This year’s Harvest prayer comes from Esther Musili, from the Anglican Church in Kenya.
O Lord our God, We pray that the seed we sow today will bring a harvest that causes continued dew upon the earth to sustain the seed in our hands.
May we always have seed to sow and rejoice when we see the transformation that reflects the image of God in your people all over the world.
Amen.
The following are some resources which parishes may find useful with their Harvest and Creation Time celebrations this year. Please also look out for Diocesan and local Harvest appeals for further ideas.
In 2016 the issues facing the farming community have been low commodity prices on the world market – what you produce is not worth very much – and major problems with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments following on from the problems from last year.
Last year I talked about the responsible body for these subsidies in England, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), having to jettison its plans to make all farmers submit their claims online because of problems with their computer system and a last minute decision to send out paper application forms instead.
This year the processing of the paperwork had major problems and many farmers we left not receiving their payment for months without any explanation why.
Sometimes the subsidy farmers receive (currently from the EU) is seen as unfair and distorting world trade – keeping our food prices artificially low. However in the turbulent world of commodity prices, where British farmers compete with the great prairies of the USA and the beef and chicken from places like Argentina, the subsidy cheque is sometimes the only reliable source of income. Originally these payments were started after the war to enable consumers in a Europe that was rebuilding to have food at an affordable price. Now that payment has transformed into something more about keeping the land in good condition than subsidizing the food farmers produce. We value our countryside not just for the food it produces but for the way it looks, the wildlife it contains and the other resources that come from it – such as water. All of these things farmers are now being asked to care for as well as the food they produce.
Given the situation of low commodity prices this year and that 55% of farm incomes in this country depend on the CAP payments you can see how devastating a delay in those payments could be. Imagine if half of your salary was delayed in paying you for four months. Would you be able to cope? What if you were renting your home – would your landlord be sympathetic to you not being able to pay the rent? Well this is the situation a many tenant farmers have found themselves in.
The situation is being slowly resolved but it’s longer term effects on farms who have suffered late or incorrect payments is yet to be seen. With the high dependence on the CAP payment you can also see that farmers are facing huge uncertainty now about the future as well because of our country’s decision to Brexit. Will the UK government keep paying out to them or will it use the money instead to focus on other areas such as the NHS?
Again the argument will be how much do we value our food and our countryside in the face of other needs?
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Centre at Stoneleigh Park. The ARC website provides a comprehensive list of resources from a wide range of organisations including ideas for worship and other activities. Follow this link and type in “harvest” at the search box. http://www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/
In previous years we have highlighted material prepared or recommended by the Arthur Rank
Farming Help
Farming Help brings together three national charities which work to benefit the farming community. Each charity provides different but complementary forms of help and support to meet a wide range of needs. http://www.farminghelp.co.uk/
The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a network of some three hundred or so volunteers mostly with a farming background or close link to agriculture, who are organised into county groups throughout England and Wales. They provide pastoral and practical support to farmers and farming families facing difficulties for as long as needed – helping people to find a positive way forward through their problems.
In addition to local groups of volunteers, FCN provides a confidential, national telephone Helpline which is available from 7.00 am until 11.00 pm every day of the year. A confidential email service has just been launched to complement the Helpline offering farmers a chance to get in touch with FCN in whatever way they feel most comfortable with.
FCN is a Christian organisation and registered charity which has been working in the farming community since 1995 and has a clear Christian ethos in all it does. All its services are mad available to those in need from all faiths or none in a supportive, non-judgmental, non- proselytising manner.
In 2016 they were very involved in supporting farmers who were suffering as a result of delayed payments from the
Rural Payments Agency (RPA), working with the RPA to put forward those in real need and try to get help to them.
They have a range of resources harvest available to support worship. A PowerPoint presentation can be found via the following link: http://fcn.org.uk/resources
They will also send you a range of materials on request. Please contact to order: mail@fcn.org.uk or ring
01788 510866 - The Farming Community Network, Manor Farm, West Haddon, Northampton NN67AQ
If you would like a local contact that may be able to provide a speaker for Harvest or at another time of year please contact Mark Betson Coordinator of the Surrey and Sussex group m.betson@hotmail.co.uk
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Co-op Food is the Official Sponsor of Love British Food and British Food Fortnight 2016.
Hundreds of activities take place across the UK during
British Food Fortnight.
The event is the biggest showcase of food on the national calendar with celebrations including promotions, tastings and special menus in pubs, restaurants and shops, special events in care homes for the elderly, scrumptious servings of British food in garden centre cafes, patriotic menus in hospitals, family feasts in children's centres and lots of fun food and drink festivals and country fairs.
Click here to find out more about national and special events during the Fortnight, or click on the map below to find out what is happening near you.
We also want to hear from you! Let us know what you are organising and we will list your event on this website. Simply contact us with details including the event name, address, date, entrance fees and a short summary of activities that will be taking place.
Held in the autumn at the same time as harvest festival, British Food Fortnight is the biggest annual, national celebration of British food and drink. It was established in the wake of the Foot and Mouth crisis, in response to the fact that, though there are numerous food initiatives, projects and events taking place across
Britain, there was no overall flagship event to bring them to the public's attention.
Since its beginnings in 2002, British Food Fortnight has become THE opportunity for those who work in any aspect of food and drink, to come together and promote the benefits of buying and eating from our home produced British larder. In setting a particular date range, it concentrate efforts across sectors.
Every year businesses and organisations across the UK take part, all enjoying the commercial benefits that participation brings. The public sector supports the event en masse with major hospitals and school catering services being involved. Wembley Stadium, Harrods, St Pancras train station, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's
Cathedral, the Cabinet Office, the BBC, Buckingham Palace, National Trust and even Grey Gables Hotel in
Radio 4's The Archers are just a few of the famous establishments that have added their support.
Chef Raymond Blanc, TV gardener Chris Collins and Olivier Blanc explain why now is more important than ever to get involved in growing, cooking and celebrating home produce:
For further press information and images please contact Love British Food on T: 0203 239 7032
Email: info@lovebritishfood.co.uk
Website: www.lovebritishfood.co.uk
Twitter: @LoveBritishFood #BuyBritishFood Facebook: Love-British-Food
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Are you looking for inspiration for harvest themed services or activities? Here are some ideas that you might find useful.
HOPE have produced a book for harvest that includes articles, bible studies, mission ideas, ideas for services and celebrations.
Samaritans Purse have produced a pack of resources for churches that will enable you to feature the Raising
Families appeal in a specially themed harvest event.
Tearfund are linking their harvest resources for 2016 to their No Child Taken programme.
Stewardship have produced a video that you could use during your harvest services.
Embrace the Middle East have a harvest pack that focuses for 2016 on their Olive Tree Project. The pack includes free service plans, children’s activities, hymn suggestions etc.
Church Urban Fund have produced resources on the Mustard Seed Appeal
Traidcraft have resources that allow churches to introduce the theme of fair trade into their services and special harvest events.
Send a Cow Have a harvest resources for 2016 under the theme Harvest for Life.
MRDF (Methodist Relieft and Development Fund) are focussing on the needs of people in Ethiopia for their
2016 resources.
Barnabas in Churches have a large range of resources for harvest themed children's and all age services and activities.
CPO have a range of Harvest themed publicity and promotional materials.
Why not also have a look in your local Christian bookshop to see what resources they have that feature harvest themed ideas? Here are some suggestions that you could look for:

Creative Ideas for All-Age Church by Karen Bulley ISBN 9781841016634

Story Assemblies for the School Year - Volume 2, by Edward Carter and Jo Fageant
ISBN 9780857460592

Story Box Bible Tales by Eve Lockett ISBN 9781841018102

The Word for all Seasons by David Graham ISBN 9781853114892

Assemblies for Autumn Festivals by Martin Cox ISBN 978-1841014593
The resources listed on this page are not intended to be a comprehensive listing if you think we are missing any excellent resource please let us know info@eauk.org
This list is provided for information only and does not constitute recommendation of a particular resource by the Evangelical Alliance. 4

HOPE is reclaiming Harvest as a time to be thankful: thankful for God's provision of food of course, but for time to give thanks for work and our communities. HOPE for Harvest encourages churches to support members in the workplace as well as looking to the needs of others who have less and reaching out to them.
HOPE for Harvest is packed with everything you and your church need to reconnect with the importance of harvest and to focus on the importance of work, generosity and thankfulness. Extracts from the book and ideas - Harvest Resources
How will you make Harvest mean more in your community? How could you use this festival as an opportunity for more celebration, generosity, thankfulness and word and action mission?
Below are a few extracts and ideas from the HOPE for Harvest book. May they inspire you to get yourself and your church involved in something different this year.
Stories and mission ideas for Harvest (.pdf)
Community
Get to know your community (.pdf)
Ways to impact your community (.pdf)
Work
This Time Tomorrow (.pdf) empower and affirm your church in their week day ministry with this activity
Opportunities for prayer with the theme of work (.pdf) use in church or small groups or just for inspiration
Thankfulness, generosity and mission
Changing Harvest - Article by Paul Farrington (.pdf)
Connecting non rural communities (.pdf)
Thankfulness no matter what Article by Sophie Cox (.pdf
)
Young People
Youth group sessions and Bible studies (.pdf)
Drama for schools or children's groups
Saltmine Drama Workshop - Scarecrow's Stormy Day
Saltmine Sketch script - Scarecrow's Stormy Day
Be Inspired - Stewardship's video: http://www.stewardship.org.uk/be-inspired/harvest
The Trussell Trust partners with local communities to help stop UK hunger.
Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK, with individuals going hungry every day for a range of reasons, from benefit delays to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income.
The Trussell Trust’s 400-strong network of foodbanks provides a minimum of three days’ emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. In 2015/16, we gave 1,109,309 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis.
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We recognise that stopping hunger is about More Than Food
, which is why we’re working with foodbanks to provide a range of new services like money advice and Fuel Banks, helping people to break the cycle of poverty.
Food banks in Southwark: Redhill - St Matthew’s admin@redhillfoodbank.org.uk
Holy Trinity Redhill: Holy Trinity Church Office, Carlton
Road, Redhill, RH1 2BX Tel: 01737 766604
Welcare Food Store has a small food store at our East Surrey centre for families in the greatest need. Please contact our reception on 01737 780884 to book an appointment with a worker during Workers Surgery to arrange receiving items from the food store. - See more at: Welcare Food Store
Celebrate Harvest this year with a Shropshire based charity that helps families in rural Africa to feed themselves.
Self Help Africa is offering a FREE Harvest Resources Pack which includes a poster, a talk, prayers, stories from Africa and activities for all ages.
To order your free pack and any extra materials, please call Jo Darlington on 01743 277170 or email harvest@selfhelpafrica.org
.
From July, you can download resources directly from Harvest Pack 2016
Self Help Africa can also arrange for one of their Church Ambassadors to come and speak to your church during your Harvest service or at another time to suit you. They book up quickly so call or email as soon as possible to secure a speaker for your church.
With more than 30 years’ experience of working with rural communities in Africa, Shrewsbury-based Self
Help Africa has developed an approach which works. They don’t give hands outs or aid; they give families the skills and knowledge they need to grow enough to feed themselves and to manage their own lives.
By celebrating Harvest with Self Help Africa, you’ll be helping African families to feed their children and have enough food for years to come.
For more information or photos: Jo Darlington Email: joanne.darlington@selfhelpafrica.org
Tel: 01743 277170
With the support of your church, we can bring clean, safe water to the community of Morarano.
Your support will help bring much-needed water to families enabling them to grow their own crops and ensuring they no longer go hungry. With enough food to eat, they can concentrate on education and livelihoods, helping them to take the first steps out of poverty.
Order your free Recipe For Life pack and we’ll send you a poster, Sunday school activity sheet, recipe cards, sermon notes and fundraising ideas.

We recently returned to Morarano and met with local mother Françoise, who explained the difference a new borehole in the village has made to her family:
“Before we used to eat just rice or cassava, sometimes we didn’t even eat as there was nothing. But when water came to our village, I started growing green leafy vegetables. Now we always have something to eat – we can have rice with a variety of vegetables. It’s really changing our lives, so I would like to thank God and to those people abroad who funded the project. Be blessed all!”
That's why I hope you will encourage your congregation to support our incredible work to bring safe water and a chance to grow crops to Morarano village. By holding a Harvest collection or organising a Harvest supper or lunch , your church can bring health, food, education, and income to families.
Watch the film read more about Morarano village and download our free resources below. You can also order a fundraising pack. Contact the Community Fundraising team Phone: 020 7793 4594 Email: harvest@wateraid.org
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/audience/community-groups/harvest
2016 Supporting Communities in Kenya
Rodah is a real success story.
Thanks to generous people like you, we were able to reach her community and change her life. Now Rodah is transforming her neighbours’ lives, too.
Your Harvest offering can make all the difference. Imagine how much of a struggle Harvest can be in Kenya. Climate change is making it harder for poor farmers like Rodah to survive.
Each year, she tried to grow vegetables on a small plot of dry land. Every day, she walked a gruelling six miles, carrying back heavy containers of water, just to keep her crops alive.
But despite her hard work, Rodah's harvest was never enough. She had to make the agonising decision to feed her family rather than pay for her children to go to school.
As a parent, you always want to do the best for your children. Imagine how Rodah felt when she couldn't.
Three easy steps lead to big changes But since we reached Rodah’s community, everything’s changed.
Working with a local partner, ADSE (a branch of the Anglican church in Kenya), we built the community a sand dam.
ADSE are also giving farmers drought-resistant seeds, and teaching communities how to make the water they do have go further.
Now Rodah has the precious water she needs to nurture her land. Imagine her joy when she sold her first bumper harvest!
These days she’s even able to provide casual work for her neighbours - helping her entire community to thrive.
And the best part? At last Rodah can afford to send her children to school, giving them lots of opportunities for the future.
Please help us reach more communities like Rodah’s so that they can realise their God-given potential.
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Harvest 2016: Feeding bodies and minds in Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka we are supporting families from marginalised tea plantation communities.
In remote areas, we are working with the Church of Ceylon to provide pre-school education for children who would otherwise fall behind even before they reach school.
With the children attending regular classes, Us-funded teachers are also able to work with their parents to improve their children’s diets.
Teaching parents about nutrition has long-term impact. On a diet of fruit salads and vegetable soups - instead of instant noodles and biscuits - the pupils' concentration improves, ensuring the children have the best possible start in life, in terms of both health and education.
This Harvest, you can find out how Sri Lanka's tea plantation communities are learning about nutrition and seeing their health improve.
Please support this work and help to bring a fuller life to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Harvest resources including a template talk, images, prayers and service ideas can be downloaded on the left-hand side of this page.
If you would be interested in an Us speaker for your harvest service, email David Brand .
Find out more about how we are supporting the work of the church in Sri Lanka: http://www.weareus.org.uk/harvest/harvest/
Church Urban Fund is encouraging churches to celebrate and reflect on the ways that God abundantly provides for us and to share these blessings with those in our society who have less.
Some people have a great deal while others struggle in work that does not pay enough to live on and have to rely on food banks to see them through. Sharing what we have pleases God and is part of creating a more just society
A SEED HAS BEEN PLANTED - LET'S MAKE IT GROW TOGETHER
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)
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WHY THE MUSTARD SEED APPEAL IS SO IMPORTANT Over 8 million people in the UK are struggling in financial distress. Without access to other finance options, many resort to high cost loans to cover basic necessities such as food and fuel. This is having a devastating effect on physical and mental health, families and entire communities.
God has provided for those in need, but we need to give up some of what we have. For every £1 donated to
Church Urban Fund, we work to multiply this and raise further funds to provide £4.50 support to help transform lives of some of the poorest and most marginalised in this country.
HELP RAISE VITAL FUNDS
Host a frugal lunch, harvest supper, coffee morning, afternoon tea or a fundraising event of your choice to help raise funds and transform lives of the poorest and most marginalised in this country.
Please contact our team at hello@cuf.org.uk to request Gift Aid envelopes, printed posters, information leaflets or any other resources you require.
http://www.embraceme.org/
Celebrating Harvest is a key part of the church year. Our thoughts turn to the food we have and we give thanks for those who produce it and bring it to our plates. But, across the Middle East, people are struggling to provide food for their families, due to conflict and oppression. Hunger and sickness is rife.
We have produced free resources to help you celebrate Harvest this year and we hope that you will use these ideas and resources to raise funds for our Christian partners who are bringing lasting change to refugees across the Middle East.
A charity in support of the Lungi area of Sierra Leone
We aim to advance education and training, relieve poverty and distress, and promote health within the Tintafor, Kamasondo, Benkeh district of Lungi.
UK Registered in 2012, our charity centers around the schools we have built, and we support many projects within the community. Support is crucial to help the villagers to help themselves and through various projects that is what we are trying to do.
May 31st 2016 - LUNGI CHARITY PRESENTED WITH ‘ALL WORKS of LIFE’ CHARITY
AWARD.
Please support us through Easyfundraising, It’s FREE ! We get a percentage donation from the retailer for any online shopping you do. Click HERE for further details!!!! Lungi School Sierra Leone...have raised
£229.47 so far...with a little help from easyfundraising Help us raise funds!
http://www.lungisierraleone.org.uk
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For many farmers in rural Africa, harvest can be a time of meagre or non-existent crops and fear for what the future may hold. There are thousands of families across rural eastern Africa who urgently need your help to ensure they can feed and provide for their families.
You can help families in Africa give hunger the boot by organizing some welly-themed fundraising with your church this harvest.
Whether you choose to have a Farm Africa collection during your harvest service (perhaps in a welly boot?), hold a harvest lunch or even organize a welly walk, every pound you raise will help farmers like David
Start growing drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum and green grams.
David is both the Pastor at the Deliverance Church, and a farmer. He lives with his family in Kitui, Kenya where drought is common. Before working with Farm Africa, the fragile crops of maize he planted did not survive when the rains failed. This Harvest you can help change lives.
To help you celebrate this Harvest, we’ve developed a range of fundraising materials and ideas for your
Harvest service. Don’t forget to tell us about your fundraising plans so we can offer you help and advice. If you send us photos of your harvest fundraising, you might even see your church appear in our fundraisers hall of fame.
If you have any further questions about fundraising for Farm Africa, or to order your Gift Aid envelopes and
DVD, please contact us on community@farmafrica.org
or 020 7430 0440.
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Download resources to observe Creation Time 2016. Here we will provide links to materials produced by the churches and other groups for Creation
Time 2016.
Eco-congregation Scotland
An ecumenical writing group has written worship material for Creation Time
2016. Contributors come from the Church of Scotland, the Scottish
Episcopal Church and the United Reformed Church (URC).
Followers of Jesus, Caring for Creation is this year’s theme, emphasising readings from the Gospel of Luke which appear in the Revised Common Lectionary in September:
Operation Noah
Operation Noah is a campaigning organisation focussing on climate change. It exists because
God’s creation faces the most urgent peril, which, to be averted, requires a rapid and radical transformation of our economy and culture— towards liveable, supportable lifestyles.
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Their mission states that “We believe that God’s creation is a gift that we have a duty to care for and that the wellbeing of all creation matters to God. We must repent for the damage we have done to the earth. We also believe that climate change is about justice, because the poor of the world – those who have done the least to cause it – are already suffering the devastating consequences of climate change. Acting on climate change is about loving our neighbours: that means those in other countries and future generations too.”
With theological reflection, we challenge those who lead and shape churches to do so prophetically and with integrity.
Resources and study guides can be downloaded and provide study for Creation Time. They include: God’s gift and our flourishing; Loving our neighbours; Repentance; Listening to the wise; Hope in difficult times; Eucharistic prayer for Creation time magazine articles on climate change, talks, lectures, video and audio links. www.operationnoah.org
European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN)
The ECEN website has background material relating to the proposed season and liturgical material gathered from a range of sources. http://www.ecen.org/
Eco-congregation
The Eco-congregation website has resources for worship, prayers, bible study and group studies. http://www.ecocongregation.org/
Eco-Congregation Scotland has produced worship material for Creation Time 2016 and can found here: www.ecocongregationscotland.org/creationtime
Christian Ecology Link (CEL)
Similarly the Christian Ecology Link website contains worship and other material plus links to other organisations where material can be accessed. http://www.greenchristian.org.uk/
A Rocha is an international Christian organization which, inspired by God’s love, engages in scientific research, environmental education and community-based conservation projects. They have a range of resources to support churches environmental worship. http://www.arocha.org/int-en/index.html
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October Plenty is an Autumn harvest celebration held annually in Southwark. Beginning on the
Bankside, by Shakespeare’s Globe, October Plenty mixes ancient seasonal customs and theatre with contemporary festivity , joining with historic Borough Market, Southwark and Borough Market’s Apple
Day.
October Plenty is a collective celebration of the seasons, weather and food, in a public place, with access to everyone. The event is free , and happens whatever the weather.
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RHS London Harvest Festival Show
This fun autumn show will return on 4 th -5 th October
2016, with a late event on 4 th
October
Taste of Autumn at RHS Wisley Gardens
Join us for two days of autumn delights, including giant pumpkins, apple bobbing, tasty seasonal food, and RHS
Gardening Advice. Make a date, too, for the evening event on Tuesday, 4 th October, which includes all this, plus delicious cocktails and toe-tapping live music.
Date: 4 th – 5 th October 2016 (plus a late event on 4 th October)
Time: Tuesday 4 th , 10am – 9pm; Wednesday 5 th , 10am– 5pm; (Tuesday 4 th : Late event 6pm – 9pm)
Venue: RHS Lindley Hall, London
Creation Time - a season of prayer for environmental issues and sustainability - starts this week. Plan a Creation Sunday or Harvest Thanksgiving service with ideas from one of these inspiring resource books:
Harvest for the World
This anthology of prayers, liturgies and stories from around the world includes contributions from both Christian Aid and CAFOD. It covers themes of creation, harvest, fair trading, poverty and relief work - perfect for Harvest Thanksgiving.
Paperback £16.99 (£15.29 for Friends of the Bookshop)
Creation Sings Your Praise: A Christian Aid Worship Book Paperback – by Annabel Shilson-Thomas (Editor) Here is a collection of the best, along with completely new material, to offer a resource for creating services that will both challenge and inspire: Part One follows the Church's year and offers complete seasonal services with linked themes, Part Two offers a selection of additional prayers, Confessions, Intercessions and Affirmations of Faith for creating your own services, Part Three consists of partner stories for use in services and study or discussion groups, together with sermon outlines and reflections, and Part Four is full of practical ideas for taking action and raising funds.
This is an ideal resource for those many occasions in the year when we reflect on issues of justice, peace and building the kingdom of God, both locally and globally.
Paperback £18.99
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Together for a Season: Feasts and Festivals
Complete all-age services for Harvest Festival, Rogationtide and other seasons of the agricultural year, as well as material for Remembrance Sunday and Saints' days.
£24.50
A Place at the Table
Worship resources for the whole year, drawing on the Christian traditions of hospitality and sharing a common meal. There are ideas for a retreat day reflecting on the environment, thoughts for harvest and seasonal recipes.
Paperback £14.99 (£13.49 for Friends of the Bookshop)
Honey and Thistles . Biblical wisdom for the renewal of farming
Christopher Jones & John Martin, Agriculture and Theology
Project, 2015.
A theological reflection on the issue of feeding the world today in light of the biblical tradition. £8.14 including postage.
We Hope you find these resources and links useful and wish you a Blessed Harvest Festival From the Faith in the Countryside Team across the Diocese of Chichester and Southwark.
Revd Canon Carol Coslett
Southwark Diocesan Faith in the Countryside Officer
The Rectory
Old Reigate Road
Betchworth
01737 842012 Email: ccoslett@btinternet.com
Revd Dr Mark Betson
Chichester Diocesan Rural Officer
The Vicarage Plummers Plain
Horsham
RH13 6NU
01403 891367 Email: m.betson@hotmail.co.uk
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