27 January 2013

We give the assurance of our thoughts and prayers to all who are unwell, awaiting or undergoing treatment, or anxious or grieving for the loss of loved ones.

For Methodist Genealogy Enthusiasts!

Methodist Heritage has now launched the second of three Methodist Family History websites. The first one focussed on Primitive Methodism and the new site, My Methodist History, invites sharing of past Methodist stories of places and people. This is free to use after registration.

A Methodist stand, featuring all three website strands, will be part of the 'Who Do You Think You Are' Exhibition at London Olympia from February 22nd - 24th.

“Enough Food for Everyone IF”

The formal launch of this campaign to eradicate poverty took place last Wednesday at Somerset House in London. The Campaign, undertaken by leading development charities and faith groups, is the largest since the “Make Poverty History” movement of 2005.

The Campaign's first Report warns:

“In a world where there is enough food for everyone, the scandal of children growing up hungry also imposes a grave economic burden on the developing world, costing 78 billion over the next 15 years.

As well as the 937 million children and young people (aged 15-40) whose life chances will be permanently damaged by the impact of childhood hunger by 2025, .… (it is estimated that) malnutrition will be costing developing countries an annual $125 billion (£78 billion) in lost economic output by 2030.”

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in January for work in Ukraine and in February for work in Fiji.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• publication of the first portions of the first translation into modern Slovenian since the 1600s, by the Bible Society of Slovenia;
• pioneering work to translate the Gospel of Mark into Thai sign language;
• visit by SBS volunteers to Cambodia;
• Bible Society of Cameroon's 50th anniversary - 4 translation projects are under way in a country with almost 300 languages.

SBS Bible a Month Calendar

Final updates on 2012 Bible a Month featured projects:

• Georgia (October): distribution of the Bible to children has meant that many families have owned book for the first time since being displaced from their homes during the 2008 Russian-Georgian war.
• China (December): SBS was represented at the recent celebrations to mark the printing of the 100 millionth Bible by the Amity Printing Company based in Nanjing. SBS Chief Executive, Elaine Duncan, visited a rural church in Weishi County, Henan Province, to assist with Bible distribution. There are 74 distribution centres in China, where the church continues to grow.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President in the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District from tomorrow for a week;
• developing contacts with the Chair-designate of the Synod, Rev Dr David P Easton, for his arrival in September;
• EMU (Episcopal, Methodist and URC) meeting, Thursday;
• work amid unrest and tribal violence in the Papua province of Indonesia (Mission Aviation Fellowship);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in central India;
• Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR) advocating rights for children with disabilities (Embrace);
• projects in the East Anglia District (Methodist Homes);
• effects of climate change on Bangladesh (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Ukraine and in Fiji;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Southend and Leigh (Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District) and in Cullen (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 20 January 2013
• 3 February 2013

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