CROSSGATES METHODIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016

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1 CROSSGATES METHODIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016 Minister : Reverend Susan Greenhart. Dear Friends Recently I have been reading a book by Baptist minister Steve Chalke called Being Human. I recommend it to anyone wanting to grow in the love of God and to see how God is in the transformation business! Chalke writes of the transformation of Beyers Naude, a former minister in the Dutch Reformed Church who was an ex-member of the Broederbond, a politically powerful exclusively male, white, secret society, which advocated apartheid. The group used the bible to vilify and enslave a whole nation (Ham theology). Anyone who disagreed with them was considered un-christian. Naude s change of heart came, when he witnessed the Sharpeville Massacre. 69 people protesting against apartheid were killed. Naude preached against this murderous regime. Immediately he and his family were ostracised from church and community. He was put under permanent house arrest; his passport was confiscated. When this banning order was finally lifted he continued to fight against apartheid. Nelson Mandela, said of him: His life was a shining beacon to all S. Africans both black and white. It demonstrates what it means to rise above race, to be a true S. African. I speak of this now because we are hearing soundbites that are reminiscent of the type of thinking that bullies people into responding in certain way. In or out of Europe? Where should my own vote land? But when I heard Brexiteer Johnson say that it was important to speak truth to power I felt alarmed, that Christians across the country would hear those words, and be persuaded by them. Truth to power was the title of a paper written by Quakers in 1955 to argue that love was more powerful than militarism. Their words, originating from a place of integrity and truth, were a call to peace and reconciliation, to live in the love of God. Johnson used the same words to manipulate people and subvert the truth - in the same way that Margaret Thatcher twisted the St. Francis Prayer for political aims, and in the same way that the Broederbond justified apartheid. Think of the words of Micah: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. When truth is speaking to power, justice is for everyone, not just those who can afford it; everyone is equal under the law. When truth has spoken to power, then slaves have become free; black and white; men women and children have been treated with the equal respect for their humanity - I use the past tense because there is still a long way to go to reach that equality. Truth is still trying to speak to power, and yet Truth is sometimes drowned out by imitators, or by those who would find justification for their beliefs, even their prejudices within the pages of the bible. Let us discern and be guided by the Spirit of Truth as we cast our votes this June. Blessings Susan

2 Services in June at 10.30am at Cross Gates Methodist Church 5 th Rev Susan Greenhart 12 th Mrs Janice Green 19 th Rev Susan Greenhart 6pm Circuit Service at Christ Church 26 th Mr Grenville Jensen Communion Services in June Tues 7 th 11.00am Tranquility Court MHA complex behind Church. All welcome Sun 19 th 10.30am Church Fri 24 th 10.00am Church Prayer Chapel Coffee Mornings in June Friday 3 rd Tranquility Court MHA complex behind Church Every Monday Church Coffee Morning in Church Hall Every Saturday Church Coffee Mornings in Coffee Lounge - Church Hall side Churches Together (East Leeds) The date of the next Churches together meeting has now been changed to 15th June. It will be held in the Wesley Room, Crossgates at 7.30pm. If anybody wishes to attend to see what this group does they can come along but will not be able to vote on any issues. Patricia Adams HELP WANTED IN THE CHURCH HALL Help Required 1-2 Hours on MONDAY MORNINGS between 9.30 and Making Tea and Coffee or Toasting Teacakes or Serving customers Hazel, our organiser, is recovering from an operation and we are short staffed for a while. If you can help please ring Sylvia East Leeds History & Archaeology Society Monday 27th June 8.00pm Methodist Church Hall Austhorpe Road Stephpanie Davies from Lotherton Hall will give an illustrated talk entitled Our Cousin Florence detailing Florence Nightingale's relationship with the Gascoigne family. Admission 2.00 including refreshments Church Notices Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their schooldays. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

3 Church Flowers We are very grateful to the following people who were kind enough to give money for flowers during May and to Judith Burt, Jane Macauley and Linda Calvert for their lovely arrangements. Also thanks go to the people who distribute the flowers after Church to those in need. 1 st The Holdstock family in memory of Dad 8 th Anne Martin in memory of Mam 15 th Joan and Trevor Chorley in loving memory of parents 22 nd Carol Smith in memory of Dad 29 th Marjorie Shippen in memory of Gerald If you wish to donate money for flowers there are still some dates available. Please see the list on the notice board near the vestry and have a word with Barbara Leeming. Use of Premises A note from the Stewards Would anyone who uses any of the Kitchen or Toilet facilities please ensure the taps are turned off before leaving. There has been an occasion when a hot water tap was left running overnight, which is wasteful and expensive. Thank you. The Hub Cancer Support Group The next meeting will be held in the Wesley Room on Monday 6 th June 11am 1pm Sessions are very informal and new visitors are always welcome. If you are a bit anxious about coming on your own why not bring a friend with you. Hazel Featherstone More Church Notices Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday. Appreciation To the Minister and Members of the Methodist Church Crossgates Dear Friends 43 years ago a group of people from the various local churches started a Club for people with Learning Disabilities. The Club met at the Methodist Church Hall and has continued to do so ever since. Now, unfortunately, our Club has been taken over by People in Action who have made us change the Club s venue with effect from 12 th May We cannot depart without sending you our heartfelt gratitude for your kindness in letting us use your premises for 43 years without charge. You should know also that our predecessors who worked for the Club in the earlier years all appreciated the help and support given to them by you and the present voluntary helpers all wish to offer you our most sincere thanks. Signed Paul Berry, Julie & Keith Bickerdike, Mary Booth, Helen Chorley, Carl Cooney, Pamela Furness, Anne Martin, Joan Skenfield.

4 Sound/Projection Team We are in need of people who can join the team working the hymnal/projection for morning worship. If you can help us please contact Christine Holdstock. Full training given. House Group Following on from the notice in last month s Newsletter, a meeting was held at the home of Kath Harwood and it was decided to meet initially at the home of Jim and Patricia Adams, 1 Tranqility Avenue, to discuss one of the York Course booklets called Can we build a better world? The first meeting will be held on Thursday 2 nd June at 10.30am led by Kath Harwood. All are welcome. Wednesday Group At our recent AGM in May there was a lot of discussion about the future of the group. Some felt they would rather not turn out on dark, cold nights. Finally a decision was made that we would meet during the lighter nights on a Wednesday evening, so our first meeting will start on Wednesday 13 th July at 7.30pm and go through until the end of October. If you have not been to Wednesday Group before it is open to men and women and you would be very welcome to join us. The Harwood Singers Sadly the Harwood Singers (formerly Leeds Over- 60s choir started in the 1940s) is disbanding after their final four concerts in June. On Wednesday June 15 th the choir will be singing at Christ Church, Halton at 2pm. Tickets, including afternoon tea, are 6. On Friday June 24 th the very last concert will be at Oxford Place Methodist (next to the Town Hall) at 2pm. Tickets 4. Lunches are available before the concert at Tickets for both concerts are available from Kath Harwood at church or by phone Congratulations to Jennifer Leeming Diving Coach for Scotland At the recent European Diving Championships in London Jennifer Leeming coached Grace Reid to a gold medal in the 3m mixed synchronised springboard event with Tom Daley. Grace also won a bronze medal in the 3m springboard event. This was the first individual European Championship medal won by a Scot for Great Britain for 62 years. Grace is now a leading contender for a place at the Rio Olympics.

5 Leeds Methodist Choir Summer Season Starts on Tuesday 7 th June with an exciting programme including Vivaldi s Gloria for concert on 17 th September/ Rehearsals every Tuesday at 7pm at Oxford Place. Contact Max Dudley tel for further information. From Bethlehem with Love Presented by the Christian Palestine dance troupe Baqoun Dance on Tuesday 21 st June at 2.30pm at St Chad s Headingley LS18 5JT and at 7.30pm at St George s Leeds LS1 3BR. Tickets 10 incl light Palestine-style supper, from Strawberry Tea and Songs of Praise At MHA;s Moor Allerton Care Centre, Cranmoor Close LS17 5PU on Sunday 12 th June at 4.00pm Tickets 1.50 from Ted Britton or just turn up on the day. Meeting Point Cafe seeks new volunteers Friday mornings - to serve customers, clear tables and wash up in the cafe Tuesday afternoons - to help with a friendship group for adults Tuesday afternoons in school holidays to help with Messy Church type events for children with their adults. If you think you might be able to help contact Pauline at the cafe or Deacon Sheila Methodist Women in Britain Leeds District Summer Festival Saturday 11 th June 2pm at Oxford Place Speaker: Anne Browse - Connexional MWIB President There will be afternoon tea catered by Oxford Place Cafe cost 3.50 Please ring Gillian Healy if you wish to stay for tea by Saturday 2 nd June Q: Who was the greatest male financier in the Bible? A: Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation. Q: Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible? A: Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet. Q. What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? A: It's Christmas, Eve! Table Top Sales - 4th June & 2nd July 9:30am to 12noon. If you would like a table to sell craft or your unwanted items, at a cost of 5 per table for church funds, please see Lynda in the Wesley Room on a Sunday morning or telephone If you have any unwanted items that you would like to donate to raise funds for church please contact Lynda. Music and Lunch We would like to thank Elizabeth and her helpers for the lovely lunches and the music that followed during the past few months. We are looking forward to more events next year.

6 Prayers Please don t forget to remember in your thoughts and prayers all those people in our prayer book and those we know who are unwell, in hospital, going for tests at Hospital, recently bereaved and who find this time of year particularly difficult. STANKS METHODIST CHURCH It is now 10 years since Stanks Church closed and many of its congregation were welcomed into fellowship at Crossgates. This seems a fitting time to pay our respects to the many Christians who, through decades, contributed to a sincere, active and happy worshipping community at Stanks.We are very grateful that Arthur Bantoft researched, and then wrote, a history of Stanks Chapel as a permanent reminder of its significance. In December 1860, a certificate was issued allowing Primitive Methodists to worship in Daniel Wilby s house In February 1869, the first chapel the one we remember as the schoolroom was opened by T. Jackson. In April 1882, the extension to the original building, which we have known as the main Church building, was opened. Some of you will know of the re-furbishing and extension which took place in That was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Mrs G A Stevenson on 5 th March 1960.Some people will remember worshipping at Stanks or joining in there on special occasions. Many of our local preachers, past and present have told of their happy memories of the Stanks Congregation and how they always felt welcomed and appreciated. Stanks congregation was blessed with caring Deaconesses. Sister Moyra, Sister Hazel, Sister Doris and Sister Mavis come to mind. Arthur Wilby made a tremendous contribution to the musical life of the Church. Others, too numerous to name, worked hard in roles such as Steward, Visitor and Sunday School and in Young Peoples Leadership. Michael Bennett deserves a mention for running the Church s business with very little help for many years. He and several others kept Stanks Church a significant part of the Circuit but as the Congregation was ageing and vandals were damaging the building causing a lot of expense, it seemed wise to close the Church. The final service was held on 28 th May Some of us still miss the warmth, fun and friendliness we knew there and we remember the faithful and conscientious Christians of the past who made Stanks Church such a lovely place in which to worship. Brenda Bosomworth.

7 Open Day Crag House Farm Saturday 11th June Otley Old Road, Cookridge, Leeds LS16 7NH Adults 5: Under 17 & Over 60 3: Under 3 free. Thanksgiving Service am Attractions open from 12 noon Lamb racing, Sheep shearing, Horse & Cart rides, Pets corner, Fire Engine, Steel Band, Granary Restaurant & Farm Shop See Notice board in corridor to Wesley Room for further details Secret of a Long Life Grandpa Jones was celebrating his 100th birthday and everybody complimented him on how athletic and well-preserved he appeared. "Gentlemen, I will tell you the secret of my success," he cackled. "I have been in the open air day after day for some 75 years now." The celebrants were impressed and asked how he managed to keep up his rigorous fitness regime. "Well, you see my wife and I were married 75 years ago. On our wedding night, we made a solemn pledge. Whenever we had a fight, the one who was proved wrong would go outside and take a walk." The prime minister held a meeting with the cabinet today. He also spoke to the bookcase and argued with the chest of drawers