FINANCIAL UPDATE

The magazine deadline approaches, I am staring at a blank piece of paper, watching the rain pour down outside and my thoughts drift back to the Christian Aid Appeal letter for the Mozambique flood victims. The parish donated £425.85 towards the appeal in just 2 weeks, boosted to £500 with a contribution from the Wednesday coffee morning charity monies plus an additional £21.30 collected at a recent Servers' gathering. Although Mozambique's troubles are no longer headline news recovery will take months and months and I reproduce herewith the prayers contained in that original letter from Christian Aid.

We remember the people of Mozambique in the words of Psalm 69.

When I come into deep waters
and the flood sweeps over me,
I cry out in weariness to my God:
'In the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
'Do not let the flood sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up.
For your love is steadfast, and
your mercy abundant.
When I am in distress
draw near to me,
make haste to answer me.'

Amen.

O Compassionate Lord,
I would prefer power over the storm, a secure home,
a life protected from the floods.
But help me to live with storms,
shelter with friends,
see my plans broken,
but not my life;
Rebuild again and again from the earth.

Amen.

 Adapted from Dear Life: praying through the year with Christian Aid. Christian Aid/Janet Morley, Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, 1998.

Our magazine advertisers provided recent income of £191 and interest and dividends from investments during the past few weeks paid a very welcome £471 into the church current account. An excellent concert of music and singing given by Sue and Colin Towner and Roz Etherington on march 11th raised £59.82 for general church funds. It is intended in future to take the cost of such things as Palm Crosses (£20), Charcoal (£8) and other similar items relating directly to worship from the Eucharistic Gifts funds. I have sent the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Registry a fee of £25.40 for the services of a relief priest for an 8.am Sunday Service. This puts into perspective how grateful we are to Father Arthur Green for the services he takes at St George's at no charge when the Vicar is away.

Linda Wainwright, Hon Treasurer to the PCC

Stop press: Details about the revised Gift Aid Scheme in next month's magazine.

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