March In this issue

Transcription

1 March 2016 In this issue Reg Bywell Honour Finding a way forward Fairtrade Fortnight Holy Week Demetris Palos Open for Schools Church council summary Children s work 3 Generate Manifesto Asbury 200 th Anniversary Peace and Hope Candle Syria I was invited to attend Beavers at church on Wednesday 20th January because Makaton played a pivotal role in the investiture of new Beavers and a new leader. Christopher Bailey, aged 21, signed his promise to serve as an assistant leader in the Beaver colony. Chris has a long association with 11th Solihull (Methodist) Scout group, having made his Cub Scout promise with Richard Bates in The group is delighted that Christopher is continuing his Scout career as a leader. Christopher will be working alongside young leader, Ben Hague, and 5 Scouters with a group of seventeen boys and girls, aged 6-8, including another Christopher, who also made his promise on Wednesday. Christopher was supported by me and Katie Shinner with signing when he made his promise, and Christopher himself activated a voice recording of the promise using switch technology. Two other new Beavers, Megan and Eoin, were also invested in the ceremony by leader Maz Poole. As part of the welcome for the new members, the whole Beaver colony has learned about different ways to communicate and Katie, as group SEN lead, has shown all the children how to sign the Beaver promise. Linda Bates

2 Two weddings are planned for next year with the following recent engagements Susie Palfreyman and Tim Murphy Robin Polson and Felicity Barnes Congratulations to Joan Parman on becoming a great-grandmother. William Arthur was a new son for Jennifer (Joan s granddaughter) and Tom, and a grandson for Ian and Elaine Harris William weighed in at 6lb14oz. To recognise his very distinguished naval career, Reg was elected President of the Royal Navy Association, (Knowle Branch) on 10 th February. The Navy Association is made up of approximately twenty retired naval personnel, men and women, and they meet once a month. Nowadays it is mainly a social gathering, and from time to time they have a visiting speaker. This last meeting coincided with Reg s 92 nd birthday and he was presented with a model of a Swordfish, the aircraft for which Reg was responsible for the radar operations. He also had a specially made cake in the shape of the White Ensign, the flag of the Royal Navy, and a personalised birthday card signed by all his friends. So, quite a celebration! The photo shows Reg proudly wearing the medals he has earned during his time in active service. 2

3 Revd Ken Howcroft Encircling our Church in love You don t know what you ve got till it s gone. They paved paradise; and put up a parking lot. That song (by Joni Mitchell) captures the true spirit of Lent. It is not a matter of giving things up in order to punish ourselves, or to earn the right to binge excessively on chocolate or worse at Easter. Instead, Lent is a time for realising the worth of what we have and becoming thankful for it. So, the good news is that there is a case for not giving up chocolate for Lent (or any other time, for that matter). Unless, of course, the chocolate you are eating is not fairly traded. Or unless your obesity or medical condition means that eating it would be dangerous or even life-threatening. In those circumstances to eat chocolate would be to give in to the forces that diminish the fullness of our own lives and, in the former case, the lives of those who are traded with unfairly. Otherwise, doing things like giving up chocolate can trivialise something that should be very serious. Giving it up makes us feel a little bit deprived. And because we feel a little bit worse, that makes us feel a little bit better. But what we ought to be doing is struggling to recognise and face the forces that prevent us living life in all its fullness. Sometimes those forces come from inside ourselves. Sometimes they come through the ways that other people and the world at large affect us. Lent is a time for engaging in that struggle, for seeking to recognise that everything we have comes from God, discerning its goodness and offering our thanks. It begins on Ash Wednesday (this year 10 th February), ends the day before Easter Sunday (this year 26 th March), and lasts 40 days. But just a minute (I hear those of you who are not calendrically challenged cry) that is a period of 46 days. The reason for that is that the six Sundays are not counted. Sundays are feast days not fast days. The disciplines of Lent do not apply on them. This Messenger will be appearing near the fourth Sunday in Lent (6 th March, this year). This has always been a slightly more extravagant feast than the other Sundays. It was often known as Refreshment Sunday because it came in the middle of the Lenten fasts. It was also known as Laetare [= Rejoice!] Sunday because the introit to the service that day always began Rejoice, Jerusalem! : and that was because the Epistle reading set for the day included a verse referring to the Jerusalem above; she is 3 free, and she is our mother [Galatians 4:26]. So the idea began to arise that this was Mothering Sunday. But the mother concerned was mother church. On this day people would go not to their usual churches near where they lived or worked, but to the mother church in the area from which those churches originated. This was often a cathedral. In later years, all this developed into a tradition where those who were in service were allowed time off so that they could go home and visit their own mother church in the sense of home church. This also enabled them to visit their own families, including, of course, their mothers. Girls who were in service often took with them a cake that they had baked partly so that they could show off to their mothers the skills that they had developed. Often this would be a Simnel Cake (which is one of my favourites!). So a celebration of mother church which nurtures us in one way gradually became in addition a celebration of our families (and, in particular, our mothers) who have nurtured us in other ways. But as time went by, the emphasis began to shift from mothering to mothers so much so, that the day is now often called Mothers Day. The idea of mother church has almost vanished. That is a shame. It can also create some difficulties. Some people may have been abandoned by their mothers or had very difficult relationships with them. Some women may, for all sorts of reasons, may never have become mothers. Some may have deliberately chosen not to be. I have met people like these in churches, and they have said that they can find what happens in church on Mothering Sunday very difficult. There may be some in that situation amongst us. It will be good this year to celebrate the nurturing function of families, and the important roles of women within them, by giving gifts of flowers. But it will also be good to celebrate the nurturing function of the church community. In the past some places had a tradition of clipping (ie encircling in an embrace) the church on Mothering Sunday (or on what we would call church anniversaries). People made a ring holding hands around the church and then sang hymns or even danced! Perhaps this Mothering Sunday we can encircle our church with our prayers and love! Have a fruitful Lent and, when it comes, all the blessings of Easter. Ken

4 : Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 There are so many exciting things happening in our church. New life and love are bubbling up that require new wineskins (as Jesus put it). But also old life and love are still flowing, and that requires careful use of the old wineskins. In addition, we now have a refurbished church building which, together with the hall and other rooms, gives us much more flexibility in using our premises to serve the community, the worshipping congregation and, above all, God. So we have to think carefully about how we use our resources of time and money to sustain it all; and what priorities God is setting for us. At the last two Church Meetings and the last two Church Councils we have gathered around tables to discuss these things in a variety of ways. These can be summarised under three basic headings: a) what we think God is prompting, calling, requiring and enabling us to be and do in worship and mission; b) how we might use our premises in the future; c) how we might sustain the ongoing life and work of the church financially (this was the main topic of the Church Meeting on Sunday 31 January 2016). There was stimulating discussion in all four meetings, and lots of suggestions made. Not surprisingly, people found it easier to talk of the second two topics than the first. Yet it is thinking and praying about the first topic which will enable us to turn the suggestions made in response to the other two into a set of priorities and a policy for our worship and mission in the future. To help take this process on, the minister and stewards are setting up a group to look at all the suggestions that have been made so far, to elicit others, and make suggestions about how we are to find the way forward. The group s objectives will be to enable the church community to continue the process of exploring what God is seeking to do among us, and how God is calling us to respond in worship, mission and the use of our premises; and to make proposals to the Church Council about how we can take these questions further in our life and work in terms of general policy and detailed objectives. Please think and pray about these things, and join in the process. Your insights are very important. It is as we rub our various ideas and insights together that we begin to discover the Holy Spirit s insight amongst us. Ken 4 Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers This is the logo from the Fairtrade Foundation to promote Fairtrade Fortnight this year(29 February 13 March). It is based on Martin Luther King saying before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you ve depended on more than half the world. Despite our dependence on farmers and workers for the foods, drinks and products that we love, about 795 million people are undernourished globally. The people who grow the food that we take for granted can t always feed their own families but when they are paid a fairer price, many farmers and workers are able to fulfil a basic human need to put enough food on the table for the people they care about. The Traidcraft emphasis during the Fortnight comes under the logo Let it Grow. It is: a campaign that will last throughout 2016, a campaign that focuses on intelligent, caring, skilled people that are stuck with unfair wages, an uphill battle to educate their children and barely a glimmer of hope for the future, a campaign that offers people across the developing world the chance to flourish through improved (fair) trading activity and more development projects, a campaign that will fight poverty through trade and help families, social enterprises and entire communities to grow. So I hope that during Fairtrade Fortnight this year every member of the congregation will buy at least one fairlytraded item (preferably from Traidcraft!) in order to help these campaigns. And Easter at the end of March provides a great opportunity to support fair trade. There will be plenty of the Real Easter Eggs on the Traidcraft stall. The milk chocolate egg contains the Easter story in the shape of a cross and a Yummy Bar. I will order the dark chocolate alternative for anyone who would prefer that. Just let me know. Linda Innes

5 On Sunday 20 March at am our Palm Sunday service will be a Parade service as we celebrate Jesus s entry into Jerusalem and hand out palm crosses. On Wednesday 23 March at 1 pm Nigel Collinson will speak at Soupa Talks about Palestine 2000 years ago. On Maundy Thursday 24 March, the Church will be open from 11 to 4 pm for a display of Easter Gardens designed by a few groups in the Church (like the Christmas trees were at the Festival before Christmas). Then from 7.30 we shall have a special service for Maundy Thursday. It will begin with the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet. Then we shall re-enact what a Passover meal might have been like at the time of Jesus (this will involve a light meal of bread, lamb, salad and fruit). Following that we shall share in a short communion service to remember the Last Supper. Then we shall hear the story of Jesus and his disciples going to Gethsemane, and we shall pray in silence, leaving when we wish. All will be finished by 9.30 pm at the very latest. On Good Friday 25 March there is the Walk of Witness in the town centre with people from other churches at am. Our church will be open with the Easter Garden display from 12 to 3 pm. At 7.30 pm we shall have a Good Friday service, in which we follow the story of Jesus from his betrayal to his death. We shall survey the wondrous cross whilst the lights gradually go out up to the point of the death. Then in darkness we shall hear of him being taken down from the cross. We shall leave in silence. On Easter Saturday 26 March the church will again be open from 2 4 pm for the display of Easter gardens. On Easter Sunday 27 March we shall have an early communion at 8.00 am (notice the change of time!). There will be a church breakfast with activities for children at 8.45 am, followed by our Easter Celebration and Communion at am. Please come to all or as many of these as you are able. You will be blessed if you do! Demetris Palos ( ): a personal memory Demetris and Daphne Palos came to England in 1996 under the World Church Programme then run by the Methodist Church in the UK, initially for five years. As a Circuit Steward, Linda had to collect furniture for them for the Howard Road Manse, where they lived until finally returning to South Africa in He ministered at Acocks Green, Lyndon, Small Heath, Stechford, Gospel Lane and South Yardley churches, (though not all at once!) as well as taking services throughout the Elmdon Circuit. He quickly became a widely respected and a good friend to very many (helped by an amazing memory for names). When he was due for a furlough in 1999, he offered to lead a party of us for a two-week trip to Namibia (where he had served as bishop in the 1980 s) and then on to South Africa and Cape Town. He found friends for us all to stay with, and his local knowledge meant that we not only occasionally did the touristy things, but also gained valuable insights into the local churches and situations. On a second trip, in 2003, we visited their home in Johannesburg, meeting more family and friends, and finishing our tour at Durban. After one Easter, he invited us to join them at a holiday apartment they had in the Lake District. And after they had returned to South Africa, every two years or so we would be told that they were coming for a visit to England on such-and-such dates. Accommodation was our responsibility! We were always intrigued by his name (his father had come from Cyprus). Jimmy to Daphne and old friends, when he came to England it was time to be called Demetris. We have heard so many stories of kindnesses that he quietly rendered. His knowledge and theology were profound, his awareness of the political scene then and earlier in southern Africa helped us to understand places and situations. His quiet humour eased every situation. We regard it as a tremendous privilege and blessing to have known Demetris over a period of twenty years. God receive this loyal servant. Linda and John Innes 5

6 At the end of January we welcomed Cranmore Infant School into our Church as part of our Open for Schools outreach programme. Sixty Year 2s (6 and 7 year olds) enjoyed learning about different places and symbols in our Church; a Chief Church Challenge; a chance to find out more about the organ; and even meeting John Wesley! It was wonderful to see the children discovering more about our Church and they clearly enjoyed themselves as well as being impeccably behaved. When they returned to school they wrote about their visit. We thought you may be interested in a couple of "howlers. Andrew Hawker explaining about the organ pipes A baby is christened at the font and the font is made of marbles!" "The minister speaks from the ball pit! Ros Hopkins Organ Recitals Every first Thursday (except August) pm Just the right number were there for the Skittles evening for the Church Project. What a spread of people from regulars to newbies, aged 14 to well over 90. Mike Broadbent was the men s winner and Katie Shinner beat her mum for the ladies prize. Best single round was your Prattler who could not repeat this with his eyes open. The wooden spoon prize went to we can t tell you. Thanks mainly to Margaret Hughes who organised us all and scored and to the Fowgay house group who masterminded Lyons pies and beans with so many tray bakes at half time. Also well done Ethan, Abi and Hannah (Anne and Peter Stoakley s grandchildren) who toiled away replacing knocked down skittles. Over 300 was raised towards the Church project for Reynalds Cross. The real winners were of course everyone who came. What a super family time. Lawrie Rumens March 3 rd April 7 th May 5 th June 2 nd July 7 th August September 1 st Stephen Perrins Oliver Walker - Director of Choral Music, Solihull School Joe Cooper - Director of Music, St. Alphege Stephen Perrins Nicholas Johnson Organist, St. Alphege No recital Stephen Perrins October 6 th Clive Jones - Director of music - Church of the Ascension & Hall Green Choral Society November 3 rd December 1 st Barry Davis, Lyndon Methodist Stephen Perrins 6

7 Pushchair club - Thank You It was time again for the Push Chair Committee to say thank you to the twenty helpers who make the group so successful. A lunch was organised in room 5 with soup provided by Ivan, who else, with a piece of homemade cake and tea to follow. Teams of people help to provide refreshments for children and parents weekly throughout the year and help with putting out the large amount of play equipment needed. A big Thank you to all our helpers. Summary of the Church Council Meeting February 1 st 2016 The formal minutes will be posted in the Church Vestibule. The Church Council met and discussed funding, future planning for our Church, pastoral care and appointments among other items. The Way Ahead funding project has now drawn to a close, with a remaining surplus of around 10,000. The Property Committee has already started considering the use of this remaining money examples of which include replacing the path from the lych-gate to the main entrance. The Church body will be notified as such decisions are made. Much of the meeting concerned the approval of the statutory accounts for the year ended August 2015 and the budget for the remainder of this year. Separate information will be forthcoming regarding the comments raised at the Church Meeting on 31 st January so these were not included in detail at Council. Our Circuit has requested a 3% increase in our assessment figure and this can be accommodated. Whilst we are the largest Church in the Circuit (and therefore contribute the most) it was noted that we do benefit greatly from Circuit funding. Discussions were held regarding Health and Safety issues in respect of the kitchenette door at the back of the Sanctuary this door is noise-sensitive and specifically designed to close if it senses noise akin to the level of sound generated by a fire. Perhaps we have been too noisy in our tea-making! The sensitivity has now been reduced. Our forthcoming SMASH production of Children of Eden has been risk assessed and the stage providers advised of the need to not make any damage/marks to the interior of the Sanctuary. All Health and Safety requirements are being met in regards to access and exit and all property being held inside our buildings will be adequately met by Church insurance. Jean Hamilton attended on behalf of the Circuit and she asked the Council to consider whether more members could be spared for help on Circuit matters specifically Circuit stewardship. If this is an area of interest to you then please approach a Steward or a member of Council. In other business Council discussed the use of the pulpit by Ministers which some members would like to see more often. It was noted that Ministers have their own requirements and styles, with some preferring the pulpit and some having less of a preference. Even so, it was nice to see it being used. Thanks were extended to the Way Ahead Committee, to Christine Burr for the preparation and presentation of the Financial Statements, to Jenni Kitson for the work she puts in on Safeguarding and to Chris Austin who has stood down from her Council post of Young Families Representative. 7

8 People with long memories might remember that I began working in Sunday School here at Solihull Methodist as soon as I had graduated from Seniors. Gill Burr, Ros Hopkins and I spent two happy years as a leadership team for the Beginners group before my family moved away just after my GCSEs in So when Tina asked whether I would consider becoming part of children s work on Sunday mornings again, I was glad to say yes and joined the existing team of JAM leaders and helpers in September. As a church, we are lucky to have a thriving population of children, especially in the nursery and infant school years. Our challenge as a team has been to work on leading sessions that are engaging and fun for 3 year olds without ignoring the needs of our junior school-aged children. Since I am able to come into Sunday school most weeks alongside the existing team members, we ve been able to divide into two groups (all within room 5!) to provide appropriate activities for each age range. If we can schedule 4 volunteers for some Sundays after Easter, we hope to arrange sessions specifically for junior school children. Please get in touch if you would like to join the team and help make this happen. I have always loved working with young children and, in my new role as Children s Leader for the church, my aim is that children will look forward to our Sunday morning sessions and that JAM helps them to learn about Christianity in creative and fun ways, through crafting, play, music and talking. Linda Bates Just for today, Lord, help us to let go of worry so that we can find peace within ourselves. Just for today, Lord, help us to let go of anger so we can approach every situation with tolerance and understanding. Just for today, Lord, help us to be grateful for everything that comes into our lives, whatever it might be. Just for today, Lord, help us to work hard and with integrity, remembering to work on ourselves so that we grow and learn. Just for today, Lord, help us to be kind to others, both in our professional and personal lives. Laura Yarham 8

9 Young people have their say on priorities of Methodist Church Young people have had their say on their priorities for the Methodist Church Poverty, the environment, bullying and the refugee crisis are among their top concerns Young Methodists from across the country have taken the opportunity to share their priorities and passions for their Church, highlighted for the very first time in three new 'manifesto' documents. Following research undertaken at the Methodist Children's and Youth Assembly, 3 Generate, three manifestos outlining the foci of the different age groups have been published online. This new venture is intended to raise the voices of the young people of the Church and highlight the real and varied concerns close to their hearts. Split into the three age group tiers of the assembly s, 11-18s and 18-23s - the manifestos highlight many different issues important to young Methodists including: the environment, poverty, bullying, disability accessibility and the refugee crisis. Craig Gaffney, Youth President of the Methodist Church added: "These statements are essential reading for all Methodists across the Connexion. It is vital that everyone in the Church engages with the voice of young people and the topics close to their hearts. All of the issues raised should be important to the whole Church and its membership and should be a regular focus for any Christian living out their faith." Craig continued: "It's so encouraging to see that the young people of the Methodist Church are so passionate about social and global issues. I am proud to be part of a Church where even our youngest members have a heart for those in need." Our World 8 11 yr olds THE ENVIRONMENT Climate Change, littering, pollution, trees being cut down what can we do in church and our communities to make a difference? WHERE IS GOD? we want opportunities to talk about this and to ask questions. OUR CONCERNS about violence in our world, terrorism and wars, and our fears about a third world war. We want opportunities to talk about this on Sundays and in our groups. Our Church 8 11 yr olds We are a part of our church life and community and are keen to play a full part in all its activity, worship, junior church, our groups, decision making, leading. We would like to know and understand more about Methodism and why it is called Methodism. We have lots of questions about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and being a Christian and we would like time in worship and in our groups to explore them. Participating in the whole of church is important to us, we want worship that is interesting and relevant to all people in the church. Our Community 8 11 yr olds We care about the communities we live in and want to be a part of them and contribute to making them caring and good places to live in. We want to talk about, learn, and make a difference in the following areas: BULLYING in all its contexts and street violence, daily pressures of school life. COPING WITH CHANGE in our lives, break up of families, children in foster care, people moving away or dying, changing schools. HELPING OTHERS We want the church to teach and support us in how we can help others in our communities eg. the homeless, elderly living on their own and foodbanks 9

10 Asbury s cottage SATURDAY 9 th APRIL 2016 Family Fun Day Black Country Living Museum Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ Work and Chapel: Black Country Methodism Commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Bishop Francis Asbury, Black Country boy and first Joint Superintendent Methodist minister in America. In partnership with the Black Country Living Museum, we are celebrating Asbury s early years as a local apprentice metal worker, and the impact of Methodism on the industrialised Midlands of the nineteenth century. Discover your living history in an exciting day for all the family Nail-making and chain-making in the forge - see the sparks fly! Exhibition Talks Join our flash mob costumed choir, street entertainment and refreshments Commemoration service in the former New Connexion Providence Chapel Victorian Sunday school experience be on your best behaviour! Vintage bus trips to visit Francis Asbury s childhood cottage For more information, tickets and to sign up for our flash mob costumed choir please visit the Methodist Heritage website Providence Chapel Sian Musgreave- Spiby Church Office Youth, Family and Community worker Tina Brooker Stella Staight Pastoral Coordinator Chris Giles 10

11 Francis Asbury was born at Hamstead Bridge, England on August 20 or 21, 1745, to Elizabeth and Joseph Asbury. Wanting him to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, his mother read the Bible to him, sang him hymns, and prayed over him. [1] Asbury became a local lay preacher for Methodist meetings at age 18. At age 22 John Wesley appointed him as a travelling preacher. His boyhood home still stands and is open as a museum in West Bromwich, England. In 1771 he volunteered to travel to America. Within the first 17 days of being in the colonies, Asbury had preached in Philadelphia and New York. During the first year he was Wesley s assistant and preached in 25 different settlements. When the American War of Independence broke out in 1776, he and James Dempster were the only Methodist ministers to remain in America. [2] In 1780, he met the freedman Henry "Black Harry" Hosier, a meeting Asbury considered "providentially arranged". [3] Hosier served as his driver and guide and, though illiterate, memorized long passages of the Bible while Asbury read them aloud during their travels. He eventually became a famous preacher in his own right, the first African American to preach directly to a white congregation in the United States. In 1784, John Wesley named Asbury and Thomas Coke as co-superintendents of the work in America. The Christmas Conference that year marked the beginning of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. For the next 32 years, Asbury led all the Methodists in America. However, his leadership did not go unchallenged. His idea for a ruling council was opposed by such notables as William McKendree, Jesse Lee, and James O'Kelly. Eventually a General Conference to which delegates could be sent was established on the advice of Asbury's fellow bishop Thomas Coke in Like Wesley, Asbury preached in myriad places: courthouses, public houses, tobacco houses, fields, public squares, wherever a crowd assembled to hear him. For the remainder of his life he rode an average of 6,000 miles each year, preaching virtually every day and conducting meetings and conferences. Under his direction, the church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers. Among the men he ordained was Richard Allen in Philadelphia, the first black minister in the United States. In the fall of 1800, Asbury attended one of the events of the Revival of 1800 as he travelled from Kentucky 11 into Tennessee. The combined Presbyterian and Methodist communion observance made a deep impression on Asbury as an early experience with multi-day meetings which included camping on the grounds of the meeting house. The experience, recorded in his journal, illustrates an early identity between religious revivalism and what would later become a staple of nineteenth-century Methodism, the camp meeting. In 1813, Asbury wrote his will. This was a time when the greatest membership gain in the history of the church was achieved. [5] In 1814 his health started to fail and he became ill. In 1816 he started to regain strength and continued his preaching journey. He preached his last Sermon in Richmond, Virginia on March 24, and dies at the home of George Arnold near Fredericksburg on March 31. In an exciting time in American history, Asbury was reported to be an extraordinary preacher. Biographer Ezra Squier Tipple wrote: "If to speak with authority as the accredited messenger of God; to have credentials which bear the seal of heaven... if when he lifted the trumpet to his lips the Almighty blew the blast; if to be conscious of an ever-present sense of God, God the Summoner, God the Anointing One, God the Judge, and to project it into speech which would make his hearers tremble, melt them with terror, and cause them to fall as dead men; if to be and do all this would entitle a man to be called a great preacher, then Asbury was a great preacher." Bishop Asbury died in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Baltimore, near the graves of Bishops John Emory and Beverly Waugh.

12 Green Tip REDUCING CAR POLLUTION Petrol is a mixture of hydro carbons ranging from pentane (chemical formula C 5 H 12 ) to decane (C 10 H 22 ). Octane (C 8 H 18 ) comes in the middle and the quality of petrol is often measured by its octane rating. When petrol burns with air in a car engine the carbon and hydrogen combine with oxygen in the air to produce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O). The chemical changes release energy which powers the car. The more efficiently this is done, the more miles per gallon one gets and lots of clever engineering goes into making engines work as efficiently as possible at different speeds; when accelerating; and so on. Cars are least polluting when warm and travelling at about 50 mph in top gear. It is common for more air (and so more oxygen) to be used than necessary because the most fuel will then be burnt. However, because air contains nitrogen, the consequence is that nitrogen oxides (noxies) are formed and emitted and these can cause breathing problems. Many cities, including Birmingham, now exceed healthy limits at times and restrictions on cars going in to Birmingham have been considered. In another of those complications which bedevil green decisions, diesels, though emitting less carbon dioxide/mile, emit more noxies. So what can we do? Pollution is obviously more harmful in urban areas and is worse with congestion. Every time one walks short journeys or uses the bus or train will help. Every time we avoid rush hours or congestion hot spots (or roads with humps!) helps too. Lastly we should consider the stop-start option when we buy our next car. It will help cut pollution as well as saving fuel - and money. SMC BIRDWATCH January Participants Total numbers of birds seen: Richard Balmer. Wood Pigeon 11 Hedge Sparrow 10 Great Tit 9 Magpie 9 Blue tit 7 Blackbird 6 House Sparrow 6 Bullfinch 5 Long Tailed tit 5 Robin 5 Coal tit 4 Chaffinch 1 Crow 1 Nuthatch 1 Wren 1 There will be more information when we know the national results Linda Innes Sarah Mochan from Wallace, Robinson and Morgan will be talking about Probate at Soupa Talks on Wednesday 9 th March 1.00 pm 12

13 Here are some of our Church's music and drama group SMASH in rehearsal in the Church for their next musical. Children of Eden, a West End gem, uses characters and stories from the opening chapters of the Bible to comment on humans and their relationships with each other and with the Father who made them. The show has a wide range of enjoyable music, from foot tapping show stoppers to quiet ballads, humorous yet thought provoking dialogue and plenty of action - in true SMASH style. Please support our return home by booking your tickets for the shows on 16th-19th March now ticket order form from Seats are numbered and reserved. Please don't leave it to the last minute or you may be disappointed! The Messenger Team Sue Balmer, Bryan Fitter, Jeff Horton, Revd Ken Howcroft, Bill Penny and Lawrie Rumens. Material for publication to messenger@solihull-methodist.org.uk We reserve the right to edit articles if necessary. Please send photographs separately as jpeg files. NB. Last date for April Messenger items is 6th March 13

14 Summer Outings Wed 11 th May Lunch at The Plough, Shustoke Wed 15 th June Coach trip to Winterbourne House and Gardens Wed 13 th July Coach trip to Wightwick Manor Wed 10 th August Coach trip to Calke Abbey Contact Bryan Fitter to book Tickets from Susan Shore. Thursday 3 rd March from 7.30 pm Church Hall Time for all ladies to enjoy an evening of treats (hand massage and nails and chilled chat) with hot food. Pop in any time Women's World Day of Prayer Friday 4 th March, am at St Alphege Church Receive children. Receive me. The service for 2016 has been written by Christian women from Cuba. No sooner had the National Committee worked through their materials and were ready to go to print, than they heard that the USA and Cuba simultaneously declared that hostilities between the two countries were to cease, and that talks would begin about the lifting of the embargo. Since then talks have been taking place. Cuba is indeed in a time of change! All welcome at this service. 14

15 March Diary Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Holy Communion Men s Coffee morning 1.30 Keep Fit 5.50 Brownies 6.00 Rainbows Morning prayers Drop in coffee Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 6.00 Beavers Organ Recital 2.00 Friends r Us 6.30 Cubs 7.30 Mums Treat 8.15 Badminton EN.R.G Youth Club 7.30 Guild Marjorie Evans Fund raising Dinner with Don Mclean Holy Communion Revd Ken Howcroft Morning Service Revd Ken Howcroft 6.30 Quiet space Jelly Babies 1.15 Jelly Tots 7.30 Scouts Holy Communion Men s Coffee morning 1.30 Keep Fit 5.50 Brownies 6.00 Rainbows Morning prayers Drop in coffee 1.00 Soupa Talks Probate 6.00 Beavers Friends r Us 6.30 Cubs 8.15 Badminton EN.R.G Youth Club 7.30 Guild David Cadney The Great Waltz Messy Church Holy communion Revd Nigel Collinson Jelly Babies 1.15 Jelly Tots 7.30 Scouts Holy Communion Contact Choir Men s Coffee morning 1.30 Keep Fit Morning prayers 7.30 Children of Eden Friends r Us 7.30 Children of Eden Guild AGM and Epilogue 7.30 Children of Eden Children of Eden 7.00 Children of Eden 20 Palm Sunday Parade service Revd Peter Bates 6.30 Communion and Healing Revd Ken Howcroft Jelly Babies 1.15 Jelly Tots 7.30 Scouts Holy Communion Contact Choir Men s Coffee morning 1.30 Keep Fit Morning prayers 1.00 Soupa Talks Palestine 2000 years ago Holy Week 24 Maundy Thursday church Open 7.30 Last supper with communion 25 Good Friday 2 4 Church Open 11 Walk of Witness 12 noon 3 Church Open 7.30 Good Friday Devotions Easter Day 9.00 Holy Communion Revd Ken Howcroft Easter Celebration and Communion Revd Ken Howcroft Holy Communion Men s Coffee morning Morning prayers Friends r Us 15 Printed by Additional Curates Society

16 Forty two children brought mums, dads and grandparents to Messy Church in January. The activities were based on the theme 'Caring for God's World.' They coloured and put faces on a Conservation Train, decorated flower cakes, made mini-beast pops, bee finger puppets and honey sandwiches. The physical activity also followed an environmental theme. The worship, which was held in the church, included songs and rhymes about bees and a conservation train made of children stopped for a series of sketches about good and bad behaviour towards the environment. After each sketch the children were encouraged to give a thumbs up or down to show their opinion. Delicious shepherd s pie or cheese pie was followed by Instant Whip. Thanks to Ivan, Alison and Chris for their hard work. The children had a good time and went home laden with things they had made. We are grateful to all those who helped, but sadly we didn't have enough adults to help. It would be good if more people would get involved. Messy church is for the young, for families, and the young at heart. Next Messy Church is on Saturday 12 th March at 3.30 pm Joe led our thoughts when lighting the Peace and Hope candle on the morning service on 7 th February here is his text which we wanted to share. Syria Peace talks. I am 17 years old and during each of these 17 years, there has not been a single year of peace in the Middle East. Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Iraq again. all familiar news stories. When I discovered this fact I can t say that I was shocked, but definitely saddened. So, how old do you have to be to remember a year of peace in the Middle East. The answer is well over 100 years old. In fact I stopped researching when I reached 106 years. In this way, conflict in the Middle East seems like the inevitable. Images of wonderful culture and religion have been tarnished by those of death and destruction. Yet more importantly, for the successive generations who have grown up in the region, their way of life is tangled with the stigma and dangers of war. Its hard to see a future of peace, when all you have known is violence. Therefore, the Peace Conference planned to meet in Geneva last week presented hope. However, this small step forward was not reached. Both sides pulled out. We light the peace and hope candle this week for all those troubled by conflict. For negotiators, governments and peoples - that they might see a way out of conflict. To a new future without war - where we celebrate shared identity, rather than accentuate divisions. Loving God, Today we hope for peace. We pray that future generations will not be forced to live through war. Together, we remember those whose lives have been shattered by conflict. We pray for migrants across Europe, who when searching for a life free of war, are all too often discriminated against because of our prejudices. Help us to show humility and forgive us, when we do not show peace in our lives. May negotiators, governments and peoples not give up in their search for peace. Amen. Blossomfield Road Solihull