Zion Baptist Chapel
Prior Baptists will be pleased to note that even though they have lost their own chapel, normal service is now resuming from Lode. Welcome to Simon Goddard, Lode's new minister...
ARE YOU GOOD AT CHOOSING GREAT GIFTS?
AS December all too quickly comes upon us, our minds naturally turn towards
Christmas. Many of us, I guess, start feeling a bit anxious as we think of all
of the presents that we need to buy. What do you get people when you know they
already have everything they need? Perhaps this is the year for you to surprise
your friends and family with something a little bit different! In the year when
everyone from Gordon Brown to Bob Geldof has been seeking to 'Make Poverty
History', a visit to the website www.greatgifts.org (or a call to 0845 600
6446) might be just the answer to your Christmas prayers.
The cheapest gift available on the site is the Screen Saver for £5 - but this gift isn't for somebody's computer! The Screen Saver is, in fact, a mosquito net which will help stop a child being one of the two million people killed every year by malaria. When you order a gift - ranging from £5 to £5,000 Đit is actually somebody living in poverty who will benefit, whilst your friend or family member is sent a personalised card which lets them know how somebody is better off as a result of a donation made in their name. They can breath a sigh of relief that they didn't get another pair of novelty socks and you can both feel that you have made a real difference to somebody's life. Of course, this is a radical alternative, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how your friends react to you doing something a little bit different this Christmas! A less radical, but equally ethical choice, is to buy something that has been fairly traded. A local business www.one-world-is-enough.net (tel: 01223 413322) offer a wide range of interesting and useful gifts from around the world as do www.tearcraft.org and www.traidcraft.org.
Did you know that Mary and Joseph were homeless when Jesus was about to be born, and that the whole family were refugees for the next couple of years? It somehow seems appropriate, therefore, that as we focus on the birth of Jesus, those less fortunate than ourselves should also be in our minds at this time of year. We look forward to seeing you at Lode Chapel this advent, and being able to personally wish you a happy and blessed Christmas.