Christ Church United Reformed Church NEWSLETTER. February February

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1 Christ Church United Reformed Church NEWSLETTER February 2019 February

2 2 Christ Church URC Newsletter Getting in contact Minister Revd Mark Meatcher Secretary Stephen Gilburt Treasurer & Property Committee David Fisher Bookings Secretary Pamela Mansley Newsletter & website Tom Boorman Serving Elders Tom Boorman Pamela Fisher Stephen Gilburt Rosemary Milns Youth organisations Boys Brigade - Anchor Boys Sue Bullock Boys Brigade - Junior Section, Company Section & Seniors Tom Boorman Girlguiding - Rainbows, Brownies, Guides & Rangers Vicki Stratton-Stubbs Adventurers (Junior Church) Rosemary Milns Other activities Friendship Club Sylvia Coombs Worship Group Rosemary Milns Website mail@ccurc.org.uk

3 Pastoral Letter February 2019 What are you adding this year? At the beginning of the New Year I found myself stuck in one particular passage of the Bible that I have talked about a couple of times now, but which others may want to reflect upon. Where I was stuck was in the first chapter of the second letter from Peter. This second letter begins by reminding us that God has given us everything we need in order to lead a godly life. We cannot complain that we have not received from God. We have God s promises to us which help us to be able to share God s life today. Thinking about that on its own can be quite a task - perhaps even a revelation for some - but then as you move through verses 5 to 8 I think we are challenged in a greater way: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV) And that is why the question I seem to be asking, of myself, and of others that I am talking with, is what are you adding this year? The apostle writing the letter is suggesting to those he is writing to that they should be adding to what they already February

4 have. Add goodness to your faith. Add knowledge. Add perseverance and so on. So there is a task for us - to add to what we already have. But the challenge for me doesn t stop there. The apostle says make every effort (2 Peter 1:5). Now I know that in other translations those words may be different, but they give me a challenge. They suggest to me that I should not simply be going along to church week by week, that I should not simply be getting involved in church related activities but that I should be making every effort I can to grow, to add to what I already have in terms of faith, goodness, self- control; that I should be developing as a follower of Jesus, not standing still. Now - that is a challenge! I heard it said several years ago now that we never stand still in the Christian life, that we are either moving forwards or going backwards. Which direction are you and I going in this year? Are we able to see where we might add to some of the gifts we ve already been given? Can we see where we might develop and grow this year? Is there a study group we can join to improve our knowledge and understanding? Is there some work going on in the church or in the community around us where we might make a contribution and possibly develop our perseverance? We will be praying for you all in the months ahead, as together we try and find ways to make some additions this year. Mark and Melanie 4 Christ Church URC Newsletter

5 Fellowship update We are sorry to report that Ron Andrews died recently. Ron and his wife Betty were very active members of Christ Church for many years before they moved to Bristol. Ron was a steward and was on the Property Committee while Betty was on the Women s Council. We remember Betty and their daughters Rosalind and Debra and their families at this time. Birthday wishes We send belated birthday wishes to Sue Wilson, who celebrated a special birthday (we won t say which one!) on Sunday 30th December. The family enjoyed a trip to New York, with Sue celebrating her birthday itself whilst across the pond. Happy birthday! Christ Church annual reports Leaders of organisations in the church are requested to let the Church Secretary, Stephen Gilburt, have a copy of their 2018 annual report and also to send it to Tom Boorman by Sunday 3rd March so that they may be included in the April newsletter and presented at the Christ Church Annual General Meeting on Sunday 7th April. Stephen Gilburt February

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7 All One in Christ Jesus Some years ago, the United Reformed Church made an unusually forthright party political statement, that membership of the British National Party (BNP) is incompatible with Christian fellowship. Since the late noughties, and the ongoing rise of nationalism and xenophobia, the BNP have all but disappeared, arguably with UKIP providing a more respectable home for those holding far-right views. With UKIP s current difficulties, one may wonder where the political face of far-right extremism will find a home. The concern is that politics, in many countries around the world, have all shifted to the right, so what was the centre is now right wing, and what was right wing is now extremist. At the consultation I attended in Berlin in December, courtesy of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, it was clear how that everywhere from Austria through Brazil, the Czech Republic and on through the alphabet of nations, far-right populist parties and leaders have been on the rise. For our church partners across the world, what this means is that variously they are caring for refugees in hostile conditions, having to stand up and speak out against environmental destruction and having to fight for the rights of women and ethnic minorities in battles that had seemingly been won over a decade ago. Here in Enfield, our communities are relatively well integrated, yet the portrayal in the media of the make-up of the Council, leaves one ethnic group an easy target for everyday racism, as does youth knife crime another. The current national political uncertainty could easily erupt into a new rise in racist attacks. Paul tells writes in his letter to the church in Galatia, There is February

8 no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Is it time again for our Church to make some very clear statements about the current political climate? The church should not support one particular party, but if we mean thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven, we need to be active agents of justice, speaking against the powers that seek to spread hate and division. What are you praying for? How will you use your voice? Melanie 8 Christ Church URC Newsletter Fairtrade Fortnight 25th February to 10th March 2019 Each year for two weeks over February and March, Fairtrade Fortnight highlights the difference fair trade can make to lives and communities. This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will focus on cocoa. Farmers of this iconic Fairtrade product have seen prices crash to crisis levels in the last few years, particularly in West Africa where most cocoa is grown. The situation highlights in stark terms the scandal of unfair trade. We have a choice about whether we take a stand against this. Many farmers - both men and women - are underpaid and exploited. That means they can t earn enough for the basics many of us take for granted, including food, education and housing, because they don t earn a living income. It s even worse for the women who work in the fields and in the home. Despite the hard work they put in, they re often overlooked and under-represented, and usually see even less of the money for their crop. They deserve more.

9 And now, we are extremely concerned how Fairtrade, which was taking a hold a few years ago is now being undermined. Cadbury have pulled out of Fairtrade, Sainsburys have 'developed their own scheme', starting with teas, Waitrose are stocking fewer Fairtrade wines due to lack of demand and Traidcraft faced closure and is having to change its business model. But now for the good news! Co-op are still committed and doing a grand job! The range of teas and coffees in most supermarkets is fantastic and the old adage of them not being as nice as the leading brands is simply not true. Please do look out for Fairtrade as you shop, and consider that, sometimes, a few pennies more transforms the lives of people with little consumer power or choice. Melanie and Mark Friendship Club Spring Programme The Friendship Club meets in the Christ Church Hall usually on the third Monday of each month at 2:15pm for friendship, fellowship and cups of tea! The next meetings are as follows: Monday 18th February The Suffragettes - Joe Studman Monday 18th March Kew Gardens - Brenda Brown Everyone is very welcome to these friendly meetings. For more information please contact Sylvia Coombs on February

10 Eco Tip Reduce, Reuse, Recycle The first of the three R s is Reduce. Reduce is first on the list because it is the best and most important way of minimising your impact on the earth s environment. It means that you try to reduce the amount of materials that you use and also the resources such as fuel and water that you use. Here are some examples of ways that you can reduce: By not buying items that you do not need, for example by only replacing items when they can no longer be used or are beyond repair. If an item is damaged, try to repair the item rather than buying something new. Clothes and electronics are good examples of items which are often thrown out when they become damaged, yet they can often be repaired. By not buying and using single use items such as straws, plastic cups and drinks that are sold in plastic bottles which are used once then thrown away. You can also reduce your impact on the planet by refusing to buy items that have excessive packaging, for example chocolates that come in plastic boxes or items that are sold in an unnecessarily large container. If you need to print out a document, print on both sides of paper. If you have paper that you have printed on one side only, you could use the back to write on. By choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport rather than using a car. By hanging washing outside to dry rather than using a tumble dryer. See reducereuserecycle.co.uk for further information. 10 Christ Church URC Newsletter

11 Prayers for Zimbabwe On 1st March I am going to Zimbabwe as part of a group of twelve to work with Mission Direct for two weeks and then have a week's holiday so I will be there for nearly a month. Mission Direct send groups of volunteers to 'build hope and bring change' by working alongside local people in their own communities to help build facilities that will transform lives such as schools, health facilities and homes. They work in Africa, South America, The Caribbean, Asia and Europe including UK, in situations of real need. We will be working with the United Baptist Church of Zimbabwe to build two more classrooms for Joshua Dube School in Mutare in north east Zimbabwe. The school has over 400 students and needs further development to allow room for younger children to join. It will be a very full programme as we work on the building site in the mornings and then take part in outreach activities in the afternoons. These include visits to a school for the deaf, an orphanage, a centre assisting those living with AIDS and a feeding centre which provides orphaned children with a meal in addition to visiting families in extreme poverty. We will be helping with activities for the children, including work on the children's home's farm, preparing and serving food, distributing essentials to families and sharing our faith with them. Please pray for us to be able to work together well as a team, for health and strength to keep up with a very busy programme, for safe travel, for wisdom to know how to share faith in a meaningful way, and for improvement in Zimbabwe's political and financial situation. Sylvia Coombs February

12 Christmas at Christ Church The run up to Christmas is always a busy time of year at Christ Church with a number of different events taking place, culminating in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ which took place at that very first Christmas. Christmas Bazaar All the way back on Saturday 24th November we held our Christmas Bazaar in the hall, which included a variety of stalls including Christmas items, face painting, biscuit decorating, a tombola, raffle and more, and of course some very tasty hot lunches and refreshments. We even had a visit from Santa! Advent Sunday The following weekend, on Sunday 2nd December, Jill Nugent visited us to lead our Advent Sunday Service, which also included Holy Communion. The service was on the theme of Hope, using Jeremiah 33:1-16 and Luke 21: The talks from this and most of our other services can be heard on our website. Later that day the 8th annual Enfield Christmas Parade of Light took place. The parade featured a procession of over 30 floats which travelled from the Civic Centre along Baker Street, Lancaster Road, Chase Side, through the Town Centre and back to the Civic Centre, which meant it passed Christ Church. The front of the church building was illuminated with Christmas images, the building was open with refreshments available and we even had a steel band performing in the car park to entertain the crowds and passers by in the area! 12 Christ Church URC Newsletter

13 Christ Church is alive with the sound of music! On Thursday 6th December it was fantastic to host Enfield Community Orchestra s Winter Concert in the church. The audience was able to enjoy an excellent concert featuring pieces such as Last of the Mohicans, Egmont Overture, Farandole and Gladiator, as well as a large selection of Christmas favourites! Christmas Nativity The morning of Sunday 9th December saw our Christmas Nativity Family Service take place, with a number of members of our congregation and our youth groups acting out the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many thanks to all those who took part! Service of Lessons and Carols The following Sunday Martin Wells led our Service of Lessons and Carols. It was a lovely service which included some favourite Christmas carols and Bible readings to remind us of the events that took place just over 2000 years ago. Following the service we held a Christmas lunch in the hall, with food once again provided by Gillian s Catering Services. Our thanks to them for giving us a fantastic meal which was enjoyed by all! Hearing the sound of music again! That same evening Enfield Concert Band held their Christmas Concert in the church February

14 with an evening of music including pieces from Grease, Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King, the Carmen Suite, Harry Potter and of course some Christmas pieces too! It was great to see so many people there. In the community On Monday 17th December the Friendship Club enjoyed a Christmas programme, including some festive crafts and a bring and share tea. Two days later, the Enfield URCs collectively descended on the Little Green Dragon Ale House in Winchmore Hill for Beer & Carols, an evening of singing, drinking and lots of festive cheer! Celebrating Christ s birth On Sunday 23rd December our morning service was led by The Worship Group on the theme Reflections of Christmas. It was lovely to hear about Christmas in different parts of the world as Sheila, Pam and Sylvia spoke to us about Ghana, Singapore and the Solomon Islands respectively. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we once again joined with our friends from Lancaster Road URC for united services. The Christmas Eve service began at 9:30pm to coincide with midnight in Bethlehem. The service was led by Revd Mark Meatcher with assistance from student minister Susan Quildan-Foreman. The Christmas Day service was led by Revd Martin Legg and saw members of both congregations come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It gave us another chance to 14 Christ Church URC Newsletter

15 sing some favourite Christmas carols, as well as finding out what people had got for Christmas and, of course, reflecting on the central event in history. United in worship to close 2018 On Sunday 30th December our final service of the year took place, with all three churches in the North Enfield Group (Bush Hill Park, Christ Church and Lancaster Road URCs) coming together in worship in the hall at Christ Church. It was a Breakfast Service with plenty of cereal, toast, bacon sandwiches and drinks on offer, and we enjoyed a time of worship led by Revd Mark Meatcher where we reflected on Christmas and looked ahead to Thank you The events that we hold throughout the year wouldn t be possible without the groups of volunteers that put in a lot of time and energy to make them happen. A big thank you to them all, and to everyone else who supports what we do in every way! Christmas greetings Christmas messages were received from a number of friends of Christ Church who have moved away from Enfield including Revd David Atkinson, Revd Vivian and Mary Buddle, Revd Roy and Joy Martin, Revd Henriette Wentink, Revd Chris and Rob Willis, Ron and Betty Andrews, John Badger, Geoff and Evelyn Bailey, Ken and Mary Basham, Trevor and Sandra Blackmore, Norman and Jean Griggs, Susan Jenkinson, and Ron and Lily Smith and their daughter Rosemary. Photos by Tom Boorman (1-4, 7-9), Frank Urquhart (5), Revd Mark Meatcher (6) February

16 Boys Brigade update The members of the 3rd Enfield Boys Brigade had a busy end to 2018 with a number of events taking place for all age groups. On Saturday 24th November boys from our Junior Section, Company Section and Seniors joined with others from Enfield, Barnet and Inner North London Battalions for a Multi Sports Day at Oasis Academy Enfield. The afternoon began with a workshop and performance by Ben Nuttall, a professional football freestyler, who ran sessions for the different age groups in a fun, non-competitive element to the afternoon. There were also hockey, football and basketball tournaments for the young people to take part in. The 3rd Enfield joined with the 1st and 10th Enfield in the Junior Section tournaments, coming second (hockey and football) and third (basketball). Our Company Section & Seniors joined with the 10th Enfield and came second (hockey and football) and third (basketball). The next weekend, on Sunday 2nd December, a group of 70 young people from across Enfield Battalion came together for a trip to KidzBiz, a soft play centre in Palmers Green with slides, ball pits, rope swings and more. 16 Christ Church URC Newsletter

17 Following that we made our way to Enfield Town to take part in the Enfield Christmas Parade of Light. The event, taking place for the 8th year, featured a procession of over 30 floats, including a number of local youth and community organisations. The Enfield Battalion float was led by the 10th Enfield's minibus which had been decorated with lights, was playing Christmas music and was pulling their trailer (decorated as Santa's sleigh). The young people all had glowsticks and battery powered lights to light themselves up and we also had the BB's giant inflatable balloon and sail flags. We had a great time at the parade and it was a good opportunity to publicise the BB name, with many spectators watching on. Monday evenings have seen the boys take part in a variety of different activities. The Anchors and Juniors got ready for Christmas by making things such as Christmas crackers, snowman-themed iced biscuits and Christmas cards, as well as plenty of games! On Monday 26th November our Company Section and Seniors were taken to the depths of the jungle as we held an I m a Celebrity-themed evening! The upstairs room in the hall was transformed into the jungle for our celebrities, who were split into teams and took part in a February

18 number of Bushtucker trials including 'Wobbly Madness', 'Star Feet', 'Disaster Chef', 'Digging Deep' and more, all with the aim of winning stars for their team. Well done to Stephen and Isaac who were crowned our Kings of the Jungle for 2018! The older boys often take part in challenges to earn points in our points competition, which runs throughout the session until our Awards Evening in May. On Monday 3rd December they had a go at a Scrapheap Challenge with the aim of building a model to make a billiard ball travel the furthest distance. Well done to Marcus and Josef whose model won! Monday 10th December saw our final meeting of 2018 take place which meant it was Christmas Party time! Members of the Anchor Boys and Junior Section met together first for their party, enjoying an evening of party games such as musical chairs, a Christmas chocolate hunt, pizza, drinks and more. It was great to be joined by our Chaplain, Revd Mark Meatcher for this part of the evening. Following that, the Company Section and Seniors held their party which also included some party games as well as Xbox, table tennis, pool, pizza and drinks. A good evening was had by all! After a couple of weeks off we re now well underway into 2019 at BB so we ll have plenty to share in future updates! Tom Boorman Photos by Tom Boorman 18 Christ Church URC Newsletter

19 Girlguiding at Christmas On Friday 14th December the 9th Enfield Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers held their Final Festive Friday, which was their last meeting of The church was full with the girls and their families and friends as each of the age groups put on performances including singing, dancing, poems and even a modern day, Enfield-based retelling of the Christmas story! There were also some awards given out to close the evening. Well done to everyone who took part and to the leaders for organising an enjoyable evening! Tom Boorman Photo by Tom Boorman New songs at Bush Hill Park Do you want to learn some new worship songs and have some fun singing with other like minded people? You don't need to have the best voice, it's all about worshiping God and enjoying yourself. Come to Bush Hill Park URC at 8:00pm on the first Wednesday of every month and join us in the Junior room singing along to some videos. If you'd like some more information please talk to Lisa Hamblin. February

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24 Prayer diary February st - Pray for the Rainbows as they meet in the hall today. 2nd - Pray for the Breakfast Club as the group meets in the church this morning. 3rd - Pray for our Church Meeting following the service this morning. 4th - Pray for the Anchor Boys as they meet in the hall this evening. 5th - Pray for the Homeless Overnight Respite as it continues to run on Tuesday evenings at Lancaster Road URC. 6th - Pray for the Believing and Belonging course, which begins this evening at Trinity Church. 7th - Pray for all those who work at Chase Farm Hospital. 8th - Pray for the Guides and Rangers as they meet this evening. 9th - Pray for the work of Christian missionaries as they work to spread God s word around the world. 10th - Pray for our friend Jill Nugent as she leads our service this morning. 11th - Pray for the Company Section and Seniors as they meet this evening. 12th - Pray for Mark and Melanie. 13th - Pray for lasting peace in areas of the world where there is conflict. 14th - Pray for all those who are foster carers. 15th - Pray for the Brownies as they meet this evening. 16th - Pray for this morning s Breakfast Club meeting and Christ Church afterwards. 17th - Pray for our Girlguiding groups as our Family Parade Service for Guides Thinking Day takes place this morning. 18th - Pray for the Friendship Club and for Joe Studman, who is coming to speak to the group this afternoon. 19th - Pray for the residents of Chase Side. 20th - Give thanks to God for his everlasting grace. 21st - Pray for anyone known to you who is unwell at the present time. 24 Christ Church URC Newsletter

25 22nd - Pray for our friends from the other United Reformed Churches in Enfield. 23rd - Pray for a solution to gun and knife crime on our streets. 24th - Pray for the Adventurers and that more children may be encouraged to join the group. 25th - Pray for the Junior Section as they meet in the hall this evening. 26th - Pray for our friends from the Spirit and Life Baptist Church, who worship in our church building on Sunday afternoons. 27th - Give thanks for our friends and families around us. 28th - Pray for our country s politicians. March 2019 newsletter The March 2019 newsletter will be published on Sunday 24th February. Items intended for inclusion in this issue should be with the Editor, Tom Boorman, by Sunday 17th February. Any late submissions may be held over to the following issue. Please contact Tom with any items to be included in future issues. Items can be received either in paper form at Sunday worship, by to mail@ccurc.org.uk or by phone on The newsletter is published monthly (except for combined issues in July & August and December & January). Back issues dating back to 2007 can be found on our website. Please note that views expressed are not necessarily the views of the whole fellowship, nor are they representative of church policy. February

26 Church diary February 2019 Saturday 2nd February 9:00am to 10:30am Breakfast Club (Bible study and prayer group) Sunday 3rd February 11:00am Revd Martin Legg Holy Communion (offering for Shanthigramam) Duty Elder - Tom Boorman Sunday 3rd February Church Meeting Sunday 10th February Jill Nugent Duty Elder - Stephen Gilburt 12:30pm 11:00am Saturday 16th February 9:00am to 10:30am Breakfast Club (Bible study and prayer group) Saturday 16th February Christ Church (see page 6) 11:00am to 2:00pm Sunday 17th February 11:00am 9th Enfield Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers Family Parade Service (Guides Thinking Day) Duty Elder - Rosemary Milns Monday 18th February Friendship Club The Suffragettes - Joe Studman Sunday 24th February Laura Marlow Duty Elder - Pamela Fisher 2:15pm 11:00am 26 Christ Church URC Newsletter

27 Church diary March 2019 Saturday 2nd March 9:00am to 10:30am Breakfast Club (Bible study and prayer group) Sunday 3rd March 11:00am Revd Mark Meatcher Holy Communion (offering for the Communion Fund) Duty Elder - Pamela Fisher Sunday 3rd March Elders Meeting 12:30pm Future dates Christ Church Saturdays 16th February, 30th March, 8th June, 20th July (all 11:00am to 2:00pm) Enfield Community Orchestra Spring Concert Thursday 4th April (8:00pm) Imago Dei (Holy Week Exhibition) Monday 15th to Saturday 20th April (10:00am to 4:00pm each day, 1:00pm to 4:00pm only on Friday 19th April) Holiday at Home Friday 10th and Saturday 11th March (10:30am to 4:00pm both days) Church Meetings Sundays 3rd February, 7th April (AGM), 2nd June (all 12:30pm) Elders Meetings Sundays 3rd March, 5th May, 9th June (all 12:30pm) February

28 Regular activities at Christ Church SUNDAY 11:00am 11:00am Morning worship (Holy Communion - first Sunday) (Family Parade Service - third Sunday) (regular service - other Sundays) Adventurers (children aged 3 upwards) MONDAY 2:15pm Friendship Club (once monthly - see diary) 6:00pm to 7:30pm Boys Brigade Anchor Boys (boys aged 5 to 8) 6:00pm to 7:30pm Boys Brigade Junior Section (boys aged 8 to 11) 7:30pm to 9:15pm Boys Brigade Company Section (boys aged 11 to 15) 7:30pm to 9:15pm Boys Brigade Seniors (boys aged 15 to 18) FRIDAY 5:00pm to 6:15pm Rainbows (girls aged 5 to 7) 6:00pm to 7:30pm Brownies (girls aged 7 to 10) 7:30pm to 9:00pm Guides (girls aged 10 to 14) 7:30pm to 9:00pm Rangers (girls aged 14 to 20) SATURDAY 9:00am to 10:30am Breakfast Club (twice monthly - see diary) For details of other special events and activities please see the diary. Christ Church URC is a part of the North Enfield Group of URCs and the North West Enfield Group of Churches. Motto: Enter to worship, depart to serve. Mission statement: Christ Church URC aims to provide through its worship, work, witness and mission an effective contribution to the spiritual and social welfare of the Church family and the wider community. Address: Christ Church URC, Chase Side, Enfield, EN2 6NJ 28 Christ Church URC Newsletter Cover image istock.com/kckate16