16/10/11   Proper 24

I Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 2f

Prayers for Vellore

Preparation

The Biblical text states “we always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers” – this could be placed on an OHT slide or large notice.

For materials and photographs of our Diocesan link with Vellore in South India see:   http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools/vellore   There are direct links to particular photographs in the text – these could be shown on your screen during the message section.  This act of worship is linked to this year ’s fundraising for rebuilding church schools in Vellore Diocese (also a theme of the October Cathedral Days) – do make this link if you have decided to support the fundraiser.  

Introduction

I have some news for you all which might be a surprise – there are people praying for you even although they don’t know you.  I wonder who you think it might be?  Collect some ideas – of course all suggestions of friends, family and local church should be acknowledged as correct, but these are not the ones you are thinking of…..

The Message

Do you remember I said the people who were praying for you didn’t know you?  The reason they do not know you is because you have never met them; they are pupils in church schools, but the church schools are in India.

Have you heard about places in England being twinned with towns in other countries?  People go backwards and forwards between the two places and make friends across hundreds of miles (mention a local twinning if you are aware of it).  Well, in the same way, all the churches in Cambridgeshire (and the churches in West Norfolk and Southern Peterborough which are in  Ely Diocese) are twinned with Vellore Diocese in South India.  This means that all the church schools in Ely Diocese are twinned with all the church schools in Vellore Diocese.  We know that the church schools in India have promised to pray for us, so today we are going to pray for them.  Before we pray for the schools we need to know something about them, so let us see some photographs:

• The schools start their days with a Christian assembly just like us, but most of the schools have their assembly outside in the open air as they do not have a hall.
• A lot of the schools are in the villages where the children are very poor.  Education is very important for them because without education they will not be able to get good jobs and will end up working in the fields.  Most Indian children work very hard indeed.
• In the towns the schools use English in their lessons, but in the villages the teachers and pupils work in the local language which is called Tamil.  The best jobs always go to people who speak English.
• Most of the primary schools in the villages do not have furniture.  Sometimes children have to work outside because the school does not have enough classrooms.
• In some schools the children have to work all day with their family, but they come to school to have a free school dinner, because it is the only good meal they will get that day.
• A lot of the poorest children finish school when they are ten years old and then start work.
• There are no secondary schools in the villages.  Children from the villages who are lucky enough to go to secondary school often have to either walk or cycle many miles, or go and live in a hostel at the school during term time.
• The Church works hard to find money to support children who are orphans or from very poor families to go to school.  Some of these children end up being nurses, teachers, or even vicars!
• The Church runs a school for children with cerebral palsy who otherwise would get no education at all.
• The Church also has colleges for older students and trains nurses and teachers.
• Now the diocese is asking if we could help them raise money to rebuild some of the poorest schools.   We can build a whole school for just £4,000 - you could not build even one classroom for that much money in England.   The schools do not get any money from the government for their building work/

Consider together some of the ways church schools in England and India are similar and some of the ways they are different.

Prayer

God our Father,

We pray for the children of the church schools of Vellore Diocese in India.  We know that they are praying for us, so please help us to remember them and pray for them and help them.  May they be loved and cared for and helped to grow to become fulfilled people.  We pray for the children in the poorest villages, that they may be able to use their education to improve their lives and those of their families.  Help us to remember how lucky we are here in our school, and to use our gifts and talents for those who have less than we do.

Amen .

There are several other acts of worship on church life in India on our website - see Wannakam!