St Peter s Parish Church Kirk Onchan To be central to the life of Onchan Providing a Christian Witness Worship and Welcome to all.

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1 50p Walk A Cross the Island Easter Eve Kirk Michael St John s Good Friday Bride Point of Ayre Andreas Jurby Ballaugh > START < Monday with RNLI Peel Port Erin Easter Day Cathedral Maundy Thursday Laxey Dhoon Maughold Ramsey Wednesday Ronaldsway Douglas Onchan Tuesday Cregneish Port St Mary Castletown Churches Alive in Mann Information about the Walk: Walk A Cross the Island bishop@sodorandman.im Please join at any point along the route St Peter s Parish Church Kirk Onchan To be central to the life of Onchan Providing a Christian Witness Worship and Welcome to all

2 Lent Service ( Power of Love ) and Lent Lunches in Church 2

3 St Peter s Easter Services 15 th March 11 am Mothering Sunday Service for all the family 29 th March 11 am Palm Sunday and procession (Weather permitting) Tuesday 31 st March 2pm Mothers Union Easter Communion Service Wednesday of Holy Week 1 st April 7.30 Tazie Service Maundy Thursday 2 nd April 7.30 Communion with Foot Washing 8.45 Vigil 9pm Compline Good Friday 3 rd. April Family Worship (for all ages) 2pm-3pm Last hour of the Cross- Easter Day 9.00 are. Holy Communion am All Age Communion and Easter Egg Hunt 4.00pm The launch of CAiM at Peel Cathedral. Service for all churches and denominations on the island (No Evening Service at St Peter s) The Way I See It: FIVE GOOD THINGS ABOUT LENT In case you re thinking at this time of the year that Lent is (as one writer recently described it) all purple and prohibitions, here are five good things about it. 1 It only lasts 40 days. Fasts, by their very nature, can t last forever, but Lent has a very manageable forty days. (If you re thinking at six weeks and a bit it s longer than that, see Item 2)). New Year Resolutions simply stretch off into some impossibly distant horizon, but our Lenten attempts at discipline (chocolate, cigarettes, daily prayers, being kind to the cat) have an end date to them. 2. Sundays in Lent are as oases. Sunday is never a day of fasting, but a weekly celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. So - and 3 this is official! - Sundays don t count in Lent. 3. A bit of self-denial is better than a lot of self-indulgence. We live in a very self-indulgent society. Just for forty days it s no bad thing to deny ourselves something that is a minor luxury or a bit of self-pampering - especially if it saves some money which could go to people in the world who have no little luxuries. 4. It s a journey towards Easter. Lent goes somewhere, and that somewhere is the empty tomb of Easter morning. It s daffodils in the churchyard and new life all around us. 5. The days get longer. The English word for this season is the only one that has no religious significance at all. Lent is simply an abbreviation of the Old English word lencten, which means

4 lengthen. On these islands, where weather is always a major topic of conversation, it s not surprising that what people noted about the days of Lent was that they got longer - no more of those ghastly dark tea-times. But the lengthening is all part of Item 4, really - moving towards new life. (Sadly, Items 4 and 5 don t apply in Australia and New Zealand. Doubtless they have compensations.) Given those five splendidly positive things about Lent, which covers the whole of March this year, I trust readers will approach its rigours with joyful hearts. Blessings Clive PCC Report The PCC met in Church on Sunday 15 February after the morning service. There were 15 attendees and 4 apologies of absence. Rev Burgess opened the meeting with prayer. The year end account statement and 2015 budget statement had been prepared by the Treasurer and circulated prior to the meeting. The statements were discussed and agreed. They will now be sent to the auditor and will be presented at the Annual Parochial Church meeting in April. Rev Burgess thanked Steve and Liz Hull for their hard work in producing the statements. There has been concern about the low attendance at the 9am Sunday service for some time. The attendance is generally in single figures and today was 2 people. It was proposed and subsequently agreed that from April the 9am service will take place monthly on the first Sunday of the month and on Easter Day (which this year is the first Sunday in April). The 9am congregation has been approached and is in agreement with the proposal. PCC has been considering options for better use of the church for some time. The removal of all the fixed pews and replacing with comfortable chairs has been discussed at length at several meetings. Most people find the pews very uncomfortable and people in wheelchairs have to sit at the back of church otherwise they cause an obstruction in the aisles. In addition the recent Quinquennial report has identified that a sub floor inspection is required to 4

5 assess the extent of dry rot in the floor joists which will require the removal of the pews. However before we can proceed, permission is required from the Diocesan Advisory Committee and from the IOM Government Registered Building consent. A sample chair was demonstrated to the PCC and costs were discussed. PCC then agreed unanimously to request permission from the Diocesan Advisory Committee and IOM Government Registered Building consent. to replace all the fixed pews and replace them with chairs. Onchan Burial Authority has requested approval from the PCC to replace the wrought iron hand rail on the churchyard steps and to make good the steps. The work is undertaken and paid by Onchan Burial Authority and is not charged to church. This was agreed. The next meeting will be the Annual Parochial Church meeting on Sunday 19 April at 6.30pm in church. Lent Lunches Are Back Starting Ash Wednesday 18th February, for 6 weeks of Lent St Peter s Church Onchan 12pm to 1.15pm Homemade soup and roll, cake and a cuppa coffee or tea

6 Regular Services at St Peter s Sundays: 9.00 am: BCP Holy Communion am: 1 st, 3 rd, 5 th Sunday: CW Holy Communion 2 nd Sunday: CW Morning Praise 4 th Sunday: usually Family Service unless Holy Day or a 6.30pm: special celebration falls within the month BCP Evening Prayer or (Holy Communion 4 th Sunday) Wednesday: am: BCP Holy Communion Saturday: 5.00pm: Compline Holy Days as announced Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals by arrangement- contact the Parish Clerk RECTOR: Reverend Canon Clive Burgess VIA PARISH CLERK Tel: or onchanrectory@icloud.com Licensed Readers: Carole Bairstow Tel: Ray Platt Tel: Parish Clerk: Parish Office (rear of Rectory) Church Road, Onchan. IM3 1BF Office Hours: Weekday mornings except bank holidays & leave. Check by contacting Tel: enquiries@stpeterschurch.org.im Website: or Facebook Team Vicar: Rev Jo Dudley Tel: jo@jdudley.plus.com Young People Sunday School: Sundays Parish Hall (age 3-10 years) Laser Group: Sundays Parish Office (age 10 plus) Peter Bear Club: Mondays 2x month Parish Hall (Preschool) Mums and Tots: Fridays pm Parish Hall Home Groups Monday Home Group: (Monday, Weekly) Elaine Litherland Home Group Three: (Tuesday, Weekly) Joan Cory Home Group Four: (Wednesday, Weekly) Wendy Allen

7 FROM THE REGISTERS Funerals Sheila Humphrey Eric Woodworth, Michael Parton, May Cowin, Percy John Morrison, Patricia Clarke Pyrah, Neil Batty, Anthony (Tony) Booth, Harvey Briggs, Myrtle Esme Crellin, Betty Smith, General Directory Parish Clerk Liz Hull enquiriesatstpeterschurch.org.im Warden Howard Parkin howardparkinatmanx.net Warden Marcia Clague marciaclagueatmanx.net Warden Dave Jelly / davejelly2010athotmail.com Warden Treasurer Steve & Liz Hull / hullatmanx.net Social Hospitality Vacant enquiriesatstpeterschurch.org.im Choir Wendy McDowell PCC Secretary Elaine Litherland litherlandatmanx.net Flowers Christine Sanders Mothers Union Mildred Cooper Ladies Fellowship Hazel Johnson Parish Hall Rentals Elaine Cory peter.cory51atgmail.com Magazine Editor Vacant/co Rector enquiriesatstpeterschurch.org.im Magazine Distribution Elaine Cory peter.cory51atgmail.com Coffee Rota Mildred Cooper Church Linen Joan Gilbert Make and Bake /Craft gp. Joan Gilbert Brass Polishing Joan Callister Safeguarding Rep. Lisa Morris safeguardingstpetersatmanx.net Youth Coordinator Lisa Morris safeguardingstpetersatmanx.net Peter Bear Gemma Campbell enquiriesatstpeterschurch.org.im Mums and Tots Jill Dugdale / jilldugdaleatmanx.net Mums and Tots Claire Butler is written as 'at' to reduce receipt of spam If your details are incorrect please let Clive know, in the Parish Office New Magazine Editor Needed Help Wanted can you give a few hours a month Understanding of Microsoft Word needed Please contact Clive (training can be given) 7

8 A Surprising Event Fools! For I also had my hour; One far fierce hour and sweet: There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet. (from The Donkey by G.K. Chesterton). The donkey in the Palm Sunday story highlights some of the surprises in this familiar story. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey to the adulation of the crowd, Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Mark 11: 8/9). At the end of the passage, surprisingly we are told that the crowd disappeared and Jesus left Jerusalem with just the twelve. If Jesus was truly the Messiah, why didn t the crowds follow him everywhere? Secondly, there was no evident opposition from the authorities. When Jesus was put on trial, this event was not used in evidence against him. Alongside the crowd, they failed to understand the 8 significance of what Jesus had done. Also the story finishes in a surprising way. After Jesus entered the temple, He looked around and went home (Mk 11:11)! In Mark s account it is clear that Jesus was the only one who really understood what was happening. He knew where the donkey was and what the people would say to the disciples (Mark 11:1-6). He also knew why he was going to Jerusalem, We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he

9 will rise. (Mk 10:33/34). So what can we learn from this story? Firstly, we don t necessarily understand all that is going on in our situation! Jesus told the disciples on a number of occasions that He would die, yet they didn t get it. He knows what He is doing in our lives and we can trust our circumstances to Him. Secondly, we know that What is Pilgrim? Pilgrim is a major new teaching and discipleship resource from the Church of England. It aims to help every local church create a place where people can explore the Christian faith together and see how it can be lived out each day. Palm Sunday is only the beginning of the story! A week later Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Day! During dark and difficult times, because of Jesus cross and resurrection, we know that He shares in the experience of our pain. Jesus also offers us the hope of a secure future, as we share his resurrection life. Pilgrim takes a different approach to other Christian programmes. It approaches the great issues of faith not through persuasion, but participation in a pattern of contemplation and discussion with a group of fellow travellers. Pilgrim is comprised of two stages: the Follow stage for those very new to faith, and the Grow stage for those who want to go further. Each stage contains four short six-session courses which focus on a major theme of Christian life. Please speak to Clive or Onchanrectory@icloud.com Advertising If you are a NON Church group and would like a small advert, please provide typed copy for a donation of 5 per issue. This Magazine is circulated via our website and 300 printed copies distributed in Onchan and the wider island 9

10 Anybody there?! This month - on the 15th, actually - is the thirtieth anniversary of the very first registered.com domain name. Only 30 years! The cultural revolution has been swift and overwhelming. All our lives (whether we like it or not) are now lived in the light of the mighty.com. Nothing works (planes, trains, the electricity, the supermarkets, banks and trading) without it, and those domain names are now part of most people s everyday lives. And all in 30 years. There s no doubt that the digital revolution has brought benefits. For most people, is a boon and blessing (apart from the deluge of unwanted messages, of course). With regard to them, I rather liked the order of service for a wedding recently which printed out the Lord s Prayer but rendered the last petition as deliver us from . Millions of people enjoy Facebook and Twitter, and the internet has undoubtedly helped to tear down the worldwide iron curtains of censorship and news manipulation. Millions of people shop online, and churches and charities are keen 10 to join in the plea to google their domain name and explore the wonders on offer. There are, however, drawbacks, of which people of my generation are perhaps more aware than those who have grown up in the last thirty or forty years. The one that has struck me recently is the dearth of contact. I had a request recently to be a Facebook Friend of someone I didn t know. I looked on his page and found he had 1,400 Friends. That s not friendship, that s stamp collecting. It s sadly possible for the screen, the I- pad or the smartphone to substitute for actual contact a kind of fantasy electronic world. As we ve seen, that world can often be cruel and unthinking. It is a fact of modern life that people and organisations can hide behind a.com privacy. It is a revealing experience to go

11 to the web-site of British Telecom - a telephone company, when all is said and done - and try to find a telephone number to ring and actually speak to a human being. It s there, true, but hidden away like a shameful secret. They clearly don t want you to phone them. Go to Frequently Asked Questions (never the one I ve got). The banks now offer a contactless credit card. What I m afraid of is a contactless society, a vast hub of digital messages flying about, but never a smile or a human touch. Ten minutes chat over the garden fence is surely worth a couple of hours on Facebook. Resourcing Ministerial Education report released The Church of England published its report from the Resourcing Ministerial Education task group ahead of a discussion at the February meeting of the General Synod. The Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft, states: The way we encourage, prepare and form lay and ordained ministers is critical for the future mission of the Church of England. Are we recruiting and training the right numbers of clergy and lay ministers with the right gifts for the future? Are we offering them the best possible formation and training to equip and support them in their ministry? In his comments in the video and blog reflecting on the task group s report, Bishop Steven said: We have a vision of a growing church with a flourishing ministry for the future. We asked every diocese what kind of ministers they want to see and the answers came back really clearly; ministers who are collaborative, ministers who are flexible - because the future is unpredictable - and ministers who are equipped for mission into the future, and I think that s a fantastic vision. Bishops and Dioceses have told us that they want to see all clergy equipped to work collaboratively, greater flexibility and 11

12 deeper effectiveness in mission. Dioceses have also told us that they want to hold the numbers of stipendiary clergy steady at around 8,000 over the next decade. That s vital to sustain ministry in parishes right across the land. But because of the age profile of the clergy and retirements, the current predictions are that the number of stipendiary clergy will fall to around 6,500. We need to take that gap between aspiration and reality seriously. The whole Church needs to pray for vocations and the Church needs to take action to raise the number of candidates offering for ministry over the next ten years, we suggest by around 50%. Individuals will have an opportunity to comment on the paper in a specially created online forum on the CofE website at: Children's Society collection boxes...please leave at the back of Church Archbishops propose new programme for reform and renewal 12

13 The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to members of the Church of England s General Synod proposing a programme for reform and renewal for the Church. The statement came ahead of the publication of a series of reports and papers proposing reforms that were published on the CofE website ahead of the meeting of the February meeting of the General Synod. the Church in discipleship. The reports have been released alongside videos and blogs on the Church s communications blog. The first paper, Developing Discipleship, was published alongside a video interview with the Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft reflecting on the vision for Bishop Steven said: The Church is called to be and to become a community of missionary disciples. Discipleship is not just about learning, it s also about service and being equipped for God s service in the world as Christ sends us out. And growing the Church is about making disciples in obedience to Jesus commission in Matthew 28. Serving the common good is about equipping every Christian disciple to make a difference, in the wider world, in their workplace, in their family, in their community, so that the Church as a whole is a blessing to God s world and a channel of His grace and love. The second paper published was entitled Simplification and in the accompanying video interview, the Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent introduced the work of the group: The remit of the Simplification Task Group has been to identify hindrances to mission. We asked bishops, archdeacons and dioceses What is it that prevents you from making changes that will enable 13

14 parishes, churches and congregations to flourish and new initiatives to take shape? The third paper, Resourcing Ministerial Education, was published with another video with the Bishop of Sheffield who introduces the work of that Task Group: The way we encourage, prepare and form lay and ordained ministers is critical for the future mission of the Church of England. Are we recruiting and training the right numbers of clergy and lay ministers with the right gifts for the future? Are we offering them the best possible formation and training to equip and support them in their ministry. Finally, two papers were published together on Resourcing the Future ; and a paper from Andreas Whittam Smith, First Church Commissioner entitled Church Commissioners Funds and Inter-Generational Equity. Canon Dr John Spence, Chair of the Finance Committee of the Archbishops Council, explained: We are here to help every parish, deanery and diocese achieve its goals. The totality of the reports published this week represent a coordinated response to a proven and vital need.the need to respond to those dioceses who have asked for us to help inject other expertise on strategy to help turn their ambitious plans to reality. All of the blogs, videos and reports can be found at: You ve heard my voice I love you, Lord, you ve heard my voice My cry for mercy, too; Because you turned your ear to me I ll always call on You. The cords of death entangled me The anguish of the grave I called upon Your Holy name I knew my Lord would save! Gracious and righteous is the Lord With love his heart o erflows The simple heart within his hand His saving kindness knows. From death my Lord delivers me He dries my bitter tears And I will walk before the Lord For everlasting years! By Nigel Beeton 14

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