Southwark News No 240 Autumn 2014

Transcription

1 Southwark News No 240

2 Contents Front Cover: MU members who took part in the Great Lewisham walk - read more on p. 8 Pages 3 Letter from Our President 4 Theme for Wedding Belles 6 Happy Birthday to the Church 7 Cathedral Prayers, Size Matters, Advent Service 8 United in Prayer and Much Else Besides 10 MU Does Fathers Day 11 Garden Birthday Tea 12 More Clergy MU Members? O What a Night! Days of Activism 14 Memories Back Cover: Diocesan Details Forthcoming Events Sat 11th Oct Diocesan Council, St Mark s, Reigate 11am - 3pm 14th-16th Oct MU Diocesan Retreat Sat 18th Oct Richmond Park Run Sat 18th Oct The Wonder and the Chaos - Spirituality for parents amidst small children, 10am-1pm, Holy Trinity, S, Wimbledon Wed 3rd Dec Advent Service, 2.30pm, All Saints, West Dulwich, Bishop of Kingston 2015 will be preaching Wed 18th Mar Diocesan Council, 11am - 3pm, Trinity House Sat 18th Apr Festival Eucharist, 12 noon, Southwark Cathedral

3 Letter from our President Dear Friends Some of your churches, like ours, are now in the Season of Creation, when we think deeply about all God s creation. We celebrate the wonder of the world and reflect on our responsibilities towards it: we consider the kind of message we want to get across about our worship, education and outreach to a world facing significant environmental challenges. We in Mothers Union are always outward-looking and consider the sustainability of God s creation and the needs of families both locally and around the world. You will read in this issue about several fundraising events that have taken place which, in each case, not only raise awareness of the MU, but also bring to the fore the needs of others. Some of the projects benefit people in the UK and others are for those living abroad, but all demonstrate that faith-in-action approach of our wonderful organisation. Our theme for next year follows that of Central Mothers Union. United in Prayer seems so appropriate in a year when each diocese has new world links. The Wave of Prayer links us with fellow members throughout the world and, with the new system, there will not just be two-way prayer, but a cobweb of prayer throughout the world is also the last year of the present triennium when we reflect prayerfully on what has been achieved and now think about the leadership at all levels within our organisation. We will be voting for the new Southwark Trustee Board at the AGM in July and I ask that you pray for all members in their work for Him, and in particular ask God to raise up new leaders within Southwark to carry on the responsibilities of those who need to step down. Some of you were able to take a break from everyday life over the summer, and I was no exception. Anthony and I were fortunate enough to go to Switzerland: to walk in the mountains and experience the great beauty and peace of God s wonderful creation. At the summit of most mountains there is a cross, and sometimes a small plaque reminding walkers that the Earth is the Southwark News 3

4 Lord s and exhorting everything that has breath, praise the Lord. This reminds us again and again of God s never-ending love for us, and that we must praise Him for His love and generosity towards us. The small wooden cross given me at my Commissioning always remains with me. It reminds me that I am a very small cog in a very big wheel, but I am nevertheless part of God s creation and belong to Him. Like all MU members, I have promised to obey His word and to follow Him. Let us see what we can do together to reverse the injustice which has come to His creation. With my love, prayers and every good wish to you all. Theme for 2015 Liz United in Prayer is the Central Mothers Union theme for 2015 and your Trustees have agreed that Southwark too should adopt this theme. As we always say, the Mothers Union is rooted in prayer, so after a number of years where there has been an emphasis on other aspects of MU, it was thought that the theme of Prayer was timely. It is particularly appropriate in a year when the future leadership of the diocese is being considered and the Wave of Prayer is changing. Resources on the theme will be available on the Mothers Union website: but there will also be local speakers on the theme. Please refer to the Southwark Speakers List for details. Remember too that the diocese will pay the travel of up to two Southwark Speakers invited to your branch, and that there is never a branch too small for any of them! 4 Southwark News

5 Wedding Belles Rosemary Clarke, the daughter of Janice Clarke, Sutton Deanery and St Barnabas, Sutton Branch Leader, married Rory Walsh on Saturday 28th June 2014 in St Barnabas Church, Sutton. The service was attended by over 200 people, including Mothers' Union members. Members came from the local branch as well as from St Nicolas, Sutton, St Oswald's, Cheam and St Francis, West Wickham branches and from St Mary the Virgin, Hayes branch in the Rochester Diocese. Rosemary's older sister, Elizabeth, is also a member of her local branch at Beeston in the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham. The St Barnabas members decorated the windows of the church with small floral arrangements which included Mothers' Union Southwark Diocesan candles and also made cakes as refreshments for all the congregation who attended. Janice Clarke Southwark News 5

6 Happy Birthday to the Church! At 11 am on 12 June, Christ Church Purley MU branch hosted a Communion Service to celebrate the birth of the Church at Pentecost. The service was open to everyone and attended by people of all ages, including 2 young Mums with their babies! The celebrations continued afterwards, as a birthday cake made by Kate Buckley was shared with customers at the Christ Church coffee shop, giving MU members opportunities to talk about the meaning of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Later the Christ Church MU PLUS Group held its monthly meeting over lunch (and more cake!). MU PLUS (Mothers Union Prayer Lunch Update and Social) led by Cynthia Smith, meets once a month over lunch for prayer, fellowship and discussion of news from Mothers Union, and is particularly popular with older MU members who find evening meetings difficult to attend. 6 Southwark News

7 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 22 Oct Woolwich 26 Nov Kingston No MU Cathedral Prayers in December Jan Reigate 25 Feb Croydon 25 Mar Woolwich What Size Southwark News? An error last month led to smaller copies of the News being printed, but this issue we are back to our normal size. There were differing opinions on the sizes, though. What does your branch think? Is the smaller size better or worse? If you have strong feelings one way or the other, please contact Anne Love with your thoughts. Editor An important date for your diaries... THE SOUTHWARK MOTHERS UNION ADVENT SERVICE WEDNESDAY 3 RD DECEMBER 2014 AT 2.30PM AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH, WEST DULWICH ADDRESS: THE BISHOP OF KINGSTON EVERYONE WELCOME: MEMBERS AND NON- MEMBERS ALIKE Do come and make it the special time of worship as it was last year! Southwark News 7

8 United in Prayer and Much Else Besides When, as Deanery Leader, I had the idea to walk from branch to branch round the MU Deanery of Lewisham, I had several objectives in mind. As our organisation is founded on prayer, I wanted to honour that by praying in all the churches with the members who worship there, and giving other members an insight into the variety of traditions that exist within our borough. I wanted to draw members of the branches closer to one another, by spending time together in a social environment, while working towards a common goal. Finally, I wanted to raise funds to support our Literacy and Financial Education Programme in Africa. I am happy to report that I have succeeded on every level! During the course of Saturday September 6th, nearly 100 people took part in the Lewisham Walk, some on foot and others on public transport, most wearing their blue MU tee-shirts. We were joined by some members from other deaneries, other areas and even another diocese. For the first three hours we were honoured to have the company of Bishop Michael and lucky that on this occasion he didn't bring the rain with him! For the second part of the journey we were accompanied by the Ven. Alastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham. At every church we visited (13 in all) we were welcomed enthusiastically. The branch leaders or their priests prayed for the parish and local community, while I prayed for LFEP and shared some of the moving stories from participants. After a group photo we set off for the next branch. While walking, members renewed friendships with people from other parts of the deanery, made new friends or enjoyed a moment of solitude. There was laughter and sharing, healing and joy. I witnessed some miracles along the way. Dominating the walk was the sense that our Lord was there, walking beside us. The hours flew by as we moved through Lewisham and, only ten minutes late, 8 Southwark News

9 we arrived at our final destination and afternoon tea! Over twelve miles covered in seven-and-a-half hours, and we were all still smiling. And, oh yes...the fundraising. The generosity of MU members and their friends is amazing. I haven't yet collected in all the money from the branches, but I already know that it will be something special; something that will really help to change the lives of women and families in Malawi, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and DR Congo. As soon as I have the total figure I'll let you know. As I look back on the day I feel totally overwhelmed by the response of members. The numbers who got involved far exceeded my expectations. We had walkers aged from 4 years to 84, people joining for one leg of the route and staying until the end; members who had worked hard to make welcoming displays and banners, and those who provided us with food and drink along the way. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends; their love and support is amazing. I have got the best job in the Mothers' Union; I feel privileged to be the Lewisham Deanery Leader. Thank you all. Sue Steel, Lewisham Deanery Leader 9 Southwark News

10 MU Does Fathers Day For the last few years, we have successfully held annual exhibitions/displays that have attracted mainly women. This year, we decided to do something more aimed at the male population. We are very fortunate in our church in having a very enthusiastic model railway expert, Paul Gumbrell, and he very willingly and generously gave of his time and talents to help make this exhibition happen. After a great deal of planning, advertising and preparations, our MU Fathers Day Special Model Railway Exhibition finally took place on Saturday 14th June. The church hall and most of the church were filled with highly intricate and varied model railway layouts, that attracted the boys - young and old, and those still young-at-heart - and impressed, but perhaps less attracted, the girls and women. Nevertheless, it was a very pleasant day. One of the exhibitors remarked that he had really enjoyed the day and that there was a lovely friendly atmosphere. Many young families came and excited children were stood on chairs to watch the trains go round the tracks. For those who are into the hobby, there was also the opportunity to purchase useful model railway items to add to their stock. When exhausted by looking at the trains, there was tea/coffee or squash to refresh you, with a wonderful array of cakes to go with it. We had over 100 paying adults through the door, as well as many children for free. We had visitors from far and wide including Southwark News 10

11 members from another MU branch at St Andrews, Earlsfield. Our total raised for the Wheels Appeal was 550. Mary Harrison, Branch Leader, Holy Cross MU Garden Birthday Tea and on the subject of raising funds for the Wheels Appeal, Margaret Fox of Tadworth celebrated her birthday with friends, family and MU members from several branches. The age range was 9 months to 96 years! As well as a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, through a bring & buy stall, raffle and donations, they raised 350 for the fund which will go some little way towards helping some of those who desperately need this support. 11 Southwark News

12 More Clergy MU Members? On Saturday, July 5th, our Assistant Curate, Rev'd Sandra Schloss was ordained priest at Croydon Minster. Sandra is an active member of St Mildred's Church Addiscombe MU. The following morning she celebrated her first service of Holy Communion. We now have 2 assistant priests who are MU members - we're working on the vicar! Margaret Simmons - St Mildred's Church Addiscombe O What a Night! On Saturday 6th September, our 10 month old MU branch did its first fundraising event. It was a truly International Evening with people of very many nationalities. Everybody mixed, laughed and danced together. We had a great disco and all the magnificent food was provided free of charge by MU members (see photo on opposite page). The rum punch was fantastic, just sorry I couldn't have more than one as I was the driver. Anyway the icing on the cake was that we raised 933. 'O what a night'. Pauline Barrell, Branch Leader Mitcham Parish Church 12 Southwark News

13 16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence Did you know... - that forced marriage is now a criminal offence? - that the definition of child cruelty now includes emotional neglect? - that 137,000 with female genital mutilation live in the UK? - that domestic abuse accounts for 14% of all violent crime? This is how to raise awareness of these statistics in our communities! The 16 Days of Activism run between 25th November and 10th December, and it is hoped that like last year, churches and branches will be able to take part. Mothers Union has produced a resource pack full of ideas and resources for participants to tailor their involvement to their own community, time and passions. With ideas on how to hold a vigil, speak at your church or branch, or contact your political representative, there will be something in which everyone can be involved. There are also leaflets in the pack which can be used by those who are experiencing domestic Southwark News 13

14 violence, or know somebody else who is. You can download the resource pack from Mothers Union s website, from early September, at or please contact the Faith & Policy team on Memories We all have a fund of memories from our early age. Some people can remember things from babyhood! Not me. My earliest memory is of walking to school when I was about 5. Rather a long time ago. This year is the centenary of the start of WW1. Naturally we have no memories of that time, but people have been learning of life in 1914 to 1918 and discovering information about their families which has been hidden for many years. It has been so interesting to hear about the bravery of everyone during the war - especially the armed forces. Many soldiers kept quiet about all they endured. Many of us remember happenings of WW2. In fact, older members were involved in the war effort, so they must have many memories - sad and happy. If we were too young to be involved in the actual war, we went to school during those years. It must have been difficult to carry on with everyday life - especially in London and the big cities. There was bombing, evacuation of children and food rationing, to name some of the hardships. However, even these must conjure up memories for some people - not very nice ones, but some good ones. 14 Southwark News

15 Memories are triggered off by something we see or hear. Perhaps a piece of music or a snatch of a song - or even a smell. Sweet peas always remind me of my Nan s garden. A name can bring a memory to our attention - or maybe a picture of a place or person long forgotten. Photos are a great reminder, aren t they? How often does a photo set off a chain of thoughts - resulting in a host of other memories. And how often do we say to a family member or friend, Do you remember? Special family events bring back memories - a wedding, a birth of a baby, special anniversaries - all giving us a pleasant feeling recalling the past. It must be terrible to lose your memory completely. We hear of people having accidents and losing all their past history. They must feel empty and wonder who they are and what they have done during their life. So sad! In the case of dementia and short-term memory loss, people often recall things and events from the distant past. I was watching a TV programme some time ago, where people in a care home were played popular music from the 1920s and 1930s. It was amazing - they could recognise and sing the songs the knew. They could also recognise old photos of family and friends. The brain is such a mysterious and complex part of us. Do we forget recent events because our storehouse of thoughts and memories is full? I do hope so! We must rest assured, secure in the knowledge that God does not forget us. We are held in the palm of His hand and He prompts us to remember Him whilst recalling our memories - both sad and happy. So - keep on enjoying your memories and treasure them. Elaine Williams, Prayer and Spirituality Committee Southwark News 15

16 THE MOTHERS UNION SOUTHWARK DIOCESE Linked with the Dioceses of Aba, Calabar, Niger Delta North & Uyo in Nigeria, Butere in Kenya, The Northern Territory in Australia and Oxford in UK Patron: Diocesan President: Secretary: Chaplain: Treasurer: MU Enterprise Rep: Safeguarding Officer: Editor: Website: The Lord Bishop of the Diocese Mrs Elizabeth Pullen Mrs Anne Love, Southwark Mothers Union, Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW Tel (Mon, Tues, Weds & Fri term-time, 10.30am 3.30pm) anne.love@southwark.anglican.org Revd. Kevin Scott Mrs Jean Hatton jean.hatton@btinternet.com Mrs Jenny Holroyd Jennyholroyd@aol.com Mrs Heather Wells rogerheather@talktalk.net Mrs Mary Harrison maryharrison@qcinternet.co.uk The Southwark Mothers Union is a registered charity No