Editor: Mr Geof Brewery, 7 Murrayfield Road, Hull, BUS4DW Tel: 014S

Transcription

1 Editor: Mr Geof Brewery, 7 Murrayfield Road, Hull, BUS4DW Tel: 014S

2 2 Dear Friends, As I write this letter Advent and then Christmas is only just around the corner. This is a time of great activity for the churches I serve. There are carol services and events lined up throughout December as wel as the New Year which brings our January Covenant services. Yet among the busyness of the season it is also crucial that we have time to think and reflect on what itmeans for Christ to enter into our world as a tiny vulnerable baby. Mary, chosen to bear the saviour of the world, knew wel what the coming of the messiah meant. Her song of praise, known to us as the Magnificat, echoes the long established hopes of the Jewish people bound up with the promises of God. "He has brought down the powerfulfromtheir thrones, And lifted up the lowly, He hasfilled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise hemade to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever,." Lukel: This canticle expresses the radical hope that through Christ, God will institute justice by raising up the lowly and by feeding the hungry. This December you may be aware that the government will be rolling out its Universal Credit Scheme in Hull, a new social

3 3 security system that is currently being roled out across the country. The Methodist Church, in partnership with other denominations through the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT), has expressed deep concerns about the impact of the new benefits system on the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities. Concerns have centred on the accuracy and timeliness of payments, with some families waiting over five to six weeks to receive their benefits, payments as wel as how the scheme has been designed and implemented. The church also believes that the sanctions that accompany may be unnecessarily harsh and punitive.some additional fundingfrom the most recent UK Budget has not alayed these concerns, with the Church expressing the opinion that the Universal Credit charge could still lead to greater debt, poverty and exclusion. The Methodist Church's campaigning, through JPIT, on Universal Credit is part of our prophetic task as Christians to call and seek justice for the poor. As we focus ourselves on Christ, we see the one who demonstrated the reality of God's Kingdom; one marked by grace, love, hope, justice and peace. There are many ways that we at Christmas can help the vulnerable in this Christmas period. By donating to food banks, providing meals, pastoral support, and by echoing God's call for justice. Christ enters into our world as the bearer of light and hope for all people and asks us to carry this light. During this busy Christmas time I encourage you to take the time to share that Christmas hope in real and practical ways with your neighbours. May our prayers for the poor and

4 4 vulnerable lead us in to action and see a world transformed by Christ's love. A very mery Christmas to all Blessings, Revd David Speirs WORSHIP at BRICKNELL and CIRCUIT SERVICES December 2 nd (Advent Sunday) a.m. Miss Janet Duck 9 th a.m. Rev. David Speirs Family Service & Holy Communion 16th a.m. Mr. Neil Sanderson 23rd 5.00 p,m, Rev. David Speirs. Carol Service a.m. Christmas Day Service at Trinity. 30th a.m. Rev. David Speirs Mr. Steve Hunter. United Service with Central, Clowes & Trinity. January 6 th a.m. Local Arangement Service 13 th 10,30 a.m. Rev. David Speirs. Covenant Service 20 th a.m. Mrs. Margaret Hunt 20 th 3.00 p.m. Circuit Service at Clowes, led by Rev. Martin Batstone (Please see also p. 9) 27 th a.m. Mrs. Brenda Emms FLOWER LISTS Providers December 2 nd Fiona Lawe & Paul Robinson 9 th Margaret & Dennis Talbot

5 5 Christmas Plants January 6 th Christmas Plants 13 th Flower Fund 20 th Jennifer Toyne 27* Mike & Barbara Sykes Flower Arrangers December 2 nd Jennifer Toyne 9* & 16th Anne Drewery Tanuarv 13* & 27* Anne Drewery 1» 20th 1 o Sue Barker Flower Distributors December 2 nd & 9* Anne & Geof Drewery January 13*&20* Christine Kingdom 27* Sylvia Usher DIARY of EVENTS December Wed. 5* p.m. Messy Church Sat. 8* 9.00 a.m a.m. Christmas Car Wash & Cofee Morning. (Please see also p. 7-8 ) Tues. 11* 7.45 p.m. Bricknell Friendship Group. Christmas Decorations - Lesley Kelk Sat. 15* 7.30 p.m. The Maureen Hunter Singers. Sun. 16* 3.00 p.m. ) Christmas Voices & Brass at the Middleton Hall, University of Hull (Please see also p. 8-9 )

6 Sun. 23 rd January Tues 8 th 6 After the Carol Service Choir Christmas " At Home" (PleaseSee also p. 8) 7.45 p.m. Bricknel Friendship Group. New Year Quiz Sat. 12 th 10 a.m a.m. Cofee Morning. ( Please see also p. 8 ) Tues. 22 nd 7.45 p.m. Bricknel Friendship Group, Hull at War - Alan Brigham THANK YOU'S Thank you for the lovely flowers brought tome by Sandi, also all the kind enquiries. They were much appreciated. Joan Eagan Thank you for the lovely flowers brought by Sylvia, after I colapsed during the night. After numerous tests I was eventualy sent home, andam all right now. Thank you for the phone cals and your concern. Bob Nicholson I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for the lovely flowers, kind thoughts & messages of sympathy I received while Mike was ill and then after he passed away. They have been a great comfort tome & my family at this very sad time. Bless you all. Sandi Readhead

7 7 Thank you for the Church flowers - it was a lovely surprise. They have givenme so much pleasure. Win Willis Our thoughts and best wishes go to Sandi Readhad, after Mike's death. We are pleased to hear that Bob Lawe is now back home, and geting on well, and we send our regards and best wishes. We have heard via Neil Poulsom that his mother Gwen died on Nov. 12 th. Gwen was very much involved at Bricknell with the Young People's Felowship in the 1960's. She later moved to Alford in Lincolnshire to be near Neil & family I personaly ( Geof D.) remember Gwen's involvement and care through the youth group, and one particular occasion, when I was helping arange a service connected with the Youth organisation, and Gwen helpedme for future reference, lettingme know services always included the Lord's Prayer, which I had forgoten to include. FORTHCOMING EVENTS CHRISTMAS CAR WASH and COFFEE MORNING We are having our Christmas car wash and coffee morning on December 8 th ; there will be Xmas gifts and piano playing by Myra. Please come and support us.

8 8 We will be stopping the car wash, and replacing it by just a cofee morning with just cofee being served.we hope you will continue to support us. The date will be the same, the second Saturday every month. The time will be 10 o' clock Thank you to all our helpers over the years. We will be running it on a smaler scale; there will be no Brie a Brae this time. Hope to see you all soon, Sue Morley. CHOIR 'AT HOME' The Choir warmly invites you to their annual Christmas "At Home" to be held on Sunday, December 23 rd after the Carol Service.Come along, singsome carols and enjoy some festive music, old and new. Tea and mince pies will be served at an opportunity to share felowship together to start the Christmas season. The Maureeen Hunter Singers 'CHRISTMAS VOICES & BRASS' Saturday 15 December (7.30 p.m.) and Sunday 16 December (3.00 p.m.) At the MIDDLETON HALL in the University of Hull. With a return of our special guests - RIVERSIDE BRASS All seats are numbered and bookable, and priced at 10& 12

9 9 Tickets for this popular concert Are availablefrom Graham Hunter or Margaret Talbot WILLIAM CLOWES BICENTENARY EVENTS 2019 is the Bicentenary of Primitive Methodist evangelist Wiliam Clowes beginning his ministry in Hull. To commemorate this Clowes Memorial Methodist Church is planning several events throughout the year. Circuit Service - Sunday, 20 th January at 3 p.m. - a Bicentenary Service led by Rev. Martin Batstone, folowed by tea and cakes. Saturday, 2 nd March at 12 Noon - Service at Wiliam Clowes grave in Hull Cemetery on Sping Bank. Cofee will be served at Princes Ave. Church at a.m. before leaving at a.m. to walk to the cemetery. Everyone welcome NEWS ITEMS CHRISTMAS POST BOX The Christmas Post Box will be in the Church entrance on Sunday, 2 nd December. Cards will be ready for colection on Siunday.16* December.

10 10 This is the last Christmas I will be doing the Post Box. If anyone is interested, have a word with the stewards. Margaret Lawe OPEN DOORS Beans and pasta seem smal and not necessarily important gifts to Open Doors. This outreach of compassion and support to asylum seekers and refugeesfrom Princes Avenue Methodist Church makes a diference to lives every week. In a new report Salehfrom war torn Sudan told his story. Everything in Hull was daunting, scary and new when I came here in But I was told about Open Doors and that they would help me. (He stood outside the church for a long time, scared to go in.) Finaly I plucked up courage and went in. The first thing I saw were two ladies at the Reception desk who smiled and askedme if I had ID. They gaveme a food parcel which had oil, sugar and macaroni and tuna... I couldn't believe it was allfreei was worried that I, a Muslim, had come to an organisation run by Christians. They toldme this was not a problem. I got to the main hall and found other Sudanese people... we exchanged phone numbers and addresses, and thought it was like a miracle: food, smiles and newfriends.i kept coming every Thursday morning for the drop-in session... I did obtain my leave to remain and refugee status. Iam alowed to work... and now I have a job.

11 -11 OPEN DOORS PROVIDES 120 food parcels and hot lunches for about 160 people every Thursday Weekly help of 10 to destitute asylum seekers with no support Travel expenses to atend legal appointments, maybe miles away, for their cases Events to help asylum seekers socialise, meet others and learn about Hull Also to individuals and families in need Supportfrom volunteers trained to help with asylum claims, benefits advice, health issues Second hand clothes, and help in finding second hand furniture and household goods English and Maths lessons, and use of computers Voluntary interpreting and translation services And many other opportunities and training schemes Gifts of food, toiletries and money for Open Doors are urgently needed to maintain this outreach of compassion. If you would like to read the full report, please ask me. Sylvia Usher

12