This year for Lent we are supporting Tearfund’s Toilet Twinning project. By collecting change in the jars available from Margaret, we aim to raise the funds to twin our toilet and improve sanitation in one of the world’s poorest countries.

2.4 billion people don’t have a loo.

Around a third of the world’s population have to use fields, streams, rivers, railway lines, canal banks, road-sides, plastic bags or disease-breeding buckets.

Toilet twinning raises funds to enable people living in poor communities to have clean water, a basic toilet, and to learn about hygiene – a vital combination which helps to eradicate poverty.

Every 5 minutes a child under 5 dies because of dirty water and poor sanitation.

In Africa, half of the girls who drop out of school do so to collect water or because the school doesn’t have a toilet.

Women and girls are vulnerable to snakes bites or being attacked as they walk to use the toilet at night in the open.

£60 twins a family latrine.

£240 twins a school block

http://www.toilettwinning.org

Donations to the Church Christmas Card fund and service collections totalled with gift aid £1221.76. This has been used to support All We Can which is focusing on helping rural farmers in Zego – a remote village in Northern Ethiopia.

Parts of East Africa are facing the worst food crisis in 30 years, leaving millions of people in need of food and water. Farmers in Ethiopia rely heavily on cattle and sheep as a source of income, however when precious livestock perish they face crisis. The more ways farmers can support their families, the more reliable their income. Through All We Can, farmers are supported with livestock breeding, given seeds and training in the management of tree and vegetable nurseries.

Thank you so much for helping to make a difference.

http://www.allwecan.org.uk/africa/ethiopia

 

Today is the Women’s World Day of prayer and the focus is om the Philippines.

Pray for……

• Families whose lives have been changed by the impact of climate change, through typhoons, earthquakes and drought.
• Righteous and just governance.
• The church and Christian leaders as they share the love of God in their communities.
• Protection for girls at risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
• For all children to have access to school.
• For the 75,000 street children living in Manila.

1. Read an interesting Lent book

Why not try one of these?  Dust and Glory by David Runcorn

    Lent for Everyone by Tom Wright

Bread and Wine

2. Follow a daily Bible Reading

Try one of the following books or start by reading Matthew daily.

The Journey: Daily Meditations for Lent by John Pritchard

Giving it up by Maggi Dawn

Reflecting the Glory by Tom Wright

3. Take part in 40 acts

Sign up for 40 acts and you’ll receive a daily reflection and a call to action that will make a difference in the world. https://40acts.org.uk/

4. 10 Minute Prayers

At Sacred space you can take part in prayer and meditation for ten minutes each day. the meditations are based on the guided approach of St Ignatius. http://www.sacredspace.ie/

5. Take up helping others

Identify someone in your community you might help or invite over for lunch. Raise money for a cause which will make a difference. Get in touch with a friend or family member you have lost contact with. Take part in a campaign for justice, such as people trafficking or Christians in prison.

6. Help reduce malaria infections

Take part in the Imagine No Malaria campaign using Lent reflections and music.

7. Music for Lent

If you enjoy worship through music then listen to a new piece of music for each day of Lent.

Lent has already started. For some people Lent is an important part of the Christian Calendar, for others it doesn’t matter at all. In the past, Methodists have almost ignored Lent, but these days we take a more enlightened view. Although we don’t have any lent study groups this year, we still have opportunities to celebrate the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday at Davenham. Of course we will also worship the end of Lent on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and most importantly Easter Sunday.

In recent years I have been intrigued by the fact that even secular people seem to be giving things up for Lent. Chris Evans even talked about it during his breakfast show on Radio 2. I guess the idea is about breaking habitats and finding self-discipline. However, we have to be realistic, most of us having given something up for Lent soon get back into the habit after Easter, even if it is just eating chocolate.

While breaking bad habits and finding self-discipline are good things, Lent really is a matter of spiritual discipline. Lent is a time for us to consider our faith and think about God. The original idea of giving things up for Lent was, I think, about creating space for God. In this way of thinking, what we give up should give us more space for God and, in particular, more space for us to reflect on our Christian journey as we journey with Jesus towards his death and resurrection. Lent at its best is a time for us to think about Jesus and all that he has done for us.

So this year, I am going to encourage you to think about your own spiritual life. Is there something you could do to enhance your spiritual life this Lent? Perhaps you could find a book that you have been intending to read for a while and make the space to read it. Maybe you could give yourself a little time to read the Bible each day, starting perhaps at Matthew’s gospel and seeing where it takes you. If reading isn’t your thing, is there something else you could do to help your relationship with God? For example, how about going on a walk to give yourself space to pray? Why not try to use Lent to improve your relationship with God?

God Bless

Chris