Bishop John’s Lent Appeal this year will be for the Friends of the Holy Land.

He writes:

Lent is a time for us to take stock of our lives. To do a spiritual reset and to focus again on the love of God and love of neighbour. Traditionally, Christians during Lent have engaged in prayer and fasting and almsgiving, and I hope that all of us will rededicate ourselves to prayer during this Lent. When it comes to almsgiving, this year I want to encourage you to make a donation to the wonderful charity - Friends of the Holy Land.

Last year I recorded my Lent message in Jerusalem. Sadly, it's no longer possible to take pilgrimages to the Holy Land. We're all aware of the terrible things that are happening there. The atrocious attack by Hamas and the terrible bombardment of Gaza that has followed. This year’s Lent message was recorded in the chapel of St George, where we give thanks for all those whose sacrifice has enabled our freedom, and we pray for peace.

Please continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land and as an act of solidarity with our fellow Christians there, I encourage you to make a donation to the Friends of the Holy Land, a charity which is set up to support the witness and ministry of Christians in that land where Jesus was born, where he lived, where he died, and where he rose again.

Christians are a persecuted minority in the Holy Land and are suffering probably at least as badly as anyone else. So please engage in prayer and fasting for peace and in almsgiving. And may this Lent be a time of spiritual renewal for you. A spiritual reset to enable your lives to turn towards God and neighbour.

Bishop John.

Donate to the Lent appeal