Appeal launched to help the thousands struck by devastating Haiti earthquake

help The Methodist Church in Britain has launched an emergency appeal and granted £20,000 in immediate aid to Haiti after a catastrophic earthquake rocked the Caribbean nation on 12 January.

The 7.0-magnitude quake, the worst to hit the country in two centuries, tore down the headquarters of the United Nations Mission, the presidential palace and thousands of homes in the space of a minute at 16.53 Haitian time and 21.53 GMT.

The Revd Marcus Torchon, a Haitian Methodist minister serving in the Liverpool District on an exchange programme, said, “I am still waiting for news from family members who are missing. I managed to speak to my nephew after the quake happened, but since that phone call there were more than ten after-shocks. Now the line is dead because the major phone networks are down.

“It is really destabilising emotionally. Practically, I would like to be of service to them. I feel that at some point I may have to go there when the airport is open. At the end of the day, we have nothing but our faith in God.”

More information is on the news service section of the Methodist Church website.

Haiti’s Methodist Church has the largest number of members of the districts in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, with 12,000 members.

The Methodist Church in Britain is appealing to people to make their response through the World Mission Fund while international relief agencies and governments work to bring relief to Haitians.

Donations can be made through the Just Giving webpage on the Methodist Church website or by sending a cheque payable to the 'World Mission Fund' and posting it to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled ‘Haiti Appeal’.

To share in a prayer written in response to the earthquake, click here.

Methodists' New Year's Resolution - to cut carbon emissions by 10% within a year

The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, general secretary of the Methodist Church, signed up to the 10:10 campaign on 6 January 2010 on behalf of over 100 staff at Methodist Church House in London. Throughout 2010, staff will work to cut 10% off the building’s energy use.

Martyn said, "We begin to change the world when we change our lives and lifestyles. It is absolutely right, then, that as Christian disciples heeding God’s command to be good stewards of the planet, and increasingly ‘earth keepers’ rather than ‘earth eaters’, we commit ourselves to joining the 10:10 campaign. Together we can make a small but significant change and express hope in God’s future."

Using the principle of ‘small actions, big difference’, office staff will be encouraged to switch off lights and computers when they are not in use. There will also be a travel survey, initiating a year-long challenge to look at travel patterns for work engagements in Britain and with partner Churches worldwide.

Energy saving actions at Methodist Church House have already begun. Desk printers have been replaced by more efficient shared printers. All office staff have their own recycling bin with non-recyclable material now deposited in separate communal bins. To discover more click here.

Tamsin Omond, faith coordinator for the 10:10 campaign, said, “It is great to have the Methodist Church joining the initiative. Faith groups have recently had a strong voice on this issue and turning words into action is essential to tackle the global problem of climate change. All our personal actions reinforce the message to our governments regarding the scale of ambition that we expect from international agreements.”

The wider Church is encouraged to join the campaign via www.1010uk.org.

How you and your congregation can save energy

electricity meter The Methodist Church’s report Hope in God’s Future invites Methodists to consider their carbon footprint and make steps to reduce it.

The Energy Saving Trust is the leading impartial body working to help people save energy and reduce their personal carbon emissions. They provide ‘one-stop-shop’ advice on a low-carbon lifestyle.

The Trust’s mission is to enable 60 million people to act on climate change and for every home to be low carbon. This means:
• saving energy
• buying the most energy efficient products
• equipping homes with energy saving measures
• choosing sustainable travel
• conserving water
• reducing and recycling waste.

The Energy Saving Trust has a network of advice centres across the UK working with consumers, communities and business offering free impartial advice.

Phone 0800 512 012 or email them to see how your local advice centre can support you with events and engaging your congregation.

Enough for all: Poverty and Homelessness Action Week 2010

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week runs from Saturday 30 January to Sunday 7 February.

Its theme is Enough for All and is a reminder of what we have, and what we can offer others.

The resources on their website give ideas for churches and others to make a practical difference in their local communities. There are also suggestions for worship leaders and preachers who want to celebrate Homelessness Sunday and Poverty Action Sunday which both fall within that week.

Called to Serve: Education Sunday - 31 January

teaching children Education Sunday is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone involved in the world of education. It has been held for over 100 years and traditionally falls on the 9th Sunday before Easter.

This year’s theme is Called to Serve as all Christians are invited to explore their calling as an inherent part of their discipleship. And people’s experience of education plays a crucial part in the discovery of their vocation.

www.educationsunday.org is packed full of ideas and resources for church services as well as suggestions for assemblies and children’s and youth groups.