Letter from CCA

(“A Letter from CCA” is a sharing message of the CCA General Secretary to update member churches and ecumenical friends about the life and works of CCA. It is electronically published every Wednesday.)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ!

Another beautiful festival is taking place in Thailand today- the Loy Krathong Festival. It will be held on the full moon night of November 12. However, in most cities, especially Chiang Mai, the festival is celebrated over three days and this is a good opportunity for tourists to experience Thai traditional festival.

"Loy" means 'to float' and "Krathong" is a cup that is traditionally made of banana leaf.

On the Loy Kathong days, people place a candle and incense sticks in their krathongs and then float them on a local river or pond. As they push away their krathong, they push away misfortune and bad things in the past; asking for forgiveness in polluting the waterways and also praying for good luck in the future.

What is our dream? What are we praying for our future? 

I suggest that we all pray for justice, peace and unity.

The ICF Meeting in Kuala Lumpur

Last weekend, I took a mission trip to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Working Committee meeting of the Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF). It was originally planned to be held in Penang but was shifted to Kuala Lumpur so that the members could attend the wake and funeral services in honor to Mr. Yip Kok Choong, the General Secretary of the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. The APAY is a joint project holder of the ICF. 

Mr. Yip was passed away last October 31, 2008 in Hong Kong and was cremated in his home country, Malaysia.

The ICF meeting met at the Kuala Lumpur YMCA. The working committee members comprise of the coordinator, two representatives from the project holders (CCA and APA-YMCAs) and six from the SOP (School of Peace) alumni. 

I am happy to see the active participation of these young people in promoting interfaith cooperation - Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus - for peace in their home country and across Asia.

The SOP is one of the major activities of the ICF. In the past two SOP, 49 young inter-religious leaders from 9 countries attended the three-month training. 40 are regularly in communication and share information on-going national and local interfaith activities. Next SOP will be in 2010.

The Committee discussed various programs for 2009 including 4-6 national thematic workshops, 10-year mapping, internship program, skills training, fact finding teams, ICF website and e-newsletter. 

ICF is a joint implementation program between CCA-APAY and EED, focusing on interfaith and inter-religious cooperation for peace education and peace building in Asian contexts. It was a continuation of the recommendations from the joint CCA-APAY and EED consultation in 2004. The ICF functioned from 2005, and Mr. Max Ediger from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has been requested to coordinate the program.

The preparation of CCA General Assembly in 2010

While I was in Kuala Lumpur, Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri, Mr. Anthony Row and I were able to visit possible venues for the CCA General Assembly in 2010. As about 400 delegates are expected to attend the assembly, our preference was to have a place that could accommodate all activities under one roof. It will reduce costs, increase participation and punctuality of the programs.

Please keep us in your prayers as we move towards our forthcoming 13th General Assembly, pray that CCA can become God's instrument for a better world. 

New General Secretary

Congratulations to Rev. Kam Cheong PO on his election as the General Secretary of Hong Kong Christian Council effect from 1 January 2009. Rev. PO is currently a pastor in the Hong Kong Council of Churches of Christ in China (HKCCCC). 

Please remember Rev. PO in your daily prayer. His e-mail address is kcpo@cychurch.org.hk.

Visitors

Last week we welcomed four church leaders from the Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK) - Rev. Kim Yong Sang, Rev. Chai Young Nam, Rev. Jin Bang Joo, and Rev. Park Jin Soo. 

This coming Saturday, November 15, Ms. Silva Luthin of EED will be with us in Chiang Mai.

CCA in Action (November) 

No major program will be implemented in December as it has been reserved for self-assessment, report writing and program planning. This makes November another busy month.

10-15 South Asia Women's Capacity Enhancement (EGY/SAEPP)

11-15 Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Training Workshop (HIV/AIDS Program)

12-15 FMU Program Area Committee Meeting (FMU)

17-21 Church and Seminaries Consultation for South Asia (FMU)

24-28 International Ecumenical Workshop on Rights of Migrant Workers in Asia (JID)

25-29 Church and Seminaries Consultation for South East Asia (FMU)

Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary

No. 47/12 November 2008