about us
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what is mission west?
On this page you will find a brief description of Mission West, information about staff, and information about the volunteers that make up the Mission West Common Mission Board and documentation about the ministry and meetings that make up Mission West.
Mission West is the collaborative
ministries of the Central Area, Hi Plains Area, and Tres Rios area of
the Christian Church Disciples of Christ in the Southwest. We are the
judicatory body for 84 Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ)
congregations in West Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma Panhandle, and most of New Mexico.
Our logo was designed to honor the three areas that make up Mission West. Orange represents the Tres Rios Area with the desert sands and mountains that are plentiful throughout. Blue represents the Central Area with the big skies throughout as well as the blue waters at Lake Brownwood. Yellow represents the Hi Plains Area for the yellow grasses that flow throughout. Starting in 2013 the Central Area, Hi Plains Area, and Tres Rios Area began working to do more in ministry together than they could alone.
Would you like more information about the The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), our The Design or The Chalice
You can also watch the Video "A Movement for Wholeness in a Fragmented World" below.
about us - staff
Our office is located at 2717 Stanley St., Ste. A, Amarillo, TX 79109. The telephone to the office is 806-358-9590 and fax number is 806-553-5172. You may also email.
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mission west common mission board
Below you will find the members who faithfully serve on the Mission West Common Mission Board.
List of Documents from meetings:
rev. leslie dalstra
moderator
fcc el paso, tx
email
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rev. paul carpenter
secretary &
hpa board liaison
fcc lubbock, tx
email
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rev. randa reeves
treasurer
email
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rev. don wilson
cea board liaison
fcc abilene, tx
email
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jimmy case,
tra board liaison,
fcc alpine, tx
email
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rev. sterling lentz,
non voting member to CCSW regional council,
fcc brownwood, tx
email
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rev. penny biddy,
cea member at large,
brook hollow cc, abilene, tx
email
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hpa member at large
vacant
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moderator elect
vacant
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in the beginning...
As of 1/9/2014 the following is what your Common Mission Board is considering.
Becoming Mission West: A Beginning 12/18/2013
Mission West is a partnership, an Association of Areas, made up of the Tres Rios, Central and Hi Plains Area churches of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest. Its purpose is to enrich, renew, and expand each congregation’s response to God’s call to mission in its context by the sharing of resources, personnel and inspiration. What the congregations and Areas do together is more than can be done separately.
Each Area will:
For administrative purposes, the Lead Minister, and all other staff for Mission West, will be employees of the Hi Plains Area until legal incorporation of Mission West. The Lead Minister will be the legal Area Minister for Hi Plains, Central and Tres Rios Areas. Governance for Mission West will be through a Common Mission Board comprised of nine members, three from each Area.
The CMB’s key duties:
The CMB will meet as necessary. A quorum will be six, two from each Area.
Mission West will:
The Hi Plains Area will initially:
The Central Area will initially:
The Tres Rios Area will initially:
Progress Report from the Common Mission Board for Mission West 10/3/2013
We, The Mission West Common Mission Board, have been working together since August 10th . We have come to see Mission West as a partnership of the Tres Rios, Central and Hi Plains churches that can enrich, renew, and even expand each congregation’s response to God’s call to mission in our context by the sharing of resources, personnel and inspiration. We are convinced that what our congregations and Areas do together is more than we can do apart.
The Mission West Common Mission Board envisions our work in the following ways and more:
Offering support, encouragement, and hope for existing and new congregations
Equipping lay and clergy leaders through fellowship, education, mission opportunities and leadership development training.
Working and witnessing through camps, retreats and shared events.
Resourcing faith formation and discipling new believers of all ages.
Developing a communication and sharing network among congregations to empower fellowship, mission and transparency.
Creating and identifying resources and counseling to build and maintain dynamic and healthy relationships within and between Congregations.
To determine support for our work together we have extended an invitation to the Area boards: What is the best you can offer to support the ongoing work of Mission West? What is the best each Area can contribute not only to provide reasonable and acceptable financial resources, but treasures of talent, passion and prayer? Just as every congregation has to consider carefully how much they contribute to the work of the larger church, each Area is asked to prayerfully consider what their best offering from the respective Area budgets might be.
A Budget Task Force from the Common Mission Board will prepare a budget reflective of what the three Areas believe to be their best financial contribution to the Common Mission Fund. The proposal for Mission West, including the budget will be presented to the Area Boards and Assemblies for approval. Our target for launching Mission West as Mission West is June 1, 2014.
Much remains to be done. By the end of the year we will:
Determine the personnel we need to make Mission West a reality.
Develop governance documents, policies and procedures
Incorporate
Create a Common Mission Fund
Improve our communication
While the task at times seems daunting, we have a sense of true calling to this ministry opportunity. Urged and supported by the Holy Spirit we move forward in this important work.
Press Release September 3, 2013
The Mission West Common Mission Board, created by the Hi Plains, Central and Tres Rios Areas, has been meeting in person and by conference call. We have been about the assigned charge to find ways we can partner for effective and faithful ministry in our mission fields. Here you will find the beginning of our work. We will attempt to have at least one “press release” each week, keeping you up to date with our progress. You are encouraged to share the information with your congregations through your email or bulletin handouts. You can be even more up with what is happening by going to our Facebook site, Mission West or our here on our website. The work has been fulfilling. The Board has already come together in purpose.
Full Article January 2012
Being a Sign, Foretaste, and Instrument of God’s Reign
Late last year, Area Ministers Charlotte Hoppe (TRA/CEA) and Chuck Fisher (HPA), extended an invitation to explore ways we can better organize ourselves for God’s mission in the West was extended to all Disciples in the Central, Hi Plains and Tres Rios Areas. On January 17 and 18 twenty-seven brave souls, representing each area, responded by gathering in Amarillo.
What did we want to accomplish in this meeting? Our goal was to create an exploratory working agreement (covenant) between the three areas that would begin no later than January 1, 2014. Following lengthy and often lively discussion, we came close to our goal. We agreed that we will have ready by March 1, a proposed agreement to be considered and voted on by each Area. Our hope is that, if each Area approves the covenant, to begin living together in community by September 1.
To create the covenant, two representatives of each Area present in the meeting were chosen as a Covenant Team. They are:
Chuck and Charlotte will not be participating in the on-going Covenant Team discussion, but will be available as consultants if necessary.
The Covenant Team’s charge is to prepare an exploratory working agreement (covenant) between the three areas to begin no later than January 1, 2014. The proposed covenant is to be ready for each Area’s consideration by March 1.
The Thursday and Friday discussions led to a Provisional Mission Statement, which, along with New Day New Direction insights, will guide creation of the covenant:
"To live out our ministry as a connecting community of communities seeking to serve Jesus Christ in the contexts in which God has placed us" (Adapted from CCSW New Day New Direction Ministry Plan).
The group also suggested “Provisional Core Principles for Transformation”:
Go to our Mission West website, www.missionwestccsw.org, for up-dates. Suggestions, comments critical or otherwise are welcome. Send your remarks to hpa@ccsw.org and they will be forwarded to the Covenant Team.
