St James Brownhills and Holy Trinity Clayhanger The MUSTARD SEED www.stjameschurchbrownhills.co.uk Our mission is to worship God and to serve the community by sharing the love of Jesus February 2016 20p
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St James Church Activities 1st Sunday 10am Family Service & 6.30pm Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 8am BCP Holy Communion, 10am Holy Communion (with Crèche, Sunday Club & Tribe) & 6.30pm Prayer Ministry Service 3rd Sunday 8am BCP Holy Communion, 10am Celebration (with Crèche & Sunday Club) & 6.30pm Holy Communion 4th Sunday 8am BCP Holy Communion, 10am Holy Communion (with Crèche, Sunday Club & Tribe) & 6.30pm Memorial Service 5th Sunday 8am BCP Holy Communion, 10am Children s Service & 6.30pm Holy Communion Crèche Pre-School children (in Fellowship Room) Sunday Club 4 11 years in church hall Tribe 11 18 years in church hall Monday 9.15am Parent and Toddlers (term time) Monday 6.30pm Girl Guides meet in church hall Tuesday 9.00am 11.00am Open Church Tuesday 6.45pm Brownies meet in church hall Tuesday 7.00pm Heart of Worship rehearse Tuesday 8.15pm Puppet Practice Wednesday 10.15am Holy Communion For details of House Groups see Liz Corbett To arrange a baptism or wedding please telephone 01543 372187 Fancy a good walk? Any time is a good time to blow away the cobwebs, walk off the excesses. Every third Friday our walking group meets at the front of church at 9.30am to do just that. Come and enjoy the fellowship and friendship that goes with a good walk. 3
so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12: 5 For anything to work, it needs all its components to operate, whether this is an item such as a car, or an organisation such as the Armed Forces or a sports team. If just one part does not work or make its full contribution then the item/ body will not function as well as it can, or reach its full potential. This is also true of the church, whether at local or national level. Jesus time on earth was limited, but in order to continue what he started, he called and commissioned his disciples when he gave his charge: God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life. Matthew 28:18-20. To encourage every member ministry, Paul often used the example of the human body, so that church members recognise that they have a part to play, however small or insignificant it may seem. All abilities are important for a church to fulfil its commission to serve the Lord. As Paul continues in his letter to the early church in Rome, if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Making a cup of tea is as important as preaching, making people welcome is as vital as playing an instrument. All these 4
gifts are from God, given freely for the good of His church and the world He created, to build up and grow the Kingdom. We are all actively encouraged to discover and utilise these talents and abilities for our time and generation. To help us discern and develop our gifts from God we are using the SHAPE course material through our sermons and especially in our Home-groups. If you want to know more about your God-given talents then please see a member of the Ministry Team as soon as possible. It is never too late to discover God s plans and purposes for your life. Yours in the service of the King of kings, Dave Bishop (Rev) St James Church is open every Tuesday 9.00am 11.00am for free coffee/tea private prayer and quiet time or just a friendly chat 5
Services at Holy Trinity for February All are welcome at any of our services. If you would like to know more about Holy Trinity, please make yourself known to Graham or ring 01543 820809 Sunday 7th February 10.30am Family Worship with Liz Corbett Sunday 21st February 10.30am Holy Communion with Dave Bishop Uniformed Organisations Mondays from 6.15 pm at Holy Trinity Rainbows Karen Johnson Brownies Margaret Cooke For more information please phone Margaret on 01543 362010 Prayer Call from Church Leaders Church leaders are calling Christians to pray for the nation throughout 2016. The prayer call follows the recent release of the Talking Jesus research into People s Perceptions of Jesus, Christians and Evangelism. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, Bishop Eric Brown and Billy Kennedy, all of whom are Presidents of Churches Together in England, commend Talking Jesus research. We ask you to pray that the love of Jesus will transform the communities in which we live and witness, and that our churches will faithfully fulfill their commission to make disciples of all nations (Mt 25:19). 6
Readings for February The following readings will be used in the St James Services this month: 7th February 2016 Evening Service - 2 Corinthians 3 v 12 ch 4 v 2 & Luke 9 v 28 36 14th February 2016 Morning Service - 1 Corinthians 12 v 17 21, 27, Galatians 5 v 13, 22 & Luke 4 v 1 13 21st February 2016 Evening Service - Philippians 3 v 17 ch 4 v 1 & Luke 13 v 31 end 28th February 2016 Morning Service - Romans 15 v 15 20, 1 Timothy 2 v 3 7, 2 Timothy 1 v 8 12 & Luke 13 v 1 9 28th February 2016 Evening Service - Genesis 28 v 10 19a & John 1 v 35 end Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day 9th February It s odd, really, that confessing one s sins to God should ever have involved making pancakes. And yet the beginning of Lent brings us both Shrove Tuesday is Pancake Day, and is followed by Ash Wednesday, and so Lent begins. In centuries gone by, the pancakes were made to use up the milk and eggs before the fasting of Lent. More recently, many readers will have childhood memories of the wonder of watching our mothers break an egg, mix it with milk and flour and out of that gooey mess, to produce a light and delicious pancake. These days more and more of us buy pancake mix, or even ready-made pancakes. It seems we prefer the certainty of ending up with pancakes - to the risk of having made nothing BUT a mess of the kitchen. In many parishes they used to hold pancake races on the day. Why anyone would want to run around a field while holding a pancake is not clear, but in Olney, Bucks, they have held a pancake race almost every year since 1445. 7
CHURCH WALKING GROUP Programme of Walks for 2016 Friday 19th February Half term walk around New Hall, Sutton. Suitable for children. Friday 18th March Looking at the Shoal Hill area of Cannock Chase. Friday 15th April Slightly cut down version of the Four Commons walk. Friday 20th May Walk around Middleton Lakes to see the wildlife and the migratory birds coming home for summer. Friday 17th June Exploring walks around Shugborough Hall. Everyone welcome to join us. We leave from the front of St James Church at 9.30am 8
Specialist Care For People with Dementia & Mental Illness Contact Details 208 Ogley Road Brownhills Walsall WS8 6AN Tel: 01543 360120 Fax: 01543 452144 Email: homestead208@hotmail.com Website: www.homestead208.com Registered in England No. 4920939 Caring for your Health and Well-Being Homestead Care Home provides long term or short term residential or respite care for elderly and young adults with physical frailty and those with mental health needs. We offer: 30 Bedrooms, 8 with en-suite facilities 3 Day lounges 4 Bathrooms with twelve toilets 1 large dining room Well kept gardens and patio area Excellent home cooking, catering for special diets CARE FOR DEMENTIA & MENTAL ILLNESS Our Care Home provides: - Secure windows and alarmed doors - Stimulating daily activities - Day trips - Specially trained carers CARE FOR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES - Assisted baths - Purpose walk-in shower room - Wheelchair access to indoor/outdoor areas - Hoists, moving and handling equipment Registered with the Care Quality Commission 9
Co-operative FUNERAL SERVICES Serving your local community 24 hours a day Aldridge 01922 450991 Anchor Meadow Health Centre Bloxwich 01922 403399 154a High Street Brownhills 01543 452896 9 High Street Cannock 01543 572644 49 Park Road Fullbrook 01922 722136 17 Broadway West Lichfield 01543 416660 1 Birmingham Road (next to Lichfield Train Station) Pleck 01922 647164 2 Moat Road (Opposite Manor Hospital) Rushall 01922 645694 114 Lichfield Street Walsall 01922 621808 Hatherton Street Part of West Midlands Co-operative Group & members of The Funeral Standards Council www.coopfunerals.coop 2nd Brownhills Scout Group The Scout Headquarters Barnetts Lane (off Lichfield Road), Brownhills www.walsallnorthscoutdistrict.org.uk Weekly meetings and activities for boys, girls, and adult volunteers Beaver Scouts ages 6 to 8 years Cub Scouts ages 8 to 10 years Scouts ages 10 to 14 years For further information, please contact: Sue Wright 01543 276953 or Mary Mayo 01543 453293 CARAVAN TO LET WINKUPS HOLIDAY PARK, North Wales All 2016 dates available Great location Please ring: Helen Harrison on 01543 321450 or 07910 036428 10
Laughter Lines Sick During a church service my young niece had to go outside, as she did not feel well. She returned a few minutes later and admitted: I have been a little sick. But it doesn t matter, there s a box at the door marked for the sick. Judgement? This true story concerns the visit of a visiting preacher to a little village chapel He was a few minutes into his sermon when, without warning, about twenty square feet of thick and decayed Victorian plaster fell from high on one wall and crashed into a group of empty pews below. As the dense fog of dust began to settle, and it became clear no one was in injured, the minister prepared to resume his sermon. Then he paused, and looked heavenward and in a slightly pained voice, asked: Was it something I said? Giving up for Lent At the end of the vicar s pre-lent sermon he suggested, as an example to the rest of the community, that the congregation should worship in an unheated church for the whole of Lent. As they made their way into the chill Sunday air the vicar addressed one member of the congregation, asking what she had decided to give up for Lent. Church, she replied firmly. The puppy A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, surrounding a small puppy. Concerned lest the boys were hurting it, he went to investigate. One boy explained, "We just found this puppy, and we all want him. So we ve decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to take him home." The minister was taken aback. "Don t you boys know it s a sin to lie? Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie. There was dead silence for a moment. The minister thought he had got through to them. Then the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog." 11 But look, said Dave, Maltesers have hardly any chocolate on
1444 Brownhills Air Cadets Expand your Horizons Want to be different to everyone else? Want to do cool activities including flying, Gliding, Shooting? Want to do something different to everyone else? Want to be part a Super Community and make new friends? Come and see us at our at our Headquarters Brownhills Air Cadets Barnetts Lane Brownhills WS8 6HZ Or for more information contact us on either Monday or Wednesday evening between 7:30 and 9:30 using telephone No. 01543 360717 or 07751 358697 12
Suffering? God knows why Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? (Luke 13: 4) It can be earthquakes floods terrorism, or as in the case here unexpected deaths resulting, first from the killing of innocent people by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, and secondly from a natural disaster. Like Jesus disciples, we tend to ask WHY? Our Lord s answer to his questioners does not lessen our distress at calamities here on earth. But we are not completely shocked. For Scripture teaches us that adversity is firmly built into our Christian understanding of how the world works. 1. We are all living in a fallen world. Our present world-order is not as originally created. Basically we became a race of rebels, fallen from our custodianship over creation so bringing both ourselves and the creation itself into the frustration of bondage to decay (Romans 8:18-23). Even the ground was to be affected (Genesis 3:17,18). 2. We are all living in a temporary home. In the face of a natural fatal disaster (Luke 13:4,5), Jesus said that those killed were no more guilty to die, than anyone else. All will die one day. But his words give the warning: One day it will be your turn. Indeed, let us run to the aid of those who suffer - but tragedy reminds us all that centre stage is not this life; by repentance we must prepare ourselves at any moment for the next! 3. We are all living on borrowed time. Jesus went on to speak of a fruitless fig tree (Luke 13: 6-9). Should it be cut down? No, Give it a year s reprieve. The lesson is clear. If some people are cut off in a matter of seconds, those left should humbly consider how they will use the life that has been spared to them. This leads to a final truth: 4. We are all living as debtors to love. People hung on Jesus words because they knew that He had solid answers for this world's sorrows. Indeed He was the answer, for at the Cross we meet the love of the suffering God himself. One prayer must be that out of the experience of suffering, there will be some who see this, and respond. Jesus encouraged his followers to look further ahead to eternal realities. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16.33 13
Historically, the Church of England has had its share of eccentric clergy. Even nowadays, hiding away in remote parishes, there are still some colourful clergy about. Clergy such as the elderly, Anglo-Catholic Uncle Eustace, who is incumbent in the small parish of St James-the-Least-of All, somewhere in Very Rural England. Eustace despairs of his nephew, Darren, who has become an Evangelical curate in a busy urban parish and so he writes letters, to try and properly 'educate' Darren in parish life. On the art of drinking well The Rectory St. James the Least My dear Nephew Darren You closed your last letter with the remark that it was time to retire to bed with a cup of cocoa. That may be all very well for the pious intensity of a theological college - although a stiff whisky was always acceptable in my day - but it is not a style to continue once in the parish. I do feel obliged to give you a few hints about what should and should not be drunk in public as a parish priest. Morning visits are to be discouraged, but if one is unavoidable, and you are invited to have a drink, then it has to be coffee. It is the only time of day when a mug is acceptable - provided, of course, that it is china. In the afternoons one changes to tea, but only from cups. Blended varieties may be all very well for Curates in their first year, but it should be Darjeeling for an incumbent. Fruit teas are for Quakers only. If an inappropriate vessel is offered, then the drink should be accepted, but left untouched. Since the visit will be discussed in the finest detail throughout the parish the moment you have left, your host 14
will soon learn why and not make the same error a second time. It is for the same reason that if you ever want to circulate a piece of news round the parish as quickly as possible, never put it in the parish magazine, just mention it casually during one of your visits. Everyone will know by tea time. Alcoholic drinks must be carefully judged. A sherry - dry, naturally - is probably best if you are invited to lunch. In the early evening a gin and tonic would be the drink of choice. To ask for whisky would indicate that you are about to go over to Rome, and a mineral water that you have your roots in non-conformity. Beer is never drunk in someone's house unless you suffer from some personal tragedy, such as being the diocesan youth chaplain. However an occasional beer in the pub with the bell-ringers (who will be real ale fanatics to a man) or after choir practice - which seems to be the real purpose of holding practices anyway - or as a treat for the sacristan, will show you are a man of the people. It is some years since I visited the pub. Understanding wine should be taught at every theological college as an essential part of the ministry. Develop a taste for claret, dear boy, and you will be starting your journey towards high office. And perhaps you should give that tin of cocoa to the verger. Your loving uncle, Eustace Always remember... Church should be a place where Jesus feels at home 15
Some hints about prayer this Lent Prayer is instinctive for human beings, even those who don t regard themselves as religious. You are standing at a bus stop in the wind and the rain, thinking I do hope the bus will come soon. It s an inner yearning. It defies logic: either the bus is coming or it isn t. But we all do it. It' s instinctive and it s the raw material of prayer. Hoping for something better is basic. Like all instincts, it needs to be trained. To whom do we pray? What you pray and the way you do it will be shaped by your view of God. Christian prayers are fashioned by what we know of Jesus and what He taught about prayer. We pray by invitation. Again and again, Jesus encouraged his companions to pray. A couple of his parables on the subject have been misinterpreted as instructions to persuade a resistant God to do what we want. Have a look at Luke 18, verses 1-8, about a widow whose perseverance finally persuaded an unwilling judge to rule in her favour. The lesson is that God is not like that! Similarly, an unwelcome neighbour who persistently calls for help in the middle of the night gets what he wants (Luke 11.5-13). The lesson? If tenacious lobbying can overcome human unwillingness, how much more our gracious God will heed his children s cry. Pushing at an open door. Jesus is already praying for us. So when we start to pray, we step on to an already moving staircase. Sometimes prayer seems tougher than it need be. Jesus invited us to be linked to him, in the way an inexperienced bullock is yoked to a mature ox. Have a look at Matthew 11, 28-29, which concludes for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. When Marion Bartoli unexpectedly won the 2013 Women s Wimbledon final, she said I believe if you put all your heart and effort into everything you are doing, then God is there to help you. Is your prayer on the right lines? Try adding for Christ's sake at the end. Please let my marrow win the Gardening Club competition? No. Not my will but yours is the key. So when praying, don t give God instructions, just report for duty. 16
St James Church, Brownhills present Walsall Symphony Orchestra in concert This is a concert being promoted by St James Church with all proceeds going to Free2BE Tickets available shortly Prices 7 adults 5 children and concessions Refreshments available Saturday 19th March, 2016 starting at 7.30pm 17
February Crossword Across 1 Success or wealth (Deuteronomy 28:11) (10) 7 Forbidden fruit for Nazirites (Numbers 6:3) (7) 8 Concede (Job 27:5) (5) 10 Look at (Psalm 48:13) (4) 11 Much in evidence after weddings (8) 13 Condense (Job 36:27) (6) 15 Breakwater (6) 17 Give a tan (anag.) (8) 18 More usually now called Pentecost, Sunday (4) 21 After living for 365 years, it was said of him that he walked with God (Genesis 5:2324) (5) 22 Trampled (Judges 9:27) (7) 23 For example, Miriam, Deborah (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4) (10) Down 1 Arrogance (Proverbs 8:13) (5) 2 Roman poet from first century BC (4) 3 So rapt (anag.) (6) 4 Declare again (2 Corinthians 2:8) (8) 5 Paul s fellow worker, to whom he sent two epistles (Romans 16:21) (7) 6 God s foreseeing care and protection (Job 10:12) (10) 9 Traditional form of Roman Catholic Mass (10) 12 The Lord... has given the of Israel to David and his descendants for ever (2 Chronicles 13:5) (8) 14 My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my (Luke 1:4647) (7) 16 The central element in Nebuchadnezzar s dream, identified and interpreted by Daniel (Daniel 2:31) (6) 19 On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18) (5) 20 City where Paul was under house arrest for two years (Acts 28:16) (4) Crosswords reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon ( 6.99 BRF) 18 Answers can be found on page 22
Would you like to advertise your business here? For a small fee, you can. Please see information on page 23 A. E. POXON and SONS LTD HIGH STREET, BROWNHILLS Tel 373144 Suppliers of high quality fresh meat and cooked meats From our own factory Succulent home made sausages and dry cured bacon Also ask us for advice on your freezer supplies Swaffield Stone Ma#on# MEMORIAL SCULPTORS 59a High Street, Chasetown, Nr. Lichfield, Staffs WS7 7XE Tel: Burntwood 01543 686595 MEMORIAL STONES AND QUALITY CARVING COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES & STONES HOUSE NAME PLAQUES You are welcome to come and visit our Workshop and see the work done by hand to a very high standard. We also have a selection of Memorials, large and small, for you to view and a comprehensive selection of catalogues which we will willingly bring to your home for you to select with our personal help. 19
Brownhills Memorial Hall Lichfield Road, Brownhills Tel: 01543 372148; 01543 279424 Regular Events Brownhills Memorial Hall Short Mat Bowling Club Tuesday 7.00pm 9.00pm 2.00 Beginners welcome Social bowling Friendly atmosphere Line Dancing Wednesday 7.00pm 9.00pm 3.00 Tea Dance Friday afternoon 2.00pm 4.00pm 2.50 (inc tea & biscuits) Sequence & Ballroom Dance Second Saturday in each month 8.00pm 11.00pm 2.50 (Bring your own drinks) 20
Next time someone tells you that Jesus did not exist Recent research in England revealed that 40% of people do not realise Jesus was a real person. Among 18-34 year olds, 25% think Jesus was a mythical or fictional character. They probably have no doubts about other famous people from the past. Of course, it matters more when the authenticity of Jesus is questioned. If Jesus was as real as the Christian creeds imply, then the whole purpose and destiny of humanity are changed. There's a lot at stake. How do we know that Jesus actually existed? For that matter, how do we know any historical figure existed? We need to look for corroborative evidence. In any other historical investigation we would examine all literary sources. However, as sceptics often discount biblical material because they suspect the writers distorted the facts, we look outside the New Testament to non-christian authors for clues. First, to Roman historians. Tacitus (56-117 AD) wrote Christus was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius. Suetonius (69-130 AD) wrote of Chrestus and of his followers having been persecuted by Nero. In 112 AD a Roman Magistrate, Pliny the Younger, sought advice from the Emperor Trajan, having failed to force Christians to renounce Christ whom they worshipped as a god, when worship was due exclusively to the emperor. The Jewish historian Josephus (37-100 AD) referred to James as, the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ. None of these authors questioned Christ s existence. Even-handed enquirers would also want to know what the New Testament has to say. By comparison with texts of other ancient literature now available, we have infinitely better records. Over 5,000 separate manuscripts are now available. One complete New Testament in the British Library is over 1600 years old. A substantial collection of New Testament documents is dated mid-3rd Century and is split between Dublin, Michigan and other locations. Much of the Gospel of John is in a document dated 200 AD or earlier. Modern translations of the Bible result from studying all these manuscripts. It is false to suggest that they suffer from multiple translations. Let historian Michael Grant have the last word, "...if we apply to the New Testament, as we should, the same sort of criteria as we should apply to other ancient writings containing historical material, we can no more reject Jesus' existence than we can reject the existence of a mass of pagan personages whose reality as historical figures is never questioned " 21
PRAYERS & POEMS... Disturb us, Lord Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true Because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when With the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst For the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wider seas Where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. We ask You to push back The horizons of our hopes; And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love. Following in his footsteps Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us the desire to do only what pleases you, and the strength to do only what you command. Cleanse our souls, enlighten our minds, and inflame our hearts with your Holy Spirit, that we may follow in the footsteps of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. St Francis of Assisi 1182 1226 Attributed to Sir Francis Drake, 16th Century DOWN: 1, Pride. 2, Ovid. 3, Pastor. 4, Reaffirm. 5, Timothy. 6, Providence. 9, Tridentine. 12, Kingship. 14, Saviour. 16, Statue. 19, Hades. 20, Rome. CROSSWORD ANSWERS ACROSS: 1, Prosperity. 7, Raisins. 8, Admit. 10, View. 11, Confetti. 13, Distil. 15, Groyne. 17, Navigate. 18, Whit. 21, Enoch. 22, Trodden. 23, Prophetess. 22
Celebrating the Queen s 90th Birthday special book The Queen has served the country and Commonwealth for more than 60 years. From 10-12 June 2016 her 90th birthday will be celebrated. To mark the unique occasion, HOPE, Bible Society and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity are publishing a very special, 64-page book focusing on the Queen's Christian faith as a tribute to her life of service. The Servant Queen - and the King She Serves is a beautifully illustrated short book, which uses the Queen s own words to draw out the central role of her trust in Jesus Christ, offering an inspiring, multi-faceted insight into a life well-lived for others. In her 2014 Christmas broadcast the Queen described Jesus Christ as an anchor in my life and a role-model. It is the most recent of many public references the Queen has made to her Christian faith. Advance orders for The Servant Queen have already reached more than 60,000. MAGAZINE ARTICLES If you would like to submit an article for publication in this Parish Magazine, please note that the closing date is the third Sunday of each month. If submitted by e-mail, please send your article (preferably in Microsoft Word format) to Sue Bryan at sjb.7dx@gmail.com or in written format and handed to Sue by the due date. 23
Mary Tudor the first Queen of England Mary Tudor, the first undisputed Queen of England to reign in her own right, was born on 18 February 500 years ago. The daughter of Henry VIII and Catharine of Aragon, she reigned for five years and after her death was known as Bloody Mary, because of her execution of hundreds of Protestant leaders in a bid to turn England back to Roman Catholicism following the death of her half-brother Edward, an ultra-protestant. The first of these martyrs was the printer of the Matthews-Tyndale Bible ; also executed was the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, who was primarily responsible for the printing of the Great Bible, as well as bishops Ridley and Latimer. During her reign from 1553, Mary thwarted a bid to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne and then crushed a rebellion led by Sir Thomas Wyatt. To help her restore Roman Catholicism in England, she married Philip of Spain. This marriage was not a success, however, and she was childless after several false pregnancies she died of what is believed to be uterine or ovarian cancer. Her husband showed little long-term interest in her or in England, except to drag it into a conflict with France that cost it the area around Calais, its last toehold in France. As a result the country became disillusioned with her and was ready for a return to Protestantism when she was succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn. Mary s body was interred in Westminster Abbey, and when Elizabeth died, in 1603, she was buried next to her. With Elizabeth s backing, the radical Protestant John Foxe tracked down the stories of those killed under Mary and published them in his Book of Martyrs, which was enthusiastically received and widely read. 24
ST JAMES SERVICE ROTA February 2016 SIDESPEOPLE EPISTLE GOSPEL 7th February 10am Family Service Sunnday Club Welcome Janet Plimmer 6.30pm Holy Communion Sharon Venables Les Poynton Janet Poynton 14th February 10am Holy Communion Marg Powell Peter Biggs Carol Cowley 6.30pm Evening Praise with Prayer Ministry Janet Poynton 21st February Celebration Service Simon & Helen Harrison 6.30pm Holy Communion Roger and Maureen Hill Angela Cooper Janet Sutherington 28th February 10am Holy Communion Angela Cooper Graham Mason Dennis Powell Welcome Brenda Timmins 6.30pm Evening Prayer Joy Powell Graham Sutherington Celebration Service Focus on Jesus Sunday 21st February 10.00am ALL WELCOME 25
Diary Dates February 1st Prayer Focus in church @ 7.30pm 7th ATC Sunday. 1444 Squadron celebrate 75 years 19th Walking Group meet at front of church @ 9.30am 22nd PCC meet at Holy Trinity @ 8.00pm From the Registers Funerals for December 2015 10th Keith Willis, 73, Watling Street, Brownhills, crem 15th Dorothy Turner, 83, High Street, Clayhanger, crem 16th Winifred Austin, 93, Hawksyard Priory N/H, Rugeley, St James & Barnett s Lane 21st Ellen Handley, 89, Kings Bromley N/H, Burton on Trent, crem 30th Devin Duffy, 63, Cedar Avenue, Brownhills, St James & crem Funerals for January 2016 4th Ivy Bayley, 94, Rushall Care Home, Lichfield Rd, Walsall, St James & crem 7th James Fay, 71, Orchard Manor N/H, Slaney Road, Walsall, St James & Barnett's Lane 11th Alfred Farr, 87, Catshill Rd, Brownhills, St James & crem 12th Vera Mason, 88, High Street, Clayhanger, St James & crem 12th Matthew Duncombe, 31, High Street, Brownhills, crem 19th Marjorie Whitehouse, 87, Rushall Care Home, Lichfield Rd, Walsall, St James & crem 26
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THE PARISH OF BROWNHILLS WITH OGLEY HAY Our mission is to worship God and to serve the community by sharing the love of Jesus Vicar: Revd Dave Bishop 01543 372187 Lay Ministers: Liz Corbett 01543 370162 Graham Mason 01543 820809 Graham Sutherington 01543 671020 Children & Family Worker: Mel Pearce OFFICERS Wardens: Margaret Powell 01543 371396 Dennis Powell 01543 820513 Lay Chair: Roger Corbett 01543 370162 Secretary: Brenda Stanford 01543 373063 Treasurer: Allison Hopkins 01543 325100 Parish Administrator: Joy Powell 01543 820513 Deanery Synod Representatives: Roger Corbett 01543 370162 Sarah Cullingworth Organist and Worship Leader: Pete Biggs, BEd(Hons), AMusCAM 01922 692163 Brownies: Jenny Judson Guides: Claire Llewellyn 28