Christian Aid Week
15–21 May 2011
Notes for those leading worship
This act of worship provides a full service for use during Christian Aid Week, ideally on the
morning of Sunday 15 May. Feel free to use any of the material from within the service to
incorporate into your own services where necessary.
The Christian Aid Week DVD-ROM Worship Resources section also contains sermon notes,
general prayers, prayer stations, a talk for speakers, an all-age talk, a youth group discussion
and a children’s activity sheet.
Prayer and action cards and Christian Aid Week envelopes are available for use in the
offering (page 7 of the order of service). Please request free copies of these resources by
calling 08080 005 005.
Christian Aid in Nicaragua
At this point in the service (page 3) the short film Out of Poverty can be shown. You can find
this in the films section of the Christian Aid Week DVD-ROM. Alternatively you can use the
following talk.
Talk
Leader:
The reading we’ve just heard from the Book of Acts is an inspiring and
challenging story of how the apostles were moved by the Holy Spirit to
hold all things in common, to share their possessions, care for those in
need and eat together full of rejoicing. Jesus had shown them a bigger
picture of what life could be like when they looked beyond their own
concerns and let themselves be transformed by love. But stories like
that don't just happen in the Bible. In almost 50 countries across the
world, Christian Aid partners are changing communities and individuals
by working together in the spirit of cooperation. Let's hear the story of
just two of them. They live in the Central American country of
Nicaragua.
Reader 1:
(Holding up a picture of Fátima, from the photo gallery on the Christian
Aid Week DVD-ROM)
Fátima Ismael is the director of Soppexcca (pronounced so-pecks-ka),
a Christian Aid partner organisation. Soppexcca helps poor coffee
farmers in Nicaragua to produce and process good-quality coffee and
then market it nationally and internationally. By working together in
cooperatives, communities gain the confidence to take charge of their
own lives, and decide what kind of support they need to help
themselves. For the cooperatives, unity is strength.
It helps them to negotiate a fair price for their product; and more than
that, it enables them to make real improvements in the life of their
communities. The work of Soppexcca has enabled them to overcome
all the odds, and believe that a better life is possible.
Fátima is driven by her belief that poverty can be beaten, and by her
commitment to the potential of the cooperatives, especially in
education. She speaks memorably of her vision: ‘We’re not just about
bread for today, but also for tomorrow. But we don’t just want bread.
Notes for those leading worship
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We want bread and honey and milk.’ She says: ‘Christian Aid gave us
a key, as if allowing us to enter a building.’
Reader 2:
(Holding up a picture of Gustavo, from the photo gallery on the
Christian Aid Week DVD-ROM)
Gustavo Adolfo Talavera is a small coffee farmer from the Los Alpes
community in Jinotega, and a founding member of one of the
cooperatives that make up Soppexcca. Until he encountered the
organisation, he had few prospects and was struggling to make ends
meet. But a loan from Soppexcca enabled him to expand his farm,
build a small and environmentally sound coffee-processing plant, and
produce organic coffee which is exported internationally.
Gustavo wanted his community’s children to have possibilities that he
himself did not have; to learn to read and to have an education.
Children attended makeshift school lessons in his front yard. But he
dreamed of a day when the community could have a school of its own.
A few years ago, this was an impossible dream.
But Soppexcca supported him and donated materials. Gustavo and
other community members built the school themselves. Now, children
in the community are looking forward to going to university. Gustavo
says: ‘Our work has not been in vain. We set our mind to do the school
and we managed to do it. This is pride not only for me, but also for the
community.’
And he has a message for us as well: ‘We have used all the funds we
have received sensibly; no matter how big or small your contribution,
we will make the best use of it. We are very thankful for your support.
God gives us all the power to succeed.’
Leader:
(Holding up a picture of your own church)
We don't always remember to look at the bigger picture, and remind
ourselves that we belong with Fátima and Gustavo inside the same
frame. Christian Aid hears similar stories from all over the world from
partners we support. Where our gifts, campaign actions and prayers
through Christian Aid are joined together with the vision and enterprise
of partner organisations and the commitment and struggle of ordinary
people, real change is happening; people are moving from poverty to
a more abundant life. And we are a part of that!
And because St Paul tells us that when one part of the body rejoices,
all the other parts share its joy (1 Corinthians 12:26), we here today
are going to celebrate the work of Soppexcca in our customary form,
by giving three rousing cheers/giving a hearty round of
applause/singing Alleluia (choose as appropriate).
Notes for those leading worship
2
Hymns and songs
For the world and all its people (words on page 5 of the order of service; music overleaf)
Suggestions for opening hymn or song (hymn of praise)
• Sing to the Lord a joyful song
• Now thank we all our God
• God is love: let heaven adore him
• Christ is alive! Let Christians sing
• My Jesus, my saviour
Suggestions for hymn or song before Gospel
• Praise, my soul, the King of heaven
• The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want
• Here I am to worship
Suggestions for hymn after intercessions
• For the world and all its people
• Father, hear the prayer we offer
• Lord, hear my prayer (Taizé)
• Ubi caritas (Taizé)
Suggestions for final hymn
•
•
•
•
Sent by the Lord am I
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
There's a spirit in the air
One more step
Notes for those leading worship
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For the world and all its people
Please feel free to print out the music to use as an insert in your own order of service.
Somos Pueblo/For the world and all its people
Music Spanish from Misa Popular Nicaraguense, arranged by John L Bell (b 1949)
Reproduced with kind permission from the author, and from Church Hymnary 4th edition. Published by Hymns Ancient &
Modern Ltd
© Christian Aid January 2011
UK charity number 1105851 Company number 5171525
Scotland charity number SC039150
Northern Ireland charity number XR94639 Company number NI059154
Republic of Ireland charity number CHY 6998 Company number 426928
Notes for those leading worship
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