The Community of Blackwood Uniting Church together gave a total of $5737.65 for projects supported by the National Council of Churches Christmas Bowl 2016. These include a farming project in drought-ravaged Zimbabwe, “Seeds of Hope”, providing food for desperate Burmese refugees, medical care for Palestinian families in Gaza, and giving hope to Christians and other groups fleeing persecution in Iraq. This figure represents what has been given through envelopes at worship services over the Christmas – New Year period here at Blackwood, recognising that people of the community may also have given directly through personal on-line donations and/or the purchase of project ‘Gift Cards’. We thank the community for this expression of compassion and care for God’s world.