Rev. Galen Hora currently serves as the Assistant Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has served as a consultant to ELCA campus ministries in the areas for fund-raising and board development since 1996 and as a campus pastor in six states over 30 years.

The new program offers:

• Full day training seminars open to all campus ministry staff and board members in that area. Personal consultations will be available in certain locations on occasion, in conversation with denominational representatives.

• A monthly publication reporting trends, resources, and practical ideas.

• Webinars at regular intervals to supplement and expand the information provided at the seminars.

• Supportive mentoring by phone and e-mail over the course of the initiative.

Learn more about this new program and how your campus ministry can sign up.

Dennis Landon headed to Orlando, Fla., for the 15ta Asamblea Nacional Hispana y Bilingüe, the gathering of Hispanic Disciples, followed three weeks later by the National Convocation’s meeting in Oklahoma City. At both meetings, he emphasized HELM’s willingness to help students figuring out the complicated job of choosing a college.

“We know that there may be different correct answers to the same question,” Landon says, “and we’re happy to help sort out the confusion of applying for admission, financial aid, and all the other parts of going to college. Continuing your education is too important to let confusion get in the way.” A week later, Brad Lyons met with youth and young adults from the North American/Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD) during their pre-event at Camp Gwinnett, a Disciples campground in Lacey, Wash. In addition to offering help solve “college confusion,” he delivered an interactive sermon and discussed how to discern a vocational calling with a small group of students. “What struck me as I spoke with these passionate, committed students was how they already knew their calling in life,” he said. “One student already plans to take his engineering studies home to Mongolia so he can help modernize his home country. To know that at such an age shows an incredibly mature understanding of serving the world and giving back.” At the larger NAPAD event, Lyons also joined with Cisa Payuyo of Chapman University and Kris Culp, dean of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, to lead a workshop on higher educational opportunities. Topics ranged from how to choose an undergraduate school to the value of post-doctoral degrees.

HELM’s Brad Lyons preaches at NAPAD’s youth and young adult pre-event at Camp Gwinnett in Lacey, Wash. Instead of a one-way sermon, he asked participants what they wanted to see in a congregation, a list that filled three sheets of butcher paper in just a few minutes.

The Ann E. Dickerson Scholarships are for female members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) working toward the Ph.D. degree in religious studies.

NEWTON VALENTINE VANGERGRIFT VOELZ

Christy Newton, Disciples Seminary Foundation. A member of First Christian Church in San Lorenzo, Calif., she is focusing on Interdisciplinary Studies with plans to be a college instructor. Newton has degrees from Texas Christian University, Monash University, and the Pacific School of Religion. Katy Valentine, Disciples Seminary Foundation. A member of The Table congregation in Berkeley, Calif., her foci are biblical studies and the New Testament, and she plans to teach in an undergraduate institution. Valentine has degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Jean Vandergrift, Boston University School of Theology. A member of Hope Central Church in Boston, Vandergrift is focusing on practical theology, congregations, and community. A pastor for 26 years, she has degrees from the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary. A special fund supports the Dickerson Scholarship, which remembers former HELM Board member Ann E. Dickerson. Richard Voelz, a student at the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt University, is the 2010 recipient of the William Gilbert and Florence Leonard Jones Scholarship, given annually to a full-time student pursuing the degree of Doctor of Philosophy who is either preparing for ordination in, or already ordained in, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and intends to provide leadership to a congregation or other agency of the church. A member of Vine Street Christian Church, Voelz is focusing on homiletics and liturgics. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Milligan College. Established through an endowment gift by an anonymous donor, this award aims to recognize and encourage outstanding Disciples preparing for ministry.

If you’re a Disciples M.Div. student, sign up for the Seminarians list serv at www.helmdisciples.org/listserv/. If you know a Disciples seminarian, make sure that student knows about HELM’s Seminarians list serv. It’s the easiest way to find out about opportunities such as the Ministerial Grant program and the Disciples Seminarians Conference, scheduled for March 31-April 3 in Nashville, Tenn.

	Rebekah (Cypert) Krevens (Bethany College ‘07, Brite Divinity School ‘10) was ordained June 12 at Irving North Christian Church, where she had served during her M.Div. studies. An alumna of the HELM Leadership Fellows Program and the Young Adult Commission, Krevens will study at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, through the end of January.
Beau Underwood (Eureka College ‘06, Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago ‘10) was ordained at First Christian Church in Princeton, Ill., his home church, on July 17. A member of the HELM Board of Directors and a former STEP Leadership Team member, Underwood also graduated with a master’s in public policy and is working for a Congressional campaign in Illinois.

Cambria Findley-Grubb: Unbinding your heart Cambria Findley-Grubb's home church recognized it needed to change if it was going to thrive in a new era of ministry, but the idea of change created resistance and frustration. But like many Disciples congregations, the "Unbinding the Gospel" series helped the congregation's members forge deeper connections with God and each other. Now Cambria's congregation is transforming into an exciting place with creative ideas for ministry.
Jesse Stephenson: God provides This summer brought lots of challenges for Jesse Stephenson. He had to adapt to a new community far from home, and he needed to find a job in a county in which nearly one of five workers was unemployed. Luckily, two temp jobs helped him save up a few bucks — just in time to replace his car when its transmission died. Now that he's back at school, he looks back on the summer of 2010 and knows not only that God provided him with plenty, but that no challenge is too tough when God is with you.
Alison Simon: Not what it seems In a recurring dream, Alison Simon keeps traveling to the same French village, over and over, taking along different members of her family. But recently, the dream took a weird twist when her father pointed out Alison wasn't where she thought she was, leaving her confused and disoriented — both in the dream and in reality. Even when things are what they seem to be, she knows she's not alone.
Allie Lundblad: 10,000 hours until greatness As the school year begins, Allie Lundblad is setting goals. Some are mundane (save up for snow boots), while others set lofty goals. She recently learned the theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a particular field. Doing the math, Allie realized she might be able to pull off mastering something, but what should she master?
Caroline Hamilton: Clap for Jesus She couldn't help herself. As Caroline Hamilton watched her Ghanaian hosts dance in celebration and worship, she had to join in. As she danced, her new sisters in Christ wrapped her in their white clothes, welcoming her into their community in Christ. Caroline reflects on her trip to Ghana and the message that sticks with her: In Christ, we are meant to be with each other and to thank God for all our blessings.
Kathryn Welch: Common ground in an uncommon place The anger, ignorance, fear, intolerance, and hatred swirling around the debate over a proposed Islamic community center near Ground Zero has Kathryn Welch frustrated. As Christians, but also as a community of faith, are obliged to speak out against hatred and ignorance, obligated to find common ground? Building bridges over the divides of faith and culture begins with the individual decision to follow Christ.
Charisse Knorr: Looking forward As Charisse Knorr begins her final year in college, she feels her focus shifting. While school and jobs keep her busy, Charisse realizes her world could change a lot in the next year. She doesn't know where she'll end up, what her job will be, or which church community she'll call home. She knows, though that wherever she ends up, she's ready for the challenge — and she knows God will be at her side.
Alan Moore: Brother in Bharat Two months traveling and studying in India taught Alan Moore years' worth of classroom learning. But it was more than learning Hindi and seeing ancient cities. For a small-town Carolinian, homeless children begging on the streets, the crush of people, and an uncomfortable lack of privacy showed Alan a culture he hadn't seen. But he also saw where different cultures connect, whether it was a shared interest in Car and Driver or seeing familiar hymns in a basement church.
Aly Gideon: A summer unlike any other A church camper her whole life, Aly Gideon feels more at home at summer camp than anywhere else. This year, as an intern at Tennessee's Bethany Hills Camp and Conference Center, she's seen church camp from the other side. Though exhausted and a bit homesick, Aly cherishes the opportunity to help young campers — just like she used to be — strengthen their faith. It's no coincidence her faith is strengthening, too.
Kiersten Hawes: My summer opportunity to change the world Earlier this summer Kiersten Hawes participated in a United Nations program addressing several of the world's toughest challenges: poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, discrimination, education, and sustainability. While these challenges engaged Kiersten's mind and imagination, she also learned a lot about how she can work with others despite differing opinions.
Henry Brewer-Calvert: An ocean bridged Henry Brewer-Calvert has spent much of this summer overseas, first in Europe and more recently in southern Africa. Being so far from home, Henry finds himself missing the connection with his Disciples congregations back home, but he also finds himself in community with the strangers around him — in World Cup soccer matches, along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and in a larger family of faith.
Alexis Westerhausen: The universal language A three-week study trip in Egypt gave Alexis Westerhausen once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see some of the world's best-known landmarks. But the moment that sticks in her memory is a surprise trip to a Nubian village, where she met families and children with whom she had nearly nothing in common. Unable to communicate through words, she remembered we all share a common greeting.

For more stories, visit "Students Tell Their Stories" on the HELM web site.

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