• Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • About
      • About
      • About
      • Mission
      • Constitution and Bylaws
      • History
      • UCC Archives
      • UCC Brand Guidelines
      • General Synod
        • General Synod
        • General Synod Website
        • Resolutions
        • Past Synods
        • Synod 33 Worship Videos
      • Abuse Prevention
    • Team
      • Team
      • Elected Officers
      • Staff
      • United Church of Christ Board
        • United Church of Christ Board
        • UCC Board Members
        • Board Minutes
      • Office of General Counsel
      • UCCOSSN
    • Structure
      • Structure
      • Conferences
      • Affiliated Ministries
        • Affiliated Ministries
        • Church Building & Loan Fund
        • Cornerstone Fund
        • Insurance Board
        • Pension Boards
        • United Church Funds
        • The Council for Health and Human Ministries
        • Convergence
      • Career Opportunities
      • Annual Reports
  • What We Believe
    • What We Believe
    • What We Believe
    • Worship
    • Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ – La Declaración de Fe de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo
    • Sermon Seeds
    • Daily Devotional
    • Worship Ways
  • How We Serve
    • How We Serve
    • Love of Service
      • Love of Service
      • Love of Service
      • Human Resources
        • Human Resources
        • Human Resources
        • Employee Relations Resources
      • Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
      • UCC Archives
      • Office of the General Counsel
      • Church Building & Loan Fund
      • UCC Everywhere
    • Love Of Church
      • Love Of Church
      • Love of Church
      • EFAM Team
        • EFAM Team
        • EFAM Team
        • Disabilities and Mental Health Justice Ministries
        • Economic Justice Ministries
        • Environmental Justice Ministries
        • Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Ministries
        • Racial Justice Ministries
        • Wellness Ministries
      • Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (Faith INFO)
        • Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (Faith INFO)
        • The Faith INFO Team
        • Sermon Seeds
        • Weekly Seeds
        • Children and Youth Engagement
        • Congregational and Community Engagement
        • Manual on Local Church
        • Scholarships and Grants
        • Nurture the Soul
      • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
      • MESA Team
        • MESA Team
        • The MESA Team
        • History, Polity, and Theology
        • Search and Call
        • Ministerial Profiles
        • Ministry Opportunities
        • Manual On Ministry
      • The Pilgrim Press & Stillspeaking
      • CARDD Team
        • CARDD Team
        • CARDD Main
        • General CARDD FAQs
        • About CARDD
        • Authorized Minister Opt-Out
        • Access UCC Subscription
        • Assessment Resources
        • Information Policies and Requests
        • Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey
        • Statistics and Reports
        • Vital Signs and Statistics Blog
        • Data Hub
        • Data Hub FAQs
        • Yearbook & Directory
    • Love Of Neighbor
      • Love Of Neighbor
      • Love of Neighbor
      • Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries
        • Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries
        • Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries
        • Women & Gender Justice
        • Our Whole Lives
        • LGBTQ Ministries
        • Encuentros Latinx
        • UCC HIV & AIDS Network – UCAN
      • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
        • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
        • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
        • Justice and Peace Action Network (JPANet)
        • Action Center
        • Our Faith Our Vote
        • Justice Training Resources
      • Global H.O.P.E.
        • Global H.O.P.E.
        • The Global H.O.P.E. Team
        • Volunteer Ministries
        • Refugee and Migration Ministries
        • Disaster Ministries
        • Recovering Hope
      • UCC at the United Nations
      • Global Ministries
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Individuals
      • Individuals
      • Find a Church
      • Daily Devotional
      • Action Center
      • Frontline Faith
      • Recovering Hope
    • Congregations
      • Congregations
      • Justice Training Resources
      • Stewardship Resource Directory
      • Weekly Seeds Bible Study
      • UCC Everywhere Websites
      • Website Maintenance Tips
    • Worship Planners
      • Worship Planners
      • Living Psalms
      • Mission Moments
      • Music & Liturgical Arts
      • Sermon Seeds
      • Worship Ways
  • News
    • News
    • News
      • News
      • United Church of Christ News
      • Witness for Justice
      • UCC Roots
      • The Pollinator
    • Columns
      • Columns
      • Into the Mystic
      • Getting to the Root of It
      • Encounters at the Well
      • Reflexiones
      • On My Mind Today
      • Voices of the Journey
    • Announcements
      • Announcements
      • Events
      • UCC Subscriptions
      • Changes & Deaths
      • Webinar Archives
  • Giving
    • Giving
    • How To Give
      • How To Give
      • Donate Now
      • 5 for 5
      • Giving Tuesday
    • Ways We Give
      • Ways We Give
      • Scholarships & Grants
      • Global H.O.P.E. & Disaster Relief
      • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
    • Special Mission Offerings
      • Special Mission Offerings
      • One Great Hour of Sharing
      • Strengthen the Church
      • Neighbors in Need
      • Christmas Fund
      • Our Church’s Wider Mission
Church Finder
United Church of Christ
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • bluesky
  • threads
  • linkedin
  • tiktok
  • youtube
  • Church Finder
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Frontline Faith Portal
  • Search
  • Donate Now
  • Who We Are
    • Column
      • About
        • Mission
          UCC purpose, vision and mission statements
        • Constitution and Bylaws
          Governing documents of the UCC
        • History
          Background profile of the UCC since established in 1957
          • History
          • UCC Archives
        • UCC Brand Guidelines
          Instructions on use of UCC messaging, logo and various identity marks
        • General Synod
          Information and resolutions from UCC General Synods
          • General Synod Website
          • Resolutions
          • Past Synods
          • Synod 33 Worship Videos
        • Abuse Prevention
          Sample abuse prevention policy for local churches
    • Column
      • Team
        • Elected Officers
          Biographies for elected officers of the UCC
        • Staff
          Searchable directory of the UCC National Setting staff
        • United Church of Christ Board
          Member directory for the UCC Board
          • UCC Board Members
          • Board Minutes
        • Office of General Counsel
          Legal resources for local churches
        • UCCOSSN
          UCC Support Staff Network resources
    • Column
      • Structure
        • Conferences
          Information and directory for UCC’s 36 conferences
        • Affiliated Ministries
          Social, financial and other supportive ministries of the UCC
          • Church Building & Loan Fund
          • Cornerstone Fund
          • Insurance Board
          • Pension Boards
          • United Church Funds
          • The Council for Health and Human Ministries
          • Convergence
        • Career Opportunities
          Career opportunities at the UCC National Setting
        • Annual Reports
          Archive library of UCC annual reports
  • What We Believe
    • Column
      • Worship
        • Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ – La Declaración de Fe de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo
          UCC faith statement variations
        • Worship Ways
          Original liturgies written by UCC clergy
        • Daily Devotional
          Devotionals by the Stillspeaking Writers’ Group
        • Sermon Seeds
          Reflections on selected biblical texts for local church studies
    • Column
    • Column
  • How We Serve
    • Column
      • Love of Service
        • Human Resources
          Employment policies and resources for national staff
          • Human Resources
          • Employee Resources
        • Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations
          We are called to affirm the worth of all God’s beloved people
        • UCC Archives
          UCC’s historical records, photographs, resources and objects
        • Office of the General Counsel
          Legal Resources for Local Churches
        • Church Building & Loan Fund
          We transform communities by helping the Church live into God’s economy.
        • UCC Everywhere
    • Column
      • Love Of Church
        • Education for Faithful Action Ministries
          Faith-based movement for peace, justice, equality and inclusivity
          • Education for Faithful Action Ministries
          • Disabilities and Mental Health Justice Ministries
          • Economic Justice Ministries
          • Environmental Justice Ministries
          • Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Ministries
          • Racial Justice Ministries
          • Wellness Ministries
        • Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (Faith INFO)
          Programmatic, visionary and strategic support for local churches
          • The Faith INFO Team
          • Sermon Seeds
          • Weekly Seeds
          • Children and Youth Engagement
          • Congregational and Community Engagement
          • Manual on Local Church
          • Scholarships and Grants
          • Nurture the Soul
        • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
          Resources to assist in church giving and stewardship
        • Ministerial Excellence, Support & Authorization (MESA)
          Resources for the implementation of denominational polity
          • The MESA Team
          • History, Polity, and Theology
          • Search and Call
          • Ministerial Profiles
          • Ministry Opportunities
          • Manual On Ministry
        • The Pilgrim Press & Stillspeaking
          Books and publications that nurture spiritual growth
        • Center for Analytics, Research & Development and Data (CARDD)
          Center for Analytics, Research & Development and Data
          • CARDD Main
          • General CARDD FAQs
          • About CARDD
          • Authorized Minister Opt-Out
          • Access UCC Subscription
          • Assessment Resources
          • Information Policies and Requests
          • Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey
          • Statistics and Reports
          • Vital Signs and Statistics Blog
          • Data Hub
          • Data Hub FAQs
          • Yearbook & Directory
    • Column
      • Love Of Neighbor
        • Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries
          Promoting health and wholeness through advocacy and support initiatives
          • Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries
          • Women & Gender Justice
          • Our Whole Lives
          • LGBTQ Ministries
          • Encuentros Latinx
          • UCC HIV & AIDS Network – UCAN
        • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
          Policy and justice issues the UCC advocates for at the Capitol
          • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
          • Justice and Peace Action Network
          • Action Center
          • Our Faith Our Vote
          • Justice Training Resources
        • Global H.O.P.E.
          Ministries of the UCC providing hope globally through diverse outreach
          • Global H.O.P.E. Team
          • Volunteer Ministries
          • Refugee and Migration Ministries
          • Disaster Ministries
          • Recovering Hope
        • UCC at the United Nations
        • Global Ministries
          Joint mission with Disciples of Christ to share the news of Jesus Christ
  • Img
  • Resources
    • Column
      • Individuals
        • Find a Church
        • Daily Devotional
        • Action Center
        • Frontline Faith
        • Recovering Hope
    • Column
      • Congregations
        • Justice Training Resources
        • Stewardship Resource Directory
        • Weekly Seeds Bible Study
        • UCC Everywhere Websites
        • Website Maintenance Tips
    • Column
      • Worship Planners
        • Living Psalms
        • Mission Moments
        • Music & Liturgical Arts
        • Sermon Seeds
        • Worship Ways
  • News
    • Column
      • News
        • United Church of Christ News
        • Witness for Justice
          Advocacy opportunities, updates and ideas
        • UCC Roots
          Stories from UCC National Setting about our history and heritage
        • The Pollinator
          Blog for environmental justice and advocacy issues
    • Column
      • Columns
        • Getting to the Root of It
          Analysis and discussion of critical social justice issues
        • Encounters at the Well
          Stories about spiritual growth and connection
        • Reflexiones
          Reflections on faith, life and spirituality by guest writers
        • On My Mind Today
        • Voices of the Journey
    • Column
      • Announcements
        • Events
          Join us for online, hybrid and in-person events
        • UCC Subscriptions
          Weekly and monthly newsletter options from UCC ministries
        • Changes & Deaths
          Important ministerial changes and memorial announcements
        • Webinar Archives
          Virtual serieses to foster connection, faith education and worship
  • Giving
    • Column
      • How To Give
        • Donate Now
          Information to support the UCC Annual Fund
        • 5 for 5
          Local churches supporting all five mission offerings
        • Giving Tuesday
          Join the United Church of Christ on Giving Tuesday
    • Column
      • Ways We Give
        • Scholarships & Grants
          Explore scholarship and grant opportunities for supporting education and ministry
        • Global H.O.P.E. & Disaster Relief
          Ways to respond to disaster relief efforts
        • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
          Resources to assist in church giving and stewardship
    • Column
      • Special Mission Offerings
        • One Great Hour of Sharing
        • Strengthen the Church
        • Neighbors in Need
          Special mission offering for justice ministries
        • Christmas Fund
          Support for active and retired UCC clergy and lay employees
        • Our Church’s Wider Mission

Global Ministries’ devotional lifts the challenges and hopes of those in Pacific Basin region

by Donna Jackson | published on Jul 16, 2024

Blue skies above. Lapping waves below. Palm trees blowing softly in the wind. Togoru, a village located on the south coast of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu, seems to have it all.

But paradise is an illusion.

Gazing out at the water one can see the tips of ancient headstones amid the waves. The submersion of ancestral burial grounds is a reminder of how rising sea levels and coastal erosion are claiming Fiji’s past — and present.

Togoru’s watery grave (watch video here) is just one of many scenes Brande Midgett-Crosby, a mission education and communications program associate for the United Church of Christ’s Global Ministries team, captured last year while touring the Pacific Basin region.

A clip from a video filmed by UCC’s Brande Midgett-Crosby showing the disappearing burial grounds in the Fiji village of Togoru. Video stories are part of the Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional.

Her videos are now part of the recently launched online Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional created by Global Ministries, a joint mission of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The devotional is presented in three categories — climate; migration; and, peace and resilience. Each category invites readers to pray with scripture, discover the latest statistic and studies, and watch video stories that bring the region’s challenges, as well as hopes, closer to home.

“Devotionals not only provide a learning opportunity for individuals and groups wanting to engage in the Pacific Basin Initiative, but they allow us to pray not just for but with our partners,” said Derek N. Duncan, Global Ministries minister for East Asia and the Pacific Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the UCC.

While the Global Ministries communications team has produced devotionals for previous initiatives, said Duncan, the Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional “may be the first to incorporate video in this way.”

Global Ministries introduces its Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional.

Resources foster solidarity

The devotional is part of the Pacific Basin Initiative which was launched at the 2023 General Synod in Indianapolis. The region includes Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Marshal Islands and Fiji.

Working with its partners in East Asia and the Pacific, who are on the forefront of advocating for creation justice, promoting peace and supporting migrant communities, Global Ministries has created eye-opening resources to help those in the U.S. Walk alongside their siblings overseas.

“Paul writes that when one member of the body of Christ suffers all members suffer. Our accompaniment not only provides solidarity when partners seek international support, but we recognize that their struggle is our own,” said Duncan.

Watch Global Ministries’ video introducing the work of the Pacific Basin Initiative.

Reviving Indigenous practices

One of the lessons emerging that Duncan said is “a gift of our global relationships” is the value of Indigenous wisdom and the ways of understanding and engaging in the world. He also noted how there has been a revival of Indigenous practices that were eradicated through Western colonialism, including missionary efforts.

 “Partner seminaries like Pacific Theological College, though, have become creative centers of Indigenous theology, where traditional concepts and craft ways are recovered and reinvested with meaning and purpose. This leaning into Indigenous identity gives agency and informs local strategies to address issues like climate change,” said Duncan. “We have much to learn from partners about their resilience and faithful action in the face of challenges.”


Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.

Categories: United Church of Christ News

Get the UCC in your inbox!

Sign up for the weekly UCC News Digest

Privacy Policy
 
 

Related News

United Church of Christ News

Drag Queen and King Preachers: UCC pastors engage drag performance to center God’s love and belonging

In the book Drag Queen Preacher, the Rev. Ricardo Tavárez describes preparing to get...

Read More
On My Mind Today

Do Unto Others…

While in Greece for World Council of Churches meetings, I was a part of a group that visited...

Read More
United Church of Christ News

Destruction of Indigenous sacred site at Oak Flat halted by recent ruling

Editor's note: Near the time of publication of this story, the Supreme Court refused a plea to...

Read More
  • Column
    • Local Church and Conference Resource Directory
    • Mission
    • Love Of Church
    • Love Of Neighbor
    • How can I find local churches near me? Click here!
    • General Synod Resolutions
  • Colukmn
    • Contact
    • News
    • Store

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the
National Setting of the United Church of Christ
and may be only shared according to
the guidelines outlined here

1300 E 9th St #1100, Cleveland, OH 44114



  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Bluesky
  • Follow us on Threads
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on TikTok
  • Subscribe on YouTube

Donate Now


UCC Crest
© United Church of Christ 2025. Privacy Policy.
Crafted by Cornershop Creative