The 10am congregation of Wellington Methodist Parish had a fun evening putting their prayers into action at a special fundraising event.

The parish organised a banquet, using the recipes and hints supplied by Christian World Service. The menu included hummus and refried beans on flatbread, lentil soup with optional za’atar, a ricebake made with chickpeas and smoked fish, rice cakes and water for drinks.

“For many months in our prayers of intercession we have be praying for people who have been displaced from their homes because of war, climate change, religious intolerance, politics, the list goes on. We decided that we wanted something more tangible. Operation Refugee gave us the impetuous to do something,” says minister Nicola Teague Grundy.

Nicola said people were surprised how good the food tasted. The group enjoyed cooking for the crowd and there was plenty of lively conversation. They challenged participants to come up with a menu plan for a week with a budget of only $35.

“While we had fun coming up with all sorts of ways to feed ourselves on such a meagre budget, we were sobered by the knowledge that for many people this is reality,” she adds.

The parish auctioned Operation Refugee t-shirts and is very close to raising their goal of $1,000 for Operation Refugee.

“CWS is very grateful to the 10am congregation of Wellington Methodist Parish for their practical support for refugees. Operation Refugee is a time for some fun and a challenge. We appreciate the strong support from so many people,” says Murray Overton, National Director.

Operation Refugee runs until August 20. CWS is inviting groups to help refugees from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine with emergency supplies, medical care and education. Organise a Gathering or Banquet, plan a sponsored walk or eat refugee rations and raise funds to assist local partners with the work they are doing. Resources are available: https://cwsoperationrefugee.nz/ or call Murray Overton on 0800 74 73 72 for other ideas or to organise a speaker.