Location: First Christian Church
8484 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Early Bird Registration
$50 Adults, $25 Children and Youth
Prices increase by $15 after October 6
Voting delegates must be in-person to vote.
Friday, November 1
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Pre-Assembly Seminar for Clergy — Facilitator — Rev. Dr. Bill Tenny-Brittian
4:00 PM-6:30 PM Regional Assembly Registration/Exhibits Open
4:15 PM-5:30 PM All Assembly Choir Rehearsal
5:00 PM-6:30 PM Drop-In Style Dinner at FCC Baton Rouge, LA
7:00 PM Regional Assembly Opening Worship
Keynote Preacher — Rev. Alison Robuck
Dessert reception following worship
Saturday, November 2
8:00 AM Coffee and Donuts
8:30 AM Music and Opening Worship
9:00 AM This is Our Story - Christian Church Disciples of Christ
10:00 AM Regional Assembly Business Meeting
11:00 AM Break
11:10 AM Regional Assembly Business Meeting continued
12:00 PM Luncheons — Disciples Women, Disciples Men, Worship Planners, Regional Elders, Chaplains
2:00 PM-3:00 PM Workshops — Round 1 - All Assembly Workshop
Rev. Ronny Nowell Presents: Not If, But WHEN!?! (Sanctuary)
3:00 PM-3:15 PM Break
3:15 PM-4:15 PM Workshops — Round 2
4:15 PM-4:30 PM Break (Exhibits close at 4:30 PM)
4:30 PM-5:30 PM Workshops — Round 3
5:30 PM All Assembly Dinner
Sunday, November 3
9:00 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Worship Service
No coordinated Youth activity is scheduled for the weekend.
Child care services may be available. Please indicate if you will need childcare on registration, so the host congregation can make appropriate plans. Someone from the Regional Assembly Planning Team will be in contact the week prior to Regional Assembly to go over the times and locations for childcare once we know the needs.
Hotel Information
Attending board members and facilitators do not have to make hotel reservations. Instead, please contact the Regional Office at 501-562-6053 by October 10, 2024, for more information.
The Regional Board members will be staying at the Embassy Suites at 4914 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Others may make reservations by calling 225-924-6566 or visiting the website HERE. There isn't a group rate for this hotel.
Be sure to mention Great River Region / Regional Assembly to qualify for the group rate
A block of 20 rooms is reserved at Crowne Plaza until October 10, 2024(after Oct 2 rooms are not guaranteed). The hotel is located at 4728 Constitution Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70808 - Call 225-925-2244. www.crownebaton.com. These rooms are $129 each night plus tax.
More Options
For more hotel options - Hotels near FCC Baton Rouge, LA
Pre-Assembly Seminar for Clergy
*Sponsored by Pinnacle Outreach Ministry
The Magnetic Church: Strategies for the Post-Pandemic Church
Facilitator
Rev. Bill Tenny-Brittian
Bill Tenny-Brittian has been writing and preaching and teaching evangelism, church growth, and church leadership for over 40 years. As a pastor, he's planted churches from one coast to the other and helped turn churches from decline to growth nationally and internationally.
In 2005 he was invited to work with The Effective Church Group as a national church consultant, advising and training church leaders and congregations to become increasingly faithful, effective, and sustainable by transforming lives. Over the years, he's worked with hundreds of churches and thousands of church leaders, helping them grow their churches. Today, he's the president of The Effective Church Group, LLC.
Bill believes that the local church is the best hope for transforming today's culture ... and that the pastor is the catalyst to it all. He's devoted his life to helping church pastors and church leaders activate their congregations to transform their communities.
Regional Assembly Opening Worship - Keynote Preacher
Rev. Alison Robuck, Interim Regional Minister, Great River Region
Rev. Alison Robuck is a life-long Disciple from Enid, Oklahoma. She earned her M.Div. from Christian Theological Seminary (Indianapolis) in 1996 and was ordained at First Christian Church in Edmond, OK. Throughout Alison's 28 years in ministry, she has served congregations in Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa and Arkansas. Her daughter, Katelyn, is a Sophomore at Baylor University.
Alison has served the Great River Region in a variety of ways since moving to North Little Rock, AR, in 2014. Her service includes supply preaching, serving as the General Board representative of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and as a member of the Regional Board. She has also served on the Youth Task Force and the Bailey Institute of Learning Leadership Team. Alison was serving most recently as Interim Minister of First Christian Church, Sherwood, AR, when she received the call to serve as the Interim Regional Minister of the Great River Region!
Alison has a passion for Preaching, Pastoral Care, and being faithful Stewards of the life and gifts God has given us! She will be bringing us a word of Healing and Hope on Friday evening as we continue living into "Our Story".
Sunday Morning Worship Leader
Rev. Dr. Dedrick Minor, First Christian Church, Baton Rouge, LA
Rev. Dr. Dedrick Minor was called as Senior Minister at First Christian Church, Baton Rouge, in May 2022. A native of Baton Rouge, Rev. Dr. Minor earned his D.Min., Pastoral Counseling & Care at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Rev. Dr. Minor is a bi-vocational minister, continuing to serve as Chaplain at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital as he has for the past 20 years, and now as Senior Minister at FCCBRLA.
Music Director
Gina Anthon, First Christian Church, Hammond, LA
Gina Anthon is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University (BMEd Vocal Music), the University of Michigan (MM Vocal Performance), and LSU (DMA Vocal Performance). She has taught music fundamentals, voice and diction at the college level; talented music at the high school level, general music at the elementary level, parent/child Kindermusik classes, and church choirs of all ages. Gina has served on the board of the Red Stick Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association as president and workshop chair. She is the music director at FCC Hammond and has served on the Great River Regional Board of the DOC, and is currently on the council of the Association of Disciples Musicians. Gina loves to bring people together through music, volunteering weekly with a special needs adult choir, drum ensemble, and senior singers group.
There will be three rounds of workshops. Each workshop will be an hour. The first will be for the whole assembly in the sanctuary from 2:00 pm - 3:00 PM. Rev. Ronny Nowell will present: Not If, But WHEN!
The second round of workshops will from 3:15 pm - 4:15 PM.
The final round of workshops will be from 4:30 -5:30 PM.
Note: Make sure to select the workshops of your interest for rounds two and three when registering so that we may adequately plan for space.
All Assembly Workshop
Not If, But WHEN!
Is your congregation prepared for not if, but WHEN a disaster hits your community? The church is uniquely positioned to serve in the difficult times after a disaster, offering help and hope in ways other organizations simply cannot. This workshop will look at simple and practical things every church should do to be prepared and help its congregants be prepared for when disaster hits.
Rev. Ronny Nowell, Disaster Relief Coordinator for the Great River Region
Rev. Ronny Nowell has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and his Masters of Divinity from Brite at TCU. He was ordained in 1995. Ronny spent the first 29 years of his ministry focused on youth ministry. He has always had a passion for mission work and has planned, organized, and led trips all over the U.S. and to Mexico. Ronny came on staff with the Great River Region on March 1, 2024, as our new Regional Disaster Response Coordinator in partnership with Week of Compassion. Ronny continues to follow his passion of serving God, the Church, and people in need.
Road to ReMission
It’s no secret that our society and the Church are in a season of rapid and dynamic reformation. What is a secret is how the Church evolves (reforms) in this season so we can continue to bring healing and wholeness to our fragmented world.
Jesus said the primary way folks will be able to identify his followers is how they love. That begs the question: Is it that easy? Really? Do we simply "Just Love" people? We've been exploring that question for the past five years. We think it's not just the answer but the framework for how we can bring real and lasting transformation to folks, both inside and outside of the Church and to the Church itself.
Rev. Sam Hubbard, Just Love Your Neighbor and First Christian Church, Hammond
(M.Div, ATS, 2019) is the Movement Maker for Just Love Your Neighbor - Greater New Orleans. Sam 25-years experience in both the for-profit and non-profit business communities. Sam has launched and coached several businesses and churches and has a passion for reaching new people, in new places, in new ways. Sam, with partner Morgan, love experiencing new places and cultures, seeing God's thumbprints every where and in every one.
Rev. Zac Ritchie, Just Love Your Neighbor
(M.Div, NOBTS 2012) is the Lead Visionary for Just Love Your Neighbor - Northshore in Louisiana. Zac is a board-certified chaplain with over a decade of experience in healthcare chaplaincy and former Pastor of Madisonville Presbyterian Church in Madisonville, La. Zac is married to Tiffany and they have three boys (Ezra, Levi, and Soren).
Finding the Sacred in the Everyday
Just as the shoes we wear keep us from feeling the ground, the world we live in produces inattention and distraction. The antidote to inattention and distraction is spiritual practice, something done with regularity and intention. Spiritual practice doesn't have to mean doing yoga or praying the rosary, or any of the other ways people think of when they think of spiritual practice. A spiritual practice could be cooking, running, gardening, crocheting, or creating art. This workshop explores how to create the mindset to turn those activities into spiritual practice.
Carol Madere, First Christian Church, Baton Rouge, LA
Carol Madere, Ph.D., a member of First Christian Church in Baton Rouge and a lifelong Disciple, invites you to explore pathways to a deeper spirituality by connecting with the world around us, the environment in which we already live, in a different way.
Investing in Our Future Story
Explore ways that you can leave a legacy to the Congregation or Region where you came to know Christ. Learn how you can easily set up your accounts with the Christian Church Foundation.
Rev. Bobby Hawley is vice president of the Foundation’s South Central zone, which includes Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. He joined the staff of the Foundation in 1998.
A former congregational pastor, Bobby received his Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Texas Christian University, his Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School, and his Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He received his Certified Specialist in Planned Giving designation from California State University.
Bobby and his wife, Diane, are active members of University Christian Church in Fort Worth, where his office is located. They are the parents of three adult children.
Bobby can be reached at bhawley@ccf.disciples.org or at Office: (817) 923-0422; Cell: (817) 296-5218.
Vision/Mission - Round 1
Why a Church MUST Have a Vision and Mission
Scripture: Book of Nehemiah
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"Evangelism" - Round 2
Not a Dirty Word!
Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20
Rev. Vanessa Bostick
Vanessa is a Proud Texas Pastor who serves our Lord as Senior Minister at First Christian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Rev. Vanessa received her MDIV from Phillips Theological Seminary and her post-grad in Grieve Recovery. Her Passions are evangelism and Women’s Ministry!
Calamity, Catastrophe and Covid … Oh, my.
Are you a Master of Disaster? Do you find that no matter the situation facing your church, you know exactly what to do? If so, that’s amazing and more than a little unbelievable. However, if you’re anything like the rest of us, mere mortals, it seems like there are new challenges popping up that you and your board have to deal with on the regular and you don’t always know where to start. Please join us as we talk about how best to prepare for and navigate the unexpected.
Pam Jones has been a member of First Christian Church of Baton Rouge (DOC) since 1998 and has served in a variety of positions and on various committees over the years. Most recently she held a position on the Board for five consecutive years - two as Vice Chair and three as Board Chair. During that time, FCCBR experienced the pandemic and introducing a live stream program, loss of both the minister and the church office admin, impact of Hurricane Ida, the search process and hiring of another minister as well as all the day-to-day things that pop up along the way. During this tumultuous but ultimately rewarding period, bonds were forged and insights were gained … not to mention more than a few grey hairs. But hey, that’s just providing a reason to be more colorful.
We will live-stream the Regional Assembly Opening Worship(Friday) and the Business Meeting(Saturday) via the Facebook platform. The link to watch will be available as we get closer to the Assembly.
Coming Soon!
Promotional Materials
Regional Assembly Graphic (1500 x 500) - Click here
Regional Assembly Logo Transparent - Click here
Promotional video - Download
Sponsors