Please download the MONTHLY MISSION STORY for your church bulletin or newsletter:  
            May 2009:  text only or pdf or espanol 
            June 2009:  text only or pdf or espanol

To download the WEEKLY PRAYER for Sunday Worship, click here: Japan

Check out Global Ministries at General Synod and General Assembly:
            GM at General Synod
            GM at General Assembly

Read the GM Spring Appeal letter: Spring Appeal

Are You Registered for the Pre-Assembly/Synod Events?
- Pre-Assembly Event on Global Wounds and Healing
Global Ministries and Disciples Peace Fellowship will host a Pre-Assembly event entitled "Called to be a Leaf for the Healing of the Nations". International Partners, GM staff and missionaries will help participants identify the "wounds" of the world and ways to become a "leaf" for healing in our world. Sharon Watkins will offer input during one of the sessions. For participants who are interested in exploring theater as a form of expression of the "wounds" and "healing", Ingrid De Sanctis, Artist in Residence at Eastern Mennonite University, will be working with a group of volunteers to create and produce a series of "justice theater" pieces. For more info or to register, contact Onea Winkle at owinkle@dom.disciples.org or (317) 713-2567 or click here: http://globalministries.org/calendar/pre-assembly-event.html

- Pre-Synod Event on Immigration
For UCC members seeking to discern a path toward a humane immigration policy, you are invited to attend a Pre-synod event on Immigration in Grand Rapids called:   Toward More Sane, Humane Immigration Policies.  The event is sponsored by Justice and Witness Ministries with participation by a UCC Immigration Coordinating Committee.  The pre-synod event is being held on June 25, 2009 from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM and it costs $35 to register.  Go to the General Synod website for Pre-Synod events to register:  http://act.ucc.org/site/Calendar/1735712666?view=Detail&id=100401

Rockford, Illinois UCC Minister to Swim the English Channel
For most of his life, Mike Solberg, Senior Pastor of Second Congregational United Church of Christ in Rockford, Illinois, has dreamed of swimming across the English Channel. As a pastor, he has also developed a second dream: to support a school building project in Waku Kungo, Angola. The local church pastor, avid triathlete, and marathoner will soon see both dreams become a reality as he prepares to swim the English Channel in September 2009.  In addition to conquering the Channel, Reverend Solberg is using the swim to raise funds to work with the Evangelical Congregational Church of Angola (IECA) to construct a badly needed school.  To read the entire story, click here: http://globalministries.org/news/africa/rockford-illinois-ucc.htmll

CMEP Advocate for Strong American Peacemaking Leadership
President Barack Obama is preparing for a flurry of Middle East diplomacy in the coming weeks, including a series of White House meetings with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders followed by a major speech to the Muslim world in Egypt on June 4.  At this critical time, three House Members have begun circulating a sign-on letter in support of "strong American leadership to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian and broader Arab-Israeli conflicts."  To read more about the Churches for Middle East Peace initiative and to send a letter to your Representative, click here: http://globalministries.org/news/mee/churches-for-middle-east-4.html

Immigrant Rights Sunday
On Sunday, May 3, 2009, the UCC recognized its first "Immigrant Rights Sunday."  Congregations were urged to lift up immigrants on that day, learn about their concerns, honor their contributions to our country and communities and to listen where God is leading us regarding issues of immigration.  Reflecting upon the impact of immigration raids in Oberlin, Ohio and Oberlin's history, the Rev. David Hill, Pastor of the First Church in Oberlin, shared a sermon, "Strangers No More," with UCC staff at the Amistad Chapel in Cleveland on April 28. You can read it by going to:  http://www.ucc.org/justice/immigration/worship-resources/DHillSermon.html

For other resources on immigration: 
http://www.ucc.org/justice/immigration/
http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/RIM/ImmigrationMinistries.htm

Time is almost here for Vacation Bible School and Summer Camps!
Global Ministries page of ideas for special projects and materials can be found here:
http://globalministries.org/resources/youth-and-children/global-ministries-vacation-bible.html
and we've just added another resource for you to check out!

If you would like to receive directly to your inbox these weekly Global Ministries updates, please send your name, e-mail address, physical address, phone number, and home church to: bshebeck@dom.disciples.org

Upcoming Ministries and Mission Interpreters (MMI) Training Events:
- Austin, Texas: Friday, June 5, 2009 from 10am to 4pm @ United Christian Church, 3500 W. Parmer Ln. Austin, TX 78727 For more info and to register, contact: 512-218-8110 or admin-assistant@uccaustin.org
- Cleveland, Ohio: October 9-11, 2009 beginning with dinner on Friday and going through Sunday at noon. Radisson Gateway, Cleveland, OH.
- Southern California: Saturday, October 31, 2009 sponsored by the Pacific Southwest Region (DOC) and the Southern California-Nevada Conference (UCC) – For more info, contact Larry Hixon larryhixon@yahoo.com
- Greensboro, North Carolina: Monday June 21 to Wednesday June 23, 2010 before the Disciples Women's Quadrennial Assembly. For details, visit: http://www.quadrennial.org/Pre_QA_Events.html

Find a Missionary Visit in your State:
Penn SE: April 5 - May 31, 2009, Martha Mensendiek (Japan) Contact: Geneva Butz butz@psec.org
NC: May 1 – June 30, 2009, Tim Rose (Reformed Church of France) Contact: Janelle Bunn janellebunn@soc-ucc.org
OH: May 1 – June 30, 2009, Scott Couper and Susan Valiquette Couper (UCCSA in South Africa) Contact: Ruth Brandon ruthb@sonkaucc.org and Wayne Chasney pastorwayne@monroevilleuccorg
MT, WY, UT, & CO: May 4-31, 2009, Bruce Van Voorhis (Hong Kong) Contact: Beth Miller (317) 713-2570 or bmiller@dom.disciples.org
GA: May 18 – June 14, 2009 Phyllis Byrd (Kenya) Contact: Ray Miles ray@gadisciples.org
ND: June 5-7, Jim and Jayanthi Wilson (Kgolagano Theological College in Botswana) Contact: Wade Schemmel schemmel@npcucc.orgIL: June 8-25, 2009, Angola Delegation in Illinois Conference (Donna Dudley, GM Missionary in Angola, Luis Samacumbi, Executive for DASEP through the Evangelical Church in Angola, and Rev. Abias Cauto, Executive Secretary of IECA) Contact: Tom Norwalk tnorwalk@sbcglobal.net or ileastucc@comcast.net
MI: July 2, 2009, Scott Couper and Susan Valiquette Couper (UCCSA in South Africa) Contact: Scott Oberle scottoberle@portageucc.org
TX: July 19-24 and 26-30, 2009, Kevin Howe (CCD in Honduras) Contact: JoAnn Hoel at (254) 694-7981
TN: July 28-29, 2009, Martha Mensendiek (Japan) Contact: Ted Braun: tedbraun@citlink.net
HI: August 1-31, 2009, Martha Mensendiek (Japan) Contact: Charles Buck cbuck@hcucc.org
IA: September 1 – October 11 and October 17-31, 2009, John Campbell-Nelson (Indonesia) Contact: Hal and Donna Rusk h.rusk@mchsi.com