Asia Sunday-2018 focuses on ‘Embracing the Differently Abled and Upholding Their Dignity’

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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07 March 2018

Web Asia Sunday

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) announced that the theme of the Asia Sunday-2018 will be focused on the theme ‘Embracing the Differently Abled, and Upholding Their Dignity’.

The Asia Sunday is observed every year on the Sunday before Pentecost, and this year’s Asia Sunday falls on 13 May.

Every year observance of the Asia Sunday focuses on a particular theme, and member churches, councils and ecumenical partners around the world organize worship services as part of the observance of the Asia Sunday.

The CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara urged member churches and councils as well as the ecumenical partners to observe the Asia Sunday-2018 in an appropriate way.

“The observance of Asia Sunday on the theme, ‘Embracing the Differently Abled, and Upholding Their Dignity’ is yet another initiative of CCA to prepare the churches in Asia, and various other actors in the Asian ecumenical movement to renew their commitment to address the concerns of the differently-abled people in Asia”, stated Dr. Mathews George Chunakara.

The number of differently abled people in Asia has been increasing during the past several years. According to a U.N study, “One in every six persons in Asia has some form of disability, and they number about 650 million. This number is expected to rise over the coming decades”.

The CCA General Secretary further stated that, “it is a reality that in most contexts, churches in Asia have not properly recognized people with disabilities in their congregations or communities. Disabled people are alienated from the mainstream of society as they face isolation from friends, family members and members in their own communities. Such exclusion even isolates them from active involvement or participation in the spiritual life of the Church which is supposed to be a caring and inclusive community”.

“The Church as a community is called by God to embrace everyone, including those who live with disabilities, and understand the nature of diversity in humans, who are created in the image of God”, added Mathews George Chunakara.

Although the designated date falls on the Sunday before Pentecost every year, churches and councils are free to organize the observance of Asia Sunday as per their own conveniences in respective local or regional/national contexts.

Click here Download the Asia Sunday Liturgy / Worship Order in Word & PDF formats

Asia Sunday 2018