Welcome to ALL THIS Comes from God 2025 Regional Assembly!

Check-in

• Opens at 7:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3

• Please check-in BEFORE attending workshops

• Nametags are REQUIRED for admittance to meals and for Voting during the Business Session

  • Blue Stripe= Voting Delegate for CCIW

  • Green Stripe= Voting Delegate for CCMR

  • No Stripe= Non-voting member or Visitor

• If you did not register, please make other arrangements for meals.

Mission Project

• Items for the Mission Project (assembling hygiene care bags for the food pantries at Parkway Garden Christian Church and Villa Park Christian Church) can be taken to the tables in the far corner of Exhibit Hall North.

• Bags will be assembled throughout Assembly until finished.

Schedule

Friday, Oct. 3

• 9 a.m. Exhibit Hall opens, Prayer room opens

• 10 a.m. Morning and All-Day Workshops in North Pavilion rooms and Samuel Tinley room

• 2 p.m. Afternoon Workshops in North Pavilion rooms and Samuel Tinley room

• 4:30 p.m. Doors open for Dinner (name tags required!)

• 4:50 p.m. Announcements and Welcome

• 5 p.m. Dinner Buffet in Exhibit Hall West

• 6:30 Worship in Exhibit Hall North

• 10:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall closes

Saturday, Oct. 4

• 7:45 a.m. Breakfast Buffet in Exhibit Hall West

• 9 a.m. Business Meeting in Exhibit Hall North (docket link)

• Closing worship following

• Market-style Lunch in Exhibit Hall West at the close of Regional Assembly.

Our Regional Assembly Docket is now available!

Worship

Fri. Oct. 3

Order of worship will be at this link before the service.

Sat. Oct. 4

Order of worship will be at this link before the service.

Workshops will be held Friday, Oct. 3 at the Convention Center.

Two Ethics Workshops will fulfill the Ethics requirements of CCIW/CCMR Clergy (see this link for more info on Ethics Requirements)

• 9a-3:30p Choices for Abundant Living Clergy Ethics Workshop

  • A new program developed by CCIW for Disciples clergy, Choices for Abundant Living fulfills the Boundaries training requirements for clergy. Read more about this innovative Boundaries program here.

• 9a-3:30p Pro-Reconciliation/ Anti-Racism (PRAR) Clergy Ethics Workshop

  • This workshop will be led by Dr. Donna Bradley and will fulfill Pro-Reconciliation/ Anti-Racism training requirements for clergy.

• Both workshops have a separate fee and registration.

Other workshops

• No additional cost

  New Ministers’ Orientation

  Friday, 1:00 PM and Saturday, 2:30 PM
  Rev. Richard Hamilton
  Do you wonder when standing is renewed? Why should I fill out ALEX? What opportunities are there to serve the larger church? This is the time to ask yourquestions and learn more about CCIW/CCMR and its future.

  Securing Your Church’s Future and Legacy

  Friday, 10:00 AM and Friday, 1:00 PM
  Rev. Matt Rosine, President and CEO, Christian Church Foundation
  Explore tools and strategies to ensure your church’s mission and legacy continue for generations.

  Rooted in Dignity

  Friday, 10:00 AM
  Darthula Young, Founder and CEO (an NBA Incubate Partner)
  End-of-life planning for non-European families and communities, with dignity and cultural awareness.

  Digital Worship Basics

  Friday, 10:00 AM
  Jeff Parker, IT Specialist, CCIW
  A beginner-friendly session covering essential tech tools and best practices for engaging online worship.

  More than Just Keeping the Building Standing

  Friday, 1:00 PM
  Brock McCracken
  All things building and property—how to enhance your ministry through smart facility planning and stewardship.

We would be grateful if you would pray for our gathering! And be sure to visit the Prayer Room at Assembly (North Pavilion).

Your Regional Assembly planning team…

Jill Forton, Retired, Cascade Christian Church, Grand Rapids, MI

Marsha Funneman, Pastor, Parkway Christian Church, Springfield, IL

James King, Pastor, United Christian Church, Country Club Hills, IL

DeVontae Powell, Pastor, Vernon Christian Church, Flint, MI

Suzanne Stout, Pastor, Pine Creek Christian Church, Polo, IL

Vickie Wright, Pastor, Kingdom Building Christian Church, Detroit, IL

Staff: April McClure Stewart, Peggy O’Neal, Jeff Parker

Special Guest: Preacher and Keynote Speaker

Rev. Terri Hord Owens

General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens is the first person of color and second woman to lead the denomination, and the first woman of African descent to lead a mainline denomination. 

Elected in 2017, Rev. Hord Owens was re-elected to a second term as General Minister and President in 2023. Her ministry actively reflects the Disciples’ priority of being an anti-racist church, being a movement for wholeness, and welcoming all to the Lord’s table as God has welcomed us. Her exhortation to the church is “Let’s be the church we say we are. It is in being who we say we are that we actively bear witness to God’s limitless love for all.” 

Rev. Hord Owens earned her bachelor’s degree in Government with a minor in Afro- American Studies from Harvard University. Hord Owens’ resume includes more than 20 years in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management in healthcare and other industries before she entered seminary. 

A graduate of University of Chicago Divinity School, Rev. Hord Owens served 12 years as the Dean of Students at her alma mater. She has strong ties to the emerging Region of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, having pastored First Christian Church of Downers Grove (FCCDG), Illinois, for seven and a half years. While under her leadership, FCCDG became an open and affirming, anti-racism, pro-reconciliation congregation. Although ordained in Indiana, Rev. Hord Owens has always held her standing in the Illinois-Wisconsin Region.

Hord Owens is widely sought after as a preacher, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Her ministry and intellectual interests include spiritual development, a theology of reconciliation, cultural intelligence, developing inclusive and multi-cultural congregations, and the mentoring of young adults. 

In addition to collaborative service with Disciples ministries and congregations as they seek to make justice happen, she has been active in leadership in the Poor People’s Campaign, Repairers of the Breach, and other ecumenical and interfaith collaboratives. In keeping with the Disciples’ historic commitment to Christian unity, she serves in leadership at the National Council of Churches as the Treasurer of the Governing Board and a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee. 

Rev. Hord Owens is married to Walter Owens, Jr. They are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens, III and daughter-in-law Adriana Owens. She is also the joyful grandmother of Zachary Owens.

Workshop Presenters

Rev. Katherine Ball, Facilitator, Choices for Abundant Living Ethics Workshop

Rev. Katherine Ball is a board-certified chaplain serving Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital where she specializes in cardiac health and Clinical Medical Ethics and works closely with the CPE program. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eureka College, earned her Master of Divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary, and completed a CPE residency at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center. She was ordained by her home congregation, Lindenwood Christian Church in Memphis, TN, in 2006.

Katherine has served as chaplain in hospitals and hospice settings including Methodist Hospital, Peoria and CNS hospice in Northwestern Suburban Chicago where she led grief support groups as a part of the bereavement support program.  She has also been an interim pastor and led congregations in Kentucky and Illinois. Over the years Katherine has served on the Committee on Ministerial Ethics and Response Teams and as a Regional Elder for CCIW.

Katherine has served as chaplain in hospitals and hospice settings including Methodist Hospital, Peoria and CNS hospice in Northwestern Suburban Chicago where she led grief support groups as a part of the bereavement support program.  She has also been an interim pastor and led congregations in Kentucky and Illinois. Over the years Katherine has served on the Committee on Ministerial Ethics and Response Teams and as a Regional Elder for CCIW.

Katherine lives in Carol Stream, IL with her spouse of more than 25 years, Carson. She can regularly be found at the local movie theater and enjoys visits to museums near and far.

Dr. Donna Bradley, PhD, EDD, JD Pro-reconciliation/ Anti-Racism Workshop Facilitator

Dr. Donna Bradley was a 25-year resident of Saint Louis, Missouri before relocating to Central Illinois. She taught human resource management and criminal justice courses to graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Bradley received a BA from Brown University in Political Science, a MS from Columbia College in Criminal Justice, a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law, a Ph.D. in Public Safety and Criminal Justice from Capella University, and an EdD in Instructional Leadership with a focus on Higher Education from Lindenwood University. She is an attorney with 15 years of experience, having practiced with a private firm, the Department of Defense, and the National Labor Relations Board.

Dr. Bradley’s second career involved work in inner-city ministry in St. Louis, MO. While working in ministry, she chose incarnational living in The Greater Ville to live among those she hoped to affect. Her desire was to impart hope to a disenfranchised
population and help those who wanted to change their lives. During the 16 years at the ministry, she held various positions, including Executive Director of The Job Alliance of St. Louis. While working at the ministry, she developed an interest in criminal justice, completing the MS in Criminal Justice Administration and the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

However, Dr. Bradley found her passion in higher education and now has over 15 years of teaching and training experience in various venues, including Webster University, Lindenwood University, Columbia College, St. Charles Community College, Maryville University, Lincoln College, and Eureka College. Dr. Bradley is an attorney licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Until the permanent closure of Lincoln College in Lincoln, IL in May 2022, she served as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Until May 2025, Dr. Bradley served as the Special Assistant to the President for Strategic and DEI Initiatives at Eureka College, Eureka, IL.

Her most significant role is mother and Nana to her sons and grandchildren, Dominic (40) and Myron (50), Kyle (26), Alana (21), Aliyah (20), Kayden (18), Dylan (12), and Lincoln (7). She is also the mother to a five-year-old Black German Shepherd, Chikondi Alika Bradley.

Brock McCracken, Senior Loan Manager for Disciples Church Extension Fund

Brock McCracken is a devoted investment professional with extensive financial experience assisting individuals, places of worship, and small business with their fiduciary planning.

He is a Series 63 certified Building and Capital Services Advisor serving Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) throughout the Great Lakes area, the Northeast, and Canada, where he is responsible for providing loan consultations, guiding fundraising efforts, and helping over 500 faith communities – including regions, camps, colleges, and other institutions – in thinking creatively about ministry and more.

Prior to joining the DCEF staff, he taught in-person and virtual classes on accounting, ethics, banking, and asset management as an Adjunct Professor at Ivy Tech Community College.

Brock obtained a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Purdue University, an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), and a Master of Business Administration from Butler University.

He worships at Allisonville Christian Church and volunteers on its Stewardship Team, coordinating the congregation’s annual budget development and leading a team of eight in the development of a needs-based preschool scholarship program.

Brock lives in Fishers, IN with his wife Jessica, his three boys Quinten, Joshua, and Zachary, and their two dogs, Olivia and Lulu. He is a fourth generation Disciple.

Brock enjoys traveling and trying new foods, is fascinated by culture and languages, and would love to be a contestant on Jeopardy – although he doesn’t think that’s going to happen.

Rev. Matt Rosine, President, Christian Church Foundation

Before assuming the role of president, Matt served as president-elect and vice president for the Great Lakes zone, which includes Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Matt has worked in all three financial ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Before joining the Foundation staff in 2021, he served with Pension Fund and Disciples Church Extension Fund.

Matt has served Disciples congregations and ministries for more than 20 years. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University and obtained his Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. Matt is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive.

Matt and his wife, Cayla, are the parents of one child and they are members of Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe, Facilitator, Choices for Abundant Living Ethics Workshop

Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe serves as CCIW Disciples Women Ministries Coordinator and Senior Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Henry, IL. Prior to attending seminary, Beth was an Outpatient Therapist at a community mental health center. She received a BS with honors in Psychology from Western Illinois University (1988) and a MS in Clinical/ Community Mental Health Psychology from Western Illinois University (1990). Beth received her MDiv from Lexington Theological Seminary (2002). She was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Illinois & Wisconsin. She received her DMin from Lexington Theological Seminary (2014).

Beth has served as the editor of Just Women since 2023 and has contributed four Bible study lessons focusing on themes of lament, self-care, love of neighbor as self, and the Holy Spirit as disrupter. Beth has served on a variety of CCIW committees including serving as an investigator on the Committee on Ministerial Ethics and Response Teams,  being on the Pro-Reconciliation Anti-Racism Team, and serving as a Regional Elder. She has led workshops and retreats focusing on introduction to the spiritual disciplines, lament as prayer practice, journaling, women in the Bible, self-care, stress management, and meditation. She was the keynote speaker at the 2022 Kansas Region Disciples Women Retreat and the 2023 Michigan Region Disciples Women Retreat.

Beth and her husband Mark of close to 50 years live in Bloomington, IL. They have two children, two granddaughters, and a six-year-old labradoodle. Her hobbies include reading, quilting and listening to music. She also enjoys cooking, especially for her family and friends. She finds strength in contemplative prayer and feels called by God to work for justice. Anywhere Disney is one of her happy places.

Darthula Young, Founder, Rooted In Dignity

A distinguished leader and visionary, Darthula Young is the driving force behind Rooted in Dignity. Holding a BA from Northeastern Illinois University and an MBA from Dominican University, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

Her history includes a robust background in the private sector. Ms. Young once served as a Regional Vice President at Lockheed Martin IMS and as Vice President at Maximus Inc. Her strategic acumen and leadership skills left an indelible mark on the organizations she was once a part of.

Beyond her corporate achievements, Darthula is a certified End-of-Life Coach and Doula. In this role, she guides clients and their families through the challenging journey of impending death, offering unwavering emotional and spiritual support. Her commitment is to enable individuals to embrace their final moments with dignity and tranquility.

Now, as the founder of Rooted in Dignity, Darthula is dedicated to further extending her compassionate approach to end-of-life care through impactful initiatives and services offered by the organization.

Disciples will have an opportunity to assemble bags of hygiene products for distribution by the local congregations of Parkway Gardens Christian Church and the Christian Church of Villa Park. Both congregations have vibrant food pantry ministries.

We invite you to bring the following TRAVEL-SIZED items: 

• soap

• shampoo

• deodorant

• toothpaste and toothbrush

• mouthwash

Also needed are hand warmers.

Please do not bring other items. 

The Outreach Project will be available throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, until bags are assembled.

Marker Boards available in Exhibit Hall North to share: Prayers, Praises and Glimpses of God’s New Thing, Disciples of Distinction, and In Memory of Those Who Rest With God.

Please visit the display tables in Exhibit Hall North!

• Board of Church Extension

• Christian Church Foundation

• Crystal Conference Center and Camp

• Eureka College

• Global Ministries

• Pension Fund

• Phillips Seminary

• CCIW/ CCMR Regional Ministries

• Walter Scott Camp and Learning Center

What a Church Can Do…

We know that Disciples understand…ALL THIS Comes from God! We are thrilled to offer congregations and clusters the opportunity to showcase their ministries and share the good work being done within our communities. Please enjoy these displays and learn from your fellow Disciples about What a Church Can Do!

Please note:

The Regional Office and the Tinley Park Convention Center cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items. PLEASE DO NOT leave valuable items unattended.

• 
• Graphics, Images, etc
  • Bulletin Inserts
  • 8.5 x 11 Flyer
  • Registration Form (printable)
• Promo Slides (both 16:9 and 4:3 orientation)
• Worship Resources
• Link to all Resources

We will also be making a video of Terri Hord Owen’s sermon available for download on Saturday afternoon for use in congregations on Sunday and beyond. 

Download our business docket here. 

Location:

Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, IL

Rooms are no longer available at the Even Hotel. Other hotels nearby are: