COVID-19: Prayers and Solidarity

MISSION IS POSSIBLE In line with UCJCI’s commitment to being a children-friendly church, Church School Month was celebrated last November, with the theme “Transformers for Christ – The Mission is Possible”. This theme was chosen to assist school children to engage in evangelistic mission among family and friends, and missional activities such as visiting a children’s home and ill or shut-in church members.

TRAINING FOR LAY LEADERS UCJCI launched a newly designed and refreshed training to equip their lay leaders to work alongside clergy leadership in building the kingdom of God. This training suite will prepare these leaders to help church members strengthen their relationships with God, discover their individual talents and serve God through those gifts. Part of this newly designed training is standardisation to ensure materials and methodologies will be consistent across all Regional Mission Councils.

COVID-19: PRAYERS & SOLIDARITY

Council for World Mission (CWM) pauses to express solidarity and to offer the assurance of our prayers on behalf of all those who have been infected with the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) and with the families that have lost loved ones. We are also deeply concerned about healthcare personnel and other caregivers who are on the front-lines of this struggle, offering essential service and care for those infected, even at the risk of their own lives.

COVID-19 is rapidly developing into a global health crisis and its impact on China, in particular, is heartbreaking. We call on the international community to act in solidarity with China to combat this epidemic as a matter of urgency. We pray for quick containment of the outbreak in South Korea and Italy, both of which have seen a spike in new infections over the past few days. We encourage everyone to remain compliant with health and safety procedures, avoid unnecessary exposure and act responsibly to reduce the risk of spreading. We also appeal to everyone to resist xenophobic sentiments against members of the Chinese community or foreigners for this outbreak, as has been reported in some parts of the world. What we need at this time is our collective goodwill and generosity of spirit to care for and support one another.

We are grateful to all those who are risking their lives, some of whom have even died, in the course of duty. We offer our condolences the families who have lost their loved ones as a result of this outbreak, and we pray for healing and grace for those who are infected and affected.

In times like these, we are reminded that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…” (Ps. 46: 1-2).

A New Face 2020 | Agents of Change Indigenous and Minority Ethnic Ministers in Mission

About

Following the development of focusing A New Face on particular groups of ministers, ANF 2020 will be a programme for ministers from indigenous, minority ethnic and migrant communities.

This will build on the work CWM has begun in the Legacies of Slavery project and alert us to other dimensions of the legacies of slavery and colonisation within our member churches. The programme will also help us to explore the praxis dimensions of mission and racial justice. By inviting ministers who come from such communities we hope to share theologies, experiences and agendas which participants can use in their work and in their own struggles with majority/colonial cultures inside and outside church.

Racist and nativist powers and policies continue to threaten communities all around the world. Churches have become at risk from such action, and some churches tacitly support such action. Indigenous people continue to face violence and denial of land and cultural rights. Migration is at the heart of God’s mission but migrants continue to be targeted and demonised, unless they come from dominant colonial communities. Many of our member churches are in contexts where migration has pluralised their communities and some of our churches are in contexts where Indigenous people continue to be present.

Programme Outline

ANF is built around seminar input, exposure visit, shared reflection and personal study. The first week is spent in orientation to the Pacific and Aotearoa/New Zealand context and the final week for evaluation.

Key elements always include awareness raising about the struggle of Māori and Island people for respect and recognition as well as input on Māori and Island perspectives on Bible and Theology.

The college is committed to a liberation model for the church and this is demonstrated in its teaching staff and their research interests, which particularly focus on Bible, Moana theologies and hermeneutics, as well as eco-theology and eco-ethics.

Application Deadline

Applications should be supported by respective member churches, and received by the Mission Development Department by April 6th 2020.

More information is available from the Mission Development Department - peter.cruchley@cwmission.org / lynnette.li@cwmission.org / missiondevelopment@cwmission.org

For more information on the Legacies of Slavery work see the CWM website, and in particular https://www.cwmission.org/general-secretarys-new-year-message/

If you would like to discover more about, Trinity Methodist College, our partner in this programme, check their website: www.trinitycollege.ac.nz

PHYSICAL COPY

Write to us at insight@cwmission.org and inform us of your mailing address. We’ll send INSiGHT straight to your letter box.

You can also subscribe for the digital copy of INSiGHT by clicking http://eepurl.com/ggx1L5 or by scanning the QR code provided below.

SCAN INSiGHT

February 2019

April 2019

INPUT

June 2019

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