To receive these bulletins as emails, please send a note to maranda [at] ccow.org.uk.

There will not be a prayer bulletin next week. We hope you'll have a Holy Week and Easter full of blessings.

Suffering, redemption and reconciliation

The themes of this week's Gospel are also the themes of these prayer points.

The Persecuted Church
Please pray for all who are persecuted for their faith. Pray especially for:

• Christians in the Holy Land, the "living stones" whose presence diminishes year on year under the pressures of conflict in that region
• Christians in Iraq, who face intense insecurity, with church bombings, kidnappings and assassinations
• Christians in the rest of the Middle East, uncertain what the future will bring
  
• Christians in the unregistered (not government approved) churches of China, who have been among many caught in recent government crackdowns on those perceived as a threat to those in authority. Give thanks for the apparent release of members of the Shouwang church arrested last week. 
• Christians in North Korea, where discovery can mean either killing or sentencing to labour camps
• those who are working to ensure religious freedom worldwide
  

Give thanks for the steadfastness of Christians under persecution, and for their witness to the crucified and risen Christ.

A good summary of the situation of the Church in the Middle East, published in "Living Stones" can be found here.
An Easter devotional by the Archbishop of York, written for Christian Solidarity Worldwide's campaign on behalf of Egyptian Christians can be found here.
Easter will see the beginning of a week of prayer on behalf of those facing persecution in North Korea: for information on how to participate, click here.

Workers for Human Rights in Colombia
Working for human rights in Colombia remains an exceedingly dangerous occupation. Those who seek to protect rural communities in areas contested by both guerillas and paramilitaries, those who are labour activists, workers for women's rights, campaigners on the environment and others are frequent recipients of death threats -- and can even suffer assassination. Recently, paramilitaries murdered a man connected with a local peace community; paramilitaries had murdered another man, who had campaigned for victims of state-sponsored violence in the past, a few days earlier.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees
The New Testament contains many stories of people moving to escape persecution: the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, members of the early church dispersing to avoid the persecution in Jerusalem that followed Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 8:1). Today, as well, many flee, leaving everything, often traumatised. Please pray:

• for the 130,000 to 150,000 who have fled from the Cote d'Ivoire into Liberia, for the Liberian communities that are hosting them, and for the agencies that are working to get necessary resources to hosts and refugees
• for those who have sought refuge from other conflicts and persecution; for those countries, often the countries closest to their borders, that have received them; and for those who are relegated to limbo in camps within countries that do not send them back, but do not wish to receive them (eg on the Thai-Burma border, and - in one of the more complex cases - in Camp Ashraf in Iraq).
  
• for those fleeing persecution who arrive in the UK, that they may receive a fair hearing and a gracious welcome and begin to find healing from what they have suffered
  

Give thanks for church organisations supporting work with refugees globally -- such as Caritas, Christian Aid and Tearfund -- church organisations supporting work with refugees in the UK, such as Boaz Trust,  Churches Refugee Network and Equip and churches and individual Christians supporting refugees through many different groups in our area.

If you would like something to help personal reflection on these topics, the video "Yurik's story" (and accompanying pdf) on the Churches Refugee Network section of the CTBI website is very powerful.
All the agencies who are working in the Ivory Coast continue to emphasise the need for financial assistance: see last week's email for links to appeals.
If you would be interested in connecting with a local group that works to assist refugees and asylum seekers, contact CCOW.  In addition, Namaste, a new project in Oxford, is looking for hosts who would be willing to offer a spare room to an asylum seeker. Could you help? Email namasteoxford@yahoo.co.uk.

Let us not empty the Resurrection event of meaning and consequences. Our faith in it turns us into witnesses and agents of change who ought, with our lives, to lead people to understand that life is worth living well because death is not the last word; that we should live as brothers [and sisters], because according to God's perspective -- and that of truly mature human beings -- the true heroes of history are not those who take advantage of others and destroy them, but those who work for love, peace and brotherly [and sisterly] relations. And finally, because we believe in the Lord's resurrection, and our own, we ought to be witnesses and agents of change who are engaged with our [current] reality, so that it may become a life-giving environment, and not one of death.

For many churches, this week's readings focus on death and resurrection -- a people traumatically reduced to dry bones, but revived by God's spirit . . . the death and raising to life of Jesus' friend Lazarus.  In the prayer points this week, we lift up areas of suffering and destruction and ask that the people and situations involved may be transformed by God.

Libya and the Middle East

In Libya, rebels and forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi continue to fight for control of key towns. The NATO-led forces have recently curtailed their activities in response to new strategies by Colonel Gaddafi's troops. Confusion also seems to remain about the interpretation of the UN mandate: the blurring of protection and military objectives is necessarily a concern. The current situation is something of an armed stalemate, with the country divided. Turkey has proposed a peace plan, but there has been no public Libyan response to it. 

In Syria and Yemen, governments are using deadly force against large demonstrations by their citizens. Other Gulf states have proposed a solution to the political impasse in Yemen, but Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s president, is unwilling to relinquish power.

In Bahrain, the country remains in a state of emergency. The government is using its powers to silence opposition parties and demonstrators: the editor of the opposition paper has been forced to resign; opposition parties have been closed down; and key protesters and human rights activists have been detained.

In Egypt, there has been some frustration that Mubarak has not gone on trial; his allies remain in key posts; and the army is felt by some to have "hijacked the revolution." Large demonstrations occurred yesterday, and in the early hours of this morning, the army responded, driving protesters from Tahrir Square by beating them, using teargas and firing into the air.

• for all who have been injured, detained or lost loved ones, and all who are living in fear as a result of the change and unrest
• for all who are charged with responding to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (authorising force for the protection of civilians in Libya), that they may do so wisely and in a way consonant with their mandate
• for all who are working towards just and peaceful solutions to conflict, and especially all who seek to mediate between warring parties
• that governments may respect the human rights of their citizens
• that Israel and Hamas may agree a ceasefire, and that the ceasefire may be a step towards a just and peaceful solution to the area's tensions

A good (though not immediately up-to-date) briefing on Libya and the "Arab Spring" that was prepared for the Church of England can be found here.

The crisis in the Ivory Coast remains of the utmost severity. Fighters supporting Alassane Ouattara and those supporting Laurent Gbagbo both stand accused of atrocities. A Human Rights Watch report, researched over the past few weeks, documents murder, rape and pillage carried out by both sides (though with the majority from Ouattara's supporters) in the country's western area. In Abidjan, the city remains divided. Some areas are relatively peaceful; others are battlegrounds for the various militias.

Please pray:

• for all those injured in and/or traumatised by the violence
  
• for a just peace, and that violence targeting ethnic groups will not lead to further cycles of ethnically-driven violence
• that any engagement by external actors (nations, the UN, ECOWAS) may be fair and effective

Give thanks

•  for the host communities of Liberia, and all those working to provide assistance to them and the refugees they are hosting. 

Pray that supplies may get safely where they need to and that those who have fled, and all affected by the violence, may begin to experience safety and healing.

Tearfund, whose partners are working with people from the Western area of Ivory Coast and with refugees, has a powerpoint and a prayer for the situation. Might your church also wish to consider a collection to support the humanitarian work with refugees? Both CAFOD and Tearfund have appeals, as does Oxfam (one of whose officers filed this report from the border area).

*Last week's email offered some background to the situation. If you read French, SlateAfrique has also published a number of pieces exploring background issues, and in particular, ethnic tensions that underlie the fighting, and why Gbagbo refuses to concede. If you would like a translation, email us.

Bangkok and Climate Justice

The most recent UNFCCC talks on climate change, held in Bangkok this past week, made little progress. The final press release notes that "Parties to the Climate Change Convention . . . agreed an agenda to work towards a comprehensive and balanced outcome at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban at the end of the year. Governments agreed that this outcome will both address the implementation of the Cancun Agreements and issues that were not resolved at Cancun but which are part of the comprehensive Bali Action Plan that governments agreed in 2007." Most of the week, however, had been spent wrangling over mitigation agreements, with developing countries annoyed that developed countries were unwilling to commit to extending Kyoto, and many developed countries insisting that major emerging economies must be brought into any new pact.

Please pray:

• that all countries will take the necessary steps to reduce their carbon emissions
• that the spirit of short-term self interest which so often seems to drive the major players may be replaced by a spirit of long-term global good and cooperation
  
• that the funding promised to help developing countries adapt and move to low-carbon economies will be provided
  
• that the funding involved will be additional to ordinary aid flows and will be disbursed fairly and effectively
• for the people who are being, and will be, affected by extreme weather conditions related to climate change

Afghanistan

There has been much discussion of the violence against UN workers (and in Kandahar) at the end of last week. Many have debated whether such attacks will drive UN humanitarian workers yet farther from the people they are supposed to be helping, as safety issues restrict aid workers' movements more and more. Please pray for all who were caught up in the attack, and all who are assessing what the UN response will be.

At the same time, give thanks for all who are working with Afghan citizens to develop health services, education and safe and secure livelihoods . . . and particularly for small, specialised organisations, such as Afghan Action and the Afghan partners of major agencies such as Christian Aid.

Because there's so much that needs transformation, when we talk about world issues, we can sometimes focus on the "dry bones" stage. But there are profound stories of positive transformation to be told. Over the coming weeks, we'll be pointing towards places where we can see reasons for thanksgiving. And we'll start with the One campaign's new website devoted to telling the story of positive developments. It's called "Living Proof,"  and even at this early stage, there's a fantastic story about an Ivory Coast chief who gave his son the acceptance and strength needed to fight AIDS, news of a programme in Ethiopia that trains high-school educated women to become health extension workers, and more. Give thanks for all places where love of neighbour is made visible in the work that goes on. Pray that our churches may be inspired by love of God and neighbour to join in positive action!

Another prayer from @twittagsgebet, which offers a daily Tweeted prayer at midday, courtesy of the Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden.

Japan

As Japan begins to deal with the impacts of  Friday's earthquake and tsunami -- and continues to suffer aftershocks -- please pray for:

• those who are injured, who are missing or have lost loved ones, those who have seen homes and livelihoods swept away
• those who are searching amidst the wreckage for survivors
• those who are working to contain the damage at the nuclear power plants, refineries and other damaged facilities
• those who are working to restore essential services and who are ministering to the injured, homeless and bereaved

Give thanks:

•  for the levels of preparation and training that saved so many lives in Japan
•  that the impact of the tsunami on other areas appears to have been relatively minimal

You may wish to adapt the prayer for Christchurch, which we sent out a few weeks ago: if you don't still have the email containing it, it can be found midway through the Earthquake Update document on the Methodist Church of New Zealand website here. The Sanctuary Centre suggests using the words (and/or music) to their song "Healer of the Nations," which can be found here. And there is a prayer from CAFOD here.

Please pray, too, for us as we watch events on our television screens  -- that our hearts may be moved to regular prayer for those affected and that those of us who struggle with faith in the face of disaster may find guidance and comfort. (Some people may find this link helpful)

Libya 

The last few days have seen the pro-Gaddafi Libyan forces launching an all-out attack, including air strikes, on cities held by the Libyan rebels. Several are now under the control of the pro-Government forces after intense fighting, and "momentum" has switched to the Government forces:  Al-Jazeera suggests that they may move further into the rebel-held East towards Benghazi. This evening, the Arab League formally requested the UN Security Council to impose a "no-fly zone" in Libya.

Please pray:

• for all caught up in the violence
• that the unrest will lead to an increase of justice and peace in Libya
• for wisdom for the world's leaders and governments, as they discern how to respond to the situation and, in particular, whether to impose a "no-fly zone"

As always, please look at our Middle East list on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ccowinfo) for the latest updates . . . as they may well change hourly.

Follow Ups: The Church in Egypt and the Ivory Coast

Over the past week, sectarian violence has erupted, as a church in Egypt was burned and a clash during protests that followed left 13 Christians dead. On Friday, Christians and Muslims joined in a march for unity, but tensions remain high. Please pray:

• for a just and peaceful resolution to the tensions in the village of Sol, where the church was burned
• that the new Egyptian state may safeguard religious liberties for minority religions
• for wisdom and strength for the church, as it seeks to respond to and participate in the rapid changes in Egyptian society

The situation in the Ivory Coast continues to worsen. The latest reports indicate that following Thursday's recognition by the African Union of opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara's victory, Laurent Gbagbo is using heavy weapons to drive Ouattara's supporters out of some areas of the capital city. Please pray for those suffering from the violence -- and for a just solution to the ongoing election stalemate. Pray too for the international community, as it considers options for humanitarian assistance, as well as interventions in the political situation.

As Fairtrade Fortnight ends . . . .

In Oxford on Thursday, two women from the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative spoke energetically about the benefits that Fairtrade had brought to them and their 64,000 cooperative colleagues. As Fairtrade Fortnight comes to a close, please give thanks:

• for the growth in sales of Fairtrade products in the UK (to £1.17 billion last year), and the benefits that growth has conveyed to producers around the world
• for the clinics, schools, roads, hospital buildings, generators, wells and other projects that have been constructed because of the Fairtrade social premium
• for the ways in which Fairtrade's emphasis on women's participation has enabled women to become more involved in the structures and management of businesses and communities
• for the way Fairtrade has helped shift businesses towards more ethical practices in a range of areas.

 Libya and North Africa/the Middle East

(As in past weeks, the most recent information will be in the media or on our Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/ccowinfo)

Aotearoa/New Zealand

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. . . ." (cited by Archbishop David Moxon, in his article below)

Please pray for

• all who have suffered injuries or the loss of loved ones in the earthquakes in Christchurch
• the rescue teams and those who are waiting news of the missing.
• those who have lost homes and businesses, or who have had to be moved from damaged homes or care homes
• all who are suffering trauma as a result of what they saw or experienced
• all who are ministering to people who have suffered injury, loss or trauma
• the churches, that they may be witnesses to God's love
• speedy restoration of water and power.
• the area to be spared further significant aftershocks.
  

"The people of God are responding with courage and resolve to the present state of emergency caused by the recent earthquake and aftershocks. Although debris and wreckage are in evidence on every street and both the army and emergency services are a constant presence, courtesy and consideration prevail. A very significant number of people have lost their home, business and/or church building, yet there is a sense of aroha, community care and outreach." ( from the Bishops' statement on the earthquake)  The image of God in everyone – however tarnished, fallen or unrecognized – can be glimpsed in the good that we become capable of. (Archbishop David Moxon: "God in the rubble of Christchurch.")

Give thanks for all who worked to rescue others, for all who continue to work to stabilise buildings and to provide accommodation and essential supplies and services, and all who are offering ministries of care and healing.

Prayers for the people of New Zealand: Catholic Diocese of Christ Church,  Church of England, United Reformed Church. NB: There will be two minutes of silence at 12:51 pm on Tuesday (New Zealand time, 11:51 pm Monday evening here).

Fairtrade Fortnight

Fairtrade Fortnight begins on Monday and lasts until 13 March. The growth of Fair Trade has brought dignity and hope to millions of producers and their communities. There are prayers and reflections on Bible passages in the Fairtrade Foundation's Church Action Guide for 2011. We have also attached some prayers from CCOW and Asha Handicrafts to this post.

This week, Tearfund invites churches to join a Global Poverty Prayer Movement. Please pray that churches throughout the country and throughout the world may join in concerted prayer for an end to poverty. Click here for information and resources.

Teenagers

In the global effort to save children’s lives, we hear too little about adolescence. Given the magnitude of the threats to children under the age of five, it makes sense to focus investment there – and that attention has produced stunning success. In the last 20 years, the number of children under five dying every day from preventable causes has been cut by one third, from 34,000 in 1990 to around 22,000 in 2009. Yet consider this: In Brazil, decreases in infant mortality between 1998 and 2008 added up to over 26,000 children’s lives saved – but in that same decade, 81,000 Brazilian adolescents, 15–19 years old, were murdered. Surely, we do not want to save children in their first decade of life only to lose them in the second.  (Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, Foreword to "Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity")

UNICEF released a report this week dedicated to the world's 1.2 billion adolescents (10 to 19). The report pointed out that these youngsters need support as they move from childhood to adulthood and take on new responsibilities. This period should be -- and can be -- "An Age of Opportunity." All too often, however, policies and programmes are focused on younger children or on adults. The result? Much has been done to improve child health and mortality, but young people remain vulnerable to violence, trafficking and health risks, are often unable to access services and feel alienated from social structures. In particular, young people who are not in school and are unable to find productive work can find it hard to integrate into the community and can feel their potential is being wasted. 

Please pray

• for young people worldwide as they navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood
• that they may find environments that are safe and secure
• that their creativity and potential may be recognised
• that they may find opportunities for work and relationships that will enable them to flourish
• that they may grow in the knowledge and love of God

 
Aid

We are begining to hear about the results of DfID's "Multilateral Aid Review," in which the department has been assessing the contributions the UK makes to international bodies such as the World Bank; the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; UN bodies; and the International Committee of the Red Cross. More information should become available this week. Early stories  suggest that funding to some organisations is perhaps to be discontinued or reduced. Please pray for the process and for the organisations involved.

Much of the world's attention is focused on Tunisia this week. Please pray for that country's new government, for stability and for fulfillment of the promises of reform that have been made. Pray too that in the relative freedom that follows the overthrow of the totalitarian government, groups that espouse peace, rather than those that espouse violence, may be in the ascendant.

This week we focus on countries where violence is causing grief and anxiety for many. These include Iraq, which has suffered several bombings, and:

Ivory Coast
The ongoing impasse over the disputed elections in Côte d'Ivoire may no longer be in the news, but the UN reports that violence and human rights violations are increasing, and there are growing numbers of refugees trying to make their way to Liberia. Please pray for peace in the Ivory Coast. Pray that Laurent Gbagbo, the defeated president, will cede power, and that all parties will be able to work together for a peaceful settlement. Pray for all who are suffering because of the violence and uncertainty, and pray that the hearts of those committing violence will be changed. Pray for all who are seeking to keep peace and/or to work with refugees and displaced persons. Tearfund is supporting partners in the Ivory Coast and Liberia who are working to help displaced people; please pray for their partners.

Mexico
Official statistics released recently indicated that almost 35,000 people have died in drug-related violence since 2006. The tide of murders, kidnappings, and massacres is blighting the lives of millions. Yesterday alone, a gun battle following an execution left five dead and two police wounded, while in separate incidents sixteen people were killed by organised crime across the country. Please pray for all those who have been injured, for those who have suffered the loss of loved ones, for those who live in fear.

Christians are taking an active stance against the violence. Recently, for example, the Roman Catholic church and CARITAS Mexico have  launched a new campaign to encourage people to be "Ambassadors of Peace"  In an earlier message, the Mexican bishops called on the government to secure justice, overcoming corruption and a culture of impunity, and to take on those things which strengthen the narcotics trade. They called on Mexico's citizens to become responsible for each other, mutually caring for and encouraging each other. They reassured the victims of violence that the church is standing with them, asking them to turn their gaze towards the crucified Christ and expressing the hope that, through forgiveness, they would transform their grief into the hope of new life. And "to all those who are involved in this dirty trade -- to the producers, traffickers, sellers and users-- we make a strong appeal: ENOUGH! Let them no longer do harm to themselves and no longer continue causing such harm and grief to our young people, our families and our country."

Sudan
Give thanks for the relatively smooth running of the referendum in Southern Sudan, which has been widely praised as fair. Final figures will not be released until later this month (30 January), but early figures indicate an overwhelming vote for independence. Please pray for those areas which are still disputed territory (and particularly Abyei, where a prospective referendum was shelved), for minorities in both North and South, and for those who will have responsibility for the negotiations following on from the referendum. Pray also for the people who will need to guide the new country that emerges through considerable challenges.

Floods
Please continue to those who are affected by floods worldwide, including in addition to people in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka (mentioned last week) people in Southern Africa (and especially South Africa and Mozambique). For those involved with the Diocese of Oxford's link with the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, please keep that region particularly in your prayers, as much of the flooding in South Africa is along the Orange River and in the Northern Cape.

Baptist World Aid Australia, which asked Australians to pray and give in solidarity both at home and abroad: http://www.catalystonline.org.au/index.php?catID=1&newID=25
Catholic Relief Services helping in Philippines: http://www.ucanews.com/2011/01/20/church-helps-philippine-typhoon-victims-pick-up-pieces/
Christian Aid allocations: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/areas-of-concern/index.aspx
CAFOD allocations: http://www.cafod.org.uk/news/emergencies-updates/relief-after-floods-2011-01-18
Tearfund assisting Colombia: http://www.tearfund.org/News/World+news/Aid+sent+to+flood+hit+Colombia.htm

Floods
Queensland, Brazil, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Colombia

Flooding is affecting millions around the world this weekend. Queensland's travails have been widely reported, as have the mudslides that that killed over 500 and left thousands homeless in Brazil.

We also need to keep in prayer:

• those affected by floods in the Philippines, which according to the BBC have killed forty and affected more than 1 million people.
• the more than 1 million who, according the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center, have been affected by monsoon floods in that country, where over 40 have been killed and about 14,000 houses partially or wholly destroyed. 
• and people in Colombia and Pakistan as they continue to attempt to recover after their own flooding disasters last year. 

Please pray for all who have been affected. Please also pray not only for the present situation but also that governments and agencies will be able to addres long-term concerns about such things as (depending on the location) the loss of harvests, the contamination of wells, and levels of poverty that lead people to live on marginal and occasionally unsafe land.

The Methodist Church has a very helpful prayer that you may wish to use in your services.

 Advent and Christmas 2009

Advent Conspiracy points out that Christmas "can still change the world." It challenges Christians to "Worship Fully, Spend Less, Love More, and Give All." A recommendation from Mustard Seed Associates: click on the Advent Conspiracy website to find out more.

CAFOD offers an interactive web-based Advent calendar for children (registration required for download).  You can also sign up for weekly email reflections on Scripture passages.

Coming from the Reformed tradition, the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Seminary (US) has an advent resources page that focuses on materials for preparing Advent sermons and worship.

Christian Aid offers a series of prayers for the lighting of Advent candles. Taken from the agency's "O Broken Town of Bethlehem" Christmas appeal, they link the lectionary readings with both the situation in Bethlehem today and Christians' work for hope and justice throughout the world.

Christian Peace Witness, an ad hoc partnership of peace-focused Christian organisations in the US, has a page of Advent resources representing a variety of religious traditions and focused on peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has commissioned a series of reflections entitled A World in Waiting: Advent Hope in an Economic Crisis.  The daily reflections, intended primarily for personal use, "look at the [global financial] crisis in relation to the roots of our Christian beliefs and values, aiming to turn anger and disappointment into a positive force for change." Linking current situations to Scriptural precepts (and offering examples of organisations that are taking forward a positive agenda for the areas in question), they are both challenging and encouraging.

CMS' Advent mission resource is called "Share the Light." The resource contains materials for an Advent carol service, including stories of church leaders from around the world who are helping others to know and share in the life of Jesus.  It suggests the giving of gift candles to people in your community as a way of sharing the light of Christ.

Mustard Seed Associates offers morning and evening prayers for Advent that are suitable for daily household use as well as video Advent meditations and a list of things to read and websites to visit.

USPG's Advent resource is entitled "When God Is a Child" It is "is based upon Brian Wren and Joan Collier Fogg’s evocative song celebrating the birth of Jesus – the Christmas child who brings hope, peace, joy and love [and]
The series of brief reflections and prayers written by Clare Amos can be used to accompany the lighting of Advent candles or combined as the basis for a complete Advent service.

The World Council of Churches is offering "Telling Peace: Stories of Peace and Worship Resources for Advent." The liturgical resources for each of the Sundays in Advent and the stories of peace have been prepared by churches in Asia.

Eastertide and Pentecost 2009

Always worth using are the Taizé prayers for each day . For Pentecost, you could try using the material in a language other than English. Switch the language of the prayers by going to the language bar on the upper left of the website.

On the 31st of May -- Pentecost Sunday -- the Global Day of Prayer will be observed by Christians around the world. A "prayer for the world" will be used by all participating countries: find translations of that prayer in multiple languages here . 

Lent 2009

Most of these resources are designed for individual use, though many can also be used by small groups. Resources that would be particularly effective for small groups are marked with an asterisk.

From the UK

CAFOD

is offering its supporters the chance to commit to 20 minutes of "stillness and silence" a day, and supporting them with daily emails of Scripture quotes for meditation, chosen by Delia Smith. Click here to sign up.

CAFOD and Christian Aid have also published a joint Lent book, Life in Abundance, in which "Six of our finest spiritual writers reflect on Scripture readings from the common lectionary for each day of Lent 2009. They invite us to discover the God of compassion through prayer, contemplation and action for change."

Christian Aid

offers a variety of Lent resources:

• Journey to Jerusalem takes participants on a virtual pilgrimage through the Holy Land, with a chance to reflect on the current situation and to "consider the practical challenges of faith in a world of poverty and violence"
• "Count Your Blessings" asks participants to look each day at the blessings we take for granted -- things like water, a cookbook, or garden tools  -- and to give thanks through prayer, action and financial gifts
• If you're giving up a treat for Lent, the "Give It Up for Christian Aid" calendar lets you mark off the days as you go, and send a donation to Christian Aid at the end!

CMS

has prepared "Love to Pieces: Five Lessons for Lent from the Jigsaw Kids." "Inspired by stories of transformation from street children in the Philippines, this six-part series explores discipleship themes of security, boundaries, community, creativity and significance." The material includes stories and activities for children and adults and even 13 Filipino recipes for Lent lunches.*

Live Simply

draws attention to resources produced by three of its network members. Pax Christi has reissued Gerald Hughes, SJ's, "Show me your face: daily readings and reflections for Lent" -- available from info@paxchristi.org.uk. Mission Together has a Lenten challenge calendar for children. And you can download the  "Recereate the Face of the Earth - Build the Kingdom of God: An Action Pack," which focuses each week on a different area of Catholic social teaching, directly from the website.

Methodist Relief and Development Fund

asks "What does the Bible say about changing the world?" Its study pack, available free, is designed to help participants become "world-changers." The six-part course includes in-depth studies on Bible characters, group discussion questions, profiles of people who are transforming the world today, and ideas for individual and group action. You can also listen to a series of related programmes on Premier Christian Radio, either on the air or online at the MRDF website.

Tearfund

is asking Christians to undertake a "Carbon Fast"  They say: "'Love does no harm to its neighbour' (Romans 13:10)
Climate change can mean our neighbours go hungry because of drought, or lose their homes because of floods. Faced with that reality, there are many things we can do, acting as part of the global church's response, to change the way our lives impact poor communities. Fast and pray with Tearfund this Lent to cut your carbon use and help protect poor people from climate change." Visit the Carbon Fast website to download daily actions, sign up for daily emails, see "Carbon Fast" films, share stories and more.

USPG

has a panoply of resources, all around the theme Lent 2009 - The Daily Mission:  mission is what God is doing in the world today. There is a Lent Bible Study Course for small groups that centres on five verses from Luke containing the word ‘today.'* Individuals can use a book of reflections on 45 passages from the Gospel according to Luke. There are course leaders' notes, prayers, photo exhibitions for hire, and suggestions for churches who want to raise funds for USPG's appeals.

From Other Countries

Creighton University Online Ministries (USA)

offers an online resource called Praying Lent 2009 which comes from the Jesuit spiritual tradition. "Each day, we share the Opening Prayer text for that day's liturgy.  We also offer a link to the readings of the day, a brief meditation, a link to the Daily Reflection for that day and Intercessions from the Liturgy of the Hours.  Each daily prayer concludes with a spontaneous prayer we composed, as an example of the type of prayer each of us might pray, in our own words, for that day." Also on this website: a downloadable Lent audio retreat and conversations about Lenten topics.

Trocaire  and CILent 2009 (Eire)

The "Let's Live Lent" parish liturgy resource focuses on people who have been forced to leave their homes because of war. There are prayers, reflections and liturgical suggestions for each Sunday in Lent -- they could be used by home groups, too!* CILent 2009 is the Catholic Church in Ireland's online Lenten resource. Each day offers a theme, a Scripture reading, a reflection, a short story, a prayer, a "Prophet of the Day," a "To-do-action", a spotlight on a charity and a picture of the day with text.

The Church of Scotland has some excellent Lent prayers.

Advent and Christmas 2008        

CAFOD

has put together a beautiful  livesimply Advent service, which incorporates the livesimply community challenges. The full order of service is on two sides of A4 and can be downloaded from the worship section of the CAFOD website.

Christian Aid

is holding a "Hope" Christmas appeal, which focuses on rebuilding after the Tsunami. Worship resources and Christmas "prayer box" ornaments are available to download or to order.

CMS 

is offering an advent mission resource called "Share the Light." Their website notes: "Share the Light challenges church members to commit to praying for someone they know for a year. Once they’ve selected someone, they give that person or family a beautiful presentation candle, explaining how they will be praying for them over the next twelve months. Candle recipients are also invited to a special candlelit Advent carol service at your church. CMS provides free worship and activity resources for a “Share the Light” service as well high-quality, low-cost the candles." More information and a downloadable pack is available at the weblink above. 

The Mennonite Central Committee

has a series of Advent resources that focus on the people who lived in Bethlehem at the time of the Nativity and the people who live in Bethlehem today. The material would be particularly suitable for a children's church. There are five powerpoints, and colouring sheets for the children. To view and download the materials, click here.

USPG

is offering a "Christ, Be Our Light" resource pack for Advent. Based around Bernadette Farrell's "Christ, Be Our Light," it offers for each week of Advent a suggested passage, short meditation, and prayer. The sections for each week could also be combined into a single Advent service.

Time for Creation

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and its constituent members are encouraging congregations to take "Time for Creation" between 1 September and 4 October. If you want to plan a service with a "green" theme then or at any other time, you can't do better than to look at the CTBI resources for Creation Time. Prayers, sermon notes, activities for children and young people. . . . Just an extraordinary collection.

Some Resources for Harvest 2008                             

CAFOD

will hold its Harvest Fast Day on 3 October 2008. The day focuses on training HIV activists, who volunteer their own time to stand alongside families struggling to cope with the impact of HIV and AIDS. Resources available for download at the Harvest Fast Day section of the CAFOD website, or in hard copy from your local CAFOD office.

Christian Aid

offers harvest appeal resources with the theme "We will harvest the desert." The material focuses on the story of Ally Ouedraogo and his community: they are using simple farming and water harvesting techniques to reclaim desert land on the edge of the Sahel in Burkina Faso. Materials include a poster with Ally's story on it, a worship sheet,  powerpoint and reflective video. All are available for download from the Harvest Appeal section of the Christian Aid website; posters can be ordered in hard copy from the Christian Aid office, oxford@christian-aid.org, 01865 246818.

Harvest Help -- Self Help Africa (one charity, in the process of changing names)

This year's resource is called "Hands of Hope," and includes children's activities, an African recipe, youth group suggestions, prayer ideas, posters, sermon notes, and more. To receive a copy, call 01743 277170. A downloadable powerpoint with studies of specific Self Help Africa projects will be available from their website shortly.

Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF)

offers a pack called "Reclaim Harvest!" which "features MRDF's work in Ethiopia, where deforestation and soil erosion have made farming almost impossible, but MRDF support has provided training, seeds and tools that enable communities to manage natural resources sustainably." The free pack includes worship materials, all-age activities and ideas for Harvest celebration events. It can be ordered online or by calling 020 7467 5132, or the materials can be downloaded from the Harvest pack website. An accompanying CD-ROM may be ordered for £5, or its material downloaded from the website.

Tearfund

has a harvest pack called "Step up to the plate," which shares the agency's vision for helping families in the poorest areas access good food. The pack includes: "free recipes from Rick Stein, Delia Smith and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a short film by multi-award-winning company Pretzel, a 32pp booklet which includes a special report on Tearfund's partners' intervention since 2005's Sahel crisis, activities for children and youth groups, as well as fundraising and harvest service ideas, a poster for advertising, giving envelopes and more." Individual elements can be downloaded, or the whole pack ordered, at the Step up to the Plate webpage.

USPG

has a harvest pack which focuses on "how the San Pablo church, in Villa Felicidad, Uruguay, is reaching out to an impoverished community - by offering a recipe for life that includes a nutritious mixture of faith, pastoral care and practical support." Background information, all-age resources, a powerpoint about San Pablo, children's activities, sermon notes, suggestions of hymns and prayers and material for use during communion can all be downloaded from the USPG harvest website.

And if you're thinking of holding a harvest supper, what about making it a fiesta? USPG is asking its supporters to help raise funds for Latin American projects by holding a Latin American party. Materials available on the fiesta website include recipes, suggestions and instructions on entertainment (make a pinata, anyone?), Latin American prayers and short stories for worship, posters, etc. There's also information on how to order a DVD and traveling photo exhibition of pictures from the Uruguayan Church. 

Like many people, we've been following the news from Zimbabwe with mounting anxiety since the election. Despite the bans on reporting, there is evidence of growing violence and of electoral corruption.  The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe recently noted that "Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party . . . has been unleashed throughout the country, particularly in the countryside and in some high-density urban areas. People are being abducted, tortured, humiliated by being asked to repeat slogans of the political party they are alleged not to support, ordered to attend mass meetings where they are told they voted for the 'wrong' candidate and should never repeat it in the run-off election for President, and, in some cases, people are murdered."

The Zimbabwean church leaders made their comments as part of a strong appeal for justice and peace. They have been joined by other church leaders in Africa including Rubin Phillip, Bishop of Natal, and other civil and religious activists, who brought the court interdict that prohibited arms for Zimbabwe from being released for transport to that country, and Thabo Makgoba, the Archbishop of Cape Town, who has written an open letter calling on the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. In the UK, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury have also issued a joint statement on the situation.

The very name of the Jubilee campaigns indicates their Biblical origins, and many have Christian groups as founders or core members -- so worship materials in this area abound.

Prayer

Online Resources

God grant me your Spirit . . . .
That I may rest and work in the vision of a new future
Where all are linked by the bonds of humanity,
Not enslaved by the chains of debt.

Extract from "Grant me your spirit," a World Debt Day prayer by Linda Jones of CAFOD

Prayer on debt issues is appropriate at any time -- but especially on or around World Debt Day, celebrated in the UK on 16 May, the anniversary of the Birmingham G8 chain. "Grant me your spirit," a prayer for World Debt Day, can be found in full on the JDC worship resources page.

The JDC worship resources page also contains "Jubilee Worship," a compendium which includes

• materials for preparation (announcements, bulletin notes and thoughts for creating worship)
• an introduction to set the theological context
• facts and stories about the impact of debt
• an exploration of Jubilee
• a reading from Leviticus 25 with a litany to follow
• a Jubilee sermon (by Bono)
• prayers

Another JDC worship resource is a prayer pilgrimage called "Praying in Public Places: A Pilgrimage for Our Time ," put together by JDC Board member Merryn Hellier. "Praying in Public" invites Christians to walk to local places such as hospitals or surgeries, schools and banks to reflect on and pray about debt and the impact that it has on people's access to essential services. A very powerful service -- and act of witness.

Some of the materials on the JDC's worship resources page originally come from Jubilee USA, which published in 2005 its "Jubilee Congregations Handbook." This resource offered at the time everything a [US] church needed to engage with the campaign -- background information, stories about the impact of debt and debt relief, pages explaining the links between debt and other global issues, worship material (including a Roman Catholic liturgy for debt), Bible studies and more. The fact that it was written before the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative means that some of its background information is now outdated. But the liturgical material and Bible studies remain very helpful.

CAFOD offers a variety of prayers on debt relief .

Preaching

Online Resources

The Jubilee Congregations Handbook contains several suggested sermons, as well as theological reflections designed to inspire sermons. A sermon contributed by by David Golding is also on the JDC worship resources page.

Another invaluable resource is the linked lectionary entitled "Development Matters ," compiled quarterly by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and available on the Diocese of Bath and Wells' website. This resource takes the main lectionary readings for each week and links them with global-justice issues, providing facts, illustrations and quotes that preachers can use in their sermons. There are many illustrations concerning debt, and because the resource is created afresh each quarter, the examples are up to date.