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Report to Presbytery June 10
Concern was expressed about the recent events when the flotilla trying to run the blockade of Gaza was attacked by Israeli forces.
Presbyters were asked to remember all the Church of Scotland staff in Israel in their prayers :
Jamie and Nicola with their son,
Revs George and Colin
Anthony, Darya and family, and Jimmy in Tabeetha.
Looking forward to Harvest? Some possible projects were highlighted
Tearfund’s harvest pack – http://www.tearfund.org/Resources/One+Family
‘One family’ – is based in Cambodia and focuses on your
church’s mission to be part of God’s worldwide family: to bind up the
broken-hearted, end hunger and demonstrate the love of God to all people – of
any faith or none.
Christian Aid’s theme http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/harvest/index.aspx
‘Be part of a Wind of Change this Harvest’ - will focus on Afghanistan
Or focus on
Malawi with the www.justtradingscotland.co.uk
90KG RICE CHALLENGE
A hard-working rice farmer in
Malawi has to sell 90 kgs of rice
to be able to send his son or daughter to the local high school for a
year.
Just Trading Scotland (JTS) invites your group or your
church to do the 90kg rice challenge! Over 180 groups have now taken up this
challenge. They buy rice and get posters, a PowerPoint presentation,
leaflets and information sheets. They then sell the rice – which can go
amazingly quickly! JTS says “Our current retail price for a kilo bag of Kilombero
rice is £2.75 but if you buy a 90 kg challenge pack we will supply it at
£2.50/kg.” To sign up or find out more, contact Pauline on 0141 887 2882 or
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Vacancies with World Mission Council
Dhaka - Theological
Lecturer
Mulanje
Mission
Hospital Medical
Director
Embangweni
Mission
Hospital Medical Officer
Ekwendeni Project Support Officer
Hyderabad,
Pakistan Diocesan
Accounts Manager.
As the Edinburgh 2010 Conference ended Archbishop
Sentamu said-
Jesus told his followers, “You are my witnesses.” and reminded us of “the crucial importance of
Christian witness in 2010 and beyond.”
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 9TH - 15TH MAY 2010
Focus this year on Matopeni "place in the mud" a slum in the Kenyan capital Nairobi where there is a desperate need of sanitation and clean water - £8,000 will pay for a block with 10 toilets for men and women, showers and a tap with clean water. These will replace the existing "flying toilets" which mean using a plastic bag and throwing it over the wall.
Christian Aid has a new leader in Scotland - Rev Kathy Galloway
and a new Director in UK - Loretta Minghella OBE
EDINBURGH 2010
This is to recall the famous Conference on Mission held in Edinburgh in 1910.
The theme this year is "Witnessing to Christ today ".
On the 6th June Christians all over the world will celebrate God's call to mission. You can join the worship on line on 6th June or do something locally
info available at www.edinburgh2010.org
In this connection there are open lectures with Dana Robert from University of Boston
Mission Frontiers from Geography to Justice 24th May at 6.00pm in
University Chapel, Glasgow University
Friendship in the Creation of World Christianity 25th May 7.00pm in
St Columba's Church, Stirling
Mission Visions of Worldwide Christian Fellowship 26th May 5.30 pm
in Assembly Hall, The Mound, Edinburgh
.....................................................................................................................................................
Some national changes
World Mission Convenor - Very Rev Andrew McLellan
Twinning Dev. Officer@121 - Karen Francis
Africa/Caribbean Secy - Jennie Williamson
On a sad note we have heard that Commission of Assembly will recommend the sale of St Colm's College after 100 years of work training people in mission and ecumenical enterprise.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 - 22nd Feb till 7th March
Fair Trade
Isn’t it exciting that Nestlé announced a switch to Fairtrade for their biggest selling chocolate brand, Kit Kat.
This means huge benefits going back to cocoa producers in Côte d'Ivoire, one of the poorest countries in the world.
Bars carrying the FAIR TRADE Mark will be available from January 2010.
In 2010 Fair Trade wants you to swap your regular brand for a Fair Trade variety,
why not give it is a try? For more info:
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/thebigswap/
December 09
Many of you here have studied Church History - it probably
ended in the 19th Century at the latest. I want to tell about an historic event of the
20th century
Edinburgh 1910
In June 1910 more than 1,000 delegates gathered in
Edinburgh representing
176 missionary societies and boards 59 from
North America
58
from continental
Europe
47
from the
UK
12
from
South Africa and
Australia
There were a very few from
India,
China and
Japan.
It was an entirely Protestant Event- no representatives from
Roman Catholic or
Easter
Orthodox
Churches
and little from Pentecostal Churches.
It was overwhelmingly male although women were serving in
mission.
Wardlaw Thompson of the London Missionary Society said
“I long for a time when we shall see another Conference, and
when men of the Greek Church and the Roman Church shall talk things over with
us in the service of Christ.”
Out of that Conference grew many other conferences Tambaram,
Amsterdam, Uppsala, New Delhi, Porto Alegre among others, and of course the
World Council of Churches and our local Churches Together, and also the
Lausanne Conferences.
Two books have been published to celebrate the 1910 event -
Edinburgh 2010:
Mission Then
and Now by David Kerr and Ken Ross
(World
Mission) and
The World Missionary Conference.Edinburgh1910 by Brian
Stanley of New College
We are now on the cusp of 2010 and another Edinburgh
Conference to which 250 delegates are invited, this time
50% from the global south 50%
women 20%
under 25 years.
Not only is there a conference in
Edinburgh
but also conferences in
Tokyo,
Boston and Capetown..
The message from the conference of 1910 was the “world for
Christ in this our generation”.
The aim of 2010
The
churches will be provided with an opportunity to celebrate what God has done in
the growth of the Church worldwide over the past century and to prayerfully
commit to God the witness of the churches in the 21st Century.
On the 6th June 2010 there will be a celebration
in
Edinburgh, and
you are invited to have a local meeting then - the topic
‘What’s your mission? 2010.global Be inspired, get involved.’
I hope knowing a little of the background to Edinburgh1910
will inspire you to get involved in mission in 2010. - ‘witnessing to Christ today.’
I’d just like to conclude by saying ‘thank you’ to all who
helped make James Laing’s short visit go well.
Web addresses: http://www.edinburgh2010.org/
and http://www.towards2010.org.uk
November 09
There was discussion on the topic of HIV AIDS a posible way of supporting the Church of Scotland Project is with a Souper Sunday
The
suggested date for Souper Sunday is
10 January 2010 and worship resources are available at www.soupersunday.info
October 09
You can meet Jamie Laing or Mission Partner from who works
as WM Manager in
Israel at the following
Bearsden - Coffee Pot at New Kilpatrick on Friday 13th
Nov morning
Cardross
Parish
Church
-Small Hall on Friday 13th Nov at 7.30
Bearsden Baljaffray 9.30 Sunday 15th
Jamestown
Parish 11.00 Sunday 15th
WORLD MISSION REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 09
Christians living in a minority situation
In March I attended a day conference organised by the World Mission Council concerning Christians in minority situations in the world,
The main speaker was the Bishop of Peshawar, the Rt Rev Mano Rumalshah, who spoke about what it means to be a Christian in
Pakistan today.
He noted that personal and communal identity is often defined by religion in
South Asia, the Bishop warned against romanticising the church’s ‘minority’ status. In a country where Christians are only 2 or 3% of the population there is nothing romantic about the discrimination and prejudice facing the church.
Bishop Mano also put the situation faced by Christians in
Pakistan into the wider context, speaking of the difficulties faced by other Christian communities in south Asia, and in parts of
Africa.
Bishop Mano said the challenges of being a minority community are not just in the legalisation of discrimination that is typified by
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, or
the anti conversion laws being discussed by the Sri Lankan Parliament, but
also in the subtle changes that take place when theology ‘adapts’ to the dominant culture.
That means that the fundamental question facing the church in
Pakistan,and in other minority situations, is: ‘what does it mean to be the church here, where we are?’
He summed up the purpose of the church in
Pakistan as “a presence” “service” and “witness”
World Mission Council is preparing a report on the lives of minority Christian communities for the General Assembly in 2010.
We hear these words but in the context of living and indeed dying in that situation let me share about the incident in Gojra in early August.
Following a violent attack on residents of the Christian
village of
Korianon 30 July there was news of further incidents of anti-Christian violence in the nearby town of
Gojra, District Faisalabad,
Punjab province, on Saturday 1 August. Homes were looted and at least 50 houses were burned down, as a Muslim mob threw petrol bombs and fired indiscriminately.
The attack in Korian, where homes of local Christians were torched, churches vandalised and Bibles desecrated, was allegedly sparked by rumours that a copy of the Qur’an had been burned during a Christian wedding. No one was injured in the attacks in Korian, but tensions continued to rise and fresh violence erupted two days later. According to eye witnesses, more than 800 Muslims carrying a variety of weapons raided a Christian settlement. Incited by broadcasts from local mosques, they looted, vandalised and set fire to houses. Seven Christians died in the flames and at least 20 were injured. There are indications that the attack on the two areas was planned; according to one local Christian, those in surrounding villages and towns began receiving threats as Muslim clerics started preaching hatred and revenge.
Security forces were patrolling the streets on Sunday 2 August and it was reported that there had been no further clashes. The Pakistani government has spoken out in support of local Christians, with the President of Pakistan instructing the Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti to visit the
village of
Korian, where the violence took place.According to reports, police have charged 816 people, including the district coordination officer and the district police officer, with murder, attempted murder and terrorism
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, says, “In the midst of the spiralling anti- Christian violence in
Pakistan, our appeal is to Christians around the world to stand with our brothers and sisters at their time of need. Please pray and, if you are able, give a donation to meet the practical needs of the homeless, injured and bereaved.”
It is possible to give to a fund to help these Christians through the Barnabas Trust
The Police of Gojra has now registered an FIR (First Investigation Report) against the innocent Bishop of Faisalabad, the Rt. Rev. John Samuel,
Church of
Pakistan and his two sons, along with 100 unnamed Christians for conspiring the Gojra incident, whereas the real culprits are still roaming around unleashed.
Fellowship of
St Thomas is a group that promotes interest in and to learn from the churches in
S Asia.The annual celebration is in St Mary’s Episcopal Church Dunblane on Sat 26thSept and will focus on
Pakistan..All welcome but booking required for lunch in the India Gate Restaurant across the road from St Mary’s. Please ask about it at the end if you would like to attend.
Jamie Laing - Brief visit in November
Jamie will be in
Scotland for meetings and to attend the Conference on ‘Christianity, Conflict and the Soul of the Nation’. I am in the process of making a programme for him to visit around the Presbytery
HIV AIDS
I am delighted to report that the Church of ScotlandHIV/AIDS Project has appointed a new Co-ordinator. Marjorie Clark took up her post in early August. Marjorie and Kate O'Brien, the Project's part-time Administrator, are based in the Project Office, at ‘121’.
The Project Group has been busy over the summer months preparing information for congregational use, particularly in relation to 'Souper Sunday' an event endorsed by the General Assembly and scheduled for 10th January 2010. I hope some of you will have a Souper Sunday.
Margaret Nutter - Convener
Useful links
https://secure.barnabasfund.org/
http://www.christianaid.org.uk
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/central-committee/geneva-2009/reports-and-documents/report-on-public-issues.html
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Coming up
Fairtrade Fortnight from 22nd February to 8th March theme Bananas
One plan is to have the biggest Banana Munch on Friday 6th March from mid-day.
Christian Aid Week in - May 10th -17th - you should have a Starter Pack to order resources.
The 'M'Factor 14th March - look out for World Mission stall.
World Mission Committee Report
February 09
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Two people from this area attended the Commissioning Service
in
Edinburgh last month (January) for Jamie Laing who is
now in
Israel
with his wife Nicky and their son John.
They almost immediately commenced their
study of Hebrew.
At the service Elaine Duncan of the Scottish Bible Society presented
him with a Hebrew Bible.
This is the 200th anniversary of
the Scottish Bible Society and I would encourage you to support it this year
especially some of the special events which are planned.
The Scottish Bible Society is involved in the translation of the Bible
into
Yao and Lomwe in
Malawi, also Shilluk and a modern
Gaelic translation. Perhaps more useful locally is the children’s Adventure Activity
Book ‘Bibles for the
Caribbean’.
In the autumn Rev Fergus Buchanan did a cycle ride in the Negev for the
EMMS
Hospital
at
Nazareth -
well done Fergus - he raised £11,000
Moving from
Nazareth to our own new link
with
Jerusalem and an update on Bursary Scheme
Two children have been identified: Khader at school in Jerusalem and Ileen at school in Ramallah.
The
first year's payment of £1,400 has been sent via World Mission in
Edinburgh to St Andrew's in
Jerusalem.
November
Zambia - Keith and Ida Waddell were commissioned to go to work in Mwandi doing health, education and work in ministry.
Israel - Jamie and Nicola Laing will be appointed Regional Manager for our work in Israel - their commissioning service will be on 11th Jan 2009 in Edinburgh.
They will visit Dumbarton Presbytery at the end of November.
World Aids Day - 20th World Aids Day is on 1st December
33 million people world wide are living with AIDS - every 9 seconds someone is diagnosed with AIDS.
Remember AIDS sufferers at your services on 30th November.
Christians in special need
There has been violence against Christians in Orissa
Many are suffering in Zimbabwe.
Christians caught up in violence in Congo
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World Mission Report to Presbytery 2nd Sept 08
Christian Aid
I have just heard from Christian Aid that an initial £200,000 has already been released to help our
partners respond to the flood in
Bihar,
India but more
money is urgently needed.
It will help them provide emergency food, medical assistance and long-term help
to those affected.
Already the floods have displaced more people in
India than the Boxing Day tsunami
in 2004.
One partner, CASA, has offices in
Bihar and
through its network of field offices is feeding 5,000 people. It has extensive
experience in working in emergencies.
Another, Emmanuel Hospital Association, is looking after tens of thousands of
people who are stranded on high ground: providing medical aid and taking
measures to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases.
Obviously all the charities will
be looking for extra money for this disaster - perhaps as we approach harvest
here (though not a brilliant one) we could remember people in great need in
other parts of the world.
Islam
One of the challenges for the
churches throughout the world today is her relationship with Islam
Interserve is focussing on this at
its Annual Conference - seminars will be led by Colin Chapman
To be held at Carberry on 7th -8th
Nov - the title is Islam, faith and the Bible. I am sure it will be a
worthwhile conference. Details on the web or from me.
http://www.interservescotland.org.uk/events
4 Blairtummock Place
Panorama
Business
Village
Queenslie
Glasgow
G33 4EN
t: 0141 781 1982
f: 0141 781 1572
Israel - Palestine
You will remember we set up a partnership with Jane Barron
two years ago, we particularly looked for a connection in Israel Palestine.
Although Jane has returned to
Scotland
we want to maintain our interest in that are and look forward to a visit from
Jen Zielinski in October.
We hope it may be possible to continue our link with that
area and the committee will look at this.
Margaret Nutter
Convenor World
Mission
Committee
Report to Presbytery June 08
We have just had Christian Aid Week thank you and well done to all who took part - hear what Christian Aid Partners in Zimbabwe say:
The decision by the government of Zimbabwe to suspend all field work by humanitarian agencies has provoked strong condemnation.
‘The use of food as a political weapon is very cruel,’ said Useni Sibanda, of the Zimbabwe Christian Council (ZCA), a Christian Aid partner organisation.
Some four million people in Zimbabwe are dependent on food aid. Close to two million people are living with HIV. A Zimbabwean male has a life expectancy of 37, a woman just 34.‘We have hunger here and things are just getting worse,’ continued Rev Sibanda. ‘The most vulnerable will be the most affected. There is a general food shortage, there is no food in the stores and these people have no alternative – they are totally dependent on the humanitarian agencies.’
Through partner organisations Christian Aid helps some 40,000 people in Zimbabwe. Programmes include home based care for people living with HIV, drought recovery programmes in the arid Matebele region and food distributions.
Christian Aid also works with people who lost their homes and businesses in Operation Murambatsvina in 2005 in which 700,000 people lost their homes.
The security situation is deteriorating fast. A number of lawyers working for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have fled the country and opposition activists have been beaten and, in some cases, murdered.
There is also deep unease about the presidential run-off election scheduled for June 27.‘With these conditions there is no way we can have a free and fair election,’ said Rev Sibanda. He is also fearful the government may attempt to block people from reaching polling stations. ‘This is not just about food; it is a desperate attempt by the regime to win the election.’
I thought I would share with you the content of the World Mission Council Deliverance at the General Assembly regarding Zimbabwe. We heard at that time from the Rt. Rev William Pool (Moderator of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, whose parents were missionaries from the Church of Scotland in the 1950s) some first hand stories - the Church had hesitated to speak out for fear of exacerbating the situation but the local churches have encouraged partners now to speak out. This is the deliverance agreed last month:
Express outrage and urgent concern in regard to the extreme privation and suffering being inflicted on the people of Zimbabwe; and encourage all who work for justice, peace and reconciliation in that beautiful country.
Salute the courage of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference in standing up for the people and condemning the abuse of political authority.
Call on Her Majesty’s Government, as a matter of urgency, to use its influence in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to work for a political solution to Zimbabwe’s crisis which will swiftly bring an end to the violence and intimidation being endured in many parts of the country and which will enable the will of the electorate to be freely expressed and fully respected.
Assure the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa, and particularly the presbytery of Zimbabwe, of the love and prayerful support of the Church of Scotland at this uniquely trying time in their history; and encourage them as they overcome “fear by faith” and contribute to the resolution of Zimbabwe’s crisis.
I don’t want to create vacancies in Presbytery but can I remind you of the vacancy in St Andrew’s Jerusalem and also one in Zimbabwe currently filled by John Miller who used to work in Castlemilk. Mary, his wife, is working in a hospital and John is pastoring a congregation.
Nothing has improved in Zimbabwe in the last month so I commend Zimbabwe to your prayers.
More information on Zimbabwe at
on World Mission at
Report to Presbytery May 08
Here we are almost at the beginning of another Christian Aid Week, I hope you are all taking part in some way such as
House to house collection - lunch- QuizAid - campaigning on climate change - and prayer!
We are keen as a committee to engage everyone in some aspect of World Church / World Mission. Some groups will want low key ideas others already engage overseas with TearFund or other projects of their own.
What we want to offer is
An opportunity to meet Jennifer Zielinski who is on leave from Tiberias - the plan is for an event on Mon 19th Oct in Bearsden. Jennifer will be available to speak somewhere on Sunday - I guess it will be first come first served? That will be One World Week.
Some congregations are thinking about twinning some are more interested in a short term project.
Can we suggest
1) Generator for Library in Gujranwala Theological Seminary in Pakistan - one of our former partners still works there and the load shedding in Pakistan is terrible at present - electricity one hour on /one hour off. Faifley Parish Church has raised some money for this but any other money would be welcome.
2) This year because of the Olympic Games there is focus on China. The Scottish Churches China Group supports
Amity House of Blessing - which has facilities for young adults with learning difficulties
Ming Guang Shuang School in Nanjing for children of Migrant workers - it has 600 pupils - migrant workers children do not have residency qualifications to attend city schools!
Shengjing Hospital in Shengyang Province
This partnership goes back 120 years (the old Moukhden Hospital) - current focus is Palliative care on a home hospital basis - the Church is supporting in-service education.
Shengyang Diocese
The Social Service department is offering Palliative Care and HIV/AIDS training.
The Scottish Churches China Group has produced a China Education pack for P5-7
Lastly
Many of you will gather your used stamps and wonder what to do with them- the Church of Scotland Stamp centre will process these and the current Project supported by this is Scottish Universities Missionaries Institute School in Kalimpong which although it is a boys school is allowing girls who have been excluded from school because of gender, lack of money, or caste discrimination to return to school and complete their education.
Late news- Nigel Pounde who headed up the HIV/AIDS Project has been ill for some time, he was going to take early retirement but died unexpectedly last week. Many owe him a debt of gratitude and we join in remembering his loved ones.
Latest news - Burma hit by Cyclone Nargis - pray for help for the people affected.
Please encourage your congregation or group to take up a project there are many opportunities to link with the world church - make a connection.
Convenor:
Miss Margaret Nutter
Tel:
01389 754505
email:
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