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WORLD MISSION GIFT DAY
Sunday 10th July 2011
THOSE of you who came to the World Mission Gift Day in July will agree that it was a very challenging and worthwhile day. We are very grateful to Imtiaz Ashraf and Sohail Johnson for telling us about their work with Release International in Pakistan at the morning service and at the well-attended lunch.
At our evening service, we also appreciated hearing from Phil and Rosemary Tadman about the development of Siwok Crafts in South America.
It is so inspiring to hear how God is at work in other countries and situations and a real challenge to us to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith.
We have received £10,300 from the Gift Day so far, which is a very encouraging total considering the present financial constraints — although less than in previous years. We were able to make one-off gifts to Release International and Siwok Crafts, and the remainder of the money will be divided between the nine mission partners/charities which we support.
Thank you, too, to everyone who responded to the appeal for Natasha's team visit to Russia this summer, which raised £200. Sadly, the trip has had to be postponed for various reasons — possibly until next year. However, Natasha was very grateful that we supported her in this way. The sum raised will be added to the Mission Gift Day total as part of Natasha's allocation — so it will be put to good use.
We have received a plea from Welcare, one of our local charities, for donations of foodstuffs which they can pass on to some of the very needy families that they care for. If you are able to help in this way, please leave gifts of non-perishable items at the back of church and we will pass them on.
In view of this need, we have decided to make Welcare the beneficiary from our Harvest service this year.
Please continue to pray for our mission partners, as well as for the work of Release and Siwok Crafts, as we give thanks for all that God has given us.
Anne Butler
St John's supports nine different charities and mission partners, both at home and abroad. As a church, we pledge to give away at least 10% of our income to Mission, most of which is given during Mission Gift Day. Last year we were able to raise £12,220 which was very encouraging; it would be wonderful if, even in these days of economic hardship, we could exceed that this year! The money is divided between all nine Agencies, the larger proportion being given towards the support of our Mission Partners. Details of all those we support are as follows – perhaps you'd like to Print and keep these pages as a reminder to pray for all our Mission links!
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that I have only mentioned nine societies rather than the previous ten – read on to discover the reason!......
LINK PARTNERS:
Natasha is known to many of us, as she grew up at St John's. Having worked for several years amongst students in Russia, she is now based in London where she has the responsibility as Team Leader for co-ordinating the outreach to students in the various London universities, although she is based mainly at University College. This year they held two Missions to students in London, and are now busy with following up and encouraging those who committed themselves to Christ or expressed interest. From time to time she also has opportunities to return to Russia and Eastern Europe on outreach events.
Dan and Suzy Callaway are the church links for Natasha, and distribute her prayer letters.
Allan and Anne Lacey – are our Link Missionaries with CMS (Church Mission Society), working in NW Uganda. They have recently returned for a second tour, having 'postponed' their retirement in order to use their combined experience overseas. Allan is working through the Diocese to improve training, educational facilities and resources for the clergy and lay staff, while Anne is based at Kuluva Mission Hospital, helping to improve nurse education and community health in the surrounding area. They find it both a challenging and rewarding situation. They miss their grown-up family at home, but press on in the assurance that they're in the place God wants them to be.
Our church rep. is Barbara Cottier, who also worked with CMS in East Africa.
Andrew and Maria Leake have worked in Northern Argentina for many years, first with SAMS but now under the aegis of CMS since the merger of the two societies. They are engaged in the long-running campaign to support the rights of the local indigenous people in Salta Province, whose homelands and natural resources are threatened by widespread commercial deforestation and agriculture. They are now engaged in the process of buying up land to be protected and conserved for the Indian population, to preserve their way of life and provide sustainability. Their eldest son, Tomas, is at university in Cordoba; Cecilia, now 16, is looking at options for higher education, and Carolina (13) is at a local school.
Barbara Cottier distributes their prayer letters, and further information can be obtained from Philip and Rosemary Tadman who have long-standing links with South America.
Many of you will remember that for several years we have supported Firm Foundations Training Centre. Sadly this has had to close as it proved too difficult to find suitable people to manage the Centre, but many of the disabled youngsters who were trained there and equipped for independent living are coping well, and are a tribute to all that was accomplished. Wonderfully, one of the local Board members has bought the Centre buildings, and will continue to use them to provide facilities and training for disabled people, so nothing has been wasted!
OTHER AGENCIES:
CHURCH ARMY trains and sends evangelists to work in Anglican churches and in projects with children, homeless people and the elderly, both here in the UK and abroad. We are now hoping to support their work in Malawi, since Mark and Heather Dadds who worked at the Marylebone Project in London are now involved in other areas.
Di Giles, an ex-Church Army Sister, is our rep.
CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society) aims to help local churches by training and advising leaders and providing resources – spiritual, practical, and sometimes financial – for the whole church, but especially for Youth Groups like Pathfinders and CYFA. They also organise activity holidays for young people during the summer.
If you'd like to know more, or find out about the holiday camps, speak to our church rep Glen Jones.
SCRIPTURE UNION seeks to make God's good news known to children, adults, young people and families, and encourages people of all ages to meet with God daily through Bible reading and prayer. They publish a wide range of literature, including children's stories and, more recently, a series of books to be used with dementia sufferers; and have also set up an interactive website – www.wordlive.org – as well as offering training, support, and a variety of holiday events.
Bible Reading Notes, in various formats and for all ages, are available from Gill Matson.
TEARFUND works through local churches and Christian agencies to open up a brighter future for the world's poorest communities, and to see lives and situations transformed by God's love through the generosity of Christian people. It also campaigns for social justice and human rights, particularly the need for clean water and proper sanitation in every community. They are perhaps best known for their response to disaster situations, supplying vital supplies of water, food, shelter and medical equipment as speedily as possible, but also providing ongoing support and resources to impoverished communities.
Gordon and Brenda Wilkinson are the Southeast Reps, and also sell Tearcraft goods at local events.
WELCARE is a local charity, working with families who are in need through poverty, isolation, family breakdown or homelessness. Their aim is to help and support families before they reach crisis point, by providing practical aid such as toys, clothing, debt management advice, counselling and friendship, through volunteers and designated social workers. At Christmas we hold a 'Toy Service' to provide some happiness and care for families who otherwise would have no cause for celebration.
Speak to our rep, Rona Bingham, for more information.
ST CATHERINE'S HOSPICE in Crawley is well-known to many of us, either because we have visited friends or family members there, or have visited their Charity Shop in London Road! The Hospice provides palliative care to people with progressive, life-threatening illness, offering them the opportunity to live life as fully as possible and to die with dignity, and to support those close to them. The Chaplain, Mike Neville, and the staff are trained to care for the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of each patient, their families and friends, whether in the Day Centre or as in-patients. Hospices are not funded by the NHS, so our support is vital. Each December we hold a 'Tree of Light' service at St John's, in memory of loved ones who have died; and we hope to do so again this year.
Jenny Young is a volunteer at the Hospice, and has all the information.
BISHOP DANIEL YISA lives with his wife, Alice and three children in Minna Diocese, Nigeria. We became involved in his missionary outreach when he visited St John's during a Mission weekend a few years ago, and support them through our prayers – as well as remembering the persecuted church in parts of Nigeria.
Anne Butler (Mission Team Co-ordinator.)
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Outreach
