Your Global Ministries Update: March 12, 2008

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

To download the WEEKLY PRAYER for Sunday worship, click here: Aotearoa New Zealand

Please support Global Ministries by giving to the Disciples Easter Offering on March 16 and 23.

Register today for Churches for Middle East Peace's annual conference and lobby day April 20-22, Washington DC.

Churches of North and South Korea Propose a Common Easter Prayer
Xiaoling Zhu, East Asia and Pacific Area Executive for Global Ministries reports: "At the ecumenical meeting at Arnoldshain in Germany on February 16, the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and the Korea Christian Federation (KCF) in the North met and agreed to use the "Common Easter Prayer of the Churches of South and North Korea" for the coming Easter Sunday on March 23rd, 2008. We join the NCCK and KCF, and wholeheartedly ask you to join in our prayer journey for healing and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula and we hope that the light and joy of the risen Jesus Christ will shine on every corner with darkness, pain, and suffering over the world. To download the prayer, click here: Common Easter Prayer

NCC Member Communions Express Shock and Sorrow Over Shootings in Jerusalem
The General Secretary and heads of National Council of Churches member communions have expressed shock and sorrow at the shootings on the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem."The killing compounds our sadness over the recent violence in Gaza and Israel," the statement said. "Acts of terror and reprisal are abhorrent, and a grim reminder of the continuing cycle of violence in which Israelis and Palestinians try to live. We call on the political and religious leaders of Israel and of Palestine to rededicate themselves to working for peace," the statement said, "and to provide the leadership that is so desperately needed for peacemaking to continue. To read the full statement, click here: NCC Statement

Disciples in the DRC Send their Latest Newsletter Featuring Sandra Gourdet's Visit
Rev Bonanga, the Disciples Community President shares in his editorial: "The visit of the Rev. Sandra Gourdet to the interior of the Community, to the posts of Bolenge, Boyeka and Monieka, passing by Ingende, has contributed to the warming of the partnership at the base. This reinforcement is seen in the form of the jumelage that the Germans have already experienced, and which is reactivated by visits announced this year, but also with the new sister church relationships that American districts announce, notably Michigan-Kinshasa, and Mbandaka-Indiana. Yes, Jesus is with the Congolese, but especially with the Disciples of Christ in Congo who are going to receive multiple visits this year. These visits are important for they permit living the realities on the spot, and pursuing the work of our Lord Jesus Christ forever. To read the complete newsletter, click here: BID

Guatemalan Cultural Action (ACG) Shares their 2007 Report with Global Ministries
During the second half of 2006 and all of 2007, three programs functioned under ACG's general ministries: Women's Program, Youth Program, and Human Rights Program. With money received from Global Ministries, these programs were able to provide services that helped meet some of the needs of women, youth, and refugee/returnees and helped them come closer to becoming self supporting. To read the rest of the report, click here: ACG 2007 Report

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:
WA: February 1 to March 31, 2008, Doug and Liz Searles (English teachers with the Sichuan TV and Radio University in Chengdu, China) Contact: Mary Margaret Pruitt marympaul@foxinternet.com
IL: February 1 to March 31, 2008, Linda and Bruce Hanson (The Christian Development Commission (CCD) and The Theological Community of Honduras (CTEH) Contact: Lois Whitaker JandLWhit@consolidated.net
Penn NE: March 21-31 and 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: Thad Allen tallen@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
CT: September 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009, Tim Rose (Reformed Church of France) Contact: Cecile Gilson cecileg@ctucc.org