Ecumenical opportunities for young adults (ages 18-30)

Exciting ecumenical opportunities available for young people between the ages of 18-30, nationally and internationally.

The National Council of Churches (NCC) is accepting applications for its Stewards Program during the 2007 General Assembly Meeting in Woodbridge, New Jersey, November 6-8, 2007.

The General Assembly is the annual gathering of 250 delegates from 35 member churches/denominations, representing 40 million Christians in the United States. Young adults will encounter a rich multicultural environment at the meeting and will experience the church at work, living its unity in Jesus. It will also provide them an opportunity to network with other young adults from across the country, worship in an ecumenical setting and interact with church leaders.

Application form for NCC Stewards Program is available online at http://www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/2007stewardsapplication.pdf.
Deadline for applications is September 14, 2007.


The World Council of Churches (WCC) based in Geneva, Switzerland, is also accepting applications for their Stewards Programme. Twenty-five young people (between the ages of 18-30 years) will be invited to participate in the Stewards Program which includes a week-long ecumenical learning program and work on several logistical tasks with WCC staff at the Central Committee meeting. The Stewards Program starts on February 6 (arrival), and ends on February 22 (departure), 2008. Stewards will be part of a unique ecumenical and international community of young adults and gain exposure to the WCC's work.

Inquires for the program can be addressed by E-mail. The application form can be downloaded from the website: www.ecuemncialyouth.org.

The WCC is also accepting applications for their Internship Programme which is an opportunity for ecumenical learning and work with the Council. It is a year-long program and begins in February 2008 and ends in January 2009. Inquiries about the program can be addressed by e-mail. The application form can be downloaded from their website: www.ecumenicalyouth.org

Phone, from US dial: 011 41 22 791 6315;
Fax: 011 41 22 791 6406

Deadline for these two WCC programs is September 20, 2007.

Rev. Rothangliani Chhangte
Director of Ecumenical Formation
American Baptist Churches USA
Office of Cooperative Christianity
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482
www.abc-usa.org/unity
Phone: 1-800-ABC-3USA, ext. 2279 or (610) 768-2279

Karen refugee resettlement case worker - Virginia Council of Churches

Greetings,

The Virginia Council of Churches is the Church World Service affiliate in Richmond, Virginia. They are becoming involved in resettling Karen and they want to hire a full time, Karen speaking case worker. The opening announcement follows below. If interested, please contact Heather Gomez. Her telephone number is 540 207-4295. The office address and telephone number is:

Virginia Council of Churches
1214 West Graham Road
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 321-3300

Yours,
Duane Binkley

* * *
Virginia Council of Churches
Refugee Resettlement Program

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Caseworker

Supervisor: Sub-Office Program Coordinator

Status: Full-time, year-round, exempt

Purpose

The goal for the caseworker is to help refugee entrants attain economic self-sufficiency as soon as possible. This position is responsible for the employment and case management requirements as outlined in the grant program that the refugee has been enrolled in. All procedures concerning the goals and priorities as specified in the grant contract must be adhered to.

Qualifications

- Must have a valid Virginia driver's license and means of transportation
- Demonstrate written and verbal language proficiency in English
- Able to converse in any of the various languages of our refugees is desired, but not mandatory

Essential Functions

Case Management

Objective: To ensure that services are provided in a planned, effective and timely manner to eligible clients; are appropriate to the needs of the refugees; and contribute to the early employment and self-sufficiency of the participating refugees. Case management commences immediately upon arrival. Services should support and strengthen refugees' motivation and capacities to become self-supporting. The caseworkers areas of responsibility will include, but are not limited to:
- establishing the refugees in a place to live - obtaining furniture, food and clothes for the refugees - finding a sponsor church
- transportation as needed
- employment services such as interviews, help with applications, follow up on interviews and leads
- maintaining a case file on each refugee family. These files must contain services provided, money spent and all case notes

General Functions

- Foster and develop good communication and relationships between sub-offices, local agencies and the community - Attend and participate in staff meetings and training sessions
- Undertake a career development plan together with your immediate supervisor
- Maintain confidentiality of refugee families and fellow staff members
- Follow and support all Virginia Council of Churches and Refugee Resettlement policies

The Virginia Council of Churches is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Louisville Institute Offers Sabbatical Grant Program for Pastoral Leaders

Through the Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders, the Louisville Institute offers pastoral leaders a chance to step out and step back from the pace and pressures of ministry through its Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders program. The program is designed to provide clergy with the opportunity for personal renewal, study, and reflection. The Louisville Institute will award up to forty grants for eight-week ($10,000) and twelve-week ($15,000) sabbaticals. Recipients must be released from all pastoral duties during the entire grant period. Recipients are free to use the grant award at their discretion. Previous grantees have used their awards for the purchase of books, research material and equipment, conference and seminary expenses, salary replacement, travel, etc. There are no residency or travel requirements or expectations, except for attendance at the preparation consultation in Louisville February 18-20, 2008. All expenses for that consultation are covered by the institute, over and above the grant award. Recipients of a 2007 Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders shall take this sabbatical between March 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009. The program is open to Christian clergy, church staff members, denominational staff, and others employed in recognized positions of pastoral leadership, ordained and lay. Seminary administrators and faculty members are not eligible for this grant program. In past years, most successful applicants have at least five years of pastoral experience, and anticipate five or more years of active ministry after the sabbatical. The program is open to pastoral leaders in the United States and Canada. Visit the Louisville Institute Web site for complete program and application information.

Associate Pastor - Acts Fellowship Church (Austin, TX)

Greetings in Christ Jesus.

My name is Charles Lee, and I am the pastor of Acts Fellowship Church in Austin, Texas - primarily an English-speaking Korean American ministry.

We are prayerfully seeking an associate pastor that will primarily work with the college students (65-85). So, if you know of anyone who might be interested, please let us know or pass the word to them.

Our church is an independent English-speaking Asian-American church. For more information, visit our web site at http://www.actsaustin.org/welcome.shtml

If anyone is interested, please contact me for details on the application process. We are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Qualification: MDiv from a conservative evangelical seminary (Baptist seminary preferred), Baptist background preferred, married (preferred).

TIA,

Charles Lee
Pastor
Acts Fellowship Church
512-970-2757