“And he [Jesus] took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”(Mark 10:16)
Thank you to Revd Damon Draisey and the South Downs Gateway Churches for their generous donation of Christmas presents for the children of Southampton & Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) and CLEAR Project members who are seeking asylum in Southampton.
Find out how you too can support SWVG and be a blessing to the families of asylum seekers.
The Revd Dr Jos Strengholt discusses life in Egypt today and the work of Nijl Vallei (Nile Valley) the Dutch charity he founded to support the poor in Egypt.
For more information on how you can support Nile Valley email kantoor@nijlvallei.nl or visit their website https://www.nijlvallei.nl
Reverend Dave Smith, also known as Father Dave or the Fighting Father, is an Anglican priest who served as parish priest for 30 years in Sydney’s inner-west. It was here he became known for his work with at-risk youth and was nominated three times for Australian of the Year.
He took up professional boxing in 1996 to help fund his youth programs and is currently Australia’s oldest active professional fighter. Father Dave is also well known for his social justice advocacy and inter-faith work. He is the father of four children and the author of two books, the most recent being “Christians and Muslims can be friends” (2020)
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On 17 November, Southampton City Art Gallery hosted the launch of a new book and walking tour guide by Professor Tony Kushner, of the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations and History Department at the University of Southampton, detailing the rich history of Southampton’s migrant past.
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A vigil for Gaza was held in Reading town centre on Saturday 5th June organised by Reading Muslim Council with contributions from the Jewish Network for Palestine, Cordoba Foundation, Green Party, Slough PSC and Jewish Voices for Labour. Organisers estimate that around 250 people participated in the vigil while many people out shopping stopped to listen to the presentations. At the end of the vigil balloons were released in memory of each child killed in Gaza. I gave a short presentation (below) and also offered prayers for the bereaved and injured.
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This week, members of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) delivered food to 35 families of asylum seekers, generously provided by St Peter’s Church, Winchester.
Cyangugu is a small strategic frontier town in the south west of Rwanda on the border with The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the southern tip of Lake Kivu, contiguous with the Congolese town of Bukavu which is accessed by two bridges across the Ruzizi river.
Rik Mager is the director of the school. His wife, Caroline, coordinates the feeding programs in the Diocese because of malnutrition in this part of Rwanda. I asked Rik for an update on the program in the light of Covid-19.
“We must stand together in order to survive,” says Lucy Talgieh a member of Bethlehem City Council. Alongside Wi’am: Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center, Lucy has been working tirelessly for weeks to mitigate the effects of Coronavirus in Bethlehem She is part of the emergency committee formed to get food and other supplies to people who are unable to move around the city.
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When I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with Compassion UK to Colombia in Feb 2019, I jumped at the chance. This was the 1stvisit to Colombia by Compassion UK and we were joined by Compassion Netherlands (again a 1stfor Compassion UK to travel with another country).
I have been sponsoring her for 10 years. I told Melanys that I didn’t choose her, because I didn’t know which child to choose. Esther Wood had profiles from Compassion Sunday, and I knew I wanted a girl and preferably from South America. Esther prayed over the profiles and chose Melanys for me.
Continue readingThe Revd John Angle participated in the Hub exhibition at Spring Harvest, Minehead. I interviewed him about the Christian community in Gaza. John is active in supporting the Hope Christian Trust and Bethlehem Bible College.
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Peacemaker Trust 