A group of churches across a range of Christian denominations and traditions in Hinckley have come together to share what they have with those ‘truly suffering and in need' this Christmas. AlterNativity is a way of gifting charities both close to home and across the world, providing much needed resources to the poor and vulnerable, and has been an annual initiative for the Hinckley and District Churches Together for the last 15 years.
Katie has been a nurse for 45 years and works in consultancy and training. She has been a member of her church family for more than 25 years. She lives just outside the city and is part of a community which celebrates diversity and culture. She is particularly concerned with poverty and deprivation in her area…
On Saturday 5 September young people from around Leicester and Leicestershire coordinated a Christian Climate Conference open to people from any faith background on Zoom. Slides from the event can be found here along with a resource bank that has been put together by the team behind the event. It includes worship resources, recommended podcasts, books, films and online content. This resource bank links to many of the themes and workshop topics explored on the day but it is hoped it will be used widely by all in the diocese.
Throughout September, people across the country walked, ran, cycled, and even skateboarded, to raise money for the Red Cross Miles for Refugees appeal. Here in the Diocese of Leicester, Rachael and Deb from Loughborough, clocked up more than 130 miles between them as they walked and ran to support refugees, people seeking asylum and vulnerable migrants in the UK.
We're giving thanks to God this week for Janette in Christian Resources who marks the magnificent milestone of 30 years working in the city's bookshop. It's a role she was made to do, we think you'll agree. But the journey to a joyful role surrounded by theological books didn't start until she was honest with herself, and most significantly, God.
Over the past few years St Simon and St Jude's have been called to provide something for the families in their area. This year things had to look a little different... So they took ideas from previous ventures that had gone well and combined the breakfast and lunch offering with crafts and packed them in takeaway bags so that families could prepare the meals and craft activities at home.
A series of video shorts have been produced by members of the diocesan Social Responsibility Panel, covering a wide range of areas of everyday action and loving service. Some of these areas of social concern have been heightened during the pandemic and so these video shorts might help to stimulate thinking, discussion and action.
Leicester's Filipino Chaplaincy, Bayanihan Leicestershire and Kanlungan Filipino Consortium are taking part in Everyday Action by providing Filipino food for staff of three Hospitals and five Care Homes in Leicestershire.
St Botolph's in Shepshed regularly fundraise for Christian Aid and have a fundraising group of 8 people plus many other helpers, often working ecumenically with other churches in Shepshed. This year they had to think of a new way to fundraise as their traditional methods were cancelled or postponed.
Alan Pyke, a retired vicar from Kibworth is walking the 850 mile distance from Lands End to John O'Groats without leaving the sheltered accommodation complex where he lives, to raise money for The Well charity in the village.
