| The Wider Church Newsletter - Number 5 - February 2007 |
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER - March 2This is a major interchurch event. Last year over 1000 New Zealand congregations participated in nearly 300 services. This year's service has been prepared by the women of Paraguay with the theme, United under God's Tent. World Day of Prayer in New Zealand is organised by the WDP committee of Church Women United. Everybody is most welcome at all services. At a church near you: Do find a service to attend this Friday! GLOBAL (and ecumenical) DAY OF PRAYER FOR BURMA - Sunday, March 11For more than thirty years Burma has suffered internal warfare and military oppression. It is one of the world's poorest countries and also has one of the worst records of human violations. Half the world's heroin comes from Burma and half the national budget is spent on arms. Despite persecution, the church (7%) continues to grow. BOOK NEWSThe first ever contextual history of the Stone-Campbell movement is now underway. Publication is planned for 2012. This volume is a natural progression from the recently published Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia with the same authors. They represent all streams of the movement in the USA so this will be a deliberately inclusive, broad history. The Threat of Tourism is the title of a new book by Ron O'Grady and published by the World Council of Churches. This book looks behind the glossy advertising of exotic locations, highlighting a number of issues that are becoming increasingly acute: tourism's contribution to ecological damage, forced changes in cultures, violation of human rights and the growth of the global sex industry. The church has to deal with tourism too: historic sanctuaries are suffering irreparable wear and tear and Christians in developing countries are seeing their customs under threat. Congratulations to Ron on the writing and publication of this book. To obtain copies go to the WCC web site: www.wcc-coe.org The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd: Christian Imagination and the Dream of An African Democracy (Baylor University Press, 2007) by Mike Casey (in my opinion the expert on the Todds) is now available. It retails for US$49.95 but may be found on other web sites for less. Sir Garfield Todd's story is a compelling one. He was the first missionary to become a head of state (prime minister of Southern Rhodesia from 1953-58). Opposing the racist policies instituted by later Prime Minister Ian Smith, Sir Garfield was in and out of detention in the 1960s and 1970s for supporting Africans in the revolution. Originally paternalistic, Sir Garfield fought for a full democracy and political freedom for all people in Zimbabwe. Mike Casey argues that his religious heritage (the Stone-Campbell Movement - NZ Churches of Christ missionary) explains his political rhetoric. I have produced a 24 page booket entitled, Understanding The Associated Churches of Christ in New Zealand/Christian Churches New Zealand. It has sections on our global and national stories as well as a focus on the present and future. Two copies are currently being sent to each church. Hopefully it will help Christian Church leaders and members, our partners and others understand who we are. It is written in the context that we are part of the wider church. Copies within New Zealand are NZ$5, post free. USA and Australia - send a $5 note in your own currency. uNETyIs a new email newsletter from the Uniting Congregations of Aotearoa New Zealand. uNETy will be published after the three UCANZ Standing Committee meetings each year and at other times as needed. It is being distributed by Joint Regional Committees through their email lists but you can request a direct (free) copy from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it CHANGE OF DATES FOR CHRISTIAN CHURCHES CONFERENCEThe initial dates chosen clashed with the Forum of the Uniting Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand so the Administration Team has notified churches of a change. WELCOMING WHO? WELCOMING HOW?This is a four session program I have prepared for congregations wanting to focus on discipleship and strengthening the church. It is not 'general' - participants will discover things they and their congregations can do immediately. Let me know if you are interested in exploring using Welcoming Who? Welcoming How? WORLD CONVENTION(Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ) is NEXT YEAR - July 30, August 3 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. All welcome. Why not join the New Zealand party. Contact David Coulter - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 264 Highgate, Roslyn, Dunedin. SNIPPETS- The Christian Conference in Asia is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Prapat, Sumatra (site of the first assembly), March 3-8. Thousands will attend. Rev Ron O'Grady has been invited to give a paper. - Early in February, the Churches of Christ Theological College in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia, celebrated its centenary. - The Australian Churches of Christ Overseas Mission Board has changed its name to Global Mission Partners. - Water, Who Owns It? is the name of a new video/DVD documentary with study material produced by CWS. Many people believe that after oil, water will be the next big war-provoking issue in the world. Plan to use this to consider and be informed about this important issue. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Lorraine Jacobs will be attending the international World Day of Prayer planning meeting in Toronto, Canada late in May. She and Helen Buxton will be repesenting the New Zealand WDP Committee. Churches of Christ in Malawi celebrated their centenary last year. One in fifty people in Malawi belong to Churches of Christ. Their theme was 'Practise peace and show unity and harmony as you live.' The president and first lady of Malawi attended the celebrations. Churches of Christ in the Cameroons have celebrated 50 years. There are 190 congregations. Average church attendance of Churches of Christ in Poland has increased from 1680 in 1996 to 3178 in 2005. MY DIARYMarch 10 - Church Extension and Property Trust Board quarterly meeting. When many (in our global church family) think about the movement of the 'ecumenical movement' ... they often imagine a movement that is linear: advancing pretty much from point A (the place of division) to point B (a place of growing unity and oneness in our life as Christians and churches). Unfortunately, that is not always, if ever, the way things go. It is, rather, more of a dance: a couple of steps forward, a couple of steps backward, and some steps to the side. My prayer ... is that God will be at work to enliven our dance; to direct all of our steps to greater faithfulness; and, especially to encourage us to take all of our partners more seriously in where they are, and where they have too often stumbled or stepped on feet that have already endured too much pain. It's the dance of ecumenism. - Robert Welsh, President, Council of Christian Unity, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the USA and Canada. Lyndsay Jacobs |