Helping Local People in Crisis. They say ‘We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.’
We support the Andover Food Bank through regular donations and usually fund-raise for this at harvest. Donations are collected both at St Mary’s and at the Overton Co-op. Items that are urgently needed by the Foodbank are listed here.
A Rocha UK is a Christian charity working to protect and restore the natural world and committed to equipping Christians and churches in the UK to care for creation, and provides a framework to support churches and their leaderships to take practical action.
St Mary’s Overton supports the work of A Rocha UK and has gained the Eco Church Bronze award. Our Eco Church Committee meets regularly to look for ideas to reduce our impact on the environment and improve biodiversity, working with other local groups.
GOOD NEWS for Everyone (formerly known as Gideons) serves to introduce others to the Lord Jesus Christ by personal contact and by presenting or placing Bibles in many different areas of life, including Schools, Universities, Hospitals, Hotels and Prisons. Central to their ministry is the belief that the Bible defines God’s relationship with us all.
St Mary’s has supported the work over many years and some of us are active members. Membership is open to all who want to share their faith in this way.
The Whitchurch Deanery has had a partnership with Mityana Diocese in Uganda since the 1980’s and supports a variety of projects. Rev’d Dodie Marsden comments ‘When we go to Mityana and give them something – a water tank, a classroom, new desks, doors, windows, equipment, gifts; whatever it is large or small, they always say ‘thank you for loving us … how can we pray for you?’
We support a variety of projects and from time to time send members of the congregation to strengthen our links.
Serving people of Syria with medical and humanitarian help, Samara’s Aid started in 2014 sending winter clothes and shoes to displaced people in Iraq. It quickly grew into a larger project providing medical and humanitarian aid to Syria. They have sent 110 consignments carrying clothes, shoes, bedding, toiletries/hygiene items, essential medical equipment, ambulances and school equipment. They have also provided four small emergency field hospitals. They support food farming projects, opened two medical centres and run an outreach centre for orphans and widows in Syria.
A global community sharing Jesus’ transforming love in practical, wholistic ways among the peoples of Asia & the Arab World. Interserve invites us to put faith into action in a practical way by serving, praying wherever we are, giving and connecting as we read their news.
At St Mary’s we support Stuart and Laxmi working with the Nepali community in the UK. They work with the Nepali Church serving in a number of practical ways including discipling and encouraging, communications and website development, safeguarding processes and training.
CMS seeks to follow Jesus bringing hope and empowering people at the edges all over the world. They urge people to give a gift, pray with them, join with serving people on the edges.
St Mary’s has a longstanding relationship supporting Garry dating from the time when he served with CMS in Uganda. He now works supporting the men’s shed movement in Cumbria where they minister to men of different backgrounds, many with mental health issues, some ex-prisoners and those who have struggled with addiction.
Flying for life. Mission Aviation Fellowship is the world’s largest humanitarian air operator. For over 75 years they have been flying light aircraft over jungles, mountains, swamps and deserts. They enable more than 1,400 aid, development and mission organisations to bring medical care, emergency relief and long-term development. Their pilots and personnel deliver relief workers, doctors, pastors, school books, food, medicines.
We support Stewart and Michelle Ayling and family with MAF in Tanzania where Stewart is the country director managing and coordinating the programme.
Making disciples of Jesus in communities where he is least known. There are still places in the world where there are no churches and few or no Christians. Serving In Mission is committed to taking the gospel to reach every tongue, tribe and nation. Their Faithful Witness scheme is intended to introduce the gospel strategically to communities living and dying without hearing the good news of Jesus.
We support Steven Judson who leads the team encouraging Middle Eastern Christians to stand for Christ.
Find out more about our church and how you can get involved.