monitoring the Maui fires8/10/2023  from Disciples PSWR - Waiola Church Hall and Lahaina Hongwanji Mission Temple, Maui from our colleagues in the Disciples Pacific Southwest Region (Facebook, Wednesday August 9 2023):
We pray for the people in Hawaii who are affected by the devastating fires. While our own congregations (on the island of Oahu) are not directly impacted by this disaster, they are preparing and bracing to help possible evacuees from neighboring islands. Please pray, and provide funds to Week of Compassion (our church-wide relief, refugee, and development mission fund). Arizona Disciples Border Initiative7/18/2023 Disciples respond to migrant concerns Migration has been a part of human experience for as long as there have been people. In our own religious tradition, the earliest stories of the Hebrew Bible are often about people needing to leave their homeland and find a new place to call home. Maybe they are forced out (Adam and Eve), step out in faith (Abraham and Sarah), or have fled a climate crisis (Jacob and his family). In the gospel according to Matthew, even Jesus’ own family flees due to fear of political violence. Across generations, our faith ancestors had to cross borders so that they could continue to thrive, provide for their families and, ultimately, faithfully serve God.
There is not just a common theme of migration in the Bible, but a constant reminder from God that those who are migrants, foreigners, aliens to the land, should be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. (Exodus 23:9) Summer Storms Update7/6/2023 in solidarity with disaster-affected communities From inches of rain to tennis-ball sized hail. From straight-line ‘derecho’ winds to midnight tornadoes. From city-wide power outages to repair options in short supply. Multiple localized and severe storms were a rough start to summer across the United States, leaving Disciples facing significant challenges. But stormy weather also has also found Disciples ready to help.
When disasters strike, or as forecasts give advance notice, Week of Compassion often offers a ‘response watch’ in social media, sharing any known impact to Disciples churches and members, highlighting ways Disciples are helping their neighbors, and holding affected communities in prayer. From Strawberries to Bicycles6/20/2023 how one community welcomes refugeesWorld Refugee Day 2023A car full of strawberries and a classroom full of clothes. Applause for asking questions and quick-thumbed typing into Google Translate. Well-coordinated schedules and unexpected on-call moments. Local congregations involved in refugee response know all these challenges, rejoice in every success, and have countless stories to tell. For some, that story of welcome, assistance, and compassion for refugees settling in new communities is deeply personal, too.
New Rules, New Reality6/6/2023 After more than a year, Ukrainian refugees continue to find their way in neighboring Romania. Almost 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, entered Romania in the first year following the Russian invasion in February 2022. Many of those moved through Romania en route to other countries, but many thousand have remained, with the assistance of family, government, and humanitarian agencies.
AIDRom - a Week of Compassion partner through ACT Alliance - recently shared a conversation with Marina, a mother of two and refugee in Romania since the beginning of the war. Help Build Hope at General Assembly5/22/2023 on-site 'Service Service' highlights long-term recovery Sign up to volunteer! Be part of something BIG at General Assembly!
Week of Compassion and the General Assembly Local Missions Team are working with Help Build Hope to frame a house for survivors of the devastating tornadoes that hit western Kentucky in 2021. Sunday morning (July 30), we will have a brief worship service then will frame a house right in the Exhibit Hall! Come work and pray with other volunteers as we help one family get closer to moving home. |
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