Search results

Churches now agree more than they disagree on many characteristics of the Church and its faith, mission, and life: the responses to the convergence statement The Church: Towards a Common Vision make this clear. Within this growth in agreement, key themes come to the fore, calling for greater understanding, study, and common conversation: visible unity, communion, mission, the role of the people of God in ministry and decision-making, sin and the church, and more. 

This volume presents essays on sixteen of these key themes. Each essay was written by a member of the subgroup of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order that focused on reading and analyzing the responses. The essays were then discussed by the group and revised in light of the discussions. Some of the themes have been prominent since the 1982 convergence statement Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. Others have emerged more recently. 

Together with the report What are the Churches Saying about the Church?, the essays illuminate the many ways in which the vision of unity has inspired and changed the churches, as well as critical areas where future work is needed.

Part of the Out of Shadows Toolkit

A brochure with important global, national and regional information on the Out of the Shadows Index and its key findings and recommendations.

Church Resources For Ending Sexual Violence Against Children

Part of the Out of Shadows Toolkit

Information about the Thursdays in Black campaign, with suggestions for how to raise awareness about the risks for children, and using tools from the Out of the Shadows materials alongside the Thursdays in Black campaign.

Im Jahr 2013 verabschiedete der ÖRK die gemeinsame Erklärung “Kinder in den Mittelpunkt stellen” und formte eine Partnerschaf mit UNICEF, um seine Mitgliedskirchen und ökumenischen Partner in die Lage zu versetzen, um (1) Kinder und Jugendliche zu schützen, (2) die bedeutungsvolle Beteiligung von Kindern zu fördern und (3) sich für Klimagerechtigkeit zu engagieren.

UNICEF ging diese Partnerschaft ein, um seine effektive Arbeit mit Vertretern von Religionen weiter zu verstärken und so das Kindeswohl zu fördern. Religionsvertreter können die am meisten gefährdeten Kinder erreichen, da sie oft Vertrauen genießen und moralischen Einfluss haben, was ihnen Zugang zu diesen Kindern ermöglicht. Durch diese Partnerschaft kann eine Vielzahl gut vernetzter lokaler Partner erreicht werden.

In dieser Veröffentlichung werden die wichtigsten Aktivitäten und Errungenschaften von 2015 bis 2021 hervorgehoben.

En 2013, le COE a adopté une déclaration commune, « Placer l’enfant au centre », et il s’est associé à l’UNICEF pour renforcer les capacités de ses Églises membres et de ses partenaires oecuméniques dans les domaines : 1) de la protection des enfants et des adolescents, 2) de la promotion d’une participation significative des enfants et 3) de la mobilisation des enfants pour des initiatives de justice climatique.

L’UNICEF a conclu ce partenariat pour améliorer le bien-être des enfants en resserrant ses liens avec les acteurs religieux. En effet, ceux-ci peuvent aider les enfants les plus vulnérables, et ils possèdent souvent la confiance, l’influence morale et les moyens nécessaires pour agir. Ce partenariat permet en outre d’atteindre un plus grand nombre de partenaires locaux et sur le terrain.

Cette publication met en lumière les principales activités et réalisations de 2015 à 2021.

Ce matériel est destiné aux responsables spirituels qui souhaitent ajouter des études bibliques et des réflexions à un problème qui peut être difficile à aborder dans un contexte religieux : l'impact de l’abus sexuels des enfants, et comment nous, en tant qu'église, devons aider à protéger les enfants contre ce mal.

Consultations with young people, participants in WCC events between the 10th and the 11th assemblies, and a number of church leaders have concluded that there is a need to provide an updated resource to get to know young people of today and to explore ways for the church to effectively engage the 18–30-year-old age group in the ecumenical movement.

The 17 young people whose voices are heard in these pages represent eight regions and diverse church traditions. Another three chapters have been contributed by the editors and former WCC youth department staff. The book invites all generations to discern the signs of our times and to be proactive in our response to them.

This first publication in the WCC and Globethics.net series on the WCC pilgrimage of justice and peace brings together the voices of 12 young people sharing their vision for Africa.

The collection features work selected during an essay competition for young people which was held in a collaboration of the All Africa Conference of Churches and the WCC. The publication covers important thematic areas for African society, including truth, trauma, displacement, gender justice and racial justice, among others. 

Campaign guide for churches concerned about autonomous weapons systems, also known as “killer robots".

The guide is designed to introduce churches to the issue of killer robots, and help raise awareness of the need for Christians to act to ensure decision-makers agree on a pre-emptive ban on the future development of such weapons.

The Zacchaeus Tax Campaign calls for a global tax and economic system that acts like Zacchaeus, the tax collector who repented of his wicked ways, which delivers equity and makes reparation for exploitation and injustice.

This ZacTax Toolkit aims to educate and enable churches to organise around the issue of tax justice, the campaign has recently released the ZacTax Toolkit. It is published by the New International Financial and Economic Architecture initiative (NIFEA), a joint effort by the Council for World Mission, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Council of Churches, and World Methodist Council. Funding is provided by Otto per Mille.

Call to Discipleship: Mission in the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace is a collection of study documents of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism 2018-2021. They give an overview of the state of the missiological thinking and practice of the ecumenical movement at the end of the 2010s and beginning of the 2020s. Each study document is preceded by a short introduction.

Studie der Kommission für Glauben und Kirchenverfassung Nr. 235

Gegenwärtige Spannungen innerhalb und zwischen Kirchen sind oft das Ergebnis von Uneinigkeit in moralisch-ethischen Fragen. Angesichts der Dringlichkeit der Angelegenheit hat es sich die Kommission für Glauben und Kirchenverfassung des Ökumenischen Rates der Kirchen zur Aufgabe gemacht, die Kirchen bei der Suche nach einem Weg, das gegenseitige Verstehen zu vertiefen, zu unterstützen. Aufbauend aus den Lernerfahrungen aus den moralisch-ethischen Urteilsbildungsprozessen verschiedener kirchlicher Traditionen und einer Reihe von historischen Beispielen schlägt dieses Studiendokument ein Analyseinstrument vor, um das Wissen über die Prozesse zu vertiefen, zu erkennen, wie und warum Unterschiede auftreten können, gemeinsame Überzeugungen zu bekräftigen und auf diese Weise Koinonia zu stärken. Anstatt sich nur auf die Ergebnisse eines Urteilsbildungsprozesses zu konzentrieren, kann das Verständnis des Prozesses zu einem neuen Weg für den Dialog führen. Das Studiendokument schlägt die Vorstellung des Gewissens der Kirche vor. Wo anerkannt wird, dass Kirchen danach streben, Gottes Willen zu erkennen und zu tun, um dem Evangelium treu zu bleiben, kann ein Dialog mit der Annahme beginnen, dass der Partner aufrichtig ist, ohne dabei notwendigerweise das Ergebnis seines Urteilsbildungsprozesses zu akzeptieren.

 

Un outil à utiliser en ligne ou sur papier, encourageant les jeunes à promouvoir des choix financiers positifs en réponse à la crise climatique.

Led by Thursdays in Black Ambassadors – leaders in their communities committed to being visible and outspoken against such violence – a series of Bible studies are being prepared for individual and congregational reflection on sexual and gender-based violence. Such reflection will help us listen to the word of God and apply our faith and vision of justice, peace, and love in our contexts today. This first series of reflections address critical topics in our societies and Christian communities that contribute to or respond to gender-based violence and provide diverse perspectives from our wide ecumenical fellowship.

A core group of Thursdays in Black Ambassadors oversaw this Bible study series: Anders Göranzon, Claudia Bandixen, and Karen Georgia Thompson.

In 2013, the WCC adopted a joint declaration, “Putting Children at the Centre,” and partnered with UNICEF to build the capacity of its member churches and ecumenical partners to (1) protect children and adolescents, and (2) promote children's meaningful participation, and (3) their engagement in climate justice initiatives.

UNICEF entered this partnership to further strengthen their effective engagement with religious actors to improve the well-being of children. Religious actors can reach the most vulnerable children, and often have the trust, moral influence, and capacity to do so. Through this partnership, larger numbers of locally connected, grassroot partners can be reached.

This publication highlights key activities and achievements from 2015 to 2021.

Receptive Ecumenism can be described as an ecumenism of the wounded hands. It brings to the fore the self-critical hospitality, humble learning, and ongoing conversion that have always been quietly essential to ecumenical work. “What do we, in our tradition, need to learn and receive, with integrity, from others?”

The book is meant for all those interested in the theological relations between mission and unity, as well as in Receptive Ecumenism. It is intended for all who are interested in the practical consequences of committing themselves to foster the unity and mission of the Church in the world. It serves both academics and practitioners engaged in mission and unity. If the book can be a source of inspiration for them, it will have fulfilled its purpose.

“Walk the Talk” builds on “Roadmap for Congregations, Communities and Churches for an Economy of Life and Ecological Justice,” a 5-step programme to change the way we deal with the economy and our ecological surroundings.

This toolkit aims to enthuse congregations and churches through concrete examples of communities in action as well as offer good practices and practical materials to “walk the talk” on economic and ecological justice, in each of the areas:

• Living in Accordance with the Covenant with God and Creation
• Renewable Energy and Climate Protection
• Just and Sustainable Consumption
• Economies of Life

The World Council of Churches provides this toolkit as a resource for the fellowship to plan and organize unique celebrations of Ecumenical International Youth Day 2021. It includes background information and a description of this year’s theme, climate justice, tools and resources and a suggested programme format to use and adapt in local contexts.

The WCC programmes on Youth Engagement in the Ecumenical Movement, Churches Commitment to Children, and Climate and Economic Justice are collaborating for this year’s focus area.

A tool to be used online or in print, encouraging young people to promote financial choices in response to the climate crisis.

Part of the "Out of the Shadow"s toolkit.

A poster with contact information for the national Child Helpline partner, who takes calls and emails 24/7 from concerned adults or children. (For countries not listed in the toolkit, you may request a template for adaptation from [email protected]. The list of national Child Helplines can be found at https://www.childhelplineinternational.org/child-helplines/child-helpli…