Churches Together in Newport Pagnell
 Katrina shows it's bad news to be poor Letter om the EcumenicalModerator
urricane Katrina has Hprovided us with yet another reminder of the painful truth: that in today's world as in yesterday's, it's bad news to be poor. The heart-rending realities we have witnessed in relation to the people left behind in the devastated New Orleans, many of them black, are true the world over. The poor cry and cry for help and no-one comes, or at least, not until it is too late for some. Those in power do not give them the attention they need because they are otherwise engaged with Important Affairs. W hen they do give attention they can lack the expertise to change things e ectively, or they can be too overstretched by the demands. Valuable resources, which could be used to bring relief, have been spent on weapons of war and the military personnel to wage it. Not to mention that the poor are often living in areas of risk in the first place in order to escape even worse poverty elsewhere. There is an inextricable link between the poverty caused by natural disaster and the poverty created by unjust
short memories. Back at the beginning of the year we were all still horri ed by the devastation caused by the tsunami - but today when thousands of survivors are still living in refugee camps without basic amenities the media has moved on. Making Poverty History does not mean letting the scandals of today simply fade into oblivion. On the contrary: it means ensuring that the stories of injustice are told in all our history books so that we and our children can learn the hard lessons they teach.
human systems.
The crisis for the people of New Orleans has been a daily
At the Mission Partnership Assembly on November 1, at 7.30 pm at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone we shall be praying for justice in two other parts of the world. Firstly we shall be praying  r the Middle East as Majeda Al-Saqqua from one of Christian Aid's partner agencies in Gaza will be sharing with us some of her fears and hopes for the future. Secondly, we shall be praying for our own city as the Rev Tim Clapton
is inducted as the new Milton Keynes Development Chaplain. Please come to support him as he begins this important role As our city continues to expand, we have an important part tL play as we live and proclaim the Gospel, at the heart of which
drama in our papers - but it may not be long be re their plight becomes old news. The evidence suggests that we have
is the Christ who came to bring not bad news, but good news
  Top Award for Newport Pagnell
to the poor. • Mary Cotes
Newport Pagnell has won a top Market Town award for the whole of South East England.
Proj ects by the Town Partnership Board over the past few years have seen a trans rmation in the High Street, John Street and Ousebank Gardens. These improvements, carried out with the co-operation of the Town and Milton Keynes Councils, enabled Newport Pagnell to come away with the "Environment and Culture" category award in the competition organised by the South East Rural Towns Partnership.
This is the second year of the National Market Towns Award Scheme promoted by Action for Market Towns, working with the English Market Town Advisory Forum, the Regional Development Agencies and Regional Market Towns Forums.
The award was presented at The Friends Meeting House in London on September 6 and was accepted by Malcolm Godwin, a Newport Pagnell Partnership member, who is the newly appointed Rural Towns Co-ordinator for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
The regeneration of the High Street has created a lot of interest among other local authorities. County Councillors from Kent have visited Newport Pagnell and a delegation from Amersham Partnership came to the town on September 2 1 to find out what has been achieved. •
Our picture shows, seated on one ofthe High Street seats, three Partnership Board members. Le  to right Milton Keynes Coun Ewan Henderson, Mr Brian Hunt (chairman) and Malcolm
Weekday Communion
She is sharing her time with the Woughton Ecumenical Parish. •
Godwin (Rural Towns Co-ordinator  r Buckinghamshire and
Milton Keynes).
designs and suggests three interlinked persons, who might be the "two or three" of Matthew 18:20 or might they be the Holy Trinity? •
 All Saints Church Milton Keynes Village invites you to join members for a monthly mid-week Eucharist Service at 7.30 pm on the  rst Wednesday of each month. The service will provide a space for peace and reflection with open prayer, in an Iona style setting. Everyone welcome. •
Prayers  r Unity
New Methodist Minister
There is to be a Cra  Sale at Stantonbury Campus Gallery on Thursday, November 17, 10.30am to 7pm, on Friday, November 18, 10am to 5pm and on
Methodists have been welcoming their new minister. The Rev Mindy Bell, an American, is staying for a year to take pastoral care of the High Street Church.
to 4pm.
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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is from January 18-25, 2006, with a theme of "Where two or three are gathered in my name." It has been chosen by the Churches in Ireland, who wish to share the themes of unity in Christ and reconciliation, which in their experience happen crucially in small groups. The image on the poster and pamphlet is inspired by Irish knot work
Ga ery Cra  S e
Saturday, November 1 9, 9am
The unusual gi s are from around the world all fairly traded and environmentally friendly. •