wfn.org | Religious Communication Congress 2000 receives $200,00 Lilly Grant

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

http://www.rcc2000.org
contact:  Philip Jenks (RCCStories@aol.com)
           Shirley Struchen (shirley@interport.net)

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded $200,000 to the Religious Communication 
Congress 2000 (RCC 2000) for programming during its upcoming event in
Chicago, 
Illinois.

"This grant allows our planning team to invite presenters from around the
world 
and increase our ability to include state-of-the-art communication
technology along 
with oral and print tradition," said Shirley Whipple Struchen, a United
Methodist
producer and Chair of RCC 2000.

Faith Stories in a Changing World is the theme of the once-a-decade congress
started in 1970.  The program, March 29-April 1, 2000, will focus on five
major
ways of sharing faith stories:  spoken, electronic, cyber space, written
and artistic
stories, and will include workshops, challenging speakers and interactive
dialogue.

Each morning and evening during the congress, there will be a gathering
time that
reflects varied faith understandings.  The Rev. Cynthia Winton-Henry, an
ordained
minister in the Disciples of Christ Church, has been chosen to coordinate
the "Faith
Expressions". Rev. Winton-Henry is co-director of Body Wisdom, Inc. in 
San Francisco’s Bay Area.  She and Phil Porter,  the other co-director of
Body Wisdom,
will also lead workshops showing participants how to tell their own stories
using
movement and verbal improvisation.

Conference presenters include John White, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo
journalist
from the Chicago Sun-Times and Pradip Thomas, director, Studies and
Publications, World Association for Christian Communication, London.

The opening banquet program will feature a specially-created video, "Images
of Faith,"
produced by a consortium of Canadian communicators.  This three-part video
montage
will highlight the passion and commitment which has driven peoples of faith to
communicate their beliefs through art, music, the printed and the spoken
word over
the centuries.  It will also highlight the profoundly spiritual moments in
historical events.

RCC 2000 is a forum for communication of religion that is international and
multi-faith.
The congress is being planned and hosted by North American faith groups
with special
interest in more effective global communication of religion.

Lilly Endowment is a private foundation that follows the wishes of its
founders by
supporting the causes of religion, education and community development.

		        # # #

contact:  Philip Jenks (RCCStories@aol.com)
          Shirley Struchen (shirley@interport.net)