Church at The Centre

Transcription

1 Church at The Centre Tonge Moor United Reformed Church Starkie Road, Tonge Moor, Bolton BL2 2ED A member of the Vision Pastorate (with Rose Hill URC and St Andrew & St George URC) and Churches Together in Tonge Moor Sunday 10:45am Family Service - All welcome (Communion - 1st Sunday of Month) Saturday am Informal Prayer time All welcome 10:30-12:00 noon Saturday Morning Café All welcome Church Life April/May 2018

2 Contact details Minister: Revd Mark Bates Home: (Monday is Mark s day off) Mobile: rev.markbates@hotmail.co.uk Alison Dalton CRCW (Building Bridges) Mobile: (Thursday is Alison s day off) mail: alison.dalton@bolton.gov.uk Alison is usually in the Centre each Monday and Friday so available for a chat Church Secretary Margaret McGreavy Children s Centre Reception Church Life Editor Maureen Harrison Our Week: Sunday Family Service 10:45am (Communion 1 st Sunday of month) Saturday Informal Prayer time 9.45am am Morning Café 10:30am to noon Generation Reunited will re-start in February 2018 watch out for details Church at The Centre ~~~~~ ALL ARE WELCOME ~~~~~.sharing the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Tonge Moor through fellowship, worship and caring action.. a partner in Tonge Children s Centre leading the Building Bridges Community project supporting Tonge Lunch and Leisure Club - every Friday lunchtime (with Age UK and Tonge Children s Centre). For details of Tonge Lunch and Leisure Club, please ask at the Centre Reception or call Gill Marshall (Age UK) on Front cover: Front cover:

3 BUILDING BRIDGES - THINKING ALOUD Hi, As I write this piece, Building Bridges is beginning to distribute the prizes awarded to those who took part in the letter writing competition and community faith trail which I told you about in our article back in February. We gave 4 prizes to children who attended our service, here at the Church at The Centre on Sunday. We are at Moorgate Community Primary School on Wednesday to present another 10 prizes and Tonge Moor Community Primary School on Friday to present another 7 prizes. Our judging panel told me it was great to read the children s letters, for instance one of the panel told me that they had chosen one of the winners because they expressed emotion about the invitation rather than just giving the facts. Another bit of feedback offered was The opening words We would love was such a brilliant start! We are very grateful to our panel, that is Jeff Arcus, retired Anglican Minister who attends Tonge Lunch and Leisure, Susan Evans, retired teacher and Church Elder, and Leo Roberts, Children and Young Peoples Training and Development Officer for the North Western Synod. They did a fantastic job as there were over 250 letters to consider! Here s a picture of the display we have put together of the prizewinners, when you re in the Children s Centre why not pop along the corridor near the main community room and take a look! The Community Faith Trail itself was well

4 supported with lots of new faces and the Mayor sparing time to join us at the Friends Meeting House where we enjoyed some refreshments reflecting the typical cultures of some of the countries where the three faiths are followed. Our thanks go to Sushma Snacks, who I am happy to recommend for any catering needs you may have. Our thanks are also due, especially to Chan Parmar and Bolton Interfaith, Philip Austin and Bolton Quakers, Paris Agravat, Bolton Hindu Forum and the Vedar Mandir, Bolton Council of Mosques and the MA Mission. Some of the feedback we received was: Meeting new people and seeing how welcome we all are so we could go and join in was great Very interesting and educational Thank you for your prayers and especially your support of Andy, our student, as he learnt through coordinating our joint Bible Studies through Lent. We hope you feel that Building Bridges serves you to the best of our ability. Alison Dalton Church Related Community Work Minister Phone: alison.dalton@bolton.gov.uk 2

5 Congratulations to Joan and Frank Tonge who on the 23 rd March 2018 Celebrated their Golden Wedding. The service took place here at Tonge Moor Congregational Church as it was then on Saturday 23 rd March 1968 at 3.00 pm. The service was conducted by the Rev d Lodmoor from Chorley Old Road Congregational Church. The hymns they chose were The Lord s my Shepherd and Lead us Heavenly Father Lead us. Dates for Come and Sing for Apr, May and June are 7 th April Tonge Moor URC 11 th May Rose Hill URC 1 th June St Andrew & St George Please note the change of date for May. EASTER SERVICES Good Friday 11:00 am At St Andrews Methodist Church Service Led by Matthew Ramsden Easter Sunday Service At The Church at the Centre 10:45 am Service Led by Rev d Mark Bates Everyone Welcome

6 SRocky road Easter egg Makes 1 egg, serves 6 Hands on time 30 mins, 5 mins cooking time, plus chilling Easy Need something to occupy the kids over the Easter holidays? Get them in the kitchen and make rocky road Easter eggs. This Easter egg recipe is fun for all of the family. INGREDIENTS 350g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces 3 tbsp golden syrup 110g unsalted butter, chopped 40g nibbed pistachios 75g dried sour cherries 100g shortbread biscuits, broken into pieces 50g white chocolate buttons 100g jelly beans, plus 75g for inside and extra to serve 2 ready-made meringue nests (about 25g total), broken into pieces METHOD 1. Slowly melt 300g of the chocolate with the syrup and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat, stir, then cool for 10 minutes. Stir through the remaining ingredients (apart from the rest of the chocolate and extra jelly beans) to coat. 2. Spread the rocky road mix evenly over the insides of each half of a large, smooth Easter egg mould (see tip). (If you have a flat-backed mould, you can suspend the halves over bowls.) If the edges aren t smooth meaning the halves won t join neatly you can repair them once they have hardened slightly in the fridge. Keep any leftover mix in a warm place in case you need it later. 3. Chill for at least 45 minutes or until set. Carefully unmould. 4. Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water. Brush over the edges of the egg halves. Fill one half with jelly beans, then bring the halves together and brush more melted chocolate on the outside to seal. Fill any gaps with a little of the reserved mixture, then chill to set. 5. To serve, slice off the top with a sharp knife so the jelly beans tumble out. Serve with extra jelly beans if you like. for May.

7 Thanks

8 MAY DAY - United Kingdom May Queen on village green, Melmerby, England Children dancing around a maypole as part of a May Day celebration in Welwyn, England Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a maypole. Historically, Morris dancing has been linked to May Day celebrations. [8] Much of this tradition derives from the pagan Anglo-Saxon customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" [9] (the Old English name for the month of May meaning Month of Three Milkings) along with many Celtic traditions. [10][11] Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford, England, in May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries, most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility (of the soil, livestock, and people) and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons. The spring bank holiday on the first Monday in May was created in 1978; May Day itself May 1 is not a public holiday in England (unless it falls on a Monday). In February 2011, the UK Parliament was reported to be considering scrapping the bank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank holiday in October, possibly coinciding with Trafalgar Day (celebrated on October 21), to create a "United Kingdom Day". [12] Unlike the other Bank Holidays and common law holidays, the first Monday in May is taken off from (state) schools by itself, and not as part of a half term or end of term holiday. This is because it has no Christian significance and does not otherwise fit into the usual school holiday pattern. (By contrast, the Easter Holiday can start as late - relative to Easter - as Good Friday, if Easter falls early in the year; or finish as early - relative to Easter - as Easter Monday, if Easter falls late in the year, because of the supreme significance of Good Friday and Easter Day to Christianity.) May Day was abolished and its celebration banned by Puritan parliaments during the Interregnum, but reinstated with the restoration of Charles II in [13] May 1, 1707, was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. In Oxford, it is a centuries-old tradition for May Morning revelers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6 am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. Since the 1980s some people then jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. For some years, the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as the water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past. There are still people who climb the barriers and leap into the water, causing themselves injury. [15]

9 In Durham, students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset, has seen its yearly May Day Festival celebrations on the May bank holiday Monday burgeon in popularity in the recent years. Since it was reinstated 21 years ago it has grown in size, and on May 5, 2014 thousands of revelers were attracted from all over the south west to enjoy the festivities, with BBC Somerset covering the celebrations. These include traditional maypole dancing and morris dancing, as well as contemporary music acts.. Whitstable, Kent, hosts a good example of more traditional May Day festivities, where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May bank holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become a major event in the town calendar. A traditional sweeps festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent, where the Jack in the Green is woken at dawn on May 1 by Morris dancers. At 7:15 p.m. on May 1 each year, the Kettle Bridge Clogs [16] morris dancing side dance across Barming Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge), which spans the River Medway near Maidstone, to mark the official start of their morris dancing season. Also known as Ashtoria Day in northern parts of rural Cumbria. A celebration of unity and female bonding. Although not very well known, it is often cause for huge celebration. The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from London (Locksbottom) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex. The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage the traffic, and volunteers manage the parking. Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual Obby-Oss (Hobby Horse) day of festivities. This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revelers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even through the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing the traditional "May Day" song. The whole town is decorated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. Prior to the 19th-century, distinctive May Day celebrations were widespread throughout west Cornwall, and are being revived in St. Ives and Penzance. Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on the May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing.

10 Church at The Centre Diary Dates for April 2018 Each Week in April at The Centre: (unless shown otherwise) Sunday 10:45am Family Worship Monday 3:30pm - 5:00pm Generation Re-united Saturday 9:45am 10:00am Saturday Prayers 10:30am 12:00pm Saturday Café Sun 1 10:45am EASTER DAY service with Holy Communion led by Revd Mark Bates Mon 2 Public Holiday Centre closed Sun 8 10:45am Family Worship led by Leo Roberts Sun 15 10:45am Family Worship led by Barry Bradshaw Wed 18 10:30am Elders meeting Sun 22 10:45am Family Worship led by Revd Mark Bates 12:30pm Church Meeting Tues 24 1:30pm Building Bridges Management Group Meeting at FAB Tonge Moor Road Wed 25 1:30pm Elders Safeguarding review Sun 29 10:45am Family Worship led by Mark Cottam Bible readings for April April 1st John 20: 1-8 April 8 th John 20: April 15 th Luke 24: April 22 nd John 10: April 29th John 15: 1-8 Copies of the readings are available for anyone who wishes to follow the reading during the service. Bible readings are currently taken from HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION 2014 by Bible League International and are used by permission. This (and other versions) are available for personal use at Note: Sometimes, the worship leader may select a different reading, and sometimes readings are shortened for the benefit of younger worshippers.

11 Church at The Centre Diary Dates for May 2018 Each Week in May at Tonge Children s Centre: (unless shown otherwise) Sunday 10:45am Family Worship Monday 3:30pm - 5:00pm Generation Re-united Saturday 9:45am 10:00am Saturday Prayers 10:30am 12:00pm Saturday Cafe Fri 4 7:15pm Come and Sing at Rose Hill URC Sun 6 10:45am Family Worship with Holy Communion led by Alison Dalton CRCWM Mon 7 Public Holiday Centre closed Fri 11 Special event celebrating the 12 th Anniversary of The Centre watch out for details Sun 13 10:45am Family Worship celebrating the Partnership in The Centre led by Revd. Mark Bates This is Christian Aid Week Wed 16 10:30am Sun 20 10:30am 12:15pm Elders meeting Family Worship Soup Lunch led by Gill Bates in support of Christian Aid Sun 27 10:45am Mon 28 Family Worship led by Alison Dalton CRCWM Public Holiday Centre closed Tues 29 7:15pm Worship Group June Fri 1 7:15pm Come & Sing at URC of St. Andrew & St. George Sun 3 10:45am Family Worship led by Revd Mark Bates Bible readings for May May 6th John 15: 9-17 May 13th John 17: 1-19 May 20th John 15: 26 16: 13 May 27th John 3: 1-1 7

12 Date Preacher Elder Vestry Duty Reader Door Steward Coffee Rota Flowers 1 st April Easter Day Rev d Mark Bates Communion John Evans Edna Thomas Sharon Matthews Barrie Russell Margaret McGreavy Maureen Mason Susan Evans David Lythgoe Olwyn Darby 8 th April Leo Roberts Margaret McGreavy Sharon Matthews John Evans Dorothy Anderton Maureen Mason EdnaThomas Alan & Myra Worthington 15 th April Barry Bradshaw John Evans Margaret McGreavy Barrie Russell Florence Scowcroft Sharon Matthews Sharon Duker Barrie Russell 22 nd April Rev d Mark Bates Susan Evans John Evans Christine Cooke EdnaThomas Christine Cooke Maureen Harrison Christine Cooke 29 th April Mark Cottam Maureen Harrison Susan Evans Florence Scowcroft Sharon Matthews Maureen Mason Brian Trainer Maureen Mason 6 th May Alison Dalton Communion M McGreavy Sharon Matthews EdnaThomas 13 th May Rev d Mark Bates Maureen Mason Maureen Harrison Susan Evans Dorothy Anderton EdnaThomas Jasmine Duker Florence Scowcroft Susan Evans David Lythgoe Sharon Matthews Sharon Duker Dorothy Anderton & family Joan Bradbury 20 th May Gill Bates Barrie Russell Maureen Mason Alison Dalton Olwyn Darby Maureen Harrison Edna Thomas Audrey Latham 27 th May Alison Dalton Christine Cooke Barrie Russell Margaret McGreavy Sharon Matthews Maureen Mason Susan Evans Vacant