Ickenham Churches’ Christian Aid Group was able to send £1,500 to Christian Aid during 2006; this of course is over and above the £9,000 Christian Aid Week door-to-door collection result mentioned on Page 1. The main sources of this amount were the monthly Ploughman’s Lunches (£635), the Good Friday Frugal Lunch (£160) and Waste Paper taken to the bins in St Martin’s Approach, Ruislip (£627).
The group wish to thank the faithful souls who support the lunches (next one on Fri 4th May, 12 noon at the URC), and those who take the trouble to transport their waste paper to the bins in Ruislip – it is still worth while!
Alfred Moon
Much has been written on the subject of human induced climate change. Many experts have argued over the potential extent of the effects of our increasingly energy-hungry lifestyle, and how rapidly those effects may be felt.
What does seem clear however, is that these effects will unjustly hit poor communities the hardest. In areas of the world already struggling with poverty, disease and famine, more frequent and intense heat waves, floods and droughts would further hinder already poor harvests, with more malnutrition, disease and loss of life ensuing. The Bible says, “Love does no harm to its neighbour” (Romans 13, 10). But our actions can be harming our poorer neighbours across the world, now. The moral imperative for us to act is unquestionable and inescapable.
These issues are addressed in Al Gore’s highly acclaimed film An Inconvenient Truth, which is being shown in the URC at 7.30pm on Sat 12th May. Then, and during the rest of Christian Aid Week (13th – 19th May), there will be preprinted postcards available in our churches, for posting to the Prime Minister, urging him to focus more urgently on this important matter.
Please consider taking one of these postcards, and sending it to Downing Street. By this small action, add your voice to those of the many concerned about this problem now.
Bernard Pearce
Ickenham Churches’ Junior Holiday Club. Open to all Ickenham children aged 7-11 (those now in school Years 2-6). Come along and join the usual fun from Monday 23rd July - Friday 27th July, with the Grand Finale at 7pm on Friday 27th July in the Rectory Garden. Registration for this will be after school on Friday 13th July at the URC on a first come – first served basis. The theme this year is “MONSTERS STINK”. Enquiries: Anne Whitlam 01895 678169 or Diana May 01895 234813.
Sign up at URC on Fri 13th July
ANOTHER BARGAIN DAY AT THE URC!
After yet another great success last year, on Saturday 12th May, the URC will again be overflowing with a cornucopia of Books, Plants and Collectables! From 10.00 to 12 noon there will be a Plant and Book Sale on the forecourt, with an opportunity for advance viewing for the Auction of Collectables and Household Goods from 11.00. Official viewing of the Auction [catalogue and buyer number £1] will be from 1.15 to 2.15pm, after which the Auction will start. If you would like us to auction anything on your behalf, with 15% of the hammer price going to the Church, please contact Henry Gardner on 01895 674074, or henry.gardner@virgin.net. For donations of items or general enquiries about the day, contact Richard Piper on 01895 634348, or richardjpiper@btopenworld.com. A final thought about the Auction: NO VAT is payable!
