In my emails this morning was one from Angela Macquiban in Rome. She sent a report and photos of the Easter Offering service held there this year. I thought you might like to read it and to see this photo, taken outside the church. It shows Mary from Ghana, Revd Tim Macquiban and Angela. It is especially pleasing to read how the service made links with Thy Kingdom Come, the global wave of prayer in which many of us are involved this year, between Ascension Day and Pentecost.
Angela has written:
“Ponte Sant’Angelo Methodist Church Rome held its third Easter Offering service recently when we celebrated being part of the World Church and dedicated the money collected for the work of the World Mission Fund of the British Methodist Church. A magnificent sum was raised, totalling 1,000 euros, which will help the work of its partner churches including here in Italy.
As in our previous Easter Offering services several of our congregation from different countries of the world took part. Bible passages were read by Dutch and Filipino members and the world church stories were read by those from Guyana (Brazil story), Ghana (Ghana!) and India (Pakistan). We actually had Steve Pearce from WCO and his wife Chris Elliott with us the following Sunday! Another Ghanaian member, Mary (in the photos attached), sang two Ghanaian songs.
Prayers of intercession were written on a paper stars as suggested and attached to the display representing stars shining in a dark sky. These petitions have also been incorporated in our daily prayers with All Saints’ Anglican Church here in Rome, as part of Thy Kingdom Come, the ecumenical prayer cycle for the nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost.”
