Purpose
- To
encourage Christians (including youth) in the Bristol region to express
more of God's heart to bring good news to the poor globally, through
prayer, evangelism, social action and campaigning for justice.
- To
provide a network to help them to work together with different
organisations and churches to achieve this.
- To
raise the profile of smaller organisations working in the Bristol
region, as well as larger national organisations, so we can encourage
each other to see God's kingdom come.
The Forum
The forum first met
in January 2003. It is steered by Janet Mills (Woodlands and TEARfund),
Mike Ogborne (Blythswood Care and Cornerstone), Paul Tipler (Bristol
Christian Fellowship (BCF) and Aspire), and Roger Allen (BCF and
Christian Aid).
The forum comes
under the umbrella of the Bristol Christian Action Network (BCAN) and,
so works closely with Paul Hazelden and Stephen Abbott.
The group consists of:
- Members of Bristol churches, who want to
raise these issues (including information about their church's overseas
links) and encourage action in their churches.
- Members of organisations involved in global
issues, such as TEARfund, Eurovangelism, Christian Aid, Blythswood Care
and Aspire, who also have numerous suggestions for action.
- Members of groups already involved in these
issues and arranging events, such as BCAN, North - South Forum, Trade
Justice Movement, Jubilee Debt Campaign and the Bristol and South
Gloucestershire Fairtrade Networks.
- Members involved with ICQ (evangelism through
social action) and the Bristol Prayer Wall.
Action

- In the lead up to Fairtrade Fortnight in the
first two weeks of March, the group helps spread information about the
issues and how individuals and churches can get involved and take part
in events in the Bristol region, such as manning stalls in
supermarkets.
- Networking (whether face-to face or through
email discussion or website) and sharing of information to help raise
the profile of events (such as the Fairtrade Christmas Fair at Cairns
Road Baptist church) and enable churches to get involved
Many churches are involved in summer campaign
events as part of the Trade Justice Movement. All over the Bristol
region, for example, there were "Picnics in the Park" to lobby MPs for
more justice in global Trade.
- Many churches were involved in the Autumn
collecting boxes of goods to send to Eastern Europe, through the
Kingsway Aid Project, Eurovangelism and Blythswood Care.
The group meets
three times a year, at the Upper Hall, Woodlands Christian Centre, in
January, April and September.
To find out more
please contact Roger Allen on 0117 950 5006 or email him at rallen@christian-aid.org.
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