Member Church News: Fire, Support, Song

An early morning fire in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood has destroyed the 128-year-old sanctuary of Middle Collegiate Church, one of the oldest congregations in the city, and dually affiliated with both the Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.

On the first Sunday of Advent an Ohio congregation blessed its Christmas nativity and set it outside to benefit its neighbors. Instead of statues of Mary, Joseph and the animals, they filled the frame of the six-foot stable with nonperishable food and toiletries so people can take what they need.

50,000 refugee children in Greece: Refugee children live on the Greek island of Lesbos in an unsafe camp with too many people for up to three years. Kerk in Actie is committed to a better life for them.

Generous members of the United Reformed Church (URC) have helped to raise £15,000 to help those affected by the massive explosion in the port of Beirut. The appeal was organized by the Compassion Protestant Society, the diaconal arm of the URC’s local partner, the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.

The Uniting Church in Australia’s Advent Singalong project is bringing together members in virtual choirs, singing their hearts out to Tell A Story of Hope.

A long-time member of the Global Christian Forum’s International Committee, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, recently published a new book, Without Oars. In it, he blends history, storytelling, biblical insights, personal reflections, and spiritual formation in an inviting call to discover pilgrimage as a way of life. Fellow GCF committee member Ganoune Diop offers his reflections on reading Without Oars.

The Christian Conference of Asia has joined a global cohort of civil society and faith based organizations to advocate for the declaration of 18 May each year as the Universal Day for the Prevention of Militarism and Authoritarianism. Initiated by the May 18 Memorial Foundation in South Korea in association with the Asian Human Rights Commission, the campaign aims to raise awareness to end all forms of militarism and authoritarianism in the world today. The National Council of Churches in Korea also supports the May 18 Memorial Foundation.

Palestinian Christian peace worker yearns for courageous leaders: For many Palestinians, efforts to fight off COVID-19 have presented unprecedented challenges, as closed shops have robbed them of their livelihoods, adding to the already long-standing, deep injustices of illegal Israeli occupation.