COmmonwealth games

The Commonwealth Games is being hosted in and around Birmingham this summer.  Here are some ways to pray for the Games and the preparation for them, and some ways in which you might be involved.
bham_2022_games_-_ct_news_april_2022.pdf
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BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS OF SANCTUARY
​Birmingham Schools of Sanctuary were out in force on Monday 21st March to form a human chain at The Church at Carrs Lane in response to the call by Together With Refugees to create an Orange Landmark Day all across the country. Birmingham schools were given invaluable support by Cllr John Cotton, and joined and supported by Revd Cristina Cipriani, one of the ministers of The Church at Carrs Lane. The church, a URC/Methodist LEP in Birmingham City Centre, runs a monthly welcome event for local asylum seekers and refugees in initial accommodation, and is part of the Lift The Ban movement. 
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Broadway moves forward with eco-church

Recent Bronze Eco-Church award winners, Broadway URC (Worcestershire) are encouraging other users of their premises to think about following their example to improve their environmental impact.  This display reflects the Synod principles of refusing to buy what's not necessary and rejecting excess packaging, reducing purchases and avoiding single-use plastics wherever possible, re-using items instead of throwing them away, repairing things that are broken and recycling as the last option and always in preference to sending waste to landfill.  What will your church do to share a similar message to people outside your congregation?  Broadway would also welcome further ideas to make the best use of this noticeboard.

News from the diocese of duRgapur - April 28 2021

We've been horrified at the scale of the second wave of the pandemic affecting India - over a third of a million new cases are being reported every day, and over 200,000 deaths overall so far.  

We've had news from the Diocese of Durgapur, our world Church partner.  Bishop Sameer Isaac Khimla writes, 
Warm Greetings from the Diocese. Thank you for your mail and your assured prayer support for all of us. We do need all your prayers. The situation in India and here in Durgapur is not very good. The Corona Tsunami if one could say that has left all of us paralysed. There is immense suffering as the medical and social infrastructure struggles to cope with the pandemic.

From the Diocese office would like to inform you that two of our staff Tarun and Atin have tested Covid positive. They both are in home isolation and treatment; as it is no longer easy to get a hospital bed with the overwhelming numbers. Please continue to pray for them as well as Mr.Banerjee our Accountant who has recovered but is extremely weak to resume duties. We are all in prayers as the situation is grim here and hoping and praying for God's grace and mercies. Personally further I have lost good friends, acquaintances in the past couple of weeks. The Church has also lost many ministers both Pastors and Bishops in this period.

We are assured  that you continue to be with us in spirit and prayers and believe that this too shall pass.

Deacon Ruth Pugh who has taught music to children through the Diocese for many years has told us that, "when the [Diocesan Child Study and Development Centres] are shut the teachers are still in contact with students and their families.  The DCSDC, who have a much more spread out set of students [than government schools] have a Whatsapp group and Zoom meeting with them."  However, many of the poorest children have little or no access to technology for home-schooling and have largely uneducated parents who cannot support home schooling.  There are huge issues also with access to fast internet and uninterrupted power supplies in rural areas - things that we increasingly take for granted.

The Diocese also writes that the pandemic has caused widespread unemployment, and poverty is increasing across the country.  They write, 
"So it is our request that you kindly reconsider about the situation and support us with your contributions, so that we can together pave the way for a better and brighter future for these underprivileged children.  Just as in Psalm 127: 3 it says, “Behold Children Are A Heritage from the Lord, the Fruit of the Womb A Reward”, it is our duty and our responsibility to preserve our heritage so that they can stand as an exquisite exception in the society.
 
You have to pay online: Minimum US$250 or UK£160."  If you currently sponsor a child in India through the Diocese of Durgapur, please continue to do so, but you will need to make payments through a new bank account because of a a change in banking regulations in India.  The new account details are available on request from Margaret Marshall or the Synod Office.

We've also heard from Khristiya Neva Niketan Hospital which is run by the DIocese:
"Things are not very bright here.  Already three of our staff members are diagnosed positive.  Because of the magnitude of the problem, the government with all possibility will ask us to have separate covid unit.  Announcement has been made in this regard, we are waiting for government order.  We have very limited facility of oxygen and critical care equipment."  

You can provide practical support if you have an Amazon account in the UK by following this link: amzn.in/60DmxyO   This will take you to KSN's "wish list" for supplies, which will be delivered directly to the hospital.  The current exchange rate means that 1 rupee is about 1 penny, so an item costing R100 will cost you about £1.00.

Guidance from the Moderators on re-opening church buildings

The Synod Moderators have issued guidance to help churches consider the question of when they might re-open church buildings for in-person worship.  The document below gives the guidance in full.  In summary: don't rush!  Consider safety as the paramount factor.  Make sure everything is in place with an updated Risk Assessment AND implement the mitigations - it's not enough to say "we've filled in the form, put up some signs and made hand sanitiser available"!  In almost every case, opening for Easter Sunday will be too soon.  The guidance explains why we have that view.
2103_mods_guidance_on_reopening.pdf
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URC BLack history monthly

Monday 15 March, 7:30pm - The Kairos Document
One of the key church documents from the heart of the freedom struggle in South Africa, the Kairos Document, produced back in 1985 & 1986, has had a rich afterlife in other freedom struggles. Does it have helpful resonances with the situation in the UK today as we try to respond to Black Lives Matter? Let’s re-read it and discuss it for ourselves.
 
The text of the Kairos Document will be available on the URC website…
Zoom joining instructions available from Virginia Becher (Synod Racial Justice Advocate) or by emailing veronica.daniel@urc.org.uk

 South Aston responds to locked-down Christmas 2020

Connecting with our Community
 
Throughout all these difficult months we have managed to keep in touch with our community and have continued to support some of our most vulnerable people by regular telephone calls, providing meals for up to 15 people three times a week and helping out where we can.
 
Over the Christmas period we were able to do three special things:–
 
We delivered 95 boxes of chocolates to the tenants in Barry Jackson Tower, one for each family and one for the staff.
 
We also made up and delivered 50 Christmas ‘Goody Bags’ to all the members of our Older People’s Project during the week before Christmas.
 
On Christmas Day, we were able to cook and deliver a Christmas Dinner to 7 of our most vulnerable people who had not been able to make alternative arrangements.
 
We were able to use some available church funds for the chocolates and were very grateful to Tesco, Aston Lane, who gave us some Gift Cards, and to many friends who made donations towards the cost of the Goody Bags and the Christmas Dinner.

A big ‘Thank You’ to all who helped in any way – between us we were able to make a real difference to the Christmas of a lot of local people.

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THE WALL OF ANSWERED PRAYER
is a national landmark that's being built in Coleshill, Birmingham, built with a million bricks with each brick representing an answer to prayer, and for each brick in The Wall we will put a brick into social housing which will build about a hundred houses.
Here are two videos that explain a little more about The Wall of Answered Prayer:
Ten things you may not know about The Wall
Heavenly Land

 Download an Answered Prayer form and 15 Ways You Can Help The Wall, as well as the launch brochure. If you could encourage your churches and connections to share their stories of answered prayer with us that would be great.

 Please do not hesitate to contact Helen should you have any questions, and if you wish to be kept up to date with the monthly email, just drop a line.
Helen Roxborough      Assistant to CEO
helen@thewall.org.uk
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Ray Davison a member of Ansty Road URC Coventry won ‘Volunteer of the Year award’ At University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust OSCARs night (Outstanding Service And Care Awards)
 
It was said of Ray on the night:- 
Volunteer Chaplain Ray is a hugely valued member of the team who continually goes the extra mile in his role. His nomination noted his amazing commitment to patients when they are most in need.
This included visiting patients at Christmas time to ensure they are doing okay and showing great compassion by staying late to support those who may need him, including the dying, even it is just to hold their hand.
The team receives constant praise for Ray, not just from patients but from families who are so grateful that he is there to offer their comfort in their time of need.
 
The Chaplaincy Team & the URC is proud to have Ray amongst its’ number
Bereavement Point expanding in Coventry

Foleshill Road URC are working with the Department of Spiritual Care at UHCW NHS Trust to host a Bereavement drop in called ‘Bereavement Point’ for people who have been bereaved.
 
A number of church members have been trained in basic bereavement support and along with a Chaplain they host a monthly informal drop in. Every family who has had a death in the hospital receive a letter inviting them to one of the drop ins either at the hospital or Foleshill Rd URC. We are expanding this service further into the community over the coming year as we realised there is a huge need as communities are becoming more isolated and people’s needs aren’t being met.
 
As a church and as a Chaplaincy Team we believe the way forward to provide support in communities is in collaboration with as many agencies as possible.

Further information:  Rev Paul Holmes, Chaplain
Dept of Spiritual Care, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
Direct Line 02476967515 (ext.27515)
e mail:  paul.holmes@uhcw.nhs.uk
New resources published
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​The new discipleship resources from the URC was introduced 
NEW LAY PREACHERS
​Information of those who are commissioned within the Synod is to be found on the Lay Preachers page.
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WEST MIDLANDS SYNOD OF THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH