|
April info from Leeds Churches Together in Mission
Written by Jonathan Dorsett of LCTiM:
Dear all,
I’m writing with information about a number of initiatives, events and activities that may be of interest to your Churches Together group and individual churches. Firstly there are details of two prayer initiatives focusing on the impact of the current public spending cuts; there is a link to the latest newsletter from the Leeds City of Sanctuary movement (is your church signed up yet?); details of some upcoming conferences; and an offer from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland for a free web space for your churches together group. I’ll be in touch with more information regardingt he second item (A week of prayer for the impact of the spending cuts) in the next week or two.
With peace and blessings
Jonathan Dorsett
Development Worker
Leeds Churches Together in Mission
Click the links below to jump to the relevant section:
1. Cuts are costing – A weekly prayer cascade and blog for Leeds
2. A week of prayer on the impact of the spending cuts
3. News from Leeds City of Sanctuary
4. Different Faiths Common Goal
5. The Good Society: Where The Big Society and The Kingdom of God meet?’
6. Devaluing the Pound: A Christian contribution to the question of money
7. A website for your Churches Together group?
1. Cuts are costing – A weekly prayer cascade and blog for Leeds [TOP]
Leeds Church Action on Poverty have launched a new weekly prayer cascade called ‘Cuts are Costing’ encouraging Christians across the city to pray about the impacts of the current public spending cuts.
The prayer cascade is a weekly blog telling the stories of individuals, projects and organisations that are being effected by the cuts; suggesting prayer and liturgy to remember both those effected and those making decisions; and detailing information on the extent of the cuts in Leeds.
Each Thursday Leeds Church Action on Poverty group will be sending out an email/ Twitter alert with a link to the weekly blog and with suggestion of situations to prayer for in the coming week and during Sunday services, recipients are then encouraged to ‘cascade’ the information onto their own networks, communities and friends.. If you have any information, stories or prayer requests to be circulated please email them to cutsarecosting@gmail.com.
The first weekly Prayer Cascade blog has now been posted and is available at http://cutsarecosting.blogspot.com. If you would like to sign up to receive the weekly email directly you can email cutsarecosting@gmail.com or you can sign up to receive alerts via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cutsarecosting
2. A week of prayer for the impact about the impact of the spending cuts – 25th April to 1st May. [TOP]
It was suggested in a recent Leeds Churches Together meeting, that the Leeds churches organise opportunity for prayer about the impact of the current public spending cuts.
LCTiM standing committee member, Rod Levene, is therefore suggest that the week following Easter, from 25th April to 1st May, be used as a week of prayer when the city's churches either individually or (better) as a local Churches Together group, arrange one or more prayer sessions to give congregations the opportunity to bring the problems we are encountering to God.
You will be aware that the effects of the cuts and recession are simply devastating to some and this action is one way in which Christians could lend support.
It may be that you would also like to publicise a prayer time to your community and open it up to members of the public. It would also be good if ministers would see fit to give some time in services on Sun 1st May, to pray about the impacts of the cuts and recession on the city and indeed, the world.
Rod will be producing a brief list of suggestions / advice for prayer-time organisers, which LCTiM will circulate in the next few weeks. The ‘Cuts are Costing’ blog run by Leeds Church Action on Poverty group and mentioned above is also a source of resources for prayer.
3. News from Leeds City of Sanctuary [TOP]
Leeds City of Sanctuary has produced it’s first newsletter which is stuffed full of information on how the movement is growing and taking root in Leeds. Follow the link below to find out more…
www.cityofsanctuary.org/node/1125
If your church as an organisation, your churches Together Group or you as an individual haven’t sign up to City of Sanctuary yet, please do! Sign up forms are available here - www.cityofsanctuary.org/leeds
4. Different Faiths a common goal [TOP]
Different Faiths a Common Goal is a conference organised by Leeds Faiths Forum exploring how different faiths can work together to tackle poverty in Leeds. The conference is taking place on Sunday 15th May 1pm to 5pm at Leeds Metropolitan University. More details and booking information are available from the attached flyer.
5. The Good Society: Where The Big Society and The Kingdom of God meet?’ [TOP]
As many debate the Big Society, the Christian Socialist Movement CSM will be asking the more profound question of how together we can form a good society. What virtues and values will inform it?
The question of “the Good Society” is territory that CSM have occupied for some time. CSM’s regular publication is in fact titled “The Common Good” with the echoes of catholic social teaching. It has regularly featured academic writing and stories of people seeking the common good in their communities, and how legislation can best facilitate that. More than ever, the question of “what is good?” must be addressed, and the roots of faith that inform that question must be explored and exposed
The meeting takes place on Saturday 14th May 10:30am – 12:30pm at Leeds Church Institute with speaker the Rt Hon. David Lammy MP.
CSM are currently looking to get submissions from local churches explaining how they contribute to a "Good Society" - all to be published on the CSM website and some to be read out on the day You’re your church would like to submit a story (around 250 words) please email Tom Crowley on valentinecrowley@googlemail.com or ring 07807 610034
6. Devaluing the Pound: A Christian contribution to the question of money [TOP]
This conference on a Christian contribution to the question of money takes place on Saturday 2nd July 10.30am to 3.30pm at Leeds Church Institute. More details are available in the attached flyer.
7. A website for your Churches Together group? [TOP]
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is offering local Churches Together groups a free website and hosting, based around an easy-to-use Contact Management System linked to their new social networking website Church together Connect. For further information email CTBI.
---
Jonathan Dorsett
Development Worker
Leeds Churches Together in Mission
07930364733
www.leedschurchestogether.org.uk
Fred Shed, 45 Westfield Road, Leeds, LS3 1DG
Office Hours: 9am to 5pm Wednesday and Thursday
|
Jon Dorsett, 12/04/2011 |
|
| | | |
|
