Helping Others – Christian Aid

Each year, during Christian Aid Week, circuit churches join with other local churches to undertake house to house collections and join in a sponsored Christian Aid Walk around Tittesworth Reservoir, near Leek, Staffordshire.  In the case of Biddulph Methodist Church, funds are gathered all year round through a weekly indoor market.  Holmes Chapel Methodist Church are also active supporters of Christian Aid, raising funds through lunches, coffee mornings, sales of Christmas cards and a range of collections.  This and other examples are given below.
 
Holmes Chapel Methodist Church Support for Christian Aid
We praise God for the amazing figure of £9,255 which has been raised in Holmes Chapel for Christian Aid during the past year and our grateful thanks go to everyone who has helped in any way to support some of the world’s poorest people.
 
Christian Aid Week House to House collection (60 collectors from the three Holmes Chapel churches) - £4,131; Offering at Christian Aid Service - £325; Ascension Day offering - £163.
 
Christmas Fair - £620 (which included £117.50 from sales of gems and jewellery by the late Derek Thorne); ‘Living Below the Line’ initiative - c£2,000 (including gift aid) - raised by all who were sponsored to survive on £1 a day;
 
Quiz Night - £525; Soup Lunches on Fridays in Lent - £1,323. Donations in memory of Audrey Buddle - £168.  Audrey was a committee member who is sadly missed following her death in a car accident during the year
 
Our committee always want to share information about the vital work that God is enabling Christian Aid to do to alleviate poverty around the world. One way in which we can do this is at the Christian Aid Service where, this year, the focus was on work in Sierra Leone. The service was again ecumenical and for all ages, with the three churches in the village joining together at Holmes Chapel Leisure Centre.
from the Holmes Chapel MC Holmes Chapel Annual Report
     
 From a Report on Christian Aid Week at Trinity Church
 
Thanks to all our wonderful collectors old and new at Trinity Church. We raised £2165 despite being a few collectors down on the usual. However Malcolm and Ann Hargreaves did their fundraising lunch which added another £300+ to the total, so in the end we have increased the total sent to Christian Aid this year. The need is so great that next year we are determined we will do better. Please check the dates before booking next year's holidays or being off sick or moving house! With grateful thanks to those who support us in actions and prayers
From a Report on Christian Aid Week at Trinity Church 
 
Congratulations to the Christian Aid collectors of Trinity Church. The church has received a summary of the amounts collected by the various churches in Congleton this year. Trinity's total of £2,486.60 represented 28% of the total of £8,681.22 for the whole of Congleton. Also, Gift Aid reclaimed on the amounts added a further £268, and represented 32% of the Gift Aid total. Let's not be complacent. Let's challenge ourselves not only to maintain but if possible increase our support for Christian Aid.
 
The Christian Aid walk in March was another resounding success. The weather was kind, the scenery superb, the people were great, but most importantly the 600 walkers will hopefully have raised more than last year‘s £50,000 for Christian Aid.  Indeed our local Christian Aid representative, John Bamford, told us that average sponsorship had gone up this year with one walker sponsored for almost £800. Many thanks to all who supported the walkers from
Key Green, Trinity and Wellspring.