Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps,

This mailing has five components

1. ALMA REPS  Meeting Reminder
2. FOLLOW UP to STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY
3. PARTNERS IN WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE
4. FUNDRAISING EXTRAVAGANZA IN ISLEWORTH
5. REPORT ON VISIT FROM St AUGUSTINE'S, VIANA in ANGOLA to All Saints Fulham

1. Reminder of ALMA Reps meeting Wednesday 22nd November 6-8pm

at London Diocesan House, 36 Causton St, London, SW1P

Revd Felicity Scroggie and Beryl Warren  will be sharing reflections on 2 very different visits to Niassa and Lebombo . There will also be opportunities for us to share news of our links with each other and the ALMA website will have its official launch.

ADVANCE DIARY DATE: 2007 ALMS REPS MEETING Thursday 15 March 2007

6-8pm @ London Diocesan House, 36 Causton Street, London SW1P

2. Follow up to Stand up against Poverty

Many thanks to the ALMA Parishes and Bishop Ramsay School who Stood Up Against Poverty. The Guinness Book of Records confirms it as the largest co-ordinated movement of people in their records.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE 23,542,614 people  who Stood Up Against Poverty

Do look at the powerpoint presentation of the 24 hours to catch its flavour -and scroll through the additional photos -perhaps uploading some of your Stand Up event. It is lovely to see one of our ALMA parishes featured on this powerpoint -well done St Mary's Littleton!

3. Partners in World Mission conference

Please remember Richard Bartlett ALMA Twinning Officer and Sheenagh Burrell ALMA Communications Officer as we go to the Partners In World Mission Conference at Swannick 30 Oct - 2 Nov. Sheenagh is running a workshop on two afternoons:

Truly Madly Deeply – the 5 marks of mission as a tool for companion links Using the 5 marks to both evaluate and envision the ongoing relationships between link dioceses. Based on the experience of London’s link with Angola and Mozambique.

4. Fundraising Extravaganza in Isleworth!

Jonathan Palmer the new ALMA Rep for St John's Isleworth which is newly twinned with Ngofi in Niassa has today embarked on the first ever sponsored diet for ALMA. Jonathan writes:

'Through my work with The Angola, London and Mozambique Association (ALMA), St Johns in Isleworth Middlesex our church has twinned with a parish in Northern Mozambique called Ngofi. Believe it or not they have made me their representative and its my job to champion the people of Ngofi in whatever way I can.

About Ngofi

Ngofi is a Lakeshore parish of about 2,000 people, and 8 churches. It looks out over Likoma Island, and is in a beautiful area of the Lakeshore and is part of the Anglican Diocese of Niassa (the North part of Mozambique, which is 3 times the size of the UK)!
The Church is growing, but the people are poor. 70% of the population live below the poverty line and life expectancy is only 35 years. And yet, there is much hope in Niassa. The parish has no electricity or communications apart from letters and HIV Aids is a particular problem. However despite hardships which most of us could not imagine, there is a very strong spiritual following and perhaps an understanding of life and its challenges and what is really important, that we in the West can easily lose sight of in our busy day to day lives. We look to raise money in particular to help the children of this very poor region.

About JP:

Well I am 37 years old and I am very portly, to put it politely. I have never undertaken a diet before and the additional challenge will be Christmas which is right in the way of my 4 months! I will be weighed every month by the vicar (Peter) to see how its going, I am going to be doing a Blog, which you can look at, JP's Diet if you want updates! I have never undertaken a diet before! The Weigh-In will take place on Sunday 29th October in St Johns Church in Isleworth at 11.00 a.m. all welcome but leave your elephant guns at home please its not open season on fat people, the Vicar Peter has already tried to weigh me, but the scales only went up to 18 Stone - need I say anymore!

All donations are gratefully received, if you are willing to sponsor me please email me back and to motivate me it would be good if you could put a price per pound (weight) lost that can be pence or '£'s it's gratefully received and will make a huge difference to the people of Ngofi. Feel free to forward this email on if you think other people would like to sponsor me and have a laugh at my blog along the way. I will be available for fine wine tasting and after dinner speaking after I have finished my diet of course! Thanks for taking the time to read this email and thanks for your support. Regards JP.

5. Visit from St Augustine’s, Viana in Angola to All Saints, Fulham September 2006

Read the report here.