Make a Real Difference?

Transcription

1 St Mary s Wendover & St Michael s Halton Newsletter Issue March 2018 Make a Real Difference? Armed with your Lent Menu from Churches Together in Wendover I hope you're enjoying making the most of this special time. Lent provides a unique opportunity to do things differently - to jettison some of the baggage that we carry round with us throughout the year and look at familiar landscapes through different eyes, challenged by the account of Jesus' 40 day wilderness experience. What is the Holy Spirit doing in our lives that might challenge, sustain and inspire us to make a real difference? What might that mean at the individual, local and global level? At the individual, I think it's all about claiming our birthrite as Beloved sons and daughters of God. But as Henri Nouwen reminds us, we must also become the Beloved. 'Becoming the Beloved means letting the truth of our Belovedness become enfleshed in everything we think, say or do.' It means positioning ourselves in the divine flow that connects Father, Son and Holy Spirit - being energised and inspired by that flow and living it out in our lives. At the local level we have plenty to reflect on. We are invited by Bishop Steven to be a more contemplative, compassionate and courageous church. Together we are called to dream dreams and see visions of what could be and see those visions come to birth. Starting this Lent, how might we be captured by a fresh vision of Jesus Christ and his promise of good news? How might we best make use of our diverse gifts and talents in serving God and our local community? At the global level, as we follow Jesus' journey, let's confront the wilderness in our own world. Let's challenge ourselves to walk with our neighbours who've been forced to flee their homes because of climate change, violence or war. Throughout 2018, Christian Aid is remembering the 40 million people who are internally displaced. Unlike refugees they remain in their own country with no guarantee of protection. This Lent, as we count our own blessings, let's take action for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. On the horizon Easter approaches with the vision of God's new creation bursting joyfully into our world and time. Let's keep our eyes on the prize. Have a blessed Lent! David Blackmore

2 Mission Action Plan So there's a new vicar (well not so new now!) and lots of ideas about what that might mean. In particular what might the continuing journey of St Mary's as a church at the heart of our Wendover community look like and how might we find that out? On the morning of Saturday 17 March, the PCC and ministry team are having an 'away morning' to discuss the major areas of focus for St Mary's in the next three-five years. We'll be using the Parish Profile developed in late 2016 as the starting point for the conversation and are seeking to end up with a Mission Action Plan that gives clarity on three or four key focus areas for us all to get behind and work on together. The intention is that we will have something to report back to the congregation at the Annual Parochial meeting on Sunday 22 April and then a launch at the end of June. I want you all to know that I and the PCC are not seeking to stop or control existing activities and initiatives - there's so much good work & worship happening already, but it is important that the plan is a shared view - not a 'PCC' or 'Sally' view, so do get involved. I'd ask you to continue to pray for this work and speak with me or PCC members about the areas you think we should prioritise. Sally The deadline for the April edition will be Wednesday 14 March for publication on Sunday 25 March. Please your contributions to Peter and Juliette Dean (editors) at: juliette@rowanbank.org or drop them into Just shop. Please remember to include full details of any event and contact information in case of queries about the article. Large print versions available on request from the office ( ) 2

3 Churches Together in Wendover invite you to our Mothers Day Craft Morning Wendover Christian Centre, Aylesbury Road On Saturday 10 th March: 10am - 12 noon Children of all ages will be able to make a range of beautiful and delicious gifts to give to their mums on Mothering Sunday. Tea, coffee and cake will be available while your little ones create. 3

4 Holy Week and Easter Services Wednesday 28 March at St Mary s 8.00pm Compline for Holy Week This is a short sung service to mark the end of the day which can help us to prepare for the days which follow... Maundy Thursday 29 March at St Mary s 8.00pm Sung Eucharist for Maundy Thursday Good Friday 30 March 9.00am-4.00pm Prayer stations in St Anne's Church based on "The Shack" 10.00am-12.00noon Interactive Stations of the Cross in St Anne's Hall am Good Friday Crafts, Wendover Christian Centre 12.15pm Walk of witness from St Anne's Church to St Mary s Church 1.00pm Good Friday service at St Mary s Church Easter Sunday 1 April at St Mary s Church 6.00am Dawn Service of Light and Communion followed by breakfast 9.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Family Communion 4

5 Christian Aid House-to-House Collection May Over many years St Mary's has organised the annual house-to-house collection in Wendover. Last year we raised over 3000, which was a wonderful amount to send to the charity. This year, although I am willing to do the initial administration needed to start the process, I am unable to do the organisation needed in the few weeks running up to 13 May. It would be great if someone or a group of people could take on the final organising of the collection week. If you think that you would be willing to help, please get in touch with me and discuss what is involved. Please consider taking on this role, as it would be very sad if St Mary's did not send money to Christian Aid this year. Ginette Hampton ( , gmhampton@btinternet.com) Next Sunday Lunch Sunday 18 March 12.30pm for 1.00pm This is the date for the next lunch at St. Marys Centre. If you live alone and would like to join us, there will be a list at the back of the church, for you to sign. We look forward to welcoming you. Paul, Monica and Judy Remember: Mothering Sunday 11 March 5

6 Data Protection As a lot of you will know, there is a new Data Protection Act coming into force on 25 May this year. It is known by the initials GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). How does it effect St. Mary's? All organisations that hold data on individuals will be required under the new Act to demonstrate that they have the individual's permission to use their data and only for the purposes that the individual has given permission. In addition, all individuals have the right to ask what information is being held on them and to be removed from a database at any time if they so wish. How does it affect everyone involved with St. Mary's? We shall have to ask you all to sign a consent form, indicating what forms of communication we can use to contact you and for what purposes. We are currently carrying out a data audit to see who does hold lists of individuals for the various activities connected with the church. Who do you need to contact if you want to know how your data is being used? Paul Dean as secretary of the PCC has kindly undertaken to become the data compliance officer for St. Mary's and he should be the person you contact if you want to know what data we hold. As he is a busy man, hopefully there won't be too many people wishing to do this. Further information We shall also produce a Data Privacy Notice both in hard copy in the church and Just as well as on our website. This will give you more information, or of course you can look up GDPR online at Christopher Trower, Church Warden 6

7 House Groups If you think you might like to try out a house group, or would like to know a bit more about what goes on, do speak with the leader of one of the groups listed below. Their contact details are: Monday evening: Kyla Sansbury ( ) Wednesday morning: Tony and Jenny Farmer ( ); Wilfred and Glenys Newman ( ); Susan Price ( ), Wednesday evening: Christopher Trower ( ) Thursday evening: Hilary Gilby ( ) Friday morning: Anna Fryer ( ) If you would like more information or to chat through any specific questions please contact Debbie Hekkink ( ) Beating the Bounds Save the Date! 7 May Dust off your walking boots and join the popular St Mary s Beating the Bounds walk. This year the walk will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 7 May. The walk, around the parish boundary, starting and finishing at the church, usually takes all day and can be joined, and left, at various points on the route. There are breaks for coffee and lunch, and a BBQ at the end. More details in next month s newsletter. 7

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10 Sadly Goodbye to Margaret and Ian Gosling... We will be saying our farewells to Margaret and Ian Gosling who are moving away in March to Norfolk/Suffolk. Margaret has been a member of St Mary's Church since 1995 and Ian has supported her throughout her time with us. Margaret is someone who is always busy! She has been a server since 1997 and became Sacristan in She has given talks on the history of St Mary's Church and with Ian, has been seen around the village in costume leading history talks about Wendover, to raise funds for St Mary's. Many will have a copy of her book, 'Our Place in History - the Story of Wendover', which was invaluable when we had the flower festival about Wendover in With Ian, Margaret has created most of the crib figures and has looked after them ever since! They have stage managed and created costumes and props for the musical 'Hopes and Dreams' and 'The Shepherds' Adventure', both performed at the church. They both dressed the 'Just' window for eight years. Ian has always given Margaret practical and moral support while she has carried out her duties at St Mary's Church. He has built structures for flower festivals, offered practical help in the shop, the churchyard, car park attending and has looked after the oil-filled candles. Margaret and Ian, we trust you will be truly blessed in your new home and community. You certainly deserve a rest but somehow this probably won't happen! Enjoy your new adventures and we will always be here to listen to them when you visit. You will be greatly missed and we have so appreciated you sharing your time, love and energies with us. Pauline Noall 10

11 ...and James and Abi May... James and Abi have been with us since They were married in 2017 at St Mary's and we have enjoyed their brightness and exuberance. They have brought a new look to stewarding and Surge enjoy their company as they have recently become involved with them. James has been our independent examiner for which we are most grateful. James and Abi, we shall miss you. Thank you for all you have given to us here at St Mary's. We trust you will find much happiness in your new home and jobs as you settle in Oxfordshire. Pauline Noall...and Robert and Sara Dixon It is with much sadness that we say goodbye to Robert and Sara Dixon. Both have played a significant role in the life of St Mary s over the years. Robert is retiring and they are moving to be near Sara s parents. Sara was an invaluable member of the PCC as an organised and efficient secretary between 2005 and Robert has been a long-standing member of the team who drove the minibus for those who need help to get to church. He has a knack for tail lifts and anchoring wheelchairs! Robert has also been a vital part of the personnel committee. As a solicitor who specialises in employment law, he has provided expertise and helped ensure our policies and procedures are up to date. We wish them joy and hope they will soon feel part of a new community. Bridget Avery 11

12 Don't forget to join us in the shop on Thursday 1 March for our Big Brew tasting day and enjoy a free cup of fairtrade tea or coffee and sample some of our newest products and homemade fairtrade goodies. Why not invite a friend along to show them our fabulous fairtrade shop. If you can't make Thursday do pop in on any day during the fortnight to see what's on offer. Mothering Sunday 11 March Just has a great range of Mother's Day cards and lots of springtime gifts including Earth Squared bags purses and scarves and of course bamboo socks! Easter Come and buy your fairtrade Easter eggs from Just and choose from the "The Real Easter Egg" range, or others from Divine and Montezuma or Playmil dairy free eggs. Browse our range of Easter cards, decorations, and handmade gifts. Following on from the popularity of Felt So Good's Christmas items we have sourced some very cute Easter felt decorations this year. The Real Easter Egg, the egg that shares the Easter story, is back for its eighth year. Out of the 80 million chocolate Easter eggs sold each year in the UK, The Real Easter Egg is the first and only Fairtrade chocolate Easter egg to explain the Christian understanding of Easter on and in the box. Each sale also makes a sizeable donation to the farmers and their communities. 12

13 Shop results 2017 was a year of consolidation for Just. After a few years of extraordinary growth we seem to have reached capacity and sales were down 1% to 68,000. Costs were kept at a similar level to 2016 and a surplus of around 18,000 was generated that will be donated to the PCC. You can read more about this in the APCM report or please ask Kyla if you have any questions. And a big thank you to everyone who has supported the shop during the year, by volunteering or shopping (or both!). We are once again excited about what the new year has in store for Just. If you would like to get involved and become part of the team, or if you have any ideas or suggestions please speak to Kyla or Diana. We would love to hear from you. Opening hours Just 11 High Street, Wendover Shop: Monday - Friday 10.00am-5.00pm Saturday 10.00am-4.00pm atstmarys@gmail.com Office: Monday - Friday 10.00am pm (not Wednesday) Telephone: info@stmaryswendover.org.uk 13

14 Our Cleaning rota is in danger. We need you! The average age of our cleaners is going up. Inevitably some feel they have done their bit and drop out. We are very grateful to all of them. St Mary s gets cleaned once a week and each person is called upon once every six weeks. When our team of three is on, we can do everything required, even when the church is mucky, in an hour. To get a firm in to do the work would cost the PCC about 4000 a year, money we have not got. Ideally, three are needed, but two can manage, perhaps doing only the work which is most needed. Our teams are getting smaller and will soon be amalgamated or drop out. Also, not everyone in the team is available that week, so it would be good to have four people in a team. To do that we need about ten extra people. We are particularly indebted to Margaret and Ian Gosling who made up a team alongside their many other duties, and it is with relief that we thank Becky and Surge who are forming a team to replace them. I don t like asking people face to face to participate, as that is unfair to those I see a lot of, and busy people who won t say no when they should. Please don t wait to be asked, you are badly needed! Both men and women are valuable members of the team. Perhaps forming a team of workers on a Saturday? Cleaning is something that happens quietly, without fuss. The danger is that the work becomes too onerous for those left to do it, standards slip as we cut corners and we end up not being able to do it. You can volunteer singly, and be put in a team, or, like Becky, gather a team together. Neville Morton (622899) Unable to get to church? For Community Bus transport to the 9.00 service, contact Martin Chambers (696689), Robert Dixon (620005) or Brian Thompson (624464), or for Home Communion contact Glenys Newman ( ) 14

15 March Sunday Services 4 March 8.00am Holy Communion, St. Mary s (Foodbank) 9.00am Holy Communion, St. Mary s 10.30am 6.00pm Parish Communion, St. Mary s Holy Communion, St Michael s, Halton 11 March 8.00am Holy Communion, St. Anne s (Mothering Sunday) 9.00am Holy Communion, St. Mary s 10.30am 6.00pm 6.30pm All Age Communion, St Mary s Evensong, St. Michael s, Halton Contemplative Fire, St. Mary s 18 March 8.00am Holy Communion, St. Anne s 9.00am 10.30am 6.00pm Holy Communion, St. Mary s Parish Communion, St. Mary s Evensong, St. Michael s, Halton 25 March 8.00am Holy Communion, St. Anne s (Palm Sunday) 9.00am Holy Communion, St. Mary s 10.30am 6.00pm Explore Service, St. Mary s Evensong, St. Michael s, Halton 1 April 6.00am Service of Light with Communion, St. Mary s (Easter Day) 8.00am No 8.00am service 9.00am Holy Communion, St. Mary s (Foodbank) 10.30am Family Communion, St. Mary s 6.00pm Holy Communion, St Michael s, Halton 15

16 Regular Activities Mornings & Evenings Home groups: contact Debbie Hekkink ( ) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday (9am) Tuesday (7.30-9pm) Thursday (9.30 am) 2nd Thursday of two monthly intervals 3 rd Thursday of each month (10.15am-11.45am) Morning Prayer at St Anne s Bell Ringing Practice at St Mary s Contact: Elizabeth Sorrell ( ) Communion at St Anne s Pastoral Care Visiting Team Contacts: Wendy Trower and Sylvia Oram Sages a fellowship for the Senior Ages, at Wendover Christian Centre. Contact: Veronica Lockett ( ) or Avril Horton ( ) Friday (10am-12 noon) Friday (7pm-9pm) Friday (7.30pm-9pm) 1st Saturday of each month ( am) Sunday (10.15am-11.30am) Noah s Ark an ecumenical play group, at Wendover Christian Centre. Contact: Parish Office ( ) Amazing Donkey Youth Club Contact: Paul Hammett ( ) Friday night is music night, at St Mary s Contact: Parish office ( ) Prayer Ministry in Church with intercessions on a theme. Contact: Patricia Thomas ( ) Junior Church for all ages at St Mary s (during 10.30am service). Contact: Parish office ( ) Sunday (10.15am-11.30am) 1st Sunday of each month Youth at St Mary's (Surge) for ages (during 10.30am service). Contact: Becky Murgatroyd ( ) Collection of food for Chiltern Foodbank at St Mary's 16