The United Nations refugee agency is calling for increased relief efforts in the province of Balochistan in Pakistan, where two million people have been affected by flooding. By any definition it is a humanitarian tragedy in Balochistan, said Mengesha Kebede, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Press Service reported from a news conference in Islamabad today. We need to scale up our activities in the province, if not, I think we are heading for a major humanitarian disaster there, he said. But international donations to Pakistan have been slower to come than for some other natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti in January. That delay has been attributed to many factors including donor fatigue, less media coverage, potential donors being on summer vacation, and concern that some donations might fall into the hands of extremist groups in the region. The UN press service reports that about 63% of the $460 million the UN and its humanitarian partners  seek for relief efforts in Pakistan has been covered by $291 million in funds received and another $20 million in pledges. The Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), the aid and development agency for the Anglican Church of Canada, has been collecting funds for relief efforts in Pakistan that will be channeled through Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance. Through this international ecumenical organization, of which PWRDF is a member, relief workers and local partners deliver food, emergency shelter, hygiene kits, water and other emergency relief items to people in the flood zone. PWRDFs finance and administration manager Jill Martin says that only about $25,600 in donations had been received by the end of August, but she explained that that was only the amount that had been sent directly to PWRDFs office in Toronto.  Most of our donations come in at the parish level so theres a time lag, before the full amount can be calculated, she said. Donations received between Aug. 2 and Sept. 12 will go further because the Canadian government has promised to match donations dollar for dollar. The matching funds will go into the governments Pakistan Floods Relief Fund and will be administered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Organizations such as PWRDF will be able to apply to CIDA to access the funds. In August, PWRDF prepared a special appeal bulletin for distribution at church services across the country. The bulletin outlined the amount PWRDF has already contributed to relief efforts. This includes an initial grant of $15,000 for rapid response by ACT members. PWRDF also donated funds from its account in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) to a joint project that will feed 3,000 families for two months. In addition, as part of an initiative by Canadian Churches in Action, PWRDF received $50,000 from the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation to provide emergency shelter for 550 affected families. Contributions to PWRDFs appeal can be made online at www.pwrdf.org/give designated for Pakistan flood.  For credit card donations, contact Jennifer Brown at (416) 924-9192 ext. 320 or at 1-866-308-7973. Please do not send your credit card number by e-mail or fax. Cheques payable to PWRDF, Pakistan Flood can also be sent to PWRDF at 80 Hayden St., Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2.

Jerusalem Politicians need to focus on the human face of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not discard it in favour of their own political agendas, the head of the World Council of Churches has said in the Middle East. "Politicians need to act and prevent this human tragedy," WCC general secretary, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, told ENInews after a visit to Palestinian families who have been evicted by Israelis from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheik Jarrah.   He said that although there are many holy sites in the Holy Land, the people who live on the land are also holy. "This is not about political principles, this is about human beings. It is a shame that politicians are interested more in their own political interests than in bringing basic human rights," said Tveit, a Norwegian Lutheran theologian.   It is Tveit's first visit to the Holy Land as WCC general secretary, although he visited the region several times before taking up his post at the Geneva-headquartered church grouping in January. In addition to meeting with the leaders of local churches, Tveit was scheduled to meet with the Israeli chief rabbis, representatives of several Jewish group partners and the Jerusalem grand mufti, a representative of Islam. Tveit also travelled to Bethlehem and Hebron. On the fourth day of his six-day visit to the Holy Land, Tveit noted that meeting with the family members from about 12 families evicted from their homes in the past two years greatly affected his understanding of infringements of Palestinian rights which are taking place. Nabil Al-Kurd, 67, whose family was evicted from half of his two-building home, told Tveit that Jewish settlers harassed the families, and that the families' sons as young as nine and 12 have been taken in by Israel police for questioning. Still, he also mentioned that every week a group of Israelis and others who support them protest against the eviction, along with the affected families. Al-Kurd's 88-year-old mother, Refqa Al-Kurd, recalled how they woke up one day in the other building and found all their furniture from the front building strewn in their yard. She described how she had been attacked by police when she protested against the eviction. "There can be no peace for both sides if both sides do not have security," Tveit said. "This has nothing to do with religion; it is an abuse of power. How can there be good relations with these people afterwards? If we love God we are also called to love our neighbours as ourselves." Zakariah Odeh, the executive director of the Civic Coalition for Jerusalem who briefed Tveit on the situation, said the legal case against the families has been before Israeli courts for 37 years. Israeli settler groups claim the land on which the homes are built is Jewish-owned.  Odeh said however about 28 Palestinian refugee families had been settled in the area under a 1956 agreement between Jordan, which had control of the area before 1967 and provided the land, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency which built the houses. "This type of situation also destroys Israel It is not giving [Israelis] the freedom to live as good neighbours," said Tveit. "Churches around the world have the duty to speak out to [those in power] about the responsibility they have towards taking care of the basic human rights here." The WCC general secretary said the issue of the presence of Palestinians in Jerusalem, including Christian Palestinians, regarding their residency rights in the city needs to be addressed. He noted the need of support for local churches to keep their young people from emigrating due to a lack of economic and social opportunities, especially in the city of Jerusalem. Tveit said it is important for the WCC and local churches to foster awareness of the situation, with programmes such as the WCC's Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. This enables people from outside to the West Bank to experience life in areas under occupation. The WCC groups 349 churches, principally Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant.

Geneva The financial and economic crisis experienced by many societies could bring about a powerful change to "sustainable environmental development", says Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I of Constantinople. Istanbul-based Bartholomeos was marking the Day for Creation, September 1, as a group of Roman Catholic bishops were leading a "green" pilgrimage reflecting a theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the 2010 World Day of Peace: "If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation." Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erd, the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), began the pilgrimage at the Esztergom Basilica on September 1 in its trek through three countries in the heart of the continent, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. It ends on September 5. "Concern for creation has always been part of the bishops' conference's work," said CCEE's general secretary, the Rev. Duarte da Cunha. In his statement, the Ecumenical Patriarch, considered one of the world's most influential Orthodox leaders said, "It is important to note that the current grievous financial crisis may spark the much-reported and absolutely essential shift to environmentally viable development and not unbridled financial gain." He noted, "If ecosystems deteriorate and disappear, natural sources become depleted, and landscapes suffer destruction, and climate change produces unpredictable weather conditions, on what basis will the financial future of these countries and the planet as a whole depend?" The statement by Bartholomeos follows in the tradition of his predecessor as Ecumenical Patriarch, Demitrios I, who proclaimed September 1, the first day of the Orthodox church year, as a day of prayer for the environment The same date is now known to many Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians as the beginning of the Time for Creation, as 40 days during which churches and congregations are called to pay special attention to the human responsibility for the earth. In 2010, the Geneva-based World Ccouncil of Churches has proposed to extend the Time for Creation until 10 October, so as to join a global civil society movement (www.350.org) that is celebrating climate solutions around the world on that date.

The Anglican Church of Canada plans to mark the 25th anniversary of The Book of Alternative Services (BAS) with retrospective essays from people who helped create the book. Essays from others expressing what the book means to them will also be posted at www.anglican.ca Since General Synod 2010 passed a resolution to begin work on a new service book, the essays will also look towards the future and readers will be able to add their comments and suggestions. Read the full story in the October issue of the Anglican Journal.

Vianney (Sam) Carriere has been appointed interim director of the department of philanthropy, the Anglican Church of Canada has announced. Carriere is currently director of communications and information resources for General Synod. The position of director of philanthropy was left vacant following the resignation on May 28 of Holland Hendrix.  In addition, Suzanne Lawson, who served on the planning and agenda team for the Council of General Synod (CoGS), will act as a consultant to the department of philanthropy. Archdeacon John Robertson, national gift planning officer, will assume the role of senior management officer. Staff

Canadas next governor general, David Johnston, is a respected academic and lawyer. He is also Anglican. Currently the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo, Johnston will succeed Governor General Michalle Jean when her term ends on Oct. 1. David Johnston represents the best of Canada, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a statement. Staff

Anglican Journal readers will find the annual Anglican Journal Appeal inserted into this issue of the newspaper. Funds from the Appeal are shared 50-50 between the Journal and the 22 diocesan newspapers that it carries. Also see Appeal update, p. 8. Last year, donations to the Anglican Journal appeal dropped by 10 per cent, falling from $559,000 in 2008 to $506,000 in 2009. There was a similar drop in the number of individual donations from 13,984 in 2008 to 12,318 in 2009.  The drop is an indication of the current economic climate, said Larry Gee, business manager for the Journal.  This decrease in donations, similar for most dioceses, has meant that the Journals coverage in 2010 has been cut from 16 pages to 12. This is considered the smallest size for the newspaper to remain viable.  Since the Journal carries 22 diocesan newspapers each month, any change to the national newspapers status will directly affect the entire communications network. The Journal and the diocesan papers are a galvanizing force for communications across the country, said Michelle Hauser, a consultant with the department of philanthropy, who helped craft this years Anglican Journal Appeal.

A proposal to exclude The Episcopal Church (TEC) in the U.S. from the rest of the Anglican Communion has been rejected by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion in London. Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said that he finds this decision encouraging and a step toward healing. In a recent meeting, the committee decided that such an action, proposed by committee member Dato Stanley Isaacs of South East Asia, would inhibit dialogue andwould therefore be unhelpful. The proposal followed the consecration of Bishop Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, in the diocese of Los Angeles in May. The Episcopal Churchs decision to proceed with the consecration broke one of three moratoria proposed in the Communions Windsor Report. The report requested a period of gracious restraint during which provinces would not proceed with: the ordination of gay or lesbian people as bishops; the blessing of same-sex unions; or cross-border interventions by bishops outside their own province. Bishop Ian Douglas, who serves on the committee as a representative for the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), pointed out that it is the responsibility of the ACC and the Primates Meeting to respond to proposals such as the one put forward by Isaacs. with files from Episcopal News Service

Peace in the Middle East looked a little closer as 24 Jewish, Muslim and Christian kids from the Toronto area and Galilee region of Israel hugged, laughed and said tearful goodbyes. For 10 days they had participated in the Kids4Peace camp. This is the fifth summer that children from Israel have come to Canada for the Kids4Peace camp, a project that began at St. Georges College with co-operation from St. Georges Cathedral, both in the Episcopal diocese of Jerusalem. The Rev. Samuel Barhoum, an Anglican priest in the diocese and director of Kids4Peace in Galilee, says that 11- and 12-year-olds are at a very good age to come to such a camp because they dont already have preconceived ideas. We teach them how to love each other, how to respect each other, how to accept each other as they are, [whether] Christian, Muslim or Jew. We all were born in the image of God, and God wants us to live in peace and dignity, he said. This years camp included visits to a synagogue, mosque and church to help the children learn about each others faith. The camps began in the U.S. in 2002, and Toronto Anglicans David Ross and his wife, Cathie, helped found a Canadian chapter in 2004. Ross and a group of volunteers raise about $75,000 a year, allowing the camp to operate at no cost to the families. When [the kids from Galilee] come to Canada, we want them to feel welcome by having those of the same religion share their experience. And here we do live in peace, so they see life in an entirely different perspective.... Ω

Bishop Nerva Cot Aguilera, the first female bishop in the Episcopal Church of Cuba and in the Caribbean, died on July 10 after a brief battle with severe anemia, the Episcopal News Service (ENS) has reported.  She was 71. Bishop Cot was consecrated in Havanas Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in June 2007. She retired in 2008 after a ministry in the church that began in 1987 when she became one of the first three female Episcopal priests in Cuba. Staff

Archdeacon Robert Dann recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of his ordination at St. Aidans Church in London, Ont. Born in 1917, he was first ordained as a deacon at Christ Church Fredericton in New Brunswick. He served the parishes of Eldon on the Restigouche River, Wilmot, Wicklow and Peel before going to Trinity Church in St. John, N.B. In 1960, he moved to St. Pauls, Bloor Street in Toronto, where he served until his retirement in 1985. Archdeacon Dann served on the board of the diocese of the Arctic for 12 years. After his retirement, he and his wife, Suzie, moved to London, Ont., where he assisted at churches in the diocese of Huron. Staff with files from Heather Mills

I travel by bus and subway to my office in downtown Toronto. It takes about 45 minutes.  On an early morning commute last week, I read a booklet entitled From Visitor to Disciple. In it, John Bowen, director of the Institute of Evangelism at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto, explores how people are helped to take steps from first attending church to becoming active disciples of Jesus. John calls us to think about how we welcome people who are coming through the doors for the first time and those who are returning after years of being away. The questions he calls us to ponder range from practical matters such as signage and parking to spiritual matters such as how we talk about our faith. He takes us inside the liturgy and explores the extent to which people can fully participate.  He moves us into the coffee hour and explores how we show genuine hospitality. He raises questions about follow-up. Who does it and in what ways? He challenges us to think about our reputation in our neighbourhood. Are you just the weird people who ring those infernal bells on a Sunday morning when normal people are trying to sleep? Or do you make a contribution to the community such that people would really miss you if you were not there? (p. 14) This booklet is a must-read for every congregation. And it is a wonderful companion to the Back to Church Sunday initiative, which began in The Church of England and has now spread with great success through many other churches, including our own. This year, Back to Church Sunday is September 26th. The theme is Come as you are. Back to Church Sunday turns evangelism into a simple invitationWill you come to church with me on Sunday? Bishops of several dioceses across the country will be seen in ferry terminals, subway stations and shopping centres handing out invitations this month. If they can do it, so can you. Come as you are is a gracious invitation. The welcome we offer is a sacred obligation. If we are to be the kind of community Christ calls us to be, our commitment to both is absolutely crucial. Ω Archbishop Fred Hiltz is primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. From Visitor to Disciple is available for $6.65 (includes HST and shipping).To order by email: sales@institute.wycliffecollege.ca or write to: Institute of Evangelism, 5 Hoskin Ave., Toronto, ON M5S 1H7. Attn: Sales.

Selma Doucet may be turning 75, but shes showing no sign of slowing the whirlwind pace of church activity that takes her all over her native province of Nova Scotia. The Sydney mother of seven, grandmother and great-grandmother is a member of the Anglican Church Women, as well as a lay reader and a eucharistic minister for the Parish of the Resurrection, Church of Christ the King. In this last capacity, she helps to bring holy communion once a month to people in local nursing homes. She is also one of the directors of the Anglican Foundation in the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. When I became a director, I felt a bit overwhelmed and way out of my league. I felt I didnt belong here, says Selma, who was informed of her new role while attending General Synod in Winnipeg in 2007. Despite her initial trepidation, Selmas tireless efforts have raised the profile of the Foundation and helped to boost membership in the diocese: from 33 in 2006 to about 135 today.  But when I first started talking to people, 90 per cent had never heard of the Foundation, she recalls. These days, Selma makes regular visits to church services, giving sermons to raise awareness about the Foundation. She has also been a driving force behind a successful fundraising campaign enrolling five-year pledges from Anglicans in her diocese. But then Selma, born one of eight siblings in Whitney Pier, a stones throw from the Sydney Tar Ponds, is no stranger to hard work. I had seven children and always worked full-time as the office manager in the plumbing company started by my father, she says. In the days before maternity leave, she worked right up to the births of her babies and was back in the office a week later. As the mother of a deaf child, Selma was also a passionate advocate for the deaf in her community and provinceover and above her heavy home and office workloads. There are just certain things you have to step up and do, she says stoically. Thankful to her Anglican neighbours who took her children to church, Scouts, Cubs and Brownies when she was pregnant or unable to leave the house, Selma decided, when she retired, that it was time to pay back. And shes been unstinting in her efforts in the greater Anglican community ever since. According to the Rev. Valerian Rhymes, co-rector of The Parish of the Resurrection, Selma, who sits on councils at several levels, is a true connector in the church. She links people at every levelin the parish, the region, the diocese and the national church, says Rhymes. She also connects people of every age, from young children and teens to seniors. Whatever the event, shes always there. One Anglican Foundation-funded undertaking gives Selma particular satisfaction. A few years ago, when Sydney was reeling at the loss of its coal mines, steel mill and fishery, the Foundation enabled her community to stage JOY, a weekend of Christian celebration culminating in a large and merry motorcade to a service in the regions largest Anglican church. So how does someone in her mid-70s find the energy to be such a powerhouse? Im scared to stop! she admits. When you work full-time with seven kids and you have your wash on the line and seven lunch cans ready for school before you leave for the office, you become very good at multi-tasking. Ω Diana Swift is editor of Canadian Health magazine and a parishioner at St. James Cathedral in Toronto.

Video: Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth 2010 Sixteen-year-old Avery Eramchuk was one of about 85 Anglicans who attended the Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering in London, Ont. in August. She says the four-day event, the first of its kind and attended by about 1,000 youth, was amazing. It was almost overwhelming, she said afterward from her home in Clandeboye, Man. Just the energy. And you have something in common with everyone there, so you automatically feel connected. A number of keynote addresses, delivered by the Rev. Canon Bill Cliff, were a highlight for Avery. What he said really got to me, she said, praising his ability to speak about scripture in a way that she could easily relate to. The gathering also included many small forums and discussion groups. Two that Avery attended seemed tailor-made for her interests, including a songwriting workshop. Avery plays piano, guitar and sings. And in April, she and two young friends from St. Georges Anglican Church in Wakefield, Man.Ral Jolicoeur and Jana Charloorganized a fundraiser to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They played music along with a couple of local bands and organized a silent auction. The event attracted several hundred people to a hall in Selkirk and raised about  $1,500, said Avery. That money went to the Red Cross, but the next fundraiser a candlelit night of acoustic music, possibly held in St. Georgescould benefit the Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), said Avery.  Sheilagh McGlynn, PWRDFs justgeneration.ca facilitator, offered a presentation at CLAY that, among other things, demonstrated the unequal distribution of wealth in the world. Avery said she learned more about PWRDF but was also pleased to discover that there are other people who care about the same things.[It] meant a lot to me.

LondonReligious studies has entered the top 10 league of subjects in exams taken by most 16-year-old school students in Britain, the (Anglican) Church of England said in a statement marking the publication of examination results. The results published on Aug. 24 also showed the number of school students taking religious studies for the General Certificate of School Education increasing for the 12th year running, said Nick McKemey, the church's head of school improvement. "Twelve years of organic growth in student numbers cannot be ignored," said McKemey. "This is a phenomenon that indicates students' appreciation that exploring faith and belief help them to understand the world and become better global citizens." Religious studies replaces French in the top 10 GSCE exam subjects. It is the first time that religious studies has featured in the top 10. "Young people are clamouring for a deeper understanding of religious perspectives on issues of the day and how moral and ethical questions are considered by the major faiths," McKemey said. Britain's major faiths include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism. The GSCE results cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as Scotland has a differently-structured educational system. Ben Wilson, a Church of England spokesperson, told ENInews that religious studies remains in the top five of growing subjects with more than 75 000 candidates. In 2010, there were 188,704 exam candidates for religious studies, a 3.5 percent growth compared to 2009, Wilson noted. He said, "It means that in growth terms religious education is growing faster than mathematics and history."

The Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) and Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) have launched their first joint national youth project, which will help build communities in developing countries.Anglican and Lutheran youth, who gathered from across the country for the first Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) in London, Ont. from Aug. 19 to 22, were challenged to help make the vision of 12 for 12: Developing Full Communities a reality by 2012 through work in their home parishes. The premise for the project is that is takes an estimated $5,000 to equip a community with the various resources needed to begin sustainable development. The goal for the Anglican and Lutheran youth before they meet again for their next gathering in 2012 is to raise and donate $60,000 to help 12 communities with their development needs. The Lutherans have a long-established tradition of doing these kinds of projects timed in connection with their youth gatherings every two years. Its not totally a project of the youth gathering, but thats what has given it life, say Pastor Paul Gehrs, assistant to the national bishop, justice and leadership, for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). Since the CLAY gathering was the first Lutheran-Anglican youth gathering, the joint effort was extended to the new two-year project. Details of how the project will run are still being worked out, but Gehrs said he envisions a plan where Lutheran groups will donate to CLWR and Anglicans will donate to PWRDF.  Then two agencies will keep a joint tally of how much has been raised. Or, he added, if youth groups want to give to both agencies in the spirit of Full Communion, they can do that too. We want it to be win-win for everybody, said Gehrs. We want the youth to do this together, to accomplish the $60,000 at least, and to say that this is something we did: We got together in London, we had a meaningful time and then over the next two years we worked together across the country to help people around the world through those two agencies. (In 2001, the ELCIC and the Anglican Church of Canada achieved Full Communion, in which both churches recognize each others rites, services, sacraments and clerical orders.) Recent projects Lutheran youth have worked on have included an environmental campaign to make their churches and neighbourhoods greener and another, with Habitat for Humanity, which raised $120,000 to help low-income families build homes. Gehrs added that past projects have been primarily volunteer-driven and that is the aim for this one too. Selected youth leaders will help keep the momentum going for the project, he said. Sheilagh McGlynn, justgeneration.ca facilitator with PWRDF, said that the work in each of the 12 communities for this years project will depend on the specific needs in that community. Our organizations stance isnt about going in and saying Oh, were going to dig a well here. We go in and ask What do you need? and try to work together with the community.Maybe they already have a well. Maybe they need more health care, she explained. The challenge was given to the youth at the CLAY gathering, but McGlynn says she hopes more youth will get involved as they hear about the project. PWRDF will be spreading the word about it on its website and social media such as Facebook. Gehrs also noted that the $5,000 figure is being used in a symbolic way.  The money is going to general revenue because thats the most effective, way of handling it, he said, and the amount of development aid will depend on what work needs to be done in each community. But the money raised will go to doing this community building work, and the work done in 12 communities will be highlighted.

Bangalore, IndiaChurch-backed aid groups are calling for people around the world to step up to the plate and help those suffering the worst floods in the history of Pakistan, with one agency describing the international response as, "far from adequate. "The majority of them [those affected by the floods] still remain without food, drinking water, shelter and medication, [and] more damage is expected in Sindh Province as the second wave of floods is approaching," cautioned U.S.-based Church World Service on Aug. 16. At the same time the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation announced on Aug. 19 that two of its disaster relief specialists have been sent to Pakistan to assist the church-based ACT Alliance in providing emergency assistance to the victims of the flooding. It said that Bed Bahadur Thapa and Netra Prasad Subedi, currently working with the LWF Department for World Service programme in Nepal, would arrive in Pakistan soon to help in the provision of clean water, food and emergency shelter, said Colette Bouka-Coula, the acting director of the LWF department. The warning or more floods came a day after United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon described the flood fury in Pakistan as, "heart wrenching. "I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past, I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world but nothing like this," Ban told journalists in Islamabad on Aug.15  after he had visited the flood-hit areas with Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari. The previous day, Zardari had told his nation, during an Independence Day address, that the floods had affected more than 20 million people. In an interview with ENInews, Allan A. Calma, deputy director for disaster management in Pakistan for CWS, which is part of the ACT Alliance, said from Islamabad, "On the one hand, this is a continuing and growing calamity. On the other, the resources are draining out." With the floods now affecting the entire nation, Calma noted that the international response "has not been adequate". The U.N. has said that while it has launched a US$459 million appeal for emergency flood aid to Pakistan, the response has not yet reached the halfway mark. Allan said that CWS has already distributed emergency food and shelter material to 16 000 families, and provided medical assistance to more than 100 000 people in seven districts of three provinces: Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Balochistan and Sindh. Still, the CWS official added, "Even the people whom we reached out to first are now struggling with a second flood, and are back to square one. Our reserves are drying up." The floods in Pakistan began at the end of July, when incessant monsoon rains in the mountainous north of the country wrecked havoc in the hilly region first before the floodwaters began submerging the plains of Punjab and Sindh provinces. Though CWS plans in the coming weeks to reach out to a quarter of a million people affected by the floods with nearly 3000 tonnes of food items and other relief material, Calma noted that, "these efforts would be a drop in the ocean.

Video: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada National Bishop Susan Johnson and Archbishop Fred Hiltz join the fun at CLAY. Video: Youth pick their fave moments from CLAY As the band played, kids poured into the aisles and danced in front of the stage.  A rock concert? No--the first-ever Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering in London, Ont.  CLAY is a good expression of the full communion [relationship between the two churches] and of what we can do together, said Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Approximately 1,000 youth attended the Aug. 19-22 event. They grooved to the rock-style hymns and welcomed a parade of Anglican and Lutheran bishops with whoops and cheers. Organizers used a mix of music, drama, humour, worship and education to create an exciting, inspiring atmosphere. Muppets were used to introduce the bishops. The Rev. Canon Bill Cliff, who teaches at Huron University College in London, Ont., was the keynote speaker and gave six addresses throughout the weekend, each centered on one of Jesus parables. The Gospel is always astonishing, and if it is not astonishing, youre not reading it right, he said, challenging the audience to see scripture from new angles.   Judy Steers, youth initiatives co-ordinator for the Anglican Church of Canada, said a national youth gathering has been one of our dreams in the Anglican Church for such a long time. There were about 850 Lutherans and 85 Anglicans at this years CLAY event. Its a significant jump in the number of Anglicans from the last national Lutheran gathering in Whitehorse two years ago. Then there were only 11 Anglicans who came as guests. Youth appeared to be pleasantly surprised by CLAY 2010. Its been really fun, said Cossette Massa from St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Edmonton. I was expecting it to be boring because its the church but its actually turned out to be super-fun with all events planned out perfectly well. I loved the music, added Maeve Marentette from Bethel Lutheran Church in Camrose, Alta. The Hands On Band, made up of individual musicians, performed the theme song Hands On commissioned for the gathering as well as other songs chosen from contemporary Lutheran and Anglican hymns. A drum circle led by Torontos Soul Drums was also a big hit. Musician Doug Sole introduced the audience to the idea of the rhythm and harmony possible when musicians listen to one another. Then the audience made music using plastic tubes as percussion instruments.  Sole also enlisted the Anglican and Lutheran bishops to provide rhythmic leadership. Archbishop Hiltz added the event might prove a great community builder for General Synod and [Lutheran] National Convention in 2013. Sarah Rudd, one of the Lutheran members of the planning committee, noted that youth tend not to notice differences between the two traditions.  They just jump in and have a good time together. CLAY delegates brought essential toiletries such as soap and toothpaste and spent part of the event packing We care for an ecumenical food bank in London.  The next CLAY gathering will be held in Saskatoon in 2012.