wfn.org | From the NCC: "Localizable" Events and Observances

["Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.org>]

April 22, 2004
For Immediate Release

"LOCALIZABLE" NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

Check the contact person(s) or Web site for local participants in these
(inter)national events.

Through July 25 - Great American Bake Sale to End Child Hunger: During the
school year, more than 16 million children take part in free or reduced fee
school meal programs.  In the summer, that number plummets to 3 million. 
That means 13 million children may not have access to what may be their only
nutritious meal of the day.  To help close the gap in summer and after school
meal programs, the National Council of Churches urges congregations to host a
Great American Bake Sale (TM) between April 4 and July 25.  Last year, 400
congregations were part of this nationwide campaign, which raised nearly $1
million for grants to food banks, congregations, advocacy organizations and
schools. The NCC is one of four community partners in the 2004 Great American
Bake Sale, a collaboration between Share Our Strength and Parade Magazine,
which featured the project in its April 4 issue.  More information at
www.greatamericanbakesale.org 

May 10-13 - Omaha, Neb., 41st National Workshop on Christian Unity: Come
celebrate the spirit of ecumenism!  Presenters will include Carol Joy W. T.
Gallagher, the first American Indian female bishop in The Episcopal Church;
church historian Martin E. Marty; Nebraska United Methodist Bishop Rhymes H.
Moncure, Jr., and William Tabbernee, president of Phillips Theological
Seminary in Tulsa, Okla.  Seminars spanning more than a dozen topics, plus
worship and fellowship time, will round out the workshop.  Contacts are the
Rev. Richard Jeske, national chair, RJES@aol.com and local chair Allen C.
Johnson, lawoffacj@aol.com or 402-345-7398.
  
May 10-16 - Cover the Uninsured Week: There are nearly 44 million Americans -
8.5 million of them children - living without health coverage, and their
numbers are increasing.  Rising health care costs continue to undermine the
ability of individuals, businesses and state governments to purchase health
care coverage.	Help reverse this disturbing trend!  Participate in "Cover
the Uninsured Week," which counts the NCC as a key national participant.  To
learn more, visit www.covertheuninsuredweek.org 

May 26-31 b Tampa, Fla., Come to the Feast 2004: Young adults and those who
work with them will gather in Tampa, Fla., for worship and fellowship and to
explore the theme "The Art of Ministry and Play."  The two-part event will
develop young adult ministry ideas and test them in "ministry labs."  For
more information, call Courtney Richards, Registrar, Come to the Feast, at
317-558-2863 x 20 or register online at www.cometothefeast.org 
  
June 3 - National Hunger Awareness Day:  Communities across the country will
unite to focus attention on the persistent problem of domestic hunger.	Food
banks and food-rescue organizations, soup kitchens and food pantries, and
countless individuals, faith-based organizations and businesses will donate
time, raise funds, and give food to help their neighbors.  The NCC is joining
America's Second Harvest in this important effort.  Visit www.hungerday.org
for more information.
  
June 20-22 - St. Louis, Mo., Consultation on Faith in a Time of Technology:
Scholars, publishers and practitioners in curriculum development for faith
formation will examine how technology's benefits and drawbacks shape their
field.	For information on this event, to be held in St. Louis, Mo., contact
Dr. Robert Fulbright, Chair, Committee on Curriculum Research and Theory, NCC
Education and Leadership Ministries Commission, 826-456-4887 -
fulbrightg@cs.com 
  
July 7-13 - Barcelona, Spain, Parliament of the World's Religions: The 2004
Parliament, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, will include more than 400
seminars, workshops, panel discussions and performances on interreligious
dialogue and the role religion and spirituality can play in fostering a more
peaceful, just and sustainable world.  The National Council of Churches USA
is organizing a presentation on religion-related violence and how to address
it, in support of the Parliament"s theme, "Pathways to Peace: the wisdom of
listening, the power of commitment."  Visit www.cpwr.org for more
information.
  
July 24-27 - New York City, Joint Meeting of the North American Interfaith
Network (NAIN) and the National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious
Staff (NAEIS):	This groundbreaking meeting will bring together two groups
that share similar interests yet rarely interact institutionally.   Features
will include workshops on professional development, public policy and the
United Nations, ecumenical/interreligious commonalities and tensions, and an
Interfaith Film Festival.  See www.nain.org/info/Connect2004.htm for full
information.
 
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NCC Media Contact: 212-870-2252; cfouke@ncccusa.org