Aspiring to be catalysts for peacemaking, especially where minorities are persecuted, where justice is denied, human rights are suppressed or reconciliation is needed
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Celebrating 2022 & Vision for 2023
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I think you will agree, <<First Name>>, that January is often a challenging month. After the highs of the Christmas season, the short-lived New Year resolutions, the credit card bills, long dark nights and typically cold weather, we can so easily be demotivated if not down right discouraged.
In my former parish, just after Christmas I would get the whole church family engaged in a collective exercise. I would ask them to reflect back on the previous year and identify what were their personal highlights to celebrate. I would collate all their feedback and distribute a summary of memorable events.
We began the first Church Council meeting in January praising God for all that he had accomplished among us and distributed a copy to every church member early in January. We encouraged them to keep the page in their Bibles and use it to fuel their praise and prayer, as a reminder of how the Lord was working among us, building his Church to reach our community for Christ.
We found this really helped strengthen their faith and raised their expectations of what the Lord might accomplish in and through us in the year ahead.
I have done the same in what follows, highlighting an event or Initiaitve for each month of 2022. I have also appended a taster of our emerging vision for 2023.
Thank you for making this all possible, through your prayers and support. We look forward to partnering with you in the year ahead.
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Threats to the Arctic: Professor Scott Elias
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One of the Five Marks of Mission which we affirm as a charity is “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”. In this interview with Professor Scott Elias, we examine the threats to the Arctic from climate change...
Continue reading →
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Surfers Not Street Children: Tom Hewitt MBE
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Tom Hewitt writes, "I am so excited to share with you our exclusive new film with world surfing legend Jordy Smith and O’Neill. Both Jordy and O’Neill have been supporting us for a number of years and we are so grateful to them for raising awareness of our vital work and directly helping us. This is the first in a series of fundraising and awareness activities together this year and I am delighted to share it with you. Enjoy!” Continue reading →
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Southampton Peace Vigil for Ukraine
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Many people in Southampton joined together at the Peace Vigil for Ukraine in Guildhall Square last Friday evening, 11th March, which was addressed by religious and civic community leaders.
The Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Alex Houghton welcomed people and said “it’s truly humbling to see how the people of Southampton, including those with Polish, Ukrainian and Russian connections, have come together to help the people of Ukraine.”
Continue reading →
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Convivencia Alliance Launch
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A new initiative to help bring a just peace in the Middle East was launched in London yesterday, invoking the periods of mutual co-existence enjoyed by the three Abrahamic faiths in medieval Spain and the Ottoman Empire.
Convivencia is a cross-faith, international initiative for a just peace in the Middle East that seeks to substitute the current militarised ‘solutions’ based on racist oppression, brute force, denial of rights and colonial dispossession with an approach predicated on shared values and commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Continue reading →
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Centre for Christian-Muslim Understanding
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An interview with Archbishop Mouneer Anis, First Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, about the launch of the Centre for Christian Muslim Understanding and Partnership at All Saints Cathedral in Cairo this week. The vision is to promote peace and harmony between faith communities through more understanding of faiths, cultures and through working together for the common good. Continue reading →
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Jeff Halper on Religious Inquisitions
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"As an Israeli Jew and the head of an Israeli human rights organization – ICAHD, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – I am appalled by the very thought of bringing anyone, let alone such a principled person as Stephen Sizer, before a religious Tribunal. What, are we back to the Medieval days of the Inquisition? I can’t speak for the Church of England, but Jews, the British Board of Deputies, participating in a religious Tribunal?! The very thought is appalling. What has happened to us, Jews and Christians together? Are we willing to return to the dark processes of Tribunals with no legal underpinnings, no genuine evidence or testimony, conducted solely against people whose views we don’t like – besmirch and destroy people’s lives – just to prevent criticism of Israel? Is it really so easy, in the 21st Century, to persecute people for their religious and political views? Savonarola meets Trump?..." Continue reading →
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Revd Professor Allan Boesak on Convivencia
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The Revd Prof. Allan Aubrey Boesak, one of South Africa’s leading anti-apartheid campaigners, Professor of Black Liberation Theology and Ethics, University of Pretoria, and President, The Sankofa Institute for Pan African Leadership and Prophetic Ministry, has endorsed the Convivencia Declaration. In his letter to the Conveners he wrote,
"I think this is an excellent, and absolutely necessary initiative at a time when the Israeli state is more violently and criminally desperate than ever before, but simultaneously when solidarity with and support for the Palestinian cause seem to finding new allies, despite, and perhaps because of the persistent assaults on Palestinians and their allies within and without the Jewish community." Continue reading →
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Bournemouth Away Day for Asylum Seekers
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Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) recently facilitated a relaxing day by the seaside in Bournemouth for about 50 adults and children seeking asylum. SWVG are a group of volunteers who befriend and support adult asylum seekers and refugees in the Southampton area.
Continue reading →
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Friends of Sabeel North America
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For Christians who believe that all are created in the image of God, with equal worth and dignity, what are we called to do for the people of the Holy Land? How can we be faithful and faith-filled peacemakers and justice-seekers? A presentation given during a recent webinar hosted by Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA). Continue reading →
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Tools for Self Reliance are a UK based charity working to help relieve poverty in Africa. They work with local organisations to bring about effective and sustainable change. If you live in the Southampton/New Forest area and would like more information on volunteering, please get in touch. Continue reading →
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Justice, Peace & Reconciliation in Palestine
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The Convivencia Alliance arranged the first of four international webinars entitled: “The Convivencia Declaration: Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in Palestine – Christian Perspectives" The four speakers addressed the struggle for justice and peace based on their experiences from South Africa, Northern Ireland, USA and Palestine. You may watch the entire webinar or view the four presentations individually by clicking on the speakers below: Continue reading →
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Blessing Refugee Children at Christmas
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Thank you to Revd Damon Draisey and the South Downs Gateway Churches for their generous donation of Christmas presents for the children of Southampton & Winchester Visitors Group(SWVG) and CLEAR Project members who are seeking asylum in Southampton. Find out how you too can support SWVG and be a blessing to the families of asylum seekers. Continue reading →
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I am presently enjoying a month long sabbatical, my first in over 20 years since completing my PhD thesis on Christian Zionism in an idyllic farmhouse in rural France back in 2002. This welcome break has allowed me more time for prayer, for reflection and envisioning the future.
I will elaborate further in the next Peacemaker e-News, but am excited to share that from February, I will be relaunching my Bible teaching ministry - this time online - through weekly homilies based on the Anglican lectionary, with occasional guest speakers, as well as with guest appearances on other media channels.
As before, my aim is to prepare sermons that are biblically grounded, have a contemporary relevance and a personal application. Between 250-300 people already visit our websites every day. God-willing, we hope these short sermons together with the text and discussion questions, will prove useful to fellow pastors, for bible study groups as well as personal discipleship.
We are also pleased to announce the launch of the Convivencia Alliance website and a series of international webinars. The Alliance brings together a growing number of Jewish, Muslim and Christian organisations and over 40 leading clerics, academics and politicians, dedicated to reviving the spirit of Convivencia in Mediaeval Spain, which was renowned for its mutual tolerance and co-existence. Our vision is to see the same in the Middle East, but especially Palestine, based on justice, peace and reconciliation.
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Peacemaker New Year Challenge
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Peacemaker Trust is a faith ministry. By the grace of God, we are entirely dependent on the prayers, advocacy and financial support of our dedicated Peacemaker friends. We are a small charity with low overheads and a prudent budget. If you identify with our vision, we invite you to make a one-off gift or regular monthly donation to help us fulfil our charitable purposes in 2023.
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We need to raise an additional £20,000 to meet our budget for 2023
If you wish to give regularly, you may download a standing order form and return to your bank. You may also donate via PayPal (use button above) or by making a deposit or transfer directly into our Peacemaker Trust Metro Bank account, using our bank account number 19949718 and sort code 23-05-80. See here for more details of other options.
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Thank you so much <<First Name>> for being part of the Peacemaker family. Please share this e-News with friends who may also like to participate in our ministry. To receive more regular updates find us on Facebook or check out our Website
On behalf of our Patrons, Board of Reference and Trustees, may I wish you a blessed New Year.
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stephen@peacemakers.ngo
https://peacemakers.ngo
+44 (0)7970 789549 |
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