"Come and See"

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).

No preference updated.

08 April 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

 

8 April 2012

Reflections

 A Reflection on the occasion of the CCA Pastoral Visit to the Churches of Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.”(1Corinthians 12:12-13, 26)

 

To our brothers and sisters in the churches in Aotearoa New Zealand, Grace and Peace to you,

 

As an expression of solidarity of your sisters and brothers in the Asian churches we have come for a pastoral visit on the 1st anniversary of the 22 February earthquake in Christchurch. Our visit commenced arriving on Ash Wednesday, observing the silence, as the nation stood still at 12:51pm to remember the tragic and devastating events in 2011.

 

When the disciples began to follow Jesus – Jesus asked “what are you looking for?” This touches on the question of their motivation to follow Jesus. But the disciples’ response was: “Where is your place?” Jesus answered, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. (John 1:39) Jesus was in the world where struggles are found. This pastoral visit with the churches found them where Jesus is with the people and communities struggling today.

 

This visit has taken us to see the people of Christchurch and we remained with them for three days. During this time we had the opportunity to ‘come and see’: to see a city shaken and broken, to see a people still shaking, to see a church that is questioning, to see turmoil and uncertainty as well as hopes and new opportunities.

 

We saw and heard the heartbreaking stories that have shaped the city during this past year. We also saw and heard the stories of hope in the midst of the brokenness.

 

We visited local congregations in New Brighton and were inspired to see the local parishes/congregations working together not as ‘church in the community’ but rather as ‘church with the community’ to meet the needs of the people.

 

We heard of the churches door knocking whole communities to see what support was needed by each household. We saw the new community initiatives to provide a safe space for the people to gather and talk and share their agonies and fears and encourage each other in the face of uncertainty.

 

We heard how communities valued that the church remained after the government agencies left. This has enabled people without a church background to participate as equal members of a team able to hold those whom others wouldn’t normally want to hold. The church is being transformed from struggling to be the church in the community to now being the church with the community.

 

We heard from the regional church leaders that since the earthquake, providing the basic needs of food and accommodation is a priority. One leader shared of a new partnership that has developed with a Private Trust ensuring adequate resourcing is available to provide for the immediate needs.

 

The significant statement “when the quake happened and the buildings fell away so did some of our thinking as well. Neighbours were able to talk to neighbours.” reflects one aspect of the transformation that is taking place post-earthquake. We repeatedly heard of a new hope for the churches beyond the boundaries of denominationalism.

 

We heard from denominational leaders that the future has new opportunities and the challenge is how to embrace them. We heard the commitment that priorities for the church’s future are ministry with the people and maintaining the rich sense of community that is present since the earthquake.

 

We heard the hope that any rebuilding plans will give consideration to new places of worship that may be shared and new ways to worship as the gathered community. The earthquake has released people to worship in parks, on beaches, schools and in community buildings. The worshipping community is found in the living stones not the crumbled stones.

 

We saw the resilience and courage of the people who acknowledged that the prayers of the world have supported and carried them as they emerge from the rubble of the earthquake.

 

We met with various ecumenical groups who are working together in developing strategic plans for the churches post-earthquake.

 

We repeatedly heard “we have the opportunity to talk and think differently. We are now a gathered church rather than a geographic church. Our challenge is how to be the church post- earthquake.” ‘What we can do together is now more important than what we might have done in the past alone or separately.’

 

We clearly heard openness to greater ecumenical planning and cooperation and encourage the churches to have the courage to embrace new ways of being the church together with the community.

 

We shared the significance of first anniversaries being a point in time when people and communities begin to embrace the future in a new way. Similarly Ash Wednesday begins the journey to Easter where we embrace the hope of the resurrection and the newness of life. The churches are also embracing the newness of being church in city shaped by the earthquake.

 

We humbly received the message from the churches in Christchurch to the churches in Asia:

  • The churches in Christchurch expressed their thanks and appreciation for the pastoral visit.
  • The churches acknowledged that they have been humbled by the prayers and expressions of support from the churches in Asia and around the world. “We are  more used to offering support in time of disaster and to receive support from those who we have supported in the past is very humbling.”
  • We ask the churches in Asia to call us to account as to how we have used the  opportunity for new ways of being the church.

The earthquake not only shook the ground but has shaken the notion of what it means to be the church. The churches in Aotearoa New Zealand are encouraged to:

  • continue strengthening the fellowship (koinonia) of the churches;
  • embrace the new opportunities currently before them;
  • continue to discover new ways of being the witnessing church (martyria);
  • build on the knowledge of the needs of the people in the community to develop

further ministries of service (diakonia).

 

We write to the churches in Asia to continue expressing solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Christchurch, uphold them in prayer and when possible encourage those who are able to visit the beautiful region of Christchurch.

 

We write to the churches in Aotearoa New Zealand expressing admiration for the churches in Christchurch as they minister with the community meeting the post-earthquake needs of the people and the community.

 

We encourage continued openness and exploration for new ways to be church when gathered, witnessing and serving in a post-earthquake city.

 

We also encourage the churches throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to have eyes to see the new movement of the spirit in the church and ears to hear the call to fresh expressions of being church reflecting both ecumenical and community cooperation.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy

he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of

Jesus Christ from the dead... (1 Peter 1:3)

 

 

 

Yours in Christ,

 

 

Rev. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang                                          Rev. Tara Curlewis,

General Secretary CCA                                                         General Secretary

National Council of Churches in Australia