Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal Launches Mother and Child Advent Appeal

The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal for World Aid and Development has launched a Mother and Child Advent Appeal, which seeks to raise support for four initiatives in the following countries:

  • Nepal – Sundar Dhoka Saathi Sewa, which is being supported through CMS Ireland, provides emergency food to pregnant and lactating mothers whose access to harvests, work and food has been decimated due to the pandemic;
  • Cambodia – Tearfund Ireland’s work to provide children in crisis situations with emergency foster parents to give them a safe, secure home as an alternative to going into an orphanage;
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – Christian Aid’s support for families who have fled conflict and are now living in overcrowded shelters, mostly without water or electricity; and
  • Sierra Leone – refurbishment of health clinics alongside support in communities and education for women and their partners who are expecting a baby.

Lydia Monds, Bishops’ Appeal’s Education Advisor, says: ‘This Advent, how apt that as Christians follow the story of a heavily pregnant young woman on an arduous journey, going into labour in an overcrowded town and giving birth next to animals, that Bishops’ Appeal would focus on expectant and young mothers today and the challenges that they are facing in keeping themselves and their children safe.  In such difficult times, we are grateful to those who are in a position to support this Mother and Child Appeal.’

Donations to the appeal can be made by visiting www.bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org/give or by post to Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal (Mother & Child Appeal), Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6.

In recent months, Bishops’ Appeal has also supported efforts to help communities in Lebanon as they recover from the explosion in Beirut’s port (Tearfund Ireland and Christian Aid); agricultural and forestry projects in Burkina Faso and Cameroon (Self Help Africa and Feed the Minds); support for education and girls’ health in six schools in Uganda (Fields of Life); vocational training for young adults who attend the Anglican Diocese of Egypt’s deaf centre in Cairo (CMS Ireland); increasing literacy and training women in business skills in Burundi (CMS Ireland and Mothers’ Union); and helping pea farmers in Malawi to access larger markets and strengthen their ability to sell their produce (Christian Aid).

Week of prayer for Schools in Ireland

Prayer Spaces in Schools (Ireland) are encouraging people to join in a ‘Week of prayer for Schools in Ireland’ from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th (inclusive) November. This is what they say:
 
Right now across Ireland schools are in crisis, teachers are overwhelmed and children are trying to process all that is happening around them and in them. Just as Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses when he grew tired (Exodus 17:12), now is our time to hold up the arms of our schools in prayer. And we would love you to join us on the week of the 23rd-29th November as we pray for Schools across Ireland. 
 
We will be sharing stories from students, teachers and those supporting young people. They will guide us daily in how to pray into this chaos and we’ll provide some simple resources to help families pray in this season too. You can sign up as a church/organisation for a day, or take an individual hour.  So join us as we rally the Church across Ireland to hold up the weary arms of the Schools across our land. Sign up at the link below and follow us on social media for daily stories’: https://www.24-7prayer.com/signup/05fc59/
 
I know many of you constantly make prayer for our schools a priority, but, whether or not you want to sign up (as an individual or group) for one of the slots for prayer, it would be wonderful if as a diocese we could make a special effort to pray for our schools and their communities during this week. There will be resources available from Prayer Spaces in Schools, which can be found on their website, or, perhaps more accessibly, by following or liking their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/prayerspacesireland.
 
One set of resources they have already linked there are for prayer spaces at home, which can be found here: https://www.prayerspacesinschools.com/prayer-spaces-at-home?fbclid=IwAR3rkC3vIVzMytdJBLDA3Zo7l7a0R-ja2MQtiJksL7p-eUbyrvGZSwfVCuM.
 
Please do share this call to prayer with your congregations, and anyone else relevant. I have attached below two images which may be helpful in publicising the week. Also, perhaps this might provide an appropriate occasion to get in schools you have contact with to let them know that you are praying for them – which I am sure they would be encouraged by – and even to ask for prayer requests.

Service of Prayer and Naming & Funeral Service in cases of Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death

The Liturgical Advisory Committee has announced that the Service of Prayer and Naming and the Funeral Service in cases of Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death, as approved by the General Synod, are available in the Prayer & Worship section of the Church of Ireland website.

The Services are accompanied by Pastoral and Liturgical Guidelines for Clergy, and a Certificate of Naming which commends a child to God’s ever–caring and gentle love.

Commending the resources, the Chair of the Committee, Archbishop Michael Jackson, remarked: “While no words can adequately respond to or address the sense of loss experienced by family members when a child dies near the time of birth, it is our hope that these resources for worship will go some way toward expressing loss and knowing that God is present.  It is in this spirit of compassion and hope that the Liturgical Advisory Committee offers them for use.”

The Services and related resources are available to download from this link.

16 days of Activism to end Gender based violence

Bishops’ Appeal will be joining with the Mothers’ Union as they lead us through 16 days of Activism to end Gender based violence. This will take place from November 25th – December 10th.
 
They have produced an excellent prayer diary, which is being disseminated all over the country. It’s many areas of exploration helps to focus our intentions and our actions.
 
See the Mother’s Union Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/All-Ireland-Mothers-Union-114088823675255) for excerpts from the prayer diary as well as other MU resources to guide us through the campaign.

Covid-19: What to do if your child is a close contact

Listen to expert advice from Dr Abigail Collins on what to do if your child has been in close contact with someone else who has COVID-19 in school or childcare.

Cavan Christian Men’s Conference – Sat 14th Nov

ONE WITH HIM: Enjoying who we are in Christ
Speaker: Damien Burke
Saturday, 14th Nov. 2020 | 10am-12pm
Live Online on YouTube and Facebook
Price: Free
For more details contact: [email protected]
Book here

Passing of Maud Cunningham

We were all saddened to learn of the death of Maud Cunningham, our Diocesan Secretary.  Maud died peacefully at her home in Florencecourt on Tuesday 3rd November.  We offer our condolences to Maud’s family and friends and hold them in our prayers at this sad time. 

Due to the current circumstances and government advice regarding COVID 19 the family home and funeral will be private.  The funeral will leave from her home at 2pm on Friday 6th for service in St. John’s Parish Church in Florencecourt, followed by burial in the adjoining Churchyard.  This will be an opportunity for friends and neighbours to stand on route and show their support to the family and to pay their respects.  Please keep government social distancing guidelines is mind.

Family flowers only, donations in lieu if desired to Marie Curie Cancer Care and Cancer Connect. Cheques should be made payable to W T Morrison, Funeral Directors and sent to 41 Darling Street, Enniskillen, BT74 7DP, or use the online donation account via the website.

It is our intention as a Diocese to celebrate Maud’s life and work at some time in the future when we can meet again under more normal circumstances.

 

Faith and fostering webinar: exploring foster caring from a Christian perspective

More than 200 children are currently waiting for a foster family. They need families who will open their homes and their hearts.

God draws people into his family.  God is described in Psalm 68.6 as a ‘A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.”  It says “God sets the lonely in families.”

Vox magazine, in association with Tusla Child and Family Agency, and supported by Christian charity Home for Good, invite you to consider answering God’s call to churches and to Christians in a national webinar.

The webinar aims to raise awareness of how Christians can help to address this urgent need for foster carers: 

When? Tuesday 17 November at 19.30

Where? Online: register via the Focus on Fostering Eventbrite page to receive the Zoom joining link.

Who is this event for? Anyone interested in hearing more about fostering. 

Find out more now: Tulsa: Raising Amazing

A word on privacy and GDPR: you will not be identifiable by tuning into the webinar and your details will not be shared or used for any purpose other than communicating information about the webinar. 

Call for Expressions of Interest: Mental Health Promotion

The Church of Ireland recently announced a major three–year, all–island, mental health promotion programme entitled ‘Mental Health Promotion across the Church of Ireland and Wider Community’. The project aims to transform the understanding of, attitudes towards, and responses to mental health within the Church of Ireland and the wider community. It has been made possible by a significant grant from Allchurches Trust – one of the UK and Ireland’s largest grant–making charities.

The Representative Church Body of the Church of Ireland is now seeking to engage a researcher/team of researchers to undertake a significant piece of research, commencing in January 2021. More details are available here: https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/10100/call-for-expressions-of-interest

The Sexton’s House Community Hub – Manorhamilton

The Sexton’s House Community Hub has recently been completed in Manorhamilton. This beautiful new community space was developed through the Shared Spaces initiative and led by Leitrim County Council. The funding has been used to develop the Sexton’s House and build a hall to the rear of the building in Church Lane, Manorhamilton. The community space will be used to promote positive relations characterised by respect, cultural diversity and people can live, learn and socialise together.

The project has been funded by the Peace IV programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.