Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

This is another short circular – with one main purpose: to say THANK YOU!

The River of Life Service to celebrate ALMA’s 10th Anniversary alongside all of London Churches’ International links was such a special evening. It was glorious to see a full Cathedral and for our three ALMA Bishops: Bishop André, Bishop Dinis, Bishop Mark and the Revd Helen Van Koevering, to be welcomed by the gathered ALMA community from all around the Diocese.  The celebration embraced the visiting Bishops for the Lambeth Conference, Ambassadors, politicians and members of the other organisations, including MANNA, USPG, Tearfund and Christian Aid, who have links with Angola and Mozambique.

Together we worshipped and rejoiced: renewing our baptismal vows, hearing stories and reflections on what it means to be partners in the Gospel and renewing the ALMA Covenant for a further 10 years. We owe a real debt to the Twyford School Gospel Choir and their teachers, the St John’s Friern Barnet drummers and the St Mary’s Stoke Newington Ripplers.

Bishop Dinis said the service engaged all the senses and all the ages: there were beautiful words for the mouth to say and pray, wondrous singing and drumming for the ears to hear, colourful rivers of prayer rippling along the cathedral for the eyes to see, and many of us felt the sprinkling of holy water! It left us all with a good taste in our mouths and great appetite for the next ten years.

Thank you to the ALMA Community for the many ways you contributed to the service.

Over the next week I will be interleaving the text of the service with photos from it for the ALMA website so do look out for this on the website.

A few other things that might interest you:

1) Millennium Development Goals:

At the service in the ALMA display we had photos of some of the advocacy work ALMA has been engaged in over the last few years. Most of you will have seen the powerful act of witness yesterday as 660 Anglican Bishops marched along Whitehall, alongside Parliament to Lambeth Palace with placards asking the politicians to

Halve poverty by 2015 — Keep the promise

Archbishop Rowan:

“Unless we address the great gulfs between human beings we cannot expect a future of stability or welfare for any of us. As the world grows smaller, the truth is that the suffering and the need of anyone in our global community is going to be sooner or later the suffering and need of everyone”

Bishop Richard:

“We come here with people who so clearly see the impact of poverty. It’s a demonstration, not an angry one, not a violent one – to say to politicians we expect the promises to be kept.”

Hear Bishop Dinis speaking about this on the Lambeth Conference website, and also the ‘soundbites’ of several other participants.

Gordon Brown responded:

“This has been one of the greatest public demonstrations of faith that this great city has ever seen. You sent a simple and very clear message with rising force: That poverty can be eradicated, that poverty must be eradicated, and that if we can all work together for change, poverty will be eradicated.”

2) New book by Jane Williams

Last week’s Church Times (18 July 2008) reviewed a new book by Jane Williams: “Marriage, Mitres and Being Myself” which includes an interview with Revd Helen Van Koevering.

3) Bishop André preaching at St Mary’s Ealing

On Sunday 27 July at 10.30am Bishop André is preaching at St Mary’s Ealing. Nearest tube: South Ealing on Piccadilly Line (3 minute walk) or Ealing Broadway on Central line (6-8 minute walk or take 65 bus outside station to stop outside St Mary’s)

4) ALMA Admin Officer

Has the service inspired any of you to think again about volunteering to be ALMA Admin Officer? If so do read the 4 July Circular again (see below). A job description is available from: Janet Eaves, London Diocesan House, 36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4AU. Email: janet.eaves@london.anglican.org Tel. no: 020 7932 1100.

5) Thanks

Peter and I thank you very much for your generous comments to us after the service. We were thrilled to receive the St Mellitus medal but would want to pass our deep thanks and appreciation to the people who work alongside us and contribute so much to ALMA in many quiet corners of London.