The summer months are here again and they are the usual time for festivals, fun days and the like. This month of June we would normally be hosting the Love Burnage Big Family Fun day at St Margaret’s, but sadly it won’t be happening this year for various reasons. However, we are planning a mega Family Fun Day next June to link in with the 2012 London Olympics and celebrations to mark the centenary of Girl Guiding at our church. So watch this space and we’ll tell you more of our plans another time. Instead, this year we have been focusing on developing a different kind of church ‘experience’ for young families. It’s called ‘Messy Church’ and takes place monthly at the moment on a Monday afternoon between 4.00 and 6.00pm. Messy Church begins with an hour of themed craft activities in the Parish Centre, followed by a short time of all-age worship in church. Everyone then returns to the Parish Centre for a tasty meal before heading for home. On July 3rd , we’re planning to do ‘Messy Sunday’ when the Messy Church experience will be shared by everyone who would normally come to our first Sunday Celebration at 10.30am. The ‘Messy Sunday’ morning will finish with a barbecue and various other attractions for children in the church grounds (weather permitting!) You would be very welcome to join us. Something else happening again this summer (August 1st to 5th) is the Holiday Special for Older People in August. This is a week long programme of activities – including a coach outing - for people 60 and over, organised by CTIB (Christians Together in Burnage) and hosted by St Margaret’s in our Parish Centre. If you’ve never attended before, why not come along and find out what it’s al about. A warm and friendly welcome awaits you! Finally, on Saturday 17th September we are planning an Asian Friendship Evening which will be a kind of celebration of Asian culture and food. We will be inviting as many of our Asian friends and neighbours as would like to join us to come along to this special event in our Parish Centre. For further information about any of these events this summer, contact St Margaret’s Parish Office (0161 432 4606 Friday mornings only) or the Rectory, 250 Burnage Lane ( 0161 432 1844). Building bridges between church and community
Since I last wrote we have celebrated Easter – the great festival in the Christian year – when we remember both Jesus’ death on the cross and his glorious resurrection on that first Easter Sunday. I really enjoyed my first experience of the Christians Together in Burnage walk of witness on Good Friday. Perhaps you saw us – Christians from all the We’re now into the month of June, different churches in Burnage – so it’s already been a year since I as we walked down Green End became the Curate here at St Road and past Aldi behind a huge Margaret’s. I can’t believe how wooden cross and banner. the year has flown by, and I’m now getting ready to be ordained At St Margaret’s we also enjoyed priest at Manchester Cathedral on our Messy Easter celebration in Holy Week, when all ages Saturday 18 June. That will be another big step and will no doubt gathered to do Easter crafts together, and to relive – in story, bring new challenges and new song and prayer – the events of experiences.
Jesus’ last week. We finished with a fantastic shared meal together of delicious home-cooked meat and potato (or veggie) pie with chocolate nest cakes for pudding.
in July is on Sunday July 3rd, 10.30 - 2.30, (see page 5). Hope you can join us there for a messy, fun time. And remember, it’s all FREE! Do feel free to come and say ‘hello’ or contact me with any questions in the Parish Centre at St Margaret’s on Tuesday and Friday mornings or by phone 0161 445 8874 or email: caroline.throup@ntlworld.com
India Trip Nine young people, together with four adults, from St. Margaret's are off to Bangalore India in July. They will be doing practical work for two weeks at the Training Institute of the Indian Evangelical Mission and at two hostels for tribal children. Following their hard work they plan to enjoy a 10 day sight seeing trip in southern India. Everyone is excited about the trip and looking forward to all that God has to teach them as they experience a new country and culture. No doubt they will tell us all about it in the next In Touch!
I said a prayer for you today, And know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart, Although He spoke no word
I asked that He'd be near to you, At the start of each new day. To grant you health and blessings, And friends to share the way
I didn't ask for wealth or fame, I knew you wouldn't mind. I asked for Him to send you gifts, Of a far more lasting kind
I asked for happiness for you, In all things, great and small. But it was for His loving care I prayed for most of all
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Anon.
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A family party for people of all different backgrounds and faiths is being planned. Encouraging peace and harmony in Burnage. Entertainment and Refreshments, Saturday evening September 17th in the Parish Centre. Watch this space!
June 2011 050/6/11 Broadlea Road to Rosevale Ave, Shawlea Ave and Woodlea Ave 12/06/11 Broadlea Road (Rosevale Ave to Glenhurst Road), Sunnylea Ave, and Briarlea Gdns 19/06/11 Kingsway (East side) Mauldeth Rd to Barcicroft Rd 26/06/11 Green End Road, Westville Gdns and Briarlea Gdns July 2011 030/7/11 Glenhurst Rd, Daneholme Rd, Foxwood Gdns 10/07/11 Heathwood Rd, Angleside Ave, Ivylea Rd. 17/07/11 Burnage Lane (Barcicroft Rd to Green End Roundabout), Brookway Close 24/07/11 Carrgreen Close, Moorcroft Drive 31/07/11 Mauldeth Rd, (Green End Roundabout to Whitehurst Rd), Whitehurst Rd Building bridges between church and community
August 2011 07/08/11 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst Drive, Fair Oak Rd, Dernford Ave 14/08/11 Pearn Rd, Pearn Ave 21/08/11 Woodview Ave, Westdean Cres, Ashburn Ave, Alston Gdns 28/08/11 Errwood Rd, (Green End Roundabout to Shawbrook Rd) September 2011 04/09/11 Shawbrook Rd, and Westdale Gdns 11/09/11 Watford Rd, Henley Place, Pinner Place, Amersham Place 18/09/11 Eastern Circle, Enfield Ave, Guernsey Close, Ealing Place Harrow Ave 25/09/11 Avon Rd.
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and worry I’ve had to face ? Most certainly, yes but, for this one thing. I have learnt, above all else, that
T
When I faced surgery for the second time in this process to remove my Thyroid Glands. I lay awake one night before I had to go into hospital and, in my despair, I wrote these words on a piece of paper I had by my bedside: “Where were you, when I called your name and I searched both high and low ? Where were you, when light was growing dim, and the shadows closed within ? Where were you, Lord, when I need you most ? Where were you, when I lost my way, and I don’t know where to turn ? Where were you when all I had was lost, when everything was gone ? Where were you, Lord, when I need you most ?”
We need God in our lives every day and in everything we do, even in those times when we are on our own. When God comes to us in dark times He often makes His entrance by saying words like “Do not be afraid” or “Be strong courageous, do not be terrified; do not be It was at this point of being at my lowest that God’s discouraged”. Well, why shouldn’t we be !! When I reality dawned on me: was told I had cancer I was scared stiff, I terrified, I You’re there beside me, helping me to stand discouraged and I frightened not just for my Giving me the strength to carry on” own future but the future of my young family at the thought of them growing up without a dad or a In other words, God is with husband. us. In front of us to guide us, behind us to protect us In my experience, when you hear the word “cancer”, and, importantly, beside us to comfort and support us. Psalm 139 says it so much better than I can: you switch off and don’t pick up on what follows – the nature of the treatment, the prognosis and likelihood of “Where can I go from your Spirit ? success In my case, this was extremely good, thank Where can I flee from your presence ? God. The same is true of God’s word. We hear the The highest Heavens ? You’re there ! The lowest depths ? You’re there ! “ words “do not be afraid” which is all very well but we (Paraphrased) fail to hear the reasons why we should not be afraid. We should not be afraid because, God says, “I am with The truth is, God is wherever we are because He is in you”. Not only that, in Matthew 28 v 19 Jesus underour hearts. Our responsibility is to find that moment lines this by saying, “I am with you, to the end when we discover that truth for ourselves. For me, it of the age” has been the isolation of Room 3, Ward 1, at The Christie. Where will it be for you ? God has taught me many things about myself and about Himself during this illness. Would I have learnt Duncan Stansfield ( May 2011 ) these lessons without getting cancer. Who knows ? Would I have preferred not to have had cancer and gone through the various treatments, operations, stress
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Answers to puzzle on page 7 : 1. Christmas, 2. Epiphany, 3. Lent, 4. Good Friday 5. Easter, 6. Ascension, 7. Pentecost, 8. Advent
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: Tea, coffee, juice & biscuits. Doors open from 10 am : Lots of craft and other
Messy Sunday is free and is for activities from 10.30-11.30am everyone so do come along and join us if you can! There’s no need : 11.30am in church to book in advance. Just come for 20 minutes of (action) along and join the fun and bring songs, story and prayers your friends and neighbours with Midday – – you. See you there! outside (weather permitting) with bouncy castles and fun for all, activities for everyone in the Parish Centre too If you want to find out more, call the Rector, Revd Ian Thompson, on 0161 432 1844 or the Curate, Revd Caroline Throup, on 0161 445 8874 or email: caroline.throup@ntlworld.com Building bridges between church and community
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did recently? Who hasn’t imagined the charities they would set up, the good they would do, the yachts they would buy?
Poor Bill Gates. After decades perched on top of the Forbes Rich List, he has been toppled by the improbably named Carlos Slim. Mr Slim, a cigar-smoking, septuagenarian, Mexican telecoms tycoon, pipped Mr Gates to the top spot with an estimated net worth of $53.5bn, a fractional $500 million more than Microsoft’s man. Britons by comparison are paupers. The Duke of Westminster, our richest man, was stuck in 45th place with a humiliating $12bn. We have a curious love-hate relationship with wealth. We know that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, inducing a kind of moral amnesia in even the most sensible of us. We know that rich people are often famously lonely and unhappy. We know that huge sums of money can hit us like a meteor, smashing up the relational networks that keep us loved and sane. But who hasn’t fantasized about being Bill Gates or, more modestly, about winning £56 million on the EuroMillions, as a British couple
In one sense, every tool we use requires that we trust it to work. But because money promises so much, it acts like a black hole for our trust, sucking in all our faith as it offers us The Bible doesn’t have the monochro- ever more. matically negative attitude to money as is popularly believed. It recognises Other tools we trust – knives, fire, that God’s creation is good and that ladders, cars, computers – have spein as far as money is a means of ma- cific tasks. We trust them in so far as nipulating that creation, like fire or a they do what they are made to do. knife, it is itself both good and useBut money promises everything: food, ful. But just as fire and knives are warmth, shelter, security, comfort, dangerous, so is money – hence the respect, status, sensual pleasure. innumerable Biblical warnings Money works by demanding our faith about it. in return for apparent fulfilment. Trust it and it will offer you the Its danger lies in the fact that it de- world. mands our faith. Cheques, pounds, coins, even gold are objectively Hence Jesus’ famously tough words: worthless. You cannot eat, drink or “Do not store up for yourselves treasbreathe them. They will not shelter ures on earth” (Matthew 7:19), he you, heal you or help you harvest tells people in the Sermon on the crops. They only work because there Mount. His initial explanation is is widespread public agreement that that no earthly banking system is truthey represent something that is use- ly secure. Somehow or other, whether ful. Otherwise, why exchange scraps through moths, rust or thieves, treasof paper or debased metal for a loaf ures decay, cheques bounce, banks of bread or pint of milk? In order for crash, currencies devalue and economoney to work, we need to have faith mies hyper-inflate. But that isn’t the in it. real reason. There is nothing necessary about that public trust. You only have to look at inter-war Germany or modern Argentina to see that a society can lose its faith in money, reducing cash to heaps of worthless paper and its owners to hungry, homeless, impoverished wrecks.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Jesus goes on to say (Matthew 7:21). Money is never just money. It is about trust, about faith. And faith is about love.
, a public theology think tank which exists to undertake research That money demands our faith in or- and provide commentary on social der to work is not in itself a problem. and political arrangements.
You may have read of the CAP money courses held at St Margaret’s - or even attended one. Here’s some quotes from a couple of people who attended the course in January: "....Can I be honest? I've not been living on cash!!:) but I do have a much closer control on my finances and a plan in place for managing different budgets. I thought the course was absolutely excellent, up there with Alpha in terms of quality of delivery and effectiveness. It has had a big impact on the way I manage my money. Thank you to the whole team. I also thought St. Margaret's was an especially lovely and friendly Church.”
"...CAP has seriously aided my well being and being in touch with....(those)....who run CAP has been a great help. All the best to you and the team.” 6
Building bridges between church and community
Through the year we all celebrate lots of different festivals and special occasions. Many people enjoy celebrating their birthday with cakes, candles, parties and presents! In the church there are lots of different festivals to mark special occasions. How many of the church festivals do you know? Rearrange the words below and see how many you can work out.
1. htCirsasm
5. estarE
2. paEnpihy
6. seAinncso
3. tenL
7. nePeosttc
4 doGo yadirF
8. dveAnt
Do you know what special events from the Bible are remembered at each of these festivals? You could do a search on the Internet to find out more or ask a friend who goes to church about them.
Baptisms 15 May 2011
Confirmation (all on 29th May 2011) Dylan Thomas Humphries
Weddings None
Funerals 7 April 2011 18 May 2011 26 May 2011
Doris Irvine Lillian Drew William Freeburn
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Anna Chippendale Barbara Hulse Simon Roberts Jonathan Stansfield Richard Crook (received into the Communion of C of E) Bola Shote (renewal of baptismal vows) Irene Tonge (renewal of baptismal vows)
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Holiday Special for Older People Daily : Monday to Friday August 1st to August 5th 2011
Ring 0161 431 5172 for more information
Got a problem? Like someone to talk to? In spiritual help or advice? For pastoral help and support, telephone our Helpline and someone will get back to you 8
Building bridges between church and community