Herringthorpe United Reformed Church
HURC CHARITIES & MISSIONS
GIVE YOUR MOUSE A HEART
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AT NO COST TO YOU OR TO US
THE GREAT WATOTO ADVENTURE
KAMPALA, UGANDA - 31 JULY to 14 AUGUST 2009
Your GREAT WATOTO ADVENTURE begins with -13 days in Uganda
from the 31 July - 14 August 2009 building a house or classroom for 5 days in
Watoto children's village in Uganda. Finishing with a 3day/2 night safari in the
rural area. No special building skills are needed, as all work is
supervised by local tradesmen
THE ESTIMATED PRICE IS £1,200 PER PERSON
and includes - Return flights London to Entebbe.Mini-bus transfers to and from
the airport. All accommodation in a comfortable guest house. Breakfast and dinner.
Transport to and from the children's village. Your 3 day/2 night safari including a river trip.
YOU WILL NEED TO BUY
All medicines and injections for the trip. An entry visa into Uganda - currently $50 per person. Any special clothing needed when building or for the safari. Travel and personal accident insurance. A sandwich lunch each day.
Each house or classroom costs £8,000 to build and equip and we ask all team members to do their best to each raise £500 by the end of May 2009, as a contribution to the
overall cost of building a house.
For more information, and to sign up, please contact JON BUCKLEY c/o Herringthorpe United Reformed Church, Wickersley Road, Rotherham S60 4JN
jonathanbuckley504@hotmail.com or 07512 251466
WATOTO CHILD CARE MINISTRIES
are currently caring for over 1,400 children, in purpose built houses like the one you will build. Your support is vital to help us achieve our stated purpose -
"To raise the next generation of Ugandan leaders"
Please consider joining us or helping to support our urgent and important work
by making a donation to
www.justgiving.com/jonbuckleybuildteam
for more information visit
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=24397384614
CHRISTIAN AID
HURC supports Christian Aid the international care charity, the main aid agency for the churches in Britain taking emergency aid to disaster areas, money which is much needed but as problems continually arise there is an endless need. They also work with around 600 partner organisations (not through governments) in more than 50 countries, helping some of the world’s poorest communities to grow their way out of poverty.
This year Herringthorpe raised a total of £661
Door to door collections raised £443 so an enormous thanks to the local community.
Members of the congregation gave £188 in the collection on Christian Aid Sunday.
£30 was raised as a result of a Christian Aid Quiz.
The donations given via gift aid added £56 which is show within the total.
Contact - Viki Wood - 01709 530 958
CLICK logo to go to CHRISTIAN AID website
COMMITMENT FOR LIFE
Commitment for Life is the world development programme of the United Reformed Church. Working with Christian Aid (Registered charity no 1105851 company number 5171525) and the World Development Movement Trust (Registered charity no 1064066). Commitment for Life helps the United Reformed Church to: work for peace with justice and towards a fairer world seek to be God's people announce good news to the poor recognise that change starts with us. Commitment for Life helps Christian Aid to enable some of the poorest people in the world build a more secure future for their families and communities in: BANGLADESH, JAMAICA, THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES and ZIMBABWEand helps fund advocacy, education and campaigning work across the UK
COPIED FROM CFL - STORIES FOR CHANGE 35 COUNTRY NEWS
Bangladesh
Richard Todd visited UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternative) as an individual. He tells here of the benefits of a new way of farming called nayakrishi that he saw in action. Farming and cultivation in conjunction with UBINIG has the aim of making the most beneficial use of all the riches that the environment offers.
The key strands of nayakrishi are:
- Making best use of the diversity in the environment
- Protecting the many seed varieties
- Giving up harmful farming practices
- Putting farmers back in control of their livelihoods
The pressure on land use in Bangladesh has seen inducements to grow cash crops in ways which are harmful. The result has been to reduce the self sufficiency of many farmers, and take them deeper into debt.
Under nayakrishi farming communities benefit from.
- Making better use of plant diversity with its natural ways of protecting complementary crops
- Bringing women back into a mainstream role of looking after seeds
- Enabling women headed households to feed their families
- Saving money on chemical aids to farming
- Freedom from external commercial control of prices received for cash crops
- Better financial returns with less debt
Food sovereignty is about much more than having enough to eat. It describes a way of life which is healthier and which will ensure that successive generations will be able to provide livelihoods for their communities.
We will be sharing other stories from Richard over the next few months
Jamaica
We have often featured the work of Christian Aid partner Jamaicans for Justice. This is a press release from July this year which shows the work they do.
Friday, July 18, 2008, Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) and Angela Fennell Reid are celebrating the fact that justice has finally prevailed in the saga of her case. Today Ms. Fennell Reid was acquitted of the charge of Perverting the Course of Justice in the matter of Regina v. Fennell Reid. This is the second charge brought against Ms. Fennell Reid of which she has been acquitted.
The incident that led to the first charge against Ms. Fennell Reid occurred in February 2005, when Constable Leemour Palmer of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) assaulted Ms. Reid, breaking her nose and knocking her unconscious. Arising out of that incident both Ms. Fennell Reid and Constable Palmer were charged with Assault Occasioning Grievous Bodily Harm. Three days before testifying in the case against Constable Palmer, Ms Fennell-Reid was shot by a gunman who told her to, "tek this fi court on Monday."
After being shot Ms. Fennell Reid was placed on the Witness Protection Program yet simultaneously was charged with Perverting the Course of Justice.
The first victory for Ms. Fennell Reid and justice occurred in November 2007, when Constable Palmer was convicted of Assault Occasioning Grievous Bodily Harm in the matter of Regina v. Leemour Palmer. He was sentenced to six months hard labour. At that time the similar charge that had been levelled against her was dismissed.
Despite that victory it has taken another eight months and a lot of dedicated work by Attorney Walter Scott of the law firm Rattery Patterson Rattery, for Ms. Fennell Reid to be acquitted of the charge of Perverting the Course of Justice.
With today's ruling, Ms. Fennell Reid has been acquitted of both charges and may now begin the battle of regaining her life. It will be a difficult struggle. Ms. Fennell Reid has endured police intimidation, being shot at and constant fear for her safety and life. She remains concerned and unsure of her safety.
"The fight for justice is too steep for poor Jamaicans," Ms. Fennell Reid said today as she reflected on the case. "It has pulled my heart out of my body but today I feel as though a million trillion weight has come off my head."
Her courage in fighting for truth, justice and her rights are commendable and the JFJ family honours her bravery. It is through the strength of such citizens that Jamaica will emerge as a more just society. JFJ and Ms. Fennell Reid see this victory of due process as a small step on the road to building a Jamaica in which justice and truth can be "ours forever."
A later press release states that Angela has again been harassed by police officers.
Zimbabwe
From Father Brian MacGarry,
Here, we are pretty near the end of the queue for help with 950 million people facing hunger by the end of the year. Still, I couldn't find much to buy in the local supermarkets just now. Only the foreign currency shelves had anything on them, so my Z$150,000 or so was useless. In case you aren't bored stiff with talk of our record hyperinflation, the biggest banknote is Z$50k, about today's price of a loaf of bread, if you can find any. At the end of December last, the biggest note was Z$500k, about the price of a loaf of bread - BUT they've knocked 10 zeroes off the pre-August 2008 money, so nine of them are back. The tenth will no doubt be in place by the end of this month. Inflation was around 15-16%/day in August, meaning prices multiplied by 100 in that month. If it hasn't accelerated since then, that is only because they can't print Z$ fast enough, and not for lack of trying.
Still, we try to keep our little food relief scheme going. I know I am repeating myself, but every time I said it, it has been true: the need is greater than ever. The country has something like 2-5% of the grain seed and fertiliser needed to feed us all, and it is needed when the rains come. We had the first preliminary showers this week, so we can expect the real rains to start a day or two after the new moon - say the end of October.
Emergency help.
Christian Aid has released emergency funds to provide seeds for farmers in Zimbabwe's Midlands province. The grant of more than £50,000 will provide 118 families and three primary schools with seeds and conservation farming techniques for a year. Midlands province is one of the worst affected regions of Zimbabwe; UN assessments show that it is on the brink of a severe food crisis.
'The timing is key,' says William Anderson, Christian Aid's country manager in Zimbabwe. 'We are entering the planting season for the next harvest and unless we seize this window of opportunity people will have no food. We will start to see people dying of starvation.'
The UN has warned that half of the country's population will soon be in need of food aid and medical assistance. John Holmes, the UN's humanitarian chief, called for urgent measures to provide seed and fertiliser for next year's harvest to avoid millions more people becoming reliant on aid.
Christian Aid is providing special drought-tolerant seeds. These will be combined with farming techniques that preserve water and improve the soil's capacity to retain water. Christian Aid has been using these techniques in Zimbabwe for some years now – in parts of arid Matabeleland farmers have improved their yields by as much as 50 per cent.
'Soil is the main asset of 80 per cent of people in the communal areas so unless proper land management techniques are used, the cycle of poverty will never be broken,' says Mr Anderson. 'That is why this type of intervention is so crucial for the immediate and long term benefit of the farming households we work with.'
The funds will also improve nutrition for those persons living with HIV and will provide alternate sources of income with the sale of surplus produce.
ACTION and EVENTS
The World Development Movement welcomed the government's commitment to a climate bill that includes an 80 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction target, but warns that, despite the target, a loophole in the bill could allow emissions to rise in the UK. The World Development Movement is campaigning for the government to accept an amendment that is calling for at least 70 per cent of emissions to be cut in the UK with the remaining 30 per cent of emissions dealt with through the European Emissions Trading Scheme or the UN's Clean Development Mechanism. www.wdm.org.uk
116.9 million people Stood up for Poverty
Thank you if your church or community were part of the 2% of the world's population who took action. This finale was part of the 50 Global Days of Action Against Poverty and Inequality organised by non government organisations in the UK.
Stop Climate Chaos coalition
New website with great actions. Look for the Question Time near you.
Linda Mead-Commitment for Life Programme Co-ordinator
Mission Team United Reformed Church - 01702 315981
Commitment for Life is here to help United Reformed Churches work for a fairer
world and for peace with justice, recognising that change and response starts
with each one of us.
"When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the King will answer them, "truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."- Matthew 25:39-40
LORD HAVE MERCY
on the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS
LORD HAVE MERCY
on our brothers in Africa, on our sisters in Asia and Oceania, on our cousins in Europe and on our friends in the Americas
LORD HAVE MERCY
on the doctors and nurses facing an epidemic, on the teachers educating communities for a better future,on the students and young people desperate to help, on the church projects working with affected people and on each of us as we learn the best ways to support one another
LORD HAVE MERCY
(A prayer for Christian Aid byPeter Graystone)
Click to URC COMMITMENT FOR LIFE website
FAIRTRADE GROUP 
The HURC fair-trade store is opened following every
monthly Parade Service
Contact - Caroline Chettleburgh 01709 818 705
CLICK to FAIRTRADE FOUNDATION website
EARTH GROUP
HURC seeks to demonstrate a practical concern for the community and the environment locally and worldwide.
HURC ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - THE URC AND CLIMATE CHANGE
One of the subjects on the URC's General Assembly agenda is a serious
call to wake up to climate change, consider our carbon footprint as a
church and find out how to reduce it'.
In 1991, as part of a general commitment to a set of values, stated:
We commit ourselves as a church to have a practical concern for the community
and the environment locally and worldwide.
In 2001 we produced an environmental statement as part of our code of practice.
At the Church Meeting on June 27th 2007, we updated and re-affirmed our
commitment to caring for God's creation. This began in 1991 when we agreed to
have a 'practical concern for the environment locally and worldwide'.
In 2001 we included an environmental statement as part of our Code of Practice.
This listed what we were already achieving, and acted as reminder to us all of good environmental practice, both for our church premises and for our personal lives.
The new Environmental Policy updates this, to remind us of our commitment and to keep us alert to new initiatives – since 2001 climate change has become a much
more challenging and urgent issue.
Below is our new Environmental Policy, with added comments and information
in italics at the end of each paragraph
1. Since 1991 we as a church have accepted as part of our Christian witness a duty
of care towards the environment as God's creation. We encourage environmental awareness, both personally and with regard to the church premises. 
2. The church supports environmental good practice, both at
home and abroad, especially schemes which enable people in developing countries to improve their use of the environment.
Our support through Commitment for Life of Silveira House and
the Dabane Trust in Zimbabwe has over the years enabled local people to be trained in water conservation techniques to grow
more of their own food using organic methods, and thus help
to reduce poverty.
3. We encourage the regular use of fairly traded products, (such as tea and coffee), both individually and at all church-run events. We have a regular Fairtrade Stall once a month, offering a wide range of products. We became a 'Fairtrade Church' for this achievement in 2005. Many of the producers of Fairtrade products use organic methods of growing crops. Rotherham was awarded Fairtrade Town Status some time ago. When this is renewed, we shall be included in the listings – it is important for the town to show that its commitment is ongoing and increasing.
4. To avoid the waste of resources created by disposable plates, cups, etc. we have china crockery together with metal cutlery and encourage all groups to use these.
5. As far as possible recycled paper products, (such as kitchen and toilet rolls), are provided in preferenceto new paper products. For the office we have a supply of 'pre-consumer waste' paper, and use paper certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council which acknowledges good forest management).
6. We support local recycling initiatives whenever possible. The Council has a Recycling helpline – 01709 336003. We produce a list of information about where a wide range of items can be recycled.
7. Due to the limited waste bin capacity at the church, all users are requested to take their rubbish home for responsible disposal, i.e. recycling where possible.
8. The church heating and hot water systems are designed to be as efficient as possible. Wherever possible low energy light bulbs are used and everyone is encouraged to switch off unnecessary lights, and not to leave any appliances on 'standby'. Have YOU changed to low-energy lightbulbs in your home yet?
We need as a church to consider changing to 'green' electricity.
9. Maintenance of the church grounds is intended to be environmentally friendly; a "peat-free" gardening policy is in place and as far as possible only organically acceptable procedures are used. In some areas wildlife is encouraged with good
ground cover, trees and shrubs. Our 'greenwaste' (grass cuttings, prunings, etc), is collected by the Council's composting scheme.
10.We support a policy to reduce the energy we use for transport, with regard to our personal local and long distance journeys, and the haulage miles of items, food etc we use. This is an area which we have scarcely begun to address. We did have a few 'car-free Sunday' initiatives a few years ago. It is one of the more difficult and most urgent issues, as transport is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide, a
'greenhouse gas'. At local level, it is so easy to jump in the car, rather than go out
and wait for a bus, even if you live near a frequent bus route, and there are many
places, even locally, where it would be difficult to get to.
A dedicated notice board enables the church members to be kept up-to-date
with environmental issues. If there are any issues you would like addressed
please contact - Ruth Holdsworth - 01709 547 098
FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
During the 1990s various organisations including the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) and DIY Retailer B&Q set up an accreditation scheme which means that when you buy products made from wood you can be assured that it comes from independently certified well-managed forests, whether from the tropics or anywhere else in the world. The FSC is now a worldwide non-profit organisation. To gain accreditation forests have to be managed to strict social, environmental and economic standards. Over the years a wider range of products bearing the FSC logo have become available, not only for DIY projects and furniture, but for kitchen utensils like wooden spoons and kitchen roll holders, and as mentioned above, paper.
PAPER
If you buy paper for office or home, please try to find some which is FSC certified.
This is not always easy –I recently needed a ream of A4 and tried PC World. Not finding any, I asked the young assistant. It was obvious that he hadn't a clue what I was on about! If you can't find it, ask, and keep on asking! If enough people request it, they'll stock it eventually. Staples do stock it and the quality is good. Look out for the logo when you buy greetings cards. Some just say the paper is from 'well managed forests', which is a step in the right direction. Of course, the greenest option is recycled paper, which is also available for home and office use, and uses less resources in manufacture then 'new' paper.
HAVING A BARBECUE?
You can now burn charcoal with a clear conscience, as it is possible to buy some which bears the FSC logo, and some is UK produced, reducing its freight-miles.
I've seen it in Co-op Stores. Again, create a demand by asking for it! The following magazine article on one of the 'fruits of the spirit' as an ecological virtue, is produced by Christian Ecology Link for use by churches.
Herringthorpe URC is an affiliated member of CHRISTIAN ECOLOGY LINK
Click logo to visit CEL website
SWITCH IT OFF FOR LOVE!
There's a bit in the Bible (Galatians 5) that talks about the personality traits that can be evidence of God's Spirit at work in our lives. Whatever you think of the Bible, it's remarkable how applicable it can be to the environmental crisis our world is embarking upon. Each 'fruit of the spirit' is an ecological virtue.
If humanity were really to live according to these characteristics, we would necessarily be living in harmony with the rest of creation. The first one is 'love'. We are asked to love others as ourselves. Should this love be restricted to those in our own families or village or should it include those who live in a different country, are of a different race or creed, or even live in the future? If we want to have an inclusive, 'big-picture' love, then we have got to look at our life-styles.
Because the lives and livelihoods of people in the future are being endangered by our very way of life. Our energy-profligacy is releasing too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and threatening to disrupt the earth's life-support system – its climate.
We can live in a way that is loving towards others, our children and our world by reducing the energy we use and therefore the carbon dioxide we emit
PRACTICAL TIP
Use the OFF switch on the TV or DVD when you've finished with it, turn off computers and printers, unplug mobile phone chargers and switch set top boxes and broad band thingamajigs off at the wall. If you want to pick and choose what to turn off just feel how much heat things generate when they're on standby – if it's hot it means it's wasting energy -and your money! Leaving things on standby uses about 6% of the energy the appliance uses when running, and nationally, overall, a whole nuclear power station!
SO WHAT HAVE YOU GOT HIDDEN AWAY IN YOUR SHED?
If you've got tools, from Axes to Sewing Needles, that you no longer require then TOOLS WITH A MISSION will be pleased to have them off you to send overseas to supportdevelopment projects in many poor areas of the world.
From it's main base in IPSWICH, Twam collects and refurbishes donated tools, sewing machines, light industrial machinery and many other types of equipment to help people in need towards becoming self-sufficient.
For moreinformation CLICK on Logo or email admin@twam.co.uk
MISSION AND CARE GROUPS
Now that the South Yorkshire District is no more, it is important that the URC churches in the area have a means of staying in touch in order to support and have pastoral care for each other. It was decided by theDistrict Council as one of their last decisions to form three “Mission and Care” groups; two for the Sheffield churches and one for the rest. This last group comprises the two Doncaster churches, (Hallgate and Intake), the three churches in the Barnsley group, (Trinity Barnsley, West Melton and Clayton West), and the three Rotherham churches, Herringthorpe, Greasbrough United and Kimberworth Road
For more information please telephone
Rev Pauline Calderwood
01709 370 287 (Office); 01709 741 112 (Home); 07956 095 113 (Mobile) or
Office Address:
Wickersley Road
Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S60 4JN