Welcome to Fair Doers!

We face great challenges over issues such as global justice (in trade, politics etc), climate change and our use of resources. These can seem daunting and confusing, and it may seem beyond us to make any real difference. But actually there’s a great deal we can do, and it’s not too hard, especially if we work together to help and encourage each other. And Christians should be taking a lead in these things!

So, ‘Fair Doers’ is a new group starting in West Oxfordshire:
* For all who want to be more effective in loving God and our neighbour, in a practical way...
* ...or anyone who has a nagging feeling
they should be more aware, informed, or involved in these...
* Working together for
- Balanced awareness and understanding of key issues
- Mutual encouragement, inspiration, and motivation
- Critical mass to achieve things we can’t do alone
* Accessible and non-intimidating, even for the least experienced or active
* Focused on practical applications and achievable steps
* Informal and fun!
* Supported by web resources, including (we hope) an online group forum, events calendar, and help links
* Affiliated to Christian Concern for One World, (http://www.ccow.org.uk/) an established charity helping Christians in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire
to pray and act on global issues.

We are trying to connect with all who may want to be involved, so if interested please email marcus.Simmons@talk21.com or phone 07803 753684.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

update from CCOW

Dear Friends,

If you are putting together intercessions for Sunday, do please remember to pray for the situation in Zimbabwe and for the Climate Change Bill as it makes its way through the House of Commons. All the development agencies are also asking supporters to email their MPs about some critical measures in the Climate Bill.

There is a lot of material related to Zimbabwe available online. The Guardian has a very powerful video clip about the violence surrounding the current election campaign. In terms of the church response, you might want to look at material about the Zambian Catholic bishops' letter to the SADC ; the pastoral letter from the Anglican Bishops of Central Africa ; and the letter from the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches . There's also a good summary with prayer material from Christian Solidarity Worldwide. On an ongoing basis, you can receive regular updates from Tearfund by signing up for their regular Zimbabwe prayer email. Christian Aid sends out less frequent, but more in-depth updates drawing on the experiences of their partners. To join the mailing list for their "Voices from Zimbabwe" briefings, email cmoyse@christian-aid.org. We'll also be posting more on our website about Zimbabwe next week.

On the Climate Change Bill, there is plenty of material for prayer points and action available from CAFOD, Christian Aid, and Tearfund. The websites also contain the background information about the Bill, the Government's refusal to take on some amendments made in the House of Lords, and what needs to happen next. The email actions are quite important; there is very little time for campaigning. Please do encourage people to participate.

Thank you for your prayers and action!

God bless,

Maranda

New on the CCOW website: Report on "Journey to Justice," the commemoration of the 1998 Birmingham Jubilee Chain.

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