CWR

You can love, serve, and work together with the Sudanese

dave — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:59:05 +0000

The charge of CWR and theme for our recent materials is “to love, serve, and work together with the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized.” The Covenant Church of Sudan has submitted a funding request for a project that is exactly in line with this theme and we need your support to respond.

Most of East Africa, including Sudan, is in the midst of a severe drought. For parts of South Sudan a famine seems inevitable and many lives are at stake. You can read more on the drought here and here. The ECC of Sudan has submitted a great project to supply emergency relief aid to the most in need in their communities. The project is very simple in nature and the funds will go to purchasing and distributing corn (maize) and oil to those that have been identified as the most at risk in a variety of communities in South Sudan and one community in Ethiopia. Some of those that have been identified as most vulnerable are women-led households, the disabled, children and those with HIV/AIDS. Although the project is coordinated by the ECC of Sudan, the beneficiaries are not just church members. The project will serve the entire community, not just those in one particular tribe or religion. They anticipate they will serve 70,000 individuals.

One great aspect of this project is that it is completely designed, administrated and managed by local Sudanese people. We, as CWR and the ECC in the US and Canada, are not coming in and telling the local people how to do a project or what project would be best. The local community has identified the problem and the best ways to love and serve their own community in response. We are able to walk alongside them and continue to empower and encourage them as they love and serve their own community.

Another important note is that it is very intentional that we are sending money and not sending corn and oil from the US. You can read a recent CWR blog on this topic here. By buying the maize and oil in the local markets instead of in the US and shipping it, we are not only able to provide the relief much more quickly, we are able to boost the local economy.

As a note, the ECC of Sudan was actually formed in Ethiopia when the Sudanese were refugees there. There are still ECC of Sudan churches in this community in Ethiopia and since this drought is affecting an entire region and the ECC of Sudan has connections and relationships with this community in Ethiopia, it is only natural for them to serve that community as well.

You can read more in a Covenant news story here. If you or your church would like to be involved in this project, please call us at 773.784.3000. You can also donate online here.

Jim Sundholm Interview

chrissy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:40:37 +0000

Jim Hawkinson recently interviewed Jim Sundholm on his blog. Check it out here.

Singing About Missio Dei, The Mission of God

dave — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:07:06 +0000

Some months ago I was struck by an article, entitled “Worship Wars” in the Nov/Dec 2008 edition of Prism, a magazine published by Evangelicals for Social Action. In the article Harold Trulear laments the narrow focus of both sides in the battle over contemporary versus traditional worship music.

“One side claims that contemporary worship meets the needs of hurting people, while the other argues that traditional worship roots us in historic Christian faith. Neither side rehearses the relationship between the gospel and social transformation: rather they focus on forms that heal and strengthen the individual, while ignoring the claims of Christ on our community, social, and civil life.”

Trulear maintains that contemporary style sermons consist of “practical instruction for daily living rooted in a problem solving framework that emphasizes what works in our lives.” This is clearly an over-generalization, but not too much of one. One wakeful night in a hotel I spent a good deal of time television channel surfing. I was amazed by how many Christian programs were being broadcast. Most of the preachers seemed to be sort of para-psychotherapists, using the Scripture to explain how people could be happy, debt free, have a good marriage, etc… I didn’t hear any mention of God’s love and concern for the rest of the world including the poor and the marginalized. I didn’t hear a word about injustice, war, God’s creation, the Kingdom, etc.

Trulear points out that traditionalists criticize the weak theology of contemporary worship saying it leads to a shallow Christian life and witness. Traditionalists call for the rehearsing of the great doctrinal themes of the church in preaching, music, and prayer. However traditional worship also often misses the big picture of the Kingdom and focuses mainly on a personal relationship with Jesus, with little mention of the mission of God in the world.

I long to sing more worship songs with this kind of focus on God and his reconciling mission in the world. I believe that we should give more emphasis to worshipping God as the one who loves the whole world, including the poor, the suffering, the voiceless, and the marginalized. May we increasingly worship God as the one who inaugurated his creation-restoring, relationship-reconciling Kingdom through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. May we increasingly worship God longing for his Kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I am encouraged that these kinds of songs have been around for a long time and they are being sung in some corners of the Kingdom.

Mason North wrote the following hymn in 1903.
From tender childhood’s helplessness
From woman’s grief, man’s burdened toil,
From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,
Your heart has never known recoil.
The cup of water given for You,
Still holds the freshness of your grace;
Yet long these multitudes to view,
The sweet compassion of Your face.

Another by Matt Redman –
You’ve put a new song in my mouth
It is a hymn of praise to You
Justice and mercy are it’s theme
And I will live it back to You

The kind of fast You’ve chosen, Lord It must reach out
To broken lives and to the poor So change me, Lord

I know You are the orphan’s hope
I know You are the widow’s song
O Lord, You’re showing me what’s on You’re heart

Lord, I won’t bring an empty song. It’s meaningless
Without compassion in my life And holiness

You’re Father where no father lives
And to the lonely You’re a friend
O Lord, You’re showing me what’s on You’re heart

I know You are the orphan’s hope
I know You are the widow’s song
You’re Father where no father lives
And to the lonely You’re a friend
O Lord, You’re showing me what’s on You’re heart

My hope and prayer is that mission minded folks who are gifted at composing will give us some new worship music. I also hope and pray that those involved in leading worship will increasingly seek to focus on the reconciling mission of God in the world as they lead God’s people in worship.

Water of Life

chrissy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:40:40 +0000

Hopefully, you have seen our new logo by now. The department of Communications has just posted an article giving more information about the new logo and other new activities with CWR. Check it out here.

What are your thoughts about the logo?

The article also mentions some of our updated and new communication strategies. For you personally, what is the best way to stay updated and connected to the ministry of CWR? If you don’t want to post your thoughts here, please feel free to email us at covenantworld relief (at) covchurch.org. We truly love hearing from you and value your feedback.

Think Globally – Buy Locally

dave — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:51:31 +0000

Because of the internet and other modern media, we are inundated with images and stories of extreme poverty throughout the world. I grew up seeing starving children on TV with flies swirling around their heads. I have traveled throughout Asia in the past ten years and have been confronted with a level of poverty that I never imagine existed. On my recent trip to Kenya and Sudan, I heard about and saw the devastating effects of a five-year drought in East Africa. As we are confronted with these realities, how can we respond in ways that will be most effective?

In Ethiopia alone, thirteen million people rely on foreign food aid. I am encouraged to know that the U.S. is the largest contributor of food aid worldwide and contributes over half of all global food aid supplies. However, by law U.S. food aid must be purchased and processed in the U.S. and transported on U.S. flagged ships. In Ethiopia 70% of their food aid is shipped from the US, which sounds great, but there are many downsides.
•    It takes a long time to transport the food to places that are in desperate need.
•    It is an expensive way to provide aid – it costs two dollars to process and ship one dollar of food.
•    With all of the free food aid being distributed, the local markets and the local economy suffer.
•    While food aid offers immediate relief to hungry people, it doesn’t address the underlying causes. As a result countries and communities become dependent on food aid and become trapped in a cycle of dependence on the West.

There are an increasing number of voices promoting the purchasing of food aid locally. There are several benefits of approaching food aid in this way.
•    The food can get to those in need much more quickly.
•    The same amount of money can buy significantly more food for those in desperate need.
•    Because the food does not need to be transported, processed or packaged to be shipped long distances, energy consumption is minimized and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
•    Buying locally bolsters the local economy, particularly helping the farmers and the merchants.
•    As the community’s infrastructure and the economy improve, the vulnerability to human-made and natural disasters is reduced. It is said that disaster vulnerability reduction costs as little as two percent of post-disaster relief.

As we see the levels of human suffering and need in the world, we feel the urge to send relief supplies like food, water, blankets, medicine, and clothing. We genuinely want to help reduce human suffering. We want to pack a gift box to bring a smile to the face of a poor child or a family. We want a hands-on experience of serving. However we will be far more effective if we seek to address the root causes of the suffering and provide relief in a way that will make a long-lasting and transformative impact on the local community and the local economy.

One way that we are seeking to address underlying causes of suffering and to bring about genuine transformation is through the 2009 Children’s Service Project. This year’s project is to provide mosquito nets for children in the Congo. This will reduce the risk of malaria, which is the largest cause of death for children under five years old in Congo. Instead of buying nets in North America, the funds raised will be used to purchase the nets from local vendors in the Congo. By buying locally, we will not only promote the health of the children of Congo, we will also help to stimulate the local economy.

What’s New?

chrissy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:28:26 +0000

Periodically we will be posting updates on what’s new with CWR. We have had several new items we want to draw your attention to today.

New and Updated Materials and Avenues of Communication

Fall Materials
Hopefully you have already ordered your 2009 fall campaign materials, but if not there is still time. They are available on our website here. The new materials include:
-short DVD highlighting the work of CWR in the past year
-brochure with stories and photos, brief financial reporting information, and information on how to be involved with CWR
-poster
-offering envelopes
-soup can lids and labels

Website
We have worked to update our website and make sure all information is current and more visually appealing. We realize we have plenty of room to improve, but are pleased to be moving in the right direction. As you browse the site, please send us feedback as we continue to work towards improving our site.

Facebook
If you are on facebook, or want to be, please become a fan of CWR here. We post 2-3 times a week at least and use facebook as one of our primary means of keeping you informed on the ministry of CWR.

Flickr (photos and videos)
We have posted over 2000 photos on our flickr site. This is a great way for you to see how your CWR dollars are at work around the world.

Personal Visit
Did you know Dave or another CWR advocate would be willing to come and speak at your church, retreat, camp or other event? Contact us if you are interested.

Newswire
Although it is not a new tool, a great way to stay informed on CWR and other ministries of the ECC is through the newswire. You can sign-up for daily emails here.

Upcoming Events in the department of Compassion, Mercy, and Justice

Connection
January 23-25, 2010 in Denver, CO
Connection is a time for those interested in compassion, mercy, and justice (CMJ); youth ministry and worship come together to connect with God and others. Learn more here.

Sankofa
March 4-7, 2010
Sankofa is an interactive experience as part of our journey towards racial righteousness. You can learn more on the CMJ website here.

Annual Meeting 2010
June 24-27 in St. Paul, MN
This year we will celebrate our 125th Annual Meeting. It will be a great time of celebration and you won’t want to miss it.

CWR 2009 Video

dave — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:05:22 +0000

Covenant World Relief 2009 Video from Covenant Communications on Vimeo.

How Long Oh Lord?

dave — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:12:40 +0000

Typhoon Ketsana hit the northern part of the Philippines including Metro Manila on September 26 bringing the worst flooding to the metropolitan area in four decades. You can see some amazing photos online from the Boston Globe here.
On October 3 super Typhoon Parma hit the northern provinces causing massive mud slides in rural areas and more flooding in Manila. Because of some very unusual weather conditions, Parma actually struck four times in a matter of a few days as it moved in a circular pattern.
More than 860 people have died as a result of the two typhoons, 130 of these have died from an infection that is spreading through the standing water. Millions have been affected and hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the flooding.
The Jesus Covenant Church in Pasig City (part of Metro Manila) is receiving relief funds from the Taiwan Covenant Church and from Covenant World Relief. Pastor Jhun Peji is heading up the relief efforts being carried out by the JCC church members. Their numbers are few but they are working tirelessly providing much needed supplies and medical care for their community. Marianelle, a young doctor in the JCC, is providing leadership for the mobile health clinics.
Within the next 48 hours Typhoon Lupit, meaning “cruel” in Tagalong, is expected to hit the far north in the Philippines, perhaps sparing Manila, but likely wreaking havoc on northern Luzon. Winds up to 120 miles per hour are expected. This will be the third major typhoon in less than four weeks. Relief organizations are reporting that their staff are exhausted and reinforcements are being brought in.
Let’s pray for those who are suffering, for those like the JCC members who are serving, and that the string of powerful typhoons will soon come to an end.

2009 Materials Available

chrissy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:25:36 +0000

The 2009 CWR Materials are available now. New this year, materials will not be automatically sent to every church in bulk. Instead, one sample of each of the resources available will be sent to each church this week (mailed by Friday, October 16th). You can order materials online now, even before you receive your sample set, if you prefer. If you would like to order additional materials, and we hope you will, you can contact the Covenant bookstore online here and order additional copies at no cost to you. This allows us to cut down on excess postage and printing expenses and be better stewards of the funds you so generously donate. We hope that you will participate in the CWR emphasis Sunday at some point that best fits your church’s schedule between November 15-29. For questions about the materials or for help with your order, please contact the resource center at 800.338.4332. If you have feedback about the resources or new ordering process, we’d love to hear from you at covenantworldrelief(at)covchurch.org or 773.784.3000.

Brochure

Poster

2009 DVD

Offering Envelopes

Colombia: Hope for Refugee Children

chrissy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:33:55 +0000

Each year the department of Christian Formation and Covenant World Relief partner to offer a Children’s Service Project. This is a chance for children in the US and Canada to grow deeper in their faith and to serve other children around the world. This year the Children’s Service Project focused on refugee children in Colombia and provided educational support for children of refugee families including school supplies, gym clothes, shoes and socks, and Bibles.

We just received a thank you letter from Colombia and some photos of children with their new school supplies and wanted to share it with you. To read more about the Children’s Service Project or to donate you can go to our website here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Thank you for the support that this project has brought to help children in need. As a result of your support, the children have been able to smile, because of the joy that these gifts have brought.

You can’t imagine how happy the children were to receive tennis shoes, shirts, pencils, pens, erasers, and school uniforms. These were some of the exact physical needs they had. They have also received a snack during the day (juice and crackers). The parents of these children have also expressed their gratitude for the help with their child’s education. The truth is that this this project has been such a blessing. As a church we thank you for your support. We are sending some pictures that we took with the children when they received their gifts; it was a wonderful time as the children’s faces were filled with joy.

Thank you again, May God continue to Bless you.