Vocation Sunday

Vocations Day: Called to be

Urgent supplies needed for Calais

A message received from Canon Jean Kerr on Friday 4th March

URGENT MESSAGE FROM CALAIS WAREHOUSES: PLEASE DO NOT STOP BRINGING AID!!

There is a crisis of aid supplies in Calais right now: because of the demolition of the "Jungle" people assume Calais is "over" and they've stopped bringing donations, BUT there are thousands of people still there and needing help!

·         Please share this message with any other who may be able to help!

On Monday, 1,300 people in Dunkirk will start to move into a new MSF-built camp.  However, due to the risk of scabies, people will not be able to bring their possessions or clothes with them from the previous unhealthy site.  This means that a new set of clothes, boots, sleeping bag – and tents, in some cases – will have to be found for EVERYBODY in only a few days!!  The warehouse run by Auberge des Migrants and HelpRefugees supplies both Calais and Dunkirk, but stocks have run out!  PLEASE do not stop collecting and bringing aid over to the Calais Warehouse because you think Calais is "over" and if you are making a collection, bring it as fast as you can!  There are still thousands of people to be clothed and fed.

You can buy on-line via the LeisureFayre page set up with refugee-specific items at www.leisurefayre.com/section.php/86100/1/help_refugees (with a 20% discount at the checkout) but goods take five days to arrive.

For those who have not been over, the warehouse is 15 minutes OUTSIDE the "Jungle" camp and it is NOT DANGEROUS to deliver there at all.  Please, if you can make a trip there, do so as soon as possible.  The warehouse is about 15 minutes’ drive from both the ferry port and the Eurotunnel arrival point if traffic is good.

To allow those working in Calais to devote their time to delivering aid rather than to sorting donations, when delivering goods to the warehouse, please first email calaisdonations@gmail.com

·         You will be asked to supply details of the kind and amount of aid you are dropping off; and your intended date and estimated time of arrival. You will then be informed of the delivery address.

·         The donations coordinator does all her admin after a long day in the warehouse and camp.  Please try and give at least 48 hrs  notice when you email her with details of donations you wish to drop off.

MOST URGENTLY NEEDED ITEMS:

Tents, warm sleeping bags, roll mats, toiletries, hats, socks, gloves, tinned food, bottled water.

ESPECIALLY
Men's gloves,
Men's underwear s/m
Men's joggers s/m
Waterproof coats (small)
Shoes/ sturdy trainers/ walking boots - Euro sizes 41 - 43

Please help - or buy online via leisurefayre - thank you!

About 'Seeking Sanctuary':  There are currently still over 5000 migrants in Calais (March 2016) and many more nearby.  'Seeking Sanctuary' aims to raise awareness about this situation and is organising basic humanitarian assistance through Faith Communities and Community Organisations in partnership with experienced aid agencies such as 'Secours Catholique'.

For further information on how you or your organisation can help,  contact Ben Bano on 07887 651117 or Phil Kerton on 01474 873802.  To check the latest news, visit our website on www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com.

Canon Jean Kerr

MA

Director of Mission & Community Engagement and Canon Missioner

Prebendal House

Kings Orchard

ROCHESTER

ME1 1TG

01634 844508/07791 503123

March News from Churches Together in Kent

Is your church an eco-church? Claim your award.., Celebrating the Queen's 90th with HOPE, Women's World Day of Prayer, gearing up for Easter outreach...

Tomorrow is the Women's World Day of Prayer. We come together to celebrate with the womrn of Cuba. The international committee writes, "The Christian women from Cuba gave us an invitation to learn from each generation their own gift, to put children at the centre of God's kingdom, and to hear Jesus' call to be that child." Read more here.

It's just two days to go til the Annual Forum of Churches Together in Kent. Hope your local area is represented. There's still time... just! Book now!   Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday this year. She has written a foreward to a book published by the HOPE organizaton called "The servant queen and the King she serves."  Follow this link to ideas from Premier Christian Radio for celebrating with your community, or this link to HOPE and the booklet. An Easter video reflection. The prayer is below. Great ecumenical prayer site here. "Eco-church is a new joint project between Christian Aid and the eco-charity A Rocha, the Methodist Church and the Church of England. See if your church could qualify for an Eco-Church award. Take the survey... Many churches together groups have packed up their homeless shelters for the winter. I was just wondering whether those organizing winter shelters acoss the county are aware of each other and would value meeting up. If you would, let me know and I'll put you together. Email your County Ecumenical Officer here... Churches Together in England have just accepted their newest member: the UK World Evangelsim Trust. For a full list of member churches of CTE, click here. This can be very helpful to a Local Churches Together Group as they make decisions about who to partner with locally, New Pro-Forma Constitution for Local Groups In order for relationships to thrive between churches, for mission and worship to be done together, it is sometimes helpful to have some common understanding of commitments to one another and a framework for our common life. Churches Together in England offers to local groups of churches this all-new pro-forma constitution. It is intended to be permissive, not restrictive. Let the County Ecumenical Officer (Chris) know if you'd like any advice in this area. Email or ring me on 07808 728670. In conjunction with the Bridport Arts Society, Churches Together in Bridport and District plan to display fourteen 'Stations of the Cross' at various locations throughout the town of Bridport and West Bay in West Dorset this coming Holy Week and Easter. There must be good things going on in Kent this Easter! Email me your stories of your ecumenical Easter celebrations and I'll share them next month... 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The presidents of Churches Together in England have released a joint statement as we reflect on how relationships have changed in that time. Read it here.

Love overcame Emerging from a cold tomb All the truth, majesty and creativity of a living God Transforming a broken heart Making a quiet return, in a still and sorrowful garden The grave stone rolled away, to release redemptive love Jesus resurrected and restored Comforts a weeping woman Speaks with travellers on a journey Meets with his faithful friends And they bow down before Christ alive And acknowledged that the saviour has arrived That the word of God has come alive And that the extraordinary transformation of heaven and earth Is complete   "Love Overcame" copyright © 2014 Julie Palmer

March news from the Church of England

Latest editions of In Review and In Focus now available for download Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

InReview March's edition of InReview, including details about February General Synod, Just Pray's Psalm 22 project and more, is available here. InFocus March edition of InFocus, including an update on Renewal & Reform, the Archbishop of York's Pilgrimage and more, is available here (a 4-page version is available here).

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