African Experience

Lou McGoldrick, our youth worker, recently joined other diocesan workers in  visiting Mount Kilimanjaro diocese, Tanzania. It is one of several dioceses with which Leicester has links.

Last Sunday, in the place of the sermon, Lou showed us photos of her visit there, and talked about her experience of the churches in Mount Kilimanjaro. Two aspects particularly struck her. One was  a couple who had left relative luxury to work in a very poor area, teaching life skills and teaching the children. Ultimately they were able to found a church.

She was also impressed with the work among the Maasai, a group who up until recently had had little contact with Christian belief. She and the group visited different new churches.

The visit had given the opportunity to talk with those who led young people in the church there. As they discussed social issues that affect the church, they found that their understandings were frequently different. Who was right?

It was certainly a different and challenging sermon for those of us who live in a relative lap  of luxury.

The African International Christian Ministry

The African International Christian Ministry is a government recognised Ugandan NGO, working in the south-west of the country. The Friends of African International Christian Ministry is a UK charity which supports their work financially. It has been one of the charities that St Paul’s supports, and now St Peter’s Oadby is supporting it as well.

The inaccessible forests of south-west Uganda have some of its poorer citizens. In particular, there is a very high percentage of the pygmy people, known as Batwa. The Batwa are a despised group and are often excluded from society.  AICM provides support, training, schools (where there are none), feeding of schoolchildren (who are often undernourished) and Christian ministry.

A link here links to an article by the Archbishop of York which gives the background of the work in greater detail.

 

Last Sunday (15 October) we were joined by the congregation of St Peter’s. We were visited by Colin and Sue Townsend who are AICM supporters. Colin had just returned from a visit to the AICM work in Uganda and was still jetlagged. Sue explained the situation in the area and showed photos and videos of the work. For those of us used to the facilities we have in England, it was quite an enlightenment. But the scenery was magnificent!

There is more about the work with Batwa here.

We look forward to continuing to support this work and deepening the links with it.

 

The Poorest of the Poor

This month, our church is highlighting the work of the African International Christian Mission and the friends based in this country who support it. This small charity works among children of the Batwa (pygmy) people in South West Uganda. They are the poorest and most despised of the people groups there. Their ancestral lands have been taken to encourage tourism and they have been oppressed by central government.

AICM is trying to provide them with education and food so that they will be able to cope with life in a modern society. They are taught and fed at two schools in the south of Uganda, but their flimsy buildings have been damaged by storm, and there are now plans (well in hand) to replace them with brick buildings.

This charity is now being supported by the whole Oadby Parish.

African International Christian Ministry

One of our members, Kate Potter, is a trustee of a small charity “African International Christian Ministry (AICM).” This is the charity on which St Paul’s will be focusing its thoughts and prayers this month. At Sunday Morning’s Service, Kate introduced its work to the congregation. It is based on the small provincial town of Kabale, in the south-west corner of Uganda, close to the borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It works among the Batwa, the Pygmy people (which are found in all those countries and in Burundi). The Batwa tend to be isolated from society by the other ethnic groups and scorned by them. They tend to have had few opportunities for education, are very poor and suffer from ill-health. Their plight has been made worse in Uganda as the government has removed them from many of their traditional locations, to make way for the tourism associated with the mountain gorillas in the Forest of the National Park.

AICM has been involved in development and education work with the Batwa, but unfortunately severe storms have badly damaged many of the schools.

Let’s pray and give for this work, which would have so delighted Jesus, as expressed his concern for the poor.

Reporting the Action!

Becka, one of our young people, who finished university last June has spent the last six months in Mozambique with one of the Baptist Mission Society (BMS) Action Teams. Becka joined three gap year students, Rachel, Steve and Ben. Together, after initial training, they helped in the Kedesh orphanage – getting alongside children, teaching English and being of help in every practical way possible.

Now they are touring Britain, visiting their home and other churches, speaking about the orphanage, the Baptist Church in Mozambique and the country in general. This week they have been based at St Paul’s, visiting the activities here but also in schools and neighbouring churches. Last night, they visited one of the home groups. In the first half, they talked about their experiences and the country. Then, after tea or coffee, they lead a Bible study.

We then spent a time of prayer for them and for Mozambique, and lit candles around the outline of a cross.

Thank you for your visit, and we wish you God’s every the blessing in your future careers.

BMS Action Teams   Blog of the Kedesh, Mozambique Team

Buried Treasure?

We're looking forward to hosting the Bible Society's service on Sunday 26 October at 6.30pm.

Our own Emmanuel Oladipo will be preaching, joining me and Simon Foulds of the Bible Society. Emmanuel has served on the board of Bible Society and in his many and far-reaching travels has experienced the great hunger for God's word all over the world.

I love this year's idea of 'Bible Monday' on 27 October, which invited Christians to take their bible to work.

The service is open to everyone and includes a short video about the remarkable 'sidewalk Sunday schools' that are making a big impact in Kingston, Jamaica.

Mission Giving allocations for 2008

The first tenth of our annual church income is given away. That's around £8000. A lot of money.

This isn't recklessness or stupidity. It's because as a matter of principle we believe that we should support people in disadvantage and poverty at home and abroad. We believe that our mission as a local church shouldn't end at our parish boundary either, so we also support Christian organisations and projects.

Half of the £8000 is made through donations directly from St Paul's, to the following groups (click the links for more details):

Care for the Family
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Africa Inland Mission (Keith Waddell's eye surgery work)
Bahadur Fistula Hospital, Ethiopia (recently visited by Doug Tincello)
Jakin pregnancy care and counselling

The remaining £4000 is allocated through the parish 'common pot' and supports the work of:
CMS
Bible Society
Mission Aviation Fellowship
USPG
Christ in the Centre

Quiz night raised £150 for CMS

Last week's fish and chip supper and quiz night raised an amazing £150 for the work of CMS, a mission society which we're delighted to support.

Ruth Biddulph of CMS writes,

Thank you for your generous gift of £150 towards the work of CMS. We are passionate about transforming lives around the world through sharing Jesus, and we are encouraged that you share this passion.

CMS currently works in partnership with approximately 700 people in mission in over 60 different countries, including the UK.

Thanks to Paul and Teri for organising one of the very best evenings of entertainment at St Paul's.

Christian Aid Walk 11 May 2008

This year’s full and mini walks start with a picnic lunch (bring your own food, drinks provided) at 12.15pm on Sunday 11 May at United Reformed Church, Rosemead Drive. Signing on will take place during lunch and the walk will start promptly 1.00pm. Boots or strong shoes are essential for those walking and the route is unsuitable for pushchairs. This year the walk will take a very picturesque route from Mere Lane and Newton Harcourt via Wistow to Kilby, down the field paths to the canal and Newton Locks before returning to the URC. Money raised will go into general funds that finance emergency aid and long term projects in the third world. So, whatever your age, please join us! Those under 16 need to complete a separate parental consent form. Sponsor forms can be obtained from your Christian Aid Representative, Chris Burberry.

The organisers are looking for marshalls – can you help? See Colin Chettle for details.

Malcolm and Ruth Lambert in Belize

Our friends and USPG mission partners Ruth and Malcolm Lambert have arrived safely in Belize.

Malcolm has begun his work in ministerial training and the development of theological education programmes for clergy and lay people.

This week Ruth was instituted to her churches in the administrative capital city of Belmopan.

There's obviously a lot of adjusting to do, with a new culture, language and a very different climate to get used to. It's great to be able to keep up with Malcolm and Ruth through Facebook and their blog: www.the-lamberts.org. They're in our prayers and we wish them a happy and fruitful time in the next three years.

Who does St Paul's give money to?

Last week the DCC approved the donations made to mission organisations. We give away a tenth of all our income to brilliant agencies for the relief of suffering and to support people working for justice and the gospel around the world. This is, in addition to the funds raised by occasional appeals and the contribution to local mission in Leicestershire through the parish share.

The approved donations given by St Paul's are going to Evangelical Alliance, Care, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Africa Inland Mission, and Jakin Pregnancy Care and Counselling.

From the 'common pot' of parish-wide donations, funds are going to CMS, Bible Society, Crosslinks, Mission Aviation Fellowship, USPG and Christ in the Centre.

Supporting the church in Belize

Malcolm and Ruth Lambert, two ministers from Leicester Diocese, are set to go to Belize next year to assist the Anglican Church in its mission.

Last night Malcolm and Ruth came to St Paul's to speak about their work and to share their hopes, excitement and trepidation about all that awaits them.

As a parish, we're delighted to be able to support their work through USPG and hope to hear from them regularly.

Malcolm will be working at the Anglican Theological Institute to develop a range of courses for lay and ordained ministry. Ruth will be a pastor based at St Ann's Church in the capital Belmopan, and developing schools and hospital chaplaincies.

Keep up with Malcolm and Ruth's adventure through their website.