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Special
Needs and Settings
Disabilities
Outdoor Ministries
Public Education and Literacy
Click title for full information about the NCC Committee on Disabilities.
Mayra Castaņeda staffs the
committee.

The
Committee on Outdoor Ministries is the arena where denominations network about
issues related to camping and to church-related retreat and conference centers.
The activity of the committee includes design and creation of the most widely
used camping resources among NCC-related communions. The committee also
publishes other written resources related to outdoor ministries and provides
occasional national conferences for leadership development.
The committee
network comprises twenty-three persons who are either denominational staff or
executives of church related outdoor ministries. The annual meeting of the group
functions as an opportunity for professional development as well as a forum for
sharing resources and strategies. A major focus of its current work is visioning
the future of church-related camping and outdoor ministries.
Garland F. Pierce
staffs the committee.
E-mail: gpierce@ncccusa.org.
Click here for the 2007 Staff Training Devotions
Click here for information on the 2008 Outdoor Ministry Curriculum
Click here for information on the 2007 Outdoor Ministry Curriculum
Click here for
information on the 2006 Outdoor Ministry Curriculum
Click here for
the 2006 Staff Training Devotions
Click here for the 2006 Outdoor Ministry Annual Report
Click here for the committee's 2005 annual report.
Click
here for information on the 2005 Outdoor Ministry Curriculum
Click
here for 2004 resources for leaders in Outdoor Ministries
Click
here for information about the 2004 "Join the Party!" Outdoor Ministries
resource
Click for Writer Information, New Earth: Christian Resources for the Outdoors
Click here to download the "Committee on Outdoor Ministries Theological Mission
Statement" brochure
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, click logo to download.)


Formerly known as
the Basic Education and Literacy Working Group, the committee's major focus is
now public education and the need for the churches to recover their history of
support for public schools and the children and teachers in them. The committee
seeks to reinforce the importance of the separation of church and state, both
for the churches and the schools. It works to strengthen support for
public education in our faith communities and to encourage active, appropriate
involvement in public schools by congregations.
►
May 2008: The Committee on Public Education and Literacy provides a
study guide
for congregations to discuss Linda Perlstein's TESTED, a shocking new
book that exposes problems with federal test-and-punish philosophy of education.
Public
Education
►The
Committee on Public Education and Literacy has issued "Ten
Moral Concerns" in the No Child Left Behind Act.
(See the press release
here.)
►
Redefining the Federal Role in Education as the No Child Left Behind Act is
reauthorized
►
Questions on the No Child Left Behind Act for Candidates in the 2008 federal
elections
►Click
here for the report of the March 9, 2007, 'Fixing No Child Left Behind'
Affirming that
each child is made in God's image, we believe that each child deserves the best
education available. This is achieved, we are convinced, through quality
public schools. The Committee's primary focus is supporting quality public
education. At a time when public education is under attack from a
variety of sources for a variety of reasons, our mission is to call the member
communions of the National Council of Churches and our nation as well to
remember first and foremost our children, all our children.
We believe our
children deserve the opportunity to explore and develop their God-given
abilities. Public education provides the best opportunity for most
children. While we recognize the role of private schools in the
educational enterprise, we strongly believe the focus of our efforts needs to be
placed on public schools. People of faith can play an important role
in support of public education and in the life of local schools. We
believe this role must be informed by the constitutional understanding of the
separation of church and state, an understanding that protects the integrity of
both our schools and our faith communities.
Guided by the
Policy Statement "The Churches and the
Public Schools at the close of the Twentieth Century", we work in a
variety of capacities.
- Sharing
information: At our meetings representatives from denominations and
other private and public entities gather to share information and strategies
related to support of public education.
-
Collaborating with partners: We collaborate with partners from the
church and government. Currently we are collaborating with several
agencies on a pilot project in Pennsylvania, "Quality Public Education for all
our Children." We hope this pilot project will provide a model for
church-school partnership that can be used in other states. The
Committee has a close working relationship with the U.S. Dept. of Education
and anticipates co-sponsoring a national conference for those who are working
to establish faith community-public school partnerships.
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Developing and sharing resources with member denominations: The
Committee has produced annual "Honor education Sunday" resources. We
share these resources with member denominations. One goal for the future
is to learn what new resources can be developed to help congregations
understand public education issues and work appropriately with neighborhood
schools.
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Encouraging Dialogue: An important role of this committee is to
encourage conversation, dialogue and new strategies in support of public
education within the NCC and our constituencies. In 1999, we held two
dialogues on the proposed NCC statement on public education. At the
NCC's 50th Anniversary General Assembly, we sponsored a day-long forum:
Public Education at the Edge of a New Millennium.
► See the General
Assembly resolution,
The
Churches and Public School, adopted November 5, 2003, in Jackson, Miss.
►
The Committee on Public Education and Literacy Resources has released a new
brochure on the teaching of evolution in science classes in public schools.
Download it
here.
► "A Litany
for Education and Schools"
As your
congregation plans for the fall season, consider setting aside time to honor
students, school staff, and parents at the beginning of the school year. The NCC
Committee on Public Education has produced a
Litany
for Education and Schools that can be used for such an occasion.
Click here for the litany, which can be downloaded free of charge and reproduced
as a bulletin insert. Representatives of NCC member communions serve on the
Committee on Public Education and, among other common tasks, provide resources
to congregations related to public education.
You will need
Adobe Acrobat to view the litany and "questions."

Literacy
Knowing how to
read is essential for an individual to function in our society. It is also
crucial for one's religious and cultural growth. While the focus of this
committee in past years has been on public education, we maintain our commitment
to 100% literacy in America. We seek initiatives and opportunities to
educate congregations and individuals in this area.
Click here for the committee's 2006 annual report.

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