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This month: Food, fellowship and
football -
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY: Why is BMS involved? -
Lowering the flag - Celebrating volunteers
Last month, a combined ‘Lasers’ and ‘Friday Nighters’ football team took on
St Albans City FC Youth South team. Playing the ‘Manchester United’ rather than
the ‘Arsenal’ role, in FA Cup terms, they came second.
Food, fellowship and
football
We awoke to the sun chasing the clouds away, across the sky. No torrential
rain, and a great sense of optimism that this would be a fine day! At 8.30
am, the goal posts were erected by Darren Tofte, site manager for Sandringham
school, Bernard Lusby, Mark Jewels, Peter Jewels and Jonathan Gill.
The day had started well: sausages and pizza in the oven, and numerous
sandwiches, Mars bars, apple pies and tangerines piled in boxes.
Later, a large and keen team of young people, grouped in the Sherwood Avenue
park. A wash of blue and white prevailed.
In another corner of the park, there was music, dancing and waving of blue and
white pom poms - our cheerleaders, Katie-Jane Kelleher and Clarissa Wright, were
enthusiastically teaching Abigail Baughan, and the young ones - Ashleigh Wright,
and the 'Gill girls' - their routines.
Mark Harden, Mark Jewels, Peter Kelleher, Richard Hayward and Jonathan Gill put
the lads through their paces and selected the first 11 players for the game.
We had a picnic in the park, with the able assistance of Linda & Bernard Lusby
and Caroline Wright, before striding out to Sandringham School.
The match kicked off around 2pm. The St. Albans City Youth South team were
good, but the MBFC team were no walk over. It was their first ever game as
a combination of Lasers and Friday Nighters. They played valiantly.
It was tough, but Peter Jewels made some great saves.
With 4 - 0 to City at half time, MBFC had some work to do. They pushed
further forwards in the second half, and managed to score two goals.
Goal of the match was by Ashley Tofte, from Friday Nighters, after positioning
advice from Anthony Tufnell.
The final score was uncertain but Roger Raddel, City's manager, reckoned it was
9 - 2. Not bad for a first match against the ‘Pros’!
Thanks to all the supporters who came; parents and friends - and to Graham
Clarke for doing the presentations. Our thanks to God for fine weather to the
end of the match and for a great time that was had by all.
By Jo Gill.
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MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY:
Why is BMS involved?
BMS World Mission has joined with many aid and relief agencies - both Christian
and non-Christian - in supporting the ‘MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY’ campaign.
Throughout the Bible, God’s concern for the poor and the oppressed is evident.
Every day, across the world, BMS partners and mission workers come across the
devastating effects of decisions made by our own government and other powerful
institutions. But it’s not just other people who are the problem. We
need to examine our own lives to consider how decisions we make may have an
adverse effect on the lives of people living on the other side of the world.
Our response to this should be rooted in the Bible, stimulated through prayer
and made authentic by our actions.
The messages of the prophets contain a central message that God’s anger is
aroused by oppression and injustice, be it direct mistreatment of the poor or,
indirectly, through failure to ease their burdens when one is prosperous.
Amos tells us of a prosperous society who: ‘trample on the heads of the poor as
upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed’ (Amos 2: 7) and
arouse God’s anger to the point where God destroyed the northern kingdom.
Care for the poor and concern for those in poverty is not just an Old Testament
idea. When Jesus began his ministry he read from Isaiah: ‘The Spirit of
the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.’
(Luke 4: 18)
As the body of Christ we are called to preach good news to the poor.
And John says: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children,
let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:
17-18)
God is concerned with how we, who have been richly blessed, treat those less
fortunate. Through MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY we can bring hope to the lives of
millions.
BMS works in some of the poorest communities in the world. Through
providing healthcare, education, income-generation projects, development
assistance and more, we are fighting poverty on the ground.
BMS is committed to alleviating the suffering connected with poverty as part of
its mission to minister to both the spiritual and physical needs of the world’s
people.
As such, MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is a further expression and fulfilment of that
mission.
From BMS Mission News.
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Special ceremonies in May this year marked the 50th anniversary of Austria’s
independence. Martin Oliver recalls some of the momentous events in which
he took part, leading to the establishment of Austria’s independence.
Lowering the flag
For some 18 months before Austria became an independent country again - on 26th
October 1955 - I had been in Vienna, with the British forces.
The formation of the Austrian Republic - on 12th November 1918 - set out
the country’s present boundaries and, among other things, forbade Austro-German
union. However, on 12th March 1938, Germany declared the Anchluss and
united the two countries by marching into Austria almost unopposed.
Austria remained under the control of Germany until the end of the Second
World War, and, in December 1945, the second Austrian Republic was established -
under Karl Renner.
Unfortunately, Russia was unable to reach an agreement with the Western
powers, to conclude an Austrian settlement. So Austria was divided into
four zones - occupied by Russia to the east, the USA to the north, France to the
west and Britain to the south.
Vienna, the capital - in the Russian Zone - was, again, divided into four,
with an international zone in the centre.
It was about this time that Bryn Little, a former member of this church
and, in those days, a driver with the Royal Army Service Corps, arrived at
Arnoldstein in southern Austria, fresh from the fighting in Italy.
Bryn became based at the ‘El Alamein’ camp in Villach. His job was
to drive British servicemen to Calais, from which they went to the UK and
demobilisation.
Some ten years later - in April 1955 - Russia started negotiations with
the other allies which resulted in the signing of the Austrian State treaty in
the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. This occurred on 15th May 1955, in the
presence of John Foster Dulles (USA), Vyacheslav Molotov (USSR), Harold
MacMillian (UK), Antoine Pinay (France) and Leopold Figl (Austria).
The treaty became effective on 27th July 1955. It was marked by a
parade through the centre of Vienna by the military bands of the four powers.
During the parade, the flags of the four ‘occupying’ powers were lowered
across the city. France being the country in control of the city at that time
had two flags flying - so five flags were lowered altogether.
To co-ordinate the flag lowering, the sites flying the flags were linked
by radio. It had been my task to prepare the equipment and re-charge all
the batteries used - all 34 of them.
The withdrawal of the troops started straight away. The last train
carrying British troops left Klagenfurt in south Austria on 25th October 1955.
On 26th October, the Austrian law stating Austria’s ‘permanent neutrality’
was passed - hence this day is now observed as Austrian National Day.
By Martin Oliver.
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Celebrating volunteers
Volunteers’ Week is being held, this year, from 1st to 7th June. It is
annual celebration of the work that volunteers do.
During the week, events are held across the country to recognise, reward - and
recruit - volunteers.
To mark Volunteers’ Week, the organisation WorldWide Volunteering is making its
database (at www.wwv.org.uk) freely
available.
The database contains 350,000 volunteering opportunities in 215 countries,
including the UK, offered by 1,200 organisations.
From Philip Murray of WorldWide Volunteering.
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