St. John's World Team
St. John's supports several important projects overseas with its prayers and its annual giving. This work is coordinated by the World Team.
The current list of projects is below, with links to their websites where available.
The Mar Elias Educational Institutions set up by Archbishop Em. Elias Chacour in Ibillin, Galilee, Israel with the aim of interfaith peacebuilding through education. Archbishop Em. Elias Chacour has recently chaired a conference for peace. The UK Charity supporting this is Ashray.
Due to the oustanding work he has done promoting peace with justice, in December Elias Chacour was asked to host an Interfaith Conference on Peace with Justice at Mar Elias Educational Institutions, to which all faiths, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze, were invited.
Please click here to read the January 2025 prayer letter.
The Michael Project in Harare, Zimbabwe, established by David and Helen Hobbs. The Michael Project is a ministry of River of Life Church in Harare (Zimbabwe), and has been established as a result of the needs of children at risk in Zimbabwe. Simba and Barbara Pfupajena now head a management team that draws on the gifting and experience of key individuals who have a passion for taking on the challenge of addressing the plight of children at risk. It was lovely to see David and Helen Hobbs who visited St. John's in May 2024. In October 2024, we had a very successful coffee morning to raise funds for them.
Pannai Family Village Farm at Kasam, Katpadi, Vellore in South India, founded by Dr. Pauline E. King in 1969. The Family Village Farm is a living community for orphans who are supported until they finish their education. They are cared for by house mothers who when they retire continue to live there as honoured elders.
Shanthigramam – the leprosy village at Karigiri in South India. Shanthigramam – literally "village of peace“ is a haven for aged, destitute persons who have been damaged by leprosy.
Shanthigramam Easter 2024
We have received warm Easter greetings from Valsa Augustine at Shanthigramam conveying their love and gratitude to the congregation at St. John’s for its continued support. Valsa has shared some photos of the residents on Palm Sunday.
Valsa Augustine (Psychologist) wrote in November 2023:
We have seen God's Grace in sustaining and helping to take care of the needs at Shanthigramam. It has been possible only through friends like you. I have forwarded a video, which gives an update on the residents. I am also forwarding the new buildings and cottages which are so very comfortable for the residents.
A few of the long term residents have passed on and new ones
have joined, each with a story of rejection because of Leprosy. 
Please find attached the photos. Will send more.
Love to all of you at church.
Love & Prayers
Valsa
The work of The Church Mission Society. Simon and Sarah Cawdell are based in Gulu, working alongside the Diocese of Northern Uganda (DNU) to help local Christians grow in their faith, teaching theology to local leaders and building sustainability.
Our most recent letter from our CMS friends, Simon and Sarah (January 2025):
Dear friends,
Greetings from a hot and sunny Gulu. We wish that we could share some of the heat and dust with you who are struggling towards spring. Here the ground is hard as iron, and very little gardening is possible, although as you will read, Simon and his wonderful team are busy watering the coffee and cocoa seedlings in an effort to help them survive their first dry season.
We are excited to have the students back on campus, some of them for their final semester before their ordinations after May. They have a lot on their mind, looking for clerical shirts and cassocks etc, as well as finishing their research projects (at Diploma level) and their final course units. The first and second years are also settling back into the routine of college life, after their long break on placement in their dioceses.
One of the main activities in this season in brick making. In college we are hoping to make about 5000 to be a start for our new classrooms! Most are now drying in the sun, and David, our multi talented administrator has begun to build the kiln with the first batch which are already dry.
We hope you enjoy the newsletter which introduces you to a very few colleagues and students here.
We look forward to hearing your news. May God bless you and keep us all in peace.
Love from Simon and Sarah
Also, please find here their Prayer Letter from January 2025.
The work of the Mothers’ Union in the Literacy Project in East Africa. Mothers’ Union is a Christian organisation that has been supporting families worldwide for over 140 years. Started by our founder Mary Sumner in 1876 in her local parish, St. Mary's in Old Alresford, we have grown into an international charity with over 4 million members in 84 countries.
The work of Christian Aid. Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. Churches Together in Alresford organises the annual collection.
St. John's is a Fairtrade Church, which means all of our refreshments are sourced from fairtrade organisations. Fairtrade is a simple way to make a difference to the lives of the people who grow the things we love.