benbell

what difference does fairtrade really make?

Do you want to know what difference fairtrade really makes?

Here’s your chance (if you can get to London!) to hear from the farmers themselves.  You are invited to a special evening at the crypt fairtrade café on Upper Street in Islington.

Two Ghanaian cocoa farmers will be coming to the Crypt Café next Thursday (3^rd March) evening  at 7:30pm to talk about what fairtrade means for them.

They’ll be free samples of divine and dubble! –made with the cocoa they grow.

The Crypt Café is underneath St Mary’s Church Upper St. Islington London N1

6 Nations Rugby

Do you know your awareness wristbands?

It’s all going on if you are a manufacturer of wristbands at the moment, many of the young people I work with have got them, with the most popular one being the black and white anti racism one.

Here is a guide to the colours and themes, they are a great conversation starter, so why not get one yourself, unless you are a big as me and then you run the risk of cutting off the blood supply to your hand! A risk I am currently taking for the sake of youth ministry!

Yellow: ‘Livestrong’ The original created by lance Armstrong – has now sold over 21 million

Blue: Anti-bullying, anti-Bush vote, tsunami relief, prostate cancer

Pink: Breast cancer

Red: Heart-disease, vote Bush, anti-tobacco, HIV

Purple: Cystic fibrosis, lupus (also orange), domestic violence

White Make poverty history, right to life

Orange: Asperger's, self-harm

Grey: Diabetes, brain cancer

Black & white: Racism in football

Green: Ecology, leukaemia, organ donor

Gold: Childhood cancer

Black: Mourning, melanoma

Canada

Have just got back from a wonderful long weekend in Ontario, Canada. My brother lives out there and got married on Saturday – Congratulations Jez and Kristin!

We had a fantastic time looking around the area – middle of no-where! And getting used to walking with snow shoes on, is quite an art.

Jez works as Director of Year Round Ministries at Camp Mini-Yo-We, which takes the concept of outward bounds weekends to the next level as far as I can see.

I am already planning my next trip to get out there and visit.

lemon jelly dvd

Have just watched the new lemon jelly dvd that features animation to accompany their ’64-’95 album. The coexistence of image and music to take things to the next level is simply breathtaking. For anyone who is involved in the facilitating of worship – go buy it! There are just so many tracks that have a creational feel with a freshness that is rarely seen. The vibrancy of colour and fluid motions of shapes will, I’m sure bring to life those who gather to seek it.

Loving young people

Lois, who works alongside me as a youth worker here in Islington brought this poem to our evening service on Sunday. She talked about how she sometimes finds it hard to love the young people we work with (something I can relate to) and how after a draining session a couple of weeks ago she went to the local park and wrote this.

Here I sit

My church floor made of grass

My cathedral dome the sky

My offering basket the council estates nearby.

I open my purse and bring out my heart

I have nothing else to give.

I feel your love in concrete high rise

Where chicken and chips is eucharist;

Your grace calls me to partake

As I see your pain in hungry eyes.

I feel so empty, robbed of power,

And then I think of you, helpless in your final hour,

And I know my church is where you live

Amongst the broken glass and brittle hearts.

You draw me out until I cannot help but love,

Against my will but merging now with yours,

And I realise that my need of you

Is all you need to work through me, your church.

I particularly love the lines

‘I feel your love in concrete high rise

Where chicken and chips is eucharist’

If you work with London Youth then the chances are that you will know about the deep significance of chicken shops!

My Grandmother

Today we went to Garsington just outside Oxford for the funeral of my Grandmother who died on Saturday morning aged 91. We buried her in the ancient churchyard, close to her parents and many other members of the Johnson family who at one time were one of the biggest land owners in Oxford.

A memorable day and one of significance. It’s amazing how much you learn about your family at a funeral. I have a real heritage in and around Oxford, which until recently I knew nothing about.

And life really does just trundle on, no-one can stop it, although we have plenty of opportunities to celebrate it. Today was one such Day.