wfn.org | Interactive Web Forum Explores "Tragedy and Spiritual Care"

[Carol Fouke <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252; www.ncccusa.org; news@ncccusa.org
NCC9/28/01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTERACTIVE WEB FORUM EXPLORES "TRAGEDY AND SPIRITUAL CARE"

September 28, 2001 -- Local church pastors are facing enormous questions as
their members struggle to understand the September 11 attacks in New York
and Washington. Now a broadly based relief organization is providing expert
advice through a series of interactive forums, beginning this Sunday
evening, on the Worldwide Web.

Sunday, September 30, 2001, 5 to 7pm ET, on www.FaithandValues.com
<http://www.FaithandValues.com>

The forums are sponsored by the Church World Service (CWS) Emergency
Response Program. Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief,
development, and refugee assistance ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and
Anglican denominations. The events will be streamed live on the Web, and
available subsequently for on-demand viewing. (See below for technical
details.)

The Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director of CWS, says the forums will
offer "spiritual support and professional resources" to clergy and spiritual
leaders as they attempt to meet the needs of their congregants.

Dr. Katrina Bright, a consulting psychologist from Oklahoma City, will
moderate a panel of experts (some of whom are still to be named). Dr. Bright
has extensive training and experience in disaster response. She worked at
the Family Assistance Center following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995,
the tornado in Oklahoma in May 1999, and the crash of the King Air plane
carrying players and staff of the Oklahoma State University Basketball
program in January 2001.She also wrote the materials used by the Clergy
Response Institute of Oklahoma to train clergy in disaster response.

Confirmed panelists include:

The Rev. Denise Glavan, Senior Minister, Disciples of Christ, Oklahoma City,
and a principal writer and contributor to the training materials produced by
the Clergy Response Institute of Oklahoma. She has served as a national
trainer of clergy in disaster response for the Clergy Response Institute.

Additional panel members, primarily drawn from among those working directly
with survivors and recovery workers in New York City, will be confirmed by
Friday. See www.FaithandValues.com <http://www.FaithandValues.com> (click on
"Forum for Faith leaders") or www.churchworldservice.org
<http://www.churchworldservice.org> for details.

Video and audio streaming technology allows events to be broadcast on the
Internet to computer users all over the world.  By utilizing community
tools, such as message boards, Web-casts can become interactive through the
participation of people in other communities.

This Sunday's event will use both Audio-Video and Audio only formats in
order to engage the widest possible group of participants in congregations
and pastoral aid groups. Participants will need a current version of Real
Player <http://www.real.com/player/index.html?src=010709realhome_1> (a
program that allows you to receive streaming audio and video).

There is a free version of the player available
<http://huxley.real.com/real/player/player.html?src=010709realhome_1,010810r
pchoice_h1&dc=921920919>, and it is safe to download it from Real Player. It
will not contribute to the spread of viruses or damage your computer.

-end-