Micah Australia updates : People's Climate March : Cuts to aid : Voices for Justice : Prayer vigils as advocacy

November Update Hi Everyone, here is your guide to Micah's latest events, actions and resources.

Events People's Climate Marches (27-29 November) This weekend world leaders will be gathering in Paris on the eve of the United Nations Climate Summit. Meanwhile, across the globe, millions will gather in their cities to create the biggest climate event the world has ever seen. Let’s stand together to protect God’s creation and stand with the vulnerable poor whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by climate change. Click here to find out when and where your local march is happening this weekend & take the opportunity to pray for the Climate Summit this week in personal and corporate prayer using this toolkit. Actions Dear Prime Minister After the biggest ever cuts to aid, Australia is on track to recording its lowest ever investment in aid. That's not something we want to see, so with the mid-year budget update just around the corner, please write to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, to ask him to stop the cuts and start investing in a better future for people in our region and for a world free from poverty. Once you've taken action, you may even consider hosting a 'Mailing Party'. Click here for more details and to take action.  Blogs Prayer as Advocacy In conjunction with our Voices for Justice gathering in October, hundreds of Christians from churches across the country gathered in prayer vigils as a form of advocacy to our powerful God.  Read about what happened in our latest blog and consider how you might use 'prayer as advocacy' this coming week as world leaders negotiate climate change targets which will have most impact on the poorest and vulnerable people in our word. You can download all prayer resources here. Micah Australia http://www.micahaustralia.org/

micahaustralia.org     (02) 8317 5080   |   info@micahaustralia.org   |   Suite 413/410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 Micah Australia is a coaltion of churches and Christian organisations raising a powerful voice for justice and a world free from poverty. Copyright © 2015 Micah.

Anglican and Episcopal churches across the globe offer prayers for #Paris

Please stay tuned.  

Plans are underway for an Interfaith Service of Remembrance at 6pm on Thursday 

related to the recent events in #Paris and #Beirut. 

It will be held at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Lydiard Street, Ballarat.

Prayer Care ... at St Paul's and, on a large scale, the World Council of Churches.

St Paul's believes in Prayer Care
and has established a weekly routine of intercessory prayer
including naming streets in the Parish of #Ballarat East.
There are major items relating to our larger world, too.

But it seems that we are outclassed by the
World Council of Churches
and the 
World Communion of Reformed Churches.

They are taking on whole countries - and guess what?!
We are included. This weeks roster is for the nations of Oceania.
That's where the Land of Oz is situated.
But please take time to consider the other nations of our neighbourhood.
I particularly suggest West Papua; Papua New Guinea and Nauru -
but you have the rest of the week to go so you can keep moving further east.

With the WCRC we invite weekly prayers for specific countries. Please join us to pray for the nations of Oceania. @Oikoumene

— WCRC (@Reformedcomunio) August 17, 2015

Prayer changes everything.
You might not see it.
You might not know it.
Over time, though, you can certainly feel it.

Praying for the world - starting with the formation of the Guild of Saint Paul, an intercessory prayer group.

The letter below has come into Advocacy's mail box ... from Common Grace.

Please note, however, that Constantine, Parish Priest at St Paul's, is establishing the Guild of Saint Paul, an intercessory prayer group.  His aim is to have members of the Guild praying in St Paul's four hours a day.  So much happening in our world. We want to have consistent prayer for those events and situations which are plaguing humanity.  We will burn a candle or three as well. If you aren't part of the community at St Paul's but would like to join in this work, please phone Advocacy's secretary on 0477 477 658 or email Advocacy at advocacyballarat@gmail.com.

Picture above is from here

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Friend,

We are writing to you today with a call to prayer for the weekend ahead. Leaders throughout the Asia-Pacific began meeting today to discuss the humanitarian crisis unfolding in our region.¹  At this stage, around 7,000 Rohingya asylum seekers are still stranded on the same boats they have been on for over two weeks, with countries in the area continuing to refuse to accommodate them.

As you probably are aware, our own government is also still refusing to help.² It is a devastating situation for those of us who believe that all people are created in the image of God.

The reality is that, as Christians, we know a Saviour whose response is one of inclusion and acceptance. Who says 'Yes, yes, yes' to the 'whosoever' that would come, and extends unconditional love to all. Yet we can find our earthly leaders' response is the opposite, as rigid policies and political slogans take precedence over compassion and common sense. 

Yet even in these times, we can hold on to the hope we have in Jesus, and bring our concerns to him in prayer.

Let's all join together this weekend and pray specifically that:

• The Rohingyas are helped off the boats and given shelter.          
• A search and rescue operation is launched to find other boats from Myanmar.
• Governments work together to end the persecution of the Rohingyas.
• Governments provide a clear 'front door' for refugees to seek asylum in our region so that they aren't forced to come on boats.
• Australia takes a lead in the region by giving the Rohingyas and other refugees a permanent home.
• The people of Australia will be generous and offer welcome to those in need.

At the moment there seems little hope, yet we believe in a God who raises the dead and for whom nothing is impossible. Together, let's believe God will work miraculously to bring a solution to this crisis.

With Grace and Peace,
Tim, Justin and the whole Common Grace Team


PS. Why not forward this email to your pastor or the person who will be overseeing prayer in your church service this Sunday?

A vigil for victims of violence for International Women's Day. #MakeItHappen

8 March is International Women's Day.

This year's theme is #MakeItHappen.

St Paul's is  marking the event -

we want to make things happen for women

in Australia and across the world

who are victims of violence.

Check out the map below displaying the security of women

around the globe 

We want things to change so women, and their families, 

can live in peace.

Please help us to make the vigil a success by taking

the graphic below and using it for posters

and for emailing your friends.

Map above from here

Some sections of the Australian community can no longer find their heart. #PrayerCare

Please pray for John Grayson 

and the bureaucrats and politicians who are doing this to him. 

 If you are not too sure about prayer, 

please send kind and positive thoughts towards him and his circumstances.

Post by Newcastle Herald.

Prayer - doing it without ceasing

This is one way to pray without ceasing.

Another is The Jesus Prayer.

Two things to remember about prayer:

1. Things go better with God and with prayer
2. Prayer is subversive -- arguably the most subversive thing you can do

PLEASE PRACTISE PRAYER CARE! - Negotiations are expected to bring the Nigerian girls home.

Picture from here

Saint Paul's at Bakery Hill has a special interest in Nigeria. Father Constantine, our parish priest, is from Nigeria - and the people of our parish think he is rather special.  Probably because of Father Constantine - who is a chaplain at Federation University and who walks the streets at night speaking to some of Ballarat's poor and homeless - the parish feels a special connection to this particular issue of the missing girls in Nigeria.

A few months ago we held a Sunday afternoon of silence and reflection at St Paul's - with quite a bit of candle-lighting accompanying the prayers!

The article in The Guardian speaks of a possible breakthrough and that the girls may be returned.

Advocacy will be meeting this week and the item will be on the agenda - so please stay tuned to hear details of further silence and reflection times at St Paul's.  If you are on Facebook, please check out our site and 'Like' us.  This will help you to stay in touch with our news and our thoughts.

And please remember, 

Prayer is everywhere - and goes everywhere!  

Please practise PRAYER CARE!