Southwark News No 252 Autumn 2018

Transcription

1 Southwark News No 252

2 Pages Contents Front Cover: Summer of Hope 2018 Launch at Southwark Cathedral 3 Letter from Our President 5 St Andrew & St Mark s 125 th Birthday 6 Bringing Our Branch to Life 7 Anniversary Celebrations Fundraising 8 A Joyous celebration The Retreat Psalm 10 Fundraising Fashion Show at St Nicholas, Sutton 11 Afternoon Tea MU Cathedral Prayers 12 An MU Anniversary 13 MU General Meeting & Celebration Service Open House In the Footsteps of Jesus Christ Forthcoming Events Wed 7 Nov Meeting for Branch Leaders Trinity House am -1.00pm Meeting for Speakers Trinity House pm Thurs 6 Dec Advent Service am Kingston Parish Church, KT1 1JP 2019 Sat 16 March Festival Service am Southwark Cathedral Wed 27 March Diocesan Council - Trinity House Deadline for any articles for the Spring 2019 Southwark News is: Monday 4th March

3 Letter from Our President Dear Friends It is with mixed feelings that I write this final letter as Diocesan President. You may remember I was reluctant to take on this role. Today, I can honestly say that these past three years have been, in the main, a joyous adventure. There have been times of sadness and a few challenges along the way. My heart sings with praise and gratitude to our Father God, our friend Jesus and our enabler the Holy Spirit. Having taken on this role I have always seen myself as part of a team and what a great team we have. The sterling and caring work of our secretary Anne Love, our hard working, enthusiastic VPs, Trustees and Unit Committees have been second to none. Grateful thanks goes to our conscientious Treasurer and our loving Chaplain who is always available. Every branch leader and indeed every member is appreciated for who you are, for your prayers and what you do to support families. At the beginning of 2016 as we celebrated 140 years of Mothers Union I made it clear that during my term of office I would concentrate on Young Families as Mary Sumner did. We have brought in new Speakers who will be of interest to families. Just this week I was so encouraged to be invited to hear a talk on Cyber bullying. The MU branch had invited parents, grandparents and others who were interested from their community. Also invited were MU members from neighbouring churches. As many, who attended, were not members I was given the opportunity to say a few words about MU and how we support families around the world and one way we do this is to educate and have talks that are relevant to family life today. The Speaker used power point and it was interactive and we all learned something on this awful, sad subject. The warm welcome, coffee and home made cakes made for good fellowship. When we have meetings such as these we are showing our care and concern for families and that is so important. We continue to encourage branches to include some exercises from MULOA Mothers Union Listens, Observes and Acts. This year s theme has been In Mary Sumner s Footsteps and I hope you have been able to use the wonderful resources to inspire and energise you as you serve families. For those of you who are thinking about Southwark News 3

4 your programme for 2019 please come to our meeting Bringing our Branch to life in November details of which are in this Southwark News. We reach out with various projects throughout our Diocese which touches and enhances peoples lives. Whatever you are involved in you are truly valued. Our Diocesan Projects, Away From It All and have grown and we give thanks to Pat Fisher and Hilary Richardson for their dedication and hard work. Our new initiative English for Women by Women is still a work in progress and requires our prayers. We will produce a resource that will be available for all churches in the Diocese and we will fund the training of women to be facilitators. In the church I attend we have women who cannot speak English and I can t wait to get involved with this new initiative. As you know by now there are many changes to our Movement with the New Constitution, new arrangements for Families First and with this new triennial comes a new Worldwide President and in Southwark we would encourage you to sign up and buy Families First which is an informative read and useful to pass on. We are blessed to have Comfort Fearon who is our President Elect and others will be new VPs and Trustees for Before they take office we say goodbye to many supportive Trustees and dedicated VPs for Croydon, Ann Squirrell and Norma McKnight, and Ann Fernihough for Kingston (this position is still to be filled for 2019). Let us pray and give thanks for all of those who have served us and are now giving up their roles. Let us give thanks and ask Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit to equip and bless Comfort, those continuing to serve and all those taking up new positions. It has been a joy and privilege to serve as Diocesan President in this most exciting, diverse and colourful Diocese. Thank you for every invitation, for our worship together, for good food and fellowship, and for all the opportunities we have had to raise the profile of Mothers Union. As I write, we still have over three months to go until the end of the year and we still have much to do so we 4 Southwark News

5 had better get on with it!! So putting our trust in Jesus our Saviour, who unites us in His unconditional love and who equips us for His service, we go forward together. With my love Cynthia Smith St Andrew & St Mark s Mothers Union 125th Birthday What a very pleasant evening the St Andrew & St Mark s, Surbiton Mothers Union Branch had on Wednesday 20th June 2018 when we celebrated our 125th birthday. We were delighted to welcome Heather and Brian Elphick, visiting us from Somerset for the occasion. Heather was our Branch Leader from 1988 until the end of 1999 and was the main organiser of our centenary celebrations in Other guests present were Ann Fernihough, Wendy Moss, Martin Palmer, Marjorie and Philip Ransom. After the welcome cups of tea Audrey Eldridge, Branch Leader, read a congratulatory letter from Bev Jullien, Mothers Union Chief Executive. The Vicar, Robert Stanier a Mothers Union member, led an excellent informal service of thanksgiving. During the service Robert asked everyone to share memories of Mothers Union over the years. We covered a wide spread of time. We heard about our members doing the catering at Southwark Cathedral and Mary Sumner House. We also shared fond memories of former leaders of our branch who have died. Southwark News 5

6 After the service we continued our reminiscences while enjoying a celebration cake kindly donated by two of our members and delicious bring and share puddings and bubbly. Pictured (overleaf) with the cake are the present and three past branch leaders, Janice Price, Audrey Eldridge, Heather Elphick and Margaret Palmer. Many thanks to all who contributed in some way to leave us with such happy memories of this special occasion. We were all very pleased with the evening. Contributions from: Audrey Eldridge, Margaret Palmer and Joan Higgs-Smith Bringing our Branch to life Mothers Union does brilliant work to support family life both locally and around the world. But we are not always very good at telling our stories to encourage our own members let alone to attract others to share our vision and work with us. This is the time of year when many of us are thinking about our programmes and activities for How can we use our programmes most effectively to bring the MU to life - whether we have a pattern of regular monthly meetings, organise one or two special events a year, or anything in between! At the recent meeting of the Finance Unit, we discussed the theme for 2019 and shared some ideas about what has worked well in our own branches. We all felt so enthusiastic about it that we wanted to share this more widely. Branch and Deanery Leaders have been sent an invitation to a special meeting at Trinity House on Wednesday 7 November to share ideas about creating a relevant and exciting programme. We want to inform, encourage, support and attract people who share our concern for family life so that we can be more effective in transforming communities with practical action that makes the love of Jesus real. If you would be interested in coming along too, have a chat with your branch leader, or contact Anne Love in the diocesan office so that we know how many chairs and cakes we will need! Ann Wright 6 Southwark News

7 Anniversary Celebrations Mothers Union members enjoyed taking part in the 60th anniversary celebrations of St Francis Church, Horley on 14th July. This included flower arrangements, a board and table display for MU, providing and supervising the various games which appealed to young and old alike, providing the refreshments and stewarding. Two members also ensured there were a good supply of photos for the church album! Many talents coming together to support the event with three members at least taking time out to choose temporary tattoos! Penny Lochead Fundraising In September, the Mothers Union had a stall selling cakes in Southwark Cathedral. They raised 555 for Zimbabwe and the local Southwark News 7

8 A Joyous Celebration On Sunday 30 th September, St Giles with St Matthew, Camberwell, held a Thanksgiving Service to celebrate their branch s 12 years in Mothers Union. Branch leader, Theophilia Johnson, invited Diocesan President, Cynthia Smith, along to attend the celebrations. At this service seven new members were admitted to the Mothers Union. This joyous service was followed by a celebratory lunch. The Retreat Psalm The October retreat always takes place when the countryside around Wychcroft is ablaze with colour and fruitfulness. Those who have been on the retreat also know that the food at mealtimes is always wonderful! One year, Christopher Chapman, the then Southwark Spiritual Advisor, who was leading the retreat, challenged us to write a psalm of praise. At the end of our ecclesiastical Season of Creation, I share my effort with you. 8 Southwark News

9 1. O how great is the glory of God: as he gives us of his abundance. 2. He shows his care for his children in the generosity of his giving: the fruits of his love are on every side. 3. In his caring he delights in the beauty of his creation: the plenty which is around us everywhere. 4. The woodlands and fields are full of colour: the smells of the earth are awesome in their complexity. 5. The sounds around us delight our ears: the songs of the birds and the rustling of the leaves causes us to be open-mouthed in wonder. 6. O God, you have given us all our senses: we may experience your love in its infinite variety. 7. The Lord supplies our physical needs: he says, Come, eat and be nourished from my store. 8. As he gives us food to nourish our bodies: so he gives spiritual knowledge to those with open hearts. 9. We ask to abide in his love: that in our fulfilment we enable others to flourish. 10. Through his abundant love for us, he shows us how to love other people: loving all without judgement or counting the cost. 11. We are nourished through the generosity of God: O lord, we thank you that you love us as a caring parent, and teach us to reflect that love in our lives. 12. As we are enabled to flourish because of your abundant love: so may we show ourselves ever mindful of your unceasing generosity. Liz Pullen Southwark News 9

10 Fundraising Fashion Show at St Nicholas, Sutton On Friday, 29 June 2018, St Nicholas, Sutton, Mothers Union branch held a fashion show to raise money for Away From It All. The event was held in the Church, where the sun shone through the beautiful stained-glass windows. One hundred tickets were sold in advance, and everybody received a free drink on arrival. There was a raffle, including a prize of a discount voucher, kindly donated by Travelling Trends, who ran the show. Travelling Trends hosts fundraising fashion shows throughout the South of England, helping to raise thousands of pounds for charitable organisations. We had four lovely volunteer models from St Nicholas Emma, Hannah, Jean and Rebecca, plus two models from Travelling Trends. The clothes on show and for sale were all from well-known high street stores at vastly discounted prices. There were plenty of oohs and ahs as Elaine, our compere, told us about the clothes and their prices! After the show, our guests were able to browse not only the clothes they had seen modelled, but many, many more, to try them on and make their purchases. There certainly was something for everyone, no matter what age or size! Comments overheard included I want all of them, and I just can t decide which to buy. Everyone agreed that it was a very enjoyable and different kind of evening, and something we will certainly consider doing again. Southwark News 10

11 One of the models even asked, Can we, please, please do that again next year?! Overall, including the commission from sale of clothes, 625 was raised for Away From It All. Nicki Richards Afternoon Tea With the lovely summer weather we have had this year, in July, Holy Cross, Motspur Park held an Afternoon Tea, which was hosted in my garden. This was held in aid of the Summer of Hope Appeal. The total amount the afternoon raised for this worthy cause was 107. Sarah McAlister MU Cathedral Prayers Prayers are held on the 4th Wednesday of each month 11.45am-12.15pm in the Harvard Chapel, Southwark Cathedral. All are welcome. Led by 24 Oct - Croydon 28 Nov - Woolwich 23 Jan - Kingston 27 Feb - Reigate Please Note - there is no access for wheelchair users in the Harvard Chapel. If members who use wheelchairs want to attend Cathedral Prayers, the Cathedral has to be notified and the Retrochoir would be prepared for the service 11 Southwark News

12 An MU Anniversary The Mothers Union at St John the Baptist, Malden, celebrated its 110th anniversary on 28 June. As a separate entity this branch was founded in 1908 but its origins go back further. In January 1891 Mary Sumner spoke to a gathering at the home of Charles Gould, an active supporter of St John s. That resulted by the April in a Malden and Worcester Park MU, centred on this church. The vicar, Revd Kevin Scott, conducted the special service, attended by Diocesan President, Cynthia Smith, and Secretary, Anne Love, and friends from other branches. Thirty were present. The service included happy memories of past activities and reflection on the various ways MU members continue to serve at St John s. The branch leader, Pauline Armour, presented a gift to Kevin, who was about to retire, in gratitude for his strong support for Mothers Union at St John s and beyond as former Diocesan MU Chaplain. Retiring offerings at this service and on the previous Sunday were for Summer of Hope Appeal. Some of the local members and guests at the MU anniversary service: Pauline Armour (front left) and three others appearing here have led the St John s MU over much of the past two decades. 12 Faith Bowers Southwark News

13 MU General Meeting & Celebration Service 2018 This year the meeting and service were held in Swansea. Two services were held on Monday, 17th September at St Mary s Church in Swansea at 3pm and 6pm. This church has amazing stained glass windows. We attended the 6pm service. There were 600 people at each service from around the world as well as local dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of Swansea, the Bishop of St David s, the Worldwide President and Chief Executive of the Mothers Union and the Mothers Union Central Chaplain. The Archbishop of Wales officiated at the first service. On Tuesday, 18 September we attended the General Meeting at Brangwyn Hall which is in the Guildhall complex, a magnificent hall with decorative panels around the walls. These panels were given to the new Swansea Guildhall in The Worldwide President will step down at the end of this calendar year and the Mothers Union Central Chaplain will be stepping down in April The keynote speaker, the Revd Rachel Carnegie spoke about Faith, Hope and Love. The theme for 2019 will be to Listen, Observe and Act - in Step with God. The Mothers Union will contribute to two consultations one on domestic abuse and one on Family and Sex Education and further details will be made available on the website. At the Choral Concert on Tuesday evening at St Mary s Church, there were two choirs: the Morriston RFC male choir with their rich baritone voices and the Parti Llwchwr ladies choir plus Iona Jones, a soprano soloist, and a young violinist. Next year, the General Meeting and service will be held in Portsmouth on the 16th and 17th September. Maureen Wathen Southwark News 13

14 Open House On Thursday afternoon, 9th August, Mary Sumner House in London, was open to MU members and their friends. There was the opportunity to meet the MU Worldwide President, Lynne Tembey and the MU Chief Executive, Bev Jullien along with the Central Chaplain and staff who work there. After lunch there was time to visit the pop up shop for cards and gifts, also, to say a quiet prayer in the chapel. Later many of us went to Westminster Abbey for Evensong as Mary Sumner was being remembered in the service. In the Footsteps of Jesus Christ As we approach the end of another triennial I cannot help but reflect on Jesus's ministry on earth - a big story; sometimes intriguing, other times puzzling. Hoping to have more insight I joined the Southwark diocese group of pilgrims to the Holy Land in February, led by the Bishop of Southwark, accompanied by the Dean. Also in the group was the Bishop of Woolwich. We flew out from Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv and transferred by coach to the Golden Walls hotel in Jerusalem for four nights. We started with the Mount of Olives which has a spectacular view of the Kidron Valley, the Golden Gate, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of The Holy Sepulchre. Amongst the many plaques of The Lord's Prayer in uncountable world languages on the Mount, were three plaques in Nigerian languages - Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. I was really thrilled because Yoruba is my first language. There were many Churches around including The Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. We visited the birthplace of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karem, and Abu Gosh (one of the possible sites of Emmaus). 14 Southwark News

15 We visited St. Anne's Church beside the Pool of Bethesda, prayed as we walked the Via Dolorosa in the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We saw The Upper Room and the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion, and walked to the Western Wall. In Bethlehem we visited the Fields of the Shepherds, the Manger Square, the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity, as well as St. Jerome's Caves. Leaving Jerusalem we drove north through the West Bank, stopped in Nablus where we drank at Jacob's Well, and continued to Tiberias, Ron Beach hotel by the Sea of Galilee. We saw the Mount of the Beatitudes, visited the Church of the Sermon on the Mount; went to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes; then to Mensa Christi, where Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection; went to Capernaum; and then to Caesarea Philippi where we renewed our Baptismal Vows. We went to Nazareth and visited the Basilica of the Annunciation; joined the local congregation of the Anglican Christ Church in Nazareth for Eucharist; and visited the Church of the Transfiguration on the summit of Mount Tabor. On our final morning we sailed on the Sea of Galilee from our hotel to the other side of the lake as we sang, Be Still for the Presence of The Lord, The Holy One is Here. And thanks to the ministers who looked after us. It was comforting to discover that under those ecclesiastical blings were humble, kind and warm hearted people. I must also mention: the Dean, Canon Andrew Nunn - never a dull moment when he was around, and as he took us through each programme; the Bishop of Woolwich, Dr Karowei Dorgu, who was always looking out for everyone; and lastly the Bishop of Southwark, who made sure that everyone benefitted from the trip. Prayer: May The Lord strengthen us as we imitate Jesus' humility when we seek to serve our Heavenly Father by serving others. Victoria Adejobi Southwark News 15