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: Colombia
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!
GM Partners in Colombia Invite Disciples and UCC to Prayer and Action on April 27 and 28
Richardo Esquiva, the National Coordinator of the Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL) writes: "Because the Bible says the prayer of the righteous is powerful, we the people of God in Colombia humbly ask our brothers and sisters of the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ - who have historically fought for justice – to join us on April 27th and 28th in the Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia. May we be of one spirit as we pray and act for peace in Colombia, the United States and around the world. May God's plans become reality." To read Richardo's entire letter, click here: Invitation to Pray and Act To find prayer and action ideas, please visit www.peaceincolombia.org
World Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe on April 27
The Africa office received this week a message inviting us to pray for Zimbabwe this Sunday: "This is a call for Christians of every denomination and of every nation to focus their prayers in churches, halls, homes or elsewhere on Sunday 27 of April 2008 on the critical situation in Zimbabwe, a nation in great distress and teetering on the edge of human disaster." To read the entire letter, click here: Pray for Zimbabwe
GM Africa Area Executive Writes Letter about Arms Shipment Destined for Zimbabwe
In a letter addressed to the Council of Christian Churches in Angola, Sandra Gourdet states: "I write to urge you, as General Secretary of the Council of Christian Churches in Angola, to invite churches in Angola to urge the Angolan government not to allow the ship to dock at its ports. We urge you to invite churches to stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe during this very difficult and complex crisis. The voices of churches in Angola are very powerful and we express deep gratitude to you for the way you have made those voices heard over the years. To read the complete letter, click here: Arms Shipment
GM Announces a New Permanent Fund for Pensions of Pastors in Zimbabwe
During these times of difficulty in Zimbabwe, Global Ministries is pleased to announce the establishment of a new permanent fund that will provide pensions for retired pastors of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ). Over 100 years ago, the American Board of Foreign Mission established the UCCZ. The UCCZ has been affiliated with the United Church of Christ in the United States since 1893 and also is a longstanding partner of Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Today the UCCZ has 47 congregations with 30,000 members. Unfortunately, UCCZ pastors have little or no pension, or other means of sustaining themselves and their families after they retire. To learn more about this fund, click here: Zimbabwe pension fund
The Asian Rural Institute Welcomes a Member of the UCCSA
The Africa office reports that: "Ms. Nozuko Toli, a member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) traveled to Japan to participate in the 2008 Rural Leaders' Training Program of the Asian Rural Institute. The Asian Rural Institute and the American Friends of the Asian Rural Institute worked closely with the UCCSA and Global Ministries' missionaries, Dawn and Jon Barnes, to apply for a travel grant and partial scholarship from the World Council of Churches. The Barnes assisted Ms. Toli with all logistical matters in South Africa, as she applied for her visa and prepared for the trip. OGHS has supported the Asian Rural Institute in a substantial way. We are very pleased that this member of our partner church in southern Africa, the UCCSA, will have this opportunity to experience this training, along with 27 other rural leaders from many countries. To read an e-mail exchange on this subject, click here: Asian Rural Institute
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
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
