 Some of our young JMA collectors with their shields! During the 0930 Live! service on Sunday 14th October, we presented the Junior Mission for All (JMA) Medals and Certificates to our young collectors who between them and collected £179-56p. Well Done! During the 10.45am service, led by Teleri Parry, we presented certificates to our adult collectors; they had raised £362-23p. We thanked them for their generosity and Teleri led us in prayer for JMA. The history of JMA goes back to 1812 to one Joseph Blake. Blake and a Mr Hill, a local preacher, decided to hold a missionary meeting, they were asked to work out a plan to train children to collect for missionary work. The children were given a book for one year and people were asked to give ½d per week. They were given a lead pencil, a small bag to hang in their bedroom, if 1d was offered, another book was given to another child to encourage other collectors. When a child had eight names in their book they were given a copy of 'Juvenile Missionary Prayers'. Meetings were held to learn about missionary work. The 'Blake System' started in Manchester , a list was published for the amount raised. In the 1st year £16-15-1d; in the 2nd year £28-11-2d; in the 3rd year £64-0-0d and in the 4th year £75-1s-51/2d, which compared with today, was a great deal of money! In 1903 Stanley Lowton had an idea of issuing medals to all children who collected over £5-0-0 in a year, then a 'Juvenile Missionary Collectors and Distinguished Service Order ' was born. In 1980 over 60,000 medals were awarded plus 30,000 bars to their Medals. JMA has raised a tremendous amount of money for World Mission, education, prayer and service have a great importance in their work. Jesus spoke about a mustard seed and from a tiny seed a great plant grew. Joseph Blake would have been surprised and with joy to see how the seed of JMA grew to what the work is doing in so many places in our world today. Praise the Lord!. Pat Worrall JMA Secretary  Pat Worrall, our JMA Secretary, presents certificates and the shields to some of our young collectors. |
Pastoral LettersWritten by the Minister & Members
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