Please download the MONTHLY MISSION STORY for your church bulletin/newsletter:
May 2008: pdf or text only or espanol

To download the WEEKLY PRAYER for Sunday worship, click here: East Timor

Statement on Zimbabwe from the WCC Zimbabwe

Looking for a special project for VBS this summer? Click here: VBS

Stories from the Samaritan Care Centre in South Africa
The Samaritan Care Centre is a hospice for the terminally ill, predominately those infected with HIV/AIDS.  It is located in Buffalo Flats, just outside the city centre of East London, which is one of the larger cities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Centre is an ecumenical project of all the churches in the Pefferville area and the volunteers come from these various churches, including those related to Global Ministries partner church, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA-South Africa Synod) It is also bridging cultural barriers between the colored, black, and white communities. Here are some stories of people from the Centre: Cynthia or Rennie and Shirley or Possible or Mr. Spondo

Buraku Liberation Center Celebrates 25 years in Japan
The Buraku Liberation Center, a ministry of Global Ministries partner the United Church of Christ in Japan, celebrated its 25th anniversary, with the Shinanomachi Church in Tokyo serving as the venue. The Rev. Kazuhiro Tanimoto, who heads up the BLC Activities Committee, gave an inspiring message entitled "Jesus and His Crown of Thorns" during the opening worship service: He said "As you all know, the Buraku Liberation Center began in an atmosphere in which discriminatory attitudes against people of buraku descent were common within the Church itself… Those who began this work were compelled by their desire to present themselves to Christ as his loyal servants who worked tirelessly to rid society — as well as the church — of such discriminatory attitudes." To read the entire sermon, click here: Buraku Liberation Center

WCC Visits Christians in the Middle East
"Appreciation for the good work done by churches in the Gulf region was expressed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the end of a 17 to 19 April visit to the United Arab Emirates. At encounters in Dubai with church representatives from the Emirates and neighbouring countries, Kobia and the delegation accompanying him learned about Christian activities in the areas of interreligious dialogue and serving the needs of migrants. Practically all the Christians in the Gulf - an estimated three to four million people - are expatriates who have come to the region for work and often stay for a limited number of years..." Most of them are from South Asia. To read more about the visit, click here: Untied Arab Emirates or Syria or Lebanon

GM Partner, the Church of North India, Sends Letter about Violence Against Christians
"The 81st Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Synod of the Church of North India held on 19th and 20th February 2008 received with deep anguish the reports of the unfortunate happenings in the Kandhamal area of Phulbani Diocese on Christmas eve of 2007. The desecration and destruction of Churches and violence against Christians living in the area for centuries must be viewed as violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India." To read the entire letter, click here: Church of North India

Stories Needed!
Your personal mission experience or that of another you have worked with can inspire the lives of others through the daily devotional book, "In Mission: A Calendar of Prayer". Please share your 150-word story(ies) for a weekday reading, or 300 words for Sunday entries. Be sure to include your name, the story's relation to Global Ministries and the situation and partner. Stories can be about a community in one of our global regions; a US congregation's mission trip or project; a mission interpretation (MMI) presentation, a single youth or adult's effort/experience, an insight about advocacy, peace, etc.  Please submit to Jan Aerie at aeriej@ucc.org BY May 20.  We are grateful for your mission ministry!

If you would like to receive directly to your inbox these weekly Global Ministries updates, please send your name, e-mail address, physical address, phone number, and home church to: bshebeck@dom.disciples.org

Connect with Global Ministries Staff at Regional Assemblies and Annual Meetings:
CAMRA in Great Falls, MT: May 9-11, 2008 – Bob Shebeck bshebeck@dom.disciples.org
JAMRA in Kalamazoo, MI: May 16-17, 2008 – LaMarco Cable lcable@dom.disciples.org
Northwest Regional Assembly, Yakima, WA: May 16-18 – Bob Shebeck bshebeck@dom.disciples.org

Find a Missionary Visit in your State:
Penn NE:  April 6 to 30, 2008, Jeffrey Mensendiek (Council on Cooperative Mission, assigned to the Emmaus Center in Sendai, Japan) Contact: Alan Miller alanm@pnec.org
Penn SE: April 6 to May 31, 2008, Dale and Bethsaba Nafziger (National Churches Fellowship of Nepal) Contact: Geneva Butz butz@psec.org
IA: May 1 to June 30, 2008, Linda and Bruce Hanson (The Christian Development Commission (CCD) and The Theological Community of Honduras (CTEH) Contact: Selva Lehman selvarl@mchsi.com
Southern CA: May 1 to June 30, 2008, Jeffrey Mensendiek (Council on Cooperative Mission, assigned to the Emmaus Center in Sendai, Japan) Contact: Virginia Arroyo arroyo@scncucc.org
WV: May 1-31, 2008, Krista Johnson (Sabeel in Jerusalem) Contact: David Chafin dchafin@wvdisciples.org
WA: May 10 to June 30, 2008, Ana and Tod Gobledale (Churches of Christ Theological College in Melbourne, Australia) Contact: Marvin Eckfeldt marveck@comcast.net
TN: June 8-30 and July 13-20, 2008, Krista Johnson (Sabeel in Jerusalem) Contact: Glen Stewart glenjstewart@bellsouth.net
IN: July 6-10, July 14-22 and July 28 – August 10, 2008, Alex Morse (Caminantes in the Dominican Republic) Contact: Cheryl Cloar: cheryl@ccindiana.org
CT: September 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009, Tim Rose (Reformed Church of France) Contact: Cecile Gilson cecileg@ctucc.org
NC: May 1 to June 30, 2009, Tim Rose (Reformed Church of France) Contact: Janelle Bunn janellebunn@soc-ucc.org