Greening the Cross - EARTH DAY on Good Friday

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).

First Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
Second Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
21 April 2011
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity
Love Trees: Celebrate our Planet - An Earth Day Call

Each year, ‘Earth Day’ falls on 22nd April and marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. In the life journey of humans, Earth is not given Her due place and is usually forgotten. But without Mother Earth nothing can live or move. The entire human community is called to commit on this day to the Billion Green Act, since Earth Day activities help to remind us that the future of the whole ‘earth community’ depends on our planet's future, which is in our hands.

In 1970 the celebration of Earth Day went global in mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and highlighting environmental issues on the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As the new millennium celebrations approached it was felt urgent to go for a campaign against global warming and a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day combined the big-picture feistiness of the Earth Day - 1990 with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day -2000.

Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders with a loud and clear message that human communities around the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy. Much like 1970, Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. Climate change deniers, well-funded oil lobbyists, reticent politicians, a disinterested public, and a divided environmental community all contributed to a strong narrative that overshadowed the cause of progress and change. In spite of the challenge, for its 40th anniversary, Earth Day Network reestablished Earth Day as a powerful focal point around which people could demonstrate their commitment. The Earth Day Network brought 225,000 people for a ‘Climate Rally’, amassed 40 million environmental service actions toward its 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green, launched an international one million tree planting initiative, and tripled its online base to over 900,000 community members.

April 22nd - EARTHDAY 2011:

We the human communities, in our life journey do not give due respect and care to our Mother Earth; in all our activities she is neglected, being considered as a less important organism. However our Mother Earth is the only organism that no academic discipline in the world can entirely conceptualize. Each and every creature that crawls, walks and flies is dependent upon her and the Creator; all will hopelessly perish if the Earth that feeds us dies.

Rising temperatures, erratic weather, migration, and scarce water resources – along with growing civil unrest and skyrocketing food prices are said to put unprecedented stress on people on the planet. For more than 40 years, Earth Day has served as a call to action, mobilizing individuals and organizations around the world to address these challenges. This year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has come up with the theme “Love Trees: Celebrate our Planet”. This highlights the need for trees on earth. Deforestation is blamed as a driver of environmental problems: Loving Trees is projected as an emerging solution.

On this day the concerned faith communities and individuals are called to proclaim and present the ‘Green Gospel’ to the Church, and Society at large.

The National Council of Churches in India, appeals to all the Members and concerned citizens to pledge for Earth Rights and join UNDP by saying ‘Love Trees – Celebrate our Planet’. Let us as friends from all faith-communities join our hands together in spreading the message of Eco-Justice as we commemorate EARTH DAY on 22nd April 2011 (GOOD FRIDAY).

This year’s Earth Day falls on Good Friday. This is a right and appropriate occasion to remember the cross, which was made out of Trees, that leads us from bondage to liberation, death to life. Let us join the whole cosmic community in commemorating ‘Green Good Friday 2011’.

‘Greening the Cross’ Activities:

    • Plant tree(s) in your campus.
    • Facilitate the Sunday School Children to smile at / hug / speak to a tree by saying ‘We Love you Trees: Let us together celebrate our planet!’
    • Help the youth and other fellowship groups to water the trees and encourage them to pledge to care for trees and forests.
  • Let us also thank God for Trees and Forests which breathe in our Carbon wastage and produce life-giving Oxygen for us to live.

Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation
National Council of Churches in India