Contact 201304

CONTACT

Magazine of Erdington Methodist Church Station Road - April 2013 1

Contents Minister’s Letter Vision - My Talent Seeds - be quick Coffee Afternoon Vision Quest VISION PROJECT – moving on!

Children ask the strangest of things!

Easter Offering Welcome those weeds!

Gardening Advice?

From my sketchbook The Boss The Josephs - (Luke 23:50-56) Children’s Pages Mouse Makes Mission Shaped Church A Prayer for Easter-tide The way I see it The best position for prayer Lies about poverty : shattering the myths Methodist Church of Nigeria bishops visit Britain Transformed Happy 40th Birthday, mobile phones!

The Methodist Church welcomes the new pope Grumpy old men and women? Not at all!

Dodgy Quotes Solution to April’s Crossword April Regular Meetings Weekly Church Activities

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3 4 4 4 5 6 7 8 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28

Minister’s Letter One Easter Sunday I spoke to some visitors who were staying with friends in the area. It turned out they came from Sittingbourne, in Kent, which is near where my sister lives – a co-incidence I’m sure! Anyway, I was interested enough to take a look at the website of Sittingbourne Methodist Church. In order to find out about the various activities of the church you had to “click” on the front doors on the picture of the church. These then opened and you could see all that was going on inside the church. What a good idea, I thought.

It was so easy for those with access to the internet to find out about this particular church – they could see what it looked like on the inside as well as the outside, which is an important point in these times when so many people have never been inside a church. They could find out which activities might suit or interest them and when they would be taking place. Brilliant! In fact it wasn’t that different to the details and pictures on our own website.

It was only later I realised there was another side to this use of modern technology. Are we living in the age of the virtual church? A church that you don’t actually have to attend, other than through the internet? In fact, there are such churches in existence already. They are a good way of getting the message across to the kind of people whose lives revolve around the use of the internet – like a kind of “divine chatroom”. But there is more to “church” than that. Christianity has a communal as well as an individual aspect. It requires us to meet with others to worship together and serve God’s people together. It involves us leaving the comfort of our homes and going out into God’s world. It is a physical not a virtual reality and as such it makes demands upon us.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against the use of the internet or so-called “progress”. We make use of our own web-site. All I am saying is it is not the answer to everything. A virtual church may provide a “way in” for some people but it seems to me that the human spirit requires an element of actual face to face contact with other human beings. Maybe in the churches we 3

should remember that and look to provide more opportunities for people to meet. Let me know what you think.

Jane

Vision - My Talent We have all been asked to think about how we might contribute a talent towards our grand scheme. In the past some folk have liked the bread that comes out of my machine and others approved of my pancakes.

Therefore I ask, if you would like an individual loaf for something unusual or pancakes at your coffee morning. I would be happy to negotiate over either in exchange for an appropriate contribution.

Peter Farley

Seeds - be quick A reminder for those of you who wish to order from the seed catalogue to do so as soon as possible please!

Coffee Afternoon Val Long is organising a Coffee Afternoon at her home - 105 green lanes, Wylde Green. It will be on Saturday 6th April between 1.00 pm and 5.00 pm.

The afternoon will give you an opportunity to see Val’s collection of buttons and pen nibs.

Entry is ÂŁ1 and includes a drink and cake. Funds are in aid of the Vision Fund.

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I am undertaking a sponsored walk for the Vision Project.

The registered charity walk organiser - Just Walk - provide all the usual marshalls and route support but all the money raised will go to Vision and I hope you feel able to support me by filling in the tear off slip here and sending it to me at the Church address or putting it through the Church letter box.

address and/or name of circuit church/or group attended at Erdington

phone number and/or email

On May 11th I will be walking 20km (about 12 miles) around the Goodwood Estate near Chichester.

sponsorship amount per km or total for whole amount

Vision Quest!

Thanks Name

Lesley Morgan

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VISION PROJECT – moving on!

Since the last issue of Contact a lot has happened. We had a coffee morning and Gift Day on March 16th. and the same evening there was an Audio Visual Journey. This was a wonderful show with beautiful pictures seamlessly blending one to the other, and each section accompanied with lovely music.

From the coffee morning, raffle and Audio Visual show we raised £386, and, so far, from the Gift Day envelopes we have raised £2110. Thank you for your generosity. Our fund is over £9200 now and we hope soon to get to £10,000.

We launched Erdington’s version of the Parable of the Talents. I begin to have sympathy with the man who buried his money! It is hard, as others have said, to think what to do with the £5.00. However some interesting and original ideas are developing and we invite those of you taking part, to add your idea for using the £5, to the list in the foyer.

At the February Church council we had hoped to present detailed costs, but the architect had not had time, or sufficient detail, to do this. He did give an overall idea, some parts of which we felt we would be able to reduce quite easily, but needed a further meeting with Larry before the church council could agree the final costs and proposal.

At the meeting Larry explained why the costs were high but advised us of various ways in which we can reduce them, without economising on the ideas, which had all been approved. He has now given details to a Quantity Surveyor who will put the items out to tender and we have been promised these details in early April. An extra church council has been arranged for April 16th for approval of these figures.

We hope to be able to put the proposal to the circuit meeting on April 18th.

If agreed this will give us promise of 10% from circuit funds, and further monies from the district and other Methodist agencies. Other applications will be going to external funders who have already been identified.

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Meanwhile our own fund-raising is ongoing. People are still generously filling their savings boxes, and the £5 talents are developing. I hope that you have bought my 50 Q quiz sheet – £1 each – still available!

We will be running a coffee morning on May 11th, but the next major fundraising effort will be the Festival of Talents on the weekend of June 8th and 9th. More details to come soon and we hope you will encourage your friends and family to come. The proceeds will be split between Action for Children and Vision.

Hilary Price for the Vision group

Children ask the strangest of things!

My great nephew four years old George, live wire cum tractor fanatic, very recently had a short conversation with his mother, Kate, which went something like this: G - Mummy, where’s heaven?

K - It’s difficult to say exactly George. I think heaven is all around us and many people think it is in the sky.

G - Are there angels in heaven?

K - Yes, lots of angels. They look after everybody.

G - Do the angels have blankets?

K - Um … Well … they probably do.

G - Do they stick them on with super glue?

What would your reply have been?

Barbara Rawson 7

Easter Offering Each year, the Methodist Church holds an Easter offering dedication service.

The tradition of the Easter Offering dates back to 1883 when women in Manchester collected £32 from 'Christmas pennies' at family gatherings on Christmas Day at lunch for Missionary work overseas. In March 1884, the London Districts distributed Easter envelopes and collecting bags asking for a penny a head and just over £100 was collected.

From this success, the idea grew and by 1900 the amount totalled £1,655.

In 1903 Easter offerings were extended to all country chapels. ‘Let us bear in mind,’ they wrote, ‘the importance of the “Littles”’.

Through gifts great and small, the Easter Offering has become a significant feature of the World Church. In 1986, the Bicentenary year, it totalled nearly £200,000. Throughout the country, effort focuses on the annual envelope collection for the Fund for World Mission through the Easter Offering and the associated service of dedication.

This reflects the long history of commitment to overseas work by the women of Methodism, and the recognition that local specific relationships with overseas projects and World Church in Britain partnerships are given broader meaning by a national focus. The theme and service are different every year.

Beyond the Harbour Wall The inspiration for this year’s Easter Offering dedication service comes from Julie Hulme’s visit to Ireland in 2011. Julie was the last Women’s Network president, before the launch of Methodist Women in Britain in July 2011.

Methodists who go overseas today as mission partners are continuing an ancient tradition of Celtic saints who ventured “beyond the harbour wall” to spread the gospel. Their example can help us reflect on our own experiences of uncertainty, when we do not know where our journey is taking us and we step out in faith – into the unknown.

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The annual Easter Offering service is an opportunity for the whole circuit to dedicate the Easter Offering and to learn more about how the World Mission Fund is used.

All the money raised through the Easter Offering goes into the World Mission Fund, to be used for work that contributes to God’s mission in 65 Partner Churches outside Britain and Ireland: • grants for particular requests from Partner Churches • training and support of mission partners to work with Partner Churches • nationals in mission appointments in Partner Churches • scholarship and leadership training (SALT) requested by Partner Churches.

Easter Offering Gift Aid envelopes are provided by Methodist Publishing.

Please give generously to provide the necessary resources so that God’s love may be shared in practical ways throughout the world.

Thank you for your generous and sacrificial giving, your prayerful support and interest.

The following story is just one of many examples of how the World Mission Fund is used.

From Africa to Japan The Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan started as an international organisation training leaders who engage in rural development in developing countries. It was established in 1973, and was initially supported by Japanese, European and American Christian Churches and other groups.

Over the years, ARI has played host to a huge number of ministers who had ventured beyond their own ‘harbour walls’ in pursuit of knowledge. “The training of one local rural leader benefits a whole community,” says the Revd Kenichi Otsu, the institute’s director.

Many of these ministers have come from Africa. They include people such as the Revd Josias Edo Agbodo from Togo. Josias was a Scholarship and 9

Leadership Training (SALT) scholar at ARI in 2009, when he studied there for a diploma in Agriculture and Farming (Rural Development). He now heads up the Methodist Church in Togo’s department of development.

Another recent SALT student to graduate from ARI is the Revd Munetsi Hokonya, who serves in the Bulawayo East district, on the ZimbabweBotswana border . Munetsi graduated from ARI last year. He had an agricultural background before going into ministry.

“When I came to ARI, I thought I knew everything about leadership, but I did not,” Munetsi says. “My vision is that farms, if developed, can generate funds to feed the Head Office. In turn, the office gives to local people for the spreading of the gospel.”

Your local Easter Offering Service is prepared by Methodist Women in Britain on behalf of the World Mission Fund.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Easter Offering service. Look out for details in the notices.

Welcome those weeds!

This Spring, gardeners should plant ‘weeds’ such as thistles, to help declining bee populations. So says the Royal Horticultural Society.

Its ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ list now covers more than 400 plants.

Gardening Advice?

Advice to gardeners: The easiest way to tell the difference between young plants and weeds is to pull up everything. If they come up again, they’re weeds! both from the Parish Pump Website

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From my sketchbook

The majesty of the huge mountain range inspired this drawing. The problem was how to convey the majesty of it, especially when I could only contain a small portion on an A4 sheet of paper.

The scene is Scafell Pike and Great End. Approaching on the only road leading directly to the highest range of mountains in England, the road heads east from the A595 on the western edge of the Lake District National Park to Wasdale Head, past the long, deep, almost fjiord-like Wast Water.

Turning to run alongside the water, I found the amazing, breath-taking view of The Screes sliding into the dark, forbidding waters, and at the head of the valley, Great Gable’s enormous bulk lords its presence over the whole scene.

It was utterly inspirational but I asked myself, “Who am I to attempt to capture these monsters?”

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The road is a single-track and I perched my chair as close to the edge of the sheer drop as I dared, to draw. It was almost the greatest drawing challenge I have ever faced. Just how does one achieve proportion and scale in such a spectacular wilderness? After much thought, I realised I had to draw exactly what I was viewing: tiny trees with the fence posts running down the hillside, almost as dots. A person would be completely lost in such a landscape, and even had there been a building to draw, it would have been so insignificant as to be almost invisible.

I felt a great sense of achievement after completing the drawing. I had made a presentable image of the scene; yet in no way could I convey anything of the awe, wonder and magnificence I was experiencing within myself whilst drawing it. I now know something of the emotion a hill climber must feel amidst such vast giants, and I found myself asking, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?�

Ann Tomes

The Boss The bishop was complaining in a staff meeting that he wasn't getting any respect from the diocesan committees and staff. Later that morning he went out and got a small sign that read, "I'm the Boss", and then taped it to his office door.

Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said. "Your wife called, she wants her sign back!" from the Parish Pump Website

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The Josephs - (Luke 23:50-56) It began and it ended With a Joseph, The life of Jesus.

One laid him in a manger, The other laid him in a tomb.

One named him Jesus And brought him up.

The other asked for Jesus, And brought him down from the cross.

They were both men Who stood firm When life said, Run. They both turned disappointment and despair Into stepping stones of trust, And walked on, as witnesses That to God, Darkness is a light switch.

Daphne Kitching

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Mission Shaped Church A few weeks ago the Circuit invited people from around the circuit to take part in a very abbreviated version of ‘Mission Shaped Into’ - a study course backed by ‘Fresh Expressions’. The course is normally over many meetings but the Circuit had chosen to give us a flavour of what it is like in a day!

It was an uplifting day full of presentations, discussion and challenge.

The first assurance from our District Mission Enabler was that Fresh Expressions wasn’t meant to replace traditional church but become a new expression of it.

We were challenged to think about how our society has changed over the last ten years and then asked us to reflect on how our churches had changed and then highlighted how different these two aspects are.

During the day we learned that Fresh Expressions almost always grew from a local need and we were encouraged to first learn about the community our church was based in and then look to shape our worship and mission around that need.

We were shown many examples of how Fresh Expressions of worship were springing up around the country. We saw videos of a surfer church in Cornwall, a student centred church in a university town and a biker church where all members shared a passion for motorbikes.

Many of them involved sharing meals and, I thought this was an important point, made no bones about the fact that this was worship and that the primary purpose of meeting up was to worship God. It was certainly a challenging day and made me think about our church and how much we know about our locality. Perhaps we should take an audit of Erdington and consider what we can offer as a church to those who live in the locality.

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There were some good soundbites which says a little about what a ‘Mission Shaped Church’ is: • ‘A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church.’

• ‘Mission is seeing what God is doing and joining in’ It’s just a pity there weren’t more of our church represented at the meeting just me I’m afraid. Our District Mission Enabler said that she is quite happy to deliver the course if a church in genuinely interested in knowing more.

So . . . are we up for a challenge I wonder and would we like to see our church grow a new ‘Fresh Expression?’

Nick Riley

A Prayer for Easter-tide Dear Father, Life can be difficult. Sometimes it feels as though the sun has stopped shining, just as it did on that first Good Friday. Sometimes it can feel as though we are stuck in the darkness and it seems impossible that the light will ever shine again.

And yet the reality is that Friday did move on, into the most glorious Sunday.

The Son did rise - and his light shines on, transforming the darkest of times, holding out hope and peace and life to all who will turn and look into his face.

He is alive. He will help us. Thank you Father, for Jesus.

Amen.

Daphne Kitching 17

The way I see it When the sums don’t add up First, the good news: we’re living longer and more healthily. Then, the bad news: we don’t know how to cope with all the older people. This is the single biggest social problem facing governments in the advanced world, and all of them, including ours, are struggling to find an answer.

Fifty years ago this month William Beveridge, the architect of Britain’s modern welfare system, including National Insurance and universal pensions, died. He could not have foreseen our present-day dilemma. The number of wage-earners stays pretty static, but the number of older people depending on their taxes and National Insurance contributions is growing all the time.

Very soon the number of wage-earners will be exceeded by the number of pensioners. The sums simply don’t add up.

Better nutrition, healthier life-styles and the amazing advances of modern medicine mean that the normal expectation of life has risen to nearly eighty for men and well over eighty for women. That’s all well and good, especially for those of us who are already old. But our assumptions about the age of retirement (traditionally between 60 and 65) were based on death rate statistics that simply no longer apply. So far, I’m glad to say, no one has proposed a nationally imposed cull of the elderly to balance the books, but more politically correct answers are not easy to find.

So the big question is, who cares for the elderly when they can no longer care for themselves? And who provides the income which many of the large and constantly growing number of people in their seventies and eighties will need in order to support themselves? It’s not a party political question.

Whatever solution is found will have to be widely acceptable and long-term.

It’s a uniquely modern issue, so there’s no specific answer in the Bible, beyond the general command to care for one another. In biblical times the problem didn’t exist. The elderly were there, in the home, in the village, part of the extended family, fed and supported until they went to their ‘long home’, as Ecclesiastes calls it. The family, anchored to lifelong geographical 18

roots, provided the social services, the home help, the carers and even, in the end, the nursing home.

Realistically, we can’t expect to return to that historic domestic life-style.

Modern life disperses families, whether they like it or not, and older people cherish their independence. But I think we could take more seriously the solemn warning of the New Testament: ‘Whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever’ (1 Timothy 5:8). Whether it is through our taxes, or by our own personal caring, we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, and that is a privilege as well as a duty. I think Lord Beveridge would agree.

Canon David Winter former Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC

The best position for prayer Three theologians at a conference centre sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely best," claimed one, and backed up his claim by quoting a number of texts on humility in Greek.

"No," another contended. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." He quoted a few texts on praise in Latin.

"You're both wrong," the third insisted. "The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate, face down on the floor." He quoted a few texts on penitence in Hebrew.

The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted, "the best prayin' I ever did was in English, hangin' upside down from a telephone pole." from the Parish Pump Website

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Lies about poverty : shattering the myths 13 million people - including 3.6 million children - live in poverty in the UK today. A major new report, launched by four leading Churches including the Methodist Church, shows how evidence and statistics have been misused, misrepresented and manipulated to create myths that blame and stigmatise the most vulnerable in society.

The Churches hope that the report, The lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about poverty, will empower Christians and others to challenge myths and lies about poverty wherever they find them.

The report includes stories like Neil’s, a long-distance lorry driver until ill health meant he had to give up work. He’s in danger of losing his home because of the government’s planned benefit reforms. “I was a proud man, I always worked, but I can no longer afford that luxury. Benefit changes reduce my ability to eat properly. I can’t afford to keep the fridge on all the time, and I can’t afford to heat my home all the time,” he said. “I feel like my children and my friends no longer look up to me because I have nothing.

I feel like a failure. I don’t feel like a person anymore.”

Every MP and Member of the Scottish Parliament has been given a copy with a challenge to speak truthfully about poverty and welfare reform.

You can get involved in the following ways: • Read the report for yourself. See how many myths about poverty you may have absorbed without realising it.

• Email your MP. Ask your MP to read and respond to the report. Click here to find your MP and for suggestions about a letter which you can amend.

• Arrange a meeting with your MP. It may be easier than you might think. We have a handy guide that will help you get going.

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If you interested in more information then further resources can be found, including a video, more information, a truth and lies about poverty pub guide, presentations and sermon notes at http://methodist-news.org.uk/ BVI-1CI1T-3A7QYC-JAG9D-1/c.aspx

Methodist Church of Nigeria bishops visit Britain Methodism was the first Christian denomination in Nigeria, formally started by the Revd George Freeman and freed slaves in 1842. Since then the Methodist Church of Nigeria (MCN) has become a strong and vibrant Church with over two million members led by Prelate Ola Makinde and seventy bishops. In September 2012 MCN celebrated 170 years of Methodism, as well as 50 years since autonomy.

From 24th April – 10th May 2013, about 40 self-sponsored Nigerian bishops are expected to participate in a short leadership training programme run by Cliff College International Training Centre (subject to obtaining visas). This training will include Wesleyan spirituality and organisational leadership. This is part of the ongoing group training run by Cliff College lecturers in Nigeria to equip evangelists, priests and presbyters for mission and ministry in the 21st century.

The first week of the programme is at Cliff College. Then there will be district visits across Britain for cross-culture exposure and World Church experience, as well as going to Methodist Heritage sites in the UK. from the Methodist Church News Service

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A couple of weeks ago I joined people from around the Sutton Park Circuit to take part in a retreat day at Kingsbury Church.

The day was lead by Liz Babbs. Liz is an international award-winning author of eleven books and five CDs. She is known for her innovative presentations and is considered to be an expert in the area of prayer and spiritual formation.

The day was split up into three or four sessions and were based upon the reflections detailed in her latest book ‘Transformed by the presence of Jesus’ I must admit the first twenty minutes or so seemed like an advert for the work that Liz does but once we got stuck in it ended up being a quiet, thoughtful and moving experience.

The material in her book is designed to be a personal or small group study guide and is designated a Lent course, but it is quite clear that it can be used for any group at any time.

So, what is meditation? Liz read a passage carefully and slowly a couple of times and asked us to listen carefully. She asked us to try to imagine the scene and after she finished reading asked us if any particular verses stood out in particular. There was some feedback from the assembled group and Liz said, “There you go . . . you are already doing meditation” Each of the studies in the book also have discussion points, final points and an opportunity to put ourselves in the scene - asking pertinent questions to help us enter into the moment.

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I have a copy of the booklet and the music she used is available as a CD or is downloadable from her website.

I’m hoping to get our housegroup back up and running once my duties as steward come to an end and I think that these studies will be useful starting material.

I commend her work to you and if she ever returns to the circuit I would whole-heartedly encourage more of the congregation to experience the sessions.

Nick Riley

Happy 40th Birthday, mobile phones!

Forty years ago this month an American inventor, Martin Cooper, made the world’s first call on a mobile phone. They took a little while to catch on in Britain, but when they did it was like a pandemic. Nowadays you can’t get on a train or a bus or walk down the street without seeing them in use - people apparently talking to themselves, but actually conversing with an invisible friend or colleague. Virtually everybody’s got one, and of course Cooper’s invention has sprouted many new varieties: iPhones, Tablets, Smartphones and so on.

The secret of their success, I reckon, is that they tap into an absolutely fundamental human need: to talk. The toddler can’t wait to talk, and parents can’t wait for those amazing first words. Trying to stop people talking is like trying to dam a mountain stream. A survey last year asked people to say what was the last thing they would give up in a recession, and the top answer was ‘my mobile phone’. Texting, networking, keeping up with friends or just totally meaningless chatter (‘Hello, I’m on the train’), we just can’t stop talking.

Far from being an odd thing, this is actually entirely natural. Like the Creator in whose image we are made, we are communicating beings. The first specific activity of God in the Bible was to speak: ‘God said, “Let there be 23

light”.’ Jesus is called ‘the Word’. Every moment of the human story is illuminated by speech.

When we ask ‘What’s in a word?’, the answer is, everything. We remember words long after they were spoken, for good or ill. Physical wounds heal, but the memory of an unkind or bitter word lingers for a life-time. At the same time, a few words of love or comfort or understanding will never be forgotten: ‘I love you’, ‘Forgive me’, ‘I’m home!‘, ‘Don’t cry, mummy’s here’.

It can even be a single word, which simply changes everything: ’Sorry’.

If that’s what one word can do, then in the midst of all our chattering on Mr Cooper‘s invention perhaps we need to remember that words are precious jewels, to be enjoyed, but never to be carelessly or irresponsibly spoken. from the Parish Pump website

The Methodist Church welcomes the new pope In response to the election of Pope Francis, Mark Wakelin and Michael King (president and vice president of the Methodist Conference) issued this statement: “We welcome Pope Francis’ election, and offer our prayers for his papacy. Methodist people cherish their place in the worldwide Church, and the election of a Pope from outside Europe reminds us of our global mission. We look forward to our continuing joint work with our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers wherever possible. We pray that all church leaders listen to the voices of the poor and the oppressed, and speak out for justice, as we share God’s love.” from the Methodist News Service

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Grumpy old men and women? Not at all!

There is no need to get grumpy as you get older – in fact most of us grow happier. Those are the findings of a recent study carried out by the University of Warwick. It was found that after the ‘mid-life dip’ in happiness (which hits you at about 45), many older people reported a greater mental satisfaction with life.

The curious thing is that physical infirmities don’t seem to affect this laterlife contentment. Researchers suspect it might be due to a mature person’s better coping abilities in dealing with hardships, a lowering of overall expectations from life, and a lessening of the pressures of work.

It was also found that the most contented people get between 6-8 hours sleep a night; either more or less sleep than that had a negative impact on physical and mental health.

Older Christians, of course, have one wonderful promise from God to lean on if things do get rough: “Even to your old age I am he, and even to grey hairs will I sustain you; I have made you and I will carry you.” (Isaiah 46:4). from the parish pump website

Dodgy Quotes "The thing about quotes on the internet is you cannot confirm their validity." -

Abraham Lincoln !!

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Solution to March’s crossword

Did you get them all?

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April Regular Meetings

Coffee Mornings Each Saturday 10.00 am to 12.00 noon

Tuesday Club Every 4th Tuesday in the month at 2.30 pm

Sunday Worship All worship starts at 10.30 am unless stated otherwise below 7th

Liz Topliss

14th

Colin Topliss

21st

VOCATIONS SUNDAY HOLY COMMUNION

28th

John Rutherford

- Rev John Ingyon

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Weekly Church Activities Sunday

10.30 am

MORNING WORSHIP and Young Church

Tuesday

9.30 - 11.30 am 9.30 - 12.30 pm 2.00 pm

Stay and Play Pre-School : Karen Homer Tuesday Afternoon Meeting : Ann Tomes (4th)

Wednesday

9.30 - 11.30 am 9.30 - 12.30 pm 12.30 pm

Stay and Play Pre-School : Karen Homer Luncheon Club - (1st and 3rd)

Thursday

9.30 - 12.30 pm

Pre-School : Karen Homer

Friday

9.30 - 12.30 pm 5.00 - 6.15 pm 6.15 - 7.45 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 5.30 - 6.30 pm 5.00 - 6.30 pm 7.30 - 9.00 pm

Pre-School : Karen Homer Beavers : Lynn Turner Cubs : Elizabeth Baizon Scouts : Lisa Porter Explorers : Caroline Joyce Rainbows : Debbie Barnett Brownies : Lesley Carter Guides : Helen Rainsford

Saturday

10.00 - 12.00 noon Coffee Morning : Lesley Morgan 10.30 - 11.30 am Church open for prayer : Margaret Curzon

Please hand any items for the May CONTACT to any of the Editorial Team (Peter Farley, Christine Rankin, Ann Tomes & Nick Riley) by 15th April 2013 at the latest please or alternatively email me: nickriley@blueyonder.co.uk with the word ‘CONTACT’ in the title.

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