10.10.10. What's Your Promise?

Last Sunday, 10.10.10, St. Paul’s Church joined with Christians across the world in commitment to remembering the world’s poor and in praying for a more just world.
‘What’s Your Promise?’ is a call to action on behalf of the world’s poor by Micah Challenge, a coming together of people across the world who want to take up the challenge made by the Old Testament prophet Micah, in speaking out against global poverty.

Micah Challenge UK works not just with churches but with charities and others to encourage action for all those trapped by poverty and to speak out for those who have no voice.

Micah Challenge asks us to commit to remembering the poor in our everyday lives by making an individual promise to take action – by praying regularly, buying fairly traded products, by lobbying our leaders repeatedly or some other action.
The link below leads to a video clip in which people are asked to consider one way in which they could help to alleviate global poverty.

http://www.micahchallenge.org.uk/

Micah’s words, ‘to act justly and to love mercy’, are just as challenging today as when they were first written over 2000 years ago. The interviews in the video remind us that we can all do small things to become involved; burying our heads in the sand with regard to global poverty is simply unacceptable.
What’s Your Promise?

Coffee Pot Harvest Lunch

After Gordon had said Grace, members of Coffee Pot and their friends celebrated Harvest with an excellent lunch. Many thanks to Jenny, Jill and the team for all their efforts. We took the opportunity to invite representatives of the Bethany Project which has been our special fund raising cause this year and present Angela, the Operational Manager@ Bethany Leicester, with a cheque. The Bethany Project is a charity which provides shelter for vulnerable women who need time and space to get back to an independent lifestyle. It seemed so appropriate to share from our abundance with those who will benefit from it and know we care .

Yesterday about a hundred people from around the diocese came to a morning event at St Paul's to explore how we can improve our welcome to newcomers. As one person commented after the session, “we seem to forget quickly what it feels like being new to church. Much of the session was common sense, but I need to be reminded again and again.” Bob Jackson, who led the course has written a special article for the front of the November edition of Shaped by God News summarising his main points.

Why not add the Shaped by God blog (http://www.shapedbygod.co.uk/) to your favourites or homepage for weekly mission updates?

written by Barry hill

Fully licensed -- after a long journey.

In Leicester Cathedral today, Colin Chettle was licensed as a Lay Minister (Reader) in the Church of England. Colin (right) was licensed to minister in the Parish of Oadby. Licences are renewed every three years and Hugh James (left), also from St Paul's, was relicensed at the same time. As well as Readers, Evangelists, Pastoral Workers and Children's Workers were commissioned in the same service. Colin and Hugh were well supported by members of the St Paul's congregation, as well as Simon (their previous vicar) and Jennifer Harvey who left Oadby a few months ago to minister in Islington.

Both those who were involved in the service and those who came to support them had to pass massed police barricades, erected to police the English Defence League demonstration. The service was led by the Assistant Bishop of Leicester Right Revd Christopher Boyle. In his sermon, from St Paul's Epistle to the Romans 12:1-8, the Bishop of Carlisle, Right Revd James Newcome, spoke of the emptiness of modern society, of the importance of not being conformed to its norms, and of the privilege of making Christ known.

Due to the EDL demonstration, the photos, refreshments and jazz band that were due to celebrate the event in the precinct outside the cathedral, took place inside.

Colin was licensed after taking the two-year Diploma course in Christian Discipleship. He then had to satisfy a selection panel as to his calling. Finally he undertook a year of Reader training which concentrated on equipping him for his ministerial role in church, within the Church of England.

Colin will preach his first sermon as a licensed reader at the 10. 0 a.m. service at St Paul's tomorrow, 10th October.