Answering the question of a Pharisee about the great commandment, Jesus told him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your  mind . . . and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37,39 adapted)

In an ever-shrinking world, our neighbor is both the person across the street, and the one across the world. If we are to love these neighbors as ourselves, it is important that we understand who they are, how they live, and what matters to them.

The Heartland Conference Global Ministries Network offers opportunities to meet and get to know our neighbors across the globe so that we can understand and love them as Jesus commands. 

Working with the staff of Common Global Ministries, the joint witness of the UCC and Disciples of Christ, we offer opportunities for encounters with global partners and mission co-workers, including building on relationships that exist between these groups and our associations and local churches. 

Knowing that the best way to learn is by experience, we look forward to leading future pilgrimages to meet with and learn from our global partners. 

To learn more about the work of Global Ministries, click here to sign up for our email list.

As a sign of our love and respect, before we travel to get to know our neighbors, we want to do our homework. We provide opportunities to learn through book studies and monthly presentations. 

Before traveling to meet with partners, we will strive to develop at least a rudimentary understanding of their culture, language, context and faith practices. 

We recognize that the world presents countless possibilities for places to go and people to meet. But not everyone has the curiosity and ability to connect globally, so connecting people with similar interests across the conference enables us to learn and work together.