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Search Results for: Link dioceses
Our linked Dioceses
Oxford diocese is linked with Mothers’ Union in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Victoria Nyanza in Tanzania, Ahoada and Warri in Nigeria and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The information below can be downloaded as a pdf here.
Focus Magazine
Focus is the Oxford Diocese MU magazine which is published three times a year. A copy is sent by post to every member including Diocesan members and Indoor members.
Every edition includes letters from our Diocesan President and Chaplain, reports of branch and Area activities and details of coming events. There is also a page of Celebrations which record birthdays of members of 80 and over and wedding anniversaries of Ruby and above that have been notified to the Editor. Obituaries are limited to past Office Holders.
The Spring Edition includes an insert for celebrating our Wave of Prayer, which occurs in April, and includes up to date information about our Link Dioceses.
Contributions are welcome from any members with a suggested maximum of 350 words. They should be sent electronically to our Editor: focus.editor@muoxford .org.uk or by post to the MU office by the deadline included in the previous edition. Good quality photographs are welcome and some are published in colour inside or outside the cover.
Ideas for Branch Meetings
Quiz about worldwide membership (2 ways)
Find all the countries on a map of the world where we have Mothers’ Union.
Identify all the countries where we have Mothers’ Union – and then place them on a map
The list of countries is found here.
Read the Newspapers
Take along several newspapers (it can be helpful if they were all printed on the same day but it is not essential) – and share out among those present. If you have time, you could ask everyone to bring one along to make life easy for yourself.
Ask members to look for one or more of the following:
- Articles relevant to Mothers’ Union Aims and objectives
- Social Policy Issues
- Articles about Families
- Some Good news stories
Share what you’ve found – and why each person found the article interesting. Sometimes people choose the same story – look how they are reported differently in each newspaper.
Bible verses about items that can be sold
Ask each member to bring a saleable item mentioned in the Bible, with the appropriate reference.
In turn, members show the item they have brought and read the Bible passage. Larger branches might need to divide into smaller groups to do this.
Sell all the items brought for a Mothers’ Union fund.
There are variations on this theme – you don’t need to bring along the item (a camel in your meeting place might be a bit problematical) – a picture might be more appropriate – and you don’t have to sell the items (although if you do manage to sell a camel we’d love to hear from you!).
16 Days of Activism against Gender based violence
Prayer globe
Provide a globe, either a 2D image – this could as large as you like, and could be handmade or a picture – or a blow up globe, and some post it notes.
Either: Write prayers on the post it notes for your link dioceses and stick them on the globe – for all they are doing to counter gender based violence, and for those in their communities who may have experienced or be experiencing gender-based violence.
Or: Do the same for the work of Mothers’ Union worldwide more generally in their advocacy on this issue and their work with survivors.
You could also have a discussion about how you can raise awareness of this issue in your locality and what you can do to support survivors.
Finding things in common
Let people get into pairs or threes. Ask them to find two or more things that they all have in common – maybe a birthday, your bra size, your middle name – it is not as easy as you think (but do not accept church or Mothers’ Union – too simple!). Try not to put good friends together!
Fairtrade quiz
See how many correct answers each person (or group) knows from this quiz
Write prayers
Put people into groups of two or three and ask them to write a prayer about different aspects of the churches year, or different needs of the world. You could produce a long list of starting points dependent upon the time you have available. Share – and then send them to our webmaster!
Share favourite Bible verses or hymns
This does need a little preparation: Ask people to bring along their favourite Bible verse or hymn and tell the others why they have chosen it.
What you don’t know about me…
Give everyone a slip of paper as they arrive and ask them to write a statement about themselves that they don’t think others will know, but that they are happy to share. This could be an interest or pastime, something they are good at, something they have done in the past, an unusual experience, etc. What is written on the slip should not be shared or discussed.
When everyone has given in their slip, write all the statements on a sheet of flip chart paper as a numbered list, making sure there are no clues to the originators identity.
Make sure everyone has a pen and paper, then ask them to note down the person they think wrote the statement. (You might want to take the opportunity for everyone to say their name, rather than assume that everyone knows each other!)
Go through the list on the flip chart asking people to ‘own’ their statement. Do allow some time for people to explain or expand on what they have written, if appropriate
What do other members appreciate about you?
(from Cleeve & Claverham branch, Bath & Wells)
Each person writes their name at the bottom of a sheet of paper. They then pass it to the next person, who looks at the name at the bottom and writes something positive about that person: a quality, something about that person they admire, a gift or talent. As in a game of Consequences, they then fold over the top of the paper, so that what they have written is hidden from the next person, but the person’s name is still visible at the bottom of the sheet That person then writes what they admire/appreciate.
When everyone has written on the sheet, it is then given to the person whose name appears at the bottom.
Action & Outreach Unit
Action & Outreach is concerned to support families and family life. We encourage members to participate in fulfulling the aims of Mothers’ Union through a variety of practical ways. These include the following:
- To continue the work of AFIA (Away From It All) holidays, by promoting awareness through churches, health visitors and schools and by fund raising so that people in need are able to take a holiday. (application form available here)
- To support the work of the JR hospital or other local hospitals by providing toiletries, baby quilts, premature baby knitting and Angel Pockets for still born babies. (Patterns available here)
- To provide facilitators to run “Loving for Life” (marriage) courses and parenting courses.
- To collect, check and deliver Christmas cards to Bullingdon prison. This enables the Chaplain to give a card to every prisoner at Christmas time.
- To make Fiddle pinnies or knit Twiddle Muffs to give to local care homes who have residents with dementia or suffering from strokes. (Patterns available here)
- To support the Balsam Family Project in Didcot by providing equipment and refreshments as required.
- To continue to develop student work by providing access to our Starving Student Survival Guide and to assist chaplains at Freshers Fairs.
- To continue to make and develop contacts with our Link Dioceses and support them through letters or emails and our prayers.
- We take part in Social Policy activities and campaigns in order to apply our Gospel values to everyday situations.
Wave of Prayer & Midday Prayers
Each day a Wave of Prayer goes around the world as members pray at midday wherever they are for the work of Mothers’ Union and international issues. Remembering that it is midday somewhere in the world every hour of each day means that our voice of prayer is never silent.
This began in 1920 and has been happening ever since. The Wave of Prayer calendar includes every area worldwide where Mothers’ Union works. Every member receives a copy of this calendar in a twice yearly publication called Families Worldwide but it can also be found on line.
The days that Oxford diocese prays are 20th – 22nd April and information about our link dioceses can be found here.
We are also linked with Southwark diocese in the UK
Our members make a special effort to meet together during these three days in April to pray for our links. A special service is compiled each year and distributed to every member in the magazine Focus. A link to the most recent service can be found here
Safeguarding
SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES
FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS
The Trustees of Mothers’ Union, Diocese of Oxford has agreed to accept the Diocese of Oxford’s ‘Safeguarding Handbook for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults’.
Hard copies are held by:-
- Mothers’ Union Members Secretary at the Mothers’ Union Diocesan Office, Church Mission Society · Watlington Road · Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 6BZ
The Diocesan President
The Safeguarding Officer (formerly known as Child Protection Officer) - Also can be viewed on Diocese of Oxford website
For Branch Leaders
Activities where children are present must always be thought about carefully to ensure the safety of children at all times.
A suitable ‘check list’ should be draw up and adhered to.
Consider the following:-
Will a parent or carer be present? – If this is the case NO further action is needed apart from ensuring that the parents or carers are aware they are responsible for their child.
If the above is not the case then it is essential that those responsible are aware and adhere to the Diocese of Oxford Safeguarding measures. This will probably require DBS checks for those involved. (Information from the Mothers’ Union Safeguarding Officer.)
Venues should be checked against Oxford Mothers’ Union Health and Safety guide lines. It is the responsibility of the person organising the event to ensure this is carried out.
Branch Leaders should ensure that the lines of responsibility are put into writing so no mistakes can occur.
What do we do if we have a concern?
We all hope that the children and young people we meet and support through Mothers’ Union are safe and happy and that they benefit from the programs we are involved in through our branch work and in our churches. Most of the time this is true but sometimes we may have a concern and then it is good to know what to do.
Every local authority has a Safeguarding Children Board with contact information on how to raise a concern with them. It is part of your duty to do so, either directly ourselves or through the designated safeguarding officer for your church.
Make sure you know who to speak to and how to contact them. All local authorities have that information on their websites and your church should publicise the contact details of their designated officer on their noticeboards.
Information about reporting Safeguarding concerns, including contact details, can be found on the Oxford Diocesan website at https://www.oxford.anglican.org/safeguarding/
For urgent and confidential safeguarding matters contact
Lisa Wilkins, Interim Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser & Safeguarding Casework Officer – lisa.wilkins@oxford.anglican.org or 01865 208295
Sophie Harney, Safeguarding Casework Officer – sophie.harney@oxford.anglican.org or 01865 208295
In a real emergency, you must dial 999 and call the police.
If you are worried about a child and unsure whether your concern constitutes abuse and should be taken further, you can contact the Diocesan Safeguarding advisor, details above, or the NSPCC has a helpline to ask:
email: help@nspcc.org.uk or tel:0808 800 5000
Sadly, abuse is not only confined to children and young people, vulnerable adults can also be victims. Local authorities have people who deal with these cases too.
And don’t forget that if you or your team are running regular activities for children and young people where parents or guardians are not present, then the person in charge must have a current DBS check which can be obtained either through your church safeguarding officer or through Mothers’ Union. It is recommended that DBS checks are renewed every 5 years, if the person is in the same role, and that those in receipt of a DBS check are asked to consider registering for the Update Service which makes rechecking much more straightforward. All the details are in the Diocesan Safeguarding Handbook.
The Oxford Diocese also offers general Safeguarding training, handbooks and model policies. The training is in several parts depending upon the work to be undertaken and the office which the person holds. A Refresher course is also available to be undertaken every 3 years.
Click on the link below for a printable copy of this page or to go to the Safeguarding Training page.
Safeguarding Procedures for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults
Click on the links below for two new safeguarding documents issued by central Mothers’ Union.
MU Safeguarding November 2020
Revd. Lady Brown, MU Diocesan Safeguarding Officer
Email:safeguarding@muoxford.org.uk
Mobile:07884 493923
Please Pray for DR Congo
There is to be a special Prayer Initiative for the Democratic Republic of Congo to which everyone is very warmly welcome. Mothers’ Union in Oxford diocese has a special link with Kinshasa diocese and previously we had links with Boga and Aru dioceses.
DR Congo faces huge challenges at the moment: Presidential and legislative elections are due to take place on 23rd December, delayed from 2016; there is an outbreak of Ebola virus in North Kivu/Ituri provinces; devastating militia attacks continue in Beni Territory (in North Kivu) and elsewhere; around 4.5 million people are displaced from their homes and poverty is widespread. In this context Christian churches are reaching out with the Good News of Jesus Christ to provide extensive health and education services and seek to be agents for peace, reconciliation and transformation in their communities.
There will be 3 prayer meetings at St Andrew’s Church Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UG from 8 – 9pm on
- 15th October
- 19th November
- 17th December. All are welcome.
Please pray for this country, especially those in our Linked Diocese of Kinshasa – Madame Gertrude, the Diocesan President has been assured of your prayers.
Please pass this prayer request to others in your churches and tell them of the prayer meetings.
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