Pathway. Dear Friends. God bless you all, Caroline. Newsletter of Broadstone United Reformed Church August / September Dates for Your Diary

Transcription

1 Pathway Newsletter of Broadstone United Reformed Church August / September 2012 Dear Friends hat an amazing year it has been so far with W the Queen s Diamond Jubilee in June, the Olympic Torch Relay in July and now the London 2012 and Paralympic Games! I was sorry to miss the torch relay while I was on holiday, but I am delighted that several folk from BURC were able to join with our friends at Lytchett Minster URC to wave flags, cheer and offer refreshment to those who gathered for the procession. The Church needs to be involved in the community in which it is situated if it is to be seen as active and relevant to life today. ow, I am not normally a great one for watching N sport, but I have found myself increasingly drawn into the Olympics, caught up in the excitement of the competition, the desire of the athletes to achieve their potential, and the emotions which overflow in disappointment or sheer elation. Above all, I have been struck by the enthusiasm of the spectators in every venue and arena, cheering on their team members. At this home Games, this has been particularly significant for Team GB, contributing to unprecedented success in the medals table. When they might have held back or given up, the athletes have found new energy and motivation from the encouragement of the crowds willing them to succeed. And their final joy and disappointment is shared by all. n St Paul s letter to the church in Thessalonica he I writes: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5.11). And in the letter to the Corinthians: If one part [of the body] suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12.26) t has been a joy to see competitors and I spectators from different nations congratulating and commiserating with one another in a true spirit of unity. This is surely sport and life at its best. Having begun by feeling very lukewarm towards the Torch Relay, I could not help but be warmed by In This Issue: Olympic Pop-In Wimborne URC s 340th Anniversary Oasis BBQ To the Olympics and Beyond Dawn and Ray s Great Day Children of Fiji and more the way it brought communities together, by the encouragement it gave to so many worthy torchbearers, many of whom had experienced great suffering and setbacks in their lives, and by the amazing spectacle of the bronze petals, ignited by hopeful young athletes at the Opening Ceremony, gently coming together to light up the flame which has burned brilliantly in the main stadium through the Games as a sign of the common purpose of many people and nations. fter being extinguished at the Closing A Ceremony, the Olympic flame will be reignited in four years time for the 2016 Games in Rio. Until then I pray that the flames of unity and encouragement, of compassion and rejoicing, will continue to burn in the hearts of every one of the many thousands who have shared in this international event. s Paul said to Timothy, Fan into flame the gift A of God which is in you..., (2 Timothy 1.6). May our hearts and lives burn unceasingly with the light of Christ, that we may carry the Gospel of his love into every place, until that day when all our torches are brought together into the eternal light of God. Enjoy the rest of the summer! God bless you all, Caroline Dates for Your Diary Morning Service & Launch of Op tion 9 Sept. Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal 10.30am General Meeting - Waterloo Ecumenical Christian Centre Pop-In Express BURC Hall 13 Sept 7.30 pm 15 Sept 4.30pm Churches Together in Poole 18 Sept The Junction Leisure Centre, Broadstone Family Pop-In 22 Sept 10.30am Harvest Supper 29 Sept 6.00pm Harvest Festival Service 30 Sept 10.30am Church open from 2pm (tea & coffee available) Harvest Praise 6.30pm

2 FAMILY NEWS Those who have been in hospital or about to go into hospital, or are presently unwell whom we remember in our prayers include (in alphabetical order): Sandra Byrne, Sylvia Carnill, Connie Evans, Brenda Frith, Tom Jenkins, Sheila McMahon, Gwyn and Hazel Phillips, Ethel Pratt, Barbara Price, Pam Sales and Joan Snashall. Congratulations to Dawn and Ray Edge on their recent wedding (see opp right) to Jim and Margaret Tudor s son Richard on his marriage to Jo on 3rd August. to Connie Evans on her 90th birthday, in July. to Eddie and June Lowdon on their Golden Wedding anniversary, also in July. Olympic Reflection Olympians go for the glory 'n the gold - they endure gruelling, long hours of practice and training for the glory of obtaining that precious gold medal, and rightfully so. We admire the will and the skill. We look forward to TV-watching around the clock, around the Web, and around the world. Others unnamed have gone for the "glory" of another world...and we applaud them as well - Christian heroes of the faith, persecuted believers, Christian saints who have given their lives for their faith in Christ. They've attained the "gold" we yet strive for - and we look to them as role models of Christian endurance and commitment to the faith. May we too run for the gold they've already won - a crown of eternal glory that surpasses the glory and the gold of this old world, for sure! submitted by Saz Holland Elsie Ford Those of us who remember Elsie will remember a gentle lady sitting in her place in the front of the Church very regular in her attendance on Sunday mornings. And when she became a little frail always grateful to Sandra for bringing her to Church. I felt she was very much at home in our fellowship. Sadly the time came when she needed more care, and she went into Birds Hill Nursing Home. She missed her Church, but she was visited regularly and was still interested in the life of the Church. Her faith was strong and it upheld her when she lost her son David. Rest in peace Elsie with your Lord Marion Pauley Dear friends, I would like to thank you all for your prayers, phone calls, cards and good wishes whilst I was away. These were a great comfort to Val and myself. Never underestimate the power of prayer! In my case it was the difference between life and death. It sustained us both through a very critical time. It has been an emotional period but I am so glad to be back amongst you all once more. Mick Rowberry Thank you for Prayer support while we have been unwell. Gwyn and Hazel Phillips Fancy a cuppa?! When someone asks if they may be taken off the Coffee Rota the next time it is drawn up and the reason they give is because they will be 90 years old, then the time has come for me to take stock!!!!! Well, that lovely lady has continued to serve tea and coffee to us throughout the past year without complaint and with a smile on her face. It is thanks to her, and the small army of volunteers, who ensure that we are able to offer refreshments to our congregation and any visitors we may have. I believe I can speak for everyone when I say that we are extremely grateful to them all. When I do the rota in the near future, there will be 6 fewer people to call on. If there is anyone out there not already on the rota but willing to offer their services, then I will be delighted to hear from them. I am aware that many people have several calls on their time but, even with a limited number of tea makers, the duty is only one Sunday in nine!! However, thank you teams for your dedication and commitment. Whether it is coffee in a mug or tea in a cup we love you all!! Val Rowberry

3 Fun at Olympic Pop-In (photos by Phil Taylor) and at the Oasis BBQ If you missed it at Lytchett.. Dawn & Ray s Special Day JBM Photography - john@jbmphotography.co.uk

4 Minute for Mission - the work of Children of Fiji In March of this year I travelled across to the other side of the world, to live and volunteer in Fiji for a month as part of my university course. Fiji is a richly diverse and beautiful country; full of quite helping a young girl in one of the local orphanages, who was in desperate need of an eye operation, they took the girl to the hospital themselves and did not leave until they had sorted out her operation and funded it through the charity. This is a very specific example of the work they do, but they also collect donated things like computers, books, sports equipment, kindergarten equipment and much more throughout the year at home in the UK, ready to ship out on their next trip to Fiji. If any one has any questions about Fiji or my trip, please do ask me. Victoria Meachin possibly the happiest people I ve ever met considering the high amount of poverty that many suffer from there. I was working in a Kindergarten in a town called Nausurri, about half an hour away from Suva, the capital city of the Fiji islands. I was staying with a Christian Fijian family who welcomed me into their home and made me feel like part of the family! Whilst living my day-to-day life it became very clear that the work The Children of Fiji do is so very important, now more than ever. Children of Fiji is a charity that is registered both in the UK and in Fiji. Its declared aim is to advance education, health and welfare, and to relieve poverty of children in Fiji. It has no political or religious affiliation and strives to help all children in need, irrespective of their gender, ability, ethnic origin, or r e l i g i o u s belief. Whilst I was in Fiji I managed to meet up with Peter and M a r g a r e t Long the founders of the charity) who were on their first of two trips to Fiji this year. They took some time to come and meet me, check I was ok and tell me a bit about what they had been doing this year. This included For the Autumn. Broadstone Men's Forum Broadstone Men's Forum meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 2.30pm from September to May at the Waterloo Christian Centre, Milne Road, where there is ample parking and kitchen facilities for the essential 'cup of tea and a biscuit'. After the Summer recess we meet again on Thursday 13th September when Frank Chamberlain will be exhibiting and talking about 'My Stamp Collection'. Broadstone Women's Fellowship Broadstone Women's Fellowship meets on Thursday afternoons at 2.30pm in the Sharland Hall, Broadstone Methodist Church. Meetings recommence on 13th September after the Summer break. Autumn/Winter Programme will be available shortly from Ann Longley.

5 Summer with Wessex FURY Wessex summer camp 2012 This year, Wessex FURY summer camp was held at Beaulieu in the New Forest. The food was good. The weather was not too bad, we had lots of mud! We had over 100 people for camp. Youth leaders came from all over the Wessex synod to help out. Our theme for the year was Prophets. We had a number of activities including, raft building, cooking, drumming, gum boot dancing, woodcraft, etc Also in our Discover activity..bible study in other words, we were looking at our theme. In my group, we looked at the book of Isaiah. We had lots to talk about! We were discussing about modern day prophets eg Nelson Mandela, Bono from U2, Oprah Winfrey, Desmond Tutu, Will I Am from the Black Eyes Peas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama etc To name a few! Also we discussed about prophecies, campaigns, a job of a prophet etc. Saturday evening, we didn t have our usual camp party and fancy dress competition. Last year s fancy dress theme was RE eg retro, reverend, regular fries etc. Can you guess who I dressed as?...republican Sarah Palin! I came 3rd for best fancy dress! This year, we did our own thing, catching up with friends, singing around the camp fire, playing games, helping out with domestics, and watching a film. The weekend was good. Lots of laughter, lots of music and lots of welly-boots! Saz Holland Youth Exec meeting at Hayling Island In May, the Wessex youth meeting was held at Hayling Island near Portsmouth. We stayed in a Christian bed and breakfast. Saturday morning, we were joined by the Wessex moderator Clare Downing for the day. In the morning, we went through each other reports. I proposed a new voting system to use on the youth exec, which passed. Later on in the afternoon, we started to plan and organize events for Wessex Fury. Also we had some discussions on grants, mission counsel, charities, national Fury events etc. In the evening we watched Gnomeo and Juliet the movie. It was good! Sunday morning, our CYDO Phil and Sandy lead worship. Afterwards, we had a walk around the local area. We headed back and we finished the last of our business. It was a successful weekend. Saz Holland Wimborne United Reformed Church celebrates its 340th Anniversary The Rev. Stephen Thornton gave the Address which led on from a potted history given by the members from 1672 and how the first minister was a dissenter from the Church of England and a later minister was instrumental in getting the hospital in Wimborne. Rev. Thornton then shared how the URC came into being and that as a Reformed Church we need to be open to change as was the Reformers. Everyone had been given a slip of paper with six abbreviated headings with their Order or Service. Each heading was based on the church s foundation. 1. R & ER. Reforming and Ever Reforming. We must be prepared and open to change. 2. P A B. We belong to the Priesthood of All Believers. As a chosen people every Christian has the responsibility for the Church s change of direction to meet the needs of society. 3. D by C. The Church was not a Theocracy but Decisions made by Synod/District Council and the Church Meeting. 4. C of B. The Centrality of the Bible. 5. F F S. Freedom From the State and independence from the State in being able to give Leadership. 6. F in W. Freedom in Worship. We able and can develop new and exciting ways in Worship without restrictions. In conclusion we were challenged that it was as vital now, as ever it was to be prepared to make change to keep the message of Christ Alive and relevant to the people of today. The Church Service was well attended with a sumptuous tea to follow. Pat Johnson

6 To the Olympics and Beyond To the country where it all began, The Games return again. The strong and fleet (with gold their aim) compete with wills to win. To the birthplace of democracy the nations make their way. They'll prove all ideologies give way to sport and play. In the city where Saint Paul once stood defending Christ as Lord, the cheering crowds will stand as well when winning goals are scored. In the scheme of things The Games we love (at best) are but mere games. We'll soon forget the record times and most contenders' names. Still and all there is a marathon that won't be run in Greece. It's not for silver, gold or bronze. It's not a ploy for peace. It's a race (by grace) you too can run. You've been qualified by One who finished first without a fall, then died when he was done. It requires strength to persevere. It's not a common race. But those who cross this finish line will greet God's smiling face. So run as if you're there in Greece. Maintain your pace and stride. Press on toward the goal you seek for which the Savior died. submitted by Saz Holland Items for the October / November 2012 issue of Pathway should be given to Jim Tudor by Sunday 23rd September 2012 Weekly Activities Sunday Tuesday am Morning Service and Junior Church (Communion celebrated 1 st Sunday in the month) 6.30 pm Evening Service 2nd & 4th Sundays Communion 2 nd Sunday in the month pm Oasis House Group (3 rd in month) Wednesday am Bible Study (1 st & 3 rd Wednesday) 2.00 pm Toddler Group Thursday am Ladies Open House (2 groups) (alternate weeks) 2.30 pm Men s Forum (alternate weeks) 2.30 pm Women s Network - at Methodist Church 6.30pm pm Open Church (2 nd & 4 th in month) 8.00 pm Music Group Friday Saturday 9.45 am am Prayer Group pm Pop-In Express (2nd in month) Monthly Church Meeting - contact Church Secretary for details. Twice-monthly Home Groups - see weekly news-sheet for details. Points of Contact Minister: Revd. Caroline Vodden Tel: minister@broadstoneurc.org Church Secretary: Mrs Pat Johnson secretary@broadstoneurc.org Organist: Mr Martin Casey music@broadstoneurc.org Treasurer: Mr Martin Sales treasurer@broadstoneurc.org Editor: Mr Jim Tudor pathway@broadstoneurc.org