RG31 - Summer 2022 by St Catherines

RG31

The Parish Magazine of Tilehurst St Catherine Summer 2022 & Calcot St Birinus

Jubilee Jamboree - Friday 3rd June

Summer 2022

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From the editor

Hello, I hope that you will find articles of interest in this edition of our Parish Magazine. You may have picked up a copy (a donation of £1.50 would be appreciated) you may be reading this online, or have subscribed by paying £5 for the four 2022 issues to be delivered. The St Catherine's Parish magazine has evolved over the 40 or so years that I’ve been a member, with a number of leaps forward. There was a major change in 2008 when we adopted the title RG31, reduced the size of the magazine from A4 to A5 and printed the cover in colour. The methods of production too have changed beyond recognition. Originally it had been duplicated on a Gestetner machine from stencils produced on a typewriter, later photocopied from an original that had quite literally been pasted together, then to a computer printer, still with pages collated folded and stapled by hand. Our current machine prints, folds and staples to produce a finished copy every 2 minutes. Before the arrival of Covid forced the first lockdown, copies of the ten editions per

year had been delivered by a number of distributors and that involved a team of people counting the right number of copies out and bundling up. The strict lockdown instructions on the handling of paper back in 2020 forced us to cease production. After a few months we decided that it would be safe to deliver magazines that had been left for a few days quarantine in sealed envelopes. We decided at that time, that after the enforced gap in production, we would reduce publication to four issues to tie in with the seasons, but they would be in full colour, this reﬂected the growing number of photos we were putting in the magazine and was also a bonus for our advertisers. Gill and Phil (our curate at that time) gave me a huge boost with their ideas and articles to produce much bigger copies and I am grateful that Gill continues to make time with me for ‘editorial’ planning sessions as well as producing, as you will see, much of what you will be reading. I am continuing to put each copy in a sealed envelope, the cost is minimal, I am happy to re-use returned envelopes and it also means that copies needing to be posted are ready to go. The church software system prints the correct labels automatically for each subscriber making the whole operation much smoother. I have not re-introduced the previous formal system of distributors (there was always a delay if they were away or had a huge bundle to deliver) people are happy to take and deliver copies to their friends & neighbours and I am grateful for everyone’s help in doing this. Tony Bartlett

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Mike Heather The Lord is always with you “The Lord is always with you” sometimes as we go through life and are confronted by various situations which we find ourselves in, its very hard to remember that the Lord is always with us. Certainly, during Covid it was very difficult sometimes almost impossible to believe that was the case and our faith was tested to the limit. Yet with hindsight and looking back we can see just how close the Lord was to us individually and collectively as a church even at the darkest of times, During those dark days we were blessed with the Lord’s favour. So much positivity, new skills learnt, the church and its life and worship available on line, friendships made, old ones deepened, and the congregation growing. If we were blessed with the Lord’s favour during the dark times how much more will the lord bless us as the green shoots of growth are seen not only in the community but here at St Catherine’s. This being the case it poses the question are we giving enough of ourselves back to God? Are we living a simple spiritual life, one of love and trust in God or are we so bound up in this world with all that brings that our Lord comes way down the list? We live in a world where there is never enough hours in the day have you ever wondered what you can do to make a difference about that and to slow down and to give time to and receiving from the Lord? As a start may I suggest these simple questions to ask yourself that I came across, What should I do Less? See how you can take time to be still if only for five to ten minutes a day. Where should I have less? Do I really need another item of clothing or the latest phone or computer? What should I do more? Are there any groups I could help out or someone needing visiting? If we strive for a quieter more simplistic life turning our backs on the world and all its temptations basing our lives on Jesus and his teachings, have you ever thought what a better more loving and caring world this would be and just remember, it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. Blessings

Mike Summer 2022

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Carpe Diem Has the time come for you to be confirmed? Have you been baptised, conﬁrmed? Or neither?!

but

not

Baptism is a public service of commitment to follow Jesus and be part of his Church. You are washed with water as a sign of your sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus. If you have been baptised then you will probably be confirmed. This is the service where you own for yourselves the promises which were made on your behalf at your baptism by others. But you may, somehow, have missed the opportunity – and if so, then Carpe Diem – seize the day – the time has come! Confirmations this year will take place at St George’s Church, Tilehurst, at 4.00 pm on Sunday 25th September (with a rehearsal in St George's for all candidates and their clergy and sponsors on Saturday 24th September at 10.00 am). The questions that candidates are asked at baptism and confirmation were asked in the very earliest days of the Church, and they go back a very long way. • Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God? • Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil? • Do you repent of the things that separate us from God and neighbour? • Do you turn to Christ as Saviour? • Do you submit to Christ as Lord? • Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life? I can offer you 1-1, or group, preparation if

you would like that to go deeper into these questions and consider what they mean for us today. No obligation to be conﬁrmed if you don’t feel it’s right!

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.” Psalm 86:11 Life is a journey. It begins when you’re born. It ends when you die. You don’t need to be a Christian to know this. But as we get older we do know that there is probably more road behind us than ahead of us! So what diﬀerence does being a Christian make? Well, the journey of life that ends in death becomes a holy pilgrimage that ends in life. In Jesus, God has walked this earth before us, and with Jesus as our companion and guide we can travel through life diﬀerently. We can live and travel as pilgrims. We set our sights on God’s kingdom of justice and peace; and as we journey home to God, the pathway of our life becomes more meaningful and joyful, and the world a better place.* Contact me if you’d like to explore more – rowellgill@gmail.com. Gill Rowell, Vicar *Quoted from the Pilgrim Course – Turning to Christ

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Year of Prayer 2022 This year we declared to be a year of prayer, to emphasise the importance of praying together, as well as to encourage everyone in church to go deeper and further in their personal prayer life. Thursday community prayers have continued even throughout Covid, as has the prayer chain – where prayer requests are shared confidentially by email, as individuals have requested it, and dedicated intercessors pray for people and pray into various situations. But my hope and desire is that as a church, we wouldn’t be satisfied with our own personal prayer times, or leave corporate prayer to other people – but that we would become a church where prayer is second nature to all of us, expected and accepted. What have we done to make 2022 a year of prayer? Some things have continued. During Lent, as in previous years, we offered daily on-line reflections. This year we hosted Saturday evening prayer vigils from 6-7pm to pray for Ukraine. We also took part in the world-wide Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative, where between Pentecost and Ascension, we were encouraged to pray daily for 5 friends to come to know Jesus. And we also had a teaching series on prayer – where those speaking shared their personal prayer practice, with a view to encourage others to adopt similar habits if they didn’t already do so. On 18th June we held a half night of prayer – see Lynn’s report below – and we are soon to launch monthly Saturday morning prayer meetings (with breakfast

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for those who would like it) on the third Saturday of the month (see Caroline’s article on page 7). Our Prayer Team is up and running once more, now that we are back in church, to oﬀer prayer for anyone who wants it after our Sunday services. 24/7 Prayer: in September we will encourage everyone to participate in a 24/7 prayer time – that is, we will sign up for a 30 min or 1 hour slot over a 24 hour period (yes, right through the night), and pray non-stop as a church, for the world, for our nation, for our community, for our church, and for our family and friends.

Why Pray? If you don’t pray, you will never understand the joy of seeing prayers answered. All believers are called to pray. When Jesus went to the cross it was to put us right with God so that nothing would obstruct our relationship with God - which means God wants us to be in relationship with Him. Of course, there are lots of diﬀerent ways of praying, and you need to ﬁnd what way is your way, and if you are a Christian, prayer is an essential element of being alive in your faith. Some prayers are not answered in the way we expect, and sometimes it’s a “no” – but the point of prayer is not telling God what to do, as if He’s a slot machine where sometimes we win the jackpot and others we lose our money. Prayer is more about being available to God and sharing the things that concern us with Him in a two-way dialogue, listening as well as interceding.

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(Continued on page 6)

(Continued from page 5) In short, prayer is about aligning ourself with God’s will, seeking His heart for the world. It’s about caring for the world, for others, for ourselves.

Prayer changes people, and it changes things, and as a church we do need to grow in our enthusiasm and love for prayer – together – so that, as it says in the Lord’s prayer, His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Gill Rowell, Vicar

Half Night of Prayer for Our Tilehurst Community. On Saturday evening 18th June we had a half night of prayer (7pm till midnight) at St Catherine’s. Praying for our Tilehurst community.

them to represent shops and businesses in ‘The Triangle' with prayer pointers to pray through as we moved from chair to chair.

The evening was set out into diﬀerent sessions and kicked oﬀ with David Stevens leading us in a time of worship.

Gill then led us in a game of musical statues while praying for Tilehurst Churches. Whomever was still moving when the music stopped had to pray!

This led into Caroline Heron helping us focus on praying for our neighbours, by dwelling in the Word and praying through a local newspaper. Gill Rowell followed on with praying for the schools in Tilehurst. We played Beetle Drive and prayed for a diﬀerent school with every throw of the dice. Lynn Stevens, in her session, set out the chairs in a triangle and placed objects on

Refreshments were available throughout the evening and were used in our last session. Praying for Tilehurst’s pubs and cafes. We raised a toast with our mugs of coﬀee and prayed for each one – 17 in all! The evening was a productive and fun time of intercessory prayer and fellowship together. Let’s keep praying! Lynn Stevens

St Catherine’s Community at Prayer on Saturdays This year we at St Catherine’s are focussing on prayer. Jesus taught us to prayer, and his life on earth provided us with a great example.

The vision is that we should all join together in prayer, both those who are new church members as well as those who have been members for years!

Following the encouragement of the half night of prayer that Lynn Stevens organised for us, we will be meeting together on a monthly basis on Saturdays for prayer.

Everyone is important as part of God’s family!

The early church in Acts gathered (Continued on page 7)

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YOU NEED A SUPPORT SYSTEM 'Share each other's burdens.' Galatians 6:2 NLT God created our physical bodies with internal systems that support each other. And it's the same in our relationships. Everybody needs a support system. Sometimes when others disappoint us, we say, 'From now on it's just going to be God and me!' That's a big mistake! It's the sheep who strays from the fold that gets eaten by the wolf. Satan will isolate you in order to destroy you. 'A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple- braided cord is not easily broken' (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT). Studies show that people who have caring support live longer, recover from illness faster, and find life more meaningful. Support gives us a sense of connection and acceptance, which are core human needs. It provides an arena in which you can be vulnerable; a place where you can feel safe in saying, 'I don't know,' or 'Can you help me,' or 'l need a hug.' This is support - God's way. And if you can't find it in your own family, turn to the family of God. And one more thought: don't forget to express your appreciation to those who support you. Tokens of gratitude go a long way in saying, 'I'm grateful for your help.' Support is not a one-way street: 'Share each other's burdens.' Don't get so engrossed in your own problems that you forget others have problems too. Take the time to inquire about their concerns. No one likes a taker. It's in the give-and-take of mutual support that we grow and fulfil our God-given potential in life. This thought is taken from ‘The Word for Today’, Daily Bible reading notes produced quarterly by UCB (United Christian Broadcasters Ltd) PO Box 255, Stoke on Trent, ST4 8YY. If you would like to receive these free (although UCB do welcome donations) notes or those aimed at Secondary School age, call UCB on 01782 911 000

(Continued from page 6) together to pray, and corporate prayer was a central activity of the church – have a look at Acts 2 v40-47. As they prayed God came among them, they were encouraged and God responded to their faithfulness.

So my hope is that as a church we will come together intentionally to pray on a monthly basis, to reﬂect on God’s goodness, to encourage one another, together to become more like Jesus, and to seek his will for us as a community. God is faithful and will respond!

It was evidence of God’s promise in the Old Testament ‘ If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Martin Luther said ‘I have so much to do that I shall spend the ﬁrst 3 hours in prayer’. Well we have not yet planned on 3 hours!

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But hope to see you on Saturday 16th July for prayer between 9-10am, with breakfast available from 8.30am. Caroline Heron

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OAP it cannot Be! Oh no the letter's arrived - a sight to behold Now I'm a pensioner, officially old! It just CANNOT be, the years have flown fast I once had a future but now it's more past Where have my dreams gone? they've melted away I once had tomorrows but now live for today What have I learnt from the passing of years?~ I know I've had trials and shed buckets of tears Mistakes and wrong paths, I've followed a few but youth with no wisdom is just what we do Our Father's been with me from baby to grey I oft didn't know that He'd guided the way So in life's cycle I embrace this next phase It's not to the world but to heaven I'll gaze I thank the dear Lord for the years I've been given To Faith, Trust and Hope in Eternal I'm driven The letter from Pensions is only a marker That old age is lighter and surely not darker Young, mid and old age should firmly unite ... Whatever our age we must FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT ... Lorraine Roberts Proverbs 20:29

The glory of the young is their strength: the grey hair of experience is the splendour of the old. 8

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Happy birthday Sheila We were happy to celebrate Sheila Latchford's 90th birthday in May. She had already met up with family but we had a special occasion for her after church on 29th May with celebratory drinks and a beautiful and delicious cake crafted by Sue Burston. Sheila told us that when she moved to the area in the seventies, she visited several local churches, but none gave her much of a welcome until she came to St Catherines who greeted her warmly and so she stayed! We have been truly blessed by having her with us. She takes part in Praying at the Link and is a member of Anne's House Group. Through good times and bad, she has been an inspiration to so many for her ﬁrm faith and friendly nature. It is hard to believe that it is ninety years since she was born in Sheﬃeld! Rosemary Cunningham

I have been passed The Leprosy Mission mantle from Joan Burbidge who has been the faithful point of contact for over 45 years. I pray that we continue to be as generous in the future as we have been in the past in our support of The Leprosy Mission.

On Sunday 26th June visiting preacher Chris Stratta from TLM told us about the work of the charity. The collection for TLM that morning raised over £700 and as Joanne explains in her treasurer’s report on page 24, we also currently donate £60 a month from our voluntary income.

Mine won’t be such an impressive time span of service but I will do my best to follow in Joan’s footsteps.

At the service Joan Burbidge thanked Chris Stratta and also announced her retirement as our TLM rep. Joan appealed for someone to take over as the St Catherine’s rep. and thanked everyone who had supported her over the years. Joan was thanked with a round of applause.

Lorraine Roberts

Editor

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April Meeting Hilary Smee welcomed Rev. Pat Willis to the Mother’s Union meeting held on 13th April 2022. Hilary and Pat had worked together over 40 years ago when they were both nurses Pat went into the Ministry and Hilary and other colleagues visited her in Bristol, and she has come to give us a talk on being a Waterways Chaplain. After retiring from full time Ministry Pat became interested in Waterways Chaplaincy, which is a national network working in both rural and urban communities. It operates as part of Workplace Matters, an ecumenical group offering Pastoral and Spiritual care to people living on our waterways. It is not necessary to be ordained into the ministry to became a Waterways Chaplain, although some training is given, they are often volunteers from local Churches who are part of the local community. They share both good and bad times and are supportive and encouraging regardless of religion, orientation or race and are happy to discuss spiritual and practical matters, if invited to do so. Waterways Chaplains are also required to know about Boats and how the locks operate. A Chaplain walks the tow path, about a mile a week, talking to everybody and are there to help in practical ways. Living on a boat means people have no address and it is therefore very difficult to receive benefits, obtain a job, register with a

Doctor, open a bank account and tax a car. People living on a boat are also entitled to Housing Benefit, which the Chaplains can assist them to claim. A boat worthiness test is required every 4 years, this is similar to a MOT and this checks for gas leaks and faulty dangerous equipment. A boat licence is required. A boat owner can either rent a long term mooring or a continuous cruising permit. Boat owners without a permanent mooring are required to move on every 14 days, and to cover a total of 21 miles in a year. After questions and answers the enjoyable evening finished with tea, coffee and biscuits.

May Meeting Unfortunately Rev. Mary Harwood was unable to come to our meeting to talk on this years’ MU theme – ‘Transformation – NOW! – a triumphant expression of hope that we can and do make a diﬀerence to our world. Instead, after opening prayers and notices, Hilary took us through her recent holiday in the Netherlands which included a trip to the Floriade, a once in a ten year’s exhibition as well as the famous Keukenhof gardens (picture facing page). She had taken some beautiful photographs of huge beds of tulips – all colours and shapes situated between lakes, fountains and statues. She described the atmosphere there with large numbers of sightseers probably due to the Dutch Bank Holiday. Everywhere in the Netherlands we saw a huge number of bicycles many with a passenger sitting either on the front or the back carrier and (Continued on page 11)

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(Continued from page 10) very few cycle helmets worn despite the speed of the cyclists!! After a break for tea we all took part in a Beetle Drive which was won by Anne Soley and Jo Day. Then Rachel Holbeche drew the raﬄe and we all went home grateful for our committee for organizing an interesting, fun and fellowship evening at very short notice.

When we had completed the next 2 rounds ‘The Olympians’ (Joanne Freeman, Alan, Anita and Rachel Holbeche, Ernie and Rosemary Cunningham) were declared the winners and the raﬄe was drawn. Grateful thanks were expressed to Hilary and the committee for a challenging and fun evening. Sheila Bryant

Mary Sumner, founder of the Mothers’ Union Died 9th August 1921 The Mothers’ Union is now nearly 146 years old. It has accomplished a staggering amount in that time, and nowadays numbers more than four million members, doing good work in 83 countries. That is a far cry from the modest circle of prayer for mothers who cared about family life, which is how it all began with a rector’s wife, Mary Sumner. Mary was born in late 1828 in Swinton, near Manchester. When she was four, her family moved to Herefordshire. Mary’s father, Thomas Heywood, was a banker and historian.

Keukenhof Gardens

June Meeting Hilary Smee welcomed a good number of members and friends to our annual Quiz Evening. After devising suitable team names we were given question sheets to answer and when we had had 3 rounds we stopped for a delicious Ploughmans prepared and served by the committee.

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Her mother has been described as a woman of “faith, charm and sympathy” – qualities which Mary certainly inherited. Mrs Heywood also held informal ‘mothers’ meetings’ at her home, to encourage local women. Those meetings may well have inspired Mary’s later work. Mary was educated at home, spoke three foreign languages, and sang well.

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THAMES VALLEY FLOWER CLUB Come along to our friendly and welcoming flower club. Make friends and WATCH a professional flower demonstrator make beautiful flower arrangements. Membership fees are £42.00 a year (£5.00 for a visitor)

Refreshments are available. We also hold social events throughout the Year. We meet at 10.30am on the last Monday of each month (excl. Bank Holidays) at The Calcot Centre, Highview, Calcot ,Reading, RG31 4XD. For more information please contact Brenda on 0118 943 1079 12

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(Continued from page 11) While in her late teens, on a visit to Rome she met George Sumner, a son of the Bishop of Winchester. It was a wellconnected family: George’s uncle became Archbishop of Canterbury, and his second cousin was William Wilberforce. Mary and George married in July 1848, soon after his ordination. They moved to Old Alresford in 1851 and had three children: Margaret, Louise and George. Mary dedicated herself to raising her children and supporting her husband’s ministry by providing music and Bible classes. When in 1876 Mary’s eldest daughter Margaret, gave birth, Mary was reminded how difficult she had found the burden of motherhood. Soon she decided to hold a meeting to which she invited the local women not only of her own class, but also all the village mothers. Her aim was to find out if women could be brought together to offer each other prayer and mutual support in their roles as wives and mothers.

That meeting at Old Alresford Rectory was the inaugural meeting of the Mothers’ Union. For 11 years, the Mothers’ Union was limited to Old Alresford. Then in 1885 the Bishop of Newcastle invited Mary to address the women churchgoers of the Portsmouth Church Congress, some 20 miles away. Mary gave a passionate speech about the poor state of national morality, and the vital need for women to use their vocation as mothers to change the nation for the better. A number of the women present went back to their parishes to found mothers' meetings on Sumner's pattern. Soon, the Mothers’ Union spread to the dioceses of Ely, Exeter, Hereford, Lichﬁeld and Newcastle. By 1892, there were already 60,000 members in 28 dioceses, and by 1900 there were 169,000 members. By the time Mary died in 1921, she had seen MU cross the seas and become an international organisation of prayer and good purpose.

Miscellaneous observations on our faith Before we can pray, ‘Thy kingdom come’, we must be willing to pray, ‘My kingdom go’. - Alan Redpath Reputation is what men think you are; character is what God knows you are. Anon Let us beware of feeling that unless we personally are up and doing, the Lord is not at work. - John Blanchard Never before have we had so many degrees in the church and yet so little temperature. - Vance Havner

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All arts proceed from God and ought to be held as divine inventions. - John Calvin To be an atheist requires an inﬁnitely greater measure of faith than to receive all the great truths which atheism would deny. - Joseph Addison The Bible was the only book Jesus ever quoted, and then never as a basis for discussion but to decide the point at issue. - Leon Morris Charity is the best way to plenty; he gets most that gives most. - George Swinnock

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Introducing our new Churchwarden Hi, I’m Lynn Stevens and I’m one of the Churchwardens here at St Catherine’s (newly appointed) Taking over from Richard Canning. I have been attending St Catherine’s since 2019, along with my husband David. We have two children Lexi, 20 and James, 19. They are both at University. I have been a Christian since I was 18 and came to faith through a friend at school. I was baptised and conﬁrmed at St. Mary’s in Purley and went on to worship at Tilehurst Free Church, now The Gate.

Over the years I have been involved in several church projects including, leading children and young people’s ministry and being part of outreaches and prayer initiatives. I see my role as churchwarden as, encouraging Gill, our vicar, and to be a listening ear to those in the congregation. Helping with the facilitation of the everyday running of St. Catherine’s and praying God’s love will be known by all. I'm looking forward to being challenged and seeing God continue to grow us as a loving, welcoming community. Lynn

Our mid-week groups Tuesday Get Together This is becoming a popular venue where members of the community meet up with friends, old and new. Refreshments are provided, plenty of tea, coﬀee and biscuits. The ambiance is relaxed and informal. After a welcome from Ella and Christine the conversations begin! We look forward to meeting you, whether you come on your own, with family, or friends. We take pride in reaching out to all who attend, there is no charge.

Friday Friends Friday Friends has become a ﬁrm favourite with regular and new members. Everyone is made very welcome. Whilst we have a varied programme of events, we endeavour to discover the interests of all who attend.

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Recently we have presented Carol of the Bells, Singing with Richard and his friends, crafts with Val. Any suggestions for future additions our programme are welcomed. Our team of volunteers ensures everyone is comfortably seated, there is a charge of £3.50 for each session. We are particularly grateful to our team working in the kitchen. We always look forward to the delicious homemade cakes they have prepared for us. If you would like more information about Tuesday Get Together or Friday Friends please contact Ella 07490 160 765 or Christine 07803 589 530. We sometimes seek new volunteers. All applicants are subject to the successful completion of safeguarding training.

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Ella and Christine

Lifegroups and Pastoral Care review One of the things on the Parish proﬁle when I came here four years ago was that a review of our parish Lifegroups was needed. So this has been a long time coming – and my excuse, (if I need one!), is that Covid came along and delayed progress.

You may also remember that during lockdown, everyone in the church was put into a “virtual Lifegroup”, and appointed leaders were commissioned to keep in touch so that nobody felt too lonely, and shopping and collecting of prescriptions was oﬀered by some too.

It’s not that we haven’t been learning or growing in our faith – far from it. Courses which the whole church have been invited to attend since I arrived and which were really well attended are the Prayer Course, the Shape Course, the Bible Course, in addition to Advent and Lent reﬂections, online or in person.

These ﬁzzled out over time, as they became unnecessary. Following a directive from the Bishop of Oxford, Stephen Croft, we also made a rather limp attempt to put everyone in church into groups of 6 people or so, for friendship and learning, but they took oﬀ like a lead balloon as nobody was very interested – and groups already in existence didn’t want to change.

And the mid-week groups which were taking place when I arrived are still continuing. These don’t get a lot of proﬁle in our publicity, mostly because they are running at capacity – which is just one reason why we need to review what we are doing! At the moment, at St Catherine’s, there is a weekly Tuesday afternoon Lifegroup, a fortnightly evening Lifegroup, a weekly Monday Kinship group, a monthly Mother’s Union Bible study, and a weekly Zoom Bible study.

But the time has now come! As I write, we will be holding the ﬁrst meeting of the Lifegroup and Pastoral Care Review team, a sub-committee of the PCC tonight, 30th June. I am hopeful that the review will set us on a course for growing together and growing closer to Jesus, for the next decade or so, so it is worth investing time and energy into this important review. Gill Rowell, Vicar

Miscellaneous observations on daily life A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. Washington Irving The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance. – John Philpot Curran Never look back unless you want to go that way. - Anon

You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. - Anon An optimist sees only the initial payment; the pessimist sees the future instalments and the upkeep. – Anon What we see in others often reveals something about us. - Anon

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A day in the life of a dog - Or “It’s a dog’s life.” Hrrmph! She opens the curtains, but I’m not ready to wake up. I curl into a tighter ball, and keep my eyes closed for as long as I can. Problem is, I’m curious, so I quietly open them to see what she’s up to. Pottering about doing this and that, it’s just too early in the morning. After a while she calls me, “Alﬁe! Come!” I look up. I’m not going to show any enthusiasm, she might think I’m ready to wake up….which I’m not, especially if we’ve had a late night, or she’s been up in the middle of the night, muttering. “Come!” she calls again. I ease out of my bed and have a shake, yawn, and do a bow to say “Good morning” (I like to be polite), and wait again. “Up!” she calls. “Up!” I jump up, and plonk myself on top of her legs. She coos and cuddles me, “Did you have a good sleep, Alﬁe?” she asks. What kind of question is that? I’m a dog. Of course I had a good sleep. “You are a lovely boy” she says, stroking me. Yeah. She then sits still and goes all quiet and we listen to our Bible readings and prayers for the day. She scribbles in a journal, resting the book on my back. I hrmphf a bit, but I don’t really mind. I pray for her, other dogs I will meet, the people who might come to the house. Some days are quiet, some are crazy, nothing is predictable. Sometimes she will work on her laptop most of the morning, other times we go for walks in the countryside, and sometime we go visiting.

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I like it when people make a fuss of me, which they usually do. That’s because I’m a lovely boy. I never know what’s coming, and I always live in expectation and anticipation. My favourite times are when she throws the ball for me - but then she always wants it back. Why does she throw it if she wants me to give it back to her? I don’t always let her have it. She’d think she had the upper hand then, whereas we all know it’s me that’s in control. Sometimes she gets the rope out, she likes that. I let her win now and then, it makes her laugh. After a play I usually lie down beside her and keep an eye on her. You never know what’s coming. My main task of course is to protect her, so I let the cars that make a loud noise, or the people that walk too close to the window, know that I am here, just in case they think they can take liberties.

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(Continued on page 18)

(Continued from page 17) I like it best when people come to the door. I just love visitors! I often open the door to let them in (if she hasn’t locked it), so I can show them my scruffy old blanket, or entire bed, or just run around with one of her slippers in my mouth. This seems to amuse everyone greatly, so I do it all the more, until they settle down, and have a cup of tea, and then they talk. They talk and talk. They talk and talk and talk. Not a lot of it makes sense. Occasionally they sit still for quite a while, eyes closed, and then mumble about this or that. They think I am sleeping, but I know what they are doing, and I’m all ears, nothing much gets past me. They’re praying to my trusty friend Jesus, and when they do that, I join in, because I know he is listening too. I never know when she’s taking me for a walk. She likes to keep me guessing. Sometimes she leaves me for ages and ages alone in the house. I don’t mind that so much, it’s nice to be in charge, but I don’t understand why she doesn’t take me with her. Why doesn’t she take me with her? It’s not fair. Occasionally I will chase flies; sometimes there’s something good on the telly. But mostly I have a nap and make sure the house is safe until she comes back, when I give her a crazy welcome just so she knows I like it that she’s back. And I hope that next time she’ll take me with her… I love walking over the fields, sniffing, marking, having a dip in the pond. It makes her happy to see me run, so sometimes I bolt through the grass in huge circles, she likes that.

I think it was Eric Liddle, the British Olympic Gold Medalist of some years back,, who said “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run I feel God’s pleasure!” I know she just loves me for being me, I don’t have to earn her love, but I like to make her happy. Sometimes, when I run, she shout’s “No!” but I pretend I hear “Go!” and I run off to the pond in the middle of the field. She gets a bit cross with me then – but I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission a lot of the time. I like the woods too and am always on the lookout for squirrels or deer, but for some reason she doesn’t like it when I chase them. Or birds. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her go after them. She’s a strange creature. She’s a bit slow, so I have to wait for her to catch up, but it’s worth it because mostly she’ll have a treat for me. Not always, but often. Now and then I refuse to go where she’s leading me. I just stop on the pavement. I look at her imploringly to cross over the road and go in a different direction. Sometimes it works, but often she just tugs on the lead and says “Come on, Alfie!”. I’d rather she did what I say, rather than do what she says, but I try to be amenable because after all, she does feed me. (I think humans sometimes have the same attitude to God.) Finally, did you know that dog is God in reverse? That’s it for now. I’m going to have a nap.

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Jubilee Jamboree It was a lovely afternoon spent at St Catherine's Church for the Platinum Jubilee Jamboree. A fantastic atmosphere celebrating 70 years of HM The Queen. The event was very well attended by families and all age ranges. There was a lot of vibrant colours of red, white and blues. Vicar Gill welcomed everyone, and Aaron officially cut the string to open the event after successfully completing his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. Competitions for the 'best knobbly knees', 'best decorated hat', 'best decorated crown' and 'best caption' made for stiff competition and tough decisions had to be made by the judges. Catering provided cakes and scones as well as teas and coffees. Craft activities of rock painting and crown decorating was organised by Val and assisted by Caroline.

Sadly there isn’t a picture of the piled high mounds of goodies! The three of them had a chuckle thinking that it would take months to eat that amount of cakes and scones, but amazingly nearly everything went! The cake boxes were so popular there was a queue of people waiting outside the kitchen door for theirs. Country dancing was called by Bill and the St Catherine's Music Group. Two Silver Birches were planted, one by our two WIs and the other by the Church Wardens. To end the lovely afternoon, everyone sang the National Anthem. Thank you to everyone for attending and to all those who helped plan and organise this great event, all of which was entirely free due to the generosity of those who baked and gifted cakes and scones, and gave their time, talents, and skills. It was such a happy occasion!

Splat the Rat and Hook the Duck were thoroughly enjoyed as well, thanks to Amy, as was the quiz organized by Chris and Hilary from the two WIs.

Nicola O’Sulivan & Karen Patrick

Di from Tilehurst Triangle WI organised a singalong of one song from ﬁve diﬀerent decades; music organised by David and Lexi; spontaneous dancing by Gill, Val, Daisy, Nicola and Ella. Café Manager Karen, along with Maureen Ward and Steph Walklate saw little of it as they were in the kitchen preparing the cake boxes. During the morning countless homemade cakes and scones were brought in by church members and WI ladies.

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Royal Visitors ? Or the Café Team in disguise ?

Photo spread by Nicola O'Sullivan (F.N.D Warriors Photography) with additional photos by Stuart Poore & Karen Patrick

Arts & Crafts and Games

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Friday 3rd June

Country Dancing - organised by Bill with music from the St Catherine’s Music Group, PA by David and Lexi.

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Jubilee Jamboree Continued from page 21

Competitions: Best Decorated Hat, Knobbly Knees and Children’s Crowns

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Putting the Past behind us “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3: 12-14 This is one of my favourite Bible passages, and it reminds me that whatever our situation, we need to be looking to the future more than looking at the past. As some wise old bird said to me recently, we should not look at the past with longing, which is nostalgia, but with thankfulness. The past has brought us to where we are today, but we mustn’t hang on to it. Jesus calls us to look to the future God is leading us to, with hope and confidence. So as we look to the future, it is quite a relief to finally(?) be able to put the strict Covid regulations behind us, and enter a season where common sense and kindness are the main criteria. As many of you reading this will know, Covid is still doing the rounds, but because of the vaccinations, it’s affect is not as serious as when it first presented, so we can live far more freely and without fear. We have agreed now that facemask wearing is entirely optional for Sunday

services. But Covid is still around, so the seats for Sunday worship are not quite as close together as they were beforehand, and we still need to be aware of social distancing, cleansing surfaces, sanitising our hands. Now that communion can be oﬀered in two kinds (the wine as well as the bread), we still need to be mindful of how quickly Covid can spread, and ensure we cleanse our hands before holding the common cup, (if we have decided to take the wine, which is your decision entirely)…even though I am reliably informed that the 18% alcohol of communion wine together with the silver of the cup have an antibacterial eﬀect. It is good to observe that nearly all our activities pre-Covid are up and running again – except for Holiday Club – which is a great testimony to the energy, compassion and commitment of those leading and helping them and Café is going from strength to strength! Huge thanks to everyone. My hope is that we don’t ever have to return to the Covid regulations we have had to (rightly) endure over the past couple of years – but it may be, come the winter, that they are introduced once again – who knows? One thing Covid has taught me is that we can’t take anything for granted any more – which is why we need to live life to the full whilst we are able. Gill Rowell, Vicar

Mothers’ Union Prayer Chain - Prayer in Emergencies A call to one of the following numbers will start a chain of prayer straight away Hilary Smee ℡ 0118 941 2895 Evelyn Bartlett ℡ 0118 967 8659 Jo Day ℡ 0118 942 1481 Lorraine Roberts ℡ 0118 942 6189

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From Joanne, our Treasurer I normally do a six-month treasurer report for my own interest. This year I thought that I would share these thoughts with RG31. Half way through 2022 and life is returning to normal. The hall bookings are back to pre-lock down levels, so much so that the MU and both of our WI users along with Vivace Voices, now need to meet in the church so that others may use the hall. Parties are being booked again, this means that Eve, our hall booking clerk, is being kept busy. Tuesday Get Together and Friday Friends are also meeting regularly and contribute to church finances. Café Siena now hosts both coffee mornings and lunches for both of our WI users. This is putting pressure on our volunteers in the cafe, so any extra help that other volunteers can make in this area will be very welcome. Please speak to Karen, our café manager, if you feel that you can help. There are also copies of our Finance Leaflet called ‘Resourcing God’s Mission’ in the church and on our website. The 0-5s Cornwell Toddler group are now encouraging their users to pay by card on our SumUp devices. This reduces the amount of cash that we need to collect and bank, thus making life easier for our counters and those who do the banking. We also used SumUp at the recent Summer Fair. Thank you to everyone who contributes financially to St Catherine’s Church on a regular basis through both the Parish Giving Scheme, our preferred method, and by standing orders and in the plate.

If you do not already give and are able to please contact me or Steph.

Joanne

Steph

In addition to our normal sources of income, we have had special appeals resulting in new garden furniture, a new mower to replace the old broken one, speakers to help the musicians, a tablet to help with the live streaming and upgrades to the audio / visual equipment. As part of the Jubilee celebration two trees were planted – one from the church and one from the two WIs. The Parish Share is £59,420 which is our contribution towards the provision of mission and ministry of the church in this Diocese which includes clergy stipends, pensions, housing and ongoing training as well as safeguarding, work with children and young people, church schools and lay training. It is still paid by direct debit on a monthly basis, because of this we receive an immediate reduction of 1% reducing our contribution to £58,825.80. In addition, in February 2022 we received a Parish Share rebate for 2021 of £1,780 – never guaranteed but always welcome. We are continuing to donate 6% of our voluntary income to our four chosen (Continued on page 25)

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(Continued from page 24) charities, namely Christian Community Action, the Children’s Society, the Leprosy Mission and Novi Most. We currently donate £60 a month to each of these charities with a regular check being made that this is equal to the agreed 6%. In addition, money was sent to the Ukraine appeal from both church members and Café Siena. Unfortunately, we have had issues with our boiler resulting in some unexpected

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payments as well as some storm damage requiring repairs to fencing and the roof. At the end of May 2022, we were in the fortunate position that our outgoings matched the amount of money that we had received. Despite this position I am still predicting an annual deﬁcit of about £4,000 on our overall budget of £102,100. I should have the end of June 2022 ﬁgures in a week’s time, which I will be able to share with the PCC at our next meeting later this month. Joanne Freeman

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Know your PCC

The PCC (or Parochial Church Council to give it it’s full name) is the executive committee of a Church of England parish. It consists of clergy - Gill as Vicar alongside Tony & Mike as LLMs; elected Churchwardens - Caroline & Lynn; together with other elected representatives of the laity. Legally the council is responsible for the ﬁnancial aﬀairs of the church parish and the maintenance of its assets, such as the buildings and equipment. It also assists the clergy in the management of the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Churchwardens are elected annually, and other PCC members are elected for a three year term. Roles such as Treasurer and Secretary are appointed by the PCC. The PCC is a corporate charitable body and therefore all members are trustees of the charity.

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We have a dream “…that we will be a welcoming space here for everyone in our community… where people are able to sit in the sunshine (or the rain!), chat, and build relationships, a place to be, and belong.” Something that came out of the PCC ‘Away day’ back in September was to make the South Side of the Church next to the Garden Room a place to gather. New seating was decided, it would be

made from re-cycled plastic, able to withstand all weather and would not need constant re-painting. Thanks to a generous response to our appeal for donations, we now have three benches and two ‘Tea-sets’ (they all have a 25 year guarantee). With surplus funds we were also able maintain the view from these new seats by replacing the mower (see below). Tony Bartlett

The new mower During the grass growing months the lawns are cut weekly. At the start of the season we were using the petrol mower which the Church had for over 10 years, but unfortunately the self -drive gear box seized up and pushing the mower was too diﬃcult and so it was time for a new mower!!

It is self- propelled and powered by 2 rechargeable batteries, a single charge of the batteries is suﬃcient to cut all of the Church lawns. While we were deliberating over the mower our kind neighbour Darren initially cut the grass, and subsequently lent us one of his petrol mowers.

The question was do we stay petrol or go battery? After much googling and consulting with our local supplier BSB it was decided to recommend a battery mower, which should also help out towards our Church’s Eco status.

The new mower is very easy to use, unlike the old petrol mower which could sometimes be temperamental to start and needed to be regularly topped up with petrol. If anyone would like to help with the mowing please come along on a Saturday morning and give it a go.

The mower recommended for purchase was the Mountﬁeld Empress 51li.

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Paddy Barrett

SAVE THE DATE - Saturday 10th September WHY? - It’s the annual Ride & Stride event! This national event happens every year in every county. In 2021 Berkshire raised nearly £25,000 which was terrific and this year we want to do even better. Any mode of transport is fine – you could walk, cycle, ride - simply choose a route and find lots of sponsorship from all your friends and family. You can go by yourself or in a group, any time between 10.00am and 6.00pm and many people make a day of it. There are so many wonderful and interesting churches to visit, many will be open and offering refreshments too.

There is also the Daphne Barnes-Phillips trophy which is awarded to the most successful church each year – this is a splendid silver cup and currently resting with St Peter’s Woolhampton as they raised the most sponsorship in 2021. Your nominated church will beneﬁt hugely as they will receive half of your sponsorship. The remaining 50% goes to Berkshire Historic Churches Trust which in turn makes generous grants to churches in need. More details will be provided closer to the event from your local coordinator or from the BHCT Ride & Stride website: Prue Matchwick Berkshire Ride & Stride Co-ordinator

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Tilehurst Triangle WI Tilehurst Triangle WI’s recent highlights have been our Jubilee activities and celebrations. We joined together with Tilehurst Afternoon WI and planted a tree in the grounds of St Catherine’s, to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

served to us by a willing band of husbands. It was lovely to relax, socialise and catch up with other members whilst doing a royal quiz as well as being entertained by an amusing monologue based on life through the decades of the Queen’s reign.

Instead of our normal meeting in the church, in June, we held a garden party in Madeline Nottridge’s garden, one of our joint presidents.

We were blessed with glorious summer weather and we enjoyed afternoon tea

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(Continued on page 30)

By request For our services on the 5th Sunday of the month we take the opportunity to ‘do something different’. The 29th May was ‘Café style’ with the congregation seated around tables. The Hymns songs and readings were all chosen by members of the congregation. Val Poore read a poem and by request is repeated here: I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn to humbly obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I had asked for, But everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered; I am among all men most richly blessed. By an unknown confederate soldier. (Continued from page 29) At our meetings, we have had some interesting speakers including Rachel Robinson who brought along her 10 year old cocker spaniel who is her ‘Hearing Dog.’ Profoundly deaf, Rachel’s dog is her ears and alerts her to sounds such as the phone, door bell and wakes her up when her alarm clock goes off. In case of an emergency, such as a fire, hearing dogs have been trained to alert

their owner but then stay calm and not bark. Hearing dogs also provide their owners with company and help prevent isolation which deaf people often experience. Rachel talked about ‘Hearing Dogs’ training and how they are matched to their owner. She also spoke about her own experience about losing her hearing as a child and the obstacles and prejudices she has met. Hearing loss is a hidden disability which sadly is not always appreciated or the eﬀect it has on everyday life. Ros Somerville Tilehurst Triangle WI www.facebook.com/TilehurstTriangleWI

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Prayer on the Streets Since 1985 there has been an awareness of the Holy Spirit working in St Catherine’s congregation. Some members went to and were inspired by the John Wimber conferences and it was at one of these that Pam Toon experienced a feeling of oil running down her uplifted arms which was interpreted as a sign of involvement and leadership in Healing Ministry. Pam – although a shy lady – spent some time on the streets in Reading with the Ditchdiggers Group from Tilehurst Free Church and became convinced that we should be reaching out to people in the street rather than waiting for them to venture into church. By the time she became a Licensed Lay Minister she had started a prayer group, speciﬁcally for exploring God’s will in this mission. This group met regularly at St. Catherine’s with members from other denominations in the “broom cupboard” i.e. the old vestry, for about 2 years. The Link in School Road, with its ethos of Christian Listening, and prayer at the start and end of the day, was the ideal premises in the village from which to operate. The management committee welcomed the idea of a listening ear and prayer with a free ‘cuppa’ after the Saturday café shift had ﬁnished at 2pm. Members from Tilehurst Methodist, St Michaels, the United Reform Church and St. Joseph’s were part of the team and training took place over the years by vicars Stephen, Alison and Denis at St Catherine’s using various resources such as Christian Healing Mission.

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Denis also monitored our method of approaching people. On two Saturdays in the month we met at 2pm for prayer before opening the door at 2.30pm, and sometimes people would be waiting for us to arrive. Also one or two pairs of us would stroll up and down the road with identity badges showing our Christian names and “Link Prayer Team” and chat with passers-by and folk in the Triangle area. We handed out leaflets which explained that we believe that prayer makes a difference. Not once were any of us treated rudely. Sometimes a prayer on the spot, or inside the Link away from the traffic with some refreshment was welcome. If they were happy to give it, we noted their first name and explained that they would be prayed for later in the afternoon and during the intercessions in church on Sunday, which sometimes became quite a long list. As well as on Saturdays the Group would meet on two Monday evenings in the month for bible study and prayer which helped to solidify the team and keep an awareness of God’s purpose. Then Covid struck! The Link closed and due to shortage of staff still has not re-opened on a Saturday. Our team members have dropped despite new additions and though people have been grateful for being heard and giving their problems to God the individual churches are now offering more fellowship, social

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Saint of the Day 15th July St Swithun(or Swithin), is apparently the saint you can blame for rainy summers. It is said that if it rains on his special day, 15th July, it will then rain for 40 days after that. It all began when Swithun was made Bishop of Winchester in 852 by King Ethelwulf of Wessex. It was an important posting: Winchester was the capital of Wessex, and during the 10 years Swithun was there, Wessex became the most important kingdom of England. During his life, instead of washing out people’s summer holidays, and damping down their spirits, Swithun seems to have done a lot of good. He was famous for his charitable gifts and for his energy in getting churches built. When he was dying in 862, he asked that he be buried in the cemetery of the Old Minster, just outside the west door. If he had been left there in peace, who knows how many rainy summers the English may have been spared over the last 1000 years. But, no, it was decided to move Swithun. (Continued from page 31) interaction and meeting opportunities over food and drink. Confidential testimonies have been given but are hard to come by as we only knew a little of peoples’ stories and in the latter months (before Covid) we were only available one Saturday in the month. We are grateful for the designers and producers of the ‘Prayer Makes a Difference’ leaflets which encouraged the

By now, the 960s, Winchester had become the first monastic cathedral chapter in England, and the newly installed monks wanted Swithun in the cathedral with them. So finally, on 15th July 971, his bones were dug up and Swithun was translated into the cathedral. That same day many people claimed to have had miraculous cures. Certainly everyone got wet, for the heavens opened. The unusually heavy rain that day, and on the days following, was attributed to the power of St Swithun. Swithun was moved again in 1093, into the new Winchester cathedral. His shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the middle ages. The shrine was destroyed during the Reformation and restored in 1962. There are 58 ancient dedications to Swithun in England. You may be reading this magazine well after the 15th July, do you remember if it rained on that day? Editor recipients to ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7), and for the woven and wooden crosses which we also gave away. We started as an ecumenical group 35 years ago and are delighted to hear that the participating churches are reaching out more now and working towards fulfilling the needs of those around them. Thanks be to God! Sheila Bryant

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Summer Fair & thoughts on Fund-raising 2nd July followed hot on the heels of the Jubilee celebrations, and it was good to be together again, with our usual stalls for the summer fair – bric-a-brac (we did miss Sheila!), hamper raﬄe, tombola, marble game, skittles, splat the rat, buzzer game, silent auction, raﬄe, throw the dice for adults, throw the dice for children, cake and produce stall, plant stall, barbecued rolls and burgers, and delicious cakes and afternoon teas aplenty.

We are planning a Bistro Evening in September – more details will follow – with a two course meal and some entertainment, so watch out for that as tickets will go swiftly. There are diﬀerent ways of looking at fundraising for the church. We need just over £100,000 a year to pay our Parish Share to the Diocese, and cover the costs of maintenance, mission and ministry, and it would be so nice if we could do this just through our giving. If everyone on the electoral role were able to give £1000 p.a. we wouldn’t need to do any fundraising! (But then we wouldn’t have the fun of working towards something together – and the reality is that not everyone can or will do that.) The CofE recommends a minimum of 5% giving to church/charitable causes, Old Testament advocated a tithe (one tenth), the New Testament is not so speciﬁc – but emphasises how the Lord loves a cheerful (hilarious) giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The weather was kind to us, and the event made over £1,200 which will help to intercept the forecasted deﬁcit this year. We are so thankful for everyone’s contributions, hard work, and also the fun that was had. Thanks as well to the support from local businesses: Warings Bakery, Park Lane Salon. ASDA, The Village Florist, Wellington Country Park and Salon 16. It was another community event which welcomed visitors and there was a real buzz about the place as friends old and new came to participate.

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Giving is about so much more than financial generosity – it’s about having an open and hospitable heart, ready to share all that God has given us, and be a blessing to our community as well as those further afield. God’s mandate to his church is to bring his light to all the world – and there are many ways of doing that. So may I thank all of you who give so much, from the bottom of my heart, for your love and commitment in helping our fundraising efforts go with a swing!

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Gill Rowell, Vicar

Alps 2022 In August a group of 204 leaders and explorer scouts from across Berkshire are going to Saint-Crépin, Hautes-Alpes, south-east France for 10 days. Me, Joseph, and Aaron plus 8 of our other friends from explorers are going and we are very excited. There will be a range of adventurous and cultural activities to enjoy including white water rafting; kayaking; mountain biking; climbing; hillwalking; visits to local towns and cities; wine tasting; canyoning; and much more! I am most looking forward to canyoning because I have never done it before, and it sounds really fun. Before we could go, though; we needed to do some fundraising. We have done many things between us to raise money for the alps including lots of music playing. Me and some of my friends played carols at both St. Catherine’s and the Methodist church around Christmas time and we put on a concert at St Catherine’s. These were all good fun, but I especially enjoyed the concert as we organised it all ourselves and it was nice to see everyone’s diﬀerent musical talents. We also ran a stall at the British Legion where there were tombolas, face painting and cookie decorating. This was fun, although we were there for many hours!

ended up being more like 48km as we got very lost at several points! was fun, though, and when we had ﬁnished (and had a goodnight’s sleep) we were all enormously proud of ourselves.

Another thing we did was a chips and quiz with lots of different rounds and different topics. Joseph did a live guitar intros quiz which was cool to listen to and Aaron did the last round on road signs and junctions which was very difficult but a good laugh for everyone. We are very thankful for the support of our church family whether through coming to our concert, sponsoring our hike, letting us use the building for fundraising free of charge, or praying. We will write another report when we have come back from our trip to let you know how much fun we had! Carols & Tombola

Daisy Harrison

The best thing that we did, though, was the southern 50 walk. This is a challenge where you have some grid references and some maps, and you have to try to get to each checkpoint and then to the ﬁnish as quickly as you can. Our walk was supposed to be 30km, but it

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Musings from Phil French Change? I dreamt I had to lay bricks of diﬀerent sizes and shapes! Nightmare! I woke. The Church is made of odd "bricks", but unlike clay bricks, we can change. Are we exact ﬁts? It can be hard to learn, to "repent", or to take advice. Pride leads to rigidity? At work we taught beginners: but, now and then, a beginner had a new idea that was useful AFTER it had been polished so we tried to listen EVEN to beginners. Pray for wisdom - but beware, it may come from unexpected sources! I'd be a hopeless bricklayer. But The Great Builder builds mysterious things - if we can be "adjusted". And some psychologists suggest that "developing bricks" is a quite important function of the Church!

Setting an example? What is propaganda, and what is true? (You tell me!) Climate-change ideas trouble big business. There are other disturbing forecasts. Some think that today we're thoughtlessly gobbling up resources badly needed for future electronics, farming, building, etc. etc. (Google "six natural resources most drained".) Do some folk value "proﬁt and the now" more than our future? Would you say Church people should be setting some sort of example? Cash was short when our two sons were little. "Amusement" was often hard exercise! We made some toys out of scraps. We felt OK. No "wild consumption". Today that's not "cool" - but in those days

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we took GREAT PLEASURE in being crafty, not wasteful. If we all lived more simply (to avoid disaster, some believe?) we'd upset today's ﬁnanciers. BE FAIR TO THEM! They'd need understanding and help. We'd all need wisdom, carefully vetted info - and more?

Advert Mrs X was late for a Church meeting. The traﬃc was slow. The car in front of her stopped! She couldn't get round it. She got out and started shouting at the blocking driver. A police car drew up. The cop jumped out, said: "Madam, you're nicked!" "Why?" "The car you were driving's got a "Jesus loves you" poster on its rear end!" "What the ****'s that got to do with it?" "Well, you're obviously not a Christian. You must have stolen the car!"

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Being a Churchwarden I am very humbled when asked about being a church warden as there are so many people in the St Catherine’s community that have far more experience of this than I have! That said, each churchwarden’s experience is unique so here goes! Matthew Clements in his book Rules, Rotas and Rectors describes the churchwarden as like ‘the oil in a car engine which lubricates all the moving parts. By doing so it reduces friction between various components which move at different speeds. Its there and it just does the job, quietly and continuously, day in, day out.’ Whilst being a great description, it certainly keeps me in my place and ensures that I have no illusion of grandeur! And if St Catherine’s is running smoothly and you have not noticed me – it means that the church warden’s role is working effectively! That said the church wardens have responsibility for almost everything that gets done in the church that the vicar does not do! Luckily it is not necessarily our responsibility to do it – but to make sure it gets done! So being a church warden is a significant responsibility and it is a little scary to think of the trust people have placed in you. It is a particular challenge for someone like myself that is churchwarden alongside having a full time demanding job.

St Catherine’s is however a great community with many people who know a lot about how everything works and do a tremendous amount. Richard Canning, my fellow church warden when I initially took on the role, eased me into the role for which I am grateful. The weekly church warden meetings with our vicar, Gill Rowell, and my fellow church warden – previously Richard and now Lynn Stevens – in which we discuss what is happening in St Catherine’s and the future direction, and pray together on these matters, are an opportunity to share and to seek God’s guidance on the way forward. But what else should we as a church be doing? As one takes a look at the issues of immigration, Ukraine and other areas of conﬂict, poverty, mental health, lack of equality in many areas, and far more, it is evident that this is not the world which God wanted. We are being challenged as what we as God’s people in Tilehurst should be doing about this, working with other organisations, to make the world a little more as God intended. This is one of the biggest challenges for us all, and I would welcome all your prayers to discern how we should address this. Caroline Heron

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Café Chat At the end of March the café donated 100% of that weeks takings to Ukraine charities. This was advertised, and many people came to support this fundraiser. We also had a donations pot by the till, with customers putting anything from spare change to notes in. This meant that £339.40 went to the DEC, and £144.25 went to IFAW’s Ukraine appeal (International Fund for Animal Welfare). Thank you to Gill and the church wardens for allowing café takings to be used in this way. We had a wonderful time at the Jubilee Jamboree - see page 19 for our write-up. Thank you to everyone involved in the

Jubilee - from making the cake boxes, filling them, or baking the cakes themselves. Due to the huge increase in the cost of living, we recently have had to increase the café menu prices. We still think that we offer value for money, and trust you understand why we had to do it. Whilst the main aim of the café is not to operate for profit, we do need to make sure that our costs are covered. The church gardens are looking lovely, in particular the roses. So why not pop down for a coffee in the sun and admire them? Best Wishes, Karen

Advertising terms explained NEW - Diﬀerent colour from previous design. ALL NEW - Parts are not interchangeable with previous design. EXCLUSIVE - Imported product from goodness knows where. UNMATCHED - Not quite as good as the competition. FOOLPROOF OPERATION - No provision for adjustments. ADVANCED DESIGN - The advertising agency doesn't understand it. IT'S HERE AT LAST - Rush job. Nobody knew it was coming. FIELD TESTED - Manufacturer lacks onsite test equipment. HIGH ACCURACY - Unit on which all parts actually ﬁt.

Summer 2022

FUTURISTIC - We have no idea why it looks the way it does. REDESIGNED - Previous flaws fixed - we hope. DIRECT SALES ONLY - Factory had a big argument with distributor. YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT - We finally got one to work. BREAKTHROUGH - We finally figured out a use for it. MAINTENANCE FREE - Impossible to fix. MEETS ALL STANDARDS - Ours, not yours. SOLID-STATE – Don’t drop it on your foot. HIGH RELIABILITY - We made it work long enough to ship it.

RG31

On the best way to visit the homes in the parish The Rectory, St James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren Your offer to bring in your team of church members, in order to make a house call on every home in our parish, was most generous. I do understand why you would need us to accommodate your team of 25 visitors, and then hold a residential training weekend for our own members of the team. I accept that we would have to produce a visiting pack listing all our church organisations, giving contact names and numbers and a short resume of what each group did, along with our mission statement and safeguarding policy. I also understand your suggestion that we include a supplement outlining our stewardship scheme. Your plan that we should then hold an opening Service to which all the newcomers would be invited, and to which we might fly in a world-renowned speaker for the occasion, is understandable. And then of course we would need your help us to set up a finance committee with budgets and organised fund raising. But what you seem to have missed is that our entire parish consists of something like 70 homes. They would not feel visited, but invaded. Instead, I feel it would be best if we attempt something a little more low-key: an invitation to sherry after Mattins, perhaps, where we could find out which of them plays golf and who may like to join the Bridge Club. Gradually, as the sherry flowed, we would also seek to discover who would be prepared to go on the brass cleaning, flower arranging and grass cutting rotas, which are the traditionally recognised signs of committed Christians, at least in this parish. Inevitably, this means that none of our church members will be joining your team as you visit the residents of the new tower block in your parish. Most of our congregation abandoned attempting stairs some years ago and their polite enquiries about which Hunt the residents belong to, and where they stable their horses may lead to a rather stilted conversation. You are, of course, all prepared to welcome your new residents with enthusiasm, excitement, and frenetic activity; our policy of polite indifference and brief conversations about the weather should soon help ours to settle in in no time. Your loving uncle, Eustace

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Summer 2022

St Catherine’s Centre

RG31 - The Parish Magazine of Tilehurst St Catherine & Calcot St Birinus

Church and Hall regular bookings listed below To book Church or Hall contact Eve Combes  hall@stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk OR  07969 423 232.

RG31 is published quarterly by

Monday Pre School - 7.30am-3.15pm (term time) After School Club - 3:30pm-6.00pm (term time) Exercise Class - 7.00pm-8.00pm (term time) Yoga - 8.15-9.15pm

the P.C.C. of Tilehurst St Catherine & Calcot St Birinus to subscribers (contact editor to subscribe, the cost is £5 for the year) or in digital form accessed from our website: www.stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk

Tuesday Pre School - 7.30am-3.15pm (term time) Tuesday Get Together - 10.00am-12.00noon After School Club - 3:30pm-6.00pm (term time) W.I. - 2.00pm-4.00pm (3rd Tuesday) AA - 7.00pm-9.30pm Wednesday Pre School - 7.30am-3.15pm (term time) Communion Service 9.00am-10.00am After School Club - 3:30pm-6.00pm (term time) Vivace Voices 1.45pm-4.15pm Mothers’ Union - 7.30-9.30pm (2nd Wednesday) W.I. - 7.00pm-10.00pm (3rd Wednesday) Thursday Pre School - 7.30am-3.15pm (term time) Cafe Siena - 10.00am-2.00pm After School Club - 3:30pm-5.30pm (term time) Brownies - 5.45pm-7.15pm Trefoil - 7.30-9.30pm (4th Thursday) Friday Tots Praise - 9.30am (term time) Cafe Siena - 10.00am-2.00pm Friday Friends - 2.30-4.30pm Pick’n’Mix (Youth Group) - 7.45-9.15 pm (alternate Fridays Term Time)

Assistant Editor: Advertising: Richard Canning ℡ 0118 942 8238 All details and events are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to print. The P.C.C. and Editors are not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed by contributors in this magazine. We welcome contributions of articles or letters for future issues from anyone living in, or connected with the parish. All contributions for the next (Autumn) edition must be received by the editors by 3rd September. Contributions may be sent to:

Saturday Yoga - 10.45-11.15am Crafty Space - 1.30-5.30 pm (once a Month) Bowls Club - 7.00-9.00 pm

Summer 2022

Editor: Tony Bartlett ℡ 0118 967 8659

RG31

The Anglican Parish of

Tilehurst St Catherine & Calcot St Birinus ST CATHERINE OF SIENA Wittenham Avenue, Tilehurst, RG31 5LN www.stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk www.facebook.com/st.catherines.tilehurst Please check these websites for up-to-date information on services and other events We are ‘live-streaming’ our 10.00 am Sunday services so that they can be viewed via our Facebook page. Simply go to: www.facebook.com/st.catherines.tilehurst (you do not need an account to view - if asked to login or join, you can click ‘Not Now’). Once shown on Facebook, all our videos can be found again on our Web Site: www.stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk Every Sunday, The Ten O'clock Service (Outdoors in July & August weather permitting)varies in style and contents each week, but will always be ‘family friendly’. It will contain praise, teaching, communion and usually include a time of sharing what God is doing amongst us. Refreshments afterwards in the Hall. On Wednesdays at 9.00 am - there’s Holy Communion in church, everybody welcome.

NOTE - All our services will follow the current Covid 19 guidance

Who’s Who in the Parish Vicar Rev Gill Rowell ℡ 0118 942 7786  rowellgill@gmail.com

For initial enquiries regarding baptisms and weddings, please contact Gill

Licensed Lay Minister

Mike Heather ℡ 0118 962 4852

Tony Bartlett ℡ 0118 967 8659

 michaelheather@btinternet.com

 tony.bartlett.ccc@ntlworld.com

Churchwarden Caroline Heron

Churchwarden Lynn Stevens  07917 132 519

 caroline.heron123@btinternet.com

 lynn@stevensfamily.co.uk

RG31

Summer 2022