One Hundred Thousand Signatures

UCC members not only have been passing offering plates during September, but also have been circulating petitions in an unprecedented effort to gather 100,000 signatures in support of a church-wide pastoral statement opposing the war in Iraq.

The 700-word "Pastoral Letter on the Iraq War," which calls for the war's end, was fi rst presented in June at General Synod 26 by the UCC's five-person Collegium of Offi cers. The letter has been endorsed by all Conference Ministers and Seminary Presidents.

Church leaders are hoping to gather 100,000 endorsing signatures to the statement before the first week of October, at which time the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president, will travel to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 10 to present the statement and signatures to leaders of Congress and members of the Bush Administration.

"It's going to take a signifi cant amount of work for all of us to reach the goal of 100,000 signatures before the beginning of October," Thomas said. "But I believe the enthusiasm for the Pastoral Letter that we witnessed at General Synod demonstrates the deep concern about this war that exists across our church."

Get involved in the campaign at www.ucc.org/100Kforpeace.

UCC Does 'Believe'

On Aug. 22, the UCC was the focus of the weekly "I Believe" program, seen on many PBS television stations.

"I Believe" is a half-hour, 26-part series that provides an in-depth look at various faith traditions and different houses of worship. Hosted by veteran television host Dennis Wholey, the show offers one-on-one interviews with religious leaders.

The UCC segment included taping at the UCC Church House in Cleveland and at Cleveland's Euclid Avenue Congregational UCC.

Wholey, who is Roman Catholic, said he was inspired to create "I Believe" one Sunday when he drove past a Protestant church with a full parking lot and wondered, "What goes on in there; what do those people believe?"

"The goal of 'I Believe' is not to create controversy or practice 'gotcha' journalism but to learn about different religions and faiths," Wholey said. "In America's rapidly changing culture, it's not enough to tolerate diversity; we need to actively seek to learn and respect the way other people live, what they believe, and how they worship."

Learn more at www.ibelieve-tv.com.

Neighbors Still In Need

The UCC's Neighbors in Need special mission offering will be received in most UCC churches on World Communion Sunday, Oct. 7. NIN helps undergird ministries of justice and compassion thoughout the United States.

One-third supports the Council for American Indian Ministry. CAIM, the voice for American Indian people in the UCC, provides Christian ministry and witness to American Indians and to the wider church. Historically, the forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minn.

Two-thirds of NIN is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts and direct service projects. Information and promotional materials are available at www.ucc.org/nin. Online contributions can be made at www.ucc.org/make-a-gift.

Peace Bubble Still Bubbling

As of Sept. 16, the UCC-supported Peace Bubble crew has traveled 39,004 road miles and made 140 stops since Jan. 1, including General Synod 26 in Hartford, Conn.

The peace caravan, headed by UCC minister and musician, the Rev. Jerry Leggett, is criss-crossing the United States, singing out for peace daily at noon, and asking people to reflect on the question, "What would peace look like?"

To date, The Peace Bubble has produced 116 videocasts that have been viewed some 43,100 times at www.youtube.com.

Invite the Peace Bubble to your church or offer your encouragement at www.peacebubble.org.

Christian Conversion Conduct

The World Evangelical Alliance appears ready to join the World Council of Churches and the Vatican in supporting a "code of conduct" to guide activities seeking converts to Christianity.

The Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe, WEA general secretary, gave his "full approval" in early August to the evangelical organization's involvement in the process so far sponsored by the WCC and the Vatican, said the Rev. Thomas Schirrmacher, head of the WEA's International Institute for Religious Freedom.

The WEA is an association of organizations and churches with a membership of some 420 million Christians worldwide. At an Aug. 8-12 consultation in Toulouse, France, some 30 Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal and Evangelical theologians and church leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States gathered to outline the content of the code of conduct, which is expected to be finalized by 2010.

The code of conduct as a tool to ensure the mutual respect of those who are engaged in a religion while at the same time preserving the right to spread and explain one's faith.

The Rev. Tony Richie of the Church of God, a U.S.-based Pentecostal denomination, said the code of conduct is not about "whether" Christians evangelize, but "how" they do it. He advocated a "dialogical evangelism," ecumenically oriented and marked by an ethical approach.

"Religious preachers need to be told that no religion has a monopoly on the truth, that there are many ways to find salvation," said the Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia.

None of the partners involved intend — nor have the means — to impose the code of conduct on their constituencies, but they all trust that it will be able to "impact hearts and minds" and allow for "moral and peer pressure," explained one proponent.