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The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced an essay competition for youth who want to reflect on the theme “The Future of Interreligious Dialogue.” The contest marks the 50th anniversary of the WCC’s Office of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has released a new publication,“Health-Promoting Churches: Reflections on Health and Healing for Churches on Commemorative World Health Days,” that is designed to accompany churches and strengthen their health-related ministries.

A new English-language biography of Willem A. Visser ’t Hooft, the first general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), has been published in the year that marks the 120th anniversary of his birth.

Rev. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi is dean of the Ecumenical Institute, the graduate school which opened its academic year this week. Below, Iwuamadi reflects on the arrival of new students at the Ecumenical Institute during this remarkable time.

Anxiety, stress and unexpected changes in lifestyles are making it increasingly difficult for many youngsters to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcohol and substance abuse are on the rise as young people desperately search for answers to what is hap-pening around them. Mental health issues are rapidly following In the wake of the phys-ical health and socio-economic issues caused by COVID-19.

From warm greetings, to music and dancing, to practical tips, a World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical International Youth Day on 12 August drew young people from across the world for a virtual gathering that explored the theme of mental health, and how churches can support young people in this area of their lives.

More than 30 alumni of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Young Adults Training for Religious Amity programme gathered online over the last two weeks for a unique “Train the Trainers” event to equip former participants with the skills to organise interreligious dialogue and training in their own communities. The training, which brought together former participants from 2014-2019, included four webinars focussed on deepening interreligious awareness as well as developing leadership competencies in facilitation.

During a graduation webcast, students from the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Institute Bossey described what it was like to live for ten months or more in an environment like no other. As they receive their post-graduate degrees in ecumenical studies, they look back fondly on their sense of community, professors—and even the food.

When asked on the day of her graduation how she would describe Bossey, former student Quantisha Mason replied, ’Bossey is like a love letter to God.’ Now, the Ecumenical Institute invites prospective students to apply for the study year of 2021-2022.

A new Bible study, “Facing the Red Sea: Facing the Red Sea: Overcoming Fear by Using Your Gifts,” by Joy Eva Bohol asks Christians to counter their apprehension with activity in service of others.

On 12 August, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will celebrate Ecumenical International Youth Day with the theme “Young People and Mental Health.” A worship celebration with expert speakers, music, prayer and Bible studies is being planned, and a “toolkit” is being released before the event to help WCC member churches provide a safe space for youth to strengthen their mental health.

The new issue of International Review of Mission includes a variety of articles, ranging from post-colonialism to public theology, and from mission models to Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation. Two of the articles are specifically concerned with healing, which is a pertinent theme at this current period of the coronavirus. These two articles clearly indicate that the biblical concept of health consists as it does of the welfare, health, and prosperity of the individual person as well as of communities as a whole. Individuals are always part of the communities they belong to.

Technology is transforming the world, and the latest issue of The Ecumenical Review, the quarterly journal of the World Council of Churches (WCC), offers theological and ethical perspectives on the digital age.

Dr Stephen Brown is the editor of The Ecumenical Review. The most recent edition, “The Spirit of Truth in a Digital Age,” reflects on how our perceptions of reality are becoming dependent on the way communication and information ecosystems are organized and regulated as technology has developed.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent joyful greetings via a video message to Focolare youth who are about to celebrate Unity Week 2020.

A WCC support team is online and ready to help WCC member churches as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. The team—comprised of experts in different facets of faith-related pandemic response—is here for you, said WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca. “These are people who can serve as a tremendous support to the WCC fellowship,” said Sauca.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has newly released an online publication, "Health and Hope: The Church in Mission and Unity," a collection of previously published articles that resonate with the worldwide struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In conjunction with this resource, WCC communication is sharing personal perspectives from faith-based health experts across the world. Dr Beate Jakob is a consultant for health and healing with the German Institute for Medical Mission.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Youth Engagement in the ecumenical movement plans to publish a book with young people’s voices for the first time in 25 years. We are inviting young people ages 18-30 from our member churches, ecumenical partners, and people of goodwill all over the world to submit articles on the current situation of young people today: their challenges, the transformational potentials they see, and their vision of the movement, moving forward.