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1990 Introducing the Church Urban Fund 1990 More about the Church Urban Fund 1994 The Shaftesbury Society 1994 Fair Trade, Traidcraft 1994 Bible Society News 1994 Where Children and Donkeys Help Each Other -The Michael Elliott Trust 1999 Traidcraft Open House 2000 The Leprosy Mission 2002 Christian Solidarity World Wide 2002 Christian Solidarity World Wide 2002 The Bible Society 2002 The Evangelical Alliance 2004 Christian Aid Week 2005 Christian Aid Week -an update 2005 Christian Solidarity Worldwide 2005 The Samaritans: 'From Jerusalem to Jericho' 2005 Crosslinks Missionary Organisation 2006 Christian Aid Week 2007 Christian Aid Week -The Extra Mile 2009 Traidcraft -Fighting Poverty Through Trade 2009 CARE International -Christmas giving at St Thomas' 2010 Traidcraft at St Thomas' Introducing the Church Urban Fund (February 1990 edition of magazine) "At its best it should represent the opportunity of exciting new ventures and ideas. It is this aspect we need to encourage: the development of genuinely innovative ways of tackling poverty." Richard O'Brien, Vice Chairman, CUF The idea for the Church Urban Fund (CUF) came from Faith in the City the 1985 report which demonstrated the need for extra resources in our inner cities. In creating the Fund the church is putting its money where its mouth is. (The Church Commissioners provide £1 million a year for the Fund.) It was launched in April 1988 to raise sufficient money to spend over £80 million on projects in urban priority areas over the next 20 years. The CUF is now one of the largest grant awarding charities in Britain today. Over £4.5 million has already been awarded to nearly 200 projects in over 30 dioceses. Most of these projects are low cost and locally run. The trustees of the CUF require that there is a local financial contribution to any project they sponsor, and often a grant from the CUF unlocks other sources of local finance, from a trust or the local authority. Every project that is sponsored is carefully investigated first, and is regularly reviewed. It was decided in our Parish to concentrate on the CUF from Feb. 4th 25th in order to give it a higher priority than would have been possible in September during the designated CUF week. There will be guest speakers at all 3 churches during the month to talk more fully about the Fund. There will be information about the Church Urban Fund displayed at the churches, and at St Thomas' on Feb. 25th at 6:30 p.m. Jabbok Theatre Co. will be performing the play commissioned for the launch of the Fund. There will be opportunity after the performance to discuss the issues raised. Please make full use of all the information and resources to become involved in the vision and work of the CUF. The Church Urban Fund (October 1990 edition of magazine) Two years on, with £13 million in, and 300 projects up and running, the Church Urban Fund enters its third year enthusiastically, and in good shape. But some parishes are discovering that the Fund can mean more than simply raising and spending money. Here Jane Hustwit, Communications Director for the Fund, pieces together some of the comments she has received. 'The Fund has enabled lay people to get more involved in worship. They've got up and explained the aims of the Fund and our fundraising plans during Sunday services. They've even organised awareness-raising visits to the cities and one of these looks like blossoming into a partnership link.' (Country Priest) Churches who have received a grant report that it has not only enabled a project to get off the ground, but has stirred up parish life and helped them to look afresh at the neighbourhood they serve. 'We used to be a typical inner-city congregation with a decaying building used once or twice a week. Now we've become the centre of community life hundreds of people use the new Church and community centre seven days a week. People don't feel funny about "coming to church".' (Inner-city Vicar) 'The money was important, certainly, but the biggest change has been in people's vision and expectations. A parish audit meant that we looked afresh at the needs of the neighbourhood, at our own resources and where we should be heading. We've got a new building but we've also got a congregation with new heart, new people, new faith and a new awareness of service in the name of Christ.' (Churchwarden of a UPA parish) Donors and receivers are united, not only in a common cause and purpose, but in discovering that the Fund can extend unexpectedly and positively into many areas of parish life. Make sure that everyone in your parish is working with the Church Urban Fund. The Shaftesbury Society (June 1994 edition of magazine) Few people equate the statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly with one of the greatest Christian social reformers of our time. Yet the winged statue commemorates the life and work of the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury - a man whose faith compelled him to help exploited workers and homeless children in Victorian Britain. The Shaftsbury Society follows very much in his footsteps and this year celebrates 150 years of Christian care in action. The Shaftesbury Society believes the time has come again for Christians to help the growing number of people in need in 1990s Britain. Welfare provision is stretched to breaking point and, worse still, natural caring networks are disappearing as family and community lifestyle comes under pressure. The organisation has a wealth of experience to share with churches. It runs over 50 church-related community projects providing vital services such as day centres for elderly people, playgroups and support for families under stress. Shaftesbury is also a leading provider of care and education services to people with a learning disability, older people and young homeless people. It has over 100 centres across the country. It has been said that all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Let us hope that good people will pray and act in a way that will start to change the face of our society. Fair Trade, Traidcraft (December 1994 edition of magazine) The poor nations of the world will never be free from poverty unless consumers in wealthy nations pay a fair and higher price for the goods they buy from them. Giving aid is not enough by itself, and does not bring the justice and self respect which comes with being treated as an equal partner in trade. This does not necessarily mean that we have to pay more for our goods; it does mean that we must buy through organisations which pay higher prices to producers rather than making bigger profits for their shareholders. Traidcraft plc is Britain's largest Christian fair trading company and needs your support to help combat world poverty. All you have to do is to buy what you would have bought anyway, but from Traidcraft. The small effort thousands of people make now to buy goods from Traidcraft reps and shops is worth millions of pounds to poor people around the world every year. As Traidcraft voluntary sales reps you can buy Traidcraft goods through us at any time. We keep tea, coffee, foods, toilet and kitchen rolls, greetings cards, writing and wrapping paper (recycled paper goods) in stock all the time. Give us a call if you can't come to us then we can get the goods to you. We are pleased to announce the new Cafedirect freeze dried instant coffee is now on sale from Traidcraft. This is a high quality instant coffee of a similar price and taste to Kenco, Nescafe, Gold Blend and other high quality brands. The Methodist Conference have asked members of their churches to boycott all Nestle products, including Nescafe, because of their continuing unscrupulous and immoral trading practices in poor countries. So why not switch to Cafedirect and in a single move you can support fair trade, protest against Nestle's immoral business practice, and show unity with the Church. Alison and Steve Woodgate Bible Society News (December 1994 edition of magazine) Changing lives, changing prisons Argentina: In the Olmos prison, on the outskirts of La Plata, in the province of Buenos Aires, the deputy director said. "Before the Gospel entered this prison we had a permanent staff of 300 wardens. Today we only need 30! The total prison population amounts to 2,940, of which 854 are Bible-believing Christians. Their influence has transformed this prison, No revolt has taken place since 1987." Many prisoners have become Christians as they read the Scriptures, provided by the Argentine Bible Society. It is usual to see the prisoners' Bibles literally worn out through regular use, while 130 inmates have enrolled in a Bible Institute course, and several prisoners have graduated in theological training. In fact, nationally, of the 200,000 - plus convicts in the country's 200 or so prisons, about 10% become Christians. This poses a great challenge to the Bible Society in having to place at least 1.000 Scriptures each month into the hands of new Christians, and this has become one of the Society's key free distribution programmes. What happened... 1957: Samuel Desimone visited the Olmos prison to share God's word with its inmates. The reception was cold but as others got involved opportunities came. As the Bible Society provided Scriptures, some inmates used the pages to roll cigarettes - but others began to read them. Letters arrived at the Bible Society thanking it for the Scriptures and asking for more, and gradually prisoners became Christians, with some even holding Bible studies in their cells. 1985: a spiritual revival swept La Plata, many new churches sprung up around the prison, and the government, seeing the effect of the Bible in prisoners, appointed Mr Desimone as national chaplain, with freedom to work in all the nation’s prisons. The gospel message spread to other prisons, lives were changed and new prison churches planted. Where Children and Donkeys Help Each Other -The Michael Elliott Trust (December 1994 edition of magazine) As I drive up the farm road I meet a family with two children encouraging an elderly donkey to leave the luscious grass at the side of the road, and to "walk on". The donkey looks at them with happy eyes and eagerly walks further into the grass in order to let me pass. A sign that I am nearing Lodes Barn Farm the home of the Michael Elliott Trust. Walking into the farmyard. I am met with a familiar busy scene. A group of adults sit around a picnic table cutting up a bag of carrots ---around the edge of the yard various sized and coloured donkeys are tied up for eager children to brush and groom them ---- a group in one corner wearing hard hats are being assisted to mount donkeys. Their big ears twitch as the children call them by name and stroke them gently. Annie whose life is given to this venture - marshals them all. gives last minute instructions to the accompanying adults, and the line sets off ..... The Michael Elliott Trust was founded in 1990 with these aims: "That a child with any special needs may come to us for a seven day holiday, - adopt a donkey, and live and care for that donkey for the duration of their stay." The Trust enables the donkey to be rescued, to be able to help the child who most needs its company and therapeutic value, and to build up and share a very special trust that will make it's mark of along time to come. The Trust has recently moved to Lodes Barn Farm at Peak Forest, and has the accommodation to fulfil it's aims, but needs funds to adapt the existing farm house for the children with special needs. To this end there is to be an event at St. John's Church Centre, Walton, on Saturday, 7th Jan 1995 at 3pm John Stirling, the Administrator of the Trust, will bring a donkey and will tell the story of "The Small Miracle". Steve Marsh, who lives locally and teaches, plays and composes for the acoustic guitar will be with John. Together, they make a memorable team. The tickets will cost £3 for an adult and £1 for a child, and after expenses for the hall have been deducted, the remainder of the money will go towards equipping of the house for the children with specials needs. Do join us - to listen - to talk to the donkey - and to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee afterwards. Traidcraft Open House (October 1999 edition of magazine) Traidcraft is 21 years old and celebrating! The hard work of Traidcraft and its supporters has brought the whole concept of fair trade into the public consciousness, and put fair traded products on supermarket shelves, in the House of Commons and on the desks of European Commissioners! Traidcraft is a Christian business fighting poverty through trade by paying producers in the developing world a guaranteed premium above the market price for their goods. In 21 years of fair trading Traidcraft has provided 21 million days of fairly paid labour for poor workers in the developing world. This year you can join us to provide another 2 million days of fair paid labour - 2 million days when it is worth getting up to work, 2 million days where hope can triumph over poverty. Every time you buy fair traded goods from us or from your supermarket you can make a real difference to the world: Give workers the dignity and self respect which comes from receiving a fair wage instead of charity. Turn buts made of mud into homes made of brick. Enable employers to provide health care for their workers. Help families to provide education for their children. We hope you will call in at our Traidcraft Open House and see some of the products in the current catalogue. On sale or for order will be a wide selection of:
A great chance to shop for Christmas (and for every day) and help to spread Christian justice and love across the world. See you there! Alison and Stephen Woodgate The Leprosy Mission (April 2000 edition of magazine) The Leprosy Mission was founded 125 years ago by a true visionary: Wellesley Bailey's dream and calling was to relieve in Christ's name the appalling suffering of people affected by leprosy. Dr Sunil Anand is also a man of vision Driven by the need to dispel the stigma leprosy, he also wants to see his hospital pay for itself. And he has faith that both aims can be achieved by a single policy: integrated healthcare. Sunil is Superintendent of TLM's Kothara hospital in the Indian state of Maharashtra. He is ably supported by his wife, Shyamala, an experienced ophthalmologist. One of the biggest and busiest of TLM's centres in India, the 90 bed hospital serves a predominately rural population of eight million people in a mountainous area bordering Madhya Pradesh. The nearest government hospitals are miles away, and the cost of private medical care is more than most people can bear in such a poor part of India. For these reasons, the hospital has experienced a rapid growth in demand for its excellent general healthcare facilities as well as for leprosy treatment, with outpatient attendance nearly trebling in the last five years. Integrating leprosy care with general medical treatment is helping to remove much of the stigma associated with the disease. Although TLM's care of leprosy sufferers is always provided free of payment, a modest charge is levied for the treatment of general ailments according to patients' means. This has already enabled the hospital to cover 50% of its running costs. With the increase in general referrals, it plans to be financially self sufficient in five years time. In order to accommodate the expansion, a new outpatient block is to be built and equipped at a cost of £200,000. It will include a minor operating theatre, physiotherapy and X-ray departments, a laboratory and improved facilities for the specialist services which the hospital has developed in ophthalmology and dermatology. . A further £150,000 will be needed for running costs over the next five years, calculated on a sliding scale until the hospital achieves self-sufficiency. Thanks to a handful of very generous donors. Contributions amounting to over £160,000 have already been received towards the £350,000 target. and I now ask for your support to help raise the rest. The hospital may be offering more general health care, but the treatment of leprosy always comes first. Patients like 14 year old Manita will continue to owe their recovery to the Christian compassion and medical skills of our staff at Kothara. It was not long ago that her father brought her to the hospital. Due to a combination of ignorance and fear, her leprosy had been left untreated for years and the disease had already taken a devastating toll: her hands were clawed, her feet ulcerated and partial paralysis of the eyelids was preventing her from blinking. She was at risk of becoming blind. It is going to be a long haul for Manita. As well as a course of multidrug therapy to rid her body of the leprosy germs, she will need several operations to correct her deformities and save her sight. But she is undaunted and completely different from the timid little girl who was first admitted to TLM's Kothara hospital. She mingles freely and happily among the other young patients, both those with leprosy and those with general complaints like asthma or diabetes. She knows she can be cured, she knows she can look forward to leading a normal life without the pain and stigma of leprosy. By pioneering a policy of integrated healthcare, TLM's Kothara hospital is seeking not only to dispel this stigma, but also to whittle down its dependence on outside support. But first Sunil and his staff will need your help to turn these visions into reality. The Leprosy Mission is a Christian medical charity bringing healing and compassion to the victims of leprosy worldwide. Christian Solidarity World Wide (April 2002 edition of magazine) "A Voice For The Voiceless" Christian Solidarity Worldwide works for the religious liberty of persecuted Christians, helping others suffering repression, children in need and victims of disaster throughout the world. On 12th May [2002] we are pleased to be able to welcome Rev Stuart Windsor, National Director of CSW, to St Thomas' Church - he will be speaking about the work of CSW at the services, and you are most welcome to come along to hear him at 9am, 11am or 6.30pm. We can easily take freedom for granted - but for millions of Christians across the world, freedom is only a hope. At this moment, many thousands are suffering - imprisoned for practicing their faith, tortured for preaching the gospel, punished for speaking out against injustice. The way Christian Solidarity Worldwide works is through
Christian Solidarity World Wide (June 2002 edition of magazine) "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body." This verse from Hebrews Ch 13 describes the work of Christian Solidarity Worldwide whose national director, Rev Stuart Windsor, visited St Thomas on 12th May and spoke at all three services. The bare facts, he told us, are these: 250 million Christians around the world live under conflict, war, discrimination, persecution, and martyrdom. 165,000 of them are martyred each year, 1 every 3 minutes. Stuart told us the story of Soon Ok Lee, a woman of Communist North Korea, dedicated Party worker and high-ranking official who fell from favour during a purge and was sent to Khechen Women's Prison. The prisoners had to work a 19 hour day making goods for export. Anyone who fell asleep was put in confinement in a cage 2ft wide by 3.6ft high. They would come out paralysed. But the worst treated of all were the Christians, forced to walk bent down (to prevent any glance heavenward). These worked in the foundry, and Soon Ok Lee's conversion to Christianity came through seeing the willingness of these women to accept responsibility for anything that went wrong in the foundry. They would be kicked brutally and then executed by having molten lead poured over their heads. We heard of the situation in Sudan, a land torn by civil war in which the Southern Christians have seen their villages burned down, their men folk killed, and their children taken into slavery to the Moslem North. When the aid agencies have been forced to leave, CSW has gone in secretly and redeemed as many children as it could afford, restoring them to their mothers. Similar work goes on in The Spice Islands, Burma, India, Pakistan and elsewhere. In all cases detailed accounts of atrocities are recorded and Governments around the world are informed. On a lighter note Stuart spoke of the CSW sponsored school in Hetauda, Nepal, which provides a much sought-after Christian education in a Hindu country increasingly under threat from Maoist subversion. Finally we were invited to get involved through prayer, petition signing, and writing letters. By doing this we could save the lives of Ayub Masih in Pakistan and Pastor Gong in China and exert pressure on all repressive regimes. Full details and sample letters appear in CSW's publications "Response" and Action Info." published every 2 months. Robert Batten The Bible Society (June 2002 edition of magazine) On February 11th 2002 the Bible Society gave a presentation in Sheffield on their work. Founded in 1804 the Bible Society has always sought to "make the Bible heard". Following on the path started centuries before, which Glyn Botham has written about; the Society has been passionate about the Bible and encourages others to share their passion for God's word. There are three main areas in which their work is concentrated: BIBLE: the goal is to make the stories known both in the culture and the church through fresh creative encounters with the Biblical narrative; to help change opinion about the Bible so that it is valued and viewed positively. CHURCH: the goal is to help the Church earth itself in the Biblical story, shaping its mission in local communities across the land. CULTURE: the goal is to convince our culture that the Bible offers a valid and valuable resource for the way in which we might shape our future that it might be a resource for our social imagination.. Neil Crosbie, Bible Society's Chief Executive said: "Our vision is for a world:
The Bible Society - making the Bible heard Julie Lomas See also the article 'Bible Landmarks'. The Evangelical Alliance -A Movement for Change (August 2002 edition of magazine) Most Christians have mixed feelings about change. When it takes place in the hearts of sinners, we rejoice. But when change occurs in the wider contexts of society and culture, we tend to strike a different, more defensive note: "Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me!" However, cultural change can be an opportunity as well as a threat. Like most institutions, the Christian Church is pressured by the surrounding culture. Public perception in Britain is of a Church which has lost ground and remained wedded to irrelevancies. But it's not all bad news. The church may have lost influence, but Christians still have sound reasons for hope. And if growth is happening anywhere, it is happening within evangelical churches, whose public profile has risen as a result. From its inception in 1846, the Evangelical Alliance sought to influence society and culture. Today, in the 21st century, the EA is uniquely placed to represent the widest cross section of evangelical Christians in the UK. EA seeks to make its voice to Church and society louder still by:
John Goodacre Christian Aid Week 2004 (April 2004 edition of magazine) I've just been looking through the Christian Aid annual report for last year. Did you know that last year's Christian Aid week was a record breaker, raising £13.5 million, nearly a quarter of the organisations annual income in just 7 days? A lot of us are vaguely aware of the week: the little red envelopes; press and TV adverts. But sometimes it's good to ask ourselves "What is it about? What's it for?" Christian Aid has a slogan: "we believe in life before death". The organisation represents Christians and churches from the UK and Ireland, helping to put faith into action. It works through 561 partner organisations in 55 countries and sets out to: 1. relieve poverty and give humanitarian aid, including in war-torn areas and in emergencies. 2. work to eradicate poverty and suffering in partnership with the poor and marginalised they even have a goat-loan scheme called Go For It! 3. influence change through education, advocacy and campaigning, such as the Dying To Learn programme among HIV /AIDS families and orphans in southern Africa. 4. work at lasting economic and political solutions to reduce injustice and bridge divided communities. 5. promote trade justice, especially working through the Trade Justice Movement, a coalition which grew from the Jubilee 2000 campaign. This links with the Fairtrade system and label, which has recently celebrated its 10"' anniversary in Fair Trade week. There is lots of information on the Christian Aid web-site, including "Global Gang" youth and educational resources: www.christianaid.org.uk So there's a lot going on and good reason to consider getting involved or being a collector. "But what does it involve?" I hear you ask. Basically, it involves being over 18 and able to spare about two and a half hours. The churches locally divide up the collecting into manageable rounds. You have an identity badge, envelopes, leaflets and a collecting carrier bag. You ideally deliver your envelopes in the first weekend, and return to collect the sealed envelopes in the week whenever you can, but afternoon or early evening are ideal. You note house numbers with no reply and either re-visit if you are able, or slip a note through the letter box with details for bringing their envelope to church/church office if they wish. You return your carrier bag to church at the end of the week for centralised counting. Easy! You could even do a round with a friend. There is an added advantage that you sometimes get to chat with people, maybe explain where you are from or why you're doing it, and raise awareness that there are Christians in the community. You may even meet your neighbours! Should we ask non-Christians to give? I guess that is debatable, but people often simply decline. You are only inviting them to give, enabling them to support those in need in this way if they want to. "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6 v.8) Rosie Welch Christian Aid Update 2005 (April 2005 edition of the magazine) What could be more shocking than the news of the Asian tsunami, with all its distressing images piped via television straight into our living-rooms, and with its staggering death toll of 276,000 people? Well, for me, the answer is the realization that the same number of people are dying through poverty about every nine days. Such statistics are almost impossible to take in and can almost overwhelm us. What can we do when faced with need on such a monstrous scale? We are not totally powerless, however. We can: Give Christian Aid Week (15 -21 May 2005) makes it easy by issuing everyone with an envelope for this purpose. Last year's Christian Aid Week raised £14.5 million, nearly a quarter of the organisation's income. The most effective way of giving, however, is by monthly or quarterly direct debit: regular donations give Christian Aid the security to plan ahead and make long-term commitments. You can set this up via the Internet or by filling in a simple form. Act 2005 could be the year that we change the world. 'Make Poverty History' is a powerful new coalition involving Christian Aid and the Trade Justice Movement, along with a host of other charities, faith groups, unions and celebrities. They plan to make the most of the unprecedented opportunities this year presents. In July the UK hosts the G8 Summit (the meeting of the world's eight richest nations) and starts its six-month presidency of the European Union. Our government has a chance to make poverty a thing of the past by pushing for changes in trade policy that will bring about trade justice. We need not only to cut rich countries' subsidies that lead to the dumping of cheap produce on poor countries, but also allow poor countries the right to protect and support their vulnerable farmers and infant industries. Without these changes in trade policy the world will not see an end to poverty. April 10-16 has been designated 'Global Week of Action', with people all over the world taking part in rallies, carnivals, protests, postcard campaigns and media stunts. Christian Aid is running a postcard campaign, aiming to collect one million votes for trade justice. So far, 100,000 people in the UK have voted, and this is an excellent way of letting the government know just how many people are calling for change. Imagine the impact if every household in the UK voted to ask the government to do something about global poverty. Some simple ways we could all be part of the action: Send a campaign postcard; Buy fairly-traded goods; Support 'Make Poverty History' by wearing a white wristband and/or a trade justice badge; Be a collector during Christian Aid Week. Pray regularly for the work of Christian Aid and its partner organisations throughout the world. (To help with this Christian Aid produces a useful prayer diary, giving prayers suitable for both private prayer and church intercessions.) For more information on the work of Christian Aid visit the website. (www.christianaid.org.uk) "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." Rosie Welsh Christian Solidarity Worldwide (April 2005 edition of the magazine) Christian Solidarity Worldwide has worked ceaselessly during the past 25 years on behalf of persecuted Christians throughout the world. During that time, the scope of its work has included support both for individuals and for larger groups within various countries. It is clear that the greatest source of reassurance for those experiencing difficulties following their faith is the knowledge that people are active on their behalf. The stated intention of CSW is to be a voice for these people. An example of CSW's work at a national level can be seen in the representations which have been made about human rights violations in Burma. Within the country this has included the provision of rice, blankets and medicines for large numbers of Karen people who have been driven from their homes by the Burmese army. In an attempt to find a longer term solution to the sufferings of these people, Baroness Cox, in her work for CSW, has led representations at an international level to try to end a gross violation of human rights by the Burmese government. In support of its work in Burma, CSW is holding a day of prayer in London in March. Glyn Botham The Samaritans: 'From Jerusalem to Jericho' (Luke 10 v29) (August 2005 edition of the magazine) There are Samaritans living in the UK, though it's unlikely that they are descendants of the inhabitants of Samaria. Samaritans look no different from the crowds in Chesterfield Market Place nor do they sound different from local people. Your neighbour could be a Samaritan, a teacher at your child's school, the driver of the local bus or you. You cannot tell by looking or listening to them but you might get an inkling - Samaritans care about people and actively listen to what they say. To help those feeling suicidal and despairing, Samaritans was founded in 1953 by Chad Varah. Initially the title Samaritans was used as a headline in a national newspaper, internationally the organisation is known as 'Befrienders' - a title with fewer religious connections. Samaritans answer phone calls, respond to emails and letters. They offer a space for people to talk, anonymously if they wish, and in confidence, to say how they feel about what is troubling them, maybe expressing feelings that they have never spoken about before. It is a chance to talk about subjects that are often taboo even in 21st century - suicide, death. A key belief of Samaritans is that every caller can determine their own life - make their own decisions - even if they decide to end their life. This belief can present difficulties for prospective volunteers and requires careful thought. Some decide that they cannot agree to this self determination policy and are unable to continue training. Chesterfield Branch of Samaritans is at 2 Rose Hill and is open from 10am until 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The phone number is 01246 270000 and the national number for Samaritans is 08457 909090. Samaritans has accepted emails since 1993 from any place in the world. More information about Samaritans is available from the web site www.samaritans.org.uk. Maggie (Publicity Officer, Chesterfield Samaritans) Crosslinks Missionary Organisation (August 2005 edition of the magazine)
Andy Lines, (pictured) the General Secretary of Crosslinks, has close links with St Thomas' having visited and been supported by the church over a number of years. On his recent visit he spoke of his visit to Myanmar (Burma) and the work being done there by Crosslinks. He also outlined ways in which we can get involved and help the work of Crosslinks. Some ways we can help are: Front line of cross - cultural mission. Many of the 102 mission partners currently working with Crosslinks are deployed in areas not previously worked in and so they are seeking to respond to new challenges. If you are between 18 and 30 you could go on a short- term placement with SMILE (Serving Mankind In LovE) for anything from 4 weeks to 1 year. Their 'NEXT' programme is aimed at over 50's whom have expertise, ability and Godgiven skills accumulated through life and who are asking God "What next?" Their 'BEST' programme. This is a programme to sponsor national Christians in their studies at various Bible Institutes locally and in the UK. Crosslinks takes up the mandate of Jesus in Matthew 28 and seeks to make disciples of all nations by taking God's Word to God's World. At St Thomas we seek to support them in this work by prayer and our giving. Janet Turville Christian Aid Week 2006 (April 2006 edition of magazine) Christian Aid Week 2006 will take place from 14 -20 May. There are many ways you can join in during these seven days - pray, give, campaign against global poverty, be a house-to-house collector - and many good reasons to get involved. Here are just ten.
Christian Aid Week 2007 (April 2007 edition of magazine) Christian Aid Week 2006 will take place from 13 -19 May. The Extra Mile
With my thanks (in anticipation). Eileen Balch PS As I was writing this short article, I received a phone call from Philippa Buswell from St. Peter’s Holymoorside. Philippa is responsible for organising the Christian Aid collection in Holymoorside. I was impressed to learn that the Christian Aid collection is a joint Church venture with St Peter's, the Methodist and United Reform churches. They aim to visit every house in Holymoorside. Traidcraft: Fighting Poverty Through Trade (October 2009 edition of magazine) Alison Woodgate tells us about Traidcraft at an international and local level.
Traidcraft works with farmers and craft workers across Africa, Asia and South America. Many of whom have lost valuable export orders due the credit crunch in other countries. This makes Traidcraft sales even more important to help producers provide for their families. The catalogue features stories from a number of producers like Nazma, Mtulu and Kusmanto. Do discover for yourself what fair trade means to them and how our actions impact on poor communities. Every purchase made helps to eradicate poverty and improve the the lives of individuals, families and communities. If you would like to know more about Traidcraft and its work please do not hesitate to contact me either in person at church or at home. If you are interested in helping, either setting the stall up or looking after it with me on a Sunday, I would be most pleased to hear from you. A small team of volunteers would be great for the future -retail can be fun and I need help with my display skills! Thank you to those kind people who have helped me put the stall back in my car on Sunday evenings -it is much appreciated. Please note that the stall is now regularly to be held on the second Sunday of the month (at all three St Thomas’ services) with the exception of November this year. [The dates are 11th October, 15th November and 13th December.] Alison Woodgate CARE International (December 2009 edition of magazine) Our Christmas giving at St Thomas'is going to CARE. David Sanderson tells us a bit about CARE's work.
Through a CARE savings and loans project, Rehana was given a small loan of just £9.15. She used this money to set up a street kitchen selling fish cakes and rice. In just eight months, she has paid back the loan, bought mosquito nets to protect against malaria and most importantly put her children back through school. CARE also provides emergency food and shelter to survivors of natural disasters, wars and conflicts. It remains with communities long after initial relief efforts are completed and supports initiatives to enable people to rebuild their lives and to face the future with renewed confidence. Currently, in Ethiopia, CARE is building and rehabilitating the water infrastructure to create access to potable water for drought-affected people, providing extra food to malnourished women and children and providing emergency food rations to more than 300,000 people affected by hunger. In West Sumatra, the part of Indonesia affected by the earthquake in September 2009, nearly 200,000 houses were damaged and over 1,000 people lost their lives with thousands missing. CARE’s emergency relief focus is on the heavily damaged district and city of Padang Pariaman. They are distributing jerry cans and water purification kits, as well as blankets, sarongs, hygiene kits, and materials to build community latrines. Traidcraft at St Thomas' (April 2010 edition of magazine)
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