Buxton
United Reformed Church
Hardwick Square East
June 2016
Dear friends,
How many of you reading this are on ‘Facebook’ or ‘Twitter’ I
wonder? How many of you have Smart Phones that
you use daily? How often, if at all, do you go on the
internet? Do you regard social media as a part of
everyday life or something beyond comprehension?
The answers to these questions may well depend on
your age or your family circumstances and serve as a
reminder of the speed of technological advance over
the years since the Millennium. Like most things, the
technology is neutral, but how it is used is the
question. When it is used for cyber-bullying or the
promotion of pornography among teenagers we are right to be
concerned about it. When it is used to increase our communication
and understanding of the world around us then it is a huge asset.
I am a great user of emails (itself becoming a dated technology!) It
means you can communicate with people to fit your schedule and
give access to material instantly rather than sending something in a
letter which will take days to arrive. But even this has the danger that
we use less face to face communication with others. We read so
much into facial expressions or tone
which are all lost on the computer
screen. At worst it can contribute to a
sense of personal isolation – a feeling
that no-one cares about the real
person inside us. And we live in an
age where close relationships are under more strain than ever before
as we get busier and have more choice of what to do with our time. It
is therefore ironic that technology which offers us the opportunity for
greater communication in fact often becomes part of something
which isolates us!
God did not send an email, or tweet about His love. He sent His Son
in person to live among us. Yes he also ensured that we have His
word in the Bible, but words are not the essence of His
communication with us. It is His presence, His being with us in person
that makes the difference. When we pray, we don’t send God a
spiritual email, as it were, which he will pick up and read later! We
pray with Him, sharing a close relationship into which sometimes
words are spoken. We can know that we are valued, not just spoken
to; loved not just communicated with; belonging not isolated. This is
good news in Twenty First century Britain, where that kind of love
gets squeezed out too easily and where loneliness is an undiagnosed
problem not just for those living alone.
Jesus is good news because he is the face of God Himself. Through
Him we have access to the very heart of God and discover that God is
not a kind of impersonal force behind everything (as in Starwars), but
that we are made ‘in His image’; we are person because he is Person!
In the same way the Spirit of God is Person too, bringing God right
into our everyday lives in a way that no technology can even begin to
approach. Being a Christian is not about a religious creed, following a
set of instructions or serving some distant deity, but it is learning to
love God who in Person is close to each one of us and with whom we
find meaning and value.
Have a great month!
With love,
Steve
On Sunday 31st July Peter Meek will be leading worship at
Fountain Square Church, Tideswell. There will be no service at
Buxton URC that day to enable us all to attend the service at
Tideswell.
Peter was the Minister of
Buxton and Tideswell URCs
before being inducted as
Moderator for the URC
East Midland Synod in
September 2011
Minister’s report Buxton URC 2016
As a church we remain busy and active in serving God in many
different ways. Our Sunday worship has settled into meeting in the
round with a more open and I would say spiritual atmosphere. We
have continued to use a variety of preachers who are much
appreciated and welcome some new ones who have brought new
dimensions to the service such as Hilary Benson’s musical talents. We
have welcomed new people on Sunday mornings – some more
transitory than others, but undoubtedly all sent by God to encourage
and receive from our fellowship. Our fellowship services have also
been well received and in both the planning and the doing there has
been blessing too.
But Sundays are just part of what goes on as individuals and members
together offer service to the community in many ways. A look back
through my diary illustrates this. Regular lunch clubs and the Tuesday
club. Nightstop and emergency winter shelter. The foodbank and its
associated initiatives. Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and seniors,
including one or two parade services with a difference such as the
recent breakfast and café style service. Trips to Africa – especially
Roger’s service with Mission Direct in Uganda. A day in London with
Charles lobbying about green issues. Our involvement in Churches
Together in Buxton’s varied activities from making and serving soup
to arranging election hustings and Christian Aid collecting. A great
deal of pastoral care goes on behind the scenes to along with annual
events like decorating the church for Advent and Christmas. All this
mounts up to a great deal of service by members of this church for
God’s kingdom and we should rejoice! As well as our involvement as
a church, individual members have a variety of careers and roles in
the community in which I hope they feel supported and encouraged
by the fellowship.
Our buildings need constant maintenance and improvement and
looking back over this year we have made quite a bit of progress. We
have robust boundary walls again outside and new green LED lighting
inside. We have finger-guards to protect young children from closing
doors and of course our newly refurbished toilets now twinned with
similar sanitary arrangements in other parts of the world. To do all
this needs money and Roger does a great job as treasurer in a world
where things are much more complex than just having a report of
income and expenditure!
We have an excellent magazine edited and distributed every month
by Eileen and Peter. We should say a big thankyou to them for this
service. Indeed, there are many people to be thanked – each one of
you for your part in the fellowship.
What of the future? It is always on the agenda. I do not believe that
the URC is in good shape, nationally though capable of inspiration
from time to time. Ordained Ministry may be very different in 20
years’ time. We certainly need ministers who can be freed up to
focus on mission rather than pastoral work or administration. We
need a variety of gifts instead of just ‘word and sacrament’. We need
to use technology but not forget the personal. We will have a
weekend later in year to give some mission focus and ask what
happens next. Listening to God and each other is vital. I consider it a
privilege to work alongside you guys and believe that God has more
in store for this fellowship over the next couple of years.
Steve Fisher
Buxton United Reformed Church
Everyone is welcome to come to our
Sunday Services
June 5th
10.30 am
Fellowship Service
June 12th
10.30 am
Communion Service – Steve Fisher
June 19th
10.30 am
Mick Jackson
on behalf of The Gideons
June 26th
10.30 am
Morning Worship – Steve Fisher
July 3rd
10.30 am
Fellowship Service
June - time for picnics,
BBQs and to get out into the
moors and dales!
A Clerical Error
A newly married couple having bought a house in the country
from a local vicar found on inspection that it had no WC. As the
vicar was not available they decided to write to him about the
lack of convenience.
The minister in his ignorance thought they were referring to the
Wesleyan Chapel and sent the following reply:
Dear Sir and
Madam,
I regret the delay
in answering your
letter, but as the
W.C. in our part of
the country is
some miles away
from your house, it
took some time to
collect the data
you requested.
Because of the distance it is from your house, it is unfortunate if
you are in the habit of going regularly. You will, however, be
please to know that it is built to seat 300. And those who can
spare the time walk, while others go by train or bus, and just
manage to arrive on time.
Many people take their lunch with them and make a day of it.
A committee has been appointed to furnish it with plush seats to
ensure greater comfort. The last time my wife went was ten
years ago, and she had to stand up all the time she was there.
There are special arrangements for ladies, presided over by the
minister, who gives all the assistance he can whilst the young
men are being entertained by his wife and daughters. The
young ones all sit together and chat whilst the ceremony goes
on.
I hope that this information will prove useful.
Yours sincerely,
P.S. Hymn sheets are provided at the door.
Submitted by Mary Macdonald after reading it in the Church Stretton magazine
Celebrate
Our 1st year
at Buxton URC
(These are Fiona Bingham’s notes which she used when speaking at one of our
services in May)
On a Sunday about mid-May Simon and I got the courage
together to go to a service at the URC church in Buxton.
Had expected big congregation so surprised at smaller number.
Stunned by the lovely tapestries, pictures, banners, collages,
scriptures around the church.
Charles led the meeting on Acts 2 – the young church grows.
Didn’t want to move at end because of lovely presence.
A white haired lady with a light green cardigan and floral skirt
covered by a gorgeous smile came over to us to chat.
Following week saw Steve’s guitar case which sent tremors.
‘Shout for joy and sing’ was song he did.
Started going to fellowship evenings which were great.
Started playing keyboard again in July which has been a
wonderful time. Learning some lovely new songs and Simon
coming back to play his guitar.
It was lovely to see the rows of chairs disappear into a circle
which also bought a new openness and friendship among the
people during September/October time.
In December it was shock, horror as the opening of the new
toilets hit Buxton Advertiser and the church was ‘toilet twinned’
abroad.
In January it was good to visit Buxton’s sister church at
Tideswell and see a bit more of the church project there.
Churches Together at St Anne’s for the run up to Lent was also
very good in February.
The ‘brekkie church’, guides and brownies was another good
step in April.
It’s been like one extreme to the other. Having worshipped in
the charismatic churches for over 30 years, being with younger
people to now being with older people in what was my
childhood denomination.
It’s been a wonderful time of building confidence with new
people and learning you cannot judge a church by its name or
what the people look like!
Great to do my homemade cards and share.
Also magazine a
blessing and my mum
also enjoys it!
Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour’s
love
Through the storms He is Lord
Lord of all.
Been a lot of illness
and heartache in the
church, but I believe
God is laying a platform for bigger, newer, exciting things to
come which will bless everyone!
Fiona Bingham
What is 25th June?
A Saturday!
Half way to Christmas!
Summertime!
Would have been Di’s birthday!
So, Roger, Sarah, Oliver, Sharon & Iris invite you to
attend their :
Half Christmas dinner!
Please come to The Green Room at Church at 6.00
pm for turkey and trimmings (and other choices)
Possibly outdoors if the weather is kind.
The meal is free but donations are welcome in aid of Mission Direct.
Please help build another classroom on “Di’s Block” at Kumi Primary School,
Uganda:
This is how far it has got:
It needs to be three times as big!
Sarah & Oliver are joining Roger in Kumi in August and would love to take
your donations with them.
They will be used to buy building materials.
Everyone is welcome – please come for a pleasant summer evening
(and please let Roger know, so we can get the food quantity right ! )
“We are shaped for serving God”
is a song that we sing in church
sometimes.
“Whenever God gives us an assignment,
He always equips us with what we need
to accomplish it.
This is called your SHAPE.
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
The Bible uses the term Heart to describe a bundle of desires, hopes,
interests, ambitions, dreams and the affections you have. Your heart
represents the source of all your motivations – what you love to do and
what you care about most. Even today we still use the word in this way
when we say, “I love you with all my heart.”
The Bible says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects
the person.” Proverbs 27 v 19
Your heart reveals the real you – what you truly are, not what others
thinks you are or what circumstances force you to be. God has given
us a unique emotional heart beat that races when we think about the
subjects, activities or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively
care about somethings and not about others. These are clues to
where you should be serving.
Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects you feel
passionate about and others you couldn’t care less about. Some
experiences turn you on and capture your attention while others turn
you off and bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart.
Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your Shape for
service. Don’t ignore your interests. Consider how they may be used
for God’s glory. There is a reason that you love to do some things.
Repeatedly the Bible says to “Serve the Lord with all your heart” God
wants you to serve Him passionately and not dutifully. People rarely
excel at tasks they don’t enjoy doing or feel passionately about. God
wants your natural interests to serve Him and others. How do you
know when you are serving God from your heart? The first tell-tale
sign is enthusiasm. When you are doing what you love to do, no one
has to motivate you or challenge you or check up on you. You do it for
the sheer enjoyment. You don’t need rewards or applause or payment,
because you love serving in this way. The opposite is also true: when
you don’t have a heart for what you are doing , you are easily
discouraged.
The second characteristic of serving with God with your heart is
effectiveness. Whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you
get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don’t care about a task
it is unlikely that you will excel in it. In contrast the highest achievers in
any field are those who do it because of passion, not of duty or profit.
We have all heard people say, “I took a job I hate in order to make a
lot of money so that I can quit someday and do what I want to do.”
That is a big mistake! Don’t waste your life in a job that doesn’t
express your heart. Remember, the greatest things in life are not
things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in
the world once said, “A simple life in the fear of God is better than a
rich life with a ton of headaches.” Proverbs 15 v 16
Don’t settle on just achieving “the good life”, because the good life is
not good enough. Ultimately it doesn’t satisfy. You can have a lot to
live on and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for “the better life”
– serving God in a way that expresses your heart. Figure out what you
love to do – what God gave you a heart to do and then do it for His
glory.”
Taken from Rick Warren’s book – The Purpose Driven Life
Eileen and Peter’s son Douglas decorating the church for the season of Pentecost
Dates to Remember
Lunch Club
2nd June
12:30 onwards for a 1:00 meal
NB There will not be any more Lunch Clubs
until October because of Eileen having an
operation.
Fellowship Evenings
Mondays at 7:30pm
dates and venues to be arranged.
Come and join us – we have an enjoyable time, learning
from each other and from the Bible, sharing and praying!
Service at The Hawthorns Care Home
Sunday 5th June at 2pm led by Buxton URC
Contributions for the magazine
We appreciate your contributions so please keep
them coming.
Contributions please for the next magazine to
Eileen and Peter Blane by
Monday 27th June 2016
for the July/August publication.
To ensure your magazine is as informative as possible
please keep us up-to-date with news and events.
Tel: 01298 27591 or email [email protected]
Sunday Worship
Family Service 10.30 a.m.
Communion Service - 2nd Sunday of each month
We offer a sincere, loving welcome to all
in Christian Worship
Minister: Rev. Steve Fisher
Tel. No: 01298 938831.
Web site: www.buxtonurc.org.uk
Weekly Activities for Children and Young People

Rainbows:
Tues. 5 - 6pm
Leader: Stephanie Sterndale
(Mobile Tel. No: 07967205209)

Brownies:
Thurs. 5:30 – 7pm
Leader: Cath Sterndale
(Mobile Tel. No: 07973670595)

Guides:
Tues. 6pm
Leader: Stephanie Sterndale
(Mobile Tel. No: 07967205209)

Senior Guides: Thurs. 7:15-9:15pm
Leader: Julie Parker
(Mobile Tel. No: 07712-885442)
Other Activities
Fellowship Evenings – Mondays
Lunch Club – 1st Thursday in the month