CHURCH NEWS HOLBROOK & CHELMONDISTON METHODIST CHURCHES LOOK AT YOURSELF AND LAUGH! I find myself in Cornwall the weekend before Easter on a few days break, normally reserved for after Easter. The weather is amazing. I spent the first five years of my life in Cornwall. My wife’s family roots are here and we have met up with her cousins and other friends who are still in the area, some of whom we haven’t seen in over 25 years. We are staying in a friend’s flat overlooking the River Fal Estuary and I always love looking through other people’s bookshelves. I spotted eight Bill Bryson books, whom my son had recommended but I hadn’t got around to reading. I’m loving it. His observations of people and in particular the British, makes you want to laugh. I was warned not to read the book in public “for fear of emitting loud snorts”! The evening after meeting our cousins, I read a chapter that described several of the things we had done that very day in catching up 25 years and I laughed! Bill, who is from the USA, has spent most of his adult life in the UK, and can get us to look at our lives and laugh at the quirky things we sometime do, me included! I think we sometimes take ourselves and life too seriously. Jesus came that we might have life and life in all its fullness. He went to a wedding party and was far from a party pooper. He was accused of mixing with the wrong crowd and of not taking the disciplines of the faith seriously! In our Bible reading on the day we met with our cousins, it suggested “going with the flow”, connecting with people and “learning the unforced rhythms of grace”. Today’s mantra is often “busy, busy, busy” and we miss living life with people. I love my job, I have quite a bit of flexibility and every day is different. Those I work with, I sometimes frustrate, because I haven’t done all the admin work expected of me, or done things in a timely way because I have gone with the flow and met with someone and given them time. Others, I might have unintentionally hurt, either because of being “busy, busy, busy” or another person came into the flow of my life and someone else was overlooked. I don’t always get the balance right. Come to think of it, I’m meant to be on holiday; the rest of the day is my wife’s and daughter’s in the beautiful Cornish countryside!
The Rev Andrew Sankey, Minister at Holbrook & Chelmondiston Methodist Churches 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07966 187216 HOLBROOK METHODIST What’s on in May (HCT Holbrook Churches Together) Mondays, 2.30-4pm: Tea and Chat (HCT) Tuesdays, May 9 & 23 at 7.30pm: Conversations Thursdays 4 & 18, 2pm at 16 Ipswich Road: Afternoon Group Saturday 6 10-11.30am Coffee Morning Sunday 7
10am
Sunday 14 10am Friday 19
3.30pm
Worship with Mr Luke Rokobuli Worship and Communion with Rev Allen Messy Church (HCT)
Sunday 21 10am
Family Friendly Worship including baptism with Rev Andrew Sankey
Sunday 28 10am 6.30pm
Worship with Mrs Diane Sawyer Worship with Rev Andrew Sankey / Something Different
Please see the noticeboard on the front of the chapel for all events in May. For more information about Messy Church, Tiddlers and Family Live contact Alicia Holmes: ajnholmes@gmail.com / 01473 658478 AT CHELMONDISTON METHODIST Toddler Group: Tuesdays from 9-11.30am Bible Study: Wednesdays at 7.30pm Sunday 7
10.45am 6.15pm
Worship with Mr Chris Jowett Worship with Rev Andrew Sankey
Sunday 14 10.45am 6.15pm
Worship and Communion with Rev Sankey Worship with Rev Derek Grimshaw
Sunday 21 10.45am 6.15pm
Worship with Mrs Margaret Brock Worship with Rev Michael Allen
Sunday 28 10.45am 6.15pm
Worship with Rev Chris Hill Worship – Local Arrangement
TWO RIVERS BENEFICE ST PETER’S, STUTTON May 7 8am 10.30am May 14 9.30am May 21 9.30am May 28 11am
Holy Communion Worship for All at Stutton Primary School Holy Communion Holy Communion Informal Service
ST PETER’S, FRESTON
ALL SAINTS, HOLBROOK May 7 3.30pm May 14 10.30am May 21 8am 10.30am May 28 9.30am
Afternoon Tea Church Matins Holy Communion Informal Holy Communion
ST MARY’S, WHERSTEAD May 7 No Service May 14 No Service May 21 3pm Rogation Service May 28 11am Morning Prayer
www.keepingintouchwith.com/shotley
May 7 May 14 May 21 May 28
11am No Service 11am No Service
Matins Holy Communion
ST MICHAEL’S, WOOLVERSTONE May 1 Annual spring clean of church and churchyard (am) May 7 11am Café Church May 13 9am-12.30pm Monthly Market May 14 11am Worship the Woolverstone Way May 21 11am Christian Aid Week, followed by soup-a-lunch May 28 11am Holy Communion
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