Mission Partners
St. John’s World Mission Gift Day this year, 2024, will be on Sunday, 9th June, and will focus on South America. This is the Sunday in the year when we focus specifically on our mission partners, raising financial support to enable them to continue their excellent work. We encourage church members to include this day in your regular giving and to prayerfully consider your response as we support our mission partners for the coming year. We rejoice at the opportunity to give financially to the work of God both at home and overseas.
Andy Angel has various links with South America and Chile, experience in providing theological education, which includes his current diocesan role, and as a vicar in a C of E parish. Come to the 10am on 9th June and discover more, and hear what God has given Andy to share with us on WMGD.’
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Church Representative: Rowan Saunders
Wycliffe Bible Translators want everyone to hear God speak to them as they engage with the Bible in their language. Unfortunately, 1.5 billion people are still waiting for the Bible in the language that speaks to them best. It's not right that some of us have free access to the Bible while others don't. Together, we can change this.
Gift and Kathryn Asiku in Uganda
St. John's supports the work of Gift and Kathryn Asiku in Uganda, where the Bible is being translated into some of the over 42 languages spoken there - languages like Lunyole, Lugwere and Aringa-ti. Gift and Kathryn live in Entebbe with their sons, James and Simon Peter.
In February 2023, 10 members of St. John's church visited Uganda. They visited some of the translation teams and learnt about the careful way that the translations are checked using several versions of the Bible and in consultation with local groups. They saw for themselves how much it means to people to be able to read the Bible in their Heart Language and the difference it makes in everyday life as well as to the teaching in the churches. Their visit was a blessing and encouragement to Gift and Kathryn, James and Simon Peter and the translation teams, and they had the privilege of participating in a dedication of the book of Esther in the Kelikoo language of the South Sundanese people living as refugees in Uganda. Mark could officiate at a baptism service in Entebbe when he baptised several people, including James and Simon Peter, in the pool opposite the church. The team also visited Fundo, the village where Gift grew up. Before the trip, fundraising enabled St. John's to pay for installing solar panels at the school. They played with the children and realised how much the school needed a clean water supply. Thankfully, tanks have now been installed. The group distributed pencil cases, wash bags and reusable sanitary pads to the older pupils and was able to help and encourage the teachers and pupils at the school.
To learn more about Gift and Kathryn's work, visit https://www.wycliffe.org.uk/what-we-do/featured-people/' i-realised-god-can-speak-to-me-in-my-own-language!
Click this button to see October news.
To learn more about Wycliffe in general, visit: www.wycliffe.org.uk
After Theological training and church youth work in the UK, Jony and Jenny returned home to Argentina. For several years, Jony served as Rector of the Anglican church of St. Bartholomew in Rosario, focusing on systematic Bible teaching, one-to-one Bible study and disciple-making. He then started teaching The Elements of New Testament Greek remotely for the Centro de Etudios Pastorales (CEP) in Santiago, Chile. In early 2022 the family moved to Santiago so that Jony could take up a full time position at CEP. He continues to teach New Testament Greek and is currently compiling a Greek Manual.
They have three young children, Felipe, Emma and Matias. The role is non-stipendiary and St John’s are helping to support them. This work will equip Jony to help develop training in the Anglican Church in Argentina where he presides over the Diocesan training committee. This fits really well with St. John’s vision of making disciple-making disciples.
Further information can be obtained from Phil and Rosemary Tadman who have long-standing links with South America.
Andrew and Maria Leake live in the Salta region of N. Argentina.
Andrew now has a full-time position with Compassion International supporting National Offices worldwide as they grapple with the devastating impacts of climate change on children living in poverty. He finds that amid the often-overwhelming negative news on climate, it is encouraging to witness local churches across the globe stepping up to the challenges.
The Leakes have been successfully supporting efforts to secure the land rights of the indigenous people through the Church Mission Society, CMS. They continue to do this through the charity they set up, Fundación Refugio. Maria has been awarded a distinction for her Certificate in Christian Rural Environmental Studies run by Ripon College Cuddesdon (Oxford) based upon her work with the indigenous Wichi people in Tartagal in the Chaco.
To find out more about Compassion International, visit their website: www. https://www.compassion.com
Church Representative: Brenda Wilkinson
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in over 50 of the world’s poorest countries. It tackles poverty through sustainable development, responds to disasters, and challenges injustice. Tearfund believes that an end to extreme poverty is possible.
In 2018, a group from St. John’s visited Tearfund’s partner, World Relief Cambodia, and saw the work being done to help poor communities through improved agriculture, savings and loan schemes, healthcare training and raising awareness of the dangers of trafficking.
St. John’s is now part of Tearfund’s World of Difference initiative. As a result, we receive regular updates from different countries that show how Tearfund’s work with local churches is transforming whole communities. The updates can be viewed at https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/world-of-difference and select ‘Stories’.
Jesus came and was part of a community. He lived among people with spiritual and practical needs and provided spiritual and practical solutions. As Christians (and the church), part of our calling is to do the same in our communities.
Around the world, Tearfund works through local churches to introduce Church and Community Transformation (CCT). The whole community is impacted, changed, rebuilt, restored, envisioned, empowered and ultimately transformed for it to thrive – through (and starting with) the church. This initiative overcomes poverty by helping people realise their potential and recognise the resources God has given them. Starting with bible studies, church members are encouraged and empowered to reach out to their community to work together, identify what resources they have available, and use these to overcome the challenges they face.
Supported by our prayers, Tearfund helps thousands of pastors and churches make a difference in the lives of people facing challenging circumstances.
For more information about Church and Community Transformation, visit:
https://www.tearfund.org/stories/2025/04/what-is-cct-also-known-as-transforming-communities
For an account of transformation in Uganda, visit:
https://www.tearfund.org/stories/2025/03/this-is-my-vision-johns-map-to-a-way-out-of-poverty
Church Army - Marylebone Project Representative: Di Giles
The Church Army’s Marylebone Project provides shelter for homeless women, trains them in catering and business and helps them get work. In 2022, over 200 women were enabled to move on and live independently. In 2023, 38,998 bed nights were provided, and 63 women were successfully resettled.
The Marylebone Project won a 2023 Homeless Link Award for Excellence in Supported Housing, and Their ‘Fresh Hope’ film is a finalist in the 2024 Smiley Charity Film Awards.
These women are often affected by substance misuse, unemployment, domestic violence and mental health issues. Whatever their story, the aim is to help them transition to increased self-esteem, employment, and independent living. This is done by providing shelter, emotional support, educational opportunities, spiritual space, and events in a welcoming and secure environment. To learn more about the Marylebone Project, watch the ‘Fresh Hope’ video below.
You can also visit the website at: http://www.maryleboneproject.org.uk
Church representative: Caroline Kettlewell
Welcare is a local charity working with families in South London and East Surrey in need of practical help and support, providing food, toys, clothing, debt management advice, counselling and friendship. Their services are based on Christian values and they strive to empower families and change lives for the better, offering practical and emotional support to overcome challenges.
Their team of Family Support Workers is managed by professional Social Workers. They provide family-focused support for children coping with a wide range of problems, which could result from domestic abuse and violence, parental ill health, financial worries or living with disabilities.
For more about the work of Welcare, watch the video on our YouTube channel
You can visit the Welcare website at: https://welcare.org
St. Catherine’s Hospice
Church representative: Jenny Young
St. Catherine’s Hospice is a local charity with a big ambition: to help everyone face death informed, supported, and pain-free. Providing expert hospice care, St. Catherine’s is there for people in West Sussex and East Surrey “when life comes full circle”.
They also pioneer standards in end-of-life care through collaboration, research and training as they strive to reach even more people facing death and bereavement.
Many of us at St. John’s have been supported or know people who have been supported by St. Catherine’s. Every year they care for around 2,100 people who are living with a life-limiting illness.
A new, larger modern 24-bed hospice was opened in 2024 at Pease Pottage although only 12 beds are in use at the moment due to a lack of funds.
To learn more about the work of St. Catherine’s Hospice, visit their website at: https://www.stch.org.uk
Church representative: Glen Jones
CPAS runs Christian holidays for thousands of 8 to 18s each year.
- Ventures are fun-filled holidays that offer children and young people the opportunity to make great friends, take part in incredible activities and explore life with Jesus.
- Falcons are subsidised holidays, designed to suit children and young people who may face disadvantages or difficult circumstances in their daily lives.
- School Ventures give pupils at Church of England primary schools the chance to investigate the core concepts of the Christian faith for themselves.
Young people from St. John’s regularly attend the Venture holidays and benefit greatly from them. Members of our leadership team volunteer to help run the holidays.
For more information about Ventures watch the video on our YouTube channel
To visit their website go to: www.ventures.org.uk
Church representative: Lis Woolley
Care is a self-funding charity run entirely by volunteers with the aim of providing practical help to people living in East Grinstead, Lingfield, Dormansland, Ashurst Wood, Felbridge, Crowhurst, Blindley Heath, Newchapel or South Godstone. It was established in 1988 by members of local churches, including St John’s, as a means of Christian outreach. It seeks to help people within the community in practical ways, such as providing help with shopping, transport to medical appointments or to visit a friend or relation in a hospital or a nursing home in the area.
The Duty Officer is available on 01342 410086 between 9 am and 2 pm any weekday.
Churches Together initiatives in East Grinstead include the Foodbank, Street Pastors, CARE and the Community Bank.
East Grinstead & District Credit Union has become part of Boom Community Bank, which claims to offer a safer and cheaper alternative to high street sources such as payday loans, doorstep lenders and loan sharks. http://www.careineastgrinstead.co.uk/