STORIES
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
"Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity"Approximately twenty Disciples from the United States and Canada gathered with 5,000 Protestants and Orthodox Christians from all over the world in Karlsruhe, Germany, to engage one another at the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly. The Assembly provided opportunities to build relationships, worship together, share in global concerns, consider the ways in which the church can and should be present with God’s people and creation, and establish priorities for the WCC for the next eight years.
Hurricane Fiona and Puerto Rico9/20/2022 ![]() Two days after Hurricane Fiona (September 18) made landfall in Puerto Rico, updates are beginning to come in, especially from the south and west of the island, with reports of damage to homes, some damage to churches, and many roads still unpassable. Week of Compassion is in conversation with Iglesia Cristiana (Discipulos de Cristo) and with Puerto Rico VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) for a coordinated response. Be The Neighbor9/20/2022 introducing a new partner![]() Week of Compassion, alongside our partners and local churches, has been actively engaged in refugee work since our beginning nearly 80 years ago. Over the years, especially in the last two decades, the refugee landscape has changed dramatically. Increasing numbers of refugees and the millions of people displaced around the world continue to call us to respond. Taking Shelter on a River Bank9/6/2022 an update on Pakistan floods and response![]() Since mid-June, 30 million people in Pakistan (about 15% of the total population) have been directly affected by the monsoon rains and flooding. The country has received three times the annual rainfall compared to the last 30 years, and some villages as much as five times more. The current floods are forcing comparisons to 2010, Pakistan’s worst recorded flood, which brought more than 2000 casualties and one-fifth of the nation was underwater. Where Their Kids Can Be Kids8/30/2022 how Children’s Disaster Services cares for the most vulnerable![]() A recent Week of Compassion Update lifted up the ways Disciples are living and breathing the ‘cycle of compassion’: how time and again, when God’s people are in need, God’s people are also there in response. This expansive compassion means transformation and hope, a visible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, made real even in the most difficult moments. A long-time Week of Compassion partner, and often among the first on-site in the days following a crisis, Children’s Disaster Services (a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries) holds a unique and significant role in disaster response and recovery. Ukraine : six months on8/24/2022 partners respond, and look ahead![]() Six months ago, on February 24, 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. From the beginning, Week of Compassion, through ecumenical partnerships with ACT Alliance and other partner networks, has been and continues to respond both to immediate needs and long-term recovery plans. Today, we recognize the six-month mark of this crisis - and note that Ukraine should be freely celebrating their nation’s independence day, August 24. The Cycle of Compassion8/18/2022 responding to Missouri & Kentucky floods![]() A key component in the work of disaster response, preparation, and readiness is the disaster response cycle - the way events, circumstances, and emotions mix together in the days following a crisis. Warning, impact, emergency/rescue, relief, assessment, long-term recovery, (new) normal, preparation. Phases move one to the next, sometimes back and forth, sometimes skipping a step, or coming back to repeat another. The cycle always continues, because that’s what cycles do. But Week of Compassion bears witness, day in and day out, to something else, something just as powerful and life-changing - the cycle of compassion. |
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