Reps Circular
From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Communications Officer
almacomms@london.anglican.org T: 020 8567 7400
Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,
This is a short email circular to encourage you to be as proactive as possible in publicising the ALMA 10th Anniversary service and in contributing to it! Not only do we want to fill the cathedral on 13 July but we want to see the rivers of prayer flowing down the aisles!
All churches have received a formal invitation to the service from Bishop Richard and a copy of the poster. In addition the poster is available for you to download and to use as inventively as possible. Please do what you can to invite and encourage people in your church and community to come to the service.
It was wonderful on Monday this week, at a service of thanksgiving to mark the opening of Twyford School’s new café, to see large versions of the poster as the backdrop to a joyful outdoor service. The Gospel Choir gave us a foretaste of what we have to look forward to on 13th July when they will welcome us into the Cathedral and sing during the service.
It is also possible for you to hear the young people of Niassa Diocese sing in Messumba Cathedral! Revd Helen Van Koevering points out that unfortunately the name of the cathedral is wrong in the film clip but that Padre Msossa is clearly identifiable!
Please will you treat this as a matter of urgency? Beryl Warren has a team of volunteers ready to stitch the prayers onto the rivers but so far has only received a trickle. Be as creative as you wish with your prayers and with involving others. Some ideas from around the ALMA Parishes are:
One parish I visited had a period of silence during the intercessions and instead asked people to write a short prayer on small coloured cards. These were collected in and brought to the altar before a final prayer was prayed.
Variations on this could be to show the clip of the young people in Niassa worshipping, have music playing as people write their prayers, and for people to bring their prayers as they come to the Eucharist.
Perhaps a photo of your church and your link church, your priest and their priest, your MU and their MU, your lay leaders (Readers, Pastoral Assistants) and their Catechists, your children and theirs….
Think about the Children’s Groups, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts, Boys Brigade, football teams in your church and see if they would contribute. Also any schools connected to your church and especially those with ALMA connections. Prayer drawings welcome.
We want to encourage prayer for all of the links London churches have, and prayer for our world. Throw the net wide – remember Justice and Peace groups, Global Issues groups, people who have done placements and visits, the mission and development agencies, the MU ….
Prayers can be sent to Beryl Warren St. Mary’s Church, Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 9ES no later than 29 June 2008 or via email to almacomma@london.anglican.org. Please do read Beryl’s letter (
102Kb) for fuller information.
Thank you so much for all you are doing for this special service and throughout the year. It is really appreciated.
Sheenagh.
PS John Tasker (Twinning Officer) and I are planning to put on a special session for new link parishes and parishes that want to revitalise their links. If you are interested in this please could you let either of us know?
