The Gloucester Cathedral Choir sings In the Bleak Midwinter

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Hope With Sudan Year End Report

Dear Friends of the World Mission Network,

The following is the Hope With Sudan Year End Report from Rev. Jerry Drino. Fresh from his latest mission trip to Kenya and the Sudan, the following is his first hand account of the ongoing violence and suffering in the Sudan. It is a riveting, heartbreaking read.

Please read it all.

And as a reminder to turn to the One who sustains our hope despite the presence of great troubles, Rev. Drino closes his report with this prayer:

"May the Mystery of this Season sustain you and lead you to embrace the New Birth. Thank you for helping to make a difference in the darkness."

(Amen and amen - ed.)

Diocesan Intercessory Prayers - Gloucester

From Bishop Michael Perham - Diocese of Gloucester:

• For the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Indivisible Trinity in Gloucester, for its mission as the mother church of the diocese, and for Nick Bury, the Dean.
  
  
• For the more than 300 parishes and Chaplaincies of the diocese and for their clergy at a challenging time.
  
  
• For Bishop Michael’s senior staff team - John Went, Suffragan Bishop, Hedley Ringrose & Geoffrey Sidaway, Archdeacons, Nick Bury, Dean, Jane Kenchingtoh, Dean of Women Clergy, David Hoyle, Director of Ministry, Kevin Brown, Diocesan Secretary.
  
  
• For the engagement of the diocese in “The Year of the Child” with a launch in 312 January at Tewkesbury Abbey, for Sandra Millar the Children’s Officer.
  


• For the diocese’s links with the Dioceses of Karnataka Central (Bangalore) and of Dornakal in the united Church of South India and with the Lutheran Diocese of Vasteras in Sweden.
  
  
• For the 14 Deaneries of the Diocese as they engage with a deanery restructuring to equip them better for ministry and mission, and for the Area Deans.
  
  
• For the diocese’s engagement with the Millennium Development Goals, and for Canon Adrian Slade, who is taking the lead on this.
  
  
• For Local Ministry Teams across the diocese encouraging the ministry of all the baptized and for (Lay) Canon Kathy Lawrence who leads in this area of diocesan work.
  
  
• For a continuation in the upturn of vocations to the ordained ministry, for those in training, for John Witcombe, the Director of Ordinands, and Catherine Williams, the Vocations Officer.
  


• For the twin initiatives, “Prepare for Easter”, aimed at church-goers through Lent, and “Experience Easter”, aimed at those who do not attend church regularly.
  
  
• For the team Bishop Michael is putting together to develop the triangular partnership and for those travelling with him from Gloucester to Tanzania.
  


• For the 117 Church Schools in the diocese, for the Board of Education, and for Helena Arnold, the new Director of the Department for Children and Young People.
  
  
• For the diocesan Retreat and Conference Centre, Glenfall House, for all who make use of it, for Liz Palin the Director and her staff.
  

Diocesan Intercessory Prayers - Western Tanganyika

From Bishop Gerard Mpango - Diocese of Western Tanganyika:

• Give thanks to God for our my Episcopal Ministry in 25 years. Join us in prayers of thanksgiving on 28th December 2008
  
• Pray for our preparations for your forth-coming visit to our diocese
  
• Pray for our Bible College in Kasulu as they close for holidays and prepare for next term. Pray for provision of funding
  
• Pray for our project for roofing churches. We have 15 un-roofed churches some of which have been that way for over 3 years
  
• Pray for widows especially clergy widows during these times of economic hardships
  
• Pray for our ministry to children especially ophans as we seek to help them with educational needs
  
• Give thanks for our youth ministry. Thank God that our churches are full of young people on Sundays. Pray that they may find true faith of a living relationship with God and a passion for service to God and fellow human beings
  
• Pray for the real poor folks and refugees; pray that the church may find ways and means to walk along their side and bring hope in the midst of hopelessness

I am sending this with my love from here in Mozambique, Southern Africa. + Gerard

Diocesan Intercessory Prayers - El Camino Real

There has been much dialogue between Bishop Mary and Bishop Michael of Gloucester and Bishop Gerard of Western Tanganyika since the formalizing of our Triad Companion Relationship. One of the first fruits of this conversation has been the development of intercessory prayers which will be offered by each of the Companion partners. Intercessory prayers authored by Bishop Mary of the Diocese of El Camino Real are below. Prayers from Gloucester and Western Tanganyika are expected shortly.

From Bishop Mary:

• For continued healing and renewal in our diocesan relationships;


• For a deeper understanding of our life in the grace of Jesus Christ and our own personal as well as corporate transformation;


• For our diocesan staff, +Mary, Brian, Jesus, Susan and JoAnn, and our effectiveness in serving and growing our congregations;


• For continued awareness of the spiritually hungry in our communities, and our increased capacity for welcome and incorporation into the body of Christ;


• Awareness and empowerment to serve the poor in our communities, and for all those already serving in this area of ministry, especially Santa Maria Urban Ministry, our food banks and individuals throughout our diocese who feed the hungry;


• Prayers for our ability to reach and spiritually nourish youth in our congregations;


• Prayers for a new ministry for prisoner re-entry in the Santa Clara deanery;


• Prayers for our World Missions Network and our companion relationship, especially for the upcoming retreat, fundraising, mission planning and travel planning.


• Prayers for the many efforts in our congregations for overseas ministry and support including Rwanda, Uganda, the Dominican Republic and especially for the good work happening in Haiti and Sudan.


• Prayers for an increase in cultural diversity within our church that is more reflective of all who live in our diocese.

Readers of this blog are encouraged to add to these prayers using the comments section.

Confernce Call Meeting Minutes 12-04-08

A lively discussion on next steps for the ECR World Mission Network was held on December 4th. Highlights include the organization of a retreat to enter more deeply into our sense of shared mission to share experiences; explore possibilities. Additionally, a call for administrative assistance has gone out to Mission members to help support the network while Robin attends to her mission work in the Sudan. Read all about the discussion here or filed in the column to the right under "Mission Data Files".

Web Article: "The Ethics of Aid - One Kenyan's Perspective"

More from Celeste Ventura:

"One more piece that might be of interest to the World Mission Network and also might help to guide us in relationship with Western Tanganyika and Gloucester."

We explore the complex ethics of global aid with a young writer from Kenya, Binyavanga Wainaina. He is among a rising generation of African voices who bring a cautionary perspective to the morality and efficacy behind many Western initiatives to abolish poverty and speed development in Africa.

Read it all here or navigate to http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2008/ethics_of_aid-kenya/. You can also sign up for Speaking of Faith's weekly Podcast; Celeste is a regular listener.

Review of History and Geography of the Anglican Diocese of Western Tanganyika

From Celeste Ventura:

"After listening to Bishop Mary, at St. George's months ago, reading the World Mission network blog, being at Convention as we endorsed the Triad Companion relationship, I realized my knowledge of the history and people of the Anglican Diocese of Western Tanganyika (ADWT) was sketchy at best. Robin suggested I check out the BBC. With a little investigation and reading I have developed the following draft." (Note: This draft has been converted to a Google Document and can be read by clicking here or by navigating to http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddxjv5w5_7dzd63cg4- ed.)

Celeste continues, citing the introductory paragraph of her draft: "My intention in developing this draft is to educate myself as to the history and geography of East Africa and in particular Tanzania. My hope is that others will take this beginning document and add their knowledge an findings, correct as needed, and thereby inform us as a diocese, enhancing our ability to be in relationship with the people of ADWT. If you should come across examples of East African literature, art and music, I would particularly like to add them..."

email Celeste if you would like to participate in growing this document!

Conference Call Tonight!

There will be a Conference Call today, December 4, at 6:00pm
Telebridge Number: 916-233-0499
Guest PIN: 40381

Everyone is welcome to join the call. We will be talking about what are the next steps for the network, and we will be discussing the possibility of putting together a retreat for the network early next year.

Also, the Network's November Update is now available: Click Here
or look under "Mission Data Files" on the right column.

Outreach in ECR - Acting Globally AND Locally

Barbara Snyder, St. Mark's, Santa Clara, has authored two articles we are featuring on the World Mission Network Blog. The articles describe the how Barbara and Don Snyder are working to fulfill the call to service locally and abroad through work with Habitat for Humanity and in healthcare centers. The articles are posted in the"Mission Stories" section, below right. The pictures are of Barbara and Don (and crew) from their recent Habit for Humanity trip to Poland. Barbara is also an author, having written a book: Thomas the Apostle, a historical fiction account of St. Thomas' missionary journey to India. Learn more about her work at : http://www.thomasapostle.net/