Mission and Aid work at St Mary's
Please contact the Parish Office for any more specific details
or collecting boxes.
|
Christian Aid
Christian Aid has the slogan "We believe in life before death", and so works to help reduce poverty
and suffering caused by disasters and injustice. focusing on the need for trade justice. Recent campaigns
supported at St Mary's include Make Poverty History, Trade Injustice, HIV/AIDS, and The Asian Tsunami Appeal.
House-to-house collections during Christian Aid Week remain the biggest single fundraising event, although
there are various other fund-raising opportunities throughout the year, including Lent Lunches, sponsored events,
evening events like quizzes and carol singing.
|
|
The Oxford Diocese, to which St Mary's belongs, is committed
to being a Fairtrade Diocese, agreeing to use and promote fairly trade goods. Buying Fair Trade products
ensures that workers receive a decent wage for their efforts, and may better support their families.
You may
buy Traidcraft goods from a stall in the meeting room on the 2nd
Sunday of each month. The
stem ginger cookies are particularly recommended.
|
USPG
There is a rather fine tradition at St Mary's of supporting the United Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG) by attending "Cream Tea's" at
Marion's. This event is truly a highlight of the year. Delicious
homemade cakes and plentiful cups of tea, in charming surroundings, along with friends from St Mary's, all make for an
excellent occasion. Please check the calender for the date.
Some of the congregation at St Mary's decided to give group Christmas cards this year, and donated the money saved to USPG.
The £110 raised has been used to buy technical training for brazil nut farmers, training to increase the harvest
of a rural community, and 40 HIV testing kits.
St Mary's particularly supports the work of Revd. Peter and Susan Rivett in the Diocese of Lusaka in Zambia.
Regular updates are displayed in St Mary's. Peter is the priest in charge of Mapanza Anglican Parish. Mapanza is a
densely populated area of mostly of mud brick and thatch homes where there is virtually no employment and so most
are subsistence farmers. Susan helps with training women and girls in tailoring, childcare and various domestic skills.
Check here for more recent news
|
The Children's Society
St Marys supports the work of The Children's Society
through collecting boxes and the Christingle Service.
Collecting boxes are available for anyone wanting to support the Society in its work with vulnerable children.
These are collected in at the Christingle service.
The Children's Society is active in a large number of projects - campaigning for children's rights, supporting
the disabled, homeless and children who are carers.
|
Feed The Children
Our Harvest Festival Collections are on behalf of the Feed The Children Charity. Click
here to read the 2005 report by Diana Evans. |
|
|
|
