(Continued from July 7, 2010) In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina demolished six of the seven buildings at the Mission. Today, with the help of United Church of Christ donations and grants, the main office and supply building was gutted and remodeled, a new dormitory for work campers and a Center for Community Ministry were built;. Because of past and current United Church of Christ investment in Back Bay Mission’s work, over $15 million in vital services are delivered annually to South Mississippians in such diverse areas as education, legal aid, health care, feeding programs, early childhood development, family counseling, housing, and domestic violence. Like many United Church of Christ congregations, St. John’s in Chambersburg, PA participates in the work camps at Back Bay Mission. Keep the folks form St. John’s in your prayers as they are in Biloxi this week from June 19 – June 27, 2010.

Back Bay Mission was founded in 1922 as an outreach effort of the First Evangelical Church of Biloxi (later the United Church of Christ). Members responded with compassion and service to the needs of the poor “fisher folk” living in deplorable conditions along the Back Bay of Biloxi, Mississippi. Since then, Back Bay Mission has continually grown its services and ministries, always keeping the impoverished and marginalized at the center of its concerns. Although there are no longer any United Church of Christ congregations in Biloxi or the state of Mississippi by the early 1970’s Back Bay Mission remained to offer a witness of the United Church of Christ. Its commitment is to be faithfully responsive to the emerging and critical needs of God’s people, ever seeking a day of greater justice and peace. (Continued on July 8, 2010)

(Continued from July 5, 2010) Rev. Dunkerson stated, “I went to the Middle East to see what is happening there and how our mission dollars are being used there. But, I encountered unexpected prophets of God.” There are many theories and truths about what caused the trouble in the Middle East – the English and the French created a mess after World War I, the Germans created a horror in World War II, the Arabs went to war with Israel, Israel is creating chaos by their treatment of Palestinians. All statements that may bear some truth, Rev. Dunkerson says, but all lead us to this same place where “the stones cry out with stories of remembered blood shed from long ago and irrational decisions being made today in political parlors right here at home. We stir an ant nest and wonder at the trouble we cause.” One thing is clear for Rev. Dunkerson. “The work we do as people of peace, as people who proclaim kinship with all human beings is the most important work on earth. May our voices not be silent and may our hearts not be proud. We have much to do to bring about the Reign of God.”

Nebraska Conference Minister, the Rev. Roddy Dunkerson, visited the Middle East as part of a delegation of UCC Conference Ministers seeking to understand the issues facing the people in that part of the world. He returned home with the image of an Iraqi boy suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the Queen Noor Clinic in Amman, Jordan. “I don’t know his name, but his eyes will be with me the rest of my life,” Dunkerson said. “I know they are eyes that no eight-year-old should display. His eyes never leave the floor. They seem to look into the core of the earth.” Rev. Dunkerson is haunted by a passage from the Bible that reminds him of his experience with the Iraqi boy: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?” Rev. Dunkerson went with the Global Ministries-organized fact-finding mission and found much more. (continued July 6, 2010)

MISSION Moment Lifting Every Child "Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty..." James Weldon Johnson’s hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing" describes a vision of unity we can apply to American public education. Our country might be very different if we imagined a system of public schools where all children's voices would be lifted together. Imagine! Jonathan Kozol, a noted author on education, contrasts the kind of education for children of privilege with schooling for poor children, and especially children of color in big cities. He interviewed a girl at Fremont High School in California. "Why is it,” she asked, “that students who do not need what we need get so much more? And we who need it so much more get so much less?" Jan Resseger serves the United Church of Christ in the national ministries as the Minister for Public Education and Witness. She calls the church to advocate for equal education in public schools. Pointing to the opportunity to rectify the injustices in our schools, she simply states, “The choice is ours. Will we imagine a future where all children in the United States can lift their voices to sing together?” Global mission moment July, 2010 Tenacious Hope "I will not let you go until you bless me." (Gen. 32:26) Every Wednesday at noon, Mrs. E is there. She sits in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, Korea with her friends to ask the Japanese government to apologize for its past treatment of Korean women as sex slaves during the Asia Pacific War. Mrs. E is elderly, as are her friends. Many of the so-called "comfort women" have passed away. Mrs. E hopes that justice will be done before she meets her grave. She is surrounded by a crowd of civilians who support her struggle. Over the loud speaker a statement is read, a song is sung, a prayer is given. The window blinds of the Japanese embassy are shut. Stone faced guards and secret police make sure there is no outright confrontation. This peaceful sit-in has continued for seventeen years. In December 2009, religious leaders from around the world, gathered for the Second Conference on Article Nine and Peace in Asia. There were various Buddhist, Christian and Muslim denominations represented. There was great meaning when we gathered in Seoul, because we were all made aware of the realities of the Cold War which still divide the Korean peninsula. East Asia has not been able to move beyond the dualisms of the Cold War era. What we witnessed was a wall; a remnant from the Cold War. The wall is invisible, but no less as real as the wall being built in Israel. Part of our program was to join the sit-in, and pray alongside these women who were victimized by war. We were all moved by the experience. I was reminded of the story of Jacob who wrestled all night with the angel of God. Jacob refused to let the angel go until he received a blessing. Mrs. E is one of those Jacobs of our time. I see in her a faith that refuses to let go, trusting that God is a God of love and blessing for all. Let us pray for the tenacity of Mrs. E and others that their belief in the possibility of justice becomes our call for the enactment of justice. Jeffrey Mensendiek serves as a Global Ministries missionary with the Council on Cooperative Mission, and as director of the Gakusei (Student) Center in Sendai Japan.

Grace Immanuel is a small inner-city church on the near east side of downtown Louisville, KY. Our church became involved with refugee ministries in 1999, when the crisis in Kosovo displaced many Albanian Muslims. We partnered with Salem UCC (Louisville) that year to welcome Fexhrije Gashi and her two daughters Florentina (5) and Venera (3). Since that first experience, the congregation has sponsored four “lost boys” from Sudan, a family from Liberia, Meskhetian Turks from Russia, ethnic Karen from Myanmar, and Sunni Muslims from Iraq. Twenty-three people have thus found a new home in Louisville through the church’s ministry, twelve of them children and teens. We find refugee sponsorship to be a peace-making activity. It has not escaped our notice that we have sponsored Muslims fleeing from Christians, as well as Christians fleeing from Muslims. We have learned that tyranny wears many masks and that any time people are made to flee it is an opportunity to recognize Christ’s presence in the oppressed.

Story: Fran Stiles tells of her church experience at Mountain Rise, UCC in Fairport NY: “A visit from our pastor thirty years ago significantly changed my life. The plight of the “boat people” filled the news, and our church was asked to sponsor a family of Laotian refugees. “Would you lead this effort?” he asked after I supported the idea. I was hooked and have been involved with refugee resettlement ever since. In May of 1980, with bunches of lilacs in hand, we awaited the arrival of our family at the airport. We had rented and furnished a two-story house, a big leap of faith! The Rafichanh family from Laos finally appeared. They spoke no English. What had we taken on?! Of the six children in the family, five were girls. Samly, the oldest, was 16 and was thrust into high school, and all the children were placed into an appropriate grade and enrolled in English as a Second Language classes. Samly is now a wife and mother, a computer software engineer, and is completing a doctoral degree.

Mardelle Bourden-Pond and Bob and Sue Hill are members of Shabbona UCC in Shabbona IL. Their hearts went out to help Hmongs who had fled Vietnam during the war. They were assigned the Xiongs, an extended family of mother, her six children and a grandchild. With no language to welcome them, we bowed and smiled and gestured our promises of friendship and care. Did we make the right decision to sponsor the Xiongs? Yes, we did. They taught us so much about courage and sacrifice. They have used their new home in America to triumph over challenges and become hard-working successful citizens. We are proud.

Global Ministries maintains a strong link through the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). The NCCK mission is to facilitate uniting the Christian Church in Kenya by promoting fellowship, building member capacities and enhancing a sustainable society. Primary in its long-term vision is continued work with the Kenyan government to curb violence that has rocked the country in recent years. PCEA – headquartered in Nairobi and founded by missionaries from Scotland – has played a pioneering role in education and medical work. It founded the first hospital in the country and now maintains three hospitals and several health centers; two schools for deaf children; a home for the elderly; and a home for destitute children. It sponsors 700 schools and operates projects comprising HIV/AIDS control programs, and relief efforts for refugees.

Three-quarters of the population in Ecuador lives in poverty. But Blanca is mentioned as a special individual by the Ecumenical Foundation for Integral Development, Training and Education (FEDICE). The program coordinates educational, health, agriculture and community development projects for the indigenous. With considerable support from Global Ministries, FEDICE plays a key role in developing water systems, agricultural projects and animal husbandry programs. Blanca, 30 and single, joined her brother to start a sheep project with $3,000, thanks to FEDICE. Since then, FEDICE has helped them create an informal credit union; they now have more than $40,000. Blanca went on to direct a day-care center, and later studied at the Biblical University of Costa Rica. FEDICE also has begun to work in a creative way with those who are physically challenged. Participants in the program produce handicrafts displayed at national fairs and exhibits.

The tornadoes and flooding in Spring 2008 brought devastation to many homes, churches, farms, and businesses throughout the Midwestern United States. Salem UCC in Westphalia, IN has a long tradition of helping its community and contributing to the UCC’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering. So when the homes of two Salem UCC families suffered severe damage from flooding, the Rev. Ken D. Kramer, interim pastor, showed up at their doors with a check from OGHS to help with repairs. Homeowners Wendell and Delores Anderson are long-time OGHS donors. “This is the first time we are recipients,” said Wendell. “It is sometimes harder to receive than to give. Thank you so much.” Homeowners Linda and Earl Meek greeted Kramer’s arrival with, “Oh, Thank God! Thank God!” Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing help people across the United States and around the world to rebuild their lives after disasters.

What is your church’s batting average? We’re not talking about the summer softball league, because this average has nothing to do with hits, walks, or strikeouts. It’s about wider church giving. There are five annual ways your church can give to advance the Conference, national, and international dimensions of God’s mission: • One Great Hour of Sharing • Strengthen the Church • Neighbors in Need • The Christmas Fund • Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support If your church contributes to all four Special Mission Offerings and also contributes to Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support, then your church is batting five for five. Going five for five in church giving isn’t as rare as you may think. Since 2001, the number of United Church of Christ congregations that batted five for five in giving has grown from 700 to more than 1,000. Is your church one of those? Find out about your church’s batting average. If it’s not five for five, see what you can do to improve it.

In nearly 400 cities in 48 states across eight countries, ordinary people picked up the mantle to call for an end to the genocide in Darfur. The mantle, in this case, was brightly painted tents for the Tents of Hope campaign – a movement that began in Petaluma, California with UCC minister Dr. Tim Nonn. A three day rally in November of 2008 on the National Mall in Washington saw thousands come together for “Gathering of the Tents” – a closing ceremony where brightly colored tents were displayed with messages of peace, calls to action and global solidarity. Derek Duncan, Associate for Global Advocacy and Education with Global Ministries, hopes that church groups don’t stop their advocacy for peace. There are other regions, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where millions have been killed and innocent civilians are fleeing for safety. In Darfur and Congo, the only thing that may end the violence is a global community of compassionate advocates.

The symbol of the United Church of Christ comprises a crown, cross and orb enclosed within a double oval bearing the name of the church and the prayer of Jesus, "That they may all be one" (John 17:21). It is based on an ancient Christian symbol called the "Cross of Victory" or the "Cross Triumphant." The crown symbolizes the sovereignty of Christ. The cross recalls the suffering of Christ—his arms outstretched on the wood of the cross—for the salvation of humanity. The orb, divided into three parts, reminds us of Jesus' command to be his "witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The verse from Scripture reflects our historic commitment to the restoration of unity among the separated churches of Jesus Christ.

Two years ago, Massachusetts Conference Minister and President the Rev. Jim Antal sounded a trumpet signaling UCC churches’ commitment to the green movement. The “trumpets” were actually church bells – and Rev. Antal invited local churches to ring their bells 350 times “to inspire communities to make the necessary changes in our behavior so that our grandchildren will enjoy the Eden into which we were born.” Why 350 times? That’s the number of parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere that is sustainable on a long-term basis. Churches across the Conference took up the cause, responding by reusing, reducing and recycling. Dennis Union Church was one of three congregations nationally to receive the EPA’s Energy star award after a building renovation lowered their energy consumption by upgrading lighting, plumbing and heating systems. Rev. Chris Ney of West Gloucester Trinitarian Congregational Church said, “stewardship is about how we use all the resources at our disposal for the benefit of our community and future generations.”

Gail Schneider reviews the history of her church: “Originally, a small flock of German immigrant farmers established the German Evangelical Church, Des Peres in November 1838. We became Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church and now Parkway UCC. Along with these name changes we have also come into a deeper sense of identity and purpose. We are strongly connected with the United Church of Christ and are proud to be an open and affirming congregation. Our senses are always open to the Spirit as we deepen and widen our mission and ministry.”

In 1999, Rev. La Verne Gill came to be the first female and African-American pastor of Webster UCC, Dexter, MI. Rev Gill went on a UCC mission trip to a Sanzule refugee camp in Ghana. When she came back, she inspired some members of our church to go to Ghana, too. When they got there, they saw so many refugees from war, children and families nearly forgotten by the world, in a far corner of the small country of Ghana. The group returned to their congregation with a strong will to do something to make a difference. Now they have their own refugee ministry. They return to Ghana every year. At first, it was a mission trip. Now it is a spiritual journey and a renewal of faith for them. The congregation says, “We are now pilgrims to Ghana.”

Rebekah Cypert didn’t quite know what to expect while visiting China on a Global Ministry People-to-People pilgrimage. The number of skyscrapers and the friendliness of the people in places like Shanghi were among the surprises for her but what amazed her perhaps the most was her experience at a worship service at Gospel Church. “I immediately noticed all of the people scurrying out of their cars, mopeds, and bicycles eager to get there and this spirit of eagerness continued to be felt during the worship service,” Rebekah said. “This was the second service of the day and every seat was occupied.” This sharing, eager spirit was also felt later during a visit to a local YMCA/YWCA where the mission is to help children, people with autism and migrant workers who come to Shanghi for employment but are brought up short by the high cost of living. Everywhere, it seemed, Rebekah was faced with God’s loving presence.

In June 2008, Scott Nicholson of University Congregational UCC in Missoula, Montana, experienced first hand the herbicide spraying of crops in Colombia, part of the U.S.-financed war on drugs. The planes spray the crops in hopes of eradicating the coca crops (the raw material used to produce cocaine). Nicholson reported that the planes flew directly overhead, each escorted by machine-gun toting helicopters. A few days later, he visited farms that had been fumigated in Arauquita, Colombia. One couple, Luis Alfonso and Amilia, and their four children live in a small, dirt-floor home next to their fields of corn and yucca (cassava). They don’t plant coca, but their farm was one of those fumigated. That summer, the crops withered and did not produce a harvest. The family borrowed money to plant the crops and was unable to repay the loan. They are just one of many families who have lost the ability to support themselves due to the indiscriminate crop spraying. Although the policy of massive aerial fumigation has failed to reduce the coca cultivation in Colombia, regular rounds of spraying continue. For example, although nearly 60,000 acres were fumigated during five rounds of spraying in 2007, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime reported that the amount of coca detected at the end of the year was 5,300 acres – the largest since 2001. The spraying also has generated substantial income for several U.S. corporations that provide the planes, helicopters and herbicides. Citizens’ groups in Arauca, Colombia have called on their government to halt aerial spraying. Farmers have offered to manually remove the coca in exchange for assistance with alternative crops that would enable them to provide for their families. Many UCC members and congregations are working to stop human rights violations in Colombia, including the aerial spraying of crops. Global Ministries missionary Michael Joseph serves in Colombia with the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of the Council of Evangelical Churches (CEDECOL). He provides pastoral critical presence to church leaders and lay people who are living in life-threatening situations.

Mardelle Bourdon/Pond, member of Pleasant Hill Community UCC in Pleasant Hill, TN relates, for about two years, I was on the committee to prepare for and welcome a refugee family. This was a highlight of my experience as a church member. The Mijatovics are from Serbia. They came with goals and skills that would be useful anywhere and they quickly found work in nearby Crossville. Today, both husband and wife are employed in management positions. The children are engaged in activities at school and at Cumberland County Playhouse. With good reason, we are greatly proud of these neighbors.