News - May/June 2002
BISHOP AMBROSE GRIFFITHS TO RETIRE SHORTLY
 Bishop
Ambrose Griffiths, the bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, who has always
been a strong supporter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and is the
Episcopal adviser to the National Service Committee of England , announced
in an interview with Northern Cross, the diocesan newspaper, that he
would tender his resignation to the Pope next March, nine months before
his 75th birthday. This was to ensure there was no gap between him standing
down and the appointment of his successor. Please pray for him and for
his successor.
SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS PROVE PRAYER WORKS
A series of experiments conducted by Professor Leslie Francis from the
university of Wales in Bangor have proved the efficacy of prayer for
healing.
The trials, which involved hundreds of patients who were
recovering from heart surgery. They were divided into two groups, one
which was prayed for and the other not. Not only did the patients prayed
for recover quicker, but even those who didn't know they were being
prayed for recovered faster than those who were not prayed for.
Similar experiments have been carried out in the past,
particularly in the United States involving Francis McNutt, which came
up with the same results. Not everyone is healed, but those who receive
prayer do better than those who don't.
GROWING DEVOTION AMONG IRISH YOUTH
Although faith in Ireland is not what it once was, more than half of
Ireland's young Catholics aged between 20-35 go to Mass each week, according
to a nation wide survey. The finding are a result of research by Fr
Desmond O'Donnell and were published in the March issue of Doctrine
and Life magazine.
YOUNG CATHOLICS KEEN TO SERVE THE
CHURCH
There was standing room only in the Cathedral Hall, Westminster, as
580 young Catholics gathered to meet Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor
one evening at the beginning of March. The Cardinal shared a number
of moments that had deepened his own faith, remembering particularly
World Youth Day in Paris a few years ago. He also spoke about the importance
of prayer and listening to God. There had been plans to divide people
into discussion groups but the numbers were so great that the last half
hour was devoted to questions to the Cardinal.
The Cardinal was delighted at the enthusiastic response,
which he saw as a first step towards building a relationship with the
young adults of his diocese. He was also encouraged by the varied cross
section, background and ages of those present. Some were from the movements
in the Church, but others had come on their own or in parish groups.
The questions from the young adults, whose ages ranged from 15-35ish,
showed their commitment to the Church, to evangelisation and the service
of society at large. Another event is planned for 11th December in the
Cathedral and the Cardinal hopes to extend this single Lenten meeting
into three evenings next year. Karen North, 28, a pastoral worker at
Ealing Abbey, said "I think this event has drawn such a large crowd
because young people are really searching for community, for validation
and relationship."
Cardinal Martini responded to the hunger he found in
young Catholics in his diocese by holding regular teaching sessions
on the scriptures which he led in Milan cathedral. Perhaps we should
pray that something similar could start for young people in London where
they could receive the formation in their faith, which they are obviously
looking for.
FROM GANGLAND TO PROMISED LAND
Those who have read "The Cross and the Switchblade" and "Run
Baby Run" and think powerful conversion stories only happen to
American evangelicals will be pleased to know that they happen to English
Catholics too. "From Gangland to Promised Land" tells the
story of John Pridmore, who full of anger at his parent's divorce slid
into a life of petty crime and eventually became a full blown East End
thug by the time he was in his 20s. By a miracle of grace he experienced
conversion and later went on to become a tireless evangelist for Youth2000
travelling up and down the country speaking about God and telling young
people his story. He is currently a parish youth worker and retreat
giver in the north of England. His story is frank and gritty as he shares
about his experiences as a criminal and the mindless violence he was
involved in, as well as his struggles once he became a committed Christian.
He comments, "The change doesn't happen overnight, however. When
I first found God, I still carried on smoking dope, being aggressive
and sleeping around. Slowly he changed my life, but I still struggle,
even today." The book which was co-written with journalist Greg
Watts is published by DLT price £5.95 plus £1.20 p&p
available from Goodnews Books, 60 Wickstead Ave, Luton. Ideal book to
give to young people who think Christianity is for wimps - one word
you would certainly never use about this man!
SCOTTISH OPEN AIR PASSION PLAY
For those who don't have the money or the patience to wait for the Passion
Play at Oberammergau in 2010, you might like to attend the Lochiehead
Passion Play instead which will take place this summer on 6th, 7th,
8th and 9th June 2002.
Entitled "The Footsteps of Christ", this moving
production tells the story of Christ's life, death and resurrection
and is performed in the open air against the backdrop of the beautiful
Fife countryside at Lochihead near Auchtermuchty. Since 1996 the Lochiehead
Nativity play has been presented every Christmas to great critical acclaim
and was filmed in 2000 by BBC Scotland for its Christmas Watchnight
programme.
 This
is the second time the summer play has been performed. "I will
remember this for the rest of my life" said one very moved member
of the audience last year. Those who come have to be prepared for the
weather. Many people also bring fold up chairs and rugs to sit on, although
these have to be easy to carry as the audience moves from scene to scene
round the grounds. The performances start at 10.30 am and finish at
1.30 pm when people stay and eat a packed lunch. Tickets are £8
for adults and £4 for children. Further details from Lochiehead
Passion Play, 2 Hays Road, Gauldry, Fife, DD6 8SJ Tel 01382 330039
WINTERSHALL OPEN AIR LIFE OF CHRIST
In England the owner of the estate at Wintershall, in Surrey, near Guildford,
also runs very popular open air productions.
THE BLOSSOMING OF MARYVALE
Maryvale, the catechetical centre for the diocese of Birmingham, is
flourishing under the leadership of Fr Paul Watson and his staff. A
recent addition to the team is Nicola Hurley, one of the leaders of
the Spirit of Truth community, who has been evangelising in schools
and parishes for years. She has now been appointed as official advisor
for Evangelism in the diocese and is based at Maryvale. The Sower, the
long running magazine for those involved in teaching and catechetics
has also undergone something of a revamp. The magazine which is edited
by Petroc Willey, is done in collaboration with the office for Catechetics
at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio and comes out four
times a year. It's full of interesting material and practical ideas
as well as teaching. They are currently launching a series on Vatican
II. Subscription is £15 a year contact The Sower, Maryvale House,
Old Oscott Hill, Kingstanding, Birmingham B44 9AG. Many laypeople involved
in Charismatic Renewal have and are benefiting from the various theological
courses at Maryvale. The part time BA course in theology being particularly
popular. For those who don't have time for these, there are various
correspondence courses, including a 3 year Scripture study and faith
enrichment course for individuals or parish groups. For details write
to the Course Co-ordinator, Listening to the Word, Maryvale Institute,
at the address above. Tel 0121 360 8118 fax 0121 366 6786 website :
http://www.maryvale.ac.uk
THE ARC DUE TO OPEN IN THE AUTUMN
Fr David Keniry, who has been involved in Charismatic Renewal for many
years in the Birmingham diocese, has been released by the Bishop from
parish work to head up a new centre for formation and teaching in Coventry.
The Arc, as it will be called, is to be a place of healing and refreshment
for those involved in ministry and a place where the charismatic gifts
will be used. The former convent in Potters Green, which used to house
the Faith Alive mission team some years ago, has been totally refurbished
and will open sometime next autumn. Fr Keniry has had a sabbatical to
prepare himself for his new ministry, which has been on his heart for
many years.
NEW COVENANT MAGAZINE CLOSES DOWN
New Covenant, the first spiritual magazine to serve the Catholic Charismatic
Renewal, which began in the early 1970's has closed. The magazine was
originally an outreach of the Word of God community and published by
Servant publications. Some years ago it was taken over by the Sunday
Visitor, a large Catholic publishing company. Increased costs were making
it no longer financially profitable so the publishers decided to cease
publication. With New Creation in Ireland, also having stopped last
summer, also for financial reasons, this makes the continued publishing
of Goodnews even more important. It is also a reminder, too of the importance
of working together if we want to keep our publication. We need everyone's
support in helping to promote Goodnews, so we can keep our network together
and spread this grace of charismatic renewal throughout the Church.
A really good way to promote Goodnews is to take out a gift subscription
for a friend who you think might be interested or perhaps for your parish
priest. Lucia is always looking for those who might be prepared to be
sale or return agents too. The good thing with this scheme is you only
have to pay for the ones you sell and you don't have to send the unsold
ones back. You simply give them away. Those who are interested should
call Lucia at the Goodnews office 020 7352 5298
BOBBIE CAVNAR DIES
Bobbie Cavnar, one of the big personalities of the Catholic Charismatic
Renewal and the founder of God's Delight Community in Dallas Texas,
died on 15th February 2002. After a successful career in the American
military he went into business and made lots of money. A devout Roman
Catholic, he made his family a priority, choosing where they would live
according to the proximity of the best parishes and Catholic schools,
rather than what would be most convenient to his work. He came into
contact with Charismatic Renewal through his son Jim in the late 1960s,
who was one of the first student leaders to be touched by the grace
and to go into community. Initially Bobbie dismissed it, thinking it
was some hippy aberration of the Catholic faith. But following a powerful
baptism in the Spirit experience of his own, he went on to become one
of Charismatic Renewal's foremost champions, going on to found God's
Delight community and co-founder with Brian Smith from Australia, the
Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships.
He was particularly interested in the use of film and television to
promote the gospel message and was very involved in the setting up of
Lumen 2000, working a lot in Russia in his last years. In this country
he will be best remembered for the video he produced about the work
of Fr Rick Thomas among the poor in New Mexico called "Vivo Cristo
Rey". He leaves a wife and six children, four of whom were at his
bedside when he died.
ICCRS EUROPEAN LEADERS CONFERENCE
IN CZESTOCHOWA
ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services) the link
organisation between the Vatican and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
world wide is inviting prayer group leaders this autumn to a European
Leaders Conference and Pilgrimage at the shrine of Our Lady at Jasna
Gora in Poland (September 24th -29th 2002) The theme of the conference
comes from Pope John Paul II's words to a meeting of Charismatic community
leaders in June last year when he said, "I pray most fervently
that your communities and the entire Charismatic Renewal will put out
into the deep of prayer in order to put out into the deep of mission.
Then you will help the whole Church still more to a life of action and
contemplation which is the womb of evangelisation."
During the conference say ICCRS "we want to listen
to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the European Church in these years
of economic and political unification; to understand better the gifts
the charismatics bring to the Church and to discern God's vision and
calling for the European Renewal." The speakers and themes of the
talks will draw on Pope John Paul II's pastoral letter "Novo Millennio
Ineunte". For further information and a registration form please
contact the registration office in Poland: tel/fax 0048 42 6370425 or
visit ICCRS web site.
NEW DAWN IN UGANDA
Last summer Fr Emmanuel Tusiime, a Ugandan priest on holiday in England
happened to visit the New Dawn conference. He was so impressed by what
he saw - particularly the way the charismatic gifts were combined with
marian and Eucharistic devotion - that he was determined to organised
something similar this summer where he lives in Mbarara four hours drive
from Kampala, the capital. Another factor that touched him was the way
there was something for all the family. In Uganda charismatic events
tend to be geared towards adults or youth ministry to teens and not
combine all the ages as many conferences in England now days tend to.
 Myles
Dempsey, whose original inspiration New Dawn was, and two married couples,
Gloria and Laurie Nobbs and Vanessa and Martin Mason, are all travelling
to Uganda for the event, to give moral support. The Ugandan New Dawn
begins on August 12th and ends on the feast of the Assumption on 15th
August. Fr Emmanuel thinks that up to 10,000 people might come. The
conference will take place in a large, as yet overgrown, field in front
of the Ahuriire Community house a few miles outside Mbarara. Charismatic
Renewal in Uganda has rocketed over the last five years and the Ugandan
NSC reckon that about 600,000 people in the country are now involved.
Mbarara is one of the strongest dioceses as far as Renewal is concerned
and has almost 267 prayer groups. Fr Emmanuel as well as working in
a parish, is youth chaplain for the diocese and together with Fr John
Baptist Bashibora, co-chaplain to the Charismatic Renewal. Those who
might be interested in going or would like to know more and about helping
in some way should contact Fr Emmanuel, Ahuriire Community, PO Box 1973
Mbarara Uganda. Tel 00256 77 415497
NEW DAWN IRELAND
Plans for the first New Dawn in Ireland are also underway. This will
take place at the beginning of July (4th-7th). Early indications show
a high level of interest. Many people being attracted by the presence
of Sr Briege McKenna, who is one of the speakers (see Coming
Events for full list and details).
NEW DAWN BRAZIL
There is also a possibility that the New Dawn vision will also be adopted
in Brazil to. This summer, several leaders from one of the largest Brazilian
communities will be visiting Walsingham to see for themselves how New
Dawn operates and if the concept could be something they could use back
home.
NEW DAWN VIDEOS
In 2000 a 25 minute promotional video about the New Dawn Conference
was made to give people an idea of what they should expect at the conference.
The video is ideal to show to parish groups or neighbours and gives
a real feel for the conference, with interviews with young people and
snippets of the activities and music. For a copy write to FOND (Friends
of New Dawn) c/o Goodnews Allen Hall, 28 Beaufort Street, London SW3
5AA. Donations welcome, payable to FOND.
GOODNEWS AND THE IRISH CONNECTION
As we mentioned in the last issue following the ending of New Creation
last summer Goodnews will soon be available in Ireland. The formal launch
will be at the National Charismatic Renewal Conference in Dublin which
takes place at the Royal Dublin Showground from 21st-23rd June 2002.
Here the Irish NSC will encourage prayer groups in Ireland to subscribe
to Goodnews as a way of maintaining the charismatic renewal network.
Goodnews henceforth will regularly feature Irish writers and coming
events and news. Fr Pat Collins CM, who was a regular contributer for
New Creation, has joined the editorial committee for Goodnews and will
act as a link person with Ireland. Goodnews will also seek in the future
to improve links with the Charismatic Renewal in Scotland and Wales
and readers are invited to write in with any news or coming events which
may be of interest. Write to Kristina Cooper, Goodnews, Allen Hall,
28 Beaufort Street, London SW3 5AA Tel 020 7352 5298 fax 020 7351 4486
RALPH MARTIN ONE OF THE FATHERS
OF THE RENEWAL TO COME TO ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND THIS YEAR
 Ralph
Martin, one of the very early leaders to be involved in the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal and a leader of the Word of God Community in Ann
Arbor for over 30 years, will speak at the Birmingham Conference (see
coming events) in mid-August and then in September he is back again
to Scotland where he will speak in Glasgow at the beginning of September
(see coming events). Eddie McDonagh a member of the National Service
Committee and chairman of the Glasgow Diocesan team says they have been
trying to persuade Ralph Martin to come since they heard him address
the international catholic charismatic conference at Fiuggi in Italy
organised by ICCRS. "He's a really prophetic man", said Eddie
and we are looking forward to hear what he is going to say to us."
COMINGS AND GOINGS ON THE ENGLISH NSC
 Sr
Maria Natella OP, the Dominican sister who has been on the National
Service Committee for several years, is stepping down to concentrate
more on work for her religious community. The community, which is based
at St Dominic's Priory in the New Forest near Lymington, is a new one
seeking to return to a radical living out of the vision of St Dominic
of contemplation and preaching. The sisters wear a full length traditional
habit, pray the full office and have a common purse relying on divine
providence for their needs rather than having paid jobs. While many
orders are having difficulty getting vocations Sr Maria's community,
despite being very small like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal seem
to be attracting a lot of new vocations.
For a full list of their retreats contact them at St Dominic's Priory,
Shirley Holms Road, Lymington, Hants, S041 8NH.
Fiona Hendy, the leader of the House of the Open Door
Community in Worcestershire, has been asked to join the English NSC.
She will be following a family tradition, as her father Roy Hendy, the
founder of House of the Open Door was a member of the NSC for many years.
Fiona for many years has been one of the organisers of Network, the
network of younger leaders to have emerged from the Charismatic Renewal
in England. She is particularly known for her gifts in leading worship
and the prophetic.
WHAT IS THE SPIRIT SAYING?
Continuing on from last year's meeting between the English National
Service Committee for Catholic Charismatic Renewal and representatives
from the Diocesan Service Committees there will be another 24hour meeting
at Newman College in Birmingham from 22nd-23rd June to discuss what
the Lord is saying to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal at this time
and where we should be concentrating our energies for the good of the
Church. Please pray for the event.
MEETING OF THE MOVEMENTS IN MARCH
Following the Pope's call to the lay movements and ecclesical communities
to get to know each other better and serve the Church, there have been
annual meetings with representatives from the different groups in England.
This year's meeting took place at the Centre for Unity in Welwyn Garden
City run by Focalare on Saturday 23rd March. The meetings have helped
lead to a growing understanding of each other's charisms and warm personal
relationships. The Catholic Truth Society has also published a series
of booklets on some of these which are available price £1.95.
The movements covered so far include Focalare, Faith Movement, Youth2000,
Ascent, Opus Dei, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo. We also will
be continuing our series on the movements in Goodnews, starting with
Austen Ivereigh's article on page on the St Egidio Community. The booklets
price £1.95 each plus 50 pence p&p are available from Goodnews
Books, 60 Wickstead Avenue, Luton.
ARCHBISHOP OF BIRMINGHAM ENCOURAGES HIS WHOLE
DIOCESE TO PRAY
For the second year running Archbishop Vincent Nichols,
the archbishop of Birmingham, commissioned the team who produce Bible
Alive to print for him a prayer booklet with daily meditations for Lent
for the whole diocese - 90,000 copies. These were given away free. Bible
Alive meanwhile is doing very well in Britain and Ireland and has a
print run of 30,000 copies each month. This is a sign of the growing
interest among Catholics of having a daily reflection on the Mass readings.
Those interested in obtaining Bible Alive should contact them at Graffic
House, 124 City Road, Stoke on Trent, ST4 2PH. Tel 01782 745600.
PREMIER RADIO
Premier Radio, the London Christian radio station,
has had its licence renewed for another 8 years. Although it is very
successful, there were some doubts about its renewal as government policy
is much more towards promoting multi-faith broadcasting. Premier is
also trying to organise a special prayer team which will undertake to
pray each day for the prime minister, Tony Blair, that God will grant
him wisdom for the decisions he has to make. Those who join up will
be contacted from time to time with updated prayer points to focus on.
They have already recruited over a thousand people but hope to get 5000
prayer warriors for the PM. Those interested in participating should
contact Premier Lifeline 0207 316 0808
RECORD ATTENDANCE AT CELEBRATE 2002
A record 1350 participants, nearly half of whom
were below the age of 30 attended this year's Celebrate Conference at
Ilfracombe in Devon over the Easter week. The conference, which grows
in popularity every year, had been fully booked weeks after it was advertised
and many had to be turned away.
Celebrate's distinctiveness from other Catholic conferences
is that it is based at a holiday camp site with swimming pool, mini
golf and other activities. This means that families can choose how much
time they want to attend the spiritual programme and how much to spend
on entertainment. There is also a huge emphasis on the programme for
children, teenagers and young adults, drawing on the various youth mission
teams and communities to animate the different streams, as well as bringing
in catholic bands like Emmaus from Ireland and CJM from Birmingham.
About 350 children under 15 were catered for and 200 young adults (15-23
year olds) participated in the Joel's Bar stream (see Tom
Hall's testimony for the effect this can have on young adults).
The generosity of the participants is also extraordinary
and over £30,000 was raised in the collection. This will be given
to support the work of young people and communities involved in evangelism
in the Catholic Church and an orphanage in Burma, following the talks
of Lord David Alton and James Mawdsley, who spoke about the oppression
out there.
This year the theme of the conference the Call to Holiness
(Thess 4:3) which was developed in both the main conference and among
the children, teens and young adult streams. Each morning was devoted
to the exposition of a particular papal encyclical. The four covered
were - Christifidelis Laici by Charles Whitehead; Verbum Dei and Veritatis
Splendour by a former theology professor from the United States, Marcellino
D'Ambrosio and Evangelii Nuntiandi by another American, Dave Nodar,
the director of the evangelisation ministry, Christlife. In the afternoons
there was also a huge variety of workshops ranging from how to paint
ikons, to business ethics and marriage seminars and the evening sessions
were times of praise and ministry with challenging exhortations to live
the Christian life. For those with the energy there was also a late
night fringe programme of music, humour, chat and dancing in the bar.
Little wonder that participants can't wait to get back.
Charles Whitehead the chairman of the organising
team comments, "We are actively considering how to expand Celebrate
so that more people can come, without losing the important family atmosphere.
The tremendous popularity of Celebrate shows the need for family events
that combine good teaching and liturgy in a relaxed and entertaining
form which all the family can enjoy, and where everyone's needs are
catered for." SO BOOK EARLY NEXT YEAR!
CELEBRATE CONFERENCE GOES INTERNATIONAL
This summer the first Celebrate Conference overseas
will take place in Austria. Hans Peter and Verena Pache, leaders in
the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Austria were so impressed by their
visit to the Celebrate conference in Ilfracombe two years ago that they
were inspired to run their own Celebrate conference back home. They
were particularly struck by the way there were activities for all the
family and its Catholicity but ecumenical openness.
POWER TO CHANGE IN IRELAND
A new ecumenical evangelisation initiative, backed
by the four major denominations in Ireland, including the Catholic Church,
is set to get the whole country buzzing about the good news of the gospel
this autumn. Power to Change is a Nationwide Media Campaign to mobilise
Christians in Ireland share their faith. The initiative comes from Vancouver
in Canada where 600 churches participated and 42,000 people were trained
to share their faith in 1999.
There will be a media blitz using
television and billboards from 24th September to 21st October 2002 and
churches are being encouraged to organise events that will link into
this, and take advantage of the national publicity that will be promoting
Jesus as the "Power to Change" lives. The Power to Change
team are organising training programmes to help people share their faith
and have produced a booklet and CD Rom for parish and church teams to
distribute to interested people.
There will also be an interactive website (www.powertochange.ie)
and a phone response centre for those who respond to the ads and a series
of high profile Christian concerts that will also link in. Like with
Billy Graham missions, churches that send people to be trained will
be registered to receive referrals from the website and phone response
centre.
SCOTTISH NEWS
LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINARS FOR
GLASGOW UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
 Brother
Paul Sacco, the diminutive smiling octogenarian leader of the Anawim
prayer community in Glasgow, ran a successful Life in the Spirit Seminars
for a dozen students from Glasgow university as two day retreat in mid
March at Craig Lodge retreat centre in Dalmally. He was supported in
this by members of the Glasgow diocesan service committee, who helped
give some of the talks and provided a ministry team. Eddie McDonald,
the chairman of the Glasgow DST comments, "It was totally Brother
Paul's initiative. He asked us to pray about it at our weekly intercessory
group. He then approached Fr John Keenan the university chaplain who
was very open. It was the most wonderful weekend and the young people
who were all theology students, seemed very touched. For almost all
of them it was their first exposure to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
It's amazing that someone of Br Paul's age ( 88 )can have such a wonderful
rapport with young people and that he is still so full of energy. We
made sure that we sent people to help who were really gifted in words
of knowledge and ministry for praying over the young people. Everyone
who took part was very blessed ."
Fr STAN COMING TO GLASGOW
 The
Glasgow Charismatic Renewal is unique in being the only diocese in the
UK that has its own office at St Aloysius Church, which is manned regularly
by volunteers. The Diocesan Service Team, headed up by Eddie McDonald,
is very active and organises bi-monthly weekend events, at the church
of Christ the King. Currently there is no youth ministry in the diocese.
In an effort to encourage youth participation they have invited Fr Stan
Fortuna CFR, the very popular Franciscan preacher and musician from
America to come November 13th-18th to go into schools in the Glasgow
area. Fr Stan came last year and was a great hit with the 14-18 year
olds he met because of his openness in discussing sex and drugs and
many of the challenges that young people face today. Fr Stan will finish
his visit with a Day of Renewal at Christ the King parish and concert
for all the children and their families .
The key to everything says Eddie is the weekly intercessory
meeting the team have at their office every Friday. This has been very
helpful in providing spiritual backup for events they organise and the
Lord has often spoken through these gatherings and helped them refine
their plans. At one such meeting last year when they were praying about
a weekend with Fr Jack McArdle, they received the words, "Extend
your tent", which they felt was the Lord telling them to get a
bigger venue than they had originally planned. They did this, moving
from the Holy Cross Convent which held about 180 people to Christ the
King church which held 300 people which was totally full.
THE LORD PROVIDES
When Eddie took over as chairman four years ago, the team had a debt
of £5000 due to some necessary music equipment that had been needed.
He comments, "I felt the first priority was to clear the debt.
We wrote to all the prayer groups and told them our needs and they were
very generous." Within a year and half the debt was cleared and
they had some funds over. Eddie continues, "We felt as we had some
money over we should pass this on the people so we reduced the next
renewal weekend from £18 to £5. Because it was so cheap,
even more people came and we still ended up with a surplus." They
decided they should give this away and made a donation to Nunroe Abbey,
which had hit very hard times due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic. And
since then after each weekend of renewal, after covering their expenses,
they give away the surplus to various charities such as Pro life initiatives.
They also give £100 a month to help send Christian books and CDs
to those in prison. "The more we seem to give away, the more the
Lord blesses us," says Eddie. " We are getting it all back.
It's incredible."
The team are also feeling a new call to go out and evangelise
in the streets in some way and they are discussing how they might do
this with David McGill, the leader of the Risen Christ community, whose
covenant community began in this way.
The city which has a troubled history ecumenically, particularly
between Catholics and Protestants, but this month 3rd-4th May the Glasgow
team are organising an ecumenical weekend with a Baptist and a Catholic
as main speakers. (see coming events). Iain Archibald from The Edinburgh
City Fellowship and Alec Gilllies from the Victory Church in Govan are
also involved. Usually Ecumenical events tend to be organised by the
other churches says Eddie, but time it's the Catholics, who are initiating
things. "It's very exciting," he says. The theme of the weekend
is Luke 9.49 and Jesus saying that "those who are not against him
are with him." The seeds for some of this ecumenical feeling happened
when many people from the different churches took to the streets last
autumn to protest against a pop concert in the city by Marilyn Mason
a professed Satanist. "Everyone was there," said Eddie, "even
the Mormons. There was a great feeling of solidarity."
FIRST NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AT
CARFIN
The Scottish National Service Committee are organising on June 1st a
National Day of Renewal at Carfin, the national shrine to Our Lady (see
coming events). Fr Jim McManus CSSr former provincial of the Redemptorists,
and now based at Kinnoul in Perthshire is the main speaker and in the
afternoon they will have workshops on the the different spiritual gifts
led by people gifted in these areas, including words of knowledge and
prophecy, inner healing etc.
|
