News
On 1-4 October, World Council of Churches (WCC) staff are gathering to develop a common work plan for the year ahead.
Staff Planning Days are a way to strengthen relationships, build trust and increase collaboration between and across teams.
This week, WCC staff seeks to strengthen the effectiveness and coherence of its programmes.
Rev. Nicole Ashwood, WCC programme executive for Just Community of Women and Men, leads Bible study, looking at issues of racial injustice.
Staff Planning Days, in addition to community building, spiritual life, thematic plenaries and team work, will also include pre-planning for the upcoming WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2021. Assembly staff groups will be composed and receive mandates to accompany assembly preparations. Ideas for ecumenical conversations will also be presented.
WCC staff gathering for morning prayer in the Ecumenical Centre chapel.
Staff will seek to generate a common sense of achievement and motivation, as well as reflect on work achieved since the last assembly and the work that they would like to achieve before 2021.
The WCC team will monitor progress with the 2018-2021 programmatic objectives with reference to outcome indicators and means of verification. They all also initiate completion of 2020 plans and budgets, taking into account progress in 2019, assembly preparations and the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace with the people and churches of the Pacific.
A draft WCC gender policy will be presented for discussion, and workshops will offer a look at new methodologies for programme work, as well as updates to working tools and implementation of policies.
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit shares a word of reflection with the staff community.
"Being together these days, we see how the global thematic focus of our Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace this year - on racism - informs and inspires reflections about our work. As we look now to 2020, let us hope that we can continue to help build momentum also around the theme of Care for Creation," said WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.
