The National Benevolent Association (NBA) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) called Bonnie Osei-Frimpong (2005) as the Project Coordinator for its new XPLOR program ministry in February. NBA XPLOR is a church-wide initiative grounded in a congregationally hosted residency program designed for young adult Disciples (ages 21–30) looking to explore lives of care and service.

University Christian Church, near the University of Maryland, has become the first Disciples congregation to become a Bridge of Hope congregation. Bridge of Hope is a 25-year-old ministry with the goal of "Ending Homelessness, One Family at at Time." Marshall Dunn (1960; trustee) will be the coordinator for the program, working with a social worker and others from the congregation and under the leadership of Senior Minister Nathan Hill. Bridge of Hope congregations commit themselves to providing ongoing support and friendship to a single homeless mother and her children for as much as a year or even more, helping her achieve independence. The congregation recruits and trains up to 12 mentors whose primary role is to be genuine friends to the mom and her kids, phoning, organizing outings, and building trust.

Vy Nguyen (2004) has been honored as the recipient of this year's Martin Luther King Jr Award given by the Christian Church in Northern California and Nevada. The award "recognizes the great achievements for justice that have been contributed by Disciples in the region." Vy is the Associate Field Director for Church World Service in California. Previous recipients include the late Robert Lemon (1944), Esther and Carl Robinson (1944), and JoAnne Kagiwada (Trustee).

Lena Noelle Staton arrived in Albany, Oregon, just in time for Christmas on December 15 at 4:09 pm. She was 6 lbs, 7 oz. and 19 inches long. Parents are Matt and Sara Staton (2003); big brother is Evan.

We are saddened by the death of alumnus Woody Wasson (1940), on December 10, 2013, in Nashville. He was 97. Read the In memoriam.

In mid-December, Beau Underwood (2006) was promoted to Senior Director of Advocacy and Communications at Sojourners in Washington DC. He now oversees the organization's communications strategy and media efforts in addition to directing its government relations and issue advocacy efforts. He helps to create and implement the organization’s issue campaigns, manages online advocacy, and builds relationships with key partners and constituencies.

Congratulations to Cynthia Lindner (1978; Trustee), Director of Ministry Studies at the Divinity School: the Lilly Endowment, Inc., has approved a $475K grant for a five year project (2013-2018) that she designed and will direct at the Divinity School. "The Chicago Commons Project," will bring early career pastoral leaders to Chicago to inquire together about leadership through intensive cohort engagement with civic leaders and the arts.

Frank Burch Brown (1974) has edited the Oxford Handbook of Religion and the Arts (Oxford University Press, 2014). He is also a contributor to the volume, along with thirty-six other international scholars representing multiple arts and religions, Larry Bouchard (1974) among them. The OHRA provides expert guidance to artistry and aesthetic theory in religion. In addition, Burch Brown has been named Senior Editor in Religion and the Arts for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion, currently being developed by Oxford University Press as a comprehensive, scholarly online resource, continually revisable and expandable—with John Barton, Oxford University, as Editor-in-Chief.

On November 10, the Christian Church in the Capital Area (CCCA) region celebrated the ministry of Lari Grubbs (trustee) as their Regional Minister. He is retiring at the end of the year, and has served the region for 11 years as a central part of his many years of ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The CCCA is one of two regions with which DDH has comity, and so DDH has been fortunate that Rev. Grubbs has served as an ex officio member of our Board of Trustees. We are grateful for his good friendship and for his sage leadership in ministry.

Pumsup Shim (former Disciples resident), who has now returned to Korea after his June ordination and receiving the MTS from Chicago Theological Seminary, had a hand in crafting the Korean translation of "Disciples Thumbnail Sketches," just released by Chalice Press in partnership with Reconciliation Ministries. NAPAD Executive Pastor Jinsuk Chun recognized Pum's translation skills (Pum has a PhD in Linguistics as well as a MDiv from the Divinity School), invited his participation, and worked with him to polish the translation. See the press release.