wfn.org | Micah 6 Churches "Spiritually Enriched," Serving Neighbors

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

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252
news@ncccusa.org; www.ncccusa.org
NCC5/31/02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MICAH 6 CHURCHES "SPIRITUALLY ENRICHED," SERVING NEIGHBORS

See Related Story "New Ministry Resource for Congregations: 'Living Micah's
Call'"

May 30, 2002, NEW YORK CITY - A program of the National Council of Churches'
Economic Justice and Domestic Hunger Program Ministry, Micah 6 began in 1999
with a pilot project engaging 37 churches of nine denominations in seven
areas of the country.  Thirty remain active "Micah 6 Covenant
Congregations."

"Many of the churches in the Micah 6 Pilot Project have had astounding
results," reports Nancy Theoharis of Fox Point, Wis., Micah 6 National
Coordinator.  "All have moved out into the community to meet and serve their
neighbors.

"One hundred new outreach ministries have been started in these churches,"
she said.  "Many have grown in membership and increased their stewardship
for mission efforts.  Most have found that the Micah 6 emphasis helped
organize and integrate the many programs of their congregations.  All have
been spiritually enriched and many new leaders have emerged."

Micah 6 congregational reports are posted on the project's Web site:
www.micah6.org.  Active Micah 6 Covenant Congregations include:

* Concord United Methodist Church, Athens, W.Va., which is sponsoring and
caring for a local park so the young people in the area have a safe place to
go.
* First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Ga., which helped set
up and support Safehaven, a home for teenage mothers, organized a prison
ministry and wrote letters to cancel the debt of poor nations, all under the
Micah 6 umbrella.
* Westminster Presbyterian Church, Detroit, Mich., which chose its new
minister based on Micah 6 beliefs and guidelines and reports that Micah 6
has helped the congregation dive deeper into theological understanding and
commitment to justice, kindness and discipleship.
* All Saints Episcopal Church, Hoboken, N.J., currently working to build a
community center across from the public housing buildings in their city.

In the spring of 2001, CBS-TV through the Interfaith Broadcasting Network
spent a week with Micah 6 churches in Atlanta, and produced a half-hour
show, "Answering Micah's Call," that was broadcast on CBS stations
throughout the United States during June and July 2001.  The show is now
available on video by calling 800-494-6007.

"An interesting and important spin-off of Micah 6 has been the use of Micah
6 materials in campus ministry programs to involve students with churches
and the community," Theoharis said.  "Rhodes College in Memphis has had a
very successful Micah 6 program for several years.  The Bonner Foundation
has expanded the program to 10 other small colleges, with grants to each."

Independent of the pilot project, a number of ecumenical organizations and
denominational judicatories have begun Micah 6 programs in their communities
and denominations, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Presbytery
of New York City, the new ecumenical agency Greater Dayton (Ohio) Christian
Connections and an ecumenical group of a dozen churches around the
University of Texas (Austin).

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has distributed Micah 6 brochures
to all its resource centers throughout the country, and the United Church of
Christ has listed Micah 6 resources in its "Desk Calendar," which is
distributed to all clergy and churches in the denomination.

Micah 6 is rooted in Micah 6:8: "...and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God."

For more information about the Micah 6 program, contact Nancy Theoharis,
National Coordinator, at 877-642-2460 (toll free) or by e-mail at
natheo@execpc.com

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