Disasters Emergency Committee Middle East Humanitarian Appeal

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is launching a Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to raise urgent funds for people whose lives are being devastated by conflict.

Over the past year, conflict in the Middle East has devastated lives across the region, and millions have fled their homes in search of safety. Right now, millions of people across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region are in urgent need of food, shelter and medical care.

In Gaza, the scale of need is overwhelming, with thousands of people already dying of hunger and disease, as well as injuries caused by the conflict. Food and clean water are desperately scarce and ninety percent of the population have been displaced, often multiple times.

In Lebanon, more than a million people have had to leave their homes in recent weeks. Shelters are overwhelmed, and hospitals are struggling to treat the thousands of people injured.

In the West Bank, vital water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure has been damaged by ongoing violence and families have been displaced from their homes.

DEC member charities are coordinating closely with each other and with local partners to provide lifesaving food, water, shelter, medicine and more.

In Israel, tens of thousands of people have been displaced and are living with the trauma of the conflict. The DEC is monitoring the evolving situation and a number of DEC charities are ready to expand their response to include Israel if significant unmet humanitarian needs are identified.

For more information and to make your donation, please visit the DEC website. You can give through that website, or through https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/dec-middle-east-humanitarian-appeal, where you can read about Christian Aid’s work there.

The DEC brings together 15 leading aid charities at times of crisis overseas where there is significant unmet humanitarian need. Despite extraordinary challenges and risks, 14 DEC member charities are responding right now in Gaza and Lebanon and 8 in the West Bank, including British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “Millions of people, including many thousands of children, are dealing with almost unimaginable trauma. Many have been displaced multiple times and have no homes to return to. Now food and medical care is scarce and families face devastating choices to survive.

“DEC member charities are responding right now in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, providing lifesaving food, water, shelter and medicine – this humanitarian support is a vital lifeline for millions of people in overwhelming need of assistance. But our member charities urgently need more funds to meet the huge levels of need. We are asking people to please donate now to save lives.”

Rachael Cummings, Humanitarian Director at Save the Children, who is just back from Gaza, said: “What we are seeing right now is a humanitarian catastrophe on an entirely new level. There is nowhere safe for children and families to go.

“The rate that people’s health is deteriorating is extraordinary. Previously healthy communities are just wasting away. We are seeing increases in children with diarrhoea, jaundice, respiratory conditions – which are all illnesses that, when combined with extreme hunger, can kill a child in days.

“Children have also had their education completely disrupted for over a year and will bear the brunt of this conflict for years to come.

“We are doing all we can to respond to children’s needs and are urging the UK public to donate to the DEC appeal, so we are able to deliver the vital aid that children and their families, who have lived through this brutal conflict, so desperately need.”

The UK Government will match the first £10million of donations from the British public to the DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to provide vital humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict.

Anneliese Dodds, Minister of State for Development, said: “The suffering of civilians impacted by the conflict across the Middle East is intolerable. Humanitarian support is urgently needed for the most vulnerable people. Charities play a crucial role in providing help to those most affected, and need your support.

“That is why we are matching public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to provide urgent humanitarian assistance up to £10m. This will be used to provide life-saving aid including medical supplies, shelter and clean water to those who need it most.”

For more information, please visit the DEC website. You can give through that website, or through https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/dec-middle-east-humanitarian-appeal, where you can read about Christian Aid’s work there.

About the DEC: The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities at times of crisis overseas to raise funds quickly and efficiently. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. The DEC’s 15 member charities are: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.

All 15 of the DEC’s members are either responding or planning to respond in the Middle East and will receive funds from this appeal. Some may work through trusted local partners.

Moving the Dial: Developing Practices of Justice

All We Can have produced this resource to help churches explore and embody the ‘Practices of Justice’ from the Methodist Church’s Justice-Seeking Church strategy.

This is not to encourage churches to start lots of new initiatives, but to help congregations ‘move the dial’ towards better ways of doing justice in what they are already doing. The sessions feature games, prayer activities, videos, and practical suggestions around the areas of Being With Not For, Humility in Community, Self-Awareness and the Use of Power, Transformation, and Prayer.

Local Arrangement October 27th

This will be the occasion of a visit from Kathryn Campbell of the Learning Network, when she can share exploration and discussion of “all age / inter-generational worship” and what that means for us locally.  It is a chance to hear about the experiences of others and of material available, with time to think about our own sharing in and of worship more generally.

Kathryn and Jenny are in contact about a zoom meeting to “brief her” on our situation; any further details will be in the email and News-sheet for 27th October.

Pastoral letter from Andrew Baker – belated posting

Dear Friends, August 2024
Greetings to you. I know it is a bit of a strange arrangement: I am living in our
manse in Glasgow and being the Superintendent of two circuits, Strathclyde
and Angus, Dundee and Perthshire. It seemed like the right thing to do, so
let’s respond to God’s invitation and make something of it – by God’s grace. I
shall be spending three days every four weeks in the circuit, including worship
on a Sunday, the first one being on 8th September at Perth in the morning and
then at Arbroath at 3pm to share in celebrating a new chapter in the mission
and ministry of the circuit. We shall mark the work with the Dundee Women’s
Hub, where Marian will be leading the circuit’s ministry, and the witness at
Arbroath where Sue has a pioneering role as a local lay pastor. These are two
initiatives which have emerged in the life of the circuit.
We also have an eye on next year when the six Methodist circuits in Scotland
will become one. There is much to be done in preparation for this, but we
rejoice to claim our identity as Methodists in Scotland, being connected with
some remarkable ministry and mission which is taking place throughout this
nation. God has not given up on us! As a stimulus to this togetherness, I
urge you to make The Gathering at Stirling a priority on the weekend of
September 20-22. It begins on the Friday evening with events throughout the
weekend focused on the Golden Lion Hotel in the centre of the city. Why not
book somewhere to stay for the weekend or make arrangements to
“commute”? Our featured guests are the Methodist Presbyter/Astrophysicist
David Wilkinson and the Methodist Deacon/Church on the Margins Advocate
Eunice Attwood. Register by visiting the Eventbrite page, where there is also
a link to the programme for the weekend.
I am looking forward to connecting with as many of you as I can as we pay
attention to the grace of God at work in these challenging times. Our thoughts
this summer are still with the people trying to live in the towns of Ukraine’s
borders in the east and those in Palestine/Israel as well as the islands of the
South Caribbean as they begin to consider rebuilding after the devastating
effects of Hurricane Beryl. We are wondering what the consequences of the
general election will mean for local communities and families in the months to
come and pray for all those in leadership.
Jill and I are also aware that this time next year I shall be “sitting down” after
32 years since I left Keynsham as a student minister, but we intend to stay in
Scotland and be part of the adventure which lies ahead for the people in
Scotland called Methodists. I wonder what that will mean . .
Peace to you all, Andrew

Catch up with the Gathering 2024

There are now more than a dozen videos varying in length on the Scottish Methodist Gathering YouTube channel so you can catch the flavour of the weekend from dancing to drama, bible study to bagpipes, poetry to preaching.

The planning group met this week to review the event; we are very grateful for all feedback received and recognise that there is always much to learn.  If you have skills to offer to the ongoing planning for future events, please don’t be shy!

The next Gathering in 2026 will be held in Dundee with the theme of ‘Gathering to Create’ and will include the chance to see some / all of The Methodist Art Collection.  So – we are looking for creative people to take part / lead sessions / inspire / demonstrate and also looking for everyone to come along and be inspired.

Dundee Methodists’ Gathering summary

At our recent meeting, we decided / discussed

  • There will be public worship in Roseangle on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 Dec) at 10.30 am.
  • A series of Bible Studies will be offered to ADP and Strathclyde Circuits on Friday evenings on the following dates – Nov 22nd; Nov 29th; Dec 6th; Dec 13th. Appreciation was expressed for the recent ADP series on “Daniel”.
  • A monthly ‘Hour of Fellowship’ via zoom will be offered for Dundee folk, initially on Saturday evenings at 7 pm – see accompanying Supplementary Sheet 106 for proposed dates.
  • Support for our ecumenical partnership via Broughty Ferry Churches Group through payment of the requested £40 for 2024-5 was agreed. The financial donations towards the work of the Food Bank at St Luke’s, Downfield are also known to be appreciated.
  • Reports on the Scottish Gathering were positive and encouraging, including “signs of hope” for future working together across the District (and as a ‘Scotland Circuit’) through as relationships develop.
  • The Circuit Meeting heard encouraging reports of outreach work developing with the Lay Pastoral Appointment & forthcoming re-opening of St John’s, Arbroath, plus positive news of the Women’s Hub in Dundee, and with users of the premises in Perth.
  • Next Gathering – suggested for mid-January 2025.

Transform your church’s online presence

‘Getting Started Online’ is a dynamic course designed to empower churches and communities to harness the
power of digital tools and platforms for mission. Whether you’re a digital novice or just looking to sharpen
your online skills, this course is your gateway to engaging efficiently in the digital mission field.

Join in on the Monday afternoon sessions (five in total) from 1.30pm-3.00pm starting on November 4

Free sign up

The Chaplaincy Chain Podcast

This new podcast explores chaplaincy and its relationship to the wider church.

Gary Hopkins, Ministry Development Officer with responsibility for chaplaincy,
considers how chaplaincy should be embraced as part of the mission of God
in The Chaplaincy Chain Podcast, hosted by the Free Churches Group.