News & Views
There Will Be Peace
There will be peace: when attitudes change;
when self-interest is seen as part of common
interest;
when old wrongs, old scores, old mistakes
are deleted from the account;
when the aim becomes co-operation and
mutual benefit rather than revenge or
seizing maximum personal or group gain;
when justice and equality before the law
become the basis of government;
when basic freedoms exist;
when leaders - political, religious, educational and the police and media
wholeheartedly embrace the concepts of
justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, and
reconciliation as a basis for renewal;
when parents teach their children new ways to
think about people.
There will be peace: when enemies become
fellow human beings
David Roberts 1999
November
2013
News
& Views
Elmers End Free Church, Goddard Road, Elmers End,
November
2015
Beckenham, Kent
Minister
Rev. Bill Bowman B Th. FCIBS
Telephone:
Office 020 8777 1150
E.mail: [email protected]
Monday is the Minister’s day off. Please do not disturb him
except in the case of real emergency.
Services
The Sunday service is at 11am.
Holy Communion is usually held in the morning of the
3rd Sunday of the month.
Junior Church at 11am. Children from 3 years old are welcome.
A crèche is available for younger children.
Weekly Activities
Brownie Guides
Monday 6.30pm
Leader Miss Katherine Bayley
Telephone: 020 8402 2563
Langley Pre-School
Monday – Friday
Please contact Mrs Jenny Jupp
Telephone: 020 8402 8320
E.mail: [email protected]
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Services in November
1st11am Morning Service led by David and Katie Hall
Organist Peter Dowling
8th10.45am Remembrance Service led by Rev. Bryn Thomas
Organist Peter Dowling
15th11am Morning Service led by Marion Bayley
Organist Anne Clements
22nd11am Morning Service led by Rev. Bill Bowman to include
Holy Communion
Organist Peter Dowling
29th 10.30am Joint Service at Beckenham URC
Please note, there will be no service at Elmers End
Dates for your Diary
5th
Jenny’s Craft Evening
18th Elders Meeting 7.30pm
20th Final of Top of the Pew. 8pm Bromley Methodist Church
28th Christmas Crackers evening with Jenny
Once more I am appealing to our generous congregation. Jenny
is requesting items suitable for Hamper prizes for her Christmas
Crackers evening ie tins, chocolates, biscuits etc.
Also on December 6th our Junior Church and Brownies will lead
our Gift Service so gifts suitable for any member of the family would
be most acceptable. Hopefully Marion and Angela from the Bromley
Children’s Project will attend the Service.
So a big ‘Thank You’ from me in advance.
Eunice
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Pastoral Letter
Dear Friends,
When Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, returned from Munich
in September 1938 with a worthless piece of paper signed by Hitler
in his hand he declared to a relieved British public that he had
achieved, “peace in our time.” In a speech in the House of Commons,
Christopher Mayhew, an MP at the time and like Churchill a strong
opponent of appeasement, referring to Chamberlain’s agreement
with Hitler called it, “the peace that passeth all understanding!!”
Sadly history tells us that Chamberlain did not achieve peace and a
year after his abortive trip to Munich this country was at war with
the Nazis. Although Christopher Mayhew in his parliamentary speech
was being sarcastic about the then government’s appeasement policy,
many a true word is spoken in jest!! It was no less a brain than
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) who observed,
“Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be
achieved by understanding.”
As Remembrance Sunday approaches we pray for a dawning of
understanding among warring peoples, between differing ideologies
and hostile nations. At the same time we remember with profound
gratitude the brave members of our Armed Forces who paid the
ultimate sacrifice in the defence of freedom. May we never take what
they did for us for granted and may we live in such a way that we
help to build a society worthy of them and the cause for which they
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gave their lives.
“At the going down of the sun and in the morning - we
will remember them.”
After the poignant sadness of Remembrance Sunday and amidst the
continuing areas of tension and violence in the world, the last Sunday
of November sees the beginning of the season of Advent with its
wonderful message of hope. Let us remind ourselves of God’s
reassuring promise, spoken by the prophet Micah, as he too looked
out on a troubled world in his day but saw beyond the ensuing
chaos to the coming of a Saviour – the Prince of Peace.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, although you are
small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come
for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins
are from of old, from ancient times.
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of
the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord, his
God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be their peace.” (Micah 3:2-5)
Shalom
Bill
Wise Words
These wise words are always worth being reminded of –
In War: Resolution
In Defeat: Defiance
In Victory: Magnanimity
In Peace: Good Will
Winston S Churchill (1874 – 1965)
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Advent Calendar
He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
He will come like frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.
He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.
He will come, will come,
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like a child.
Rowan Williams
Church Meeting
The monthly Church Meeting according to our Congregationalist
forebears and the Basis of Union of the United Reformed Church is
“The place where members of the church gather together to seek
the mind of Christ.”
The Church Meeting is not a business meeting, although there is
business discussed, it is rather a gathering of God’s people to discern
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God’s will as directed by the Holy Spirit on our own lives and the life
of the church and community. The high esteem the early Reformers
put on the Church Meeting is diminished somewhat if a substantial
number of members absent themselves from it.
I warmly invite you to attend Church Meeting if you possibly can. The
next meeting is –
Sunday 17th January 2016 after Church
Bill
Crafting Bee
The Elmers End Crafting Bee held its inaugural meeting on Thursday
1st October in the Elmer Room. Seven ladies attended and a very
pleasant evening was enjoyed by all.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 5th November, with a
workshop entitled ‘Little Christmas Trees’ , when we expect ten or
eleven ladies to attend, so we are growing !
Twelve little knitted hats for Innocent Smoothie bottles, to help
Age UK, were delivered to The Crafty Needle in West Wickham
this week. Thanks to anyone who produced one of these little
cuties.
Looking forward to the next meeting,
Jenny
Christmas Crackers
Dear Church Family,
You may recall ,in a recent copy of News and Views, mention of an
evening entitled ‘Christmas Crackers’ to be held on Saturday 28th
November? If not, here’s a little reminder....
As you know, we are always in need of funds, so I thought we might
enjoy an evening of fun and games based on old television game
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shows (and some not so old!) The evening would be suitable for
those who wish to join in and those who would simply like to
observe!
As ever, we will be running a raffle, so I should be very grateful for
any contributions of food and drink you feel able to make to the
Christmas-style hamper prizes. You are always so generous and we
do raise a good bit with the raffle, so many thanks for your support.
Tickets will be available nearer the time, at a price of £10, to include
supper.
I do hope you can come and that we will all have a fun evening!
Jenny
Cabaret Evening
If you were unable to get to EEFC on the evening of Saturday 17th
October you will not know what you missed. An evening of music,
both classical and modern, comedy, dance, monologues and even an
escapologist!
The evening was a great success and enjoyed by all.
Grateful thanks go to David and Katie Hall who suggested the
evening way back in 2014 and organised everything. Grateful thanks
also to everyone who took part. An eclectic group from EEFC,
Emmanuel and Christ Church, Anerley.
Thanks also to Thelma who produced gifts and articles for a Craft
Stall and to Sylvia, Elizabeth and Jane who provided tea and coffee
and manned the cake stall. Thanks to all the cooks.
The evening raised an amazing £903 for Church Funds.
Bless you all
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Emmanuel Women’s Fellowship
Eunice has received a letter from Sue Thomas, who is Secretary of
the Fellowship, inviting us to their last session on December 1st at
2.15pm. Refreshments will be served, the Kent Gate Women’s Choir
will entertain and interesting Christmas gifts will be on sale.
If you would like to attend please contact Sue by phone on 020 8462
5860 by November 21st.
Thank
The Men from Elmers End
During the Remembrance Day Service in Elmers End Free Church,
on Sunday November 8th 2015, as is our usual custom, a wreath of
scarlet poppies will be hung over the plaque which is fixed to the
church wall and which bears the names of ten men.
You may be aware of the plaque, but how often do you stand and
read the names thereon? How often to think about those men who
died?
There are ten names on the plaque, but who were these young men
and what do we know of them? Sadly, very little; not the place of
their death nor the date. What we do know is that they were all
local men, from streets not far from our church in Elmers End.
The first name on the list is that of Captain Lewis de Burgh Atkinson,
who served with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. He
died protecting his men and was awarded the Triple Medals for his
bravery. Captain Lewis de Burgh Atkinson was the husband of Louise
Christine Atkinson who lived at 9, Langley Road.
9 Langley Road is the house opposite the doors of our original
church which is now our Church Hall. (In recent years this house
was occupied by Maureen Eggleston and her family. Maureen was for
many years our church secretary, until her death in 2007.)
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The address of the widow of John James Marks was 17 Langley
Road,
Charles Crossley was born in Sydenham and lived in Purley
James Crossley was born in Beckenham
Albert J Hawker was the son of George Hawker who lived at
334 Blandford Road.
Up until the final demolition (c. 1990) of the Percy Jones Twinlock
Factories at Elmers End, there was a street in Elmers End which has
now been wiped from any but old maps.
St. Margarets Road was a narrow street of small houses. A cul de
sac, it ran from a point on the western side of Elmers End Road, at
the bottom of the old bridge which crossed the railway lines, and
was later replaced by the present bridge.
St Margaret’s Road ran parallel to the Hayes line at Elmers End
Station, through what is now the bus stand.
In later years, some of the houses on the left hand side of the road
had been demolished to make way for factory buildings for Percy
Jones (Twinlock) Ltd.
Edward Belcher lived at 30 St. Margaret’s Road.
Arthur Moss lived at 38 St Margaret’s Road
John Wade and William Wade lived at 37 St. Margaret’s Road
William Wade attended St. James’s Schools and later was a member
of St. James Mens Social Club.
William Taylor’s parents lived in St. Margaret’s Road possibly at 43.
On the list on our church wall, there could have been two sets of
brothers. A double tragedy for those families.
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Stop for a moment, sometimes to read the list of names, try to think
of these ten young men, together with their families, making their
way each Sunday to worship in our old Church in Langley Road.
Think of them, maybe singing, as they marched away from Elmers
End, to fight for King and country till silenced forever on the bloody,
muddy fields of France.
May they rest in peace.
Ellen Barbet
A photograph showing part of St. Margaret’s Road is displayed on the
board at the back of the church.
Christmas Fair
Beckenham URC are holding their Christmas Fair on Saturday
November 28th from 10.30 to 12.30. Entry is free and there will be
Gifts, cakes, crafts books and woodturning on offer as well as raffles.
All profits are to be shared between the Church and Crisis so come
and buy some of your Christmas gifts.
Top of the Pew Grand Final
The grand final of Top of the Pew will be on Friday November 20th at 8pm
at Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS and will be
between St John the Evangelist Church, Bromley and St George’s,
Beckenham. The Charity supported by ToP this year has been Deaf Access.
December News & Views
Any articles or news for inclusion in the December 2015 edition
of News & Views should be with Barbara by Sunday 22nd
November 2015.
To email your article please send to [email protected]
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