September 2005
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» How do we share copyrighted worship resources?
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Transformation journey - young adult outreach
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» International Day of Prayer for Peace
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» World-wide ecumenical leaders meet in the USA
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Kobia visits churches in Ethiopia
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Theological guidelines for accompaniment in Palestine and Israel
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» How do we share copyrighted worship resources?
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 6-11 September, Faverges, France
The World Association for Christian Communication and the World Council of Churches will co-organize a consultation on the impact of contemporary copyright regulations on creativity, innovation and sharing of resources within the ecumenical movement. The main focus of the consultation will be on the impact of copyright on the production and sharing of worship resources. Participants will include ecumenical publishers, web-managers, composers, legal experts, theologians, Christian artists and young communicators.
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Transformation journey - young adult outreach
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 10-18 September, Dubuque, Decorah, Minneapolis and St. Paul, USA
A WCC Transformation outreach team will travel to colleges and seminaries affiliated with member churches to build relationships with young adults as well as introduce students and faculty to the ecumenical movement and the global partnerships of the WCC. The team will visit classes, deliver lectures, lead chapel services and Bible studies, meet with small groups and offer workshops. Stops on the tour are Dubuque, Iowa (10-13 September), Decorah, Iowa, (14) and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota (15-18).
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» International Day of Prayer for Peace
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 21 September, world-wide
For the second year running, churches representing over 560 million Christians world-wide are being invited to mark the UN International Day of Peace, 21 September, as an International Day of Prayer for Peace. Launched by the WCC as part of its Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010), the initiative calls on churches all over the world to arrange services or vigils on 21 September, and also include prayers for peace in their services on the preceding or following Sunday.
The year’s theme "Building communities of peace for all" comes from churches in Asia. Prayers and resources are available on the Decade to Overcome Violence web site. The DOV has published a pamphlet for distribution, available free on request from the DOV office and electronically on the web site.
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» World-wide ecumenical leaders meet in the USA
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 22-26 September, Washington, DC, and New York, USA
The general secretaries of nine regional ecumenical councils and the WCC meet for their annual exchange, hosted by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCCCUSA) this year. They will discuss proposals concerning the Ecumenical Alliance for Development, as well as poverty and responses to security concerns. On Friday, 23 September, there will be a press conference in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and on Saturday, 24, the meeting will continue in New York, including exchanges with the NCCCUSA on the current global situation. The nine participating regional organisations represent Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific.
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Kobia visits churches in Ethiopia
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 24-29 September, AddisAbaba, Ethiopia
On the invitation of His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia will visit Ethiopia. The visit coincides with the Festival of the Finding of the True Cross (Meskal celebration), one of the major holidays in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. While staying in Addis Ababa, Samuel Kobia will also meet leaders of the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, the other WCC member church in Ethiopia. Furthermore Kobia will meet with government officials. In an exchange with representatives of the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa, both based in Addis Ababa, Kobia will present WCC's concerns about how to overcome poverty in Africa.
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Theological guidelines for accompaniment in Palestine and Israel
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» 28-30 September, Geneva, Switzerland
The WCC's Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) is preparing for a theological review of its first three years. The experiences of over 200 voluntary accompaniers from all parts of the world have raised many questions and challenges, and given rise to numerous creative possibilities for theological reflection. Following suggestions by former ecumenical accompaniers, national co-ordinators and EAPPI partners, the WCC is now co-ordinating a Theological Reflection on Accompaniment workshop. A booklet will be produced on the theology of accompaniment, to be used as a guide for future accompaniers and as a reflection on key theological and spiritual insights to be shared by the ecumenical family.
<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Major WCC events coming up:
Conference on "Living the interreligious experience together"
12-14 November, Geneva, Switzerland
Roman Catholic Church and WCC: 40 years of cooperation
17 - 19 November, Bossey, Switzerland
WCC 9th Assembly (2006)
14-23 February 2006, Porto Alegre, Brazil
