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Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25
 The
international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity -- actually
an "octave" of eight days -- is observed each year from
January 18 to 25. This year's theme is, "We Will All Be
Changed by the Victory of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. I
Corinthians 15:51-58). The planners of the event describe
the theme as "evoking the transformative power of faith in
Christ, particularly in relation to our praying for the
visible unity of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is in
His life, action, teaching, suffering, death and
resurrection that we seek inspiration for a modern
victorious life of faith. "As he awaited the suffering and
death that was to come," say the planners in a joint
message, "he prayed that his disciples might be one so that
world might believe. Please join us as we pray for and
strive towards the full visible unity of the Church as it
will be changed, transformed and conformed to the likeness
of Christ."
Read More,.
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Clare J. Chapman elected NCC Interim
General Secretary
 Clare
J. Chapman, Esq., NCC Deputy General
Secretary and General Counsel, has
been named NCC Interim General Secretary
by the Council’s Governing Board.
Chapman, who had been carrying out the
duties of general secretary since the
December 31, 2011 departure of Michael
Kinnamon, will serve as interim until
the board decides on the next steps for
filling the office permanently.
Read More.
Gender Analysis for Everyone: A Radical
Act of Love
 Gender
analysis is a tool that empowers
individuals and communities to identify
and understand how differently gendered
people are affected by systems of power.
NCC member communions support gender
analysis and join together in acts
of radical love, healing, and justice
building with hope for equity, wholeness
and abundant life for all. Download the
brochure
here.
Churches remain
active in Haiti 2 years after earthquake
 January
12 was
the second anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that struck
near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing an estimated 316,000
people and leaving than a million homeless. Despite some
signs of progress, more than half a million Haitians still
live in temporary camps. According to the Rev. Canon Rosemari
Sullivan, who coordinates National
Council of Churches and Episcopal Church
recovery efforts in Haiti.
Read More
NCC announces Kinnamon's departure,
transition plans
 The
NCC Executive Committee has announced
that the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon
completed his service as General
Secretary on Dec. 31, 2011, at the close
of his four-year term. The NCC Governing
Board will meet on January 20, 2012 to
address the next steps in this
leadership transition. Kinnamon
announced his intended departure at the
November 2011 Governing Board meeting
for health reasons.
ABC Special in January highlights
special faith activists
 For
many persons, faith is lived out daily
in a myriad of services and activities
that glorify God and benefit God’s
people. The stories of many such
faithful persons will be told beginning
Sunday, January 8, on ABC-TV in an
hour-long special, Every Day is Sunday!
Living Out Our Faith Together.
Contact ABC stations for local listings.
Read More.
New EPA Mercury protection standards
lauded by NCC
 The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
yesterday released a final rule
outlining new mercury and air toxics
standards that will prevent thousands of
premature deaths, reduce air pollution,
and avoid millions of missed school and
work days. “We have waited a long time
for these strong standards,” said
Cassandra Carmichael, Director of the
NCC’s Eco-Justice Program.
Read More. |
NCC, CWU accepting apps for young women UN
experience
 The
National Council of Churches and Church Women United are accepting
applications for Young Women’s Leadership
Experiences February 24-29, 2012 at the United
Nations, concurrent with the UN Commission on
the Status of Women. The theme is the
empowerment of rural women and their role in
poverty and hunger eradication. The deadline is
January 6.
Download an application here. |
NCC, 150 others, join the call for
re-authorization of VAWA
 The
NCC has joined nearly 150 national and regional
ecumenical, interfaith, and advocacy
organizations to call on Congress to reauthorize
the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA).
The Act, which creates an office within the
Department of Justice to develop federal
policies around issues relating to domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and
stalking, is slated for reauthorization this
year.
Read More. |
U.S. and Cuban church leaders affirm signs of unity
 AA
meeting of U.S. church leaders with leaders of the
Cuban Council of Churches concluded December 2
with a joint declaration celebrating
unity between U.S. and Cuban churches. Sixteen
representatives of U.S. National Council of Churches
member communions were in Cuba November 28 through
December 2 meeting with Cuban church and political
leaders, including President Raúl Castro.
Read More. |
Five churches named 'Interfaith Engaged'
congregations
Five
congregations demonstrating a special enthusiasm
and exemplary work for interfaith relations have
been named "model interfaith engaged
congregations" by the NCC. In June, the NCC's
Interfaith Relations Commission asked for
nominations from its member communions and other
communities affiliated with the Council of
congregations that "have something important to
share about interfaith engagement."
Read More. |
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