i news i comment i faith i life i june 2011
Transcription
i news i comment i faith i life i june 2011
I NEWS I COMMENT I FAITH I LIFE I JUNE 2011 On Monday 18th April a group of volunteers worked with Catherine to provide Messy Easter sessions for 60 children linked to our church through Pushchair Club and Messy Church The art activities were designed to support the telling of the Easter story and included decorating a purse and filling it with salt dough silver coins ( Judas’ purse ), making an Easter garden, rolling marbles dipped in paint to represent the stone rolling away from the tomb, decorating crosses, making chocolate crispy cakes with eggs and fluffy chicks and decorating hard boiled eggs. Even the smallest child ended the activity session with a collection of hand-made goodies to take home! After refreshments the group gathered to hear the Easter story, told simply, using a homemade book of silhouette pictures and examples from the day’s activities. This was followed by singing time and parachute games, which everyone enjoyed enormously. By the end of the day EVERYONE was exhausted but happy! Many thanks to all who helped to create such a memorable day. Look out for our display in the Church Hall. In this Issue Messy Easter Family News Mike’s Message Green Tip/Christian Aid Tim Flowers New Stewards Royal Wedding “The Easter cross is superb! Loved the feel and the strong statement of hope it will communicate to the world who notice it as they pass by the Church. Easter wishes and prayers for the congregation in Solihull. We miss you!” Betsy & Sarosh Sent in by proud parents Denys and Margaret Nicol. This is Malcolm Nicol and Nadia his wife, when he got his FRCS. Malcolm started in SMC creche when he was 2 weeks old, and progressed through all departments of Junior Church, collected for JMA, and assisted Stan Field with lighting in the early days of SMASH. He was recently appointed Consultant in General Orthopedics & Trauma at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. His catchment area includes the Falkland Isles! Congratulations to the Willetts who become grandparents for the 9th time. A new son Matthew Christopher for Elisabeth and Chris Gregory. Thomas. Our love and prayers go out to Joyce and Bryan Fitter and their family following the tragic death of their grandson Congratulations to Mark Richmond, who you will remember was selected to represent England in the Five Nations squash competition at Easter, playing for the U13 Team. We are pleased to say that they won, but not only did they win over all, each player in the team won every match they played. The new Lingard grandson. Thomas, with Iain and Cristina. A new baby for Bebin and Elsie Thomas who write;“Many thanks for your wishes. We still have not decided on a name for Arun’s brother Suggestions are welcome for a name starting with ’A” Baby weighs 7lb 4oz. Both Elsie and baby are doing well.” 2 On 1st May we celebrated the Baptism of Stuart Andrew Bradbury. Here he is with his parents Louise and Dale and his big brother Daniel. GREEN TIP – Using up the left overs Nowadays so much food is wasted. We either buy too much and it goes bad before we get round to eating it or we cook too much and it does not get eaten. We are tempted by BOGOFs – buy one get one free – offers which can be very wasteful, especially with fresh vegetables unless we have a plan! On a Monday I get all the old veg from the bottom of the fridge and make it into soup. I boil it up, season it well and then use a blender to make a delicious vegetable soup which we have for lunches throughout the week. When we have a chicken at the weekend I boil up the carcass and add the stock to the soup. Often some cooked vegetables are left over from a meal, particularly potatoes which can be fried up on a second day. (At Christmas our granddaughter thought they were wonderful and asked Mummy to do potatoes like Granny does!). ‘Bubble and squeak’ was a wartime favourite and can be made from any left over greens plus potatoes. Bread and cakes also do not last too well and I have come across a number of recipes for using up stale bread. The Greener Church group is putting together a small booklet on ways to use up left over food. Friends R Us have already contributed some recipes. If you have any other special recipes for using up left overs we would love to have them. Please contact me 0121 711 7696 or [email protected] Sue Balmer Christian Aid Coffee Morning and Ploughman’s Lunch The sun was shining with a keen wind) yet the car park was soaking wet. What a fine band of people of all ages greeted us and took our cars for their annual wash on Saturday 14th May at the Christian Aid Coffee Morning and Ploughman's Lunch which started our efforts for Christian Aid Week. There was red bunting and balloons everywhere. No one going past could have missed what was going on. Once inside the hall there was such a selection of stalls with a very brisk trade going on. Inside the hall and out there was a stall with the very best of plants with vegetables, bedding and perennials available and of course inside was the cake stall. How are we expected to pick a cake to take away with so many favourites waiting for us? Early on there was quite a few of puddings (especially crumbles) on this stall but how quickly they had all disappeared. Add to this the books, Traidcraft, toys and puzzles, and the Remnants stall from Saltley with its beach bags and cushions – there was so much worth spending our pennies on. And to cap it all a super ploughman’s lunch with apple pie and cream to follow. What tremendous work from a delightfully ecumenical team which as a provisional figure has beaten last year’s amazing total by getting over the £1500 level for the first time this year for this great cause. Well done everyone who made this happen 3 Mike’s Message Minister Our Church has a very clear purpose. We are here in Solihull today in order to link our community with Christ. It is clear to us that Jesus still has something very real and precious to offer our community and we feel the responsibility to make that known in the best and simplest possible way. Jesus stands out clearly on his own for us as a teacher with profound insights that challenge the adult mind and as a role model par excellence for our children to follow with imagination and vigour. For all the Church’s faults and its human misrepresentations of Christ’s love, there is nothing wrong with Jesus. He still is someone we can be confident to represent. We want to share Jesus with our community because Jesus helps us to make sense of our spirituality. He links us to God in a way that is simple and real. Divine’s of previous generations have told us that there is a God-shaped vacuum that only Jesus can fill, and that our hearts are restless till they find their rest in him. While from day to day we may live with and among very material things, each one knows there exists a dimension ‘just out of reach’, a ‘bigger picture of things’ that they long to explore. There is more to life than this life, and the ‘Jesus way’ has proved over the last 2000 years to be a most helpful and honest way to satisfy these deep longings in our hearts. We want to link our community to Christ because we know that the ‘Jesus way’ is also an excellent way for society to live in true community. Bad things happen in our world everyday and all around us. We are not naive to this, but we also know there are more good things going on, more loving actions taking place every day in our world than the few exceptions that dominate the headlines. Jesus helps us to see each other differently, to value both the strong and the weak, offers a safe place for the vulnerable and an exuberance of life and opportunity for the creative and the adventurous. Jesus comes that we might have life in all its fullness. Jesus opens up our humanity in a way that shows its sacredness. Etty Hillesum, who at the age of 29 went to her death at Auschwitz in November 1943, understood that every person was a house for God and that her prayer was ”to find a dwelling place and a refuge for you in as many houses as possible.” That is the same task God has entrusted us with. 4 3 Mike Crockett 705 5254 [email protected] Available Saturday to Thursday Lay Pastoral Worker Deborah Humphries 01564 771686 [email protected] Youth Worker Catherine Ralph 07957 473209 or 603 1132 [email protected] Available Wed to Mon Church Office [email protected] 0121 705 7367 Lettings [email protected] What’s on this month? Sunday 5th Tuesday Sunday 7th 12th Tuesday Sunday 14th 19th Tuesday Sunday 21st 26th Tuesday 28th 09.00 am 10.30am 09.30am 10.30am 6.30 pm 9.30am 10.30am 3.00 pm 09.30am 10.30am 6.00 pm 09.30 am Holy Communion - Rev Mike Crockett Morning Worship - Rev Mike Crockett Tuesday Holy Communion Church Anniversary Service and Holy Communion : Rev Chris Giles JMA Walk Tuesday Holy Communion Morning Worship : Rev Mike Crockett Circuit Celebrations at Lyndon Tuesday Holy Communion Morning Worship - Caz Hague Local Preachers Recognition Service for Carol Kirchoff at Acocks Green Tuesday Holy Communion Closing Circuit Celebration on Sunday June 19th from 3.00 pm at Lyndon Methodist Church We have received an invitation from the Elmdon Circuit to this event, to give thanks as we prepare to become part of the new circuit. The pattern for the day will be as follows: 3.00 p.m. A selection of displays (in the hall at Lyndon), representing the life and history of each church in the Circuit. A series of short performances – drama, music…. (in the church) for those who simply want to sit and listen. 5.00 p.m. A “bring and share” Tea (drinks provided) 6.30 p.m. Celebration Worship. Solihull Methodist Church will have a table top display, and it is hoped that there will be time to share our stories, to sit and chat, to be inspired and challenged for wherever the future may take us – as we give thanks for all that God has done, and as we offer thanks to those who have served us so faithfully. PLEASE COME, EVERYONE WELCOME The Messenger Team Sue Balmer, Mike Crockett, Bryan Fitter, Jeff Horton, Bill Penny and Lawrie Rumens. Material for publication to [email protected] Please try to keep articles to 250 words. We reserve the right to edit articles if necessary. Please send photographs separately as jpeg files. NB. Last date for July Messenger items is 8th June 5 Church Office [email protected] Hi, my name is Tim Flowers and I live in the Black Country Village of Gornal, which is just to the north west of Dudley. I am a Student Presbyter in my first year at Queens College in Edgbaston, and will be spending May and June on placement working with Mike and Deb at Solihull Methodist Church. I am married to Julia and we have been blessed with three children. Charlotte and Natasha will be 21 in August, and both at university. Charlotte is in her final year studying Theology at Oxford, Natasha is in her third year studying music at the Birmingham Conservatoire her main instrument is the oboe. Last but not least our family is completed by our son Joshua who is 10, and our two cats Bobby and Jade. My working life has been mostly spent in the West Midlands, firstly in the steel stockholding industry in a variety of different roles for 21 years, before working as a Project Manager for a sign manufacturing company for six years and finally a short time in the civil service. I have served as a local preacher in a number of circuits, and served our home church in a variety of leadership roles for many years. During this time as a family we developed an understanding that the Lord wanted more and more from us and we both felt that it was right to follow his call to full time Ministry. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you over the next few months. God Bless Tim Launch of New Birmingham Circuit - September 1st, 2011. The new Birmingham Circuit is to be launched at a special service on the evening of Thursday September 1st at 7.30 p.m at Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham city centre. The . President and Vice-President of Conference will be present Tickets can be booked by adding your name and ticket requirements to the lists on the information table at the back of church or by contacting the church office. “Wish you all a Happy & Blessed Easter! Hope you all are doing good. I had been extremely busy at work since the beginning of this year until March. It is getting better now, where I have to spend only 8 hrs at work a day! Interior work at our Bangalore apartment is over and we have now moved to Hyderabad. We plan to move back to Bangalore by May(end) / June(early), if God willing. Here we all are doing fine by the Grace of God. Once again - Wish you a great Easter from all of us. With Love & Prayers, Elsie and Bebin” 6 Jackie Farmer Richard Burr Margery Benson I come originally from Cambridge though grew up in Worcestershire. As a family we were brought up in the Anglican Church but I was finding that a difficult road to walk. A friend persuaded me to go with her to our local Methodist Church and I have been a Methodist ever since. I came to Solihull Methodist Church in 1959, with my parents Joan and George, who still worship here and many of you will know. In 1959 we had afternoon Sunday School in the old church by the nearby roundabout, but soon it was sold, and we had a Terrapin hut in the car park outside the vestry, whilst the new Hall was being built. The Hall was ‘my’ Sunday School, Badminton club, Young People’s Fellowship, Seekers meeting and where teachers like Lawrie Bailey and my parents influenced my beliefs and thinking, and encouraged my membership of the Church. After gaining my degree at Nottingham in Quantity Surveying, I worked in Cambridge for a short time before joining Bond Foster in Telford and marrying Christine. We moved to Solihull, with our two daughters Gillian & Joanne, in 1987 because my client base was then mostly in London, and I wanted to be at home with the family more often than was possible in Telford. This is my second time as a Church Steward, having previously been a Steward in the time of David Blanchflower. I am looking forward to working with Mike and fellow Stewards and trust that I shall be guided by the thought “What would Jesus do?” in all that we do together. I have been a member of Solihull Methodist Church since 1980. My husband, Peter, and I with our two young daughters, had moved from Lancashire where we worshipped at a small Methodist Church in the Rossendale Valley. I was a Primary School teacher and had worked in Adult Education and run a Pre- school playgroup. No surprise then that I was soon teaching in Junior Church and became a Brownie Guider leading the Church Brownie pack for fourteen years.This was a very rewarding, enjoyable and challenging role, the highlights being especially the Pack holidays, filled with fun for the children and the leaders. During that time I returned to part time teaching, working alongside children with special educational needs. After early retirement I became more involved with pastoral work and served on the Church Council. I was a joint Junior Church coordinator for a number of years which enabled me to engage with our younger families and children. In my spare time, I love working in our garden, flower arranging and trying to improve my French conversation. Peter and I also enjoy walking, visits to the Symphony Hall and Birmingham Repertory theatre, and most importantly spending time with our grandchildren and extended family.I was first elected as a Church Steward in 1988 and look forward to the privilege of this second opportunity to serve the Church over the next twelve months. Having trained as a teacher I worked in Canada and Australia (a wonderful way to travel) as well as here in the West Midlands; my last school before retiring was in Cambridgeshire. I returned to the West Midlands as all my family are in this area. They said Cambridgeshire was too far to travel to look after me – what could they mean by that I wonder! When working in the West Midlands I attended Shirley Methodist Church (before it was rebuilt) and in Cambridgeshire I was a member of Huntingdon Methodist Church. I am finding that one of the pleasures of living in Solihull is how easy it is to get to concerts and the theatre, two of my interests. Where I live there is a small space outside the flat and I am enjoying turning that into a garden. We are grateful to Mary Buckels who will be joining the team of pastoral leaders. Please keep her in your prayers as she takes on this new challenge. A big thank you to the stewards stepping down----David Grey, Marjorie Roper and Fiona Beadle 20th April 2011 Your Highness and Miss Middleton, As President of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain I offer on behalf of the people called Methodist our greetings and best wishes, our joy and our prayers on the occasion of your marriage. May the Lord bless you and grant you wisdom, grace and love in your life together and in your service of the country. With all good wishes, Alison Tomlin President of the Methodist Conference On the eve of the Royal Wedding a group of princesses and princes gathered in the Church Hall with their parents and carers to enjoy a traditional Street Party. You will have guessed that Joyce Fitter and Catherine Ralph were in the middle of it all!! After making crowns and taking part in a Royal Parade they settled down to a delicious banquet of sandwiches, sausage rolls and crisps, fruit and jelly and fairy cakes. Then they played pass the Wedding Present and sang and acted “ A princess lived in castle so high”, and it was soon time to go home with a piece of Royal Wedding cake and a flag to wave whilst watching the great event on TV the next day. The celebrations of the royal wedding had begun in style. In accordance with church policy all the leftovers were recycled by the Cubs!! We have received a letter acknowledging our cheque for £2200, which was sent to the disaster fund to help Japan and New Zealand after the recent earthquakes and tsunami. 8 Printed by The Additional Curates Society