Published: 05 March 2020

Hits: 1765

March 2020

Coronavirus measures - All services and meetings on this diary are suspended until further notice.

1^st 8.00am Holy Communion [Lent 1]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

3^rd 7.30pm Lent Group 2 (Meeting Room)

4^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

5^th 2.00pm Longmeadow Services

7^th 12.30pm Soup & Chat (Hall)

8^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Lent 2]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)-

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Bank Road Messy Church (MMURC)

10^th 7.30pm Study Group 3 (Meeting Room)

11^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

15^th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Lent 3]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

16^th 7.30pm Deanery Synod

17^th 2.00pm Valley Lodge Service

7.30pm Study Group 4 (Meeting Room)

18^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

11.00am Lilybank Service

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

8.00pm PCC (Meeting Room)

22^nd 8.00am Holy Communion [Mothering Sunday]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Service

24^th 2.00pm Intercessions Training follow-up

7.30pm Lent Group 5 (Meeting Room)

25^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley) [Annunciation]

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

29^th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Lent 5]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Taize service

31^st 7.30pm Lent Group 5 (Meeting Room)

 

 

Baptisms

 

Weddings

 

Funerals

 

29.1.2020 Audrey Williams (90)

4.2.2020 Sandra Hicken (70) (Crem)

 

Letter

 

Dear Friends

On a recent Sunday we were looking at a passage from Isaiah 58:1-9a in which the prophet challenges the people of Israel about their behaviour towards God. The Lord through the prophet castigates the people for only paying lip service to the Covenant: sacrifices are made and psalms recited but the way they act towards those on the edges of the community reveals their worship to be superficial.

 

It was recently announced that the Pope had personally instructed the Vatican Authorities to convert a nearby palace into a hostel for the homeless. Pope Francis’s instruction reminded the church of its calling to worship God and to serve the poor and needy. Though the palace could have been turned into a money-making luxury hotel for tourists and pilgrims, it was far more important that it was put to greater use in service of the vulnerable. Though the palace could have made the Vatican a lot of money, the Church is not meant to be a bank or a treasure house in which to horde material wealth. As St. Laurence in the early church showed the Roman authorities, the treasure of the church consisted in the poor, the crippled and the orphan; individuals created in the Divine image.

 

The prophet in Isaiah 58, tells the people that the fasting and observances that the Lord requires are to care for the poor and vulnerable. It’s no use singing the right hymns and chants or having beautiful buildings if people are content to condone the exploitation of others or turning a blind eye to injustice or hardening hearts towards the vulnerable. As the song in ‘My Fair Lady’ says, “You say that you love me. Well, show me!”

 

The heart of the Gospel message is grace – The Divine Love that seeks out those who feel themselves to be unloved and unlovely in order to freely offer the Divine embrace of love and acceptance. God’s love for us is not ‘bought’ or earned through sacrifices or good deeds; God’s Love simply is, but our love in return should spill over into our relationships with one another, with the wider society and in care for our planet.

 

To love God is to have a care for those whom God loves and to seek to bring the Divine love and care to bear through our actions towards others.

 

(Psalm 112:1) “Alleluia! Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments”.

 

Every blessing

Richard

 

 

Audrey Williams (1929-2020)

 

There was a good turnout at the end of January for Audrey William’s funeral, showing what a wide number of lives she had touched. Over the years I have taken Communion to Audrey each month and shared many stories and many a laugh – she was good fun with a keen sense of humour. She loved people, particularly young people, and enjoyed a good chat (It was often hard to get away because conversation would flow).

 

Matlock born and bred, Audrey had a long association with All Saints’ Church as a member of the pastoral visiting team; enrolling member and secretary of the Mother’s Union and for many years secretary of the local Women’s day of prayer. In the wider community she was involved with Talking News; Ladies Circle; Inner Wheel and Tangent plus was an authority on Tibetan Spaniels. She will be greatly missed by family and friends. R.I.P.

 

Sandra Hicken (1949-2020)

 

Preparing for Sandra’s funeral at Amber Valley on 4^th February made me realise how little we knew as Sandra was already beginning her decline into early onset dementia when she attended All Saints’ with her mother, Hilda. I remember preparing them both for confirmation in 2010 and Bishop Alastair coming for a special service one afternoon with Year six pupils in attendance.

From her sister Ruth I discovered that Sandra was a prolific writer of stories, articles and poetry, as well as being a graduate of Girton College in Cambridge University where she studied Anglo Saxon, Old Norse, Old Welsh and Old Irish. She loved a wide range of music and had a very keen sense of humour, and was a great rambler over the years. R.I.P.

 

USPG Sponsored Walk 2020

 

For the seventh year in a row a Team from Church will be walking from Derby Cathedral to Matlock in support of the work of our link charity, USPG (New Team members welcome). We will be setting out on Monday 27^th April at 9.00am to trek up the Derwent Valley. Please support our Team by sponsoring us as we walk the 20 miles – Sponsor form is in the Church or donations can be handed to Richard or the wardens. Thank you for your support

Published: 15 December 2019

Hits: 1881

January 2020

 

5^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Christmas 2]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

6^th 10.30am Epiphany Communion

8^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

9^th 2.00pm Longmeadow Services

12^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Baptism of Christ]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)-

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Bank Road Messy Church (MMURC)

15^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

8.00pm PCC (Meeting Room)

19^th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Epiphany 2]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Christingle Service

21^st 2.00pm Valley Lodge Service

22^nd 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

11.00am Lilybank Service

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

26^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Epiphany 3]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

27^th 10.30am Almshouse Meeting (Meeting Room)

29^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

 

Baptisms

 

Weddings

 

4.12.2019 Ian & Lynne Garthwaite

 

Funerals

 

19.11.2019 David Barker (80)

 

Dear Friends,

 

Happy New Year to you all!

By the time you read this, all the cards will be opened and wrapping paper ripped off to reveal either delight or a diplomatic face – I once had to open a parcel from my grandparents when newly ordained to discover a grey v-neck pullover (As that’s what they thought vicars wore!).

 

By now the glitz will have fallen from the political manifestos and reality will creep in – I saw a cartoon once where a child asked their parent, “Do all fairy stories begin ‘Once upon a time’?”. “No”, replied the parent, “Many begin, ‘if I’m elected I will…”

 

Whatever has happened and whoever has been chosen to serve our constituency and as our government, it is important that we pray for all called in public service, particularly at Westminster, that they serve with diligence, honesty and integrity in the interests of our society at large.

A new year brings with it a wealth of possibilities as well as challenges. Through all the changing scenes of life, as the Psalmist put it, we have the assurance that we do not face them alone or solely in our own strength. Scripture witnesses to the deep abiding love and faithfulness of God. As Christians we do not need to fear the future but rather we are called and are marked by hope and trust in the God who has revealed themselves to be All-loving, trustworthy and true.

 

So if you’re the type to make resolutions at the start of a new year, make one in 2020 to seek to renew and deepen your relationship with God through prayer, reading the Bible and learning more. The Christian Faith is a journey of exploration into the limitless riches of the Divine Nature, not a standing still.

 

May you know God’s rich blessing in the coming year.

Richard

 

 

USPG PROJECT REPORT (Matlock Bank)

 

‘Education for Change’ – Plantation Community Development in Sri Lanka

 

‘Education for Change’ began in 2013 as the Colombo Diocese’s response to the needs of the communities of the tea plantations. Approximately one million tea plantation workers and their families, are disadvantaged in terms of housing, health and education.

 

In 2007 only 5.6% of the tea plantation population had attained their General Certificate in Education, compared to 11.3% of the general population. The church aimed to empower these communities, and education was considered to be one of the most important factors in bringing about long-term change. In 2019 ‘Education for Change’ continues to provide vital support for the children of the tea plantations communities. Access to pre-schools, extra tuition and higher education opportunities has had positive and long-lasting effects. Children are now growing up with big career ambitions not only for themselves, but also so they can support their communities in the future.

 

The Colombo Diocese, and its plantation community development programme has had challenges in 2019. In April, Sri Lanka faced fear and uncertainty after the Easter Sunday attacks. This brought a halt to ‘Education for Change’ project activities for almost three months. Fortunately, since July the church has been able to restart its pre-schools, classes and other activities slowly, but steadily.

 

Achievements so far

 

· 288 children have been supported through the churches education programme in five pre-schools in the areas of Sheen, Passara, Gonakale, Templestowe and Nuwereliya;

 

· 163 children attended tuition classes to help students aged 6 to 16 in the areas of Templestowe, Ragala, Kondakala, Gonakale and Beverly.

· Five students were supported with their higher education including advanced level qualifications and undergraduate degrees.

 

· Increase in the number of girls accessing education; out of the 120 children that attended the pre-schools 61 were girls.

 

· Improved quality of teaching through the church providing training seminars for teachers once every three months so that they are up-to-date with the latest teaching methods.

 

 

Prayers ·    Pray for access to education and basic rights for the children of the tea plantation workers. ·    Pray for access to basic human rights for tea plantation communities who still live in poor conditions.  ·    Pray for the strength and safety of the Plantation Community Development staff as they work in difficult conditions.   Thank you for your continued prayers for the USPG-supported work of the Church of Ceylon.

 

USPG PROJECT REPORT (Tansley)

 

Welcome to the autumn report for Partners In Mission Church of South India, including the work of Green Schools, and ‘Justice for Girls’ programmes.

 

Green Schools in South India

The unwillingness of developed countries to cut their carbon emissions is significantly affecting human life in poor countries such as India. India is home to 14 of the world’s most polluted cities, with one in every eight deaths related to air pollution. There is a link between air pollution and poverty. 60% of India’s population still rely on biomass such as wood, charcoal and animal dung for cooking. Noxious fumes from burning biomass contribute to air pollution, are a risk to people’s health and increase child mortality.

 

The Church of South India (CSI) has prioritised eco concerns as a one of its main focus areas. It is the first church in India to state ecology as part of its constitution and mission. The church runs nurseries and schools across South India, and saw the opportunity to help children to become global citizens with a concern for the environment, and an understanding of environmental issues. They developed the ‘Green Schools Programme’ in partnership with the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, which is a leading national NGO on the environment.

 

Achievements so far

 

· 60 teachers have been trained on environmental issues, and how to carry out an environmental audit in their schools.

 

· 22,100 girls and 20,800 boys have benefited from assessing their school’s green credentials, participating in environmental

projects such as food gardens, and plastic and waste reduction, and engaging the communities surrounding their schools in environmental projects.

 

· School children have developed teamwork and collaboration skills through working on the environmental projects, and have displayed improved behaviour through having a calming space to tend trees, plants and vegetables.

 

· School children have improved well-being and nutrition through learning about fruit and vegetables from the school food gardens, and being able to make more educated food choices.

 

Justice for Girls in South India

 

Discrimination against women in India is prevalent among rich and poor, as happens in other countries including the UK.

To help tackle gender inequality, the Church of South India (CSI) has put girls at the heart of its campaign for justice. As part of the ‘Justice for Girls’ initiative, congregations have been trained in children’s rights and abuse. Churches are encouraged to report cases of abuse to the child helpline. The church also runs ‘Justice for Girls’ in schools and communities, where they create safe spaces for children to talk openly about gender equality and about abuse and how they would like to be protected. Children from all backgrounds are involved in the project, including street children and children with disabilities.

 

The children then take this knowledge back to their families initiating conversations about the rights of girls with a hope that this will help society move towards greater inclusion of girls. Thanks to the campaign surrounding ‘Justice for Girls’, girls have started to march in the streets to assert their rights to equality.

 

Achievements so far

 

· A Children’s Synod was conducted in May 2019 which involved 800 children including children with special needs.

 

· 55 participants from across the dioceses of the Tamil and Malayalam attended a dissemination workshop at the CSI headquarters. Participants were actively involved in understanding the context of a child in India, the vulnerabilities they face, legal provisions available and how the CSI commits to addressing these through the policy. Participants were led through sections of the CSI Child Protection Policy draft by the Girl Child Campaign team and gave their feedback.

 

· Increased awareness in the community of gender justice, and the importance of girls and women’s participation in society.

 

· Empowerment of children through giving them a voice so that they are safe, and free to discuss how feel and the issues that that affect them.

 

Prayers

 

Please remember the below in your prayers:

 

· Pray for the protection of girls and boys in India and other countries including their human rights.

 

· Give thanks to the staff of the ‘Justice for Girls’ initiative as they work tirelessly to promote the rights of children in South India.

 

· Pray for the Church of South India as it works towards the inclusion of children’s rights.

 

Thank you for your continued prayers for the USPG-supported work of the Church of South India.

 

 

On behalf of USPG and the Church of South India, thank you once again for being a Partner In Mission. We hope you have enjoyed reading about the life-changing difference that your support makes.

 

Published: 16 January 2020

Hits: 2042

February 2020

 

1^st 12.30pm Soup & Chat (Hall)

2^nd 8.00am Holy Communion [Candlemas]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Taize Service (Lady Chapel)

4^th 7.30pm Matlock Churches Together

5^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

6^th 2.00pm Longmeadow Services

7.30pm Choir practice (Lady Chapel)

9^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Third Sunday before Lent]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)-

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Bank Road Messy Church (MMURC)

12^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

13^th 7.30pm Choir practice (Lady Chapel)

15^th 2.00pm Holy Baptism

16^th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Second Sunday before Lent]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

18^th 2.00pm Valley Lodge Service

19^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

11.00am Lilybank Service

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

23^rd 8.00am Holy Communion [Sunday next before Lent]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Confirmation Service (Darley Dale)

25^th 7.30pm Lent Group I (Meeting Room)

26^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley) [Ash Wednesday]

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

7.30pm Holy Communion & Imposition of Ashes (Tansley)

 

Baptisms

 

Weddings

 

Funerals

 

7.1.2020 Pansy Towndrow (89) (Crem)

27.1.2029 Susan Lang

 

Letter

Letter from the Curate
Dear Friends,
It’s February. With the celebrations of January 1st now a distant memory, we’ve reached another
new year this month, one signalling a far more significant new beginning. We enter this new year,
this new era, with either trepidation or excitement facing a closure and opening with
consequences more far-reaching over time that the smooth transition from one calendar year, or
even decade, to the next. We have taken the first definitive step to leave the European Union and
begun the process of negotiating our future relationship with our closest friends and neighbours
which could still lead to the hardest of divorces, and on-going dis-ease throughout our four
nations. We pray that all those in positions of responsibility will in the months ahead make wise
decisions for the good of all, especially the smallest and weakest.
A new year is a funny thing, and in reality a moveable feast. January 1st is accepted universally for
practical and business purposes as marking each new calendar year, but for many nations, faiths
and cultures new year is traditionally celebrated on different dates: hardly a month goes by
without there being a new year somewhere in the world, spring and autumn being favourites. A
fascinating - and lengthy - list can be found on Wikipedia. In our own history new year has been
marked at different times, and with more logic than January 1st. March 25th the Feast of the
Annunciation (Lady Day) has long been popular. Christmas, or Easter, or Pentecost marking the
birth of the church also have solid claims within our Christian heritage. Then there’s the first
Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the liturgical year. We live too by other, secular, new year
dates - the end of the fiscal year is in March, the financial year ends on April 5th, and the new
academic year begins in September.
What all this points to is that as the earth revolves around the sun, something deep in the human
psyche wants to mark the corresponding seasonal variations wherever we are on the planet,
seizing the opportunity to bid farewell to the past with its share of failures and sadnesses, and
look forward in hope to the new. And it doesn’t really matter at what point in the cycle that
happens.
This mirrors the work of God - but we don’t have to wait for a new year, for as the earth spins on
its axis on a daily basis, so God remains active, 24/7, on the move seeking us out anew. Turning
to us in love, God yearns for us in each moment to respond and turn Godward, to see ourselves
both flawed and beautiful, and be loved and forgiven. There lies our hope, especially when life
seems especially dark. I’ve stressed that word ‘daily’, for with God we don’t need to wait for an
annual ‘return’. God is there for us all the time, whoever we are, whatever we’ve done, calling us
to turn and receive abundant love, as scripture reminds us:
‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ (Lamentations 3. 22-3)
Whatever happens in this uncharted pathway on which we are now embarking, may we daily
(re)turn to God, receive the abundant forgiveness, love and life that is promised to us in Christ,
and set out in faith and with hope, knowing ourselves as beloved children of God, and committing
ourselves to sharing that love with all around us, day by precious day, wherever that leads us.
With every blessing, Anne

Published: 18 November 2019

Hits: 1917

December 2019

 

1^st 8.00am Holy Communion [Advent 1]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

12.30pm Wedding

5^th 2.00pm Longmeadow Service

6^th 7.30pm Cromford Community Band (Tansley)

Tansley Christmas Tree & Nativity Set Festival: 7^th-10^th, 11.00am-4.00pm

8^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Advent 2]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Bank Road Messy Church (MMURC)

9^th 9.30am Experience Christmas for School in Church

11^th 9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

12^th 2.30pm Café Carols (Imperial Rooms)

15^th 8.00am Holy Communion (1662) [Advent 3]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Service

16^th 2.00pm Valley Lodge Service

17^th 9.30am Infant Carols

2.30pm Years 5 & 6 Carols

18^th 9.30am Years 3 & 4 Carols

9.30am Holy Communion (1662) (Tansley)

11.00am Lilybank Service

1.00pm Wednesday at One (Lady Chapel)

7.30pm CAROL SERVICE

22^nd 8.00am Holy Communion [Advent 4]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

4.00pm Town Christingle (Park Bandstand)

24^th 3.00pm Crib Service [Christmas Eve]

11.30pm Midnight Mass

25^th 10.45am Family Communion [Christmas Day]

29^th 8.00am Holy Communion [Christmas 1]

10.00am Prayer Time (Lady Chapel)

10.45am Family Communion

 

Baptisms

27.10.2019 Poppy Draper

3.11.2019 Reuben Spencer

 

Weddings

 

 

Funerals

 

Dear Friends,

 

As I write this, our community is picking itself up after the worst flooding in years and our prayers and grateful thanks go out to the Emergency services, the Council workers and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to clear up the aftermath. In the face of difficulties, the true community spirit emerges to help and support the affected. After an initial knock-back, there’s a determination and hope to put things right, bringing out the best in people – something that can get overshadowed by a constant feed of grim stories from round the world.

 

This month we celebrate that it’s into the darkness and disorder of this creation that God steps to bring light and love. The tiny baby in a manger in Bethlehem is none other than the Lord of the Universe come in our flesh and blood to show us the way to eternal life. In the incarnate Lord, God graces us with the Divine Presence and blesses humble matter. Through the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, God experiences what it is like to be part of a time bound creation and in turn reveals to us the inner nature of the God we worship as self-giving Love.

 

Behind all the glitz and glitter, the baubles and feasting, God enters our world – “eternity shut in a span”, as one phrase used in the Christmas services puts it. God, the Lord and Creator of all things, humbles Godself and takes on our humanity to bless and dignify it. Jesus reveals through his life the Divine compassion and grace that desires for all to come to a deep relationship with our heavenly lord.

 

Behind the nativity scenes and the wealth of carols is a simple message of God’s incredible Love that spills over to embrace us and draw us (if we choose) into the Divine embrace. Good news to the world to celebrate – Light has come into the darkness and the darkness can never overcome it.

 

May God bless you all this Christmas-tide

Richard

 

JOYCE DAVEY (1927-2019)

 

When you look round All Saints’ church there are all sorts of reminders of Joyce Davey: the lending library in the vestibule to encourage exploration of the Christian Faith; the Children’s Corner which she was part of setting up; the lit candle in the Lady Chapel before Sunday service which Joyce instigated; the order for preparation before Communion (In the back of the Sunday service books) was requested by Joyce as an aid to worship; and especially round this time of year, the Posada journey of Mary and Joseph round the parish in the lead up to Christmas was organised by Joyce every year.

 

Joyce has been an active prayerful presence in our church family for many years, serving on the PCC, as Deputy Warden, Children’s society representative, study group leader, organiser of the reading rota (Often contacting me in October to clear up what services were required the following May!), member of the choir, playing the piano for Evensong.

 

Constantly active, even into her nineties, but based on a deep life of prayer and study. She was a spiritual seeker who wanted to know more and draw closer to her Lord. She was an encourager of others and will be remembered for always being smartly dressed with a lovely smile and a beautiful speaking voice which she made best use of in reading the lesson at Sunday Service. A few years ago it was a pleasure to recommend Joyce for a Bishop’s Badge which she wore with pride.

 

She will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with Peter and the family at this time. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

USPG PROJECT REPORT (Matlock Bank)

 

‘Education for Change’ – Plantation Community Development in Sri Lanka

 

‘Education for Change’ began in 2013 as the Colombo Diocese’s response to the needs of the communities of the tea plantations. Approximately one million tea plantation workers and their families, are disadvantaged in terms of housing, health and education.

 

In 2007 only 5.6% of the tea plantation population had attained their General Certificate in Education, compared to 11.3% of the general population. The church aimed to empower these communities, and education was considered to be one of the most important factors in bringing about long-term change. In 2019 ‘Education for Change’ continues to provide vital support for the children of the tea plantations communities. Access to pre-schools, extra tuition and higher education opportunities has had positive and long-lasting effects. Children are now growing up with big career ambitions not only for themselves, but also so they can support their communities in the future.

 

The Colombo Diocese, and its plantation community development programme has had challenges in 2019. In April, Sri Lanka faced fear and uncertainty after the Easter Sunday attacks. This brought a halt to ‘Education for Change’ project activities for almost three months. Fortunately, since July the church has been able to restart its pre-schools, classes and other activities slowly, but steadily.

 

Achievements so far

 

· 288 children have been supported through the churches education programme in five pre-schools in the areas of Sheen, Passara, Gonakale, Templestowe and Nuwereliya;

 

· 163 children attended tuition classes to help students aged 6 to 16 in the areas of Templestowe, Ragala, Kondakala, Gonakale and Beverly.

· Five students were supported with their higher education including advanced level qualifications and undergraduate degrees.

 

· Increase in the number of girls accessing education; out of the 120 children that attended the pre-schools 61 were girls.

 

· Improved quality of teaching through the church providing training seminars for teachers once every three months so that they are up-to-date with the latest teaching methods.

 

 

Prayers ·    Pray for access to education and basic rights for the children of the tea plantation workers. ·    Pray for access to basic human rights for tea plantation communities who still live in poor conditions.  ·    Pray for the strength and safety of the Plantation Community Development staff as they work in difficult conditions.   Thank you for your continued prayers for the USPG-supported work of the Church of Ceylon.

 

USPG PROJECT REPORT (Tansley)

 

Welcome to the autumn report for Partners In Mission Church of South India, including the work of Green Schools, and ‘Justice for Girls’ programmes.

 

Green Schools in South India

The unwillingness of developed countries to cut their carbon emissions is significantly affecting human life in poor countries such as India. India is home to 14 of the world’s most polluted cities, with one in every eight deaths related to air pollution. There is a link between air pollution and poverty. 60% of India’s population still rely on biomass such as wood, charcoal and animal dung for cooking. Noxious fumes from burning biomass contribute to air pollution, are a risk to people’s health and increase child mortality.

 

The Church of South India (CSI) has prioritised eco concerns as a one of its main focus areas. It is the first church in India to state ecology as part of its constitution and mission. The church runs nurseries and schools across South India, and saw the opportunity to help children to become global citizens with a concern for the environment, and an understanding of environmental issues. They developed the ‘Green Schools Programme’ in partnership with the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, which is a leading national NGO on the environment.

 

Achievements so far

 

· 60 teachers have been trained on environmental issues, and how to carry out an environmental audit in their schools.

 

· 22,100 girls and 20,800 boys have benefited from assessing their school’s green credentials, participating in environmental

projects such as food gardens, and plastic and waste reduction, and engaging the communities surrounding their schools in environmental projects.

 

· School children have developed teamwork and collaboration skills through working on the environmental projects, and have displayed improved behaviour through having a calming space to tend trees, plants and vegetables.

 

· School children have improved well-being and nutrition through learning about fruit and vegetables from the school food gardens, and being able to make more educated food choices.

 

Justice for Girls in South India

 

Discrimination against women in India is prevalent among rich and poor, as happens in other countries including the UK.

To help tackle gender inequality, the Church of South India (CSI) has put girls at the heart of its campaign for justice. As part of the ‘Justice for Girls’ initiative, congregations have been trained in children’s rights and abuse. Churches are encouraged to report cases of abuse to the child helpline. The church also runs ‘Justice for Girls’ in schools and communities, where they create safe spaces for children to talk openly about gender equality and about abuse and how they would like to be protected. Children from all backgrounds are involved in the project, including street children and children with disabilities.

 

The children then take this knowledge back to their families initiating conversations about the rights of girls with a hope that this will help society move towards greater inclusion of girls. Thanks to the campaign surrounding ‘Justice for Girls’, girls have started to march in the streets to assert their rights to equality.

 

Achievements so far

 

· A Children’s Synod was conducted in May 2019 which involved 800 children including children with special needs.

 

· 55 participants from across the dioceses of the Tamil and Malayalam attended a dissemination workshop at the CSI headquarters. Participants were actively involved in understanding the context of a child in India, the vulnerabilities they face, legal provisions available and how the CSI commits to addressing these through the policy. Participants were led through sections of the CSI Child Protection Policy draft by the Girl Child Campaign team and gave their feedback.

 

· Increased awareness in the community of gender justice, and the importance of girls and women’s participation in society.

 

· Empowerment of children through giving them a voice so that they are safe, and free to discuss how feel and the issues that that affect them.

 

Prayers

 

Please remember the below in your prayers:

 

· Pray for the protection of girls and boys in India and other countries including their human rights.

 

· Give thanks to the staff of the ‘Justice for Girls’ initiative as they work tirelessly to promote the rights of children in South India.

 

· Pray for the Church of South India as it works towards the inclusion of children’s rights.

 

Thank you for your continued prayers for the USPG-supported work of the Church of South India.

 

 

On behalf of USPG and the Church of South India, thank you once again for being a Partner In Mission. We hope you have enjoyed reading about the life-changing difference that your support makes.