september 2016 grapevine 50p the magazine of st mary s church rushden & st peter s newton bromswold

Transcription

1 september 2016 grapevine 50p the magazine of st mary s church rushden & st peter s newton bromswold 1

2 Who s who Rector: Rev Stephen Prior The Rectory, Rectory Road, Rushden, NN10 0HA Associate Minister: Rev Matthew Taylor 36 Meadow Sweet Drive, Rushden NN10 0GA Curate: Natasha Brady 49 Clover Drive, Rushden, NN10 0UE natasha_brady@btinternet.com Readers: Mick Bantin, Ruth Compton, John Dixon, Tony Smith Hall Bookings: Pam & Paul Bailey 7 Kenilworth Close, Rushden, NN10 0QH St Mary s Churchwardens: Lynne Prior, 330 Newton Rd, Rushden, NN10 0SY Martin Cromwell, 8 Cheltenham Close, Rushden, NN10 0YN. St Mary s Church Office Tues-Thurs: noon: Pam Bailey, Marion Bates, Sue Prior Webmasters: Anthony Sutton and Matthew Taylor stmaryschurchoffice@btinternet.com website: Newton Bromswold Churchwardens Bob Lines, 25 Church Lane, Newton Bromswold, NN10 0SR: Rosemary Gepp, 166 Avenue Rd, Rushden, NN10 0SW Newton Bromswold Website: grapevine subscriptions One year s subscription (10 issues) 5 Postal subscription: 10 Large Print Editions are available in church or may be pre-ordered. All monies to Peter & Barbara Coxon 11 Oakpits Way Rushden NN10 0PP pguineapig11@aol.com Phone: Any changes to order or details of delivery to: The Church Office stmaryschurchoffice@btinternet.com Phone:

3 grapevine september 2016 Monthly event for dads, stepdads, granddads or male carers and their younger children [0-6 yrs] with the added bonus of good coffee and a breakfast bap! Saturday 17 September noon St Mary s Church Hall Adults 3: children free Just turn up! Items for the October magazine should be sent by Sunday 11 September to Jude at missjudecurtis@btinternet.com or Margaret Akroyd, 132 Wymington Road, or left at the back of church clearly marked Grapevine contents Who s Who 2 Natasha writes about settling in 4 Margaret s Editorial 6 From the Registers 7 St Mary s News 8 News from Newton 10 Friends of St Mary s 11 Meet the Congregation 12 Who Let the Girls Out? 14 Samaritan s Purse 14 The Bishop s Chaplain writes Around the Diocese 16 Briefings 19, 20, 24 Bible Bite 21 Looking Back to Old Grapevines 22 Crossword Belfry Gossip 28 Diary 29 Mission Matters 30 Services for September 31 The Back Page 32 Please include your name and phone number with any submission in case we need to contact you. 3

4 Natasha looks back... When a new chapter of your life begins, it inevitably means that some things that went before have to end And so it was for me around this time last year. I had just completed the theoretical part of my Vicar training and it was time to move into the next phase Curacy. My time at college was a good one. I made friends, learnt so much more than I thought possible about the Christian faith and, though it was sad to leave academic study, I suspect my long-suffering lecturers knew I was better serving God in a parish rather than trying to write some huge tome on the Trinity or such like. So it was with a peaceful heart that I moved to Rushden, with my family in tow. From the start, I knew I had come to the right place. In Rushden I have continued to learn and experience all that I need to live out my calling to love and serve God as a priest. Everyone I met warmly welcomed me. My slightly dippy ways have been cherished and understood. As I started to teach and preach on a Sunday in the services and as I helped or gave talks at various functions or children s clubs the good folk of St Mary s encouraged and shaped my learning: letting me know the bits that worked well where parts of the sermons resonated within them but also gently reminding me to speak up and, on one occasion, not to call people in their 70s elderly. (I promise to never do that again!) This first year, as a Curate, has been amazing. I feel I have grown in so many ways: in confidence, understanding and as your servant in Christ. When I 4

5 arrived I remember that I thought being a Curate was like being a Vicar with training wheels on. And it is fair to say that as I continue serving here throughout my Curacy I will always be leaning on those around me for support and that little push to keep me on the straight and narrow. Thankfully I have Steve and Matt guiding and nudging me continually teaching me how to sustain this life of ministry and encouraging me to freewheel it when they know I won t knock anyone over with my enthusiasm or wobbly ways. Through all of this year I have seen the fire of God s passion growing and burning within me, reminding me that I am not doing this alone; that I don t have to be alone. As I was sitting here, typing away, it occurred to me that God asks us all to never lean on our own understanding but instead put our trust in the LORD: that it is better not to be wise in our own eyes but seek the wisdom of God first. For me, I seek it in his holy word, the Bible; through the teaching I receive from my Christian community, the Church; and directly from God himself through his son Jesus, in prayer-soaked moments each day. For you, that seeking may take a slightly different shape, but from one disciple of Jesus to another I encourage you to... Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3.5 Rev Natasha Brady 5

6 Welcome back after your summer break wherever it took you at home or abroad. Without leaving my home at all I learned a lot about a part of Africa called Zimbabwe, which we used to call Southern Rhodesia. I had a care assistant with me who has been in England for 14 years caring for the elderly of this country, while back in Africa extended family automatically take care of their elderly relatives until they die. How different are our two cultures! She will visit her family in October for a month to check that they are managing the four acres that she has bought with some of her earnings in England. In the church calendar this time of year is quiet since from Pentecost until Advent there are no major set festivals and life is very ordinary and that s what this period is known as, Ordinary Time. But there s nothing wrong with being ordinary. In the Bible there are some marvellous miracles but they occupy only a few chapters, while the bulk of the Bible is about ordinary life with people going about their daily business. Sixty two years of my life have been spent in Rushden, and although not locally-born the church has made me feel very much part of the local scene. When I am choosing the archive material each month some names pop up regularly and bring back memories: Charlie Clifton handing out books by the door, Ernest Robinson guiding the choir, Fred Andrews preaching from the pulpit, Mrs Maidwell, Mrs Perkins and Mrs Priestley, to name but a few, and in the 25 years ago section there is mention of many people who are still with us, but the growth in any church depends on nurturing the young and we are doing that very well in St Mary s. We have already conducted a very successful mission project at Rushden Academy* but from October there are projects in schools throughout the UK launched by Hope Revolution, all entitled Because you are loved. It s a one week version of a wider initiative developed by the PAIS movement, a mission organisation which has teams working in schools and churches and consists of activities to encourage people to share their faith, and will be challenging pupils, teachers and communities. 6

7 Dare I mention Christmas? Yes, because although Operation Christmas Child runs throughout the year it is gearing up already towards the November date when all the boxes are handed over for delivery. This is a project that you have all generously supported and this year is no exception with 450 boxes already filled.** And finally something for your Christmas present list: the Bible Society, following a nationwide poll of over 2,000 people, has published a book of the top seventy best-loved Bible stories and describes how they have inspired films, songs, TV programmes, novels and language at 7.99 a gift for all ages.*** Margaret Akroyd *see PCC report p 20 ** see Faith s helpful hints on p 14 ***search the Bible Society shop on line for Nation s Best-Loved Bible Stories: Amazon are only stocking Kindle version. From the Registers Baptisms Sunday 10 July William Richard Duignan Sunday 24 July Wendy Hambleton David Gillespie Sunday 14 August Thomas James Coughlan Weddings Saturday 16 July Suzanne Lisa Law & Luke Robert Pritchard Saturday 30 July Heather Louise Sygrove & Michael Terry Jack Wood Julia Webb & Lee Cooper Funerals Wednesday 29 June Margaret Douglas Stevenson [84] Monday 8 August Elizabeth May Walker [81] Friday 19 August David H Blanchard [65] Interment of ashes Thursday 18 August Barry Anthony Padley 7

8 The Children's Society News The 2016 Spring Quiz raised entries were returned, of which 5 were all correct. After an independent draw the three winners are: Mr K Skipper of Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire; Mrs J Joyce of Wellingborough, and Mr D Welsh of Portishead, Bristol, who each receive 10. The new Autumn Quiz, Waterlogged, is now on sale from Committee members or call John on Entries cost 1 and the closing date is 31 December Thank you to everyone supporting the Children's Society. A big thank you to John for all the hard work he puts in to making these quizzes so successful. Our next event is the Box Opening and Coffee Morning on Saturday 1 October in St Mary's Church Hall from noon. Various Stalls Everyone Welcome. Ladies Group An interesting afternoon was spent on July 13 with Mick Rine, the county s longest serving detective, when he gave us an insight into his life at the sharp end of policing. We learnt of both the light-hearted and the difficult aspects of the work. He has written a book, beginning with his life as a boy living in Hackney 8 St Mary s News St Mary s Flower Rota September Behind the Communion Table 4 Mrs Jane Morgan 11 Mrs Joan Walker in memory of Rod, arranged by Mrs Tombling 18 Mrs Ann Whitworth 25 Harvest Festival Contact Jean Tombling Memorial Chapel 11 Mrs Sylvia Dickenson in memory of Victoria 25 Mrs Julie West If anyone wishes to give flowers in memory of loved ones please contact me, Brenda Dixon and then going on to tell of his progress through the ranks of our local police force. He initially wrote the book to help him overcome the nightmares he experienced as a result of some of the horrific cases he dealt with. He very aptly calls his book, Those Denied the Privilege which refers to those people who lost their lives at a relatively young age and were therefore denied the privilege of a long life. A lively question/answer session followed; Mick was very open and happy to answer the queries put to him. We will miss Myfanwyn Steer, who has moved to live with her family in Harrold. She has been a loyal

9 member of our group and we wish her well for the future. Looking forward to our Autumn Programme we welcome the Rev Chris Youngman, the vicar of Whitefriars, to our first meeting on Wednesday 14 September. It will be held, as usual, at 2.15pm in the Church Hall and will take the form of a service, followed by tea and cake. If you think it may be a good time to come along to our group, we would be pleased to see you Contact Ann Beal [344141] for further details Mission Quiz There will be a Quiz Evening on Saturday October 1 at 7.00pm in St Mary's Church Hall. Cost 3.50 including light refreshments. Tickets available from Peter Chamberlain [ ] or any member of the Mission Committee. St Mary s News Congratulations To Choir Director, and Organist Rosemary Nayyar on the birth of her first grandchild: Joseph Ravi Update on the Organ Fund A total of around 18,000 [and rising] has been raised of the 29,000 needed to clean and repair St Mary s church organ. The necessary faculty has been applied for, details displayed and this triggers further grant applications to bodies who have indicated an interest in the project. Fundraising continues and we are very grateful to everyone for their generous contributions. RN Mrs Clopton became a Living Artwork Woman Who Has Seen a Snake 9

10 Flower Rota September 4 Mrs Sharman 11 Wedding 18 Nicola Clarke 25 Mrs Taylor Bungoma Newton Church supports St Luke s Nzoia Sugar HIV/AIDS Project in Bungoma and has just recently sent a donation towards this group s work of grinding maize to make high-nutrition foods and handing out bags of the flour to widows. Harvest Festival Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday 2 October at 10.00am and the Harvest Sale will be held on Tuesday 4 October at 7.30pm in The Swan. Village Fete On Saturday 2 July we held the Village Fete and were lucky with the weather until about 4.00pm, when the heavens opened and it started raining heavily. We had a very successful and busy afternoon and there was a good crowd of visitors attending, visiting stalls, enjoying afternoon teas and listening to the band and having a happy time meeting old friends and making new ones. We raised just over 2,150 after 10 News from Newton expenses were paid. This is a magnificent amount for such a small parish to generate. Thank you to everyone who supported and helped at the Fete and to Jenny Burt for all her hard work in organising it. Barn Dance The Barn Dance was held on Saturday 9 July and raised 412 for Friends of Newton Church fund. Thank you to everyone who supported this event. Church Bike Ride and the Northants Historic Churches Trust On 10 September Newton Church will be participating in the Church Bike Ride from 10.00am to 6.00pm. If you would like to participate in the Church bike ride or walk, please contact Helen Lines. Monies raised is split 50:50 between Newton Church and the Northants Historic Churches Trust.

11 Friends of St Mary s Making a difference Since the inception of Friends some ten years ago, the following monies have been given to help the St Mary s church building stay in such excellent condition. The very first donation was made in 2008: 3,000 for a security system to be placed on the church roof. Sadly thieves still believe that stripping lead will make them a quick buck. To give an idea of money involved the current cost of renewing the Chancel roof lead would be over 50,000! In 2009 another 77 was provided towards the maintenance of the system. December 2011 saw 2,500 given for repairs to the helical staircase stonework leading to the bell tower. November 2014, 5,000 was given as a donation towards the cost of replacing the lead on the North Porch of the church. (That s the one above the entry everyone uses on a Sunday morning - not such a big roof but again it demonstrates the cost of lead.) In April 2015 another 5,000 was provided towards the Quinquennial repairs (the five yearly appraisal of the building by our architects which is a requirement as the building is Grade One listed it s great to be listed but we have to pay for the privilege!) This included general stone repairs and also repairs to the [Rood] Screen. Currently we are about to contribute 5,000 towards the cost of repairs to the Chancel roof, and have pledged 3,200 towards the Organ Fund. The proceeds of this year s Lenborough Singers concert in June were, at their behest, also given towards The Organ Fund. That amounted to another 445. (They too believe that church organs are so important to church music.) In total this amounts to 24,332 that Friends have given or pledged to our beautiful building. We thank all of those who support our many and varied events, and ask everyone not currently a member of Friends to join us - it makes entry to all our events that much cheaper too!! John Allen, Chair & Joy Rhodes, Treasurer Heavy rain a Godsend Thieves trying to steal 20,000-worth of lead from a church roof had to abandon their haul when their getaway van got stuck in mud. The weight caused the van to become bogged down outside St Laurence s church in Foxton, Cambridgeshire, during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The heavy rain on Monday night was described by the church s rector, Rev Angela Melaniphy, as a Godsend. Eight churches within the Ely Diocese have been targeted by thieves so far this year. Buildings Officer, Geoffrey Hunt, said it cost the church ten times the price of the lead to rectify the damage caused. i newspaper 24 June

12 Meet the Congregation Alan Howell Bearstead Memorial Hospital, Richmond opposite Hampton Court, saw the arrival of Alan Howell on 14 July 1960: a second son for Alistair and Denise Howell. Alistair was a Petrochemical Engineer, living in a company house at Worcester Park. Elder brother David and Alan were later joined by sister Moira. When Alan was eighteen months old they moved to his father s permanent place of work at Stanlow refinery near Ellesmere Port, eleven miles from Liverpool. Alan has vivid memories of opening his bedroom curtains to see the Manchester Shipping Canal that ran along the bottom of their garden and the enormous ships sailing by. On his fourth birthday he was disappointed not to have a party but went to one at Little Pippa s, who sat next to him at school. There he watched Pippa and her sister eat all the icing off the fairy cakes (and leave the rest). After starting school in 1965 at Aldfield Primary in Chester, he changed schools several times but always enjoyed arithmetic. He remembers school dinners where you had to sit till you had finished everything, but he couldn t bring himself to eat spring greens and was left looking at them for the rest of the day! He attended Abbey Gate School and then King s Junior School where they were allowed to go to the park for nature study completely unsupervised. A whale of a time was had by all but I don t think much studying was done! Alan took and passed his 11+ and went to County Grammar School at Ellesmere Port, where he enjoyed Maths, Science and Art. During his fifth year a group of them tied the library door shut, then climbed out of the window, along a ledge and back into another room! They caused the caretaker a big headache! Alan went on to take eight O levels and later 3 A levels. From Grammar school he went to Newcastle University where he studied Materials Science (all types of materials used in the construction industry for building bridges, roads etc). It was during this time he became a Christian, through meeting others on his course and at his residence. Alan was awarded his degree in 1989 but it proved a difficult year as his father died and the recession made it difficult to get a job. In November he moved to Cresswell in Staffordshire to work at Blythe Colours. He shared a house with another colleague and loved the famous local Wrights Pies! There he worked as a Physicist and Glass Technologist. 12

13 Alan gave all that up when he had a calling to Cliff Bible College in Derbyshire for one year. Alan felt God wanted him to teach, so started teacher training, but realised it wasn t for him and filled in with odd jobs before becoming a Care Assistant at Ashleigh House in Bognor Regis. From there he became a full time Christian Worker; first helping with Book Distribution in Turkey after the printing of copies of the New Testament in Turkish. He spent several months recruiting volunteers for their distribution. He and two American lads were arrested by police, who eventually decided they hadn t broken the law but wanted a copy of the New Testament before they would let them go. Alan came back to the UK and worked as a gofer for nine months with People International where he drove the International Director around and was in charge of selling books at his meetings. This led to Book Ministry with a group in Sheffield, then out to Turkey again for ten years. In 2004 Alan had an from Interserve Resource, kitab*, in Sheffield, so back home he came, eventually joining parent organisation, Interserve, with whom he still works. Moving to Rushden in 2013 and coming to St Mary s 9.30 service, he was greeted like a long lost friend by John Judge! In the last three years he has joined the Mission Committee, is a member of a Home Group and on the PCC (and also does a lot of washing up!) Alan feels St Mary s is a young-atheart church reaching out to the population, showing the love of Christ through its actions. Roving Reporter *Kitab is an Arab word for book Those questions Who s been the biggest influence on your life? Jesus Hobbies? Reading, bowls, camping & cooking Special Guest to dinner? Robin Hood What would you serve? Suckling pig & trimmings; sorbet Special Treat? Afternoon Ruthin Castle Your favourite place? West coast of Scotland Proudest Moment? Getting Into the Light translated into Turkish and printed Bible Verse Romans 8.28: We know that all things work together for good to those who love God. 13

14 After the Decorative Art Workshop on 2 September we are hosting a family and friends Barn Dance on Saturday 29 October. More details later. There will be a trip to the German Market in Birmingham before Christmas. Who Let the Girls Out! Angela White What you can get for 50p! Here we are again, and we start by giving the number of filled shoe boxes by mid August as 450! [Of course some of you will be filling your own, in addition to these]. We've been instructed not to continue with adding shredded tissue paper, but while talking of "adding" we can give you a brief breakdown of some of the items we can provide for a 50p coin. For example, although prices fluctuate even when shopping around, how about a comb for 8p, a toothbrush for 8p, 5 sheets of A4 14 paper rolled up in tiny elastic bands for 3p, a balloon for 3p, and a pencil sharpener for 5p! Then the remainder of the 50p could cover an eraser or a few colouring crayons, or perhaps a small notebook or stickers. It's quite a challenge but we're getting there in our hunt for good value. Faith Anderson for The Shoe Box Team.

15 Revd Canon Tim Alban Jones, Bishop s Chaplain writes S eptember is a time of new beginnings one of many that we find in the course of the year. We all know about the start of the calendar year in January (though the new year used to begin in March, hence the Latin names for September through to December, meaning seven, eight, nine and ten; they do not really make much sense when we start the counting in January). We are also familiar with the start of the tax year in April and some of us will be accustomed to the start of the church s year in Advent. The new beginning in September is, of course, to do with the academic year as schools and other places of learning open their doors once again after the long summer holidays. Across the country there will be anxious and proud parents whose children will be starting school for the first time or moving up to a new school. It is a big step and an important milestone in any child s life. But the process of learning is not confined to our schools, colleges and universities, nor does it stop when we leave those places. Learning is something in September which we are engaged throughout our lives, even if not in the formal setting of school or college. In our Christian journey we are all involved in the business of learning. Sometimes it may be through formal instruction, such as in confirmation classes, study groups or sermons. For some it will be through personal study, reading the Bible and reflecting. Another area of Christian learning is prayer. It is something that is best done by experience; the more you pray the better you will be at it. It is the best way of aligning our wills with God s will. It gives us a chance to reflect on what is happening in our lives in the context of God s plan and care for each of us. All we need is the desire to pray and some time either alone or in groups. It is a wonderful way of learning about God and ourselves. It would be impossible to commend it too highly. And the thing about prayer is that we can start afresh every day; we do not need to wait for the start of the new school year or even the start of term. Every day can be a new beginning with God. Diocese of Peterborough - Magazine Resource - September 2016 Produced by the Diocesan Office, The Palace, Peterborough PE1 1YB

16 Fotheringhay view from south N early 300 Church of England parishes are to receive grants for urgent repairs to their church roofs in the second round of awards from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund. Ben Smith, Peterborough Diocese Historic Churches Support Officer said that there have been substantially more grants awarded this round for the Peterborough Diocese than any other diocese in the country. In comparison, there were 6 grants awarded in the Diocese of Leicester and 8 in the Diocese of Lincoln. There have been 22 grants awarded for churches in the Peterborough Diocese, out of 44 applications. This means that exactly 50% of the total number of applicants from the diocese were successful, compared to a national success rate of 26%. In total, churches in the diocese of Peterborough have received 1,147,000 from this round of the Roof Repair Fund. Five of the 16 Government support for vulnerable church buildings welcomed by Church of England successful churches were on the Heritage at Risk Register, and these grants should allow each of them to carry out the repairs necessary to take them off the register. Awards between 10,000 and 100,000 have been offered towards the urgent repair of roofs, gutters and drains, failure of which is the principal cause of decay in historic churches. In total, 401 listed places of worship will benefit from awards from the 25 million funding package given by the Treasury. This follows the 501 awards announced in the first round in Spring Visiting St Philip & St James, Hallow, construction of which was partly funded originally by Lea & Perrins, makers of Worcestershire sauce, the Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings said: These grants will be an enormous help to church communities who take care of some of this country s most precious built heritage. It is very good that the Government has recognised that help is needed. One of the churches to benefit is St Mary & All Saints, Fotheringhay, in Northamptonshire, which is currently on Historic England s Heritage at Risk Register. Fotheringhay is one of England s most celebrated late Gothic churches and has a dramatic history. Richard III was born and Mary

17 Gayton, St Mary Queen of Scots executed in the neighbouring castle. In the church itself are memorials to two Dukes of York who were buried here in the 1400s. Part of the church was pulled down during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The church today attracts more than 3,000 visitors a year and various community events are hosted there. The parish applied, unsuccessfully, for a grant in the first round of the Roof Repair Fund. The 100,000 grant will fund essential works, enabling the parish to pursue its vision of introducing improved facilities for its visitors. Sir Tony Baldry, Chair of the Church Buildings Council, said: It is fantastic that almost 300 more church buildings will receive significant help with roof repairs from the government and we are hugely grateful to the Chancellor. We now need to ensure a sustainable way of funding church buildings in the future and this is a question to which I hope the government s English Churches and Cathedrals Sustainability Review will find viable and deliverable answers. The Fund, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was announced by George Osborne in the 2014 Autumn Statement and subsequently extended for a second round due to heavy oversubscription. Overall, the Treasury has allocated 55 million to the scheme. Successful churches in Peterborough Diocese were: Archdeaconry of Northampton Ashton, St Michael & All Angels Aston-le-Walls, St Leonard Bozeat, St Mary the Virgin Church w Chapel Brampton, St Botolph Clipston, All Saints Collingtree, St Columba Cosgrove, St Peter & St Paul Fawsley, St Mary the Virgin Gayton, St Mary Kings Sutton, St Peter & St Paul Weedon Bec, St Peter & St Paul Woodford Halse, St Mary the Virgin Archdeaconry of Oakham Barnwell, St Andrew w All Saints Benefield, St Mary the Virgin Fotheringhay, St Mary & All Saints Hambleton, St Andrew Nassington, St Mary the Virgin & All Saints Newton Bromswold, St Peter Peterborough, All Saints Peterborough, St John the Baptist Rockingham, St Leonard Rushden, St Mary 17

18 Church of South India gathering in Northampton Bishop John lighting St Thomas lamp Once a year Malayalam* speaking churches in the UK come together in a family conference. This took place last week in Northampton. The Revd Shemil Mathew, Assistant Curate from the Astwick Vale Benefice is from the Church of South India (CSI) and a Malayalam speaker. He was the keynote speaker at this year s conference: Your people will by my people and your God my God from Ruth 2. Shemil explained: CSI is one of the Wednesday 7 September Free summer lunchtime music at Peterborough Cathedral. For more information please visit: Starting Tuesday 13 September Core skills for children's work (LF10) A six session course on developing our understanding of children and the skills that are needed to nurture them in their faith. Free at Bouverie Court NN4 7YD. For more info: or Lesleyanne.Marriot@Peterboroughdiocese.org.uk Starting Friday 16 September Lifestyle from the Discipleship Menu pm at Towcester. 10 registration fee. For more info: liz.holdsworth@peterboroughdiocese.org.uksaturday 17 September 18 biggest united churches formed in 1947 from Anglican, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches. There are 3 different Malayalam speaking congregations here. CSI is one of the biggest diaspora South Asian Anglican communion communities in the UK. Bishop John came for the inauguration and lit the oil lamp with St Thomas cross. St Thomas was the apostle to South India. September events *Malayalam is the language of the state of Kerala. Baptism Matters 10am-4pm at All Saints School NN2 7AJ Discover what really matters to families, why godparents are central, the importance of welcome. Leave with practical ideas, understanding and new confidence. To book a place: bookings@peterboroughdiocese.org.uk Tuesday 27 September PCC Tonight pm at Bishop Stopford School NN15 6BJ CPAS is running an event to clarify the purpose and place of PCCs, intended for all PCC members. 12 for each first booking, 3 for each additional member. info@cpas.org.uk for more info More details at: -diocese.org.uk/events

19 You might like to know about... Refugees One of the best ways of keeping up-to-date about helping refugees is to join the Facebook groups of three organisations which are co-ordinated by people in the Rushden area: Christians for Calais Helpful Humans East Midlands Jungle Care, providing direct support to Calais through donations of items needed there (clothing etc). Details at junglecareuk The Faith Action Progress Tour is coming to Irthlingborough Frontier Centre on Wednesday 5 October, from 11.30am to 4:.oopm and includes the next East Northants Faith Group community leaders lunch. This will be a special opportunity for churches providing health and wellbeing services to their local community to meet up, share information and hear from the National Executive Director of Faith Action (Daniel Singleton) and National Co-ordinator (Felicity Smith). Further details and booking arrangements are available at faithaction-progress-tour- northamptonshire-registration ? aff=enews&utm_campaign=39b55a dcfenewsletter_1138_10_2016&utm _medium= &utm_source=fait haction&utm_term=0_4bcfde0ce2-39b55adcfe [I ve checked this-it goes straight there! Ed.] Street Pastors To sign up to the newsletter from Wellingborough Street Pastors (which includes clients and volunteers from the Rushden area), please contact streetpastors@outlook.com 19

20 You might like to know... Recent St Mary s PCC news The Church Away Day took place in May and was very successful. A number of changes/improvements have been made round the church: application has been made for a new handrail by the Car Park, and the faculty for the monitors to be fitted in church to help those having difficulty seeing the main screen has been approved and the work done. A training session for Church Welcomers was held in July and a Summer Outreach initiative undertaken at Rushden Academy over three days at the end of June which was described by some pupils as, the most amazing three days at school. The Church Fete in June raised 750 and was a great success with some stallholders dressed in 1920s costume. WLTGO has a programme of events planned, starting with a Craft evening featuring folk art on September 2, a Barn Dance in October and a trip to the German Market in Birmingham. CofE apps grow in popularity Church House Publishing has marked a new milestone in its Church of England apps programme, with over 200,000 first-time downloads. Many of those who download the apps are using them routinely as part of their prayer life. Use of the Daily Prayer app shortlisted for App of the Year at the Premier Digital Awards was up 300% in May 2016, with 12,500 monthly users enough to fill St Paul s Cathedral five times over. App downloads now account for around one in five Church House Publishing products. Apps like Reflections and Lectionary have moved from being novelties to being normal for users. They allow instant, fuss-free access to resources for prayer and Bible study worship, wherever you are. The typical time spent on Daily Prayer is six minutes forty-two seconds. That is five times longer than the average for an app. Details of the full range of CUP apps are at: 20

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22 Looking Back at St Mary s Magazines 50 Years Ago September 1966 Around and About The Tele-recording in Rushden of Songs of Praise was an experience that will not be easily forgotten by those who took part in it. A tribute should be paid to the B.B.C for the great care that was taken in the production of the programme, and it is to be hoped that those who see it on September 4 th will find it a blessing and an inspiration. Evening prayer that Sunday will be at 5.30pm so as to enable friends to see the broadcast at 6.50 pm. The Leadership and the training of our choir at St Mary s will be from October in the capable hands of P.E. Palmer, the Headmistress of Alfred Street Primary School. Mr Cyril Cave will continue as organist. We extend a warm welcome to Mrs Palmer and hope she will be very happy in her new work amongst us. 25 years ago September nd Rushden (St Mary s) Scout Group In September 1991 the 2 nd Rushden (St Mary s) Cub Pack will be 65 years old! To mark the occasion we are holding a short service in St Mary s Church, followed by a cup of tea and a chat in the Church Hall. In a year when Cub Scouts nationally celebrate their 75 th birthday, what is so special about us celebrating our 65 th birthday? In 1926 a young man wanted to start a Cub Pack but had to wait until he was 18 to take out his first warrant. In September of that year the 2 nd Rushden (St Mary s) Cub Pack was formed. The young man s name was Reg Brown and 65 years later he is still with us! We would like as many as possible of our old cubs, helpers, scouting friends etc to come and see him on our special day 65 years with one Cub Pack we feel is a remarkable achievement. Even if you are only able to pop in for a few minutes do please come. If you would like more information, please contact Mrs Jeannie Chamberlain, 24 Hillary Road, Rushden. 22

23 76 High St Rushden Stitches Alterations Mon-Fri: Closed Thurs & Sun Sat: for all your tailoring needs Avenue Salon Abby Stannard Ladies Hairdresser with over 14 years experience Reductions for seniors Mondays & Tuesdays 166 Avenue Road, Rushden, NN10 0SW

24 Brian Howard Mobile: Phone: Carpet Cleaning Window Cleaning Gutter Cleaning Conservatory Cleaning Solar Panel Cleaning Fascia Cleaning briefing Christian Legacies When Christian Research conducted a survey among its on line panel Resonate it found an unusual percentage of respondents leaving money to charity in their wills. Among 1,917 churchgoers aged 45 and above and church leaders of those who had made a will 45% said that they had left money to a charity, a much higher proportion than the norm. According to Remember a Charity, only 7% of all wills in the UK contain a charitable bequest. The most common Christian cause to leave a legacy to was the local church at 48%. To join the Resonate on-line panel or view other similar research reports on current Christian trends go to and follow the prompts. Ink Cartridges We are still recycling printer cartridges through the Tesco scheme. HP301 and HP302 are both worth 1.25 currently. Even if not eligible we will ensure your old cartridges are properly disposed of. Please leave in the office or at back of church. JC 64 Roman Way Higham Ferrers NN10 8NS 24

25 ACROSS 1 Who is on the? (hymn) (5,4) 6 Clerical vestment (3) 8 OT King of Judah (11) 9 Two (3) 10 Swallow greedily (7) 11 Not religious (7) 14 In dispute (2,5) 16 Welcome (7) 18 A craving (3) 19 One who cures without medicine (5,6) 20 Father of Joshua (OT) (3) 21 Off-the-peg (5-4) Crossword No 329 DOWN 1 heavenly Father (hymn) (4,2) 2 the Lord is King (hymn) (7) 3 Tutor (13) 4 Publisher (6) 5 In a way relating to the Gospels (13) 6 Tribe stemmed from Jacob (5) 7 Ancient town near Jerusalem (6) 12 Ancient kingdom of northern Mesopotamia (7) 13 Island in Canadian Arctic (6) 14 Protozoan (6) 15 Timothy s mother (NT) (6) 17 Heap of stones over a grave (5) Solution to Crossword No

26 GENTLEMEN S HAIR STYLIST 40-42, HIGH STREET SOUTH RUSHDEN 6 FULL TIME STYLISTS Walk in or for appointments ring PARKING OPPOSITE RUSHDEN SCHOOL OF MOTORING Tel: Hall Avenue, Rushden, NN10 9ET Practical and theory tuition in manual and automatic cars Probably Rushden s oldest established driving school: Hadley Woodland Management hedge trimming pruning - tree removal seasoned woodland logs hedge & tree planting small woodland management & conservation 5 million public liability insurance Rushden based John Hadley tel: jjhadley@tiscali.co.uk LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY There are any number of reasons why you may need someone to make decisions on your behalf Having an LPA in place will keep you in control of your affairs Please contact Stephen Wilkins of LPS on or for a free discussion of your needs Home visits are free of charge and without obligation. Is your garden getting too much for you? Don't panic! Help is at hand. Ring Cloisters Garden and Homes we pride ourselves on being prompt, reliable, trustworthy and polite NOW INCLUDING CARPENTRY & DECORATING free advice * fully insured J B NOBLE OPTICIANS Est Affordable Family Eye Care Celebrating 50 years in our community 37 Church Street Rushden

27 A. ABBOTT & SONS PERSONAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS BEDFORD ROAD, RUSHDEN Owned and operated by the Abbott family for four generations Tel: Rushden HOUR SERVICE TO ALL AREAS Private Chapel of rest, Service Chapel, Catering suite, Memorial display, Floral tributes Pre-paid plans available Est P. W. HOUSE 54, High Street, Rushden Rushden s Family Jeweller For over 60 years Tel: PETER TOMAS Comprehensive Glazing Service Boarding Up & Property Secured Property Maintenance Garage Doors Installed Tel: PETER DRAPER Photographic CAMERAS FILM PROCESSING BINOCULARS TELESCOPES 65, High St, RUSHDEN The Distinctive Jeweller P. G. SAVAGE PAPERHANGING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING FREE Estimates & Advice Given Reliable Service , Wymington Rd, Rushden, Northants PAINTERS & DECORATORS WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE R J Smith & Son Shoe Repairs Engraving Gifts Locksmiths Watch Straps & Batteries Hollis Brothers High class butchers 44 Duck St. Rushden Friendly, personal service Barnes Tree Services All types of tree work undertaken

28 28 Belfry Gossip Ringing for the morning services has continued quite well but again that for evening services, [when we normally ring our quarter peals] has been less predictable due to low numbers being available. Our quarter peals were down with only one being scored out of the three attempts that we made. The one scored was as a thanksgiving for the life of John Clifton who lived in Crediton. John was one of the group of young ringers who learned to ring when the bells were rehung and augmented to eight ready for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in The day of our BBQ was again nice and sunny for us. With shared salads and desserts and our own meat, cooked by Alan. A very enjoyable time was had by about a dozen or so ringers and friends with lots of chatting. Thanks to Brenda and John for the use of their garden, which as always looked very nice, and to Tom for helping to get things ready and tidy up afterwards. Our tower outing this year was to four towers just south of Cambridge: Stapleford (6 bells), Great Shelford (8), Little Shelford (6) and Barton (6). Mostly the bells were good and quite easy to ring but Barton, which has a tall narrow tower, proved more difficult because there was quite a lot of tower movement while the bells were ringing. We had an enjoyable afternoon with a lovely spot in the churchyard at Little Shelford for our picnic tea. Thanks to Pam for fixing up the towers and to all our ringing friends who joined us and made it a success. We have also had great pleasure in showing off the bells to a group of Scouts from the Czech Republic who were visiting this country. They split into two groups to hear about how bells are made and aspects of bellringing, have a go at chiming (to make a bell sound), climb the stairs to see the bells, with one in action, hear about their ages and weights and also see the clock. Although there were delays while information was passed on by interpreters, they all enjoyed the experience and interesting questions were asked. Later that day two returned to take up the invitation to climb to the base of the spire and get an aerial view of the town and beyond. It would be nice to think that maybe in the future some may come back to this country and learn to ring. The Branch Striking Competition was this year held at Grendon and we were one of six teams from the area which competed for the shield. The local ringers provided tea with cakes and biscuits to help the teams pass the time while waiting to ring. After all the teams had rung the Judge commented on the ringing and said how enjoyable it all was. It was again close between the first two positions (and the same two bands as last year). We (Rushden) retained the shield by a narrow margin from Orlingbury so it is again hanging in the belfry for the next year. As well as the striking competition, Wilby (6), Orlingbury (6), Easton Maudit (5) and Bozeat (6) have all been visited by the branch since the last 'Gossip' where our ringers were well represented. Remember the bell tower will be open for tours and demonstrations on Heritage Day: September 10, so come along and see what attracts us so much. Why not consider taking up a new hobby and learn to ring the bells? We need more ringers. Tuition is normally given before our practice on Friday evenings. Tintinnabulum

29 Diary September 2 Friday: pm WLTGO Decorative Folk Art Style workshop, St Mary lower hall. 3 Saturday: noon Table Top Sale, St Mary s Church Hall, in aid of the Organ Fund. Entrance=50p; Tables 5. Contact: Edna Wadsworth Saturday: pm Heritage Open Day at St Mary s. Church Records on display, Bell Tower Tours [ noon] and light refreshments. Further details from Martin Compton: Saturday Northamptonshire Historic Church Trust Sponsored Cycle Ride. St Mary s registration in church: contact Mick Wadsworth [357253] if you are interested in participating. Newton Church registration pm: participation contact Helen Lines 14 Wednesday: 2.15pm St Mary s Ladies Group Service led by Rev Chris Youngman, Vicar of Whitefriars St Mary s Church Hall followed by tea and cake 17 Saturday: Who Let the Dads Out? St Mary s Church Hall 21 Wednesday: for 10.30am DEF [Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship] Event A Set Order of Service Healthy or Deadly?!! Overstone Church, followed by buffet 12.15pm. 28 Wednesday: 7.30pm Higham Deanery Synod: Guest Speaker Ben Smith [Diocesan Historic Churches Support Officer], Bridge Community Whitefriars Junior School. All welcome inc. nonmembers. October 1 Saturday: noon Children s Society Box Opening & Coffee Morning, St Mary s Church Hall. 1 Saturday: 7.00pm Mission Quiz Evening, St Mary s Church Hall. Cost 3.50 inc light refreshments. Tickets from Peter Chamberlain or any member of the Mission Committee 4 Tuesday: 7.30pm Harvest Sale for Newton Church, in The Swan 8 Saturday: FOSM Pudding Club, St Mary s Church Hall 12 Wednesday: 2.15pm St Mary s Ladies Group, Miss Chris MacKenzie: Neighbourhood Watch. St Mary s Church Hall 15 Saturday: Who Let the Dad s Out? St Mary s Church Hall 29

30 30 Mission Matters On Friday August 5, Derek and Jane Waller, our mission partners in South Sudan, flew home to the UK. Three weeks earlier they had been evacuated to nearby Uganda as the situation around their town, Yei, had become unstable. The civil war which has gripped South Sudan since December 2013 shows no sign of being resolved. Derek speaks of a battered and broken country. Many people have moved from Yei to their villages or sent their families to Uganda. The Bishop Allison Theological College [BATC], where Derek and Jane teach, is closed and the students have gone home. The Wallers were due for four months leave, beginning in January, so they have brought this forward, trusting that they will be able to return to Yei in the new year for the start of the new college term. The present situation s heart-breaking and immensely challenging but nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Derek and Jane ask prayer for the country which is so dear to them, for their beloved students and their families, for their Bishop, Hilary, who carries a heavy load of responsibility, and for the college principal, Peter Taban. They also ask us to pray for the vulnerable in South Sudan who have no money to buy food or medicine and who cannot run away; the sick, the poor, the frail, mothers with young children and those pregnant. Let s pray too for Derek and Jane themselves. They have a God-given love for the South Sudanese people, and a passion to help the church by providing much-needed teaching and training. Their time at Yei has brought them great joy the BATC has been established [after two previous attempts in Uganda] and the warmth, enthusiasm and fellowship of the twenty-one students has been a blessing. There have been difficulties too. In one newsletter they write, Funding the college, feeding the students and providing water are on-going challenges Teaching is challenging too. [Jane has been teaching English and Derek teaching Old and New Testament.] Neither of us has taught these subjects before The limited English of many students, the absence of resources [we have chalk and a rough blackboard], the heat and the culture gap make teaching tough. It s hard being creative and patient every day. Let s pray that the Lord will fill Derek and Jane with his peace, refresh their bodies and spirits, and give them great faith and hope as they contemplate the future. We thank God for them. For other mission news please see our notice boards in the church and hall and the weekly notice sheet, or contact committee members. Do let us know if you would like access to our various mission partners newsletters. Sue Eagles for the Mission Committee

31 Services for September 2016 St Peter s 4 September Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity 9.30am 11.15am 6.00pm All Age Holy Communion Morning Prayer Evening Worship 10.00am Family Service 11 September Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity 9.30am 11.15am 6.00pm All Age Service Holy Communion Evening Prayer 10.00am 3.00pm Pete s Pack Evening Prayer 18 September Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity 9.30am 11.15am 6.00pm All Age Service Morning Prayer Holy Communion 10.00am Family Communion 9.30am 11.15am 6.00pm 25 September - Harvest Sunday All Age Parade Service Morning Prayer Evening Prayer 10.00am 3.00pm Pete s Pack Holy Communion St Mary s Mondays 10.00am Bumps & Church - every week in term time Wednesday pm Fun, Faith and Food first Wed of the month: Thursdays 10.30am Holy Communion [BCP] - every week 31

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