"Chicago Parish launches 'Club 157' to retire Sudanese church debt" -- by Joe Bjordal (ENS)

[Episcopal News Service] When the Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul spoke to the annual conference of the American Friends of the Episcopal Church of Sudan (AFRECS) in May 2008, he described the immediate challenges he was facing as the new archbishop of a church with 24 dioceses spread throughout Africa's largest geographical country. At the time of the conference, Deng has been archbishop barely a month.

He reported that upon taking office he discovered that the Episcopal Church of Sudan, at the provincial level, was deeply in debt and that some church officials had not been compensated for as long as three years. The amount of the debt was equal to approximately $157,000.

"This is affecting my work as archbishop," he said, "and I strongly need your support to carry out my duty. I want you to send me home with a promise that you will help me clear these arrears to the staff, to roll away the stone and remove the hindrances to our work as the church in Sudan."

That need was discussed in a small, private meeting between Deng and members of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Barrington, Illinois, a congregation well-known to the new archbishop. For 10 years, St. Michael's has spearheaded the companion relationship between the Diocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Renk in Sudan, where Deng served as bishop prior to his election as primate.

Jackie Kraus, a member of St. Michael's who first suggested the companion relationship after a trip to Sudan in 1998, said that a possible strategy to erase the debt was introduced at the meeting: simply find 157 individuals or families who will give $1,000 each.

The idea has been met with strong support and in September, St. Michael's will formally launch a fundraising campaign called "Club 157" seeking to raise $157,000 to meet Deng's immediate need. Even prior to the official start of the effort, the Club has 12 members.

A history of generosity for Sudan
This kind of effort in support of the Episcopal Church of Sudan is nothing new for St. Michael's. Only this time they seek to tap the generosity of people beyond their own congregation.

Early on in the companion relationship, Episcopalians in Chicago began to focus on the needs of what is now known as Renk Theological College. Initially, two members of St. Michael's provided funds to a small school building of mud and grass where priests could study the Bible. When that building was taken by the government in order to build a road over the site, the people of St. Michael's raised $50,000 to build a new school of brick with a tin roof.

St. Michael's has just concluded another successful fundraising effort with the goal of providing $150,000 to support the college over a five-year period. Kraus reports that the congregation exceeded it goal.

Club 157 will be chaired by Robin and Philip Darrow of St. Michael's, who became involved in Chicago's Sudan relationship two years ago.

Kraus, who said she "carried the torch for Sudan alone" for many years in her congregation and the diocese, says the Darrows "are some of the people that God has risen up in his own time" to lead the effort.

Phil Darrow represented St. Michael's and the Diocese of Chicago at Deng's enthronement in April in Juba. Both Robin and Phil represented their church and diocese in Salisbury, England in July, where nearly all the Sudanese bishops gathered just prior to the Lambeth Conference to celebrate the 35th anniversary of a companion relationship between the Diocese of Salisbury and the Episcopal Church of Sudan.

Phil Darrow says that Club 157 will be launched in September as an appeal letter is sent to people in the Diocese of Chicago and to members and friends of AFRECS.

Read the entire article here.
Photo of Archbishop Deng with Phil and Robin Darrow courtesy of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Barrington, IL.

"Osman Hope Mission 2008" -- by Gordon Brewer

This past month (July 19-27), eight people from across the US went to Honduras for a mission trip to work in the Osman Hope Children’s Shelters. Glenna Depew, Gordon Brewer, “Sister” Brewer, Rebecca Brewer, Donna Adams, Brian Dennis, Kimberly Dennis and Ed Warnol went for a week of ministry in Honduras in all three of the shelters run by Osman Hope, Inc., which partners with local churches to provide day shelters in Honduras for children living in extreme poverty.

Osman Hope is an ecumenical non-profit organization committed to working toward the Millennium Development Goals. Osman Hope is dedicated to ending poverty in Honduras and Central America by providing, nutritional meals, safety from the streets, help with schoolwork and spiritual guidance to the poorest of the children of Honduras.

Honduras is a country of contrasts. On one hand, you have a country that is filled with tropical forests, lush green mountains and abundant in beauty. On the other hand, it is a country in which the majority of the people live in extreme poverty on less than $2 a day. Honduras is the second poorest country in the Caribbean and the poorest of the Central American Countries. Most affected are the children. It is not untypical to have several young children left to fend for themselves for weeks at a time while their parents are out trying to find work and/or scrape out a meager existence just to support the family. It is also, not uncommon at all to find a 6 year old left to care for children younger than they are or even infants.

Our week was spent traveling first to the town of Santa Cruz de Yojoa located about an hour south of San Pedro Sula. In Santa Cruz is the largest of the Osman Hope shelters where about 50 children are served. We were able to help another group in working on a water tower to supply water for new “banos” (toilets) and showers for the shelter. The second half of the week was spent in San Pedro Sula and Villanueva working and playing with the children in those two shelters. (Incidentally, the shelter in Villanueva is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras) Glenna was able to use her expertise in organizing games, art projects and activities with the children. We had a great time playing and interacting with the children. It was truly a ministry of presence in that most of the kids get very little love and affection at home.

Another highlight of the trip was to visit a new project that Osman Hope has become involved with in an area outside of San Pedro Sula called Rivera Hernanadez. Rivera Hernandez is a slum area developed on a levee of what is called the Rio Negro (Black River or River of Pollution). The families are squatters, living illegally on government land. In the middle of this muddy and disease infested village is a church. The church is run by Pastora Maria Flores. Pastora Flores has started a children’s feeding program and young adult literacy project program in this area of Honduras. Osman Hope has made a commitment to help with this project by subsidizing their feeding program.

Whenever you return from travel outside of the country, it seems like it is only natural to need a few days just to be re-acclimated to what is familiar and “back in the groove” of life in general. Even though this was my fifth trip to Honduras, it always takes me a few months to reflect and get my brain around all that was seen and experienced. The extreme poverty we witnessed is truly overwhelming to see and experience. It would be very difficult for one single group or mission trip to make a major difference. But I truly believe that lives are changed and enriched by mission trips. Not only on the receiving end, but it is ten fold on the giving end. It would be fair to say that our lives are changed by having been in Honduras, interacting with the families and children we encountered. Sure, we were able to give some things away and provide a lot of fun activities for the children in the shelters. But he significant change came through building relationships and sharing in the lives of the people. As a result, in the words of St. Paul, we were “transformed by a renewing of our minds”. I can dare say, that for most of us in the group, we gained much more than we were able to give. At the same time, we felt God’s presence along the way as we attempted to minister to the children and families of Honduras.

For more information about Osman Hope you can visit their website or contact Gordon Brewer at lgordonb@charter.net.

Gordon Brewer is an EGR diocesan contact person for the Diocese of East Tennessee.

"Means by no means" -- by the Rev. Becca Stevens

A street encounter with Roger Miller's classic song "King of the Road" prompts reflections on the Feeding of the Five Thousand. On scarcity and abundance. Remembering that we are people of means by no means ... and that God provides more than enough. And how she found herself and her community challenged to live the call to joyful faith in the midst of scarcity.





The Rev. Becca Stevens is a priest, author, rector of St. Augustine's Church in Nashville, TN and founder of Magdalene House. She has also worked with St. Augustine's to found a school in Ecuador. Read her bio here.

"Rediscovering Hearts of Music" -- by the Micah Challenge

Today's post is from the Micah Challenge, a global Christian campaign to achieve the MDGs. Part of their mission is a weekly prayer emailing like the one you see below. You can receive it in your email box every week send a blank email to regine.nagel@micahchallenge.org with the words 'subscribe prayer' in the subject line.

Reflection

‘What is it that makes a song have an effect on a person?’ asks musician Leonardo Alvarez from Chile.

‘It’s presence of life, the comprehensiveness of the content and a deep sense of community are elements that give music a special place within the ecclesial context in Latin America, where people in many places no longer have hearts of music and singing because they have been trained in despair, oppression or violence.’

Leonardo uses David as a biblical example:

‘We can learn something about his character through his song. We know that his spirituality was closely related to his ability to marvel at and contemplate the mysteries of God. Surely the peaceful life of a shepherd prepared him for this. Those who do not have time to stop and contemplate the wonder of the great mysteries of God will end up singing only about what they know.’

Please reflect on Psalm 63, one of David’s great songs.

Prayer

Let us pray:

*That music will be developed and used in our churches for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

*Especially for Latin American musicians - that they can ‘articulate hope but also inspire new steps of community-transforming action. May Latin America Sing!’

*For the Micah Challenge African facilitators meeting in Jos, Nigeria, 22-27 August. Please pray:

+For participants’ final travel arrangements.

+For a deep sense of fellowship and learning from each other.

+That the training sessions will help the campaign facilitators to plan strategically for the next steps for their national campaign.

*Reflecting on the statistic below: it is now more than a quarter of a century since the AIDS epidemic was first recognized but there are still some areas where progress has been slow.

Today we pray particularly that countries will design laws so that the most vulnerable, those most marginalized and those most at risk of HIV can be protected effectively.

Meditate on the Statistics

As you spend time in prayer and reflection, you may like to take a moment to silently understand with your heart the focus statistic we include each week (see below). Our hope is that you will find this series of statistics a useful resource in preparing presentations.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Target 7: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

‘HIV experts from around the globe highlighted the dramatic negative impact that stigma and the denial of human rights, including gender inequality, continue to have on the effectiveness of HIV treatment and prevention scale up. Fear of violence, discrimination and unwarranted prosecution prevent many people living with or at risk for HIV from seeking testing and treatment, and drive others to place themselves at risk for infection.’

‘There is no way we can address this epidemic without addressing the social, political, jurisprudential nightmare we have created. If I try and engage injecting drug users and a policeman is running behind me trying to put them in goal, it isn’t going to work. If we cannot allow sex workers to protect themselves and from those who are predating on them, we will not be able to protect them and their clients from HIV. The legislation has to address those most vulnerable, those most marginalized and those most at risk of HIV.’

Dr Julio Montaner, AIDS 2010 International Chair and IAS President 2008 - 2010

Source: XVII International AIDS Conference, 3-8 August 2008

"What One Congregation Can Do" -- by Reynolds Whalen

For the next eight months, the Millennium Development Goals are becoming an integral part of parish life at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Norman, Oklahoma. Starting in September, a different goal will be highlighted each month with a related project and education at all levels of Sunday School, from toddlers to the adult class. The Prayers of the People will be modified to include both the MDG of the month and a general prayer for global reconciliation through the realization of all eight.

This is only the beginning for St. John’s as they have contributed a significant portion of their 0.7% budget line item toward funding my position as videographer for Millennium Congregation, and are considering becoming an official “Millennium Congregation” in the next fiscal year.

When approaching issues as overwhelming and broad as extreme poverty, one must be creative. Here is just one idea for sparking interest and beginning an education campaign in your own congregation: an interactive bulletin board…

(This model was designed by members of St. John’s using components of the Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation website. Feel free to use as much or as little as you would like, and use your creativity to come up with something even better)

1. Find a picture to represent each MDG (if you’ve traveled abroad, this is a chance to bring your own experience into the process). Format the picture in the program of your choice to be 7”X7”. Using a text box, superimpose a statistic about each MDG.
2. Using the same program, import the MDG “squares” from the EGR website. If desired, use the text box to change the wording of each MDG to reflect faith in action. For example: “Lead us to reduce child mortality. Lord, hear our prayer.”
3. Fold eight 14”X7” pieces of paper in half to make a 7”X7” square. With the fold facing up, paste the picture on the front and lift the cover to paste the MDG on the inside.
4. Arrange the squares in the shape of a cross. Encourage parishioners to match a separate list of the MDGs with the pictures and lift the pictures to check if they are correct.

The result is an interactive and educational bulletin board that makes the MDGs personal by portraying actual people who live in daily poverty. Additionally, it encourages action every time anyone lifts one of the flaps. This is a great way to begin general education on the MDGs before moving to more specific action points and ways to be involved.

Reynolds Whalen is a 2008 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and has traveled extensively in Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan. He spent fall semester 2006 in Kenya working with AIDS orphans -- read his blog on it here and has made a documentary film on that experience. He is currently raising funds to spend 2008-9 working in Rwanda for Millennium Congregation helping people in the villages of Rwanda tell their stories. You can give toward Reynolds work in Rwanda with Millennium Congregation here (be sure and put Millennium Congregation - Reynolds Whalen in the designation field)

"The Camino and the MDGs: Trust and Risk" -- by the Rev. Devon Anderson

In July my husband Michael and I hiked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. The trail starts in France and winds westward across Spain, ending at the Cathedral in Santiago which is believed to house the mortal remains of St. James the Apostle. Pilgrims have been walking this trail since the 10th century.

We did not have time to walk the Camino’s entire 500 kilometers, but instead began our journey in a mountain-top village called O Cebreiro, about 150 km away from Santiago. Off we went, with our noses planted in our highly-detailed trail book. Within the first ten minutes we were lost. We had managed to lose the trail before we had even begun, and we stood alone on a hillside scratching our heads like two complete dorks.

We retraced our steps and started again, this time with the trail book put away and our eyes open, searching for a prominent yellow arrow – the first of hundreds we would see painted on a rock or building or fence post – to point pilgrims along the way.

And so we learned the first of many lessons: the Camino takes care of you.

People had told us this before we left, but we didn’t know what it meant until we were there. The Camino provides everything you need to walk it: places to sleep, food to eat, water to drink, shade for rest, scenic hamlets for reflection, village churches for prayer. And it also points the way. At every juncture or split in the road one need only stand for a moment and look around, searching for the yellow arrow that never fails to appear.

And yet, the Camino can only take care of you if you let it. It can only work its grace if you are able to let go of what you know, or think you know, let go of what’s been read or anticipated or planned. The Camino requires eyes looking up, not down. It begs an open heart, able to be swept up in the moment, wide open and noticing, listening. And the Camino asks to be trusted -- that the need for certainty and knowledge be left behind, if only for a time, to allow the Camino space to do its work.

Flying home after this greatest of adventures I began the Herculean task of making some sense of it all. I would return to many and various church projects, the greatest of which is the next phase of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Pilot Project in the Diocese of Minnesota. The MDG Leadership Team has worked faithfully this summer to change and strengthen the model based on our many learnings from the first phase in Lent. While energized by the success and steep learning curve of phase one, the process has been challenging and not without bends in the road around which we cannot yet see.

It occurs to me that the process of mobilizing people around global poverty might be like walking the Camino – something that, if it is of God, will take care of us if we let it. If we trust God and take big risks in the name of mission, if we keep our eyes open and our hearts aware and listening, if we can sustain, if only for a time, an ability to keep our need for certainty in check – if we can do all these things -- we will be a few steps closer to the kingdom of God. We can plan, strategize and study all we want – and we are. But part of the process of organizing action around MDGs requires the spiritual discipline of openness, observance, listening and the willingness to be guided by the whims of the Spirit. Namely, keeping our hearts and minds looking up, not down and learning to trust. And this part will inform the rest, God willing, infusing our busy-ness with community and God and spiritual transformation.

*************************************
The next phase of the MDG Pilot Project in the Diocese of Minnesota!

Deadline for Participating Congregations: September 15, 2008
MDG Pilot Project Training: October 17-19, 2008 (Buffalo, Minnesota)
Campaign Kick-Off: First Sunday in Epiphany, 2009

For more information, please contact any member of the MDG Leadership Team:

Devon Anderson
Paulette Briese
Joe Burgess

Kurt Hall
Kate Hennessy
Michele Morgan

The Rev. Devon Anderson is a priest, the chair of Diocese of Minnesota MDG task force, and the recipient of an Episcopal Church Foundation grant to develop models for equipping congregations for engaging global mission and the MDGs.

"Walk for Witness" -- by Craig Cole

Ten years ago at the 1998 Lambeth Conference, about 200 Bishops and their spouses came to a reception to launch Five Talents as a concrete answer to the ravages of grassroots poverty. I’m told by those who were in attendance that a bishop’s wife challenged the organizers by saying, “This better not be just talk. We want action.”

The challenge of the bishop’s wife has rung in my ears since I became the executive director of Five Talents International in September 1999. We did act and at this moment are helping 20,000 poor entrepreneurs in 14 projects located in 10 countries. On November 16, the parable of the talents is the Gospel reading. We will be asking churches to remember on “Five Talents Sunday,” that even those who suffer the indignity of being poor have God-given abilities that when used lead to empowerment and hope.

It was a privilege for me to attend the first week of the 2008 Lambeth Conference. Besides being in exhibit hall, we held two workshops for the bishops and their spouses and sponsored a social event to celebrate 10 years.

I also was honored to participate in the Walk for Witness on Global Poverty on July 24^th. It was the first time ever that I have walked, run or carried a sign advocating for a cause. For those who know me, it’s just not something I do. But walking by Whitehall and Parliament on a clear sunny day was an amazing experience. More importantly, for the hour or so that it lasted, there was a feeling of unity and camaraderie especially among the bishops. At least from my vantage point this was true. I saw bishops from all different perspectives come together to witness on behalf of the poor who have no voice and live in desperate conditions. In fact, so many of the bishops on the walk experience this truth daily in their diocese whether in Sudan, Congo or Peru.

The focus on grassroots poverty and the churches’ important role in meeting the challenge of more than a billion people living on $1 or $2 a day is one point of agreement that binds the Anglican Communion together. In the end, though talking and walking doesn’t provide justice. Justice will roll down only when Christians act out the holistic gospel of Jesus Christ. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals will mean very little for the church unless we also share the love of Jesus Christ and His message of transformation and reconciliation while simultaneously serving the poor through water projects, HIV/AIDS treatment and even business development.

Craig Cole is the executive director of Five Talents International, an Anglican microfinance nonprofit. Member of Diocese of Virginia's Mission Commission. Craig is also an EGR board member.