by Elliott Wright

Columbia, South Carolina, October 26, 2009--Major portions of the seventh national "summit" of Communities of Shalom, a movement of faith-inspired community development, will be broadcast live from its meeting site in Columbia, South Carolina, October 31.

Seven general sessions are set to be carried online through the facilities of the General Board of Global Ministries, the mission agency of The United Methodist Church, and a partner in the sponsorship of Shalom and the National Summit.

These include an opening event on October 29, closing worship on October 31, and five sessions that deal with such themes as justice, prophetic leadership, training for Shalom ministries, and the use of web technology in developing Shalom's presence in the world. The website for the broadcast is http://gbgm-umc.org/shalom.

Live streaming, also known as webcasting, offers new possibilities for reaching audiences of people unable to attend actual events. The Mission Communications Office of Global Ministries is developing the capacity to offer the option to diverse mission programs and organizations within the United Methodist connection.

"Live streaming is a wonderful tool in the cause of mission but is not intended to take the place of actual participation in mission conferences and other events," said the Rev. Chris Heckert, director of Mission Communications for Global Ministries. "It is an asset to draw in persons who are unable by distance or other factors to be present in person. It extends the reach of mission education and actual participation in mission events."

Viewers of the webcast can take part through two social networks, Facebook and Twitter. Facebook users can post comments and engage in discussion at www.facebook.com/globalministries.

A Twitter group (Twub) has been set up using the connection (hashtag) #shalom09. Twitter users can join the Twub or tweet using the hashtag. (New tweetup "Stepping up to Shalom" Webcast, Oct 29-31st. To RSVP http://twubs.com/ev1-shalom09 or follow @ #shalom09.)

Communities of Shalom

Communities of Shalom currently has some 100 sites in the US and Africa. Its work is geared to local community assets and needs. Shalom communities address issues such as poverty, health, housing, micro-enterprise, and legal services for immigrants. The program is especially strong in the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, which is serving as host for the summit.

The initiative has United Methodist origins but is now ecumenical, or interfaith, in some communities. It was administered for 16 years by Global Ministries and, following a plan to find another institutional partner, is now based at the Drew University Theological School, Madison, New Jersey.

Communities of Shalom--the name is taken from Jeremiah 29--was initiated by the United Methodist General Conference of 1992 in response to urban conflict in Los Angeles following the acquittal of police officers caught on videotape beating motorist Rodney King. One objective was to bring peace to communities by addressing issues such as economic opportunity and race relations.

It was supported with general church money and administered by the General Board of Global Ministries with the understanding that oversight and funding would eventually be shifted to an institution outside the mission agency. A strong link to Global Ministries continues, since Drew assumed the administration last year. Dr. Michael Christensen of the Drew faculty is the national Shalom director.

Some highlights of the sessions to be live-streamed follow:

Thursday, October 29

• 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Opening Session and Worship: Greetings from Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor of South Carolina, Mayor Bob Cobble of Columbia, with a sermon by Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the Council of Bishops, and a report on the "state of Shalom" by Dr. Christensen.
• 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Session One: "Stepping Up to Shalom: "From Just as I Am to Justice I AM" with Dr. Christensen, Annie Allen, national program associate, and special guests Vien Truong, Green for All; and Steve Tamayo, organizer of ROAM Arts Cooperative, Rosebud Reservation.
• 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Session Two: "Prophetic Leadership and Shalom--Seeking Systemic Change," with Bishop Joseph Sprague (retired), who initially proposed Shalom, and various artists, including the Claflin University Gospel Choir.

Friday, October 30

• 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Session Three: "Stepping Up to Web Technology--Developing a Shalom Presence on the World Wide Web" with Ted Hart of Hart Philanthropic Services.
• 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Session Four: "Building Shalom Training for the 21st Century" with the National Shalom Zone Training team.
• 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Shalom Banquet: "Shaloming Across Borders," with the Rev. Kelvin Sauls, assistant general secretary for congregational development and racial ethnic ministries at Global Ministries, and special guests, Maxine Clark Beach, dean of the Theological School of Drew University, and Robert Duncan, Jr., president of Bacone College.

Saturday, October 31

• 11:00 a.m. to 12: noon. Closing Worship: Bishop John Schol of Baltimore-Washington Area, preaching, with special music.

Each session will include music and incorporate visual presentation. Not broadcast will be workshops and site visits to Shalom ministries in the vicinity of Columbia.

For more information on the Shalom Summit go online to communitiesofshalom.org. That site also offers detailed information on workshops and the schedule.

Elliott Wright is the information officer of the General Board of Global Ministries.

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  Health |  Immigration |  Poverty |  Focus on Ministry with the Poor |  Focus on Global Health |  Source: GBGM Mission News
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Date posted: Oct 26, 2009