Al-Ahli Hospital continues to serve Gazans

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Bishops’ Appeal is pleased to share the news that al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which is administered by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, is continuing to provide essential care and support for people in urgent humanitarian need in Gaza City.

Canon Don Binder, the Archbishop of Jerusalem’s Chaplain, recently remarked: “Although our Ahli Hospital in Gaza City is overrun with the influx of hundreds of sorely wounded patients from the besieged north, there is today a singular sign of renewed dignity and hope: literally a new sign at the hospital entrance, replacing the one destroyed in earlier attacks.

“Please continue to pray and advocate on behalf of Ahli, the only remaining functional hospital in the north, whose overwhelmed staff is under–supplied and facing starvation, even as they work around the clock to save lives.”

In an interview with the Melbourne Anglican, the hospital’s director, Suhaila Tarazi, added: “We don’t discriminate. We are not part of this conflict … Our humanitarian mission is to show the love of Jesus.”  She also explained the extreme pressures on staff: “On certain days, we have no anaesthesia, so the doctors have to do surgeries and amputate parts of the legs of children and injured without it. We suffer from a shortage of sterilisation solutions, so we sometimes use vinegar to clean some equipment.”

Al-Ahli receives around 750 patients daily and is seeking to maintain the services offered before the conflict, such as the early detection and treatment of diseases, as well as caring for the injured.  The hospital recently re–opened a chemotherapy centre and, in co–operation with the Princess Basma Centre in Jerusalem, has also opened a small unit to provide physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy and their families.  A clinic has also been opened in the Khan Yunis refugee camp where staff care for approximately 200 patients each day.

Bishops’ Appeal is running an appeal through Advent and Christmas, supporting the ministry of the diocese and Tearfund partners.  Donations can be made through bank transfer, cheque or parish collections, and details on how to give are available here on the Bishops’ Appeal website.

Bishops’ Appeal encourages prayer for Middle East on Advent Sunday

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Bishops’ Appeal, the Church of Ireland’s world aid and development programme, is asking all parishes to remember the Middle East in prayer this Advent Sunday (1st December) and, following this morning’s ceasefire, to continue to pray for an end to all violence and destruction.  The following prayers may be helpful for personal use or for planning for intercessions in services of worship.

Provided by 24/7 Prayer

Prince of Peace, we cry out to you today for all the places in our world that are suffering war. We ask for your intervention and breakthrough in those conflicts we see on our news feeds, those at the forefront of our minds …

We name them to you now.

We pray Peace.

We know too, God, that it is harder for us to understand the daily impact that war is waging in some of these conflicts.

We pray Peace.

Lord, we pray for a miraculous de-escalation of these dangerous conflicts. violence provoking violence, but we pray for reason to prevail over rage and revenge. Bring the wisdom that will lead to justice, and the courage that will bring reconciliation.

We pray that you will give us hearts that are full of compassion; that we will be stirred to seek your kingdom. Remind us that as we pray, we align ourselves to you the God who “makes wars cease to the ends of the earth, who breaks the bow and shatters the spear” and who says: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Prince of Peace, we cry out to you today: bring lasting peace.

Let your kingdom come and your will be done on this earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

 

Provided by Tearfund – points for prayer

  • Pray for protection and provision for displaced people in Gaza, Lebanon and across the region – for shelter, safety and basic needs to be met. Pray for the millions of people who have been displaced, often not for the first time. This ongoing cycle of displacement leaves many families and communities incredibly vulnerable, especially as winter draws near.
  • For healing and comfort for those injured and/or bereaved due to the conflict. Pray especially for the large numbers of unaccompanied children who find themselves alone and without the protection of family and community.
  • For support and safety for churches and partner organisations who are working in extremely challenging environments. Give special thanks for the Diocese of Jerusalem as they minister and witness in the midst of the crisis. Pray protection upon church leaders in the region. Pray too for Tearfund’s partner in Gaza, focusing on the distribution of vital medicines both for emergency and chronic health needs. Pray for free access to the most vulnerable people.
  • For wisdom and political will for leadership to bring a lasting and just peace, restoration and reconciliation to the region. God, may your Kingdom come.
  • For God’s mercy and intervention to end the ongoing violence. Particularly ask for protection for civilians who lack access to vital services. As we enter Advent, pray that the Prince of Peace might bring about peace in the Middle East, and in the many unstable and conflicted places of our world. Pray the words of Revelation 22:2-3 into reality – may the leaves of the tree be for the healing of the nations, and may there be no more curse.

 

Provided by Christian Aid

God, hear our prayers for peace in the Middle East.
May all people in the region be protected, safe from harm.
We pray that this crisis will end now, with no further loss of life.
God, may the injured and distressed know your healing presence.
May the powerful and the decision-makers follow the paths of justice, mercy and peace.
We pray for recognition of the dignity and value of every life.
May the clamour of violence cease,
Replaced by the beating of swords into ploughshares.
God, in your name,
Amen.

May it not be long, Lord.
May it not be long, Lord.
Before the world we pray for
And the one we inhabit
Are one.

May it not be long
Before the violence ends
Be near to all of those who are suffering.
May they know your peace

May it not be long,
Before the captives are set free
And those who have nowhere safe to go find sanctuary
May they know your protection

May it not be long
Before the hungry are feed
And the sick are seen and healed
May they know your provision

May it not be long
Before those working for peace succeed.
And those providing care for the injured, the malnourished and traumatised can do so without threat.
May they know your courage
May it not be long

Before those with power see
the paths of justice, mercy and peace.
May they know your wisdom and beware your wrath
May it not be long, Lord

And to enable that day to come soon,
Raise up for us prophets
Who will give us new sight for better seeing.

Raise up for us prophets
Who will spell out
That God has no favourite race
Nor heaven a favoured language.

And if you will not raise up for us prophets
Then raise up in us that holy restlessness
To listen endlessly, to speak out consistently, and to work tirelessly
For your will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Amen.

 

An invitation to support our appeal for the Middle East

Bishops’ Appeal is running an appeal for donations through the seasons Advent and Christmas, supporting the ministry of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem and Tearfund partners, either through bank transfer, cheque or parish collections, and details on how to give are available here on the Bishops’ Appeal website: https://bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org/give

In Conversation with Safa Hijazeen (7th November 2024)

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An invitation from Chris Thompson, Tearfund’s Northern Ireland Director:

I am delighted to invite you to a series of special events with Safa Hijazeen, Tearfund’s Regional Director covering the Middle East, a part of the world that has featured heavily on our screens and our minds in recent months. But with so much happening in Gaza and Israel, as well as more widely in the region, it can be hard to know just how we should respond. I really hope these events will fuel and inform our prayers.

It’s such a privilege to have Safa in Northern Ireland, especially in the midst of this crisis. We all have many demands on our time, but this really will be worth joining us for.  We need all the help we can get to be informed and prayerful for the Middle East. At Tearfund, we are so thankful for the support of Bishops’ Appeal. This event will be a perfect partner alongside the generosity of local parishes and congregations.

Based in the Middle East, Safa navigates the beauty and potential, as well as the challenges, in the region. He has decades of experience, both in the church space and in business and social entrepreneurship. As he and his team interact with church leaders and communities, including with key partners like the Diocese of Jerusalem, the efforts of peace-building, reconciliation and community transformation are paramount in their day-to-day lives.

Come and hear exclusive stories from this work, the stories behind the headlines, either at:

10am on Thursday, 7th November, at:

Emmanuel Church Lurgan
23A Castle Lane
Lurgan
BT67 9BD

7.30pm on Thursday, 7th November, at:

Skainos Centre
239 Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 1AF

Please RSVP to ni@tearfund.org by Friday, 1st November 2024. You’re welcome to bring others from your leadership or church with you.  We’re looking forward to hearing from you soon.

New appeal seeks to bring hope through aid in the Middle East

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The Church of Ireland is today (Monday, 21st October) launching a fresh appeal to help to provide humanitarian aid for people in need across the Middle East through Bishops’ Appeal, its world aid and development programme. All parishes in the Church of Ireland are being encouraged to support this initiative, with a focused time of prayers for peace and the opportunity to give to the appeal particularly on Advent Sunday (1st December).  The Middle East Appeal will continue throughout Advent and Christmas with funds raised being shared equally between the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which runs a number of schools and hospitals in the region including in Gaza, and Tearfund.

Endorsing the appeal, Archbishop John McDowell remarked: “Many clergy and members of the Church have spoken to me about their grave concern, which I share, for all the people caught up in the tragic situation in the Middle East, and will want to give as generously as they can to support this appeal by Bishops’ Appeal.  I encourage all parishes to set aside time each week and especially on Advent Sunday to pray for peace and to provide an opportunity for everyone to give in support of this emergency appeal.”

Archbishop Michael Jackson added: “Knowing the work of both the Diocese of Jerusalem, and of Tearfund in the Middle East, in places I have visited often, I want to endorse this appeal and encourage everyone to give what they can to relieve the suffering of so many in the region. I join Archbishop John in encouraging all Church of Ireland parishes to give space and priority to this appeal and to praying together for peace and stability to return to the region.”

Perspectives from leaders in the region

The Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, recently remarked: “The whole system is collapsing but as Christians, we continue to have hope, and we are called to be resilient. We are called to be God’s presence in the world. And this is exactly what we are doing right now. Despite everything, people are determined to continue with their ministry. And I have to say that it has proven our people are really tenacious. They are strong, hoping despite everything. This is really a gift that God gives to us: knowing that if we are really challenged, if we are in distress or in trouble, as Paul says in Romans, this produces patience; it produces perseverance and therefore resilience.”

Safa Hijazeen, Tearfund’s Regional Director for the Middle East, has said: “The humanitarian suffering in Gaza and across the Middle East is greater than ever. Tearfund’s church partners are doing their best to respond across the region, working in very difficult circumstances to provide meals for displaced people, ship vital medicines, and keep schools running.  Tearfund’s supporters have already been incredibly generous, and their donations have supported vital work supporting people impacted by the violence – but a year after the October 7th attacks, the need in Gaza is immense and Lebanon stands on the brink of disaster.”

How to give

You can support our Middle East Appeal in four ways with either sterling or euro donations with Middle East Appeal 2024 stated where appropriate:

  • Online donations of more than £10 / €10 at the following link – https://store.ireland.anglican.org/donations/the-bishops-appeal
  • Sending a cheque, payable to Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal to: Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67
  • Making a bank lodgement into the Bishops’ Appeal accounts – please email bishopsappeal@ireland.anglican.org and we will supply you with the relevant details.
  • Holding a collection in your parish with proceeds then forwarded to the Bishops’ Appeal through one of the routes mentioned above.

To allow for receipt of your donation, please state the parish or your name if you are giving as an individual.  All of the above details are also provided on the Bishops’ Appeal website at https://bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org/give

Prayers for peace and stories which share and support the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem and Tearfund will follow on the Church of Ireland’s website and social media channels over the coming weeks.

Cork’s kindness to reach West Africa

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The Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross has launched an appeal for funds to support a Christian Aid Ireland project which helps dispossessed farmers living in poverty in Sierra Leone. The appeal, which aims to raise €30,000 (currently equivalent to £25,000) over two years, was launched by the Rt Revd Dr Paul Colton at the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Synod, held at Bandon Grammar School on Saturday, 5th October.

Bishop Paul Colton and Christian Aid Ireland’s Head of Fundraising and Supporter Engagement, Ruth Cooke, launching the Cork Diocesan Appeal for Sierra Leone at the Cork Diocesan Synod recently. Credit: Denise Stobart.

The money raised will support the work of Christian Aid’s local partner, the Sierra Leone Council of Churches, which is helping families rebuild their lives and find new sources of income after being displaced from their farmland following the arrival of a huge palm oil plantation.

It’s estimated that as many as 400 people in Pujehun District in the south of Sierra Leone abandoned their farmland because of the impact of the plantation. Funds raised by the parishioners of Cork diocese will enable more than 200 families displaced or impacted by the plantation to develop new sources of income. The cash will pay for basic farming tools (hoes, pick–axes and watering cans) as well as rice and cassava stems, enabling people to grow food to feed themselves and their families and surplus to sell for an income.
One of those now receiving help is Hawa Sannoh. Hawa has joined a savings and loan scheme which has given her cash to establish a business and to pay for essentials during family emergencies. Hawa explains: “I left my home because the chief took my father’s farm. His land was sold without his consent. He used to have lots of land where he would grow palm oil, fruit and vegetables. He was left with nothing.”

Between 2019 and 2021, the diocese raised thousands of euros for Christian Aid’s work in Burundi. To support that fundraising effort, Carrigaline clergyman the Revd Tony Murphy visited each of the 22 parishes in Cork diocese to receive donations, walking with parishioners for 5km at each location. Mr Murphy plans to visit each parish again in support of the Sierra Leone appeal.

The Cork Diocesan Appeal will help more families like Hawa’s to make a living and provide for their families. Credit: Chris Nelson.

Bishop Paul said: “The United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross have a long tradition of engaging with the needs in society and in the world beyond our shores. Recently we completed our partnership with Burundi to support maize cooperatives there. This year, we were looking for a new project and we are delighted to enter into partnership again with Christian Aid and the Bishops’ Appeal (the Church of Ireland’s World Development Fund). The project this time is in Sierra Leone and we have given it the name Liloma, meaning ‘hope’ in one of the local languages there. We are delighted to make this new commitment of ‘Partnership in Hope with Sierra Leone’ for the coming years.”

Ruth Cooke, Christian Aid Ireland’s Head of Fundraising and Supporter Engagement, attended the Cork Diocesan Synod to help launch the new appeal. Ruth said: “We are grateful to the Bishop of Cork, the clergy and parishioners for choosing to support our work in Sierra Leone. The good people of Cork diocese have shown remarkable generosity in responding to the need in Burundi, and we trust they will respond once more to the plight of people in Sierra Leone.”

Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal Education Advisor Hilary McClay said: “The Bishops’ Appeal is so pleased to see the start of this initiative to raise funds for Sierra Leone, for which we will act as conduit. We congratulate all those involved for their generosity and hard work.”

The Fairtrade Choice – the power to bring change

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Every one of us has the power to bring change to farmers and communities around the world through the choices we make when we go shopping.  The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal is encouraging all our parishes and people to make that ‘Fairtrade Choice’.

It’s easy to buy Fairtrade – most supermarkets across the island of Ireland stock a wide range of Fairtrade products, all bearing the Fairtrade mark.  From tea, coffee, sugar and cocoa, to cut flowers, bananas, nuts, fruit and vegetables, chocolate, cotton and cold drinks – and even gold, there are so many easily accessible products that are certified Fairtrade, that we are literally spoilt for choice. Simply look for the distinctive Fairtrade mark on the things you are buying anyway, and swop to Fairtrade whenever you can.

Making that Fairtrade choice is one simple way that we can support the farmers who are producing these products. Being part of the Fairtrade Foundation means that they not only get paid a fair price for their produce, but they also benefit from support and help with combatting the impact of climate change – support with adapting their crops and farming methods to protect themselves and their families.

Fairtrade works with co–operatives, businesses and governments to make trade fairer, with a vision to see a world in which trade is based on fairness so that producers earn secure and sustainable livelihoods.

During September there is a special focus on Fairtrade Fortnight with many supermarkets stocking extra Fairtrade ranges, so that the choice is even easier.  Look out for the logo next time you are shopping and see what could be your new favourite.

This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight takes place from Monday, 9th September, to Sunday, 22nd September 2024.  Find out more through the Fairtrade websites for the UK and Ireland: www.fairtrade.org.uk and www.fairtrade.ie

Supporting fair trade at General Synod!

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Congratulations to Louis Parminter for winning the prize hamper, provided by Bishops’ Appeal, in the caption competition at General Synod! A great opportunity to promote fair trade products within the Church of Ireland.

Archbishop John McDowell presents Louis Parminter with the caption competition.

Archbishops renew appeal for prayers for peace in the Middle East

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A statement from Archbishop John McDowell and Archbishop Michael Jackson, issued on Sunday, 14th April 2024:

‘We renew our call for members of the Church of Ireland to pray that peace will prevail and humanitarian aid will reach all who suffer at this time.

Every human life has intrinsic value through its creation in the image of God.  Our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem continue, with great courage, to welcome and help people in need – regardless of their faith or background – in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, through its hospitals, schools, clinics and rehabilitation centres.

We also remember in prayer all from our island who serve the cause of peace in the region and those whom they keep safe.’

Bishops’ Appeal thanks supporters for generosity

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Thank you! The Bishops’ Appeal sends a message of thanks to all those who have supported recent appeals and given so generously to enable those in great need to receive help and practical aid around the world today.

Thanks to the generosity of parishes and individuals, at its meeting in March, the Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee has been able to allocate more than €200,000 (£171,000) of funds to support a wide range of relief and development work around the world.

At the security fence for Yei Vocational Training College, in South Sudan, funded with help from Bishops’ Appeal, are Morris Logulomo, manager, Tom Finlay from St John’s parish, Moira, and Baraka, an instructor from the college. Photo credit: CMS Ireland.

 

From supporting people displaced by the war in the Middle East and sending essential relief funds to the Diocese of Jerusalem, as well as stoves to people in Ukraine whose homes have been destroyed, every pound and euro we have received and can pass on makes an enormous – often life-changing difference.

Bishops’ Appeal also supports projects away from the media spotlight where the needs are equally urgent and where climate change is having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people.

In Madagascar, we have been able to support a project promoting sustainable silk production businesses, which are replacing the previous dependence on cutting down trees to create charcoal.  Elsewhere, a Mothers’ Union literacy project in Burundi is not only supporting women to run businesses to support their families, but also basic literacy and numeracy skills help prevent fraud with the added bonus of the women being able to read the Bible for themselves.  Both these projects benefitted as a direct result of funds raised by the Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe during Bishop Michael’s peregrination around the churches.

Victims of two recent natural disasters in 2023 – the earthquake that devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey, and floods in Libya – have been provided with ongoing support through our partners on the ground locally.

Other projects in Malawi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somaliland will all receive support to enable lives to change, with training, green energy projects, and security measures around a vocational college which all help to address the many challenges people face in their everyday lives.

It is our privilege through Bishops’ Appeal to support brothers and sisters around the world who are often living in great need, but who are full of faith. As we celebrate the wonderful truth of Jesus’ Resurrection this Easter, let’s pray that the monies raised and distributed will bring the hope, kindness and goodness of God today and always.

‘A warm glow in a cold dark place’

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Stoves in storage and ready for distribution in Ukraine.

Two hundred and fifty wood-burning stoves have been distributed in the Kharkiv region by Habitat for Humanity Ukraine in recent months.  Many arrived just in time for Christmas, and all will keep families warm and allow them to cook simple meals.

The current situation in Ukraine is challenging with more airstrikes, less support, and a general concern about the most vulnerable.  Bishops’ Appeal funds raised for people displaced in and from Ukraine by the war continue to support Habitat for Humanity’s work.  Warren, a Habitat volunteer, describes the difference the stoves make, saying: “They help not just physically but mentally. A warm glow in a cold dark place, something life-sustaining to tend to and have some control over in these uncertain and difficult times.”

In Romania, as well as support for Ukrainian refugees, the Government has asked Habitat to assist 400 people who have links to Romania and who have been evacuated from Gaza.  Habitat has provided some nights in a hotel to allow them to catch their breath, helped them plan their next steps, and provided social housing.