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July/August 2006 / June Tidings 2006 / May 2006 / April 2006 / March 2006 / February 2006 / January 2006

Archive 2005

July/August Tidings

Letter from Ken / Walking Group / Web Crawler / Alpha / 2006 TRIO and Budget Response / Britwell Circle Summer Outing / Time to Switch off!!! / Where were the media? / The holidays are coming! / We shall not be moved!

Letter from Ken

My dear friends,

Since this Tidings is covering July and August I wanted to mention a number of items, each important in their own way, and not listed in order of importance.  Please read it all so that each part is known by our whole congregation (because it is difficult to communicate with everyone in any other way). 

At the end of July, Rebecca Hitchcock will end her gap year with us, and we thank her for her contribution to our church life, especially in relating in depth with members of our FURY group and adding her gifts to the musical life of the church.  We pray for God's guidance for her as she decides what her next step in her Christian pilgrimage will be.

In September we welcome Peter Higgins for a gap year with us.  Peter comes from the URC/Methodist Church in Chichester, and is taking a year out before training to be an occupational therapist.  He will introduce himself in the September edition of Tidings.

The fortnightly Pop-In on Thursday lunchtimes has been running now for some in 11 years and has proved a very popular and highly effective in welcoming non-churchgoers onto our premises.  Many people over the years have found a place where they are welcome, and are able to talk, over a very well produced and reasonably priced lunch.

Throughout those 11 years, Gill Boyd and Ruth Loutit have been the organisers, each doing one Thursday a month, together with a faithful band of willing helpers.

The time has come, however, for Gill and Ruth to retire from this work, each for family reasons.  We want to express our tremendous sense of gratitude for what they have done over the years - an unheralded ministry, but one which has been greatly appreciated by all who attended the lunches. Sheila Armishaw and Joan Griffiths are also retiring from helping once a month, and others wish to reduce their help.

It is imperative that we have people willing to step into the gap left by Ruth and Gill as organisers.  Without this work being done it would seem that Pop-In would have to cease.  We also need helpers to replace those retiring or reducing their commitment, but the priority must be the organisers.  This task involves shopping for fresh food before the lunch, organising the laying up of tables and preparing the food, overseeing the smooth running of the event and the clearing up afterwards.  

If you feel you would be able to do with this task, initially please have a word with Meriel or myself, and we would encourage you to chat with either Gill or Ruth for further details.

Equally, if you feel you can be a helper let us know; or it might be that you think someone could do the job, but is diffident about volunteering - if so again, let us know.  This is a vital ministry of hospitality, by which our church has become an integral part in the lives of many people, some of whom do not get out to meet others very much.

Towards the end of the period covered by this newsletter, but probably before you read the next one, we will be welcoming some folk from our twinned churches in eastern Germany.  They will be arriving on Friday, 1st September, and leaving on Tuesday, 5th September.  Please make a note of this in your diaries and await more information, probably through our weekly Order of Service.  They will be participating in some way in our Sunday Services on 3rd September.

Yours sincerely,

Ken

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Walking Group

The next outing of the Walking Group will be on Saturday 15 July.  We will be doing a walk of approximately five miles, in the area around Calke Abbey in Leicestershire.  The walk is suitable for all the family.  Please meet in the church car park at 9.45 for departure at 10.00.  There will be a lunch stop so bring a packed lunch and come prepared for the weather!

For further details or if you require a lift, please contact Judith Ridout on 354 9785.  We hope to be back by 3.30.

Future Events

Following the walk on 15th July the next weekend event is arranged for Saturday 9th September - more details to be announced nearer the time.

A number of people have indicated that, though they would like to participate in these leisurely and sociable activities, they do find Saturdays rather difficult. So, with the aim of trying to broaden the appeal, a mid-week walk is planned to take place during the school holidays - please note the date: Wednesday 9th August. This is by way of an experiment and its inauguration and continuation will depend on the amount of interest and support. To establish this, please could you advise Robin Loutit (354 2298) whether - 1:  you could take part on 9th August; and 2: if you are interested in principle even if 9th Aug is not possible for you. Looking forward to a massive response!

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Web Crawler

Green this, climate that.  Enough already?  No!  If you are on a green roll then you could do worse than visit the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds website.  It has something for everyone, but have a peek at the climate pages. 

You can petition, pledge, tell friends, comment and find out answers to simple questions like what climate change means, to slightly more detailed topics such as why climate matters for British wildlife and how to calculate your carbon budget - and reduce it.  For those young at heart, click on the youth ‘play’ pages, and enjoy…

www.rspb.org.uk/climate

www.rspb.org.uk/youth/play

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Who is Alpha for?

 Alpha is for everyone!!

Old, young, new Christians, mature Christians,not yet decided, already sure; whoever you are!!

What happens at Alpha?

There is a series of talks looking at Jesus and the Christian faith. After each talk there is time in smaller groups for everyone to discuss any issues or

questions they have. This gives us all the opportunity to get to know each other. It is a chance to get together in fellowship and learn together more about the Christian faith.

What will it cost?

There is no charge for the Alpha course.

When and where?

The Alpha course meets for ten weeks starting on Thursday 14th September at 7.30 pm at Boldmere Methodist Church.

Finally, what is Alpha?

Alpha is for:

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. People of all ages are welcome.

Learning and laughter. It is possible to learn about the Christian faith and have fun at the same time.

People meeting together. An opportunity to get to know each other and to make new friends.

Helping one another. The small groups give you a chance to discuss issues raised during the talks.

Ask anything. Alpha is a place where no question is regarded as too simple or too hostile.

If you are interested then please contact Ken so that we know numbers or pick up a leaflet in the church vestibule.

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2006 TRIO and Budget Response

Many of you were unable to be at the AGM when I announced the preliminary result of the TRIO appeal. Since that date the Finance Committee has met and considered the impact of this result on the 2006 budget and reviewed all other important financial items and the actual result for 2005.

In summary, against what was considered to be a most challenging target of break-even, this year now seems likely to be heading for a £2,000 surplus, which together with 2005 finishing more strongly than anticipated, should give us £3,000 more reserves than we expected to have at the end of 2006.          

This result should put us in a good position to cope with the demands of 2007, assuming that no large unbudgeted expense comes our way in the remainder of this year and that we meet all the promises we made in the TRIO appeal.          

Despite this success, it is important to remember that the General Fund only now stands at around £10,000 - a fraction of what it has been in recent years - so we must be very careful in the stewardship of our resources, as at such a low level it is very easy to let it be significantly eroded by unnecessary costs - please remember this - it applies to everything from switching off lights, to carefully considering whether something you are going to buy on behalf of the church is really needed now and should perhaps be discussed further before a commitment is made.

The Finance Committee will be carefully monitoring the progress we make during the year in confirming our estimate of the results of the TRIO and will be reporting on this in the next few months as and when the commitments are met.

In the meantime, both the Finance Committee and Elders wish to record our thanks for such a generous response from the congregation and hope that the pattern of giving now established will allow us all to look forward for the foreseeable future without significant financial concern.

Andrew Rowe, Convenor, Finance Committee

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Britwell Circle Summer Outing

Wednesday 7th June 2006 around the Peak District

When we all met outside church at 9 o’clock we knew we were in for a good day. The sun was shining, everyone was in summer clothes, and there wasn’t an umbrella in sight. We’d be seeing the countryside at its best and more visibly than from a car. 

Our first stop was at Carsington Water beyond Ashbourne, a large reservoir with extensive grounds belonging to Severn Trent Water, and sitting drinking coffee on the upper terrace of the café, we were admiring the view when a dozen canoe paddles floated slowly into sight on the water below. Why? Later a dozen canoes appeared with children happily paddling towards their discarded paddles with their bare hands, maybe learning how to survive without them. Then while walking alongside the water, three schoolboys very politely asked if we’d mind answering their questionnaire, including which amenities we’d used; included was a big adventure playground we’d admired at a distance being fully used by school groups but had to admit we hadn’t ourselves made use of. There was also a good visitor centre with an ‘All about Water’ section; very Green. 

After spending an hour there we moved on to Matlock United Church where lunch was waiting: ham salad with rolls, trifle, homemade scones and cakes and cups of tea. Some of us felt relieved that our church isn’t in a tourist area when we learned that they were providing meals for four different groups that day.

The next stop was Eyam, the one time plague village, where there was time to wander around the village and look in the church and visit the craft centre and museum. Or, of course, sit in the sun enjoying ice creams while others found the woodworker’s and other shops fascinating.

From there the coach took us for a scenic drive to and around part of the Ladybower reservoir, another Severn Trent Water property, passing banks of woodland absolutely carpeted with bluebells and noticing how many fields had either been cut for hay or left as meadows smothered with buttercups, bringing back childhood memories of similar fields for many.

Our last stop was at Tideswell where tea was laid out in the upstairs church hall: sandwiches, more home made cakes, and ever welcome cups of tea, leaving just enough time to look in the unusually large village church known as the Cathedral of the Peak before boarding the coach for the journey home.

It had been a really special day out and our thanks go to Ron and Joan Close for planning it all: working out the route and how long to allow for breaks while making sure to arrive in time for the next meal, then travel back to Sutton when the roads were quiet in the safe hands of Kevin, the driver.

Writing this, I found myself thinking how fortunate we are to live in Wylde Green so near to beautiful countryside and with a choice of public transport to get us around, and seeing all the water in the reservoirs with so much talk of drought was very reassuring. Thought too of the little vase of privet and buttercups on the table at tea at Tideswell, a very simple decoration yet reminding me of Matthew 6 vs 24 to 34 and that at this time of concern about climate change, our values too need to change.

Vera Cullimore

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Time to Switch off!!!

A very simple message of switch off, not leave on standby exists for electrical appliances.  An equally simple message of use low energy bulbs and switch off lights when leaving a room adds to this.  But there is a complication!  The message is true in general, but for true eco-warriors, there are some exceptions.

We live in a disposable world, so items like TVs are only designed to be switched on and off a certain number of times, before bits break.  The energy and materials used for a new TV far exceed the energy for leaving on standby, so, if you are only switching off for a couple of hours, standby is better!!!  This is especially true if you have a TV with a tube rather than a flat TV.  Tubes have to warm up, and that takes up a lot of energy, so if you switch off, you need extra power to switch on.  Items such as modern stereo amplifiers are best left on standby unless you are not going to use them for a few days.  Cable TV and Freeview boxes should be left on overnight occasionally, for software updates, otherwise, you may find they do not work properly.

Fluorescent strip lights and modern low energy bulbs (the ones you can’t use dimmers with) have a similar problem.  They have a ‘starter’ in them, which uses a high peak of energy when they are switched on.  If you think you may be in and out of a room a couple of times in a hour or so, you will use less energy by leaving the light on than switching it off and on again repeatedly.  For areas of high but inconsistent use, such as a downstairs toilet in a large family, an old fashioned bulb may even be more energy efficient!!!

In summary:

Tube TV and computer monitors - leave on standby if you need within 24 hours.

Flat TV and computer monitors - leave on standby if you want it within 6 hours.

Low energy/fluorescent bulbs - only switch off if you don’t intend to switch on again within 1 hour.

Melanie Frew

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Where were the media?

On Tuesday 27 June, Dr Indarjit Singh, Editor of the Sikh Messenger, gave the pause for thought on the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2.

He started by saying that as the media was always full of stories about religious extremists, he would like to give an opposite view and told the story of the life of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, who devoted his entire life to the cause of tolerance and understanding between different religions, which lead to his martyrdom 400 years ago this month.

At a time of hatred and distrust between different religions, Guru Arjan asked a Muslim saint to lay the foundation stone of the Sikh Golden Temple.  The Guru also included verses of Hindu and Muslim saints in the Sikh Holy Scriptures to show that the same truth can often be found in different faiths.

The Guru's courage and common sense, popular among ordinary people, was seen as a threat by the Mughal rulers (sound familiar?) and the Guru was arrested and tortured to death in the scorching June heat in India.

Every year, Sikhs remember the thirst and suffering of Guru Arjan in an unusual way.  In the spirit of the Guru's teachings, they give out cool drinks to those who pass near their homes or places of worship.  This year was no different, but as it was the 400th anniversary of the Guru's martyrdom, it was decided to give out thousands of bottles of water and soft drinks in Trafalgar Square to tourists and visitors, and invite leading figures from other faiths to join in.

It must have been a strange sight to see kindness and consideration being emphasised in a Square normally associated with anger and protest, when on 19 June, Bishops, Rabbis and other faith leaders - in all their finery - joined Sikhs in handing out cans and bottles of cool drinks to astonished passers by. Many were clearly moved and others confused by the show of religious unity.

And where were the media at this gathering of the faiths?  Nowhere to be seen.

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The holidays are coming!

Did you know the origin of the word 'holiday' is holy day? 

For the Israelites, one important holy day was the Sabbath - one day in seven which belonged to God and was used to worship Him and remember all that He had done.

Perhaps the most important was Passover beginning when the Israelites were captives in Egypt. On the night God delivered them from captivity, each Israelite family had to sacrifice a lamb and paint some of the blood on the outside of their door posts and lintels. When the angel of God went through Egypt to kill all the firstborn (the eldest of each family) he "passed over" the Israelites' houses that were marked with the blood and so spared them. The Egyptians were not so fortunate! 

When the Israelites were in their own land, a special ceremony was held at the end of the week after Passover. This was the ceremony of the First Fruits when the first sheaf of the barley harvest was presented to God. 

The main harvest festival, however, came fifty days later. It was the Feast of Weeks and it was a time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving for God's gifts at harvest. It later came to be known as Pentecost from the Greek word for 'fiftieth' and it was during that festival, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, that the disciples were given special powers to perform miracles and to heal people. 

The beginning of every festival was signalled by a blast of trumpets, but on the first day of the seventh month, the trumpets were sounded for a very special celebration. The Feast of Trumpets was a very solemn day of rest and worship and it later became known as Rosh Hashanah - the New Year festival. 

The most popular and joyful of all the celebrations, however, was the Feast of Tabernacles, which was held in the autumn after all the fruit crops had been harvested. The celebrations included camping out in tents (or 'tabernacles') as a reminder to the Israelites of the time when they had lived in tents in the wilderness.

There were other festivals too, including Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) and Purim, (deliverance from massacre), but although they were times of rejoicing and feasting, they were primarily times of thanksgiving to God and occasions to remember outstanding events in the history of Israel. God wanted His people to have times of rest and rejoicing, but they were not to be holidays as we think of them today. They were to be 'holy days'.

So, at this holiday time, let us enjoy it as God would like us to and let Him help us to help others have a good holiday too.

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We shall not be moved!

Ken's family talk on 28th May was all about the Da Vinci Code. He also discussed an ancient Christian code which believers scratched on the walls of their houses:
 

SATOR
AREPO
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS
 

This means "Farmer Arepo pushes his seed plough" and can be read backwards as well as forwards, and also up and down. Scholars have debated the actual significance of these words for years and have decided that it is probably a nonsense verse. However, as Ken pointed out, the letters are an anagram of A O Paternoster Paternoster A O which means "Our Father you are the Beginning and the End" in a mixture of the two main languages of the day, Greek and Latin.

For me, the real importance of these letters is the word "tenet" (Latin for "hold") which forms a cross in the middle of the puzzle. It forms the repeated statement "hold on", or perhaps "keep firm" or even "pull together".

It is a prayer and a motivational statement all in one. Imagine a football crowd chanting "we shall not be moved" but then think of groups of Christians wanting to shout the gospels out loud, but having to keep quiet for fear of their lives...."Our Father, who is the Alpha and Omega. We shall not be moved!"

Alastair Frew

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June Tidings

Letter from Ken / Flower Festival / URC Questionnaire on the Eldership / Space 2 Journey / Church of North India - Hospital Visit / Life Line / To Succeed

My Dear Friends,

The Archbishop of Canterbury in his Easter sermon talked about the way people are swayed by conspiracy theories. He may well have had in mind the ’Da Vinci Code’, which is a best-seller and has been made into a film. Although this is a novel, and therefore fiction, it invites the reader to take some of its material seriously.

As far as I was concerned the book was an exciting ‘who-dun-it’ kind of thriller, and nothing more. I am staggered to find that many people are taking it as history, and at least as persuasive to them as the Bible in guiding them in their spiritual lives. Indeed, I saw a TV documentary some months ago in which three people who were convinced by the theories in the book met with experts in the relevant fields. Despite expert evidence that these theories could not be relied on in any way, two out of the three refused to change their view.

As the church we are faced with this modern phenomena of people seeking spiritual knowledge and experience, but turning to many and various, what might broadly be called ‘New Age’, practices. They seem to be prepared to believe anything, so long as it isn’t the (in their eyes) old and discredited Christian faith. It is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath-water. There is so much that the church can genuinely offer people who today are seeking for something more spiritual in their lives. However, they don’t expect to find it in the church, and there is a tendency to disbelieve what we say - hence this rush to accept the very dubious and unhistorical evidence contained in the ‘Da Vinci Code’.

Let me illustrate what I mean by some of the claims contained in the book.

·      The Catholic Church has kept the true facts about Christ hidden through force and terror.

·      Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene

·      The Holy Grail was not the chalice used at the Last Supper, but the womb of Mary Magdalene who bore Jesus’ child, called Sarah.

·      The descendants of Mary and Jesus became Kings of France.

·      Jesus was not the Son of God, but an inspired prophet

·      Jesus only became accepted as divine when the Roman Emperor Constantine called a Council of the Church at Nicea, and forced this result in order to help him control the empire.

The supposedly factual evidence for these ideas are dozens of documents about Jesus, many found at an Egyptian town called Nag Hammadi in 1945. It is claimed that these contain the true, and different, picture of Jesus because they pre-date the four biblical gospels. The reference to a special relationship of some kind between Jesus and Mary is contained in one of these documents.

There were documents found at Nag Hammadi (which have been closely studied by scholars), and they shed much light on various types of Christianity during the second century. One of our foremost New Testament scholars and historians, Dr. Tom Wright, now Bishop of Durham, writes that these documents are:

·      demonstrably late second century, though they may contain traces of earlier material

·      demonstrably derive from the earlier material contained in the four gospels

·      demonstrably different in theology from the earlier material, contained in our bibles.

There is much detailed refutation of the historicity ascribed to the claims in the ‘Da Vince Code’, but there is no space here to set these out. Suffice to say that the picture of Jesus, which is presented there, although it may resonate with the current desire to have a ‘guru’ style spiritual guide, is not the real person. The real Jesus lived and died as we know from the gospel record, and he rose again on the first Easter Sunday. The effect of his life, death and resurrection can be seen in the Letters of Paul (the earliest which were written only some twenty years after Jesus’ death), and in the Acts of the Apostles.

This is clearly not some esoteric way of enlightenment, in which ultimately you and your striving are all-important. Rather it is the good news of God’s love for each one of us, and his coming in Jesus Christ to make that love known and real in human life.

In a very real sense, it matters not a jot whether Jesus was married or not - although there is no evidence that he was. What matters is that his spirit, his mind, his mission, lives on in the lives of his followers - you and me.

Yours sincerely

Ken

Other thoughts from Ken

In the July edition of Tidings, our treasurer, Andrew Rowe, will write with a full explanation of the result of the TRIO appeal made in January. I just want to say here a very big ‘thank you’ to everyone who was able to respond to the appeal, which has secured our financial future for this year and probably 2007 as well. This means we can now plan for some of the essential work that we need to be able to do in the next few years, and it is indeed a relief that we can do so. 

The Elders with responsibility for worship have decided that we should withdraw from the United Free Church evening services for the simple reason that so few people are supporting them, that we need to develop our own evening services instead. An additional factor is that our friends at the Boldmere Methodist Church now only have one evening service a month, and therefore few of their members were coming as well. It therefore seems the right thing to do, whilst acknowledging that they have served a useful purpose in the past in expressing our ecumenical witness.

Finally, on 10-11 June our Flower festival weekend has the theme of wedding anniversaries, and we thought it might be an interesting, and revealing, thing to have a display of the wedding photographs of members of the congregation on display.  Thereby we could have a quiz to see who can guess the identity of the most couples!

I am happy to receive the photos and arrange them. However, please put your name on the back so I can be sure to return them safely to you.

Ken

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FLOWER FESTIVAL

 Saturday 10 June

 10.00 am - 5.00 pm

Sunday 11 June

 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm

in aid of church funds and the Alzheimer's Association

Food all day * Green display * Music in church

Special Sunday evening service for all people married at Wylde Green

Bedding plants are urgently requested for the Flower Festival's plant stall.  If you can help, please speak to Val White (355 6683).

Please bring all plants for the plant stall to church on Friday 9 June.

Offers of cakes would be appreciated for the morning and afternoon tea/coffee. Please can you bring them along on the day.

Also if you could spare an hour or more to help, then please phone.

           Thanks, Jeannette Dixon 6815686

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URC Questionnaire on the Eldership

For discussion at Church Meeting

1.       Is the eldership important to you? We are not asking about the quality of the relationship between you and our elder, which we assume you find valuable. Is it important to you that when your elder visits or talks to you he or she is doing it as an elder rather than as another church member?

2.       What to you are the important facets of the role of an elder? Which of these is more important to you: a) their leadership in the spiritual and worshipping life of your church, or b) their care for the buildings and the other physical needs of your church?

3.       How do you see an elder’s role compared with the minister’s? Can you see pastoral situations where only the skills and training of a minister would be appropriate?

4.       Would you like to see our elders doing anything in the life of the church that they do not do at the moment? Have any new roles for elders emerged in your church? If yes, please detail. Is there anything you now need your elders to do that they have not done in the past? How would you justify what you are suggesting?

5.       Is it important to you that we ordain our elders? Why? What do you understand by ordination?

6.       What training should we provide for/expect of our elders?

7.       Which elements of an elder’s role do you regard as such a gift to the wider church that you would like to see them implemented by our ecumenical partner Churches?

8.       Should we maintain our views of the eldership even though it may interfere with or complicate the progression church unity?

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Space 2 Journey  -  Sunday 25 June

Space @ Wylde Green on the evening of Sunday 23 April saw Highbridge Hall transformed into an atmospheric space, lit with candles and full of the aroma of fresh coffee and homemade cakes.  At the peak, 50 people were present; chatting, listening to a few pieces by the band or watching the projected images in the background.  Special thanks need to go to Mark Steel and Pete Mandeville for their work in the kitchen and Laura Monk, Jo Ellis, Rebecca Hitchcock, Sian Hancock and Lucy Waltho for providing the music.

The feedback from this first event has been very positive, and so we have decided to try again!  This time there will be a ‘theme’ of journeys with Rebecca sharing some of her thoughts and pictures of her home in Zimbabwe.

Although we hope that existing church members and friends will enjoy the evening, it is a particularly appropriate opportunity to invite a friend or two, who would not necessarily feel comfortable in a traditional church setting.  There is no need to know when to stand up or sit down, for example.  Unless you want another coffee, that is.  For some people, the music and images may provide a space for personal reflection and prayer, for others it will be a purely social occasion, to meet new people and unwind before the busy-ness of the coming week.

If you are unsure what to expect, ask around or speak to us to find out more.  Otherwise, just turn up anytime between 7.30 pm and 9.00 pm on Sunday 25 June and experience Space @ Wylde Green for yourselves.  If that is no good, we have pencilled in 24 September and 26 November, after which we will review if we have the capacity to hold them monthly. If a Sunday night is no good for you, then please put a suggestion in the church suggestions box, speak to one of us or email us space@wyldegreenurc.org.uk.  Don’t forget to bring a friend!

Sunday 25 June 7.30 - 9.00

Melanie & Colin Frew 0121 373 8622

Email: space@wyldegreenurc.org.uk

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Church of North India - Hospital Visit

After a couple of hours driving up narrow bumpy roads, through territory which we were told was subject to terrorist attacks - although only at night time, we were assured! - we turned into a sandy side street to enter the compound of the church hospital in Serenga.  This is 30 kms from the nearest town or doctor, a small rural hospital which serves an area of tribal people.

The Rev Dr Biswas, the medical superintendent, greeted us warmly and showed us round the hospital.  The wards had only bare beds.  The laboratory lacked basic testing equipment.  It was difficult to recruit doctors because of the lack of facilities.  Some of the nurses had worked with great dedication for many years.  But among the younger nurses, trained at the nursing college on the campus, there was a desire to move to a more urban area to work, where they would also be much better paid.

The nature of the problems faced came home to us when we saw an emergency patient arrive - in the back of a bullock cart!

During July to December 2005, the hospital treated 2,944 outpatients and 2,484 in-patients.  A recent innovation has been an eye clinic where simple cataract operations are performed, restoring sight to people who have been near blind.  927 of these were performed in this period.

Amongst the variety of problems encountered is the more unusual one of local animals coming onto the hospital grounds because of the absence of a 'proper and continuous boundary wall'.

Despite all this, the dedication of the staff is enormous, under the leadership of Doctor Biswas who testified to the way he could only continue through the strength that God gives him.  The coming together of his work and his faith is illustrated in a booklet he had published: 'At the foot of the cross' - reflections for Good Friday.  Interestingly, among the prayers quoted is one from John Johansenberg from the West Midlands Synod. 

We presented a cheque for just under £2,000 from three churches in this Synod which we subsequently discovered was the equivalent of about a third of a month's income to run the hospital.

Please pray for Dr Biswas and the staff and patients in this hospital.  Detailed information about the hospital is available from the Synod office.  Further contributions can be made through the URC West Midlands Trust.

Photographs are available on the Synod website - www.urcwestmidlands.org.uk.

Rev Elizabeth Welch and her husband

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Life Line

A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.  While on the operating table, she had a near death experience.  Seeing God, she asked, "Is my time up?"

God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a facelift.  Liposuction and a tummy tuck followed.  She even had someone come in and change her hair colour.  Since she had so much more time to live, she thought she might as well make the most of it.  After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.

While crossing the road on her way home, she was run down by a bus.

Arriving in front of God she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 40 odd years left?  Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?"

God replied, "I didn't recognise you."

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To Succeed

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others;

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Tidings May 2006

Letter from Ken / First Aid & Flowers / Elsie Langley / Holiday Home / Flower Festival and Green Day / ‘Green’ ideas / Easter Walk

Letter from Ken

My dear friends,

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who contributed to our celebration of Passiontide, Holy Week and Easter – to Philip, Stephen and Kathryn for the music, especially the power of the Passion Sunday anthems, and some beautiful Junior choir contributions; for the varied and thoughtful Holy Week devotional services; for the visual dimension provided by John Potter and the Visual Faith group; for the moving sacred dance element on Good Friday; for the many people who helped make the Good Friday Day for the children a happy and (we hope) memorable occasion; and for the sensitive flower arrangements which graced the church on Easter Day. Looking back on these times of worship, I do feel we were able to combine the great talent possessed by members of our church. And since then, whilst I was on holiday, I gather there has been a most innovative and enjoyable ‘café style’ worship, attended by over 50 people, at which yet more talents were being used. Praise be to God for these gifts he has given us, and may we continue to give him the glory by our use of them.

Another aspect of church life that some of the Elders have been looking at, is how we get to know one another better and at a deeper level. Some of our existing groups do that, of course, but we are concerned that there will be many who, for whatever reason, are not part of those networks. It has been good to have had two Rambles, so far, with our new team of folk willing to organise these. On Bank Holiday Monday, there were over forty people, of all ages, walking on a very pleasant route of about five miles through Cannock Chase, and such an event means you have a chance to talk to people you may not have met before.

However, we want to promote other things, and when we met to discuss how to facilitate this we didn’t seem to get beyond various occasions of eating together!

So…we are arranging on May 21st, after the morning service, a ‘Frugal Lunch’ to mark the end of Christian Aid Week. This, as the name indicates, will be a simple meal of soup, bread and cheese, and you are invited to make a donation for the cost of the meal to Christian Aid. The equally important part, however, is that all are welcome and it is an opportunity to meet and chat.

Then, on 28th May, again after the morning service, we are invited to go to the Plantsbrook Nature Reserve for a picnic, and engage in some ‘bug-hunting’ and ‘pond-dipping’ with Steve Hinton, the Park Ranger. 

Furthermore, we would like to suggest that anyone in the church might like to invite a group of say four or five folk to their house for a simple and informal meal. If you would like to do this but are not sure whom you could invite, have a word with one of the ‘pastoral group‘ elders – Anne Horton, Val Dinning, Sarah Steel, Michael Platt, Bente Osborne, Iain Frew, or with us as ministers. Equally, if you would like to be included in such a group, have a word with one of us. 

The aim of these events is to help foster in our church a deepened sense of community - not just at the social level, but as part of God’s people, seeking to create the kind of world he wants to see on earth.

Yours Sincerely,

Ken

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First Aid

Please could anyone with current First Aid credentials, give their name to Pete Mandeville - (presumably this includes doctors and nurses as well!).  We need to compile a list of First Aiders for the Child Protection Policy, to put with the First Aid kits in each kitchen and just for general information. 

Thank you, Meriel

Flowers 

Could anyone who has received flowers recently in oasis please return the oasis to me, Marcia Hughes or place either on or in the flower cupboard in church.  It will be required for the forthcoming Flower Festival.

Thanks, Sue Hughes

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Elsie Langley 1919-2006

I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you for your messages and words of comfort on the death of my lovely Mum.  Special thanks to Ken and Meriel, Val White and Bill and Lettie Bellshaw, and to Adrian Miles for their support and telephone calls.

She was a lovely person and had always had such a love of all things musical as she, and my late father David, met through the Birmingham Choral Union.  On quite a few occasions, both of them told me the story of a rehearsal they were attending and the conductor, Appleby Matthews, arrived late.  He apologised and then realised he hadn't got his baton.  So, being resourceful, he picked up a chair leg and conducted the choir with that.  Mum and Dad sang with some of the greatest singers in the world, notably Katleen Ferrier and Isobel Bailey.

Both Mum and Dad passed on their live of music to me, and I am so grateful for that precious gift. 

Elsie had been in and out of hospital throughout her life.  She had had arthritis, in various joints, but it was only after Dad died 13 years ago that Mum's health started to take a turn for the worse.

I thought that you would like to have a copy of the poem that Ken read at the Service of Celebration: Miss me, but let me go.

When I come to the end of the road

and the sun has set for me,

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room.

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little - but not too long,

and not with your head bowed low.

Remember the love that was once shared.

Miss me, but let me go.

 

For this is a journey we all must take

and each must go alone.

It's all a part of the master's plan,

a step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart,

go to the friends we know.

bear your sorrow in good deeds.

Miss me, but let me go.

God bless you, Mum.  You are safe in the arms of the Father and now reunited with Dad.

Sue McKnight

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Holiday Home

Mobile home to rent on Mediterranean coast of France.  Sleeps 4 to 6.  Small, quiet site with swimming pool, tennis, etc.  Short walk to sandy beach.  Near to Pyrenees and Spanish border.

Contact Penny Parsons on 354 4494

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Flower Festival and Green Day

This year, we are very much hoping to arrange an exhibition on climate change to coincide with the Flower Festival (10th and 11th June).  And suddenly, the political parties are vying with each other to prove their green credentials, and outdo each other in green proposals.  Great!  But while they try to work out what to do at a global level - we are thinking of practical, everyday things.

SO: on ‘Green Day’, bring your last year’s gas, electric and water (meter) bills, and calculate your air and car mileage: then with Steve Lyne’s help, you can calculate how much carbon you are producing each year - your ‘carbon footprint’!

‘Green’ ideas

1  SAVE WATER:

Suddenly, we are faced with water shortages.

Why don't we all try to save water this summer by only using water from rainwater butts on our garden! This is good for the garden, as tap water contains chlorine and fluoride which are poisonous to plants (and humans!) and it is plain silly to use water that has been pumped in from miles away (using yet more energy) to keep the garden in shape. Rain water is much better for this.

If you only water with a can, rather than a hose, you can get right in to the base of the plants that need it, and you don't water established shrubs which do not need watering at all. They have deep roots and actually prefer to bring water up from several feet under the surface. Watering with a sprinkler just dampens the surface, which encourages plants to have shallow roots.  These are vulnerable to hot sunshine and are easy pickings for slugs, which feed on the surface or just below the surface of the soil. Water your plants less, and they will grow much more strongly! Also, if you only water the base of the plants which need it (first season plants or ones which are looking dry) you keep the surface of the flowerbed dry - this actually inhibits weeds and slows slugs down!  Also, remember to water in the morning or the evening, or you will damage your plants.  And mulching retains moisture, and again cuts down the need for watering.

Water butts cost from about £30, but you can make your own if you happen to have an old dustbin. For about £5, you can get a plastic tap from a hardware shop which you can fit to the old dustbin by cutting a hole in the side of the bin, popping the tap in and sealing with bathroom silicon sealant. Easy!  I have one of these on my greenhouse, where I use a plastic funnel and a yard of hosepipe to direct the water into the old dustbin.

2   AIR MILES:

Grow something beautiful this year! Don't import flowers from half way round the world with all the energy that consumes, when you can grow them yourselves! Why not try growing sweet peas or sunflowers? Go to the garden centre or supermarket and buy some seeds. Then fill a plant pot with soil from the garden - normal compost is too rich, and special seed compost is too expensive, so just scoop some soil from the garden and take out all the large stones. Pop in one seed for each small pot, or two seeds in a pot the size of a CD/DVD and push the seed down with your finger to the depth of your fingernail. Water gently to avoid washing the seed away. Put on a bright window ledge or in a greenhouse and water gently every few days. The soil should be moist but not running wet. The plant will start to grow and when it is so big that it is starting to flop over in the pot, gently tip out the contents of the pot, and tease the plants out of the soil. Put each plant into a hole in the ground where you want them to grow and tie the plant gently to a stick or cane for support. Water well once a week (or more if in a really sunny corner).
 

With sweet peas, every time a flower has opened, pick it by cutting it off right back at the main stem and put it into cold water in a vase in the house. This encourages more flowers to grow.  Then enjoy it!  With sunflowers, the flower won't open until the end of summer, but will be well worth the wait. Oh - and nasturtiums are also bright and easy ones for beginners! 

Alastair Frew

Green Project

From late April, we shall be giving a sunflower seed to every member of Junior Church, with details of how to grow them.  Let’s see who can grow a really tall, healthy sunflower this summer! 

                                                             Meriel

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Easter Walk

Easter Monday saw the second outing of the rambling group.  An intrepid group of 43 (age range 2 to 70+) and 1 dog  left the car park in Cannock Chase on a 5 mile walk.  We had asked to be blessed with good weather; however, after the first half hour we felt more like having received a full immersion baptism. The talk flowed, the group remained in very good spirits and thankfully the weather lifted.  

After a few miles through the chase, the walk turned into the Shrugborough estate to enjoy a packed lunch and tea break at the house. Part of the group built their own den, some children (big and little) spent their time operating the locks on the canal for any stray passing boat and some just rested.  After a short walk back along the canal, we returned to the car park, again a little damp but happy.

The next walk will be held on the 20th May 2006 around Packwood House, again meeting in the Church car park at 9.45 for a 10.00 am departure. We hope the next walk will be as equally well supported.  

Any queries please contact Sue and Alan Greenwood on 353 6474

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April Tidings

Letter from Ken April 2006 / Diary Dates / Christian Aid Needs You / Walking group / Space @ Wylde Green / Life on the Edge - Working with today’s young people / Coloured in with good and evil / Finding Jesus / Save money - and save energy!

Letter from Ken

My dear friends,

Easter is the greatest festival in the Christian year - the celebration of the foundation event of the Christian faith. Without it there would be no gospel and no church. It is important, therefore, that we should prepare for it, and reflect on its meaning for us as fully as possible. 

We can do this by attending as many of the worship events which have been arranged with this purpose in mind, each with its distinctive style and using a variety of media.

Firstly, on April 2nd at 6.30 pm, our choir will be singing a number of Passion-tide anthems in a service that will conclude with communion. There is much preparation for this kind of choral service and it would be encouraging for there to be good congregation to appreciate the music.

Then on April 9th at 6.30 pm, our Visual Faith group, led by John Potter, will be presenting a service of visual reflections on the text, “I tell you the truth, unless an ear of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Those of you who have seen any of John’s slides in previous services will know how striking they are, and we look forward to this corporate presentation, recognising that we have a group of very talented photographers in the church. Other churches will be joining us for this service.

I commend to you all, especially any who have not been able to come in the past, the Holy week devotions held for 20 minutes each morning - Monday 10th - Friday 14th - at 7.30 am in Room 1, entering from the church car park. These are a long-standing tradition of this church and about 30-40 people attend. Different members of our church lead them, and this year I have invited John Potter, Wilma Frew, Melanie Frew and Adrian Miles to share with me in doing this.

Maundy Thursday sees us joining with other churches at 7.30 pm at St. Michaels, Boldmere, for a service of remembrance of the Last Supper. We have occasionally done this in the past, and it seemed particularly appropriate to do so this year with the coming of the new vicar, Paul Rattigan.

On Good Friday evening at 7.30 pm, we are having a reflective service which will include varied pictures of the cross and sacred dance, as well as the more traditional hymns and readings.

Our celebration culminates in the great festival of Easter itself, when, at our morning service at 11.00 am, we will be receiving new church members, and welcoming all the church family, from the youngest to the oldest, to participate in communion together.

The evening service is a totally different experience, akin to the disciples gathering on the first Easter Sunday, as a much fewer number gather on the dais for a quiet and more meditative time.

Of course, apart from these public services, we can read the Passion story in our Bibles, and I commend this to you, for such is the depth of these narratives that we can find new insights and new inspiration every time we come to them. I came across one such new aspect recently.

We know that Pilate, according to Jewish Passover custom, offered to release Jesus. However, the Jewish religious establishment incited the crowd to shout for Barabbas, a well-known freedom fighter, and it was he who went free. It is likely, according to the original Greek, that his full name was Jesus Barabbas. Jesus was a common first name in those days, and ‘Bar-abbas’ in the Hebrew language means ‘son of the father’.

In other words, the people asked for Jesus, the son of the (earthly) father, to be released, and demanded the crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the (heavenly) Father.

Jesus, our Lord, was taken to the cross which ought to have held Barabbas. The irony of this is that Barabbas deserved to die under the law, since he was variously described as a murderer and a notorious insurrectionist. Jesus, who was innocent of any crime, died in his stead.

This exchange of places spells out the meaning of the cross for us. We are given life, just as Barabbas was given his freedom, because Jesus died. We, like Barabbas, are children of earthly fathers, and none of us in the strict sense deserves the freedom and the joy which God offers us. But because Jesus died on the cross, in our stead, we may receive God’s free gift of life, now and for all eternity. This is the wonder and the mystery of Easter - may we all know this Resurrection joy.

Yours sincerely,

Ken

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Diary Dates

Pop-In Dates

Please note that the Pop-In dates for after the Easter break to July are:

            April 27th                      June 22nd

            May 11th                       July 6th

            May 25th                       July 20th

            June 8th

Pop-In will then take a summer break until September 7th.

Gill Boyd & Ruth Loutit 

Concert at Sutton Town Hall

Concert at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on Monday 3rd April at 7.30 pm featuring Helen Downham playing the Haydn cello concerto in D with The Orchestra of the Swan. Other items by Mozart. Tickets are £12.50 adults and £5 children and students from 0121 373 1779 or at the door.

Holiday cottage to let in Brittany on a working farm. Sleeps 4/5 plus baby. Possible discount on ferry travel available. E-mail patriciadownham@hotmail.com for further details

Pat Downham

Pebble Paths and Pastures

Discerning God's Gifts in the Landscape

Saturday 13th May 2006

10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Rodborough Tabernacle, Gloucestershire

Cost: £7 including a light lunch

For details contact:

Revd Franziska Herring, 01543 423268 Franziska@fherring.wanadoo.co.uk

or         Revd Heather Whyte, 01453 766389 heatherwhyte@talk21.com

Les Francais Arrivent!

I know it's only April but the end of June isn't that long off!  This is to remind you that we need accommodation for some French and some English people attending the Colloque in Birmingham from 30 June-4 July 2006.  This is an ideal chance to practice your French (although they will all speak some English), but if you prefer, you could put up some English people instead.  Please think about it and let me know as soon as possible.  Thank you.

Dorothy Slater, 355 2422 

Friday Friendship Club Outing

Friday 14 July 2006

The Friday Friendship Club is going to Nottingham for a 2 hour river trip with lunch served on board.  The coach leaves the church car park at approximately 11.15 am, returning at 5.30 pm approximately.  Anyone interested, please contact Gill Boyd on 354 6335

Training for Learning and Serving

Not so much a programme.  More an experience

Have you heard the one about the person visiting a church who picked up a TLS leaflet and who is now not only a lay Preacher but a District Secretary as well?!

TLS exists to inspire and equip people for ministry (in its widest sense) and mission in the church.

We have just received their latest information pack, which is now displayed in the church porch. Please look at it. We may be running out of the need for District Secretaries but there are many other ways to develop your own particular ministry. 

TLS - Is it for me?

An introduction to the TLS courses led by Stanley Jackson will take place on Saturday 13th May from 10.00 am till 1.00 pm at Lea Road URC, Lea Road, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton.  There is no charge for the day and tea and coffee will be available.

Stanley is the national co-ordinator of the programme and Stuart Scott, the Regional Organiser for the courses in the West Midlands Synod, will also be there, along with past and present students and local tutors.

If you are interested in exploring what a TLS course might have to offer you, please contact Rachel Vernon at the Synod Office, Digbeth in the Field URC, Moat Lane, Yardley, Birmingham B26 1TQ as soon as possible.  If you require further information, please contact Stuart Scott on 01384 827728 or e-mail laytraining@urcwestmidlands.org.uk.

Songs of Praise at Himley Hall - 18th June at 7.00 pm

Hymns and worship songs in the grounds of Himley Hall (4 miles from Dudley). If you are interested in offering your musical skills, vocal or instrumental, please contact Wilma Frew for more information. One rehearsal on Monday 12th June at 7.30 pm would be the minimum requirement and attendance at 4.30 pm on the day itself.

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Christian Aid Needs You

“We believe in life before death”

This year, Christian Aid Week takes place from 14 – 20 May.  A dedicated band of thirty collectors will again walk the streets around our church, doing house-to-house collections which last year raised over £1,300.

However, in order to continue the good work, we need new collectors.  We would like to gather a list of people who are willing to collect on an occasional basis (i.e. not necessarily every year.)  If you would like to offer your services, either for this year’s collection or for next year, please see the contact details below.

Christian Aid has a new look!

The new materials for Christian Aid week will sport a new look and logo. The aim is for Christian Aid to be more instantly recognisable and to visually communicate what it stands for: courage, outspokenness and action for peace.

The essentials:

When?  14-20 May 2006

What?   A week of fundraising, prayer and action for the world’s poorest people.

Why?   Because poverty is a scandal and we believe in life before death.

Who?   A movement of 20,000 supporting churches and 300,000 dedicated collectors

How?  Through the UK’s biggest house-to-house collection, a national advertising campaign, and thousands of special events and church services.

In 2005 Christian Aid Week nationally raised a record £14.8 million.  This has enabled Christian Aid to continue working in partnership with local organisations in over 50 countries worldwide.

If you would like to help, please contact Jeannette Morris or Judith Ridout on 681 5686 or 354 9785

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Walking group

At the end of a week which saw snow, heavy frost and biting wind, the inaugural walk of the group took place on Saturday the 4th March.  And were we lucky?!?  Although cold, blue skies increased as the day progressed, and in the sun, out of the wind, it really was very pleasant sitting outside enjoying our packed lunches.  There were 26 people (age range 5-70+) plus one dog participating in this first event centred around the canals which come together at Fradley Junction - an enjoyable and interesting time was had by all.

The next walk, over Cannock Chase, will be led by Steve Goring and take place  on Easter Monday 17th April, meeting in the church car park at 9.45 am for a 10 am departure.  We look forward to another well-supported event, but if anyone has any queries about the plan for the day, please contact Steve directly on 378 5388.

Robin Loutit

The Alrewas Walk

On the 4th of March, the Wylde Green Ramblers went on a 6-mile walk. It was a cold day, so everyone wrapped up warm. We walked through the town, and then walked down some paths. Soon we came to the canal but it was frozen ice.  We were trying to break the ice with stones but they just bounced off.

After a long time walking along the canal we stopped for some lunch at Fradley’s Junction.

Then we carried on along the canal.  Not long later, we got back to the cars. It was a very enjoyable walk, and the next one’s in April and I can’t wait!

Catriona Siggers

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Space @ Wylde Green

Sunday evening.  End of a busy week.  Another about to begin.  What do you do?  Slump down in front of 40 TV channels of mind-numbing nothing, or attempt to unwind and relax among friends, with good coffee and tea?

Space @ Wylde Green after the evening service on Sunday 23rd April will be our first attempt to create such a space.  Come into Highbridge Hall and find it transformed with informal seating and subtle lighting.  Read the Sunday papers or chat with friends, old and new.  Enjoy the freshly brewed Fairtrade coffee, a slice of warm Fairtrade chocolate cake or a homemade cookie, or two.  Listen to a poem, watch a multi-media reflection or enjoy the live music that will subtly punctuate the evening.  Sometimes you sits and thinks, sometimes you just sits.  Bring your friends.

Creating Space @ Wylde Green

In order to create a space we can enjoy, there will inevitably be some work.  We need volunteers to help serve coffee and clear tables - with enough help you may only have to be involved for part of the evening to enjoy the rest.  We will also need some help to set up and clear away.  And if we want everyone to come, including families, we need someone to organise some separate entertainment for the younger ones.  Would you be willing to supervise on this occasion?  And we do need a couple of filter coffee machines…

Exploring Space @ Wylde Green

There is a first time for everything and Space @ Wylde Green will need your feedback, suggestions and comments on how and if we can work it to suit us and our community.  It may be that we find space on a different evening of the week, or adopt a slightly more lively approach, but the beauty of Space @ Wylde Green is its flexibility and ability to change as, hopefully, it grows.

Let us know if this appeals to you.

Let us know if you can help create Space @ Wylde Green.

Please speak to, phone or email:

Melanie and Colin Frew, 0121 373 8622

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Life on the Edge - Working with today’s young people

The image of a hooded young person up to no good in the street must be the definitive image of young people in today’s society, associated with most young people that we know of. Young people in today’s society are often portrayed in a very negative way. The media have really come down hard on young people as a whole, and it is rare to see the positive media coverage of young people coming through. I imagine that in many years time this is how the current generation will be remembered.

But this image does not describe all young people; in fact it covers only a minority. It is also dangerous to assume that just because a young people person is wearing a hood they are up to no good. Young people today are very different to previous generations, growing up in a very fragmented society where people are free to pick and mix which aspects of life they wish. Advertising pulls and compels young people in different directions leaving them confused about life; which way should they go from the millions of choices available to them? Life now is far more complex than it used to be, with endless possibilities and much to learn. This is life on the edge, a daily choice of where to go, what to do, and who to be. This is also the point were I fit in as a youth worker, helping the young people of today make sense of what they have around them. This is where the opportunities and excitement exists, on the edge with young people, seeing it their way. Where else in the world can we interact with young people in such a way and have such an impact upon their lives? Who knows what the seed we plant now will blossom into in many years time.

St. Francis of Assai once said: ‘Preach the gospel to all you meet, and if necessary use words’, and this is the challenge that I feel God gives to us. Plant a seed; take a risk; see it their way. Live on the edge.

I would love to hear from anyone who feels they have a gift or skill they would like to share with the young people and would really appreciate your prayers for the work done by everyone involved in the youth work.

Pete Mandeville

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Coloured in with good and evil

Religion tries to protect,

Yet the public rejects.

The government dominates it,

But the monarchy mocks it-

Where is our world going?

Assault a human you suffer,

Assassinate an animal

You are treated like royalty.

Stand up for a view,

You fall down for democracy.

Are we all self-centred hypocrites?

Wars flood certain countries,

Crazy men create controversy 

Which stir up even more arguments.

Though we eat corpses for nothing

Other than efficiency-

Is there really any good cause for it?

I stand there in the playground,

Reflecting on life…

When shall we find the answers,

That hide from the public eye?

Maybe when we have God by our side….

Or is that just I,

Using a silver fountain pen?

Josephine Dixon

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Finding Jesus

Right Angle have been talking about where we might find Jesus and we found this illusion very exciting.  We wanted to share it with everyone.

Look at the four dots in the centre of the picture.  Gaze at them for a few seconds then look at a blank wall.  Blink rapidly and be amazed!!

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Save money - and save energy!

I have come across these useful, and perhaps lesser known, ‘green’ tips:

I have no idea how ‘they’ come to these figures/conclusions - but find out more from www.greenenergy.uk.com or phone 0845 456 9550 … apart from saving valuable energy, if we all took these ideas aboard, we should also save ourselves money! 

Meriel

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March Tidings

Letter from Ken /  Help Feed the Hungry for Free / Traidcraft Success / Youth House Party / FURY Assembly

Letter from Ken

My dear friends,

By the time you read this Lent will be about to begin. It is probably the most misunderstood season in the Christian calendar. Many people today think it is the period when you give something up, especially something you like, and usually a trivial item such as chocolate or packets of crisps. I suppose the assumption is that to do without something you like does you good!

This, however, is a travesty of what Lent is really about. For it to mean anything at all, we need to understand the positive purpose of Lent, and why it became established in the Christian calendar at all.

It is the period of forty days before Palm Sunday and Holy week, and reminds us of Jesus’ time in the wilderness. It is the time when we try to understand better the life of Jesus and the events leading up to his Passion. In that sense we are preparing ourselves for the central Christian festival by walking in the footsteps of Jesus, and allowing ourselves to be more open to the Spirit which empowered him in his ministry.

In the early church, Lent became associated with the preparation of candidates for baptism at Easter, and included in such preparation was a period of fasting. Hence the idea of giving something up. It was a season of spiritual discipline generally, to find out if a person was really genuine in their profession of faith.

What can we use the season for? We don’t have a tradition of fasting in our church, but we are challenged today to live with a simpler lifestyle, thinking carefully about what we use from the finite resources of our world. In Lent, therefore, we might resolve not to eat so much, perhaps doing without a meal one a week, and giving the money we save to a development charity like Christian Aid. Or we might decide to drive more slowly, or use our bike or walk, instead of driving everywhere, and again giving the money saved to charity. In so doing we become more conscious of our responsibility to other people, and to this good earth which God has put in our care. 

What about spiritual discipline in a wider sense?  Discipline has unattractive connotations in our modern age, often because it is used by those who wish to impose something on others. The discipline we need as Christians, however, is that exemplified by Jesus, and it is always aimed at ourselves – self-discipline. So what about choosing a Christian book to read during Lent? The ‘My Word’ bookshop in Boldmere Road will have a selection of books chosen for this period, and with a deeper appreciation of the Christian life in mind. Or you could read through a gospel, slowly and meditatively – perhaps one that you haven’t looked at much in the past. You could also do so with a commentary: the ones by Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, are very readable and informative, as were William Barclay’s volumes in the past.

It is also an opportunity for us to review the time we spend in prayer. Could you make time to join in the Weekday Prayers, held in the Church vestibule, from 9.40 am for 20 minutes, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays?   And is there a time you could set aside for personal prayer, maybe to supplement what you do already?

The English word ‘lent’ means ‘lengthening’, because it is the period of the year when the days get longer and spring is upon us. In this sense it is the time for the renewal of our discipleship. Just as we are seeing the signs in nature of the new life of the spring season, so we seek God’s renewal of our spiritual life. It is the season of freshness and new beginnings.

So let us approach our Christian life in this springtime spirit, seeking new life and renewal. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus on a Galilean hillside and let his words captivate us again; let us stand in the streets of Jerusalem and witness his actions, astonished at his bearing and his authority; let us follow him to Calvary and beyond, in awe and wonder; and may the inspiration of the Holy Spirit be in us.

 Yours sincerely,

Ken

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Help Feed the Hungry for Free

If you use the internet, go to www.thehungersite.com and click on Help Feed the Hungry panel.  It is free and each click buys a cup of food for the hungry.  The sponsors pay for the food.  You can also scroll down to the bottom of the page to click for other worthy causes which each need to be clicked on.

If you wish to know the amount of food given, go to Daily results on the left hand column.  Some days there are over 160,000 clicks which is a lot of food for those who need it.

Try and do it every day if you can and ask others to do the same.

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  Traidcraft Success

We are delighted to report that in 2005, the 12th year of Traidcraft in our church in its present format, sales reached a new record at £29,527.  This total is made up of £4,192 from our congregations after Sunday services (up 22% compared to 2000), £12,835 from visitors to our shop on Friday and Saturday mornings (down 8%), and £12,500 through other churches sourcing some or all of their needs from our stock plus sales at "special events" both in our own church and at other locations (up a staggering 85%).

In view of the enormous increase in this last category, we thought it might interest readers of Tidings to see the wide range of churches and events which contributed to the total.

Ruth & Robin Loutit

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Barnes Close- Youth House Party

On Friday 20th January, Mark and Lizzy Steel and myself went to Barnes Close in Bromsgrove for the Youth House Party. When we arrived there, the house was lit by candlelight. At first I thought that there was a power cut, but we were informed that we were in Bhutan, a small country to the north of India. We were given only one bottle of water that we had to use for everything! For washing, drinking, and no showers were available. We were also given one candle and half a toilet roll (or less!!) each.

On the Saturday, we had several planning sessions for the main event in the summer and the service that we were due to be leading worship at on the Sunday morning, The Beacon, followed by a party in the evening to relax and socialise at.

On the last day, we had a run through at the church, the service was brilliant. Lizzy did a solo, which was fantastic, Mark did a talk, which was brilliant, but the real thing that stuck in people's heads was how lucky we are to have all these things that we use every day and never really think about it. 

Rose Waits

FURY Assembly - Kidderminster

On Friday 27^th January, Mark Steel and I attended FURY Assembly. I represented the district as a member with voting rights, and Mark represented the members of FURY as an elected representative on FURY Council. We spent the weekend discussing many different and varied topics such as the White Paper of FURY (restructure of FURY) and a motion on Dirty Water, Dirty Aid, to work with Commitment for Life.

We had a fantastic but tiring time (which we were partly to blame for, as we didn’t go to sleep until 4.30 am in the morning). It was a fantastic time to see what Council have done in the past year for the members of FURY, and it wasn’t all business - we had time to meet with other young Christians from all over the country, and it was a fantastic time.

If you would like more information about the work of FURY, see either me or Mark, or have a look at the FURY website and see what’s going on in the Forum and see the motions that got passed! 

Blessings       Lizzy Steel

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February Tidings

Ken's Letter / Lent House Groups / Visual Faith / Wylde Green URC - Centre of Europe / URC Holiday Forum / Hope Flowers School / The Leprosy Mission / WGURC Walking Group / Games Games Games / When it rains, think of Noah! / India Visit - A Kaleidoscope Experience / Vesey Home Link / A Webbed Riddle / Lament to the Lord

Ken's Letter

My dear friends,

I would like to use my letter this month to tell you of two important changes in the way we are organising our church life, particularly in relationship to the role and responsibility of elders.

Hitherto, elders have each had a pastoral visiting list, and the number of elders has related to the size of the church. This has meant that the elders meeting could have had 23 people present at full strength, which is a large number when seeking to discuss and make decisions. Also, some elders with full time jobs and their own family commitments were unable to do the pastoral work appropriate to their list, and some felt they did not have the necessary gifts.

We have therefore activated a decision taken at Church meeting some years ago to recruit a number of pastoral visitors, who will share with the elders in giving pastoral care. In this way everyone will have a smaller list, there will be a better chance of everyone receiving appropriate care, and the size of the elders meeting will not now have to relate to the size of the church fellowship.

What this will mean in practice, of course, is that many who have been on an elder’s list will now be on a pastoral visitors list. However, all pastoral visitors will be linked to an elder for ease of reporting illness and other concerns to the elders meeting. If anyone wished to speak to an elder in particular, they could be put in touch with that person. And Meriel and I remain available for anyone to approach.

In hoping that our congregation will grow, and that more and more people will be drawn to God in and through this church, it is our belief that this new system will enable us to  meet the needs of everyone with whom we come into contact..

At the same time we are reorganising the work of the elders. Each elder will have a specific responsibility for some part of the life of the church, e.g. Fabric, Finance, administration (all as at present), Youth work, Children’s work, Worship, Communication, Interacting with the community, Nurture (House groups, etc.), Peace and Justice, Green, and there may be others. We are undertaking an exercise at the moment to find where our gifts might be best used.

We will then be proposing to gather a small group of non-serving elders and church members to work with an elder in respect to that particular area. In this way we hope that the whole work of the church will be a shared responsibility, with more people involved than at present.

In so doing we are acknowledging that this is the right way for the church to be organised. This is not only in response to URC policy as set out in ’Equipping the Saints’, which advocated collaborative ministry, with teams of ministers and elders (and others) working together, but also and more importantly, in cognisance of the pattern of Jesus’ ministry. He shared his mission with the disciples at an early stage, sending them out to preach and to heal. Then, when the early church came into being after Pentecost, the apostles went out two by two, founding churches along the way, which were then left to manage their own ministry and life.

Both these two new initiatives seem to be internal to the church, but both are happening so that we can be more effective, and that includes the work of the ministers, in our mission - God’s mission - to the world. 

Yours sincerely,

Ken

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Lent House Groups

Our local Churches Together are organising Lent House Groups again this year, starting in the week beginning 6th March for 5 weeks.

The groups will be following a course entitled "Where is God?" with contributions from Dr David Hope, the former Archbishop of York, Archbishop Rowan Williams, Patricia Routledge, the actress, Rev Joel Edwards of the Evangelical Alliance and Dr Pauline Webb, a former President of the Methodist Conference.  The sessions are entitled " ... when we face suffering?", "… when we contemplate death?", "… when we seek happiness?", "… when we make decisions?", "… when we try to make sense of life?".

As usual, the groups will be ecumenical and arranged to meet the availability of the participants.

Application forms are available from the church vestibule and need to be sent to the organisers by 20th February.

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Visual Faith

After a couple of introductory sessions the Visual Faith group is now getting into action. We hope that you spotted some of the posters on the notice board over the Christmas period that we made. We are also planning to lead an evening service in early April, so please watch out for that.

As part of trying to think of our faith through art and creativity we thought that it would be a good idea if people could put some pictures on the comments board in the vestibule. It would be another way of sharing ideas, not just through written means. So if you have a photo, or an example of a piece of artwork, or even something that you have created yourself that is significant for you, then please put a copy on the board, perhaps with a little explanation. It would be great to share these images for the benefit of the whole congregation.

The next meeting of the Visual Faith group will be on Thursday 2nd March at 7.45 pm in Room 2.

John Potter, john.pot@fish.co.uk

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Wylde Green URC - Centre of Europe?

Suddenly, it seems, we are the place to be!

The ‘Anglo French Colloque’ brings together French Protestants with members of the URC, to have discussions on a theme of common interest. This year they have asked if they may visit us.  We have widened this ‘us’, to include the whole of the URC’s Birmingham District: but it is our responsibility to find accommodation in people’s homes for perhaps 18 French people, and 18 English, from 30th June - 4th July 2006

Their theme is to be ‘violence’, and they have Rev. Myra Blyth as the keynote speaker. She is very lively, and I am sure it would be possible to sit in on their sessions.  They have a group arranging the programme, and, we understand, their free time excursions.  But it would be good if some of you felt able to offer accommodation to either French or English visitors.  Dorothy Slater (who is already the Synod’s European Link Person) has very kindly agreed to take bookings, so please get in touch with Dorothy with your offers: 355 2422

Then in the Summer, our twinned churches in Germany have asked us if they may visit us again!  They wanted to come in August - but knowing how many people go away in August, we have settled on 30th August - 5th or 6th September.  They are still debating whether to fly or come by minibus.

Nearer the time, it would be good for any interested people to meet together to plan this event: for now, it would simply be very reassuring if we could have offers of accommodation: many of them do have English!  To avoid complications, please could you make your offers of accommodation for our German visitors to Meriel on 354 2307.

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URC Holiday Forum

19-25 August 2006

"Belonging to the World Church - Partners Together in God's Mission!

A holiday conference for all ages at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire

All-age worship led by speakers from the world church, talks and workshops.  Energetic activities or free afternoons, evening entertainment or relaxing conversations, making or renewing friendships. 

Good food and comfortable accommodation in the pleasant surroundings of the Swanwick Conference Centre.  (If it is some years since you last were there, you probably will not recognise it!)

Further details on the leaflet on the notice board in the corridor

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Hope Flowers School

You will mostly know by now that at the beginning of January I was able to send £790 to Hope Flowers.  I have had the following response.

“As I promised, this is just a short notice to let you know that your annual donation has arrive into the school’s account.  Thank you so much for this generous contribution and support and many thanks for all the people who donated in this annual gift to support our work.  Please know that you are all most welcome to visit the Hope Flowers any time.  I will keep in touch.  Best regards, Ghada.”

But before you all rush off to visit the school, read the following extract from a recent edition of “The Tablet”, a Catholic paper.

“A formidable 26-foot-high concrete wall confronts the visitor at the (Bethlehem) town entrance.  Its sinister, slate-grey façade and massive cylindrical watchtowers were truly awesome.  This barrier will soon encircle Bethlehem on all its sides but one.  It will be 30 miles long and confiscate more than 17,500 acres of Bethlehem’s best agricultural land.  Two gates for people and one for commercial traffic, all controlled by the Israeli army, will be the only access.  People cannot leave without a permit, granted only for compelling reasons, and revocable at any time.  The wall’s completion will seal the prison which is Bethlehem.”

Please continue to remember the Palestinian people and Hope Flowers School in your prayers.

Michael Platt

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The Leprosy Mission

The last Sunday of January is celebrated as Leprosy Sunday, sharing the day with several other annual 'days', and we usually let members of the church and other donors know the total amount we have been able to send up on their behalf over the previous 12 months.  This year, this adds up to £2,200, an above average figure owing to one or two special donations we are unlikely to have repeated, but for which we and The Mission are very grateful, together with the sums so many regular contributors continue to give in support of the work among sufferers of this condition for which our grateful thanks.

Any donors paying income tax who would be willing to Gift Aid their contributions, however actually given, please let either of us know; I can assure you that after a single signature, The Mission sees to everything else.

Vera and Don Cullimore

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WGURC Walking Group

The main theme of the Minister's Letter in the November Tidings was to suggest ways in which the life of the church could be further enriched through members of the church family having the opportunity of getting to know each other better in a relaxed atmosphere.  It was proposed that one way to achieve this was to create a number of special interest groups, an example given being a rambling club.

So, in following up this idea, a few of us who had declared an interest in participating in such an activity met together to discuss how we might "get the show on the road".  It was decided that the best way to move forward was to actually set two dates when walks would take place.  These are Saturday 4 March and Easter Monday 17 April.

Our aim is to plan these walks so as to be suitable for all who might be interested, including families with children and those whose legs are not so young but would enjoy some gentle exercise.  The criteria which were set included: not too long a drive to the starting point, moderate length, eg 5 to 7 miles and relatively easy terrain - no steep hills!

It is foreseen that the two events planned will serve as 'tasters' and will enable us to establish the amount of interest there is in arranging walks on a regular basis (eg every 6 weeks or so) and whether the formula meets the general need.  For those who have the luxury of not having their weekdays committed to work or study there is no reason why we shouldn't also organise rambles on days other than Saturdays and bank holidays.

We would really appreciate some feedback from readers of this note advising whether you are interested in principle in taking part, whether you would be willing to lead a walk at some time in the future, plus any other thoughts and ideas on how you would like to see the group develop.  Please could we ask you to contact one the undersigned with your comments - thank you.

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Games Games Games

Have you got some new board or party games for Christmas?  Have you got anyone to play with now that all of your visitors have gone home?  If, like me, you love to play games and you’d be interested in forming a group to meet up regularly, then let me know.  Perhaps in the future it might be fun to hold a games evening for the wider fellowship. Please let me know your thoughts.

Helen Thompson, 378 2342 or helenthomp99@hotmail.com

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When it rains, think of Noah!

A couple of years ago, the BBC reported that German archaeologists working in the Iraqi desert had discovered the tomb of the ancient Iraqi king Gilgamesh, who lived around 5,000 years ago. This was very exciting news because Gilgamesh is the hero of the oldest written poem in the world, far older than Homer’s Iliad and centuries before the Old Testament. In its modern English translation, it is every bit as good as the Iliad or England’s own epic of Beowulf.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is also the oldest historical account of the Great Flood, which is later retold as the story of Noah. However, while Genesis tells of persistent heavy rain causing a flood 24 feet deep, Gilgamesh is more dramatic:

“The weather was awesome to behold.

I boarded the ship and battened up the gate….

Turning to blackness all that had been light.

The wide land was shattered like a pot!

For one day the south-storm blew,

Gathering speed as it blew, submerging the mountains,

Overtaking the people like a battle…

The gods were frightened by the deluge, and …

cowered like dogs crouched against the outer wall.” ( tr. EA Speiser)

The poet is describing a terrifying storm and raging torrent greater than any tsunami. Many marine archaeologists believe that the flood took place some 7,500 years ago when climate change caused the waters of the Mediterranean to rise until they burst through the Bosphorous straights into the low lying Black Sea lake. It is estimated that in two years the sea level rose by some 400 feet, causing enormous destruction and triggering off population movements that lead to the battles and empires of the biblical and early classical eras.

So, when it next rains on your shopping trip, or you read newspaper reports of a storm at sea, stop and think - you can form a direct human connection with the people of Gilgamesh and the characters that appear in Genesis. Remember, the Great Flood really did happen - let’s hope it never happens again!

Alastair Frew

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India Visit - A Kaleidoscope Experience

The final report to be featured in Tidings is from Rev David Yeo Poulton, minister of the BACH group in North Warwickshire, who writes of his experiences of the youth festival in the Diocese of Durgapur.

"It is amazing how the Holy Spirit works in encouraging and persuading one to lead a Youth Festival, the first for 18 years in the Diocese of Durgapur, held in a small town called Puruliya, which is somewhat off the beaten track.  I was to be their International Speaker, a task and an honour that had not manifested itself to me until I arrived on 23rd October on a crowded church where sitting on the floor was the only option for latecomers.

This for me, was an "edge-of-the-seat" experience, seeing the enthusiasm of the young people connected to the Church of North India.  A remarkable, resourceful, talented, creative and imaginative group; they were willing to exchange words for colour, which gave them a useable, universal language for prayer.  Colourful Prayer was the theme of my two sessions; the first an introduction and the other a workshop on the creative part of praying in colour, where the intensity of the colour or the way in which the colour is applied to the paper displays our emotional state.

I thank God for the resourcefulness of colour.  Did you know that a computer has 16 million colours to choose from?  Our eyes and brain only see a small proportion of these.  A year ago, I was given a book on Colourful Prayer written by Sheila Merryweather.  I have not looked back, and try to share this experience whenever I have the opportunity. 

The Holy Spirit moves in amazing ways.  Sometimes, the requests made of us are so far beyond our experiences that we sometimes forget that God's Spirit is carrying us.  Situations come and go, but the Spirit of God is solid, strong and upholds us all, me included.  So the Spirit held me, gave me the words to speak in English that were then translated into Bengali, for 350 young people aged between 16 and 30 years old, thus allowing me to introduce them to the universal language of colour and Colourful Prayer.  The Youth Festival was about breaking down barriers, walking across the bridge that divides, and weeping in the arms of a stranger, knowing that while language can separate us all in some form, colour can bring us together in the name of God."

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VESEY HOME LINK

This is the name chosen for a project sponsored by most of the churches in Boldmere and Banners Gate. The aim of the project is to make contact with isolated or lonely elderly people within the parish boundaries of St. Michael’s and St Columba’s, with a view to their being visited by volunteers, initially recruited from the churches.

The volunteers would specifically try to see if there was any way of linking the elderly person to an existing church or community group or activity (eg lunch club, coffee morning, social afternoon). Therefore the object would be to not just visit, but to sensitively encourage the elderly person to connect with others in the community.  For example, their isolation might have resulted from a period of ill-health, combined with lack of transport.

Our initial hopes were that we would find funding to employ a part-time co-ordinator, who would run the scheme. However, our approaches have proved fruitless, although we have learned much on the way. Especially helpful was the finding that funding bodies are more likely to respond favourably if the project is in existence already.

Consequently we are looking for one or more people who would be willing to act as the co-ordinator(s) in a voluntary capacity, in order to make a start on what the churches have felt could be a very worthwhile piece of service to the community, and ecumenical in its conception.

The work of the co-ordinator(s) would be to commence the difficult task of identifying those elderly people who might be the clients of the project, through contact with doctors, social workers, hospitals, and clergy. At an appropriate stage, volunteers would need to be recruited, and in sufficient numbers to meet the need. These volunteers would need to be interviewed to make sure they are the right people for this kind of work, their references taken up, CRB checks undertaken. The elderly people will need to have initial visits from the co-ordinator(s).

The co-ordinator(s) would be under the supervision of a line manager and would be responsible to the Steering Group (Rev Ken Chippindale, Brian Leather, Boldmere Methodist Church, Elizabeth Cole and Corinna Gomm, St. Michael’s, and Maggie Bate, Boldmere community worker for Cornerstone. The place of work would depend on the individual circumstances of the people doing the work, and all expenses will be paid. 

Clearly the person(s) doing this work will have to have the appropriate skills - eg ability to communicate with a wide range of people, organising ability, computer literacy; and appropriate qualities of character - eg empathy with the elderly, ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.

The applicants for the voluntary post will need initially to talk to their own clergy, and to have their support. Then they should contact me (tel: 0121 354 2307 or email:merichipp@aol.com) for an application form. An interview with the steering group will be arranged. 

We see this as an opportunity for valuable Christian service in the community and that the applicants will see it as a calling in the use of their gifts for God’s work. 

Ken Chippindale

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A Webbed Riddle

Question:       What was visited 7,903 times in 2005 but no one travelled to see it?

Answer:            www.wyldegreenurc.org.uk

Our own church website is now visited, on average, 29 times each day.  Some of those visitors may have set the site as their home page and visit most days, but others get there through the strangest routes.  For instance, was the person looking for “Steve Chalke in the shower” disappointed or did the person who found us from Singapore “praying that God will send products to sell in market place” have their prayer answered?  Commonly, people visit the site through searching the web for people they know, or visiting artists who feature in our Sunday recitals. 

Hopefully, the website provides helpful information for members of our church family and the wider community.  It includes the diary of events and services, the daily prayer diary, a history of the church, Tidings, press releases about what is happening in the church as well as links to other useful and interesting websites and details about our own organisations, such as FURY and Traidcraft.

But, despite the high visiting figures, what I would really like to know is what you like or dislike about the site, what you would like to see that is not there and what you use it for at the moment.  I am especially keen to receive programmes from groups so that I can publish activities well in advance.  Also, would you like a link to a website you find useful?  Or do you have any information on green issues or peace and justice that could be included?  Do you like the way that the prayer diary is both on the Tidings page and in the diary of events?  Have you noticed any links that do not work?  Anything else you can think of?

Please let me know by emailing me at melaniefrew@wyldegreenurc.org.uk or by speaking to me when you next see me. 

Melanie Frew

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Lament to the Lord - on growing old in the church

They've brought you up to date Lord, down at the church;

They've pensioned off the organ, and they're praising with guitars.

They've done it for the young ones; they want to draw them in,

But I do wish they could worship without making such a din.

For I'm growing rather deaf, Lord, and when there's all that noise

It gets so very hard, Lord, to hear your loving voice.

They've written brand new hymns, Lord, with tunes that I don't know.

So I hardly ever sing now, although I did like singing so.

They're very go ahead, Lord, they're doing "Series Three",

But the words are not so beautiful as the other used to be.

They've modernised the Bible, the Lord's Prayer and the Creed,

When the old ones were so perfect that they filled my every need.

My mind's not quite so agile as it was some years ago

And I miss the age-old beauty of the word I used to know.

It is very clear to me, Lord, I've overstayed my time,

I don't take change so kindly as I did when in my prime.

It can't be very long now before I'm called above,

And I know I'll find you there, Lord, and glory in your love.

So till then I'll stick it out here, though it's not the same for me,

But while other call you "You", Lord, do you mind if I say "Thee"?

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January 2006

Letter from Ken / News of the Fellowship / Jamaica AIDS Support / Christmas Message / Indian Visit Continued / Heavens Grocery Store / MP at Church / FURY Summer Camp

Letter from Ken

My dear friends, 

I’m not sure when people will be reading this letter, but my guess is that it will be after the Christmas festivities are over, when our thoughts turn to the year ahead: away from the holiday season and back to the ordinary concerns of life.

 Which is like what it must have been for the Holy Family after the excitement and wonder of the birth itself. I well remember the birth of our two children, and the euphoria of actually seeing and holding the new-born infant for the first time. But as all parents soon become aware, it’s not long before the reality of broken nights and dirty nappies kicks in. So for Mary and Joseph everything would have settled down to a kind of normality: given that they were probably lodging with relatives, and then forced to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous plans. Both in Bethlehem and in Egypt there would have been economic considerations - how would Joseph support his family; where would they live; and where get enough money? God’s blessings do not by-pass these material considerations.

Nor is the church an exception to these considerations either. Our Finance Committee and Elders have agreed to call a Special Church Meeting, as part of our morning worship on 29th January. There will be an explanation of the challenge posed by our financial situation in the form of a TRIO presentation (The Responsibility Is Ours). We last did something like this about 10 years ago: now various circumstances have conjoined to make it necessary for us to do so again.

As I mentioned at our November Church Meeting, these circumstances mean that we will have to find about £10,000 extra in 2006 in order to balance our proposed budget. The reasons are threefold. Firstly there has been a 100% increase in our gas bills, along with everyone else in the country. Then there has been an above inflation increase in our Ministry and Mission assessment to central URC funds, (from which all ministers are paid, and moderators and Church House staff as well, and from which provision for the training of ministers is made). This is because we are one of the larger churches in the country. Finally a number of generous givers have moved from the area in the last year.

The TRIO presentation will aim to provide all the information you should know about our finances, and the challenge is that we all of us seek to respond by an increase in our giving to the church if at all possible.

As part of the TRIO process Elders will be delivering your personal invitation for the 29th January, and everyone will have a pack to take away. Your Elder will bring the pack to those who cannot be present on the 29th, and will also call to receive your confidential response envelope. Everyone who is part of the church family will be invited to the service on the 29th, although the budget can be agreed only by those who are church members.

I will lay out some of the Christian principles which underlay our giving in the morning service on 22nd January, so it would be good if as many of you as possible could be present then as well.

Whatever the extent of our belonging to the family of the church here at Wylde Green, the responsibility of the running of the church is ours, and if we want to be able to do all that we believe God is calling us to do here and in our community, it is important that we provide the appropriate financial base. We have successfully faced such challenges in the past, and I believe that we can do so now, because the root of our response is the same.

 God has given of himself through his son Jesus Christ, given to the uttermost: such love invites our wholehearted response to him.

 Yours sincerely,

Ken

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News of the Fellowship

We are sad to announce the death of two of our church members who will be very much missed by their families. and by us all as part of our church fellowship.

Vi Bryan died suddenly on 24 November and we think especially of Anne and Pete Horton and John, Rob and Joe.  Vi was a lifelong Christian who had played a key role in the Kingstanding Congregational Church until it closed, was an Elder at Banners Gate URC, a lay Pastoral Minister at an Anglican church in Perry Barr and a faithful member here since 1988, contributing her gifts of pastoral care to the Women's Fellowship, Friday Friendship Group and the Monday evening Bible Study Group.

Joan Barker died after some years of frailty and ill health on 5 December.  We think particularly of Ron, Terry and Will, Ellie and Anna.  Joan was associated with this church building all her life since she attended the Vestry School (housed in the choir vestry) from the age of 6-11.  She actually joined as a member in 1979 and has been a valued member of the Women's Fellowship since then, and a faithful attender at church' also helping Ron in the running of Britwell Circle for some 7 years.

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Jamaica AIDS Support

At the end of November, the URC was privileged to host Daunette Wellington,
a nurse working for Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS), through the Commitment for Life programme.  Some of us were lucky enough to hear her speak at Sutton
Coldfield URC where she shared the stories of those living with HIV/AIDS in
Jamaica.  Although HIV/AIDS is a disease of poverty, affecting nearly 2% of
Jamaica’s population, because of its associations with prostitution and
homosexuality, it is a taboo subject.  As homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica and men convicted of homosexual activity can face ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour, it is hardly surprising that many of the victims of the disease do not tell their nearest and dearest, let alone their friends, colleagues and communities.  Moreover, drug therapies are expensive and beyond the reach of many Jamaicans.  JAS does invaluable work supporting the most marginalised in society, and Daunette’s pioneering work in the struggle to combat HIV/AIDS in Jamaica won recognition of this when she was selected as one of Jamaica’s phenomenal women by the national newspaper The Gleaner in 2005.

However, just a few days after her visit to Sutton Coldfield, and on the eve
of World AIDS Day, Daunette learned that her colleague, Steve Harvey, was
shot dead in the car that Daunette usually drives for work.  Three men,
armed with guns, broke into Mr Harvey’s house and demanded money. They then
forced him to carry valuables into the JAS car parked outside.  One of the
gun men was reported to have said to Mr Harvey and his two house-mates: ‘We
hear that you are gay’.  Two of the men denied it.  They were tied up and
left in the house.  Steve was forced into the car which then sped away.  Two
hours later, he was found.

Those of us who met Daunette are shocked and saddened by this news and I ask
that your thoughts and prayers be with Daunette and JAS.  You may also wish
to visit the JAS website, www.jamaicaaidssupport.com.  As well as reading
more about the work, take a few minutes to look at the ‘Memorial’, with
Steve’s name at the top of the page.

Melanie Frew

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Christmas Message

Dorothy Slater's French friend sent her this poem which may help to keep the real message of Christmas with us through the year:

Christmas - a chink of light in the darkness of the world.

A word of faith in the silence of our doubts.

Christmas - a gift of grace in a commercialised world.

The first cry of a newborn child stifled by the law of the strongest.

Christmas - a haven of peace in the tumult of our conflicts

An outstretched hand amidst vengeful fists.

Christmas - the story of God who gives himself to the world through love,

And who still comes afresh to be alongside us on our journey.

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Indian Visit Continued

Continuing the experiences of 8 people from the West Midlands Synod who visited our partner church, the Church of North India, in October 2005.

Visit to a Christian Tribe at Hembrom

We arranged to meet for breakfast that morning at 9.00 am.  We could have a sleep in and a leisurely get up; life had been quite hectic until now.

Our now familiar rickety but trusty school bus was our means of transport.  The driver and banger were on board and we were off!  (The banger checks from the open door that there are no obstructions on his side of the bus - if all clear, he banks hard on the side of the bus. 

Instead of a morning visit to the Synod, we were to have an excursion, firstly to visit a deer park and then on to a Christian tribal village.  The retiring Moderator, the Bishop of Chotanagpur, was born in Hembrom and we were invited to visit his old village.

The walk in the deer park gave us chance to stretch our legs and appreciate the lovely scenery; I had not expected it to be so green and spacious.  So beautiful - what a contrast to the noise of honking. hooting, swerving, screeching traffic in Ranchi.  We travelled on roads that a lot of the time were muddy potholed tracks. in distance, I am not sure how far, but in time it was about an hour.  We stopped at a small village of mud huts, villagers selling their fruit and vegetables on the roadside.  Our leader got off the bus.  When he returned, he handed each of is an ice-cold coke and a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate, again out of the 'fridge.  Brilliant!  I just could not believe it - there we were in this small village miles from anywhere and we were given my favourite chocolate.

Another hour's drive and we arrived at our destination.  We were given a traditional welcome by villagers and bible students, the Catechists, with bunches of locally picked flowers, singing, washing of hands and sprinkling of water on us and an Indian mark on our forehead.

After the welcome, introductions followed in the Church of the Rock, a basic uncluttered room with a simple altar and carpet for sitting on.  It was a real pleasure when we were served a simple delicious lunch of cashew nuts, raisins, big fat dates and pre-sliced bread and packets of crisps.  It was strange how in the marked contrast of life, the normality of European comfort food had snuck in.

The Catechist bible students were from other tribes studying the basics of Christianity preparing to go back to their rural villages to teach the word of God.  These young men had almost no possessions, their living accommodation was spartan metal beds and blankets with no mattresses.  No cupboard or drawers for personal possessions.  There was also no electricity.

We walked round the village seeing the small huts of the village families and the people going about their daily lives.  Women were walking balancing large pots on their heads.  No wonder their deportment is so good.  Children were amusing themselves and the animals were running about.

What an amazing day!  It took about 2 hours for us to rattle and shake back to base, enough time for a sleep - until you nearly hit the roof as the bus bumped over boulders and dropped down holes.  Truly a day to remember.  We had visited people with trust in the Lord, living thankful non materialistic lives.  What a contrast to us - it really makes one think.

Iris Hartley

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Heaven's Grocery Store 

I was walking down life's highway, a long time ago,

And I saw a sign which read "Heaven's Grocery Store".

As I got a little closer, the door came open wide

And when I came to myself, I was standing right inside.

I saw a host of angels, they were standing everywhere.

One handed me a basket and said, "My child, shop with care."

Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store

And all you could not carry, you could come in again for more.

First I got some patience, love was on the same row,

Further down was understanding, you need that wherever you go.

I got a box or two of wisdom and a bag or two of faith.

I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost, He was all over the place.

I stopped to get some strength and courage to help me run the race,

By then my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed grace.

I didn't forget salvation, for salvation, that was free.

I tried to get enough to save both you and me.

As I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,

I thought I had everything to do my Master's will.

As I went up the aisle, I saw a prayer, I just had to put that in,

For I knew when I stepped outside I would run right into sin.

Peace and joy were plentiful, they were on the last shelf.

Songs and praises were hanging there so I just helped myself.

When I said to an angel, "How much do I owe?"

He smiled and said, "My child, take them wherever you go."

Again I smiled at him and said, "Really, how much do I owe?"

He smiled and said, "My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago."

Submitted by Janet Dixon

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MP at Church

In Autumn 2005, Wylde Green URC invited local MP Andrew Mitchell to visit the Traidcraft stall and talk about his role as Shadow International Development Secretary.  Andrew and Melanie Frew were also interviewed live by Patrick Burns (from BBC's Midlands Today) on the lunchtime news programme which many of us were able to watch as it aired after the morning service.

Andrew showed the group of Traidcraft supporters and Make Poverty History campaigners present a video he had made in Mali showing the harm done to cotton farmers through the current system of trade barriers.  The video's first official showing was the following week during the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool.

Melanie then interviewed Andrew about his role, his faith, the Conservative stance on Make Poverty History and Governmental policies.  The complete interview appears in the Autumn edition of the West Midlands Synod's newsletter, Connect, but part of it is reproduced here.

Since accepting the role in the Shadow Cabinet, what have been the most significant moments?

Attending the Edinburgh march for Make Poverty History and the first speech I made in the House of Commons on Africa.

Is faith important to you?

Yes, although I am not a good churchgoer.  Church does provide a structure which means that not being a good churchgoer is a bad thing if you are a Christian because you don't get the sustenance, direction and grounding which you get if you do go to church.

Faith groups have played a large role in the Make Poverty History campaign.  What is your view on the mix of religion and politics? 

Many people in politics on all sides of the political divide draw their political views, beliefs and philosophy from their religious convictions.  As politicians, we listen to the faith groups on these issues with very great care because they have been involved for so long which means they bring a great deal to the debate. 

Are you in support of the proposal to kick-start development by doubling aid given over the next 10 years, but then reducing the amount of aid after that to fund the scheme? 

Strongly.  It is a way of getting a quantum leap in the amount of aid money for countries now.  It doesn't mean they get less money if they get it earlier.  And when you get to the end, there will be more money.

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FURY Summer Camp

Report by Pete Longman

The 2005 camp was held at Bearsted near Maidstone in August.  50 young people attended with 20 leaders, all living together for 7 days under canvas.  The group was made up of 25% from the West Midlands, 25% from South Africa and 50% from the Southern Synod. 

Days consisted of a hearty breakfast, chores and then worship.  Mornings continued with themed sessions which explored "fairness" and loving our neighbours as ourselves.  Afternoons were set aside for activities such as canoeing, rock climbing, mosaics, photography, rambling and music.  After the evening meal, everyone met together for events such as a quiz, disco, games, 10 pin bowling, night hikes and bivouac making.

The event is run on a budget and it is the gift of resources, money and ideas that make the camp sparkle.  The camp is running is 2006 at the same venue.  The cost last year was £50 each for the whole week including transport, food and activities.  It may be a little more this year, but not much.

If you feel you would like to attend this year's camp or would like further details, please give me a call on 01902 344844.

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