“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6 v8
Sunnyside has a long tradition of supporting mission groups both here in the UK and overseas. We do hope that over the past year you have been inspired by the presentations in church and our monthly prayer focus in MailChimp and on the website. We support these organisations through your prayers, many of them very have strong connections to Sunnyside and just once a year we ask you to support them financially. Each charity is well known to us and the money carefully spent.
Church Mission Society (CMS) is a worldwide organisation that supports Christians working in many spheres, doctors in Africa, helping with sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, teaching theology and providing employment for those with disabilities in places where there is no other support. In this country, amazing projects encourage those who live on the margins of society, the long term unemployed and provide a safe place to a drop in, crafts, conversation and hope. Our link mission partner is Chris and his family who live in Spain meeting people through their daily lives and the food bank they organised during the pandemic, inviting them to their home for food, a time to share the Gospel and pray. Chris also directs a charity called Zeal which mentors and encourages groups of Christians in the Middle East. Chris travels there regularly to meet and support them.
Wycliffe Bible Translators is a mission agency with a big vision, a world where everyone can meet Jesus through the Bible. It was founded in 1953 and even today 1 in 5 people do not have the Bible in their own language, 3312 languages have one book available and the full Bible has been translated into 670 languages. Wycliffe translators work within communities to translate the Bible into local languages and dialects knowing that people’s lives can be transformed just by reading or hearing the Christian Gospel in their own language. We have particularly supported its Banyole Project bringing the Bible to life for half a million people in Eastern Uganda.
Embrace the Middle East supports partners in the Middle East to transform the lives and restore dignity to the most excluded and marginalised communities. Their goal is to help all people in a very troubled region of the world – it is rooted and inspired by Christ’s invitation to care for those in need. They have 4 core values, respect for all those who need help regardless of their background or beliefs. Trust as they trust God to sustain them. They work for all humanity helping them to flourish. Compassion- every human is treated with compassion especially those who are marginalized socially, economically or had their human rights compromised. Honesty and integrity are the foundation for every aspect of their work. They provide schooling in refugee camps, hospital care, send mobile clinics to remote areas and provide education, employment and activities for the disabled.
JENGA Community Development Outreach – Loved Children’s Centre. Many of us remember Bex setting out for Uganda for her Gap year. Could we have any idea of her vision and what has been achieved for the children and their families over the years she has been in Namatala? The building of the Children’s Centre with day care for the neediest children has allowed the mothers to work and provide for their children. The Centre has identified many suffering from malnutrition and other aliments or conditions and helped to get them the treatments they need. This year has been very challenging with a measles and TB outbreaks but there have been great achievements too. One example is the start of a Dad’s group where the fathers can come together to talk about family life and the issues they face. Bex’s next project is to build a community centre to provide a safe place where parents can have advice and helpful information on topics such as health and nutrition. Times have been hard with increased food prices handicapping the Centre’s efforts to provide nutritious meals for the children and also to buy food for the poorest families.
Playskill is a local charity that supports families with children that have both physical and educational delayed development. It was founded by a paediatric physiotherapist in 2006. They have playgroups for children aged 1-5 and is the only charity providing free expert support with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language experts. Pre-school children can enjoy playing and while they have fun they are learning to stand, eat, walk and communicate.
Chiltern Multiple Sclerosis Centre at Halton. A centre for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis, providing physical, practical and emotional support. They have a hydrotherapy pool where the warm water provides buoyancy enabling movement of muscles reducing spasms so patients can improve their balance. The centre provides all round care, physiotherapy, speech and language, fatigue management, nutrition and many more therapies to help MS sufferers to live a life as full as possible.
DENS started out as the Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter and has grown into an amazing charity. They are the first port of call locally for those suffering poverty, homelessness and social exclusion, supporting and empowering them, enabling them to take the next positive steps in life. They have been rebuilding lives for nearly 20 years. The Elms is a 44-bed hostel where people can live away from the streets until they are equipped with confidence and skills to move on to independent living. Last year 164 people came to the shelter and 76 were able to move on, receiving support and advice. DENS operates a drop-in centre where showers, clean clothes a hot meal and someone to talk to are offered. They provide an “open space“ two days a week with crafts, workshops and art for the vulnerable and those who risk homelessness and social isolation.
Hospice of St. Francis . The hospice helps about 2000 local people in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire needing end of life care, to live their lives well through improving symptoms, achieving personal goals and feeling safe. The hospice team listens to the patient’s family, friends and loved ones to provide dignity and to shape a care package making the most of every day. Doctors, nurses, and social care professionals all provide care as well as chaplains and therapists to give spiritual, emotional and physical comfort. Everything that can be done will be done to care for patients and their loved ones. Bereavement support is offered either with one-to-one counselling or in a group.
Hopefully you have been truly encouraged by the work of the 24 organisations that we support. We do need your help to continue giving to them, so as to enable them to continue the work to which God has called them. NO amount is too small, yet collectively we can make a big difference. We do appreciate that times are hard for us all and for these charities as well. Please do pray about the charities and for how much you can give this year. Every gift is valued.
Our Gift Day leaflet can be found by clicking on the link.