Faith communities call for special help for those 'disproportionately' struggling in the current economy

An interreligious coalition of faith communities today urged members of Congress to take special note of those who are "disproportionately" struggling in a recession in which millions have lost their jobs and have little prospect of employment.

Noting that the unemployment rate is stagnant at 10 percent, "with a staggering 15.3 million people unemployed," the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs said today that Congress must insure that legislation and other measures "are targeted to at-risk communities, creating jobs that pay a living wage and are sustainable."

"Certain groups with disproportionately high unemployment or low earnings need special efforts to guarantee they are not left out of an economic recovery," said the statement signed by Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and ecumenical groups. "Job creation initiatives should target those groups experiencing especially high unemployment, including minorities, workers without a high school degree, and single parents."

To read the letter, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

President Obama's State of the Union Address and the GOP Response

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Top faith leaders write to Obama on Health Care

Twenty-two prominent religious leaders, including nine members of the White House Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, wrote to President Obama on the day of his first State of the Union address to encourage him to exercise his full influence to urge Congress to pass comprehensive health reform legislation, imploring him "to make it plain to all Americans that the decisions of Congress have moral consequences.

According to the letter, "Your active and public leadership is desperately needed at this moment of doubt on Capitol Hill." It continues, "The political twists and turns of the last week do not change the facts on the ground: hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose their homes, thousands who would otherwise live will die, and countless people will continue to go without needed care if Congress does not pass health reform."

To read the letter, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Harper Seeks to Improve Health of Women and Infants Worldwide

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued a statement highlighting a Canadian initiative to improve the health of women and infants worldwide. Following are some excerpts from that statement:

"The world’s poor have been hit hardest by the global economic downturn and in these difficult times we must address their pressing needs.

“Indeed, tragedy strikes all too frequently on those that can least afford it. The lack of the most basic services can lead to dire consequences, especially for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Each year, it is estimated that 500,000 women lose their lives during pregnancy or childbirth. Further, an astonishing nine million children die before their fifth birthday. . . .

"This is simply not acceptable. . . . What makes it worse is that the bulk of the deaths during pregnancy – experts claim as many as 80 per cent – are easily preventable. There is a pressing need for global action on maternal and child health.

"As president of the G-8 in 2010 Canada will champion a major initiative to improve the health of women and children in the world’s poorest regions. Members of the G-8 can make a tangible difference in maternal and child health and Canada will be making this the top priority in June. Far too many lives and unexplored futures have already been lost for want of relatively simple health care solutions.

"The solutions are not intrinsically expensive. The cost of clean water, inoculations and better nutrition as well as the training of health workers to care for women and deliver babies is within the reach of any country in the G-8. Much the same could be said of child mortality. The solutions are similar in nature – better nutrition, immunization – and equally inexpensive in themselves.

"As its contribution to this G-8 initiative, Canada will look to mobilize G-8 governments and non-governmental organizations as well as private foundations. Setting a global agenda for improving maternal and child health is an ambitious plan. But working with other nations and aid agencies on the ground where the need is makes it an achievable goal.

“There is other business to be transacted at the G-8 as well as informal discussions on security, nuclear proliferation and the environment. But our focus on maternal and child health will be a priority."

Interfaith letter sent from 56 organizations urging Congress to finish health care reform

Fifty six national and state faith organizations sent a letter to Congress today urging members to show political courage, vision, leadership and faith – and to “take heart and move meaningful health care reform forward.”

Faith communities have supported health care reform for decades, and they have offered vocal support and occasional constructive criticism over the last year. While they individually promote a variety of different policy priorities, they are unified in their belief that health care reform must be completed this year “on behalf of the millions who are left out and left behind in our current health care system.”

CLICK HERE to read the letter.

Cancel Haiti Debt, Head of World Council to Tell Leaders at World Economic Forum

Geneva (ENI). The head of the world's largest grouping of churches, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, is to tell the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos that Haiti's foreign debt should be immediately and unconditionally canceled.

Tveit, a Norwegian Lutheran, who took over as general secretary of the World Council of Churches on 1 January, is due to attend the Davos summit later this week. His call for the lifting of the debt follows that of other religious leaders such as Ishmael Noko, the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

In a statement made available to Ecumenical News International on 25 January, Tveit said, "The time has come for the international community – politicians, business and civil society organizations – to focus on how Haiti can become sustainable".

To read more of this article, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

National Council of Churches Supports Nationwide Faith Call-in Week for Health Care - Starting Jan. 25

The National Council of Churches is joining other faith organizations and allied partners in asking all people of faith to call their U.S. House Representative and Senators and urge them to "act with courage and mercy by enacting health care legislation now."

The "health care reform now" call-in begins on Monday, January 25 and extends throughout the week. The toll-free number, provided courtesy of the SEIU Faith Initiative, is 866-699-9243. People of faith can also call toll-free at 1-888-797-8717.

"Remind [our elected officials] that families are still struggling to access and afford health care," the Council urged its members. "As people of faith and constituents, we still need and expect reform."

To read more about this, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Editorial: An Uncertain Time . . . But It's NOT Over!

by The Rev. Linda Walling
Executive Director, Faithful Reform in Health Care
Senior Adviser on Health Care for the Disciples Center for Public Witness

Things really haven't changed for us -- the "us" being people of faith who have poured our hearts and energies into a moral vision for our health care future. We've been saying that even though we are so close to health care reform there are no guarantees. The Massachusetts election simply confirms that. . . .

But nothing that happened in Massachusetts changes our vision or resolve. Yes, the loss of the Senate seat will present a whole new set of political challenges and stifle legislative possibilities. But our task has never been that of putting or keeping a particular party in power, nor of promoting a partisan political agenda. Because of that, our mission remains intact. . . .

To read the rest of this editorial, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Children Respond to Haitian Crisis

Children in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ are responding to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti through a program called Kids to Kids.

This unique program is designed to involve elementary age children in the mission work of the church. It was started 15 years ago by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and is now also a program for children in the United Church of Christ.

The special 'Kids to Kids' project - Haiti ’s Babies! - gives children information about putting together and sending baby kits to Haiti through Church World Service. This gives our children a way to learn more about mission work and humanitarian relief, and provides them with a hands-on way to respond to the earthquake disaster in Haiti.

To find out more about this unique project, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

If you have further questions about this project, or Kids to Kids in general, please contact Kaye Edwards, Director of Family and Children’s Ministries for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), at kedwards@dhm.disciples.org.

HAVE A BLESSED KING DAY!

The Governors and all volunteer Advocacy Team of The Disciples Center for Public Witness join many others within our denomination, across our nation, and around the globe to honor the birthday, life, mission, vision and continuing challenge of one of America's prophets and one of her strongest advocates for justice and peace: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PRAYER: O God of our salvation, give us the grace and strength to keep Dr. King's dream alive, and to make his vision of the Beloved Community a central part of our lives as Christians, as Americans, and as members of the world community. We make this prayer in the name of the One who gave the vision to Dr. King and to us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

CLICK HERE to watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech.

Watch President Obama's speech at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, DC: "Martin Luther King and the Challenges of a New Age."

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CLICK HERE to read the full transcript.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's Letter from the Birmingham Jail.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech to striking sanitation workers in Memphis.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech on the Vietnam War.

Former Presidents Bush and Clinton Join President Obama to Aid Haiti

In a major effort to help the people of Haiti, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is announced at the White House.

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Disciples can give through Week of Compassion by clicking HERE.

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES TOGETHER ISSUES PRAYER FOR VICTIMS IN HAITI AND EGYPT

Disciples News Service - In the wake of two recent tragedies, Christian Churches Together issued a "Pastoral Prayer of Comfort and Hope for Haiti and Egypt" during its meeting in Seattle, Wash., on January 12-14. Christian Churches Together expressed its grief over the devastation and loss of life caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, and by a drive-by shooting attack that killed seven people as Coptic Christians were leaving a midnight Mass on Coptic Christmas Eve in southern Egypt Jan. 6.

The Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT-USA) released a statement saying, in part, "We lament the use of violence in the name of God. In the midst of the world's suffering, we pray for God's compassionate and healing spirit."

CCT is a fellowship of Christian churches and traditions in the United States, with national leaders from five Christian families – African American, Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic.

To read CCT'S pastoral prayer, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Canadian PM and U.S. President Respond to the Earthquake and Aftermath in Haiti

To read the remarks of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Watch the remarks of U. S. President Barack Obama below, or read the transcript.

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Also, Counselor Cheryl Mills, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah, and Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Douglas Fraser held a special briefing on the aftermath and relief efforts currently underway in Haiti.

To watch this briefing, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Disciples Appeal for Assistance for the People of Haiti

As we continue to hear reports about the devastation that the powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused in Haiti, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this disaster and those who are working to help the nation recover. Disasters like this one are especially devastating when they strike places that are already struggling to provide the most basic of services for its population.

With weak government and private sector institutions, and with uncertain security conditions, Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty. The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude.

According to Disciples News Service, Disciples and their partner agencies have started emergency relief efforts for the people of Haiti. Week of Compassion has authorized funds to be sent through the Division of Overseas Ministries/Global Ministries to its partners in the area, and is in the process of conducting an initial assessment, said Amy Gopp, executive director of Week of Compassion. WoC is working closely with Church World Service, ACT International, and IMA World Health in coordinating its response.

To read a Week of Compassion update, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To make a financial contribution for emergency relief, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

"Affordability Summit" highlights need for final bill to include House bill's subsidies for lower-income families

At the "National Affordability Summit" on Capitol Hill this morning, 200 clergy, grassroots leaders and families from across the country were joined by Members of Congress, including leaders from key House Health Committees, who committed to making affordability their priority in final health care bill negotiations. The Summit was sponsored by leading faith, labor and consumer organizations who are calling for legislation to include the House bill's subsidies for low-income families to ensure that health care reform makes coverage affordable for all.

Members of Congress who spoke at the Summit were Reps. John Dingell (MI-15), Tom Perriello (VA-5), Jared Polis (CO-2), Allyson Schwartz (PA-13), Zoe Lofgren (CA-16), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Chris Murphy (CT-5), Donna Edwards (MD-4), Lois Capps (CA-23) and Eliot Engel (NY-17).

At the Summit, people shared their difficulty affording health care and explained how they would fare under the House and Senate bills. Numerous people stood up to speak during the event on behalf of the 90 million people in America who live in families earning below 200 percent of poverty, for whom the House bill would provide much greater financial protections.

Grassroots organizations across the country are also holding nearly fifty in-district rallies, press conferences and prayer vigils this week to urge Congress to make affordability a top priority in the final health care reform package. To see a list of events, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Related: Last week, 770 elected officials, clergy, small business owners, health practitioners, health care providers and heads of organizations sent a letter to Congress and President Obama, calling for strong affordability protections for low- and middle-income Americans in final legislation.

People of Faith Launch Virtual Vigil for Health Care Reform

People of faith from all over the United States are participating in a first-ever virtual vigil, called the "Interfaith Virtual Vigil of Prayer, Hope and Action." From now until health care legislation is signed by President Barack Obama, religious leaders and activists are being encouraged to pray, offer words of hope, and take action by contacting their Senators and Representative (1-888-797-8717), organizing a prayer service, writing a prayer to share with others, organizing one day of hour-long praying by members of a community of faith or faith-based organization, etc.

"We are SO close to enacting historic health care reform in the United States," said The Reverend Linda Walling, director of Faithful Reform in Health Care and Senior Advisor on Universal Health Care to The Disciples Center for Public Witness. "But we aren't there yet, and we still have the opportunity to move the reform proposals closer to our vision of a health care future that truly includes everyone."

The goal of the effort is to have at least one person of faith witnessing for health care reform at some point during every hour--24 hours a day, 7 days a week--during the coming weeks. To get involved in this virtual vigil, please follow the links below:

Virtual Vigil Sign-Up (Jan 12-16)

Virtual Vigil Sign-Up (Jan 17-23)

Virtual Vigil Sign-Up (Jan 24-31)

Call Congress: 1-888-797-8717

GMP Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of President's 10 Most Important Faith Leaders

Disciples News Service - General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins has been named by U.S. News & World Report as one of President Barack Obama’s 10 Most Important Faith Leaders. Last year, President Obama selected Watkins as the first woman ever to give the sermon at the National Prayer Service, held during the presidential inauguration. She also serves on his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

To read the article, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Council on Christian Unity to Celebrate its 100th Anniversary

Disciples News Service - A Century of Witness, A Journey of Wholeness will be the theme as the Council on Christian Unity celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding.

Robert Welsh, president of the CCU, said that he hopes all expressions of the church (congregations, regions, institutions of higher education, and other general ministries) will "participate in the variety of opportunities that will celebrate past achievements and will focus on where God is calling the Disciples of Christ in our ecumenical life and witness in coming years."

To read more about this, PLEASE CLICK HERE.