March 2023

Did You Know?


When persistence isn't enough  
With the recent rollback of reproductive rights in the United States and the passing of anti-trans and anti-drag bills, honoring women this March is a bittersweet affair.

Truth be told, the way we observe Women’s History Month has always troubled me.

We honor individuals who are “firsts” in their field, ostensibly to show how far we’ve come as a society or to set them up as role models for those who follow. It is right to laud these efforts and persistence.

Yet, the notion that these women must fight so hard to succeed betrays a systemic issue that also deserves our attention. When we judge a woman’s success on her “hard work,” we are perilously close to expecting women to participate in the toxic, mythical “rugged individualism” convention that created so many barriers for women in the first place.

Rather than tackling the systemic issues that create unnecessary barriers for women, our celebration of “persistence” feels like celebrating women striving to achieve their aims despite the world around them rather than in partnership with it – in partnership with all of us.

So, what is the Christian response? How might we genuinely partner with women as we celebrate Women’s History Month?

I am encouraged by a number of ways Disciples are responding. Not only are more women being called as ministers than in years past, but we are seeing congregations leverage their resources to lift women (and their children) from poverty.

For example, Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, a relatively new Disciples congregation in Fort Collins, Colorado, identified accessible and affordable housing and childcare as local issues. Partnering with faith-based organizations, including Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF), they are contributing land for a proposed development that will comprise of housing for low-income families, seniors, and adults with disabilities, as well as a community building with an early childhood education center.

Their “celebration” of women is more than lip service. They are acting in solidarity with women to ensure they have the resources to succeed. They are addressing systemic problems that have held them back for generations.

Meanwhile, our understanding of womanhood continues to evolve. When we ask how to shift a system that privileges the male-dominant culture at the expense of everyone else, we must also consider how this system privileges cis-gender, heteronormative sexuality.

What if we celebrate Women’s History Month by asking ourselves, “How can we ensure the success of all women? How can we create nurturing, caring spaces to help all women flourish?”

What if we consider, for example, how discriminatory laws impact trans women in our community? How can we support these women in their fight for equality at the local, state/province, and national levels? Is our faith community, for starters, a safe space?

Disciples have resources to help us improve. Maybe this year, celebrate Women’s History Month by taking the time and energy to explore how our places of worship can become open and affirming.

When the responsibility for achieving gender equity rests on the shoulder of women alone, we will continue to celebrate individual anomalies rather than changing the systems that make these achievements so out of the ordinary.

When we work to dismantle inequities that create barriers to the success of all women, we’ll genuinely have cause for celebration.

– Nadine Compton, DCEF Creative Writer/Digital Media Specialist
 
 

International Women’s Day may be over, but we all can still learn from the stories of women in ministry. View a recording of New Church Ministry’s latest New Church Hacks episode, “Women Living into Hard and Holy Calls” and hear from two fascinating Disciples ministers - Rev. Christy Jo Harber, Lead Pastor at Woodland Christian Church in Lexington, KY, and Rev. Erin Edwards, Lead Pastor and Founder of LOP (Live on Purpose) Community Church in Davis/Vacaville, CA and co-pastor at the Christian Church of Woodland, CA (Disciples of Christ). Watch webinar.
 
What's next for Disciples?
Through a collaboration of New Church Ministry, the Office of the General Minister and President, and the College of Regional Ministers, comes New Church Ministry’s reboot for a changing world. At General Assembly, Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez, transitional Minister of New Church Strategies, presents DisciplesNEXT: a framework for starting new communities of faith as a “Movement for Wholeness” in a pandemic-informed world. Learn more.
 
Mark your calendars!

Whether you’re initiating a new faith movement in your community or serving an established congregation, there’s always something you can discover to improve your leadership. At its annual Leadership Academy, New Church Ministry offers various ways for you to grow, from group sessions with peers at the same stage of the movement initiation process, to interactive workshops on a wide range of missional topics, to platforms for church leaders to share their wisdom. So join your peers in Kansas City, MO or online and get the tools you need to strengthen your leadership and your ministry. 
 
To access the full prayer list, become a prayer intercessor, or submit a prayer request, visit our website.
 
DCEF searching for next CFO
If you are a job hunting Certified Public Accountant who is familiar with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), then Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF)’s Chief Financial Officer position may be for you. Reporting directly to the DCEF President, this role is in a hybrid office environment and oversees all aspects of the financial operations department to ensure the overall and enduring financial health of the ministry. View full job description.
 
Where We're Going

3/26-29 | National Benevolent Association (NBA) Peer Group retreat

Where We've Been
3/8 | Women Living into Hard and Holy Calls webinar
3/11| Kentucky West Area workshops
3/17-19| Visit to Mid-America region, FCC Missouri City

What We're Thinking About


Becoming Antiracist