News

Crowhurst Christian Healing Centre is offering an online retreat this Easter.

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The story of Easter has the potential to significantly transform our lives, yet all too easily this mystery at the heart of Christian faith is missed, especially in these momentous times we are living in.  Take time with us to stop and ponder the significance of the last week in the life of Jesus.

Each day at 10am there will be a time of worship, reflection and sharing led by a CCHC Chaplain.  The retreat is free, although donations would be welcomed. For more information and to book, please visit the website www.crowhursthealing.org.uk

Connect with your community

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Connect with your community

The new Hope for All magazine helps readers plan a post-Covid Wellbeing Journey with TV presenters Joanna Adeyinka and Simon Thomas. Edited by Eastbourne journalist Catherine Butcher, the 32-page magazine turns the spotlight on celebrities and their faith – singer Justin Bieber, cricketer AB De Villiers and James Lusted from Songs of Praise. Four real-life stories focus on reasons for hope and one feature suggests that celebrating Christmas and Easter together this year makes perfect sense. We also hear some good news stories from people who’ve tackled debt successfully and get the inside track on the trailblazing children’s gaming App Guardians of Ancora. Copies of Hope for All cost just 10p each – order magazines from www.hopetogether.org.uk/shop. Copies will be dispatched from 3rd March.

Why non-Christians’ perception of the church is changing

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A new poll has found an improvement in non-Christians’ perception of the UK church as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey, conducted by Savanta ComRes and commissioned in partnership by YourNeighbour and international Christian children’s charity World Vision, found since the start of the coronavirus pandemic found 25 percent of non-Christians agreed with the statement that the UK Church is making a positive difference in the world, compared with 19% three years ago.

The study, which surveyed 2,170 respondents, also found that 42% of UK adults agree that local Christian churches are making a positive difference in their community, with 24% disagreeing.

Read More

Local Youth Worker Publishes Book on Transition ‘From Isolation to Community’

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From Isolation to Community

Released in Kindle format on Amazon on Tuesday 2nd February 2021, this book is a timely look at the impact of covid-19 on youth work in different contexts around the UK.

Jenni tells the story of youth work during the pandemic, showing how young people have been cared and provided for during some of the most restricting times in living memory.

This is a book which begins the collective conversation about where we might go from here. Tackling a blend of online and outdoor activity and demonstrating that ultimately it is themes of hope community and sanctuary that will prevail.

Buy the book here https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08VNCSK4Z

About the author: Jenni Osborn has been working with young people and children for more than 25 years, with a wealth of experience in both working with young people and also supporting those who support young people. She has worked in a variety of contexts including youth worker, teacher, school’s worker, school governor, trainer and mentor as well as currently hosting The Jenni Talks Podcast. Jenni attends The Gather Collective in Eastbourne.

For more information look at her website www.jenniosborn.org

Contact Details

Email: hello@jenniosborn.org

Phone number: 07594 331654

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennitalks

Twitter: @JHOsborn

Instagram: @jenni.osborn

Beachy Head Chaplains Seek New Staff

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Join the team and save lives at Beachy Head

Being a chaplain is hugely rewarding, our Chaplains offer hope and support in a person’s darkest hour. It’s also a privilege for our Chaplains to represent the families, friends, and colleagues of those people who present at Beachy Head feeling there is no hope left in life.

BHCT are recruiting for 2 vacancies:

  • a salaried full time (37hrs) Chaplain
  • a salaried Part Time (20 Hrs) Chaplain

If you are a Christian and can get to Beachy Head by car and believe this maybe a calling you wish to pursue, we would love to hear from you.

Full training and equipment is provided. Our training of chaplains takes 3 months to complete and you will receive personal, one to one, mentor-based training, you will never be on the head alone and will always work alongside a more senior team member. We also always provide support and after-care counselling.

Find out more here

Church Resources For Fairtrade Fortnight

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Every year, the UK celebrates Fairtrade Fortnight which raises awareness about trade justice, where products we buy everyday come from and how we can easily help through our shopping habits. The Fairtrade Fortnight is coordinated nationally by the Fairtrade Foundation with local branches, including Eastbourne, working in their locality. This years, it’s from 22nd February to 7th March.
This year the Foundation released new resources for online ecumenical services.
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/resources-library/current-campaigns/fairtrade-and-the-climate-crisis/ecumenical-service/

The Eastbourne Branch are also promoting a Fairtrade poem. They hope it will go up in a few public places including local food stores like Coop. They have a digital download for newspapers which can also be made available to churches for their newsletters – more details will be posted soon.

YMCA Chaplains Adapt and Innovate to Meet Local Needs

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Here is an extract from their latest newsletter:

The chaplaincy sessions have been well-attended (nearly 600 attendances in the past 3 months!) and a really good way for residents to socialize safely in a time when it is easy to feel disconnected and alone. There have also been additional sessions at our lower support housing projects (usually tea, snacks and a chat) and it has been really good to be able to offer these. We have had lovely feedback from residents (“Wednesday, chaplaincy day, is my favourite day of the week” ) and staff (“it’s nice to see a different face”)  as well as external agencies such as social workers (“I think chaplaincy has really made a difference at the Foyer “).

Unfortunately, the latest lockdown has meant that we can no longer do shared meals and group activities have been put on hold at the projects in order to minimise the risk of Covid-transmission. We are exploring online chaplaincy sessions and we have also started having 1-1 walks with residents. Please keep our residents and staff in your prayers at this challenging time – we are so very grateful not to have had any significant Covid outbreaks at our projects, but the restrictions take a toll.

Find out more and how your church can support them here

Chaplaincy volunteering is temporarily on hold but if you are interested in finding out more about this for the (hopefully!) near future please contact one our chaplains:

West Sussex – Samantha Burton  : Work mobile: 07557855779 | Email: samantha.burton@ymcadlg.org

Brighton and Hove – Lucy McGrath: Work mobile: 07741240452 | Email: lucy.mcgrath@ymcadlg.org

East Sussex – Elly McKay-Smith – Work mobile: 07884 549308 | Email: elly.mckay-smith@ymcadlg.org

Archbishop urges 6pm daily prayer amid coronavirus concerns

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In response to reaching the terrible milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, the Archbishops invite all to call on God in Prayer. Starting on 1 February we invite you to set aside time every evening to pray, particularly at 6pm each day. More than ever, this is a time when we need to love each other. Prayer is an expression of love.

Find more here including the call to prayer and a prayer resource.

Eastbourne Day of Prayer Draws 25 Churches and Over 200 People Together

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An estimated 250 people from 25 different churches took part in Pray for Eastbourne – a morning of prayer for the town, which took place on Zoom on Saturday 23 January 2021.

The event was led by leaders from four different churches: St John’s Meads with St Michael and All Angels; The Well Community Church in Langney; St Mary’s Old Town and Gateway Church in Hampden Park. Guests, who contributed prayer points throughout the morning, included the Bishop of Lewes and Eastbourne’s MP Caroline Ansell, as well as more than a dozen spokespeople from different ministries and organisations in the town such as Foodbank, St Wilfred’s Hospice, Kingdom Way Trust, Matthew 25 and many others.

Feedback from those taking part in the morning was hugely positive with several commenting on how encouraging it was to hear from such a wide range of ministries and to learn how they have continued to work through the pandemic. The 80-120 people who were attending at any one time, divided into breakout rooms in groups of eight, after hearing from the speakers. They then had time to pray, often with people from different churches to their own. Even after the four-hour event ended, more than 50 stayed online, reluctant to leave, having enjoyed the morning of prayer and fellowship across the range of churches from different denominations.

Eastbourne Holocaust Memorial Online This Year

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“Shoes on the Danube bank” – Monument as a memorial of the victims of the Holocaust during WWII on the bank of the Danube, Budapest, Hungary.

The council would like to extend a huge thank you to all the community members who have put so much time into gathering resources for the hub and sharing  their ideas and wisdom. A special thank you goes to Stephen Rosenberg, Dorit Oliver-Wolff BEM and Robin and Ruth Foster. This extensive resource and a wide variety of related resources can be found at https://www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/community/holocaust-memorial-day-2021/