Churches urged to join campaign

Norwich churches are being urged to join an international campaign for fair trade launched by Christian Aid.
International trade is one of the most powerful forces in the world today affecting each and every one of us,” said Eldred Willey, Norfolk area co-ordinator for Christian Aid.
“Managed in the right way it could be one of the greatest solutions to global poverty, bringing investment, employment and income.
“But for that to happen, the rules of trade need to work for the poor. Too often, the current rules only serve the interests of rich countries and powerful corporations, meaning poor countries are squeezed out or exploited.
Christian Aid’s new Trade for Life campaign calls for a major overhaul of the rules that run the international trading

major overhaul of the rules that run the international trading system. Together with other organisations it calls for new rules that: have poverty eradication as a key objective; are monitored to check their impact on poverty; are decided by a democratic and transparent process; are enforced to make sure the rich as well as the poor abide by them andcover the activities of large transnational companies as well as governments.
“At the moment, none of the above happen,” said Eldred. “We want to make sure our political leaders place a major review of trade rules on the international agenda.
If you want to join the campaign, you can contact Eldred at the United Reformed Church, Princes Street, Norwich, NR3 1AZ, telephone 01603 620051 or e-mail ewilley@christian-aid.org.

Jenny reaches out to deaf city church

Deaf Christians are giving a Norwich church the ‘thumbs up’ as its services are tailored to meet their needs. Sandie Ridgley reports.

Jenny Aldridge heard God’s call to help span the gaping chasm between the deaf and hearing Church and became the first deaf Reader in Norwich three years ago. As a young Christian she experienced the igniting fire of the Holy Spirit when she was confirmed into the Church of England.
Her Lord voiced her service call. She witnessed, first-hand, alienation between the local church and a profoundly deaf visitor who was unable to communicate, hear the sermon or worship in the same way.
“I knew then that God was calling me to new pastures to work with the deaf and I felt a strong stirring inside me,” says Jenny who left the Methodist

Rev Gordon Howells and Jenny Aldridge.

Church at 16 years to join the local church for the deaf.
Jenny was born partially deaf but on her 21st birthday her hearing disappeared completely. Despite being plunged into a soundless world, she harboured no anger or resentment. Instead, her disability has birthed increased empathy and a daily challenge “to serve the deaf community and enable them to know the Lord”.
“Communication is vital between God, hearing Christians and those who have faith but are deaf,” explains Jenny, who aims to take the message from her Norwich Church for the Deaf to other hearing churches to help inflame a kindred spirit towards different worship ideas.
“We do not follow the hearing way of worship as we would not understand it but deaf people can worship God and receive Jesus as saviour,” says
Jenny, who uses and teaches sign language and would welcome invitations from hearing churches to share and

promote her insights.
Her job has forged a loving relationship with those she serves. She helps lead monthly Tuesday morning services at the Norwich Vauxhall Centre and with the help of public transport she ministers to the needs of the sick and bereaved.
Jenny is optimistic, as she continues to help minister to the growing 20-strong congregation. She looks for continual new growth, extending the frontiers for this church for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Chaplain Rev Gordon Howells is helping to organise a forthcoming trip to Spring Harvest. Quiet days, Christian conferences with signed interpreters and an up and coming choir are in the pipeline too.
More details from: Rev Gordon Howells, The Rectory, Green Lane West, Rackheath, Norwich, Telephone: 01603 720097

Parenting group gives chance for a quiet chat

By John Breeze

If you have young children you will appreciate the simple pleasure of being allowed to just sit down in a quiet, uninterrupted atmosphere for an hour to enjoy a coffee and a chat.
This is precisely what the Christian Centre for Care and Counselling on Catton Grove Road in Norwich is offering parents.
The Meeting Place is the new name for the 4Cs Parenting Group.
Organiser Ann MacDonnel said: “Our purpose is to allow parents one hour for themselves during the week when they can meet up in a quiet, pleasant atmosphere and talk without constant interruption!
“There is a creche for the children and coffee freely

available. So far we have found that the time has provided opportunity to share our common experience in bringing up our children, talk about what we have been doing during the week and generally begin to hear the stories of each other’s lives,” she said.
“The difference about Meeting Place is that it is not another activity,” said Ann. “No one has to do anything apart from come along and enjoy the time to talk and think in an unpressured way. All sorts of subjects come up and there is a chance for more structured learning and discussion if that is what people feel they would like. So come and add your voice.”
Everyone is welcome to the group which meets in the lounge at 70 Catton Grove Road from 10.30-11.30 on Wednesday mornings.
More details from The 4Cs 01603 427777.

Millionaire to missionary

Chris and Linda Mundford.

Former Norwich millionaire Chris Munford lost his money, his family and almost his father before God turned his life around. He is now a missionary in Kyrgyzstan as he told John Breeze.

I had it all. Money, luxury, a lovely wife and family and I lost the lot, said Chris Munford formerly of Norwich and now working with WEC in Kyrgyzstan one of the former Soviet republics.
“I was director of a double glazing company which went into voluntary liquidation in Oct 1990. My life was in a mess. My wife divorced me and our three daughters stopped seeing me. I had a breakdown and then God laid hold of me,” he said.
“I was living in Essex and my father came for his usual Sunday visit. After lunch he sat in the chair and died. I cried out to God “You’ve taken everything else from me - please don’t take my father!

“And my father just revived! I can’t explain it but that’s just what happened,” said Chris. “After talking to an Anglican priest my girlfriend and I went through confirmation classes and we both became Christians.”
The couple married and moved to Norwich to take up a new job. They attended Holy Trinity Church and then Taverham Evangelical Church where they began to discover their calling to be missionaries.
Linda, Chris’ wife, says that they were just sharing their faith with anyone they met.
“Our friends, families, people in the streets. It just seemed to happen. Three times someone said I should be a missionary.”
For Chris it was different: “I had a definite call. God gave me the words in Romans 10v15 about beautiful feet carrying good news and my feet are anything but that,” he said. “Yet on three occasions people who knew nothing about me prayed over my feet. It was uncanny!”
After investigating several missionary societies, Chris and Linda were accepted by WEC and following a year working their way through Bible College in Australia they

found themselves in Kyrgyzstan.
“It’s a very sad place,” says Chris, “The people are very poor. The population of about four and a half million comprises a great mix of nationalities. There are Uzbeks, Ukranians, Turks, Germans as well as Kurgiz and many others. There’s lots of alcohol and drug abuse there and there is nowhere for the people to go and 80% of families are affected by addiction in one way or another.
“We’ve formed a company called Jackshee Kabar which means “Good News”. We just offer them hope working from our home which is a simple, typical Soviet apartment. We meet them on the streets, they are so open to the Gospel - they don’t seem to have the rational hang-ups that so many have here!
“We’ve got the Alpha Course in Russian and the great video Transformations which is all about prayer and we’re using that to encourage them to pray about their own country and we hope to see some transformation there!”
Their contact address is WEC International, Bulstrode, Oxford Rd, Gerrard’s Cross, Bucks SL9 8SZ.

Middle East expert to speak in Norwich

Middle East broadcast journalist and author David Dolan will be addressing an audience at Mount Zion Family Life Centre in Norwich in October.
David is a much sought-after speaker and an expert on the Middle East. His career began in the early eighties at the Voice of Hope radio facilities in Southern Lebanon. At the peak of the Gulf War he was an important voice reporting on CBS radio and television programmes. David is a popular speaker at many significant events including the annual “Shavuot Conference” in Jerusalem sponsored by Christian Friends of Israel.
He has lectured in Christian and secular universities, Jewish forums, churches and civic groups in the US, Britain, Germany, Singapore, Hungary, Australia, Ireland, Holland and Canada and China.

Being no stranger to the media, David is often a guest on many major radio and television network programmes in the US and elsewhere, and reports regularly for the Moody Radio Network.
David’s 1991 book, Holy War for the Promised Land has been an international success. Around 100,000 copies were sold in English. A further updated version, titled Israel at the Crossroads, was released in 1998. His books, include his end-time novel titled The End of Days. David’s latest book Israel in Crisis: What lies ahead? was released at the end of 2000 and has been extremely well received.
David will be at Mount Zion on Heartsease Lane in Norwich on Thursday October 25 at 7.30pm. More details from 01603 462200.

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