PATCHES AND ZENAIDA: LATEST AND BEST NEWS. Their institution in St Mary Ferndown took place on Sunday,18 th October

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1 Issue No: 260 THE MESSENGER The Monthly Newsletter of St Michael s, Plas Newton, Chester 50p November 2015 PATCHES AND ZENAIDA: LATEST AND BEST NEWS Their institution in St Mary Ferndown took place on Sunday,18 th October We are so pleased to report that an unfortunate saga has now ended well. As many people in St Michael s will know, a technical legal hitch was found in the advertising process for the post of Team Vicar at St Mary s, Ferndown resulting in the Home Office s Visas and Immigration service declining to issue a Work Permit to Patches. time for any further applicants with UK or EU passports to apply. After due process, Patches has been appointed (again) to the post. There was little time lost by the parish in re-arranging the Institution for 6.00pm on Sunday 18 th October. The diocese of Salisbury had no option but to cancel the Institution, due to be held on 1 st September. The post was re-advertised to comply with a 28 day rule and allow adequate Representation by St Michael s folk was somewhat depleted as the service was on the very day of our Jubilee Sunday celebrations. Clive and Lucy Jones, Phil and Agneta Roberts and Trevor and Di Park did manage to be present to offer our support and prayers, and were able to share in fellowship with the good people of St Mary, Ferndown. In addition the evening congregation in Newton were able to view part of the licensing via Skype and Rob spoke to the congregation in Ferndown, sending greetings from all at St Michael s. Jubilee Weekend The magazine deadline came before this weekend, and therefore we will carry a fuller report with pictures (and much else) in next month s Messenger.

2 Dear Friends THE VICAR WRITES As some of you may know, I am a Liverpool supporter. For Liverpool fans the last few weeks have been turbulent. Considerable unrest about the perceived lack of progress the team is making against the wages paid to the players, and the millions spent on fresh talent, led to Brendan Rogers, the manager, being sacked on 4 October. His replacement, Jurgen Klopp, has aroused a great deal of interest. Is this a new dawn? Will he be the promised one, who brings the old glories back to Anfield? (I am old enough to remember those old glories. My first season ticket was , when Liverpool won the old First Division for the first time since coming out of the old Second Division. The following 35 years were amazing and Man Utd still haven t won five European Cups!). Longing and hope have formed part of human nature since time began. They matter to us and without them life is very difficult. Sometimes hope and longing are simple and straightforward. I hope it will be nice weather on my birthday, or I would love to be able to buy a more reliable car. Sometimes hope and longing are shrouded in uncertainty. I wonder if Jurgen Klopp is the man..? Frequently, hope and longing are critically important. Is there hope for the future? Is it likely that my longing for a better world, or heaven itself, is likely to be realised? How will I know? How can I be sure? With Jurgen Klopp, the proof will be in what happens next. But what about our hopes and longings as Christians? Machaerus (near the Dead Sea it was burning hot, and the cells extremely confined) for speaking out against the behaviour of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. In those circumstances, and perhaps thinking that Jesus was a very different sort of Messiah to the one he expected, his mind worked overtime. John sends his disciples to ask Jesus a blunt question because his hopes and longings were being challenged. Jesus responds (read Matthew 11 v1-11) by bidding John s disciples to go and tell John what they see and hear. God himself attests to the authenticity of Jesus by fulfilling his word in the scriptures and in the display of miracles. In other words, look at the way the scriptures are being fulfilled! Look at the miracles! The kingdom of God is breaking in. This month sees the start of Advent. It is the season of longing and hope as we look for the coming of Jesus the Saviour of the World. In him, Christians find their hope and longing. But how firm is that hope and longing? How confident are we in Jesus? And on what basis do we have that confidence? It s an important question for all of us to consider. This Advent gives us the opportunity to be challenged about our faith so that we can explain it to inquirers, sustain it in a sceptical world, and put it to work hard in our fellowship, evangelism and forms of service we engage in day in and day out. I hope Jurgen Klopp does well. But at the end of the day, whether he does or not will not matter in the grand scheme of things. I know Bill Shankly said Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that. But Bill Shankly was wrong. Football can never decide our eternal future. But there is one who can. And he calls us to trust him, follow him and serve him. Look for the evidence and you will find hope and longing grounded in foundations that are solid, strong and secure for eternity. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? (Matthew 11 v2). John had been imprisoned in the fortress of Finally, I commend to you the Collect appointed for Advent. It can be found in Common Worship and on the Church of England website. Worth praying every day! Rob

3 MY LIFE AND MY FAITH Olive Frost s life with the Lord so far! When asked to write a short account of my life of faith where do I start and what do I include? My happy chilhood in a rural Welsh village, where there were few utiliities, was a good preparation for a future where loss of gas and electricity were not uncommon. I had already learnt to live by candlelight or a paraffin lamp, to cook on an open fire with its associated efficient oven and to carry water by hand! My experience of being an only child in the family, of being more academic than most members of the family and of becoming a Christian at the age of 14 (something which was difficult for most around me to understand) probably made me even more independent and self sufficient than I would otherwise have been. My new experience of Jesus was accompanied by a very definite call or desire to work internationally and my already present conviction of wanting to study medicine fitted in with this. So I persevered to achieve this aim, firstly to qualify as a doctor and then to specialise in Women s Health. By now my mother was a widow and it was not an easy experience to take up a post in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe in In 1970 she developed cancer and died in Having come home to care for her I returned to Zimbabwe in late There were more surprises in store. In 1973 a Welshman born in Llanelli but working in Australia at the time came to work in Zimbabwe for a year. He had given up praying for a Welsh wife as none had come his way. But now, even though he was much older than I, it seemed that a marriage had been arranged for us in heaven and this was voiced in South Wales on the second anniversary of my mother s death. Harry was brought up on the mission field in North India. There followed a wedding in Wales in 1974, the birth of two sons in 1975 and 1978, a move to Ethopia in 1979 and a return to Wales in So we learnt something of the cultural and other adaptations needed on the return to the land which was once home but now with a family as well. Cardiff was our first home and we moved to North Wales in 1986 to enable my working in Liverpool and the family s upbringing in Wales. There were more changes ahead. My husband died in 1996 by which time our elder son was already a student in Oxford and after some time on a year out in Morocco my younger son also left, as a student, to Warwick University. So I was left with my delightful cat and dog who were wonderful companions, the cat until But now in one sense I was free of family responsibiities and the call to return overseas became very strong (had always been there) but this time there was clear leading to go to Central Asia, an area until then relatively unkown to me. But that is another story!

4 FANE CONANT VISITS St MICHAEL S On the evening of Sunday 11 th October Fane Conant was our preacher at the BCP service Fane began with Joshua 6:2: Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands... Joshua had to fight, but God had his hand on the outcome even when disaster came. After his time as Vicar at Kelsall, Fane moved to a parish in Bucks and at the same time held a job in charge of mission for the diocese. But it proved to be an awful five years for Fane and his wife, to the extent that it was health-damaging to them. Yet God humbled and taught him, because he realised that God knew what he was doing. Have no fear, said Fane. In Matthew 11:20-30, Jesus spoke challengingly about unrepentant cities, relating it to his hearers at the time. But Jesus moved on to speak of how his presence brings answers. Do we have guilty feelings? Does sin undermine our faith? How do we feel about ourselves when we do wrong? Jesus wants us to stop evaluating ourselves, and instead to remember his grace. Grace has nothing to do with our performance. We all sin. Gerard Kelly writing in his book The Prodigal Evangelical: On the Cross is our righteousness given: it is by grace through faith. Outside of grace, we face judgement. Jesus offers rest for our souls (11:29). The yoke of the Law was impossible to keep: indeed it became (and still is) a burden. But Jesus s yoke is easy and his burden is actually light, relying on salvation. As James wrote in his letter (2:18), my faith is alive, shown by my works. Interview with Fane Fane spent several years in the s as a curate at All Saints, and was an occasional preacher in St Michael s. Since those years he has been Vicar of Kelsall, and of a parish in Bucks, and then for the last 10 years has been based in Church Stretton working for the Luis Palau evangelistic organization in Europe. The following week he was due to travel to Moldova, speaking 12 times in restaurants to different groups. In his young adult life he worked for ten years in advertising with the Sunday Times, prior to his call to ordination. St MICHAEL S GARDEN TIDY-UP DAY

5 Wallace spoke from Acts 20 about Paul s farewell to the Ephesian elders. He drew out many highly relevant insights to leadership in the church today, and its sheer importance. Jonathan Edwards once said Revive the minister to revive the church. John Stott once advised Wallace, In my travels I find many discouraged leaders: therefore go and encourage the troops. David Watson, I passionately believe in every-member ministry: I passionately disbelieve in every-member leadership. Wallace himself said, The church is not a business, nor the PCC a boardroom. Church is a family. Acts 20 recounts Paul s last conversation in Ephesus, and last conversations are often special. Paul spoke from his heart, and we can detect his leadership heart-beat here. He spoke of * how he lived: v18 you know how I lived, v34 these hands of mine have supplied needs. * his ambition: v24 to finish the race and complete the task Jesus has given me. * his foundation: v32 the word of God s grace can build you up. ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP Bishop Wallace Benn spoke at Chester Bible Focus in early October * his servanthood: v19 with great humility and tears, even though severely tested. * his readiness to give: v20 not hesitated to preach and teach publicly from house to house. * his willingness to suffer: v23 that prison and hardships are facing me. * his watchfulness: v28-keep watch over yourselves and the flock whom you oversee. * his constancy in prayer: v36 - he knelt down and prayed with them all. Wallace ended the first session with some advice of his own to church leaders. Take a sabbatical, and spend a good part of it at the foot of the cross. Watch yourself. And watch your family too. A shepherd leader can never lead beyond where he has been himself. Our world wants to see reality: not just words. St MICHAEL S HARVEST GIFTS GO TO SAVE THE FAMILY AT WAVERTON

6 WELCOME BACK TO IRIS HO It is very good to welcome Iris Ho back from Central Asia. She will be based in Chester until the New Year. We have arranged an informal evening at 7.30pm on Wed 11 th November (Hall) with Iris and John McLernon (from People International) to hear from Iris about how things are going, and how things are looking for the future. There will be light refreshments, and time for us to pray for Iris. Iris has not been in Chester for over 3 years so it will be great to see her and have this opportunity to chat together with her. As we have invested a considerable amount of prayer, interest and finance in Iris s ministry in Central Asia, it would be wonderful to see this meeting well supported. FAREWELL TO THE BURT FAMILY St Michael s said goodbye to the Burt family on Sunday 4 th October. They have moved to Beaumaris, Anglesey. Susan and Tony have been in St Michael s for many years, and their two daughters Katherine and Joanna have grown up here. We wish them God s richest blessing as they settle into their new neighbourhood. In particular, we will miss Susan s contribution to the musical worship of St Michael s. DEE LOCAL RADIO VISIT PRESCHOOL In mid-october, our local radio station called in on Pre-School and gave a moment of unexpected delight to both the children and the staff. Quite what a tiger has got to do with matters is beyond our best guess. At least they all got a lift, the children had some unexpected snacks and we all got a photo to prove it. TOYS FROM YESTERYEAR The Senior Residents enjoyed a presentation in early October from Sue Rees in which she produced the toys of her childhood, and even older ones too. Games like PIT, Monopoly and her pièce de résistance, a real shove-ha penny board!

7 ST MICHAEL S NEWS Two Meetings for Prayer in November We meet as usual for our Prayer at the Café on Wednesday, 4 November at 8pm. Following a number of joint meetings for prayer with Kingsway Chapel over the summer, Rob has met with Geoff Thompson, the pastor at Kinsgway, to follow up a suggestion that we meet a few times a year to pray TOGETHER as the local churches. It seems a good idea to meet before major events (such as Christmas, Easter and the start of the autumn programmes), so there will be an opportunity for St. Michael s to pray with Kingsway on Tuesday, 24 November, to pray specifically for our Christmas outreach and events, as well as other pressing matters locally and nationally. This meeting will be at Kingsway Chapel and everyone is warmly invited. Bible Study Evening, 6.30pm Sunday, 22 November Following a short series of Bible Studies on Sunday evenings in August, there will be a Bible Study Evening in Psalm 8 on 22 November. This will give us the opportunity to unpack a passage of scripture in more detail, with as much or as little congregational participation as the congregation wants! Interspersed with singing, we will finish by 7.40pm. Psalm 8 will help us to see more of the God in whom we can have confidence (see my letter) and delight in his majesty and be so taken up with it that we can do nothing other than adore him! Why not read the Psalm before you come? It is not long. Everyone welcome. Christmas Events! Christmas is not far away and we will be delivering Christmas Cards to every home in the Parish. Cards will be available in Church from Advent Sunday, 29 November. Please help us to offer this simple invitation to EVERYONE in the parish. There will be an opportunity to purchase REAL ADVENT CALENDARS in Church in the next few weeks. Details in the weekly notice sheet. We will be Carol Singing around the parish nearer Christmas, and leading Carol Singing at the lighting of the Kingsway Shops Lights on Saturday, 5 December at 4pm. Details of Christmas Services can be found in the Autumn Programme Card and in the Church Christmas Cards. PreSchool Manager vacancy: re-advertisement A qualified and enthusiastic person is needed to manage our Pre-School as Ali Jones moves on at the year end. We are looking for someone with qualifications and experience of working with children in an early-age setting. They must have had at least some supervisory experience as well as an active Christian faith. Application forms are available from Jackie Hockley in the Church Office (tel ). The closing date for applications is now 6 th November. Clergy duty Rob will be off duty until 4 November. PCC Report The minutes of the last meeting are on the hall noticeboard. From the Registers Baptisms Mollie Cossins of Shepherds Lane, baptised 4 October. We welcome this young one in the name of Christ.

8 Sun (1) ALL SAINTS DAY 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am 6.30pm Morning Service - John Allan Evening Service - Martin Jones Wed (4) 8.00pm Prayer (Café) Thu (5) 8.00am Link Up Leaders Sun (8) Breakfast REMEMBRANCE DAY 10.00am Remembrance 6.30pm Service - Rachel Bathurst Holy Communion - Christine Blackmore Mon (9) 7.30pm Ministry Team Meeting Wed (11) 7.30pm Meet with Iris Ho and Thu (12) 7.30pm Sun (15) John McLernon (Church Centre) World Mission Committee 2 before ADVENT 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Morning Service with baptism of Annabelle 6.30pm Edmunds - Alan Lowe Café Service - Andy Benson & Andy McConville Mon (16) 7.30pm Deanery Synod Meeting Tue (17) 7.30pm Finance Committee Thu (19) 9.30am Vicar and Wardens Meeting Sun (22) DIARY DATES NOVEMBER Please note that because of Remembrance Sunday, the morning Holy Communion will be on 22 November and the evening Holy Communion will be on 8 November. 2.15pm Café Committee CHRIST THE KING 10.00am Holy Communion - Julie Ellison 6.30pm Bible Study evening - Rob Peters Tue (24) 11.00am Standing Committee 7.30pm JOINT PRAYER MEETING with Kingsway Chapel (at the Chapel) Sat (28) 8.00am PCC Prayer Breakfast Sun (29) Mon (30) ADVENT SUNDAY 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Morning Service - Christine Blackmore 6.30pm Evening Service - Alison Linfield 7.30pm PCC Meeting (Café) FOR YOUR INFORMATION... VICAR: Rev Canon Rob Peters St Michael s Vicarage 22 Plas Newton Lane Newton, Chester, CH2 1PA rob.peters@tiscali.co.uk YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATOR: Andy McConville WARDENS: Judith Green Liz Jones DEPUTY WARDENS: Graham Cooper Estelle Byrne PCC SECRETARY: Alison Pantony TREASURER: Mary Webster HALL BOOKINGS: Mary Webster CHURCH MAGAZINE: David Blackmore CHURCH OFFICE: BOOK KEEPER: Fiona Prichard (Mon & Tues) finance.stmichaels@gmail.com CHURCH SECRETARY: Jackie Hockley (Thurs & Fri) office@stmichaelschester.com Open for enquiries: Mon & Tues 9.30am 3.00pm Thur & Fri 10.00am 5.30pm WEBSITE: w w w.stmichaelschester.com