wfn.org | Women, youth find fellowship before UGC

["Daphne Martin_Gnanadason" <Daphne.Martin_Gnanadason@warc.ch>]

>Uniting General Council 2010 
>News Release 
>18 June 2010

>Women, youth find fellowship before UGC 
>By Achowah Umenei,UGC correspondent   
>Prior to Friday’s opening of the Uniting General Council (UGC),
>women and youth from around the world met this week at Calvin
>College to share ideas andprepare for the historic ecumenical
>event.
>The Women’s Pre-Council and the Reformed Youth Forum preceded
>UGC with events that fostered fellowship and reflection in
>advance of the soon-to-be-formed World Communion of Reformed
>Churches (WCRC). 
>Meeting under the theme, “Come With Jesus to the Streets,” the
>Women’s Pre-Councildid Bible studies, reflected on key issues
>affecting Reformed women worldwide and carved out a messageof
>their visionfor the newborn WCRC.
>Thewomen addressed several issues includingeconomic justice,
>gender equality, violence against women,and commitment to women’s
>ordination and equal participation in decision-making at all
>levels.
>An exciting moment was their ride in three “Jesus buses” on
>Tuesday toHeartside, a struggling section of Grand Rapids. While
>some visited aministrythat cares for the vulnerable, others were
>in the street meetingwomen leaders and learning about the
>economic problems ofthe marginalized.
>Whilethe women were praising God and doing serious business, the
>youths were at work too. 
>Their pre-UGCevent was arareopportunity to sharetheir dreams and
>visions for the Reformed family. The RYF created space for the
>youths to ask questions of Setri Nyomi,General Secretary of the
>World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and his counterpart inthe
>Reformed Ecumenical Council,Richard van Houten.
>Two youths askedwhy adults speak to, for and on behalf of youths
>and about the controversial classification into age brackets.
>Nyomi and van Houtenurgedthem totell WCRC delegates what they
>would like to see changed in their churches andin the new
>organization. 
>After one youth asserted a30-year-old could sound more mature
>and intelligent than a 60-year-old, Nyomi said age bracketing was
>just a sociological definition. He urged youths totake Paul’s
>advice to Timothy:not allow anyone to look down on them because
>they are young, butset an example in what they say and do.
>The youthpresentation to delegates will includean appeal for an
>inclusive WCRC family whose worship, fellowship and actions are
>based on just relationships rather than strengthening
>institutions. And they want the organization to develop
>governance based on relationships rather than rank.  
> “It was important for us young people to work together on
>issues that concern us as Christians to see what we can achieve
>for our regions,” said Mogomotsi Madiseng, a vocalcoach from
>Rustburg, South Africa.
>AddedJessei Jennette ofChicago,USA, “The youths that have
>gathered here are more than capable of understanding the needs of
>their regions and bringing their ideas here. It has been a very
>educational time and eye-opening for me.”

The Uniting General Council 2010 in Grand Rapids, United States
(June 18-28) marks the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council to form the World
Communion of Reformed Churches. 

>Contact: Kristine Greenaway
>Executive Secretary, Communications
>World Communion of Reformed Churches

UGC News Room – Calvin College - Hoogenboom Center Room HC 204 
Cell phone: 1-616-826-5540 or 1-616-826-8636
email: kgr@warc.ch
web: www.reformedchurches.org (
http://www.reformedchurches.org/#_blank )