Witney Congregational Church
May 2008
Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole fabric is bound together,
as it grows into a temple, dedicated to the Lord – Ephesians 2:21
4 Welch Way Witney Oxon OX28 6JF
Tel 01993 709992
www.witneycongregational.org.uk
[email protected]
WHAT’S ON GUIDE
Witney Congregational Church offer a whole range of activities through which we seek to
Worship, Work and Witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in this community today.
Further information can be obtained from the Church Administrator, Minister, Church
Secretary or the leaders of the particular activities who are listed at the back of this
magazine.
WORSHIP
Daily Worship
Noah’s Ark Service
Saturday Praise
Sunday Services
9.30 am
10.30 am
2.00 pm
11.00am
10.30 am
6.00 pm
Mon-Fri
Short time of Prayer and Reading
Saturday
Short time of Prayer and Reading
Tuesday
For under 5’s parents and carers
st
1 Saturday of the month
There is a crèche facility at both services
Communion is normally held twice during the month at the first Sunday evening and third
Sunday morning services
PRAYER
The Church is open each morning for Prayer; also in the Garden Room on Sunday morning
and evening prior to, and after, Worship – All welcome
STUDY & FELLOWSHIP
Wednesday 7.30 pm
Friday
10.00 am
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Sunday
10.30 am
Monday
10.00 am
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Monthly
Tuesday
Monthly
Bi-Monthly
Thursday
10.00 am
Saturday
10.30 am
Church
Church
Crèche, Noah’s Ark & The K.I.C.K. on Sundays
Noah’s Ark – Infant Group for babies and pre-school children
Hi 5’s
Deacon’s Meeting
Church Meeting
Rest & Chat (Coffee/Tea available)
Coffee Morning
SUNDAY LINK
Weekly bulletin for all Christians providing stimulating thought along with news and notices
concerning our Church
WITNEY ECUMENICAL YOUTH TRUST (BASE 33)
4 Welch Way (Entrance – High Street)
01993 777870
St ANDREW’S BOOKSHOP
01993 709429
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday 09.00 am – 5.00 pm
Jude Levermore
All very quickly it seems we have
reached the month of May, normally
associated with the last part of Spring,
and the beginning of Summer. May Day
has been a traditional day of festivities
throughout the centuries. It is most
associated with towns and villages
celebrating springtime fertility and
revelry with village fetes and community
gatherings. Perhaps the most significant
of the traditions is the Maypole, around
which traditional dancers circle with
ribbons. Much of this tradition derive
from the pagan Anglo-Saxon customs
held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" (the Old
English name for the month of May
meaning Month of Three Milkings).
We still have much to look forward to in
the way of two public holidays during
the month – the 5th & 26th.
This month will also enable us to
live out the love of Christ in service to
the world by means of Christian Aid
Week - which runs from 11th – 17th. You
are encouraged to support this in
whatever way your personal
circumstances may permit.
Turning to the contents, here is
a glimpse of what has been submitted,
which this month concentrates on a
global context: Peter Gamston gives a
reflection on the Discussion Group;
Beryl Cartwright gives an insight into
their recent Australian holiday; There
is an update on the Hayes family in
Australia; Finn Obriain gives us an
update on her ‘down under’ experience
and CWM celebrates 30 years, to name
but a few.
Many thanks for those who have
contributed for this edition, but would
also encourage anyone to consider
submitting articles for the remainder of
the year, by either:
• Floppy Disk/CD
• E-mail: [email protected]
or [email protected]
• Or, if you haven’t got a PC, just
plainly written on paper which can be
typed up
For your information, the magazine for
the remainder of the year is due on:
1st June; 29th June; 31st Aug; 5th Oct; 2nd
Nov & 30th Nov
ESSENTIAL NOTE: In order to meet
these deadlines, all contributions should
be submitted NO LATER THAN the
WEDNESDAY of the week in which
the magazine will be published.
Your Editor
Contents
1. Editorial
2. Diary
4. Minister’s Letter
5. Bible Study
9. Discussion Group
11. Finn in Fiji
12. Inside Out & CWM
16. Commit for life
17. CF Mailing
19. Cartwright’s Australian Trip
21. Finances
23. Prayer Letter No 122
25. The Hayes in Australia
27. Church Family
28. Rotas
Worship Theme for 2008: Walk Through The Lectionary
Introduction
A Lectionary is a list of Scripture readings assigned
to the various days in the Church Calendar. These
readings are set according to the major events in
the life of Christ and his Church (known as
liturgical seasons), which are retold each year by
the Church Calendar. As the year progresses,
worshippers get the opportunity to celebrate the
Advent of Christ, relive his transfiguration, his
temptation in the wilderness, and his passion,
triumphant resurrection and glorious ascension; they’re also able to relive the dramatic
events that accompanied the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at the formation of the
Church, as well as to honour the memory of saints who have died, and so forth.
When our worship is shaped by the use of a lectionary, it allows us to journey
through the Scriptures in a systematic way, and to become a part of a tradition that has
shaped the life and witness of the Christian Church for centuries. This year, as we walk
through the pages of the lectionary, it is my prayer that we will encounter the Word of
God in new and challenging ways; that the Scriptures will come alive, transforming us by
its life-giving power; and that, importantly, we’ll see the continued relevance of the Bible
to the issues we all face today as citizens of the 21st Century.
Daily Prayer Time
Mon-Fri 9.30 am
Sat 10.30am
Services (10.30 am & 6.00pm and will be led by Rev Norman Francis unless otherwise stated)
May
4th
11th
18th
25th
June
1st
7th
am
pm
am
pm
am
pm
am
pm
Ascension of the Lord: The meaning of life
Communion
Rev Jason Boyd
Day of Pentecost
Judi Holloway
What in the world are we doing?
Communion
CTiW Service at Davenport Road Methodist church
Winning over worry
Nanna Blackman
am
pm
am
Building according to code
Communion
11.00am
Saturday Praise (Praise, Prayer & Reflection)
The following events in May are given for your particular attention:
6th
Deacons Meeting
th
8
Fellowship Group – 109 Cogges Hill Road
th
10
Prayer Chain meeting
9.15am
Cong Federation Assembly – Plymouth
11th–17th
Christian Aid Week
th
16
Christian Aid quiz evening 7.00pm
18th
20th
22nd
30th
Sunday Diners
Meditation
Church meeting
Pins & Needles
Hi5’s Skittles evening
1.00pm
7.30pm
7.30pm
7.30pm
7.00pm
Minister’s Letter
It’s Hard To Be Number 2
Dear Friends,
There’s never a dull moment in a day in
the life our planet Earth: Zimbabwe’s
political future remains unsure as
Mugabe appears unwilling to concede
defeat in the country’s most recent
elections; the standoff between China
and the people of Tibet continues,
sparking international protest action as
the Olympic torch makes its way around
the world; the run-up to the US
Presidential elections is laden with
suspense as Obama and Clinton fight on
neck-and-neck to win their party’s
nomination in what is no doubt one of
the fiercest Primaries in US history;
and casualties continue to mount as
combatants and innocent civilians alike
are senselessly killed on the streets in
places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel and
Palestine.
I could go on, but I think enough has
been said already to remind us of just
how much our world is riddled with
conflict, which begs the question: When
will all this conflict and mayhem come to
an end? I believe the turmoil and
confusion we now experience will end
only when the people of the world begin
to embrace the kingdom values taught
by Jesus in the Beatitudes found in
Luke 6:20-23. If you take the time to
read this passage you’ll notice that it
presents a reversal of popular values –
it is those who are poor, hungry,
grieving and excluded whose needs will
ultimately be met. This is a stern
warning against those who are now
prosperous, well-fed, happy and
embraced by the popular culture (vv 2426), because of greed and selfishness.
Yes, many of us still think of ourselves
first. We’re always looking out for
number one. When personalized motor
vehicle license plates were introduced in
Illinois, in the USA, the Department of
Motor Vehicles received over 1,000
requests for plates to be imprinted with
“Number 1.” The state official whose
job it was to approve the requests said,
"I'm not going to assign it to someone
and disappoint more than 1,000 other
people, so I'll give it to myself!" We
keep looking for ways to be number one
– first in line; first at the check-out
counter; first out of the crowded
parking lot; first to develop space-age
weaponry; first to boast nuclear
technology – without considering the
wider consequences of our actions,
which may range from being mildly
annoying, to being of global significance.
So how can we set off the process of
ending the conflict and mayhem that
have come to characterize our world
today? It is by living the kingdom values
as Jesus did! Think of how different
our world would be if everyone did this.
But the process has to begin with
me……and you.
Yours in Christ,
Norman O. Francis
The following Bible Study series has
been submitted by Rev Norman Francis,
and is entitled:
Dangerous Praying
Part 9: From Praying to Pleading1
Ephesians 6:10-22
Review
So far, our exploration has led us to two
of the major passages on prayer in the
book of Ephesians: 1:15-23 (From Praise
to Prayer; Prayer and the Spirit; Prayer
and Hope; Prayer in Power), and 3:14-21
(From Theory to Practice; Passion in
Prayer; A Home for Christ).
This evening, our exploration now takes
to our final major passage – 6:10-22.
Here we will look at topics such as
praying at all times and praying for all
God’s people. But as usual, we begin this
new leg of the journey by taking a broad
view of the text before we move on to
make a more detailed exploration in the
ensuing issues. And so, we begin by
considering the topic From Praying to
Pleading.
From Praying to Pleading (6: 10-22)
What difference do you notice between
this passage and the others we have
looked at thus far? This passage
differs from the others in that, rather
that being a prayer, it is instruction
about prayer. More important, it is set
in a significant context – that of
spiritual warfare. This is a “conflict
(that) involves all Christians – not some
special group like missionaries, pastors
or evangelists – but all of us. Many
Christians have not seen it that way.” 2
Some argue that the name “Satan” is
just a figurative term used to describe
the cumulative effect of our fallen
nature as humans.3 The Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Genoa, Italy, is Cardinal
Diogni Tettamanzi. In 2001 he was
touted as a leading conservative
candidate to replace the Pope. Early
that same year he published 10 rules on
how to resist Satan’s temptations. Rule
number 1: "Do not forget that the devil
exists". Rule number 2: "Do not forget
that the devil is a tempter". Rule 3: "Do
not forget the devil is very intelligent
and astute"
His pastoral letter didn’t go down too
well with the Milan based Theological
Studies Centre, which condemned it as
encouraging irresponsibility. The
theologians at the Theological Studies
Centre claim that the Cardinal was
reaching back into the Middle Ages and
ignoring scientific advances in
psychology. They claim we should look
into the human psyche rather than
diabolical beings to explain evil and that
"to attribute guilt to the devil could
encourage people to be irresponsible."
This Italian debate reflects a wider
argument in the Church.4
Is the Devil a real being or simply
symbolic of human evil? What do you
think? Irrespective of what you believe
about spiritual realities, we know that
Paul could see two aspects of one reality
as he looked at the world of human
experience – the surface picture and
the hidden one. There is the more
obvious physical aspect, the world of
talking, relating, working, eating and
drinking. But interwoven with this is the
spiritual realm, where spiritual forces
are at work.
So when Paul says, “be strong in the
Lord and in his mighty power” in v 10, he
is looking at both the spiritual and the
physical realms of our existence. Both
are at work in human affairs. Our
thoughts, actions and emotions all have
a spiritual dimension as well as a
physical one. For example, when Jesus
asked his disciples, “Who do you say I
am?" (Matt 16:15), Peter responded by
saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God" (Matt 16:16). To this
response Jesus said, “this was not
revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven” (Matt 16:17). This is
not to say that Peter didn’t think and
speak the words. They were his words;
he was responsible for them. But
another dimension was involved, which
Jesus recognized to be the more
significant one.
“The King James Version of verse 12
states, ‘For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood…’ I once heard someone
comment that most Christians
punctuate that verse wrong. They read,
‘We wrestle not – period.’ In other
words, all we need do is sit in the
church pew and sing hymns. However
Paul says, ‘We’re in a wrestling match
but it’s not against flesh and blood.’”5
The story is told that just before the
battle of Trafalgar, Nelson inquired of
Admiral Collingwood where his captain
was, and learned that he and Captain
Rotherham were not on good terms with
each other. Sending a boat for the
captain, he placed the hands of
Collingwood and Rotherham together,
pointed to the enemy’s ships, and
looking them both in the face, he said,
“Look, yonder is the enemy.” It was
enough; disagreements were forgotten,
and the victory was won.
In the midst of our conflicts with one
another, it is difficult to remember
that “yonder is the enemy,” for
ultimately our battle is against demonic
forces, against battalions of fallen
angels, against evil spirits who wield
tremendous power – not with one
another. Though we cannot see these
wicked spirit-beings, we are constantly
surrounded by them,6 and their ambition
it is to hinder and obstruct the work of
Christ and to knock the individual
Christian out of the struggle.7 This they
do by using various “schemes” such as
discouragement, frustration, confusion,
moral failure, and doctrinal error. He
knows our weakest point and aims for it.
If he cannot disable us by one method,
he will try for another. 8
In our own strength we are no match
for the devil. As Martin Luther wrote in
his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress”: “Did we
in our own strength confide; Our
striving would be losing.” But with the
armour of God, we have all we need to
hold our ground against these attacks.
And so, having drawn our attention to
the enemy, Paul now exhorts us in v. 11
to “put on the whole armour of God.” He
then proceeds to detail its components
– the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield,
helmet and sword.
But practically speaking, how do we put
on the whole armour of God? In v. 18,
Paul gives us a clue: “pray in the Spirit
on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests.” However, I prefer the
way the Good News Bible puts it, which
clearly connects the putting on of the
armour with prayer. Here, after
instructing his readers to put on the
whole armour, which he describes piece
by piece, Paul goes on to say, “Do all this
in prayer, asking for God’s help.”
What happens when we review the
components of God’s armour as it
integrates with prayer? We need truth
to pray. We need to see people for who
they are, which includes seeing how
they are subject to satanic pressures.
In this way, we will not end up fighting
against people, but for them. We need
righteousness, both in the sense of
being sure of our total acceptance by
God (Rom 5:1-5; 8:14-17), and in the
sense of our own integrity (James 5:1618). Equally necessary to prayer is faith
which, like hope enables us to see
beyond the circumstances that dampen
our ability to pray, and salvation, which
gives us the confidence to pray and a
focus for our praying. And the Word of
God guides and sustains our prayers.
Looked at in this way, it becomes plain
that putting on God’s armour and
praying are inseparable activities.
Without prayer, we won’t e able to put
on God’s armour in order to protect
ourselves effectively form the devil’s
onslaughts, and the armour becomes a
cumbersome uniform. Without the
armour, our prayers will be weak and
feeble. All the components of God’s
armour involve the interaction between
the spiritual and physical dimensions,
both operating together to help us live
faithfully for God in the world. Through
prayer and through wearing God’s
armour, we can build up our strength in
the Lord so that we genuinely reflect
that we are a part of God’s new
community. Together they provide us
with the way to become stronger in God.
Conclusion
While it is certainly inspiring to listen
to a great pianist, those who aspire to
be pianists need to get involved in
actually playing the piano themselves. In
the same way, prayer is not just for the
outstanding people of God like Paul; it is
for ordinary people like us. Church
members and ministers; those who
struggle to control their tongues or
their tempers; husbands and wives;
parents and children; managers and
workers are all called to pray. So, having
prayed passionately and movingly for
God’s hope, power and love to fill the
Ephesian Christians, Paul now calls on
them to get involved in actual praying.
Indeed, in v. 20, he asks them to pray
for him so that he can fulfil his Godgiven calling. He did not see prayer,
therefore, as the exclusive right of
apostles. Prayer involved the whole
church. Paul not only believed in prayer
enough to pray for Christians
everywhere; he believed in it enough to
desire that they also pray for him.
Thus Paul rounds off his letter to the
Ephesians with a challenge to pray. Five
times between vv. 18 and 20 we find the
words “pray” and “prayer,” reinforcing
the idea that prayer is a vital part of
the daily diet of the Christian life.
Prayer should be continual, not sporadic;
a habit, not an isolated act. Then too
the Christian should use all kinds of
prayer: public and private; planned and
spontaneous; supplication and
intercession; confession and
repentance; praise and thanksgiving. 9
Learning Exercise
Read Ephesians 6:10-20. Using the list
of God’s armour and their equivalent in
the Christian life, prayerfully reflect on
which of these is a strength and which
is a weakness for you. If it helps, mark
each with an “S” (strength), or “W”
(weakness). Pray that you will use your
strengths to help others, and that God
will strengthen your weakness.
1
GOD’S
ARMOUR
EQUIVALENT IN
CHRISTIAN LIFE
Belt
Breastplate
Truth
Righteousness
Shoes
Shield
Readiness to share the gospel
Faith
Helmet
Salvation
Sword
Word of God
Adapted from David Spriggs, Dangerous
Praying: Inspirational Ideas for Individuals and
Groups, Bletchley: Scripture Union, 2000.
2
Derek Prince, Spiritual Warfare, Springdale,
Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1987, 10.
3
Walter Wink, Unmasking the Powers: The
Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence,
Philadelphia: Fortress press, 1998.
4
Scott Higgins. Debate reported in Sydney
Morning Herald March 2001.
5
Derek Prince, ibid.
6
MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. 1997, c1995.
Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New
Testaments. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid.
The following has been extracted from
Church News Service, and is entitled:
The Trinity
Trying to explain the doctrine of the
Trinity has kept many a theologian
busy down the centuries. One helpful
picture is to imagine the sun shining
in the sky. The sun itself – way out
there in space – unapproachable in its
fiery majesty – is the Father. The light
that flows from it, and which
illuminates all our lives, is the Son. The
heat that flows from it, and which gives
us all the energy to move and grow, is
the Holy Spirit.
You cannot have the sun without its
light and its heat. The light and the
heat are from the sun, are of the sun,
and yet are also distinct in themselves,
with their own roles to play.
In other words, the sun eternally gives
off light and heat, and whenever we
stand in its brilliant light, we find that
the warmth soon follows.
The following article has been
submitted by Peter Gamston, and is a
reflection on the Discussion Group, and
is entitled:
They crowned Him with a crown of
thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days,
and human flesh was cheap.
Who is Christ for us Today?
When Jesus came to Birmingham they
simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only
let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and
they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street,
and left Him in the rain.
We began, this month, a new short
series entitled “Who is Christ for us
Today?”. The thought is taken from a
letter from prison dated 30 April, 1944
from Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his friend
Eberhard Bethge. He writes “You would
be surprised, and perhaps even worried,
by my theological thoughts and the
conclusions that they lead to; and this is
where I miss you most of all, because I
don’t know anyone else with whom I
could so well discuss them to have my
thinking clarified. What is bothering me
incessantly is the question what
Christianity really is, or indeed who
Christ really is , for us today.”
Bonhoeffer here stressing what a
privaledge and responsibility it is to be
able to discuss our thoughts openly and
honestly. Times of war challenge
complacent theology; I wanted to begin
the exploration with some thoughts
fashioned in the previous conflict.
Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy,
MC (June 27, 1883 - March 8, 1929),
was an Anglican priest and poet. He was
nicknamed 'Woodbine Willie' during
World War I for giving Woodbine
cigarettes along with spiritual aid to
injured and dying soldiers. This poem of
his is entitled `Indifference’
When Jesus came to Golgotha they
hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands
and feet, and made a Calvary;
Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for
they know not what they do,"
And still it rained the wintry rain that
drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home and left the
streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall and
cried for Calvary.
From : The Unutterable Beauty - The
Collected Poetry of G. A. Studdert
Kennedy
I’m greatly indebted to Ken Lee for
drawing my attention to his work, which
I had not previously known. If anyone
would like to read more of his poetry
the full text can be found on the
Internet at:
http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts
/dasc/TUB.HTM
or selections with some commentary at
the Representative Poetry Online site:
http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poet/413
.html
The language of the poem is perhaps
dated, though non-the-worse for that,
but the indifference it portrays seems
as prevalent today as then, perhaps
more so. Why is this? The poem itself
alludes to the cultural differences that
two millennia of progress have wrought.
In the forward to another of his books,
published in 1928 under the splendid
title of "Food For The Fed-Up"
Studdert Kennedy writes “I have
assumed that the hall-mark of the
modern mind which separates it from
the mind of yesterday is the idea of
progress, the conception of man and
man's world as being unfinished things
which are in process of creation. What
has happened in modern times is that
the idea of progress has become so
dominant and powerful and so widely
spread that we must either think out
and express our religion in terms of
that idea, or go without one altogether.”
When Paul took the message of Christ
from its Jewish roots into the gentile
world he re-thought and expressed it in
terms of contemporary Greek ideas; the
dominant culture of the region in his
day. Tensions with ‘grass roots
conservatives’ are apparent, if only
hinted at in Scripture. All four of our
canonical gospels, indeed the whole of
the New Testament with the probable
exception of the Epistle of James,
reflect that Pauline Christological
perspective. Had Paul travelled in time
as well as space and encountered an
alien culture, perhaps such as
Birmingham 2008, I have no doubt he
would have preached the same Christ,
but would he, I wonder have preached
the same Christology? Have we allowed
the message, so fresh and vital when
the New Testament was really New in
absolute terms and not just in relation
to the ‘Old’, to become ossified in a
culture now long forgotten? Have we
really taken up Studdert Kennedy’s
challenge, now itself some eighty five
years old, to think out and express our
religion in terms of the modern
conception of man and man's world as
being unfinished things which are in
process of creation.
We therefore concluded our discussion
with a very brief look at his Christology.
What is the Christology expressed in
Studdert Kennedy’s poem? Is it not
exactly this expressed more directly:
For wherever there is a brother or
sister, there Christ’s own body is
present; and wherever Christ’s body
is present, his church-community is
also always present, which means I
must also be present there.” (Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, pg. 236)
Can we own so costly a Christology;
dare we? For Studdert Kennedy this
was a vision not so much preached as
practised. How can we begin to
reconcile contemporary conceptions of
man's world with Christ’s vision of
‘the kingdom of God on earth’ in ways
that engage with and excite our
generation without compromising the
vision?
In the next meeting or two we will
continue to explore these themes and
look a little at some more thoughts of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer and perhaps
Jürgen Moltmann. All are most welcome.
The following article has been
submitted by Finn Obriain, and
completes the travelling experience
‘down under’
Hey - tonight is our last night in
civilisation for a while - were going to a
little island tomorrow, which only has
electricity for half the day and
definitely no Internet so I’m writing
this while we upload the Fiji photos!!
We arrived in Fiji to rain!! It turned out
to be the end of the rainy season - we
were very pleased to hear that it would
end soon and it does seem to have dried
up a bit but when it rains it really really
does!!
We have travelled all around the main
island of Fiji on a very bumpy and
slightly unreliable bus!!! But have met
loads of the locals doing it who are very
friendly and like hearing that we’re
from near Oxford as that's apparently
where some of the chiefs were sent to
University!!
We stayed on an island close to the
mainland called Robinson Crusoe Island
where they put on Fire dancing shows
(although this is actually native to
Samoa) and did traditional war dances!!!
These were pretty cool and also a bit
scary! However the traditional food was
well good!!!!
Round the island we've been to a few
markets - where everyone tries to
persuade you that their stuff is the
best and the best price, and kayaked in
the sea to look at the coral and the fish
which come in really close to shore and
are really pretty - especially the blue
star fish, waited for a lot of buses and
eaten a lot of coconut!!
Tonight we're back in Nadi (where we
flew into) and getting ready to go to
an island in The Yasawas! It's a small
island with limited electricity (for half
the day) and water but has amazing
beaches and sea life. I'm really looking
forward to chilling out and relaxing for
a week and a half before I come home!
But there's a lot to see on the main
island and you definitely feel like you’re
in a different world to home! The people
are nice but the shops are a bit odd and
the roads are terrible. The resorts are
really good especially compared to what
a lot of people live in - very hot
corrugated iron houses that leak. The
church or Temple is always the best
building in the town and sometimes this
is just a shack too!
There have been some awesome sunsets
and I have loads of photos of them and
everywhere else I’ve been!
Not long to go until I’m home now (11th
May), so looking forward to seeing you
all soon!
News around
the world
The following article has been
submitted by Marjorie Lee, and is
entitled:
Inside Out
‘Do you see this penny
it is brought by me ….’
This is the beginning of a song that was
sung when I was young. It goes on to:
‘Tell the children Jesus loves them all’
In those days we were ‘missionary
minded’ following people out on service
and collecting our ship half pennies for
the John Williams ship that worked in
the South Seas and Australia. The
London Missionary Society (LMS) was an
important part of the vision of the
church, heeding our Lord’s great
command; Mark 16:15
The message remains the same but the
world became smaller with instant news
and air travel accessible to most people.
The LMS looked to see where God was
leading and in 1966, after much
consultation, the Council for World
Mission (CWM) came into being; A
partnership of some 22 churches worldwide. It is through CWM that Norman &
Karen Francis came to us, to share their
vision and hopes with us.
‘Inside Out’ is CWM’s magazine. It
contains news of our global community
of churches as we celebrate 30 years
declaring Jesus is Lord.
The following information has been taken
from CWM Website dated 2nd May, so is
up to date at the editing of this month’s
magazine
Statement on Zimbabwe
The Council for World Mission (CWM),
Communauté d'Eglises en Mission
(Cevaa), and United Evangelical Mission
(UEM) unite in a call for international
prayer and solidarity with the people of
Zimbabwe.
With disturbing reports of a terror
campaign conducted by the ruling ZanuPF regime against opposition party
supporters, the international community
can no longer simply call for election
results to be made known, or merely
issue statements of condemnation.
The South African Development
Community (SADC), The African Union
(AU) and the United Nations (UN), in
particular, are morally obliged to act.
We call upon the SADC, AU and the UN
to act immediately, effectively and
decisively;
To bring sustained pressure upon
Robert Mugabe and the ruling ZanuPF regime to halt their campaign of
intimidation and terror;
To call for Robert Mugabe and the
Zanu-PF party to accept the
legitimate outcome of democratic
elections already held within the
country and to stand down with
immediate effect.
Solomon Islands faces community
crisis over logging
For the people of the Solomon Islands
the noise of chainsaws is the sound of
self destruction. United Church in
Solomon Islands human resource
development programme coordinator,
Rev Milton Talasasa, says the impact of
commercial logging has led to social and
family breakdowns along with the
environmental damage.
"Logging doesn't help communities, it
only helps the logging companies and the
very few chiefs who are paid by the
companies," Talasasa says.
It is here the CWM-member United
Church in Solomon Islands has stepped
in. "We encourage people not to allow
their forest to be destroyed by logging.
Instead they can seek other means of
earning an income," he says. "We have
programmes to teach them how to mill
timber in a sustainable way and so they
can build their own homes and also set
up businesses selling the wood to the
government for housing and projects or
to private businesses."
The church also offers educational
programmes in basic management skills
and account keeping, along with training
in using power tools, such as chain saws.
Talasasa says he would like to see
logging in the Solomon Islands stopped
altogether, but he also believes the
logging companies have a social
responsibility while they are operating.
"I would like to see real benefits,
tangible benefits such as good roads,
good electricity, and a good health
system. Those people who have sold land
should have better houses," he says.
Zambia - Church leaders wrestle
over Chinese investment
Church leaders in Zambia have raised
concerns that dependence on
investment from China may harm their
nation. China now controls the country's
textile industry and is also investing in
the country's mining industry.
While initially welcomed, many people in
Zambia now feel they have swapped one
colonial power for another, according to
the United Church of Zambia general
secretary Rev Chrispin Mbalazi.
Mbalazi said the closure of factories
and the replacement of Zambian
workers with Chinese has sparked
growing discord within the country.
"Socially and economically things are
really tough," he says.
"The most unfortunate part of this in
our view, as a church, is the way the
government is calling on investors from
just one country. So while the Chinese
are investing, it has not gone well
because there are many people who
believe they are not getting what they
are supposed to be getting.
"The ordinary Zambian is yet to see the
benefits."
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The following articles have been
extracted from ‘Commit for Life’, and
submitted by Marjorie Lee
sat together, and shared a welcome cold
drink, and became a sign of what could
be. Abraham would have been pleased.
Press Release 2008
‘How very good and pleasant it is when
kindred live together in unity’ (Ps 133).
It is indeed
According to a new report published on
6th March by a coalition of leading
humanitarian and human rights
organisations, the humanitarian
situation in Gaza is worse now than it’s
been at any time since the beginning of
the Israeli occupation in 1967. The
weekend’s upsurge in violence and human
misery underlines the urgency of this
report
*****
Hope in Hebron
Yehuda was our guide. We met by the
Israeli entrance to the Ibrahimi
Mosque. Yehuda, the observant Jew,
was warmly greeted by one of the
Palestinian shopkeepers who eke out a
meagre living selling souvenirs to the
few tourists who make it to this part of
Hebron – with a kiss.
Later, we all crowded into the sittingroom of Hashem, a Palestinian friend of
the Ecumenical Accompaniment
Programme, and of the Christian
Peacemaker Teams. To get to Hashem’s
house you have to scramble over walls,
along rocky paths, and sometimes run
the gauntlet of stone-throwing settlers.
All because he cannot use his front
door, for fear of attack from extremist
settlers who live opposite him in the
street he can no longer use. Hashem,
too, greeting Yehuda (and me) with a
kiss. And, when Hashem says, as he did
again today, that if Israelis had come in
peace, they would have been welcomed.
I believe him. At least in his sittingroom today, Muslim, Jew and Christian
*****
Prayer
O God of peace and reconciliation
Lift up the International leaders who
search for peace
They have talked before without
success
They face a difficult road and many
obstacles
Inspire them to move from words to
actions that fulfil a greater vision of
peace
Arouse in them a passion for
righteousness
Bless them and their work for peace
The following poem, written by Patience
Strong, has been submitted by Maureen
Miles
Give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you
Give of the friendship that all men
crave
And your friends will be many and true
Give love and love to your life will flow
A strength in your utmost need
Have faith and a score of friends will
show
Their faith in your word and deed
g
n
i
l
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T
Congregational Federation
Issue 2008/04
Bringing together independent free churches for mutual support through a
vision of unity in creative diversity
Latest news and
resources available from
the Congregational
Federation
Forthcoming Events
May
CTBI Senior Forum - Edinburgh
1st
Go Weekend - Witney 2/4th
May Assembly - Plymouth 10th
CFL Advisory Group 13th
Investment Trust & Trading
Board 14th
Pilots Day - Longleat 17th
June
UCCC mtg 2/3rd
Training Board 6th
FCFC Directors 25th
Training Weekend level 1 plus
27/29th
HOPE 08 takes to the community
The Federation is committed to
encouraging churches to engage with Hope
'08. It is a huge opportunity to impact this
nation like never before. Bringing together
every type of Christian denomination,
organisation and movement, the year long
initiative plays on all their strengths to see
lives transformed and bring lasting change.
It has the potential to be a catalyst, for
much more than a year, for lasting word
and deed evangelism. As we move into the
Pentecost season we remember when the
Holy Spirit first came on the members of
the early church. They spilled out of the
room where they had been meeting and
praying together, their actions were seen
by the thousands gathered in Jerusalem,
ultimately seeing 3,000 people saved. This
is a great reminder to us to let our activities
break out of our church buildings and to get
onto the streets where we live.
One of the challenges for HOPE 08 is to
get Christians all over the country joining
together to give 1,000,000 hours of
kindness in the form of practical help to
their communities. The long Bank Holiday
weekend in May (the weekend before
Pentecost) provides us with a great
Special points of
interest:
• HOPE 08 - we need
your pictures
• May Assembly -You’re
presence is
requested
• CWM Taiwan
opportunity
• Onè Respé - Honour
and Respect
• News round up
opportunity to serve the spiritual, physical
and social needs of those around us and to
get really practical! Each hour we give to
serve others is an hour where we are
worshipping God by following the example
Jesus set for us in being the gospel as well
as talking about it.
We want to hear about your events over
the May bank holiday weekend - we
want to receive photographs of your
hours of kindness. Please email your
photos to [email protected]
as soon as possible following the event.
The aim is to produce a montage
presentation for the May Assembly on
May 10th.
Come on down!
The 177th Congregational
Assembly takes place on
May 10th at the Methodist
Central Hall Plymouth.
The South West Area
Association issues a warm
invitation, they remind us
we are all needed as the
day will be about the Lord’s
business.
New style Report and
Recommendations are now
with churches, further
copies available upon
request.
Make it a weekend and visit
one of the Federation’s
nearby churches on the
Sunday morning for further
fellowship.
CWM opportunity to participate in Global consultation
A Community of Women and Men in
Mission global workshop is to be
hosted by the Presbyterian Church in
Taiwan from 6-11 October 2008.
The Federation is being invited to
submit names for consideration to
CWM for this gathering.
The Council for World Mission (CWM)
is a worldwide community of Christian
churches. It is a partnership based on
equality and mutual respect for one
another’s gifts in God’s mission.
Women have played a significant role
in the leadership of CWM. Through the
sharing of experiences between the
churches there was a growing
awareness of the need to strengthen
the partnership of women and men in
CWM and its member churches. This
was driven by the desire to enhance
the mission we share, in God’s name,
by enabling all people, men or women.
The Community of Women and Men in
Mission (CWMM) was formed by the
Council for World Mission in 1992 with
the following aims:
•
Promote equal partnership
between men and women.
•
Put an end to violence against
women.
•
Increase economic empowerment
for women
•
Assure equal access to education
and health.
To this end Team Visits were
organised to member churches of
which the Federation was involved in
2004 – you may have
well been involved in
some way.
up on the common themes and seek
to review the present day challenges.
Are you actively involved in addressing
issues of gender justice, willing to
undertake necessary preliminary
research and preparation, willing to
report back within the structures of CF
There will be three representatives
chosen from the European Region.
Would you like to apply for this
workshop – if so contact Michael
Heaney General Secretary at the
Federation offices for further
information and an application form.
This global gathering
will now seek to pick
Onè Respé - Honour Respect
Onè Respé ( a Christian Aid partner
since 1994) was founded to work in
areas where Dominicans, DominicoHaitians and Haitian migrants shared a
common space and similar living
conditions. It is based in Santiago, the
Dominican Republic’s second city; it is
a faith-inspired organisation.
The Federation will raise £10,000 each
year for a period of three years,
and any shortfall in donations will
be made up from central funds. The
main focuses of the work of Onè
Respé are: combating racism combating discrimination education - HIV awareness-raising
The hope is that through this
partnership with Christian Aid our
The Congregationalist
Essential reading for all
Congregationalists
Are you getting your copy?
churches will be encouraged and
enabled to work for justice in this
community in the Dominican Republic,
and therefore to bring about change in
the lives of deprived people. As part of
the world-wide Christian Church we
are always challenged to play a part in
bringing our vision of a fairer world to
those in need, and to work to turn that
vision into a reality.
Look out for more information coming
soon as to how you can get involved.
News round up
CWM Partners - Terry Jin of the Presbyterian
Church of Korea is beginning a new term of
missionary partnership serving two churches
at Bilston and Dudley in the West Midlands.
Terry has previously been ministering
alongside Neil Chappell at Greenacres at
Oldham. All concerned are grateful to CWM
for enabling this further term of service.
Norman Francis of the United Church of
Jamaica and Cayman Islands comes to the
end of his term of service at Witney. He will be
undertaking a year of studies in Edinburgh
before returning home.
Churches Main Committee - This valued
body serving the churches of the UK through
advice concerning legal, government and
charity matters has now fully reformed as the
Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service. The
Federation maintains its membership and will
continue to post their full bulletins on the CF
Website and provide summary guidance
notes to churches. The CLAS has a new
website which provides further information
and can be found at www.clas.org.uk . We
understand it is still work in progress, but will
over the coming weeks be up to full speed.
May Assembly - 10th May in Plymouth - full
details including reports and accounts are
now with church Secretaries - do make your
plans to be there, it promises to be a great
day for all ages.
The Congregational Federation
8 Castle Gate Nottingham NG1 7AS
Tel: 0115 911 1460 Fax (1462)
E‑mail: [email protected]
Visit the Website for more copies
of this Mailing and much more at
www.congregational.org.uk
The following article has been
submitted by Beryl Cartwright, and is
entitled:
The Cartwright Australian
Trip
Now that we are back to our usual
routine it hardly seems possible that we
have been to the other side of the
world. We felt very privileged to be fit
and well enough to undertake the
journey to see Fiona, Ian and family, my
sister and the Lindsays, all in Australia.
En route we were able to visit Pip’s
relatives in L.A. and a family friend in
Auckland, Jim Bentley.
Some of you may remember the Lindsay
family. They lived in Witney for a year
in 1991 and worshipped regularly with us
in the old church. They have since been
back to England twice and worshipped in
our new church. Others may remember
Jim Bentley who not only worshipped
with us for three years but also lead
services on occasions.
We were able to attend worship in 3
Churches all with different styles of
worship but all meaningful .We went to a
Baptist Church with Pip’s cousin in L.A.,
a Reformed Baptist Church with my
sister in Adelaide, my niece’s husband is
the Minister, then with Fiona, Ian and
family to a Presbyterian Church in
McClean 21 miles from the village Iluka
where they are now living. Quite a
journey and we got there on time !! It
was good to feel part of God’s family
meeting and worshipping with other
Christians in different parts of the
world. We experienced the generosity
of fellow Christians in Adelaide where
friends of my sister took us into the
city to see the ‘Festival of Lights’ and
then in McClean where 2 Church
members discovered we would be in
Yamba that afternoon and invited all
the family to tea. Yamba is another 13
miles east of McClean on the other side
of the estuary from Iluka.
Iluka is a small fishing village is situated
on the estuary of the River Clarence
where it flows into the Pacific Ocean on
the north east coast of N.S.W. Iluka is
a very quiet village with very wide roads
but hardly any traffic, few shops,
caravan sites, one hotel, golf course and
a working fishing harbour. As well as
the commercial fishing harbour with
boats arriving early morning with the
night’s catch, lots of amateur fisherman
fish directly from the beach, the fish
swim that close. Pelicans are in
abundance watching and diving for fish,
what an amazing bird. We saw a number
of sea eagles and other estuary birds as
well as the colourful rosellas and noisy
kookaburras.
Fiona, Ian, James, Thomas and Hannah
have settled in well and are really
enjoying the laid back Australian way of
life. When we were there the weather
was very warm and sunny but since the
haze in January they have had
torrential rain most days. They are in
the rain forest area. However many
parts of Australia are experiencing long
periods of drought, 2 years in the case
of Adelaide.
The beaches along the coast are so
beautiful, clean and deserted with miles
of firm golden sand. The sea always has
an attraction for us. It was lovely to
watch the boys enjoying themselves
swimming and body boarding in the sea
whist Hannah enjoys digging in the sand
and making sand castles. She is
beginning to get used to the sea and
becoming more confident. Fiona has
acclimatised to the teaching regime of a
small village school and is enjoying the
experience. Ian has adapted again to
being ‘house husband’, having fun looking
after Hannah and playing golf when
Hannah is at nursery 2 days a week.
During our time in Iluka and surrounds
we saw quite a few kangaroos in the wild
and a koala. We found out that the
collective noun for a group of kangaroos
is a ‘mob’. The koala we saw was at the
top of a tall tree in the ‘bush’ (aussie
name for the outback/forest) on the
land of a colleague of Fiona’s. She kindly
took us one evening walking through the
bush for about an hour until we spotted
the koala. We all oohed and aahed and
took photos then took another route
back to her farm. As we were driving
back along the dirt road to Iluka we saw
2 kangaroos, one with a joey in her
pouch. The children were very excited.
We all got out of the cars to take
photos but they hopped away. We had a
wonderful time with the family and
although it was sad to say goodbye we
are fortunate to keep in touch by e-mail
and skpe (instant camera phone link via
computer)
After Iluka we drove south for 2 days
arriving in Sydney where we stayed with
the Lindsays. Louise kindly took us to
Canberra for the weekend .It was a
very interesting and informative visiting
the capital city of Australia. We had a
guided tour of Parliament house which
was architecturally so amazing. Alan was
involved in soccer matches so couldn’t
join us.
From Sydney we headed home via Hong
Kong. Phoebe Gamston had kindly
advised us what to see and do in such a
short in time in Hong Kong, so armed
with a map we felt quite confident in
finding our way around this
overcrowded, fascinating and spotless
city. We even saw a heavily police
guarded rehearsal of the Olympic Torch
being ferried across the river. By the
number of police launches and outrider
boats and helicopter we thought it must
be a prominent politician but turned out
to be an attractive young lady holding a
white cone !!!We were amused !!
So having arrived home we feel really
blessed by having had so many
wonderful experiences and especially
being the recipients of the generous
hospitality of family and friends. God is
so good !
Financial update
From Nanna Blackman, Church Treasurer
Dear Members and Friends
The offerings in March were the lowest of the year so far. This was somewhat surprising
to me as Easter is a time when our Church sees more visitors and when I would expect us
to focus on the Church and Our Risen Lord. Realistically of course it is also a time of
holidays, so perhaps that is the explanation. Whatever the reason you will see on the bar
chart below that, where February was quite generous, March was somewhat poor from the
viewpoint of offerings.
Offerings and Donations 2007/8
3000
Pounds
2500
2000
Income
1500
Budget/month
1000
500
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ar
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Month
The deficit against budget, as pictured in the graph below, is now £5,192 against a budget
of £22,500.00. This does put our ministry within the Church and our Outreach activities
at risk.
Deficit from Budget
Accumulated offering income vs Budget
Accumulated offering
25000
15000
10000
5000
D
Month
M
ar
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Maintenance
Hopefully you will have noticed the kitchen has been painted and freshened up. This is one
of the more visible maintenance activities that are going on.
Budget for 2008/2009
The Deacons will shortly be working on the 2008/9 budget. If you have any suggestions
for inclusions or exclusions please speak to me or one of the Deacons. Remember it’s your
Church.
If I can help with any financial or practical queries please feel free to contact me.
Your servant in Christ
Nanna
The following poem has been submitted
by Nanna Blackman, and is entitled:
A Sense of humour
Sometimes I must look
Funny to your eyes.
My silly questions,
My inane replies
Must crease the Face Eternal
With a smile,
And make the angels
Giggle for a while!
The following poem has been submitted
by June Woodley
Just where he leads me
My Lord has placed me
Just where he leads me
There I will be
And since he found me
By love he has bound me
To serve him faithfully
I think you know,
All-seeing eyes can see,
That now and then
I even laugh at me!
The following has been extracted from
Church News Service, and is entitled:
In private moments, Lord,
I wonder whether
We might agree sometime
To laugh together?
A Sunday school teacher was discussing
the Ten Commandments with her five and
six year olds. After explaining the
commandment to "honour thy father and
thy mother," she asked "Is there a
commandment that teaches us how to
treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat, one little boy
answered, "Thou shall not kill."
From Words of Life
The Bible Day by Day
Author: General John Gowans
Published by the Salvation Army
Available from St Andrew’s Bookshop
Applied Law
PRAYER LETTER
No 122
God loves a cheerful giver
2 Corinthians 9 v 6-11
‘The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully
will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not
reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to provide
you with every blessing in abundance, so that by having enough of everything, you may
share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,
‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor,
His righteousness endures for ever.’
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed
for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every
way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us.’
Many people get involved with raising and giving money to charities whether they are
Christians or not. They may give for different reasons but the majority give generously
and willingly. One of the key verses from the above passage is ‘God loves a cheerful
giver’. The original Greek version for the word cheerful is hilarion. You can see where
the English word hilarious comes from.
As we approach Christian Aid Week 11-17th May , many thousands of volunteers in the
U.K. will be walking the streets for the ‘House to house ‘ collection of the red
envelopes. Many others will be organising fund raising events for Christian Aid.
Peter Graystone (365 Daily Bible Readings ) writes,
‘People who have a bountiful heart for God and His World find themselves giving
bountifully. They love doing it. God loves them doing it. The people who benefit from
the money love it. Everyone is blessed by joyful generosity’
Pray for the collectors, especially those from our Church, as they prepare and carry
out the street collections.
Pray for those who answer the doors, may they be prompted to give.
Pray that the money will be distributed wisely for the benefit of those in need in many
parts of the world.
Prayer from ‘365 D.B.R.’
Lord God who walked this earth in Jesus
bless the feet of all who bring good news for the poorthose who travel to dangerous places,
those who run on muddy paths to raise money,.
and those who walk the streets asking others to give.
Step alongside them every pace of the way, we pray.
Amen
God Bless you all,
Beryl
Please note that for up-to-date prayer requests contact Beryl Cartwright (703717)
For your thoughts/prayers:
The following article has been
extracted, with Beryl’s permission, from
a blog page, and is simply entitled:
The Hayes in Australia
What a send off! After over a year of
forms, emails and the very efficient
system of the NSW exchange program,
we ended 2007 in a rush of concerts,
Christmas parties and lots of DIY,
shopping and cleaning in preparation for
our adventure of a lifetime.
We were really touched by the kind
wishes of friends and family before we
left - including the blow up kangaroo and
cork hat from the Blake staff; cards,
phone calls, church send off and last
minute visits. Also the cleaning power of
the extended Hayes family did a
magnificent job of turning our well-worn
family home and garden, into a clean,
inviting place for our exchangees. Thank
you to Rita for remembering the oven,
as it was not on my list!!! We did at least
have the Christmas decorations up for a
week or two before taking them all
down on Boxing Day!
It was great to welcome Mark, Judy,
Montana and Gabby into our home, then
after a brief time of getting to know
each other - whisk off to Pip and Beryls
to repack for the upteenth time and
weed out more clothes to lessen the
amount we were taking.
Three suitcases, three children and two
very tired adults eventually bundled into
two cars and travelled to Heathrow for
a special send off from Rita, Gerald, Pip,
Beryl, Martin and Louise.
Arriving in Australia, we changed into
summer wear and were met by Alan as
soon as we got through customs. After a
speedy ride up and down Sydney's hilly
suburbs, we arrived at the Lindsay's
lovely home and met up with the rest of
the family. After a cup of tea, a bit of
rest, recuperation and swim, Alan asked
what we would like to do - of course the
only correct reply was to say "To go and
see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and
Opera House." This we duly did, and the
first glimpse of the Harbour Bridge
evoked a shriek from me - not unlike
when on holiday it is the first person to
see the sea - and I nearly caused Alan
to swerve along the freeway! Alan and
Louise walked with us around the
harbour as we took many photos and did
all the ooing and aahing that should be
done when first seeing this magnificent
place.
Magnificent mountains
I had listened to my Father's geography
lessons enough to know about the Snowy
Mountains and the Dividing Range, but
didn't expect for there to be so many
mountains so close to the coast. As we
travelled up the highway there are
areas where the mountains are almost
up to the sand dunes. There are areas
where the bush is so dense and hilly
that the rivers north from Sydney are
picturesque and only accessible by boat.
As we flew south to Melbourne, the
mountains went on and on - longer than
the Pyrennees, but covered with trees
and no huge areas of snow. We visited a
information place in the Blue Mountains
west of Sydney, it showed how hard the
first pioneers tried to find ways to
cross the mountains.
We have been on a trip over the
mountains, south along the tablelands
where there are 4 seasons and autumn
has taken hold with orange, yellow and
brown leaves on the trees where there
are leaves.
In fact, across the landscape there are
loads of dead trees with only the trunks
left - not sure why - whether the birds
strip them of their leaves and they die
or too many of them are struck by
lightening? That will be a question for
some locals when I get back to school.
There are waterholes scattered around
for the beef cattle. It looked a bit like
the area to the west of Murcia but
without the wheat. Across the
tablelands there are a few settlements
with wild west type image. It felt like
there should be cowboys with large guns
hiding behind the wooden buildings and
covered walkways.
Where we live
Iluka is a small village of 2200 people
living in mostly one storey sprawling
brick bungalows or in wooden
fisherman's shacks raised up on bricks
to avoid flood. It is quite pretty just to
go around the streets. Everyone looks
after their lawns and we did get a
comment from a neighbour about ours
when it had grown quite high and we
hadn't been able to cut it as it had
rained so much! It is 17 km from the
Pacific Highway and is the quieter of
the two settlements at the mouth of
the Clarence. It has a lot of retired
people but also lots of families and many
are connected to the fishing or tourist
industry.
Apart from that, everyone has been
really welcoming and very generous. A
parent from school found and fixed a
baby seat on to one of our bikes so Ian
no longer has to race from one school to
another on pre-school days. Another
parent has provided Ian with a whole
set of golf clubs, bag and trolley.
Editor’s Note: This is just a glimpse
and you never know – there may be more
(if allowed!!)
May
16th
21st
24th
27th
30th
Jean Stanley
Terry Powlesland
Pip Cartwright
George (GT) Svanikier
Pat Smith
Across
7 Fortifies building (6); 8 Moaning livestock in
Joel 1 (6); 9 Abijah's successor as king of
Judah in 1 Kings 15 (3); 10 Seventh Sunday
after Easter (9); 12 Writer of 2 NT epistles
(5); 13 .. their duties for seven-day _______
(1 Ch 9.25) (7); 15 Water shortage mentioned
in Jer 2 (7); 17 Once more (5); 20 Badgering
(9); 21 Strange (3); 23 Show (6); 24 Who
______ his ropes? (Job 39.5) (6)
April crossword answers
Thank You
A big thank you for the prayers for
Derrick’s eyes
June Woodley
Congratulations to
Susan & David Wass on
the birth of their
grandson William Stewart
9lb 8ozs 22 April
Down
1 Member of an Indian Zorozstrian sect (6);
2 Pig's home (3); 3 Precious stone on a
necklace in Song 4 (5); 4 ..strip off its leaves
and _______ its fruit (Dan 4.14) (7);
5 Hosiery (9); 6 Shut, like certain ears in Jer
6 (6); 11 City beseiged by Nebuchadnezzar in
Daniel 1 (9); 14 Thorny Lebanese plant in 2
Kings 14 (7); 16 Person with a sickle in Jer 50
(6); 18 Certainly (6); 19 Prov 11 compares a
beautiful woman who shows no discretion to a
gold ring in this part of a pig (5); 22 ..and he
___ locusts (Mark 1.6) (3)
ROTAS
DEACON & STEWARDS
May
June
04
11
18
25
01
Judi Holloway
Nanna Blackman & Joan Currie
Dave Wesson & Theo Howells
Pat & Ben Smith
Susan Wass & Val Obriain
Note: Reserve
Irene St Clair
COMMUNION
May
June
04 pm Susan Wass
Preparation
Iris Lindsay
18 am Nanna Blackman & Elaine Gundem
Pat Smith & Dave Wesson
Preparation
Rita Hayes
01
Jacqui Powlesland
Preparation
Iris Lindsay
FLOWERS
May
June
04
11
18
25
01
Joan Currie
Elaine Gundem
Beryl Cartwright
Val Obriain
Rita Hayes
04
11
18
25
01
Sue Birdseye & Linda McCormac
Sue & David Harper
Val Obriain & Sarah Hopwood
Peter Gamston & Gwen Mee
Susan Wass & Theo Howells
COFFEE
May
June
REST & CHAT
May
June
08
15
22
29
05
Jean Stanley
Iris Lindsay & Joan Currie
Pat Smith & Gwen Mee
Marjorie Lee & Elaine Gundem
Jean Stanley
Note: Reserves
June & Derrick Woodley
Every effort has been made on the rota list to meet individual circumstances. However, please
change with someone else if the dates are not convenient for you – Thank You