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Knowing Daylight Savings would steal an hour of sleep...

At an optional Q-and-A session with general ministry leaders that began a 9 o’clock...

Despite all that, a roomful of seminarians was eager to talk about social justice and denominational priorities. It was yet another hint of the great leadership coming soon to Disciples congregations.

The Disciples Seminarians Conference drew 67 M.Div. students from across the country, representing 19 seminaries, plus two dozen general ministry staff. Open to Disciples students who have completed their first year of Master of Divinity studies, the conference is sponsored by the general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and coordinated by HELM.

In memory of Jenny Faenza A future pastor with a gentle sense of humor, unbelievably positive attitude, and an amazingly large share of tenacity lost her battle with scleroderma while at home for Thanksgiving break. HELM Leadership Fellow Jenny Faenza, 19, was a sophomore at Georgetown University. You can learn more about Jenny's life and ministry on the HELM web site.

Q: Who comes up with questions for HELM’s Great Disciples Leadership Quiz, anyway? A: You! At the last two previous General Assemblies, HELM hosted a box-lunch and trivia event known as the Great Disciples Leadership Quiz. The next quiz will be in Indianapolis July 30, and this time you can suggest questions. Do you know something trivial - or important - about Disciples history and leadership? Send HELM your question and the correct answer. If we use your entry, you could help decide the next Disciples Trivia Champion! You’ll also be entered in our drawing to win two free tickets to the Quiz. See rules and past questions at helmdisciples.org/ga09. Deadline: June 1 The Quiz is on Thursday, July 30 in the Indiana Convention Center. Tickets for the box-lunch event are $21 and can be ordered online.

HELM Board of Directors adds two new members HELM’s board has a pair of new directors who are well acquainted with HELM’s mission and programming: Marshall Dunn and José Morales, Jr. The board also has a new chair, a veteran board member returning for a second term, and the Pacific Southwest Region's Disciple of the Year.

Disciples Leadership Institute discusses its next step Nine members of the Disciples Leadership Institute met in Chicago to brainstorm DLI’s next phase of ministry. Financial conditions have forced the cancellation of a 2009 event, but the 2010 event will invite observers to see how DLI creates open and trusting dialogue across traditional dividing lines.

Kiersten Hawes, Spelman College The gift of mentoring Kiersten Hawes has found a calling as a mentor at ForeverFamily, a non-profit helping children with incarcerated parents, where she helps students with their studies but also with the tough challenges of having an absent parent. She's seen a student struggling to learn a speech only to be disappointed with the final grade, and she's seen the joy in discovering a new way to learn. She's also learned determination and faith can help you do amazing things.
Kathryn Welch, Transylvania University A black-and-white belief For her Community Engagement Through the Arts class, each week Kathryn Welch has to write an essay beginning "I believe..." She's covered a variety of topics, and while it's tough for her to find clear-cut stances on many issues, a common theme is emerging: Social justice. Between the essays and visits to a nearby neighborhood working to overcome a troublesome reputation, Kathryn is seeing how each of us can help others find opportunities to improve their lives.
Tom Calvert-Rosenberger, Texas Christian University Far from home (Part II) Indiana native Tom Calvert-Rosenberger had a tough time getting used to Texas during his first semester, but he's finally settling in and beginning to think of TCU as his eight-months-a-year home. The beginning of the Lenten season, with its wilderness story, and a walk through a labyrinth have helped him appreciate the sense of being lost in the wilderness and to embrace the differences between his two homes.
Courtney Waters, Rhodes College Where are the answers? At a time in her life when she feels she ought to be collecting answers, not searching for them, Courtney Waters is frustrated. Every time she thinks she's close to an answer, another question gets in the way, particularly regarding her faith. The good news, though, is that Courtney is committed to continuing her search for answers and knowledge — and she's convinced her questions will be answered eventually.
Georgia Kuss, Kenyon College Soap and save A semester studying in Paris is a once-of-a-lifetime experience, and Georgia Kuss is immersing herself in the experience — except when she can't immerse herself in the long showers she craves. Her time abroad is opening her eyes to a new culture, as well as helping her critique the American culture that produced her. The adjustment has its difficult moments as she tries to find familiarity amidst the unfamiliar.
Alexis Westerhausen, Culver-Stockton College Breathe and feel the Breath of God Alexis Westerhausen is overcommitted. The migraine headaches and her grumpy demeanor told her that between studies, extra-curricular activities, serving as a community assistant in a campus dorm, new student orientation... all that took its toll on her. So how can an extra activity wipe away all that stress and restore a student? When the kids in the student choir swarm her each Wednesday night before practice. That's when she remembers to breathe and feel the breath of God.
Allison Enari, Occidental College Once again, it's ministry At an age when most kids are considering football player or astronaut as a vocation, Allison Enari considered ministry "because there's nothing better to do." Told she needed to find a better reason to be a minister, Allison considered a variety of other callings, settling on psychiatry when she headed to college. Recently, though, she's returning to ministry for the same reason: There's nothing better for people who want to make a difference.