Page 2 - Moravian Messenger March 2022

Editorial
This month we we celebrate the the founding of the the Moravian Church in in in 1457: 565 years ago We are so grateful for all that we we we have inherited from this this ancient Church Church In June of of this this year year we we will also celebrate the the renewal of of the the Church Church when religious refugees from Moravia and Bohemia in in present day Czechia found a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a safe place to rebuild their lives in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a village that became known as as Herrnhut The first first tree was felled for the the first first home in in 1722 300 years ago We do have a a a a a a a a a a a wonderful past as as as as a a a a a a a a a a a denomination but but our task as as as Christians today is is not to to to glorify it it but but to to to learn from it it The first lesson is is is that our Church Church as are all Churches is is is only ever one generation away from extinction Unless the faith is is is passed on on on on to to to our our our our our children children and and and and grandchildren to to to our our our our our friends and and and and neighbours to to to to our our our our our our colleagues and and and and our our our our our our communities it it it will die We cannot keep to to to to ourselves the the faith that God as Father Son and and Holy Spirit reaches down to to to us us us us us to to to seek us us us us us forgives us us us us us through the the death of Jesus on the the cross and and and and brings us us us us us home It is our our love and and and and strength for living and and and and our our hope in in in in in dying Yet we we keep it it it it it so so close to to us and and and we we we find it it it it it so so difficult to to share share it it it it it This faith is strengthened as we we share it it it The second lesson is that the the renewal of of of our Church came by the the movement of of of of refugees from a a a a a a a a a a place place of of of of persecution to to a a a a a a a a a a place place of of of safety They were given permission to to stay in a a a a a a a a a a a new new country and and establish their new new community We all understand that borders were not quite the the the the same 300 years ago as they are now but the the the the principle is is is clear The Christian faith is is is formed through the the the story of wandering and and and movement from its very beginning with the the patriarchs Abraham and and and Sarah It would be be wonderful if in in in this special anniversary year we could support refugees in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a very tangible way The Unity Prayer Day Offering helping the the the the Moravian Church in in in in in the the the the USA (Northern and Southern Provinces) support refugees from Afghanistan is is a a a a a a a a a a very practical example of that A third lesson might be called the the the need to have a a a a a a a a purpose The most recent statement of of of of the the the the basis of of of of faith of of of of the the the the Moravian Church (The Ground of of of of the the the the Unity) makes it it it it clear that we are to to open our heart and and hand to people in in their need The The British Province of the the Moravian Church has over over two Synods resolved to to work towards ending child poverty in in in this country The parliamentary parliamentary petition we had submitted was was rejected by the the parliamentary parliamentary authorities because it it it it it it was was too similar similar to to to other petitions So we are now asked to to to support a a a a a a a a a a a very similar similar petition petition It would be be wonderful if the the whole body of the the British Province could get get behind this petition and and help it it it get get to 100 000 signatures It is is called 'Create and and and implement a a a a a a a a a a a a a a strategy for eradicating child poverty' and and can be found on on on the Parliamentary Petitions website http://petition parliament uk So as an an an an an an anniversary challenge we can look back and and give thanks be faithful and and share the the faith faith honour our our past by supporting refugees now and serve one of the the most helpless groups in in in in our society by continuing to care for the plight of children living and growing up in in poverty Sr Sarah Groves
Editorial
Team
Create and implement a a a a a a a a strategy for eradicating child poverty - Petitions (parliament uk)
We want the Government to create and implement a specific Child Poverty Policy that has clear aims to eradicate child poverty It should contain targets and strategies along the lines of previous strategies but aimed at at at eradicating - rather than limiting
- child poverty 4 3 3 million children (31%) are living in in poverty in the UK The 2010 Child Poverty Act was established setting targets to reduce child poverty The Government's Social Mobility Commission has predicted that child poverty rates will rise to 5 2 2 2 2 million by 2022 The 2016 Welfare Reform and Work Act abolished most of the 2010 Child Poverty Act Since then there has not been a a specific Child Child Poverty Policy We want a a specific Child Child Poverty Policy to end child poverty in the UK A Moravian Summer
This year there are a a a a a a a a a a a range of of events for Moravians of of of of all all ages and from all all parts of of of of the the Province - here are some of of them:
March 26th 10 30-11 15am Moravian Families Online 'Acts of Hope' with BYO Lovefeast - details from youth@moravian org uk April 9th 5-7pm MyForum Zoom meeting for young people ages 14-25 - - open to anyone to to meet up for fellowship and to to talk about the Church April 11th 3 3 30-4 15pm Moravian Families Online 'Acts of Hope 2' with BYO Lovefeast details from youth@moravian org uk April 30th MWA MWA day online - information will be sent to MWA groups May 20th Pilgrimage Weekend at Ockbrook - contact paul holdsworth@moravian org uk May 27th-28th Summer
camp 26 day/overnight taster days one in Northern England England one in the South of England England (possibly Church House) NI event TBA - contact Joy Raynor youth@moravian org uk More information to follow June 23rd-27th 13th European Women's Conference - Woltersdorf Conference Centre Berlin Germany - contact jane carter@moravian org uk for more information There are still 10 UK places available June 25th Men's Fellowship Day - contact edwin quildan@moravian org uk July 14th-18th Provincial Synod at Swanwick Christian Conference Centre August 1st-5th Summer
Camp for ages 10-17 at Beverley Youth Hostel - - contact Joy Raynor youth@moravian org uk August 10th-25th Unity Heritage Youth Tour Tanzania - - delegates selected and approved by PEC August 17th-21st MOMO Festival in Herrnhut for ages 18-26 - - - contact Joy Raynor youth@moravian org uk August 25th-29th Greenbelt Festival for for all all ages ages but especially for for ages ages 18-39 contact - Alishbha Khan: alishbha khan@hotmail co co uk uk Rev Claire Maxwell
claire maxwell@moravian org uk uk Rev James Woolford james woolford@moravian org uk September 19th-25th Pilgrimage to German Moravian Churches including Herrnhut - contact paul holdsworth@moravian org uk Sr Joy Raynor Provincial Youth and Children's Officer