Regional Assembly Follow Up
Tuesday, October 13
Over 100 KC Disciples joined in worship, fellowship, brainstorming, and dreaming big this weekend at Regional Assembly.
Below are some highlights from our time together:
2026-2028 Regional Board
We elected our 2026 - 2028 Regional Board executive committee and our lay representatives.
Moderator: Rev. Andy Beck, Hillside Christian Church
Moderator-Elect: Rev. Jill DeFord, Fairview Christian Church
Secretary: Rev. Bryce Bowers, Country Club Christian Church
Treasurer: Kathy Harris, Fairview Christian Church
Past Moderator: Peggy Chandler, Lee's Summit Christian Church
7 Lay Representatives to the Regional Board:
Dorothy Johnson, Swope Parkway United Christian Church
Neal Heckman, First Christian Church Olathe
Carol Nelson, Longview Chapel Christian Church
Krista Hindsley, Hillside Christian Church
Charisse Dodd, Lee's Summit Christian Church
LeAundra Boyice, WHOMSOEVER Community of F.A.I.T.H. (2nd Term)
Richard Hughey, Hillcrest Christian Church (2nd Term)
Regional Mental Health Summit
In our plenary session, we set a regional goal to host a mental health summit.
Rev. Amy Shoemaker, Associate Regional Minister for New Church, led us in a brainstorming session on Saturday morning. We first shared areas of hurt in our daily lives and in our communities. We then narrowed down those pains to four core causes: children, elders, cost of living, and mental health.
Each table chose one of the core pains and dreamt of a headline for two years from now. As an assembly, we then voted on the headline we wanted to focus our effort as a Region on for the next two years.
Our winning headline was: “KC Disciples hold second annual Mental Health Summit.”
If you would like to help plan this summit, or if you have experience, education, or skills you believe would be valuable, please complete the form below.
Installed our 2026 - 2027 Regional Youth Cabinet
We installed our 2026 - 2027 Regional Youth Cabinet.
The Regional Youth Cabinet is made up of junior and senior high school students in the KC Disciples Region. They meet monthly to plan CYF Mid-Winter and CYF summer camp. Serving on the Regional Youth Cabinet develops strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
The 2026-2027 Cabinet is made up of 13 youth and 4 adults:
Emsley Blackman, a junior from First Christian Church Fayetteville
Evan Braithwaite, a senior from Shawnee Community Christian Church
Emma Bright, a junior from Liberty Christian Church
Cash Collier, a junior from Lee's Summit Christian Church
Theo Dow, a senior from Community Christian Church
Zoe Fritschie, a senior from Hillcrest Christian Church
Sara Kate Michaels, a junior from First Christian Church Fayetteville
Will Nickell, a junior from Living Water Christian Church
Joely Nickerson, a junior who considers Tall Oaks her home church
Neko Silvers, a junior from Lee's Summit Christian Church
Josie Smotrilla, a senior from Saint Andrew Christian Church
Maddie Sullins, a senior from Fairview Christian Church
Adult Sponsors:
Jenna Engelken, from Overland Park Christian Church
Nora Engelken, from Overland Park Christian Church
Rev. Chuck Pickrel, who serves as the Youth Pastor at Saint Andrew Christian Church
Rev. Stephen Underwood, who serves as the student liaison at the KC Disciples Regional Office
There are a limited number of shirts from past summer camps that are available for $10 each. All proceeds go to the camp scholarship fund. At Regional Assembly, we raised $95!
Raised money for Intersect KC and Deaf International
We are blessed with vital nonprofit organizations within our Region; this year, $5 of every registration for Regional Assembly Registration fee was donated to Intersect KC and Deaf International for a total of $590.
We were also able to donate our leftover food directly to Micah Ministry.
What if Church Camp could be your church?
Ever wondered what church would look like if it embodied the authentic community, joyful worship, deep reflection, and closeness to nature that make the church camp experience so magical? A group of KC Disciples is working to make that a reality. If you’d like to learn more and see how you could be part of the experiment, contact Rev. Stephen Underwood at stephen@kcdisciples.org
Upcoming Regional Events:
Disciples Women's Ministry - October Meeting
Join us for our Disciples Women's Food, Fellowship & Faith in Action Evening on Thursday, October 22nd!
Dinner begins at 6:00 PM — a fall Soup & Sandwich dinner
Hillcrest Christian Church
Cost: $8 per person (Men are welcome too!)
Topic: Micah Ministries & Intersect KC
As we gather around the table for dinner and fellowship, we'll learn about the work Micah Ministries and Intersect KC are doing right here in our community.
Through the Micah Ministry in Kansas City's historic Northeast, Intersect KC serves our unhoused and food-insecure neighbors with home-cooked meals, clothing, hygiene essentials, and a free medical clinic — sharing up to 1,200 meals each week. Come hear how this ministry is putting faith into action, and how we can support and be part of it.
The evening's offering will be split between Micah Ministries and Intersect KC.
Come enjoy an evening of good food, fellowship, connection, and conversation with other Disciples Women!
Please RSVP by calling, texting, or emailing Ashley:
Undergirding Our Congregation's Dreams: How Money Impacts Our Ministry
Thursday, Oct. 22 | 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Merriam Christian Church | $20
Setting the Stage for Healthy Dreaming
Key Foundation Words for Stewardship/Finance
Stewardship Theological Foundation
Potential Areas of Conversation with the Group
Building a Team Approach to Stewardship/Finances
Annual Budget/Campaign Efforts
Campaign approaches
Alternative income streams
Grants with the Denomination or Local Community
Staff support around compensation, planning, and creative encouragement
Capital Campaign Programs
Seminar Leader
Rev. Dr. Chris Wilson will lead this seminar. He is the Senior Pastor of Saint Andrew Christian Church in Olathe, KS and has thirty plus years of ministry shared in the local church. He is on the Bethany Fellows Board and has served in this role since 2012. He also serves and has served in several capacities in the wider Disciples denomination and in ecumenical/interfaith non-profits. His undergraduate degree was in Business Administration, and he has a certification as a national Financial Educator.
ARPR 3.0 Training
Saturday, October 24
This workshop is intended to support the work of clergy and lay leadership who are already aware of the harm of systemic racism that continues to hurt us all in the Church and in our communities and frustrate the mission of Jesus.
Co-facilitators Rev. Dr. Dionne Boyice and Rev. Rose-Heim are pleased to announce that Rev. Dr. Chris Wilson will present the Becoming and Anti-Racist Congregation process that he helped to design and test.
We will also introduce and practice the Transformative Community Conferencing method for re-examining the narrative that drives the stories we tell about ourselves and others.
We will learn from the KC Reparation Coalition how any individual and congregation can take action locally to take part in the unresolved justice work of reparation for documented historic harms committed in their communities. We will provide registrants with links to advance reading opportunities; however, this workshop will include small- and large-group activities.
2026 Racial Justice Summit
Saturday, November 7th
The 2026 Annual KC Racial Justice Summit gathers neighbors, organizers, and partners to confront the realities of racial inequity in Kansas City.
With Keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Hanna Broome and 8 local racial justice leaders sharing workshops, we learn, share concrete tools, and engage in the work of building communal power and dignified relationships.
Tall Oaks Gala
Saturday, November 14th
Save the date and buy your tickets for the annual Tall Oaks Gala!Reserve your seat at:
Table Assignments are made in the order in which reservations are received, so get them in early. Reservations are $75 per person, $600 to host a table of 8, and $900 to host a VIP table of 8.
Auction Donation Suggestions:
We are celebrating over 50 years of camping at Tall Oaks. This year’s Tall Oaks Gala, the annual fundraising event, will be on November 14th, 2026, at Tall Oaks. Thanks to all of you who have supported the Gala in the past and we hope you will continue to do so. The following are guidelines for auction donations for the event. The suggestions are not meant to be all-inclusive; we urge you to use your creativity. Your donations will help to make this an amazing Gala!
Sports Themed Items
Any sports memorabilia, specifically KC Teams.
Tickets to games
Signed items
Travel and Entertainment
Tickets to events
Travel packages or travel baskets
Weekend getaways
Experiences
Restaurants
Baskets with date or family night themes
Art and Collectibles
Well-known or local artists
Collectibles, meaning they retain their original value or increase in value
Themed baskets
Family/Kids themes
Cooking
Movies
Holiday (Thanksgiving/Christmas)
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Items must fit in a car so that they can be taken home with the purchaser the evening of the event. 10%-25% of the value (50% for gift certificates) will be used as the minimum bid unless otherwise requested by the donor.
For more information or to make a donation, contact:
Gala Team
lisa4women@gmail.com, (913)634-5602
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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