the United Church of Northern India all joined together to form the church of North India.  The church currently has 27 dioceses.  Being a minority religion in a Hindu country they also have huge problems with discrimination and persecution.  It is not unheard of for Christians to be martyred for their faith in horrible ways.  Over a period of several months in 2008 hundreds of Christians were killed, houses burned and women were raped for refusing to denounce Christianity in favor of Hinduism.  This practice has decreased but it has not stopped.  Another huge issue the church is working with is human trafficking.  They have several programs to educate people about this crime and also try to stem the tide of people being pulled into modern day slavery.  Recovery efforts are also done when possible to rescue persons trapped in slavery.  The church also operates a hospice, a health and wellness program, a school of theology that has trained 430 evangelists, a strong women’s program, job training and a comprehensive youth program.  Again this church is also heeding God’s word to “feed my sheep” and to be peacemakers.