Good News from Serbia

Dear friends,

I just need to share some great news from last night. As you know for several year now, we are planting a church in Kragujevac, city of 300,000 people in central Serbia. The whole city doesn’t have a properly established protestant church and has just couple of dozen Bible believing Christians.

 

Last night [13/03/13] Ivan’s small living room of 12m2 was full with people. None of them were believers. There were Ivan’s and Andriana’s relatives and friends, mostly guys with reputations of street wise guys and petty thieves. It was so great. Jon Beardon [Wellspring Family Church, Dereham] was preaching the gospel  and from 12 non believers 9 responded. They all stood up and prayed together with Jon.

 

This was a moment that we had been waiting for. After many visit and preaching, they listened and listened and now was a time to be brave and respond.  It was a great, authentic New testament church planting adventure. God is great! Please pray for us that those folks will continue and pray for us for wisdom and grace to establish a church foundation in this totally unreached city.

With God’s grace

Vlada

Vlada Stojanovic
Good News Church
Nis, Serbia

Christian charity shows pain of East Anglia debt

Debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty has today launched a report showing the painful effects of living with debt in our region. Jenny Seal reports.

The national debt counselling charity, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which has two church-based centres in Norfolk, has revealed that many of their East Anglian clients say that the stress of debt has affected their health, their ability to feed their children and their desire to live.
 
The new report, launched today, says that 72 per cent of clients in East Anglia said that before accessing help from the debt counselling charity, stress was affecting their health and a quarter were missing meals regularly. A fifth said they were unable to feed and clothe their children and a third said they were even considering suicide.
 
Angie Rusbridge, Manager of the Norfolk North CAP centre in Aylsham said: “These statistics show the reality that people in debt face every day and it’s a grim picture.
 
“Debt doesn’t just concern your bank balance – it can rob you of your health, your marriage, your ability to care for your family. That’s why we are so determined to make a difference for people in this situation.”
 
Within the East, the average debt the charity tackled in 2012 was £11,976 – just a little more than most of those clients earned in a whole year.
 
CAP’s findings reveal the main four causes for debt across the UK are unemployment, low income, relationship breakdown and problems with budgeting.
 
Angie Rusbridge added: “Many of the clients we see are having to make terrible choices about eating or heating or pacifying creditors. Our service is free and available to everyone regardless of age, gender, faith or background and it’s completely non-judgemental so I would urge people with debt problems to give us a call and to see what we can do.”
 
CAP has 218 centres, which each partner with a local church, across the UK which give a face-to-face free service in the client’s home making it ideal for parents with young children, elderly, disabled and distressed people.
 
The charity works by negotiating with creditors on the client’s behalf, assessing the household income and drawing up a fair budget so repayment can begin.
 
Each client can continue face-to-face care from the local church, if they want it, to encourage them as they battle back into the black, usually within five years.
 
For more information about CAP visit www.capuk.org or for help call 0800 328 0006.
 
The Norwich Central CAP centre works in partnership with Surrey Chapel, 2-6 Botolph Street, Norwich, NR3 1DU email: norwichcentral@capuk.org.
 
The North Norfolk centre works in partnership with Aylsham Community Church, Jubilee Family Centre, Norwich Road, Aylsham, NR11 6JG

Article Copyright Network Norwich

Acoustic Norfolk evening to savour from Philippa Hanna

Christian singer Philippa Hanna produced an entertaining evening of contemporary acoustic folk music with the help of the Daughters of Davis at Aylsham Community Church last night (March 8). Keith Morris reports.

 

Philippa held a packed house of over 200 people captivated not only by her delightful brand of folk and bluegrass acoustic guitar but also the stories that lay behind each individual song.
 
Opening with Happy in My Skin, which Philippa obviously is, she explained how being born into an Irish showbiz family defined her childhood and choice of career.
 
Moving into Summer Bride, also from the Out of the Blue EP, we learnt of the heartache of Philippa’s flatmate. The catchy Raggedy Doll went down well with an appreciative audience and the picture it painted of a perfectly-made toy. Apples was golden rather than poisoned until Philippa mentioned her love of Norwich anti-hero Alan Partridge, which did not go down so well with her Norfolk audience.
 
A sneak preview of Philippa’s first-ever single, the upbeat Lighthouse set to be released on March 25, brought her first set to a close.
 
An unbeat Work in Progress kicked off the second half leading into Cherry Coloured Coat from her forthcoming album Through The Woods with an oblique reference to Little Red Riding Hood. I Am Amazing was a personal favourite followed by a moving Godfrey Birtill cover when Philippa also spoke of the day she played to 20,000 peopl at the O2 Arena while supporting superstar Lionel Ritchie.
 
A haunting cover of You Are Always in My Mind and a sing-along version of I Saw The Light, with Daughters of Davis as backing singers brought the set to a close.
 
An encore was demanded by the appreciative audience and Philippa responded with The Love You Always Give Me to round off an excellent night’s entertainment.
 

Earlier in the evening, soul sisters Fern and Adrienne of Daughters of Davis in the support slot also went down well with the audience. Especially a cover of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and their own Where Do We Go from album To The Water, which was so popular with the audience that they completely sold out of copies on the night.
 
The event was put on by the Norfolk-based www.spiritmusic.co.uk.

Article by Keith Morris, Network Norwich

Landmark year for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia support group

On one side of the hall, a group of four were busy playing a game of bagatelle, and on the other, a painting session was taking place.

Many people would be forgiven for believing The Sycamore Tree was a regular luncheon club – and in many respects it is.

But this particular group at the Aylsham Jubilee Family Centre supports people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and their carers.

The organisation was set up by the Aylsham Community Church, based at the family centre, and will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary on March 25.

It was originally formed because there was a lack of dementia care services in the town and the family centre wanted to become a base for community groups seven days a week – which it has achieved.

Alzheimer's support group, The Sycamore Tree, at Aylsham's Jubilee Family Centre. Group leader Liz Hendon. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Liz Hendon, 77, from Aylsham, has run the group with her husband Peter, also 77, since the beginning and said: “I cannot believe it has been 10 years.”

Since its launch about 35 couples have been supported. They come from north Norfolk, including Mundesley, Sheringham and North Walsham, as well as Taverham, Norwich and Postwick.

Mr and Mrs Hendon will be handing over the running of the group to Donna and John Smith in April but will join the 16 volunteers who support the sessions, held every other Monday, 10.30am to 1.45pm.

Mrs Hendon said: “The Sycamore Tree is a friendship group. When you have dementia or when you care for people with dementia, your friends fall by the wayside because they don’t know how to cope with it. Some people are on their own because the people they cared for have died. So this really is a social group.”

She added: “They find coming somewhere like this very helpful. They want to have fun because it is a 24-hour job for the carers.”

Mrs Hendon said even though holding the sessions was demanding and hard work, at times it was “amazing” because the sessions allowed carers to forget about their worries for a short time as well as make new friends because everyone was accepted.

As well as art, activities include gentle exercises, a regular bagatelle competition and cognitive work. The Alzheimer’s Society also provides advice for carers every three months.

The carers enjoy an annual ten-pin bowling trip and a hot meal is provided for everyone during each session.

Alzheimer's support group, The Sycamore Tree, at Aylsham's Jubilee Family Centre. Carers, left, Ann King and Rita Martin get some respite at the group. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Tony Connor, 68, from Thorpe Marriott, cares for his wife Patricia, 64, who started showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease in her late 40s and now has vascular dementia.

He said: “The Sycamore Tree has made a heck of a difference. Having somewhere to come is good. As a carer you do need a bit of help. I battled through long enough without any help but in the end it wears you down.”

Normandy veteran Frank Scott, 92, from Newton St Faith, used to care for his wife Jill, 84, before she moved into a home with Alzheimer’s disease.

The grandfather and great-grandfather has been coming to the group for nine years and said: “I have made a lot of friends. Liz makes you feel very welcome and always puts on something interesting.”

Sybil Brooker, 75, who lives off Newmarket Road in Norwich, has been coming to The Sycamore Tree since it started and continued to enjoy the sessions after her husband Harry Brooker, 84, died nearly four years ago.

He was head of presentation at Anglia Television and had Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years.

Mrs Brooker said: “Harry’s face lit up when he came to the group. It allows you to relax with your friends and have a bit of me time.

“In many ways it has been my saviour. I have made friends because whatever your background you have that one thing in common. It has been a lifesaver.”

The group is funded through grants and supported by Aylsham Family Church.

For more information, ring the family centre on 01263 734801 or email info@jubileefamilycentre.org or visit www.jubileefamilycentre.org

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By Sophie Wyllie

, North Norfolk News

Monday, March 4, 2013
5.42 PM

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