STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
BEYOND: General Assembly 20257/24/2025 Week of Compassion highlights from Memphis What a joy to gather with Disciples and friends in Memphis July 12-15 for General Assembly 2025! It is always a treasured time, to worship and learn, pray and play, and imagine together what God has in mind for each of us and all of us in this moment and in the days ahead. Here are a few highlights of Week of Compassion connections during this full and meaning-filled Assembly. BUILD On Friday July 11, 45 volunteers gathered at The BLVD (Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church) to frame a house for tornado survivors in western Kentucky. Working with Help Build Hope, Week of Compassion volunteers spent the day building more than 50 wall panels, which have already been delivered to Habitat for Humanity Pennyrile Region in Hopkins County, Kentucky, ready for the next phase of rebuilding and recovery. The panels will become a home for a single mother and her young son, who were displaced by tornadoes in December 2021.
TEACH Over the course of four days, hundreds of conversations happened in our Exhibit Hall booth. Among them, Week of Compassion staff presented five ‘teach-ins’, mini-workshops designed to shine a light on the work of disaster recovery, immigrant and refugee response, and global partnerships. Numerous resources were shared and remain available for download on our website and via the GA app.
The exhibit hall booth was a great space for teach-ins on important topics like disaster relief & refugee response, and for relaxing conversations with friends. ADVOCATE Alongside Obra Hispana and Disciples Home Missions’ Justice & Advocacy Ministries, Week of Compassion hosted a prayer vigil to ‘stand in the gap’ with our immigrant siblings, protesting recent cruelty and harm, and advocating for a just and compassionate response. This event partnered with the Moral Monday event coordinated by Repairers of the Breach, moving this public witness from the Plaza Square to the Immigration Court and Senate offices nearby.
GATHER As a special guest of the Assembly, Prof. Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, joined Assembly-goers at the DCHS and CUIM dinner event, offering remarks about the mission and witness of the wider church. Dr. Pillay also greeted worshippers on Monday evening on behalf of the ecumenical guests introduced by CUIM, and gathered that evening with young adults and seminarians for an engaging conversation convened by Week of Compassion and co-hosted by University Christian Church, San Diego.
CELEBRATE On the final night of Assembly, just before closing worship, more than 300 people gathered for Week of Compassion’s Community Celebration, sharing a great meal, hearing a ‘state of the ministry’ address from Executive Director Vy Nguyen, and stories of hope and resilience from Alma Angelica Macias (‘Sister Lika’), Director of La Casa de Misericordias y Todas Las Naciones, a mission in Nogales, Mexico, and a vital partner of the Arizona Disciples Border Initiative and Caminantes border immersion experience.
GIVE During closing worship as the offering was received to support Week of Compassion, the presentation included an invitation from Vy Nguyen, a bilingual prayer of thanksgiving, and two videos, marking the 80th anniversary (2024) of Week of Compassion and offering gratitude for the partnerships and generosity that make long-term response possible.
BEYOND ASSEMBLY The work of Week of Compassion continues! Volunteers are serving at Christmount in North Carolina and with partners in Houston, Texas; regions are preparing for retreats that will include Week of Compassion conversations; and staff are connecting with individuals and churches to respond to immediate needs and to create long-term responses. In addition, our Executive Director has travelled to meet with long-term partner FEDICE, visiting program sites in Ecuador. Read Vy’s recent reflections here and here, lifting up personal stories and the significant impact of faithful partnership and generosity.
Before, during, and after General Assembly – and BEYOND! – Week of Compassion is so very grateful for the varied and vibrant ways in which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) partners to transform suffering into hope. Comments are closed.
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