Christian Aid Week has been running for nearly 70 years. The charity works in countries around the world and this year’s campaign is focusing on Nairobi, Kenya, where intense poverty means many families face a daily struggle to feed their children. With tools, seeds and specialist training from Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope, families are learning how to make the most of small urban spaces to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables to cook or sell.
Charlotte Scott, Christian Aid’s British Churches Relations Officer, worships at St Mark’s and St Luke’s in Winchester. She said, “Christian Aid Week is one of the biggest ecumenical expressions of faith and mission in the UK. It’s seven days to make a difference to our global neighbour, with churches and individuals doing all kinds of different things to support Christian Aid, to raise funds, to take action, to pray for our work and to join together with a global community that believes the world can be different and wants to make that happen.”
Churches across our diocese have marked Christian Aid Week with services, collections, coffee mornings and other events. Here are some of their stories:
St Catherine’s Church, Littleton
St Catherine’s Church in Littleton organised a plant exchange at the local village hall, where people were encouraged to bring plants, take away ones they would like and leave a donation.
The event took place last Thursday and even attracted some of those visiting the hall to vote in the local elections.
It was organised by Peter and Maggie Lippiett who recently joined the church but have supported Christian Aid for decades. Having travelled widely, they know the impact of the charity’s work. They have also lobbied MPs on behalf of the charity and for the last year have organised a vigil for peace at the Buttercross in Winchester.
Maggie said, “We recognise that the work they do is vital, so we have a moral imperative really to do something for Christian Aid every year.”
Peter added, “The name Christian Aid is possibly a misnomer, in the sense that it’s Christians aiding, but it’s not people aiding Christians. It’s for all faiths and they work at the sharp edge of need. They raise and send money to areas where they know their trusted partners will find greatest use for it. It’s really helping people on the ground.
“There’s a saying that if you give someone a fish, you feed them for a day. Teach them to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime. We really think Christian Aid matters.”
The church also set up an online giving page for anyone who couldn’t get to the plant exchange.
St Boniface and St Martin’s, Chandlers Ford
A colourful cycle party helped celebrate the start of Christian Aid Week, with 55 people, aged from 6 years old to over 80, taking to their bikes. A team of volunteer marshals supported riders along the route.
The three-mile circular ride started and finished at St Boniface Church, while two cyclists also completed a 70 km ride in support of the appeal.
Christian Aid organiser Brian Ridsdale said, “For me it’s the way that we, in our church and our community, can show love for our neighbours in need, even though we may never meet them. It’s vitally important to me. I’ve been a volunteer for Christian Aid for 40 years and I was a trustee for 10 years, so I’ve grown to love it. Christian Aid is one of the mission charities we support as a church, and we rely on the voluntary efforts of many friends within the congregation.”
This was the third year the cycle party has taken place and the biggest yet, with members of the two congregations joined by people from other churches and the wider community.
Cycle Party leader Stephen Dominy said, “It wasn’t a long ride or a fast ride, but I reckon we averaged 55 smiles a second for nearly an hour, so it was certainly great fun. Christian Aid’s work brings joy to people in challenging situations so it’s right that our fundraising should be joyful too.”
The church’s Sunday service also included a talk from Christian Aid.
Winchester Cathedral
Christian Aid is one of the core charities supported by Winchester Cathedral and this year the cathedral looked at ways to deepen its involvement.
Earlier this month Ray Hasan, Director of Impact at Christian Aid, preached at a special Evensong service. Afterwards, churches were invited to collect Christian Aid Week resources and meet members of the charity and one another over tea.
A banner outside the cathedral and collection boxes inside the building have helped raise awareness of the appeal, alongside collections at services.
The Cathedral hopes to build on its role next year in partnership with the diocese.
Christian Aid’s daily devotional, featuring a prayer and reflection for each day of Christian Aid Week, has been distributed to members of the congregation at services on Sunday and has been used during Evensong throughout the week.
Reverend Canon Dr Tess Kuin Lawton, Canon Missioner at Winchester Cathedral, said, “All churches have the potential to become too inward-looking and self-concerned, or to think that the neighbour, Jesus asks us to love, is just the person living next door. For us as the cathedral, I think it’s about the commission in Matthew 28 to go out into all the world. I think as Christians, we are called to talk about peace and loving our neighbour. Ultimately, that’s what this is about.”
Michael Mosselmans from Christian Aid’s humanitarian division also spoke at last Sunday’s service about the charity’s work in Gaza. The girl choristers, who were singing that day, were moved by his account and have asked to become involved in Christian Aid week next year.
Canon Tess continued, “The Cathedral is really interested in being a convener for Christian Aid in the area and if local churches have ideas about how we can help them or if there’s anything we can do, we’re really open to developing that.”
Churches interested in getting involved can contact tess.kuinlawton@winchester-cathedral.org.uk.
We pray for the remainder of Christian Aid Week, for its work overseas and for churches continuing to take part in events and fundraising activities in the coming days.
