DAWNetwork

ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS 2011

2011-02-15T19:45:00.009-05:00

WHAT: 2011 Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice

WHEN: March 25 - 28, 2011

WHERE: DoubleTree Crystal City

THEME: Development, Security and Economic Justice: What’s Gender Got to Do with It?

Learn more about the conference and register tooday at www.advocacydays.org

NOTE: On Saturday, March 26th, at 7:30 PM, there will be a special free event for Disciples and ecumenical guests featuring Michael Kinnamon. Dr. Kinnamon will be speaking on the topic, "Gender Equality and the Future of Ecumenism."

This special event will take place in the Van Buren Room at 7:30 pm.

Dr. Michael Kinnamon, an ecumenical theologian and activist, is the General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Learn more about the conference and register tooday at www.advocacydays.org

King Day Blessings!

2011-01-17T00:53:00.000-05:00

The DISCIPLES ADVOCACY & WITNESS NETWORK of the Christian Church Capital Area joins many others within our region, throughout our denomination, across our nation, and around the globe to honor the birthday, life, mission, vision, and continuing challenge of one of America's strongest advocates for justice and peace: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PRAYER: O God of our salvation, give us the grace and strength to keep Dr. King's dream alive, and to make his vision of the Beloved Community a central part of our lives as Christians, as Americans, and as members of the world community. We make this prayer in the name of the One who gave the vision to Dr. King and to us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

CLICK HERE to watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech.

CLICK HERE to read the full transcript.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's Letter from the Birmingham Jail.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech to striking sanitation workers in Memphis.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech on the Vietnam War.

Have a Blessed Epiphany!

2011-01-02T07:22:00.000-05:00

The DISCIPLES ADVOCACY and WITNESS NETWORK (DAWN) in the Christian Church Capital Area hopes you had a very merry Christmas and, if you celebrated it, a wonderful and enriching Kwanzaa.

On this holy Feast of the Epiphany, we wish you a blessed new year and pray that you will have many opportunities to share and receive gifts--especially the gifts of God's compassion, justice and peace.

Please remember DAWN, the Commission for Mission, and the Capital Area in your prayers. And please remember financially to support your congregation, our region, and the general ministries of our church.

The icon, "The Holy Epiphany," is the work of Lewis Williams. This and other icons can be found at Bridge Building Images.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

The DISCIPLES ADVOCACY and WITNESS NETWORK (DAWN) of the Christian Church Capital Area wishes you, your family, and all your loved ones a happy and blessed new year.

As we enter a new year, please keep in your prayers the ministries of DAWN and its many partners in mission.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

The volunteers of the Disciples Advocacy & Witness Network (DAWN) wish you, your family, your congregation, and all your loved ones a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a New Year full of God's blessings!

Please keep the following DAWN-related ministries in your prayers: the Pilgrimage Outreach Center, the regional Proreconciliation/Anti-racism Initiative, and the Disciples Center for Public Witness.

DAWN is a ministry of the Christian Church Capital Area.

Please remember the region in your holiday giving:

Christian Church Capital Area
8814 Kensington Parkway, Suite 208
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6743

Gerrymandering is a Poverty Issue

2010-02-03T14:22:00.008-05:00

by Doug Smith
Director, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

Senior Advisor on Interfaith Advocacy for
The Disciples Center for Public Witness

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, poverty is most apparent in areas like southwest, southside and the Eastern Shore. Recent estimates from the U.S. Census suggest that poverty rates are a staggering 14.9% in rural Virginia while cresting to 9.1% in non-rural areas. With these mammoth rural communities and the legislators they send to Richmond, one would reasonably expect that poverty-related legislation would be constitute more than the handful of bills filed so far. (Richmond Sunlight tag: poverty)

One can argue that the poverty bills we’ve tagged in Richmond Sunlight don’t include educational attainment initiatives, predatory lending caps, or other bills that would help low-income Virginians. But the overarching theme is this: legislators from poor districts who have the power to create the kind of conversation in Virginia that will produce meaningful, lasting change for their constituents are allowing the moment to pass them by.

>> Sign up for VICPP's newsletter and read more of Doug's article.

>> WaPo's Roz Helderman writes about our press conference

>> Watch NBC-29 (Charlottesville) coverage of the issue

>> Virginian Pilot's Julian Walker gets McDonnell on the record

Virginia Governor Gives GOP Response to President Obama's State of the Union Address

2010-01-28T07:26:00.001-05:00

To listen to the President's State of the Union Address, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Virginia: Westin Takes an Anti-Racist Stand

2010-01-27T11:54:00.003-05:00

The Westin Washington Dulles Hotel last night confirmed that the conference scheduled by "white nationalist" group New Century Foundation / American Renaissance has been canceled at their hotel.

The "white nationalist" group New Century Foundation / American Renaissance is on the list of "hate groups" by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and is described as "white supremacist" by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). It has been tracked by law enforcement agencies.

The American Renaissance / New Century Foundation website provides a cacophony of White Supremacist hate commentaries mocking Black Americans based on their IQ, arguing that the genetics of Black Americans make them intellectually inferior, and railing against "the color of crime" with comments attacking Blacks and Hispanic individuals. It warns its readers about "Transition to Black Rule" and attacks Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's focus is exclusively on a white supremacist perspective on race with books and articles entitled: "Why Race Matters," "Racial Heresies of the 21st Century," and "Race and the American Prospect."

R.E.A.L. (Responsible for Equality and Liberty) and other organizations opposing racism applauded the Westin Washington Dulles Hotel and Starwood Hotels on their commitment to diversity, and their principled stand on respecting the human dignity and human rights of all of their customers.

DAWN joins these organizations in urging you to contact the Westin Washington Dulles Hotel and let them know how much you appreciate their stand. DAWN also remains committed to an end to racism on both a personal and an institutional level, in both the church and society.

White House Official Speaks at Regional Gathering to Honor Dr. King

2010-01-21T08:08:00.000-05:00

Paul Monteiro, Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, was this year's guest speaker at the Christian Church Capital Area's annual event celebrating the birthday, life, mission, ministry, vision, and continuing challenge of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Montiero is a lawyer and a teacher who served on Barack Obama's staff when the latter was a Senator. When the Senator became a candidate for President, Montiero became the Deputy Director of Religious Affairs. After the Senator was elected President, Monteiro helped organize the Inaugural National Prayer Service, which included Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA, as a participant and featured GMP Sharon Watkins as the first woman ever to deliver the sermon at a Presidential Inauguration event.

The Capital Area event was hosted by Twelfth Street Christian Church and its Senior Pastor, Dr. Paul Saddler. The worship leader was The Rev. Michael Paige, Chair of the region's Commission for Mission and pastor at Michigan Park Christian Church; and the presiding minister was the Regional Minister, The Rev. Lari Grubbs. The speaker was introduced by Dr. Ken Brooker Langston, director of the Disciples Justice Action Network and coordinator of the Disciples Center for Public Witness.

Mr. Monteiro spoke to a gathering of over 100 Disciples and others about the humanity of our heroes and the heroic potential of all people, no matter how imperfect we may be.

KING DAY BLESSINGS!

2010-01-18T13:09:00.005-05:00

Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (342MB) | mp3 (25MB)

CLICK HERE to read the full transcript.

KING SUNDAY: CELEBRATE WITH US!

2010-01-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

WHAT: The Christian Church Capital Area will hold its annual event remembering and honoring the life, dream, legacy, and continuing challenge of DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

WHERE: Twelfth Street Christian Church
1812 12th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
just a few blocks from the U Street Metro

WHEN: 3 PM
Sunday, January 17th, 2010

Special Guest Speaker: PAUL MONTEIRO
Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement and Special White House Liaison to the Religious Community

Please plan to join us!

We hope to see you and at least 4 other people from your congregation there.

To let us know you're coming, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

SPECIAL DAWN MEETING: 2PM at 12th Street Christian Church.
Just prior to the regional King Sunday Worship Service.

INVITED: All DAWN leaders, new congregational contacts, and all persons interested in the ministry of the Disciples Advocacy and Witness Network in the Christian Church Capital Area.

DC Candlelight Vigil for the "Public Option" in Health Care

2009-12-09T09:33:00.001-05:00

Last night, as Senators continued to debate and negotiate about the future of a "public option" in a Senate health care bill, people of faith from diverse religious traditions gathered near the Senate to hold a candlelight vigil and rally. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate strong support for the "public option" by people of faith.

Participants in the vigil sang, prayed, and listened to speakers from the political, medical, and religious communities--including two senators and six members of congress. Two mothers also spoke about children who had been denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition: one child survived while the other tragically joined the 45,000 who die each year because of insufficient or no health care.

General Assembly Resolution 9915 called for a combination of "initiatives both private and public" to achieve affordable, quality health care for all. However, no General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has spoken specifically about the current issue of a "public option."

Disciples Justice Action Network, an independent justice advocacy organization, was one of the sponsors of the event and is a strong supporter of a robust version of the "public option."

UPCOMING EVENT: "The Role of Faith in Effecting Change"

2009-11-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

Come hear Jack Calhoun, author of Hope Matters: The Untold Story of How Faith Works in America, address the annual meeting of the Virginia Interfaith for Public Policy Thursday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. in the Library of Virginia. He will speak on "The Deeper Principles of Prevention: The role of faith in effecting change." The event is free and open to the public and begins with a reception at 6 p.m. in the main lobby of the Library and concludes with a book signing and meet-the-author opportunity.

Mr. Calhoun is former President and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council; U.S. Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families; Senior Consultant National League of Cities, Institute for Youth, Education and Families; and the coordinator of the 13-City Gang Prevention Network. The Interfaith Center is a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization that works with and through the faith informed community statewide.

To find out more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS!

2009-11-24T14:28:00.002-05:00

DAWN wishes you and your loved ones a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Please pray for and share from your bounty with those who have less or nothing.

Join us in giving thanks for our families, our nation, our congregations, our region, our denomination, the Church Universal, and people of faith and good will throughout the world.
Also, please consider making a special contribution to the organization that handles our communications, The Disciples Center for Public Witness. Contribute online HERE.

- OR - Please mail your most generous contribution to:

Disciples Center for Public Witness
c/o Christian Church Capital Area
8814 Kensington Parkway, Suite 208
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6743

Many Thanks and Many Blessings!

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES 'FEED A NEIGHBOR' INITIATIVE

2009-11-24T14:13:00.001-05:00

According to the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships, "President Obama is calling on all Americans to come together to solve hunger in our communities."

Toward that end, the Corporation for National and Community Service is launching the United We Serve: Feed a Neighbor initiative in collaboration with the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The purpose of the initiative is to raise public awareness of hunger issues and ask Americans to help ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritional food this winter and throughout the year. Although focusing the national spotlight on hunger this holiday season, the Corporation and USDA hope to continue their year-round commitment to support anti-hunger programs in communities across the country.

To find out more about this initiative, PLEASE CLICK HERE and HERE.

Unemployment Drops in Most W.Va. Counties

2009-11-20T00:42:00.004-05:00

Unemployment rates are down in most West Virginia counties. Figures released recently by Workforce West Virginia show unemployment declined in 44 counties in October.

Ten counties reported higher jobless rates. The rates in three counties were unchanged from September. Statewide, West Virginia's unemployment rate fell by three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.7 percent in October.

Additional Weeks of Unemployment Insurance Benefits Available To Delaware Unemployed

2009-11-17T00:15:00.000-05:00

Gov. Jack Markell and Secretary of Labor John McMahon recently announced that unemployed Delaware workers will be eligible for up to fourteen weeks of additional unemployment insurance benefits.

“These benefits will help Delawareans who have been hit hard by the national economic recession get back on their feet,” Markell said. “Turning around the state’s economy takes time. That’s why my administration is working hard every day to move our economy forward and create jobs by making Delaware the best state in the nation for starting and growing businesses.”

These additional benefits have become available as the result of the Worker, Homeowner, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 that was signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 6.

UPCOMING EVENT: GWAIR 3rd Anniversary

2009-11-12T08:56:00.000-05:00

THIRD ANNIVERSARY
GREATER WASHINGTON ALLIES IN RECONCILIATION
A Regional Interfaith Antiracism Alliance

WHY DO WE STILL NEED A REGIONAL INTERFAITH ANTIRACISM ALLIANCE?
with Synergy-in-Action PLAYBACK THEATER GROUP

November 22, 2009: 4-7:30pm
Church of the Pilgrims
22nd & P St. NW (Dupont Circle area)

Share your stories and concerns, and celebrate GWAIR's 3rd ANNIVERSARY over
table fellowship, birthday cake and wishes/ideas for our next year.

Reserve a space at www.gwair.org or by emailing INFO@GWAIR.org.
$10-50 donations requested.
RSVP by November 18, 2009.

Annapolis Mayor-Elect Puts Together Diverse Transition Team

2009-11-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

Annapolis mayor-elect Josh Cohen announced his transition team Tuesday, asking a bipartisan and eclectic group of Annapolitans to address issues ranging from crime to the environment.

The 88-member team - led by former Democratic mayoral candidate Zina Pierre and Greg Stiverson, a Republican who lost a bid to represent Ward 6 - has been charged with analyzing the way city government runs and to suggest ways to make it more effective and efficient.

To read the rest of the story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

REMEMBRANCE DAY / VETERANS DAY

2009-11-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

Remembrance Day in Canada – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a statement by Prime Minister Harper, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Veterans Day in the United States is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Unfortunately, in the recent past, the holiday had decreased in importance among many U.S. citizens. But increasing patriotism across the political spectrum, and the continuing participation of many Americans in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have resulted in recent years in greater observance of this important holiday.

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a statement by President Obama, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Former President Speaks at Delaware Event

2009-11-10T17:54:00.000-05:00

At the invitation of Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton gave the keynote speech at the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Wilmington, DE. At the dinner the former president publicly thanked the Vice President's son, Beau Biden, for his service in the National Guard and as Attorney General.

The younger Biden has not announced his political plans for the future, but he was publicly encouraged by Governor Jack Markell to run for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by his father.

Source: Associated Press and Delmarva Media Group.

Virginia Republicans, Pragmatic Politics, and Minority Voters

2009-11-08T20:22:00.001-05:00

Despite winning the governor's race by a 17-percentage point blowout, Virginia Republicans insist hat they have gained no broad mandate and would make their top priority the pragmatic platform that drove voters to the polls.

To read the rest of this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Despite his overwhelming support among white voters, Robert F. McDonnell made efforts to reach out to black, Hispanic, Asian, and other minority groups in his campaign for governor.

To read the rest of this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Ex-Tobacco Insider Says Companies Target African Americans

2009-10-30T19:42:00.002-04:00

At a forum in Charleston, WV, a former tobacco industry executive spoke about how cigarette companies target African Americans. According to LaTanisha Wright, who worked for the Brown & Williamson Corporation based in Louisville, KY, "They targeted black communities and youth. They post many more billboards and signs in black communities than in white communities."

According to Wright (who resigned when Brown & Williamson merged with J. R. Reynolds), "A lot of people living in black communities don't recognize that. My goal is to educate people in churches, schools and community centers, as well as public health officials."

West Virginia is first in the nation in the use of chewing tobacco, second in smoking during pregnancy, and third in the number of adult smokers in relation to the overall population.

Source: The Charleston Gazette: www.wvgazette.com.

REGIONAL OFFICE MOVING TO CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND

2009-10-16T20:19:00.000-04:00

The Capital Area Regional Office is in the process of moving to the facilities in the North Chevy Chase Christian Church. The Office is closed from 5:00 pm on Friday, October 16 and will reopen on Wednesday October 28 (due to issues in transferring telephone service).

Please note that our new address is:

Christian Church Capital Area
8814 Kensington Parkway, Suite 208
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6743

Service of Remembrance and Hope

2009-10-13T16:49:00.006-04:00

Help us remember!

Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Hope
for Health Care for All

Tuesday, October 20th - 12:00 noon

National City Christian Church in Washington, DC

On the October 20th National Day of Remembrance and Hope, people of faith all over the country will wrap their hearts around the unnecessary suffering and deaths that occur every year due to lack of needed health care. Set to coincide with activities planned on the same date by many other organizations, this Day of Remembrance will demonstrate the faith community's effort to say, "We won't forget!" It will be our opportunity to commit to continuing our work in hopeful expectation for comprehensive and compassionate health care reform.

The Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Hope at National City Christian Church will include the stories of those who have died and will feature music, prayer, liturgical dance and candlelighting in their memory. Attendees will enter the service with the mournful sound of bagpipes, and will be graced with the music of one of the district's finest organs before and after the service.

Please RSVP to assist with our planning! And then, share this invitation with your friends, family, and colleagues. It is our participation in events such as this that will demonstrate our collective moral witness for health care reform. It will be one more affirmation that we seek a health care future grounded in the sacred bonds of our common humanity, compassion, shared responsibility, concern for those who are most vulnerable, and faithful stewardship in the midst of abundance.

For more information about the National Day of Remembrance and Hope of which this Interfaith Service is a part, PLEASE CLICK HERE.