On World Children’s Day, CCA calls for churches’ increased attention to the physiological and psychological needs of children during transition to normalcy

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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19 November 2021

CHIANG MAI: On the occasion of World Children’s Day–2021, which falls on 20 November each year, the CCA General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, issued a special statement calling upon member churches and councils to “monitor and be vigilant about the physiological and psychological needs of children as they begin to return to school, paying close attention and extending full support as they re-adjust to daily life amidst strict protocols”.

“Such times are calling upon us to develop, prepare, and implement clear recovery plans to minimalise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the several dimension of children’s growth and development—plans that are not just technical or practical approaches to resolving the pandemic’s challenges, but that represent a promise and pledge made by the current adult generation to the upcoming generations to invest in their health, education, and overall wellbeing,” reads the statement.

The General Secretary further noted that vaccine rollouts for children and young people had prompted governments to reopen schools and educational institutions, which was a ‘hopeful sign that the education and socialisation processes of children are being restored’ after COVID-19 had disrupted such ‘familiar and comforting life patterns’. He added, “Churches must also build trust and encouragement in vaccines, as vaccine hesitancy has a profound impact on the ability of society as a whole to overcome COVID-19”.

Elaborating on the annual theme of World Children’s Day, A Better Future for Every Child, Dr Mathews George Chunakara called upon member churches and councils to ‘ensure that God’s nurturing love and concern is reflected in all attitudes and actions within children’s ministries’ and ‘support and affirm children’s rights to self-expression and participation by listening to, and taking into account, their experiences, feelings, and stories through Sunday School and children’s fellowships’.

The full text of the CCA’s Statement on World Children’s Day–2021 can be found below: