Click to GIVE TO OUR HARVEST APPEAL
On Sunday 6th October we will celebrate harvest as part of our all-age worship. Every year we give thanks for all that God has given us, not least in the gift of new life found in Jesus Christ.
This year, our financial harvest appeal will be split between Thrive Youth Ministries (local) and the Fairtrade Foundation (international). To find out more about these charities, scroll down to read about them or click on their names to go to their official websites.
As always, we will also take food donations and pass these on to our local Foodbank. Do click the following link to see what our Foodbank really needs donating.
About our charities
Thrive Youth Ministries (LOCAL)
Thrive Youth Ministries seeks to share the good news of Jesus with the next generation by supporting, enabling and inspiring churches (and their workers), within a thirty minutes drive of their base in Leamington, to develop a thriving youth ministry.
Research shows that 75% of people commit to Jesus before they are aged 25 but at the moment 95% of young people have little or no contact with a local church, let alone know about Jesus. This means there are thousands of youth in Warwickshire who do not know of Jesus’ love for them, nor what wonderful plans He has for their lives.
Churches and their workers need inspiring and support in knowing how to change this; Christian children and young people need to know they’re not alone. Through this harvest appeal, you can support Thrive sending out workers into His harvest field, working with churches to reach Generation Z and Alpha.
Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:37-38
As an act of faith, Thrive continue to do just that—they have just recruited Marvin Vogel as a Youth Outreach Enabler. Marvin is excited to use the Thrive Bus as just one “vehicle” to help churches reach out to the local youth. He recently came to our Manifesto Group (focused on developing our youth work) and was of great encouragement to us with his enthusiasm and ideas!
Thrive also recognise that a thriving youth work will only succeed with a thriving children’s work. Through this appeal you will also support the work of our very own Fiona Stutton (daughter of Pauline), who loves sharing her passion for enabling children to hear the gospel. She has years of experience, having worked in churches across England as well as leading missions in South Africa. Each summer, Fiona also runs One Way UK’s Puppet Academy team, choreographing and teaching puppeteers across the country ready to perform at the European Puppet Ministry Festival in Autumn.
As our local youth head off to University, start in a new school or class this Autumn, Thrive once again seeks to inspire churches in how to share their love of Jesus to this ‘lost’ generation. This is a harvest that needs reaping — that’s why Thrive is our local charity for harvest.
Fairtrade Foundation (INTERNATIONAL)
This year, the Fairtrade Foundation charity celebrates its 30th birthday with over 6,000 products now bearing the Fairtrade label from over 2 million workers and producers. It’s not just food…
The Foundation exists to provide better trade terms and safer working conditions for farmers and workers (women and men) in the developing world by setting them high standards and giving training in collaborative farming and sustainable use of the land. Those farms and production facilities that meet their standards get certified, enabling their goods to be sold with the ‘Fairtrade’ label.
In addition, these farmers / workers also get a ‘Fairtrade premium’, which is an additional sum of money for them to invest in their communities to improve living conditions—particularly through better health and education; helping them to be more resilient as they face the dual challenges of climate change and poverty.
Through a rigorous process, the Fairtrade Foundation continues to recruit, inspect, and train new farmers and providers in many developing countries, enabling them to take advantage of that much desired Fairtrade mark. Enabling this kind of godly justice is not cheap, and as a Fairtrade Church we want to do our part. That is why the Fairtrade Foundation is our international charity for Harvest.
Those who oppress the poor taunt their Maker, but whoever is gracious to the needy honours God
Proverbs 14:31
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardthomas78/403947560
How can I give?
By bank transfer: please label your transaction ‘harvest’. Details to do this can be found here: https://warwickbaptists.org.uk/giving
By card: use the online form below.
By cash/cheque: place your money in an envelope marked ‘harvest’ and put it in the box in the foyer in the church building in the weeks around 6th October.
Thank you for giving whatever you can.