November 1-5, I attended the meeting of the Secretaries of World Christian Communions. Each year the group meets for the purpose of sharing what God is doing in our churches-Anglican, Armenian Orthodox, Baptists, Disciples, Friends (Quakers), Seventh Day Adventists, Old Catholics, Mennonites, Russian Orthodox, African-Instituted Churches, Pentecostals, Catholics, Salvation Army, Lutherans, Reformed, Evangelicals, and Methodists.

Many remarkable stories were told:

� We attended the first session of an historic dialogue: Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future. There we heard Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed bin Talal of Jordan issue a ringing call to Muslims and Christians to live out the teaching found in both the Bible and the Qu'ran, to love God and love neighbor.

� We heard the moving story of Lutherans publically repenting of past persecution of Mennonites, and the touching reconciliation ceremony at the Lutheran World Federation meeting in Stuttgart, Germany.

� We heard testimony from Pentecostal and Evangelical leaders of their groups increasing involvement in efforts for Christian unity. This was evidenced by a report on Edinburgh 2010, a celebration of the centenary of the 1910 Word Mission Conference that gave birth to the modern mission movement. Both Olav Fykse Tveit, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Geoff Tunnicliffe, the International Director of the World Alliance of Evangelicals addressed the Conference, calling for Christian unity and mission.

These stories are part of the larger story of God working in his world through his people. Through World Convention, let us keep telling these stories!

Thirty-five women, related by the history and theology of the Stone-Campbell Movement, are involved in the Disciples of Christ Historical Society's on-line course, Educating Disciples Women .  Readings and conversation are taking us through the progress of women's education in the United States and the ways our heritage has helped define educational goals within society.  I have been encouraged by the tenacity- particularly of women of earlier days whose courage, determination, strength and intelligence have provided hope and promise for today.  

It has also made me curious about the needs in education worldwide.

• Conversations with World Convention board member, Martin Phiri, Kenya, told me that only their most promising students are permitted a place in advanced education.  A portion of Martin's ministry is locating and installing the technology that will enable more to receive additional training. 
  
• Articles read about women in the Middle East document that although girls returned to school after years of war, some are still being attacked by militants who believe they should not be educated.  Week of Compassion has an ongoing ministry presence to educate and empower women in Palestine and Egypt, also in Croatia, Serbia, and the Republic of Georgia.  
• Curiosity about the dropout rate in middle Tennessee revealed information about crucial months in infant development, and important scholarship programs that can provide working poor families with quality childcare and enable them to continue work and/or school to help break the poverty cycle.  
• Past Global Women Connecting service projects show that we have been involved in supporting training and education endeavors in Haiti, Vietnam, Africa, Latin America, Asia (ECPAT), Zimbabwe (Khayelihle Children's Village), Colombia (CEDECOL Women's Network) and Thailand (Klong Toey) since 1960.  You can read archived newsletters and learn more about our past programs here -

 http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/pages/DW-GWC-Nwsltr

I believe that all have a place at God's table, as was demonstrated at the Secretaries of World Christian Communions in Geneva.  It's our call as Christ's disciples to educate ourselves and others in order to understand our world and her issues.   Please pray with me that as we open our eyes and ears to become better prepared to work toward solutions where need exists, we will also recognize many reasons to celebrate God's guiding wisdom.

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