Nov 2014 - Ashbourne Methodist

The Magazine of Ashbourne Methodist Circuit
http://www.ashbournemethodist.org.uk
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Letter from the Minister
The Manse 16 Booth Drive Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 1SZ
Tel: 01335 342408 email: [email protected]
November 2014
Dear Friends,
“100 years on”
This years’ Remembrance Sunday will take place 100 years after the
start of World War 1 – the “war to end all wars”. Yet, one hundred
years on, we don’t seem to have learnt the lessons of war. A century
on, we are surrounded by so much war and conflict in the world
around us. We seem slow to learn. Yet striving for the paths of peace
are an ideal we should still aim for; that’s why ‘at the going down of
the sun, and in the morning we will remember them’.
Countless names appear on war memorials great and small, in country villages and municipal towns and cities; in churches, chapels,
public buildings and factories. But those names are more than a list.
They represent real people, with real lives and real families, whose
world was changed forever. They were people who dreamed and
hoped, loved and were loved. With the changing nature of our
communities, the names and their association with us will have faded
greatly, and those with a connection, or ancestry will be fewer. But
may they be ever remembered members of the community we now
share – that the promise that “their names liveth forever’ may
honoured, not just during this special year, but every year.
As we look back and remember, so we shall also begin to look
forward. The end of November leads us into the season of Advent, of
the longing and waiting for the coming of Christ. How we mark our
endings and beginnings are deeply spiritual matters. As a church we
shall remember them in praise and thanksgiving, joy and wonder – all
with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the same: yesterday, today
and forever.
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So at this remembrance time, of beginnings and endings, may God
grant us His peace – the peace that passes all understanding.
Your minister and friend,
Tim
______________
Prayer for Guidance at AMC
This prayer has been written as a combined effort over several weeks
by the Monday morning Homegroup. Much thought and prayer has
gone into this, and we offer it as a starting point for those who are
regularly praying for guidance as to what we should be doing as a
church, and where and how we should be doing it. We intend to use it
at all our meetings and would encourage other groups to pray along
similar lines for the future ministry of our church in Ashbourne.
Gareth Rutledge
Father:
We confess that as a church we have not always sought Your will in all
that we have tried to do in Your name.
Please forgive us and grant us the humility to put Your will above our
own and hear what You have to say to us.
Lord, as we look out into the morning mist, it is not easy to see where
we are going. We know that above the mist the sun is shining, and
when it overcomes the mist we will see clearly the way ahead.
As we think of our spiritual journey, Lord, we pray that You will shine
through the mists of doubt and fear, and show us The Way, Your Way.
We pray that You would speak Your word to our hearts and grant us
the vision to see Your will for Your Church here in Ashbourne. Give us
the grace to hear, the faith to step out and the courage to take the
path You show us.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen
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Ashbourne Circuit Church Services
Sunday November 9th
Ashbourne 10:45am
Rev Tim Morris
6:30pm
Mr Tim Dutton
Brailsford 10:45am
Hulland
2:30pm
Mr John Dyster
Kniveton
2:30pm
Mr Tom Parkinson
Parwich
10:00pm
Sunday November 16th
Ashbourne 10:30am
Rev Gordon Gresswell
6:30pm
Praise
Brailsford 10:30am
Mr Robert Sales
Hulland
Parwich
Tissington
2:30pm
10:00am
10:30am
Fiona Green
Rev Tim Morris
Sunday November 23rd
Ashbourne 10:30am
Miss Diana Whitmill
6:30pm
Sister Merle Wilde
Brailsford 10:30am
Mr John Dyster
Hulland
2:30pm
Rev Tim Morris
Kirk Ireton
6:30pm
Mr Stuart Mustow
Kniveton
11:00am
Mr Peter Dawson
Parwich
2:30pm
Mr Tom Parkinson
Remembrance
United Service at Parish
Theme Preach 1
United Service at Parish
Communion
in Century Hall
Shoeboxes, All Age,
9:15am Breakfast
Theme Preach 2
All Age at Parish
Communion
Shoeboxes
Communion
Theme Preach 3
Shoeboxes, Village Hall
Sunday November 30th
Ashbourne 10:30am
Rev Tim Morris
6:30pm
Mrs Ann Parkinson
Brailsford
6:00pm
Rev Tim Morris
Hulland
2:30pm
Mr Tim Dutton
Advent 1
Sunday December 7th
Ashbourne
9:15am
Mr John Dyster
10:30am
Mr John Dyster
6:30pm
Fiona Green
Brailsford 10:45am
Rev Tim Morris
Hulland
2:30pm
Mr Robert Sales
Advent2
All Age, Café Style
Sunday December 14th
Ashbourne 10:30am
Rev Tim Morris
6:30pm
Mr Tom Parkinson
Brailsford 10:30am
Miss Diana Whitmill
Hulland
2:30pm
Mr Stuart Mustow
Kirk Ireton
6:30pm
Sister Merle Wilde
Kniveton
2:30pm
Mrs Ann Parkinson
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Parwich
3:00pm
Advent 3
Communion
Advent Praise
United Service at Methodist
Carol Service
@ Darley Hillside
MISSION MATTERS
Angels are clothed in blue not white.
This email was received recently from someone visiting Christians in
the Nepal/India border town of Nepalganj which I know well. It well
illustrates “holistic mission” in action; combining the power of God
through members of a local church in sharing the love of God in word
and deed. It should also make us grateful for the service and care
we receive at the hands of the NHS. Richard Odell
“Last Thursday Sam spent a day with some of the staff who love and
serve the poor in Nepalgunj. Here is his report. Please read it and
reflect on the challenges these loving “Angels” face each day.
Today I had the privilege of been taken to see the work of the Patient
Advocates in the hospital in Nepalgunj. Nothing in the world can
prepare you for some of the sights I have seen on this trip, or just how
remarkable people can be. It was an assault on the senses and the
heart.
This patient advocacy is an amazing ministry. Here in Nepalgunj
patients are coming from all over the region to receive treatment,
some are even brought in and dumped by the police and various
others having been picked up off the street and needing treatment.
When these patients arrive, a hospital is such a daunting place (I’m
sure you all find that back home even) especially for those that are
illiterate. These patients often don’t understand the system, don’t
understand the paper work, don’t understand the treatment, and for
one reason or another end up leaving and not getting much needed
care.
Along comes these remarkable women – Angels - clothed in bright
blue gorgeous saris, full of love & grace. They pick those up that have
been dumped. They clean them up, assess their need and direct them
to the right part of the hospital. They then check on them, help them
with the paper work (many can’t write or sign their name!
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Without this they can’t get treatment) and become a close friend
through the process to those that have come from rural areas. Not
only do they assure them of the treatment explaining technicalities
and comforting them with their fears and doubts, they share with
them about the one who truly comforts – Jesus.
When it comes time for them to leave the hospital these advocates
ensure that the patient has a thorough understanding of why and how
they are to follow doctor’s orders. If there is a church in the village
they are heading back to they put the pastor in touch to do a follow up
visit with them. In special cases they assess the likelihood of the
situation reoccurring and if they are sending them off to fall over again
they step in to arrange an alternative.
They really are advocates of these patients. In fact that title doesn’t
quite do them justice, they really are angels. It is an astonishing
holistically focused ministry, serving the poor in such a practical way,
promoting the public health system, and sharing the message of
Jesus Christ.
Just in closing here is an example of the type of situations they are
dealing with:
“Today I stood staring at a 5 year old boy (who looked 3) with 40-50%
of his body badly burnt, a sight I will never forget. His father (aged 21)
and his grandfather had brought him to the government hospital from
a rural village. While I was there the grandfather was doing his best to
wash the boys wounds. The little boys eyes stared at me full of fear.
His grandfather gently squeezed a sponge of cleaning fluid over his
tiny body, and as he lifted his arm to cleanse it underneath, he gritted
his teeth and winced in agony, all the while not breaking my gaze. He
has baby teeth – not even old enough for them to fall out.
I find out that he has been there for several weeks and that they are
about to send him home from the hospital to his rural village as they
cannot afford treatment and he can’t stay any longer. He has a 50%
chance of survival depending on how quickly his wounds would get
infected. During his time in hospital these advocates have been
helping with most of the paper work and counselling the father and
grandfather on the whole process.
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They have tried to find an alternative means to have the treatment
paid for but to no avail.
I ask how much the treatment would cost….. 30,000 rupees. As I
quickly convert this in my head (it’s NZ$450) I have to bite my tongue
from losing it and yelling, “Stop his agony!!!!”
This is just one of the many scenes from my day….. one of the many
cruel injustices…… one of the many scenes that has humbled me and
I pray will never forget.
Please pray for these woman. They do a remarkable job. Day in day
out they provide hope in situations that seem utterly hopeless as they
share the love of Jesus.”
Richard Odell,
World Mission Secretary
Phone: 01335 419319
mobile: 07837634338
___________________________
Craft & Chat
In March we began to open The Cornerstone on a Monday from 2pm
to 4pm for Craft & Chat. During the afternoon we drink tea (or coffee)
and eat biscuits, most of us bring something to do, and all of us listen
and chat!
In the last few months we’ve seen people knit (and unpick their
knitting), embroider, draw, paint, make cards, write their memoirs,
make loom band bracelets, play scrabble (not strictly a craft but no
one objects!) and share jokes. We’ve made items for ourselves,
family members, friends and good causes such as the shoeboxes.
We’ve applauded great achievements and finished off things we
started long ago – most notably the completion of a cardigan started
in the 1980s – and we’ve encouraged one another when projects
have seemed too tricky.
Craft & Chat is open to anyone and everyone. Please drop in soon
(you don’t have to stay for the whole two hours) and share your talents
for Crafting or Chatting (or both) with others.
Clare Sales
Clare Sales
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Ashbourne Church Council Meeting
On Monday 13th October an Open Meeting was held in the Century
Hall prior to the Church Council when 53 people gathered to hear a
presentation by Derek Kemp, Senior Partner of CPL Architects, a
property advisory company dedicated to helping churches and
Christian groups to exploit opportunities to the maximum as tools for
their Christian Ministry. The Church had approached the company
during the summer and asked them to conduct an Options Study to
investigate various possibilities of development. The presentation was
a precursor to this work giving the whole church the opportunity to see
some of the projects CPL Architects have completed around the
country and some of the obstacles, both physically and financially,
that had been overcome.
Derek Kemp gave an inspiring presentation reminding us that God is
no one’s debtor and urged the church to seek God’s will for His church
here in Ashbourne. Derek urged the church members to purposely
consider three questions;
1.Why are you here?
2.To whom are you called to minister?
3.What do you need to do the work?
The answers to these discerning questions will assist the Architects to
facilitate a link from vision to design. We are all asked to pray for this
vision and for the work of the Architects.
After the hour long presentation the church council reconvened to
discuss the reports on various areas of church life. Updates were
given on the recruitment of a Family Outreach Worker and essential
property repairs. Differing views were expressed of the new initiative
of encouraging the Sunday evening congregation to sit together near
the front of the church with the conclusion that the matter should be
referred back to the Stewards.
Ongoing help and support were requested in Powersource, especially
in leading a group to enable age appropriate classes. Messy Church
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organisers are also looking for help with their forthcoming events and
people were encouraged to take part in the Ashbourne Churches
Together activities during Late Night Shopping on 5th December in
demonstration of witness and unity.
There continue to be positive signs in the new Outreach initiatives of
Craft ‘n’ Chat, Kids@Cornerstone and Alpha, for which we give
thanks.
If you would like to find out more about the meeting and the reports
discussed, a copy of the agenda, reports and minutes can be found on
the church notice board in the vestibule or do not hesitate to contact
either myself or Rev Tim Morris.
Liz Mawdsley, Acting Church Council Secretary
_________________________
Methodist Women in Britain
District Day - Our next District Day will be held at
Mickleover Methodist Church on Thursday
20 November. This will commence at 11 am with coffee being served
from 10.30 am. Registration fee is £2.00. Business will be
conducted in the morning with a break for lunch at approximately
12.30 pm (packed lunch required). The afternoon session begins at
2.00 pm when the ladies who attended the European Seminar of the
World Federation in Rome earlier this year will be reporting on their
experiences and telling us what they learned. I am sure it will be an
interesting day (and not far from home!) Why not come along and give
it a whirl?
Advent Displays - 4-7 December
We shall be mounting Advent Displays from 4 December. The theme
this year will be ' Bethlehem - are we nearly there yet?' We shall be
inviting the nurseries and schools as usual to come and look round
and take part in activities. It is expected that the Church will be open
from 10 am to 4 pm each day so please make a note to come and
look round and reflect on the scenes etc. Why not invite friends to
come with you too? We shall also need help with stewarding and
assistance with the nursery children. I shall be pleased to receive
offers! Please help us to make this event one to remember and a
witness to what Christmas is really about.
Alma Swan
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A Cornerstone Appeal
I am writing this as a follow up to my little presentation in
the Ashbourne morning service on 5th October. Being a subject that
I feel very passionate about, I thought it would be beneficial to repeat
it.
As a church, we constantly strive to come up with different forms of
mission and outreach to the community. Each one has so much
thought and planning put into it, and each one does result in a certain
amount of success.
However, one activity that has a regular contact, week in, week out,
with the general public, is right on our doorstep. I refer, of course, to
The Cornerstone Coffee Shop.
The Cornerstone was started some 16 years ago by Helen Flinn, as an
outreach to the community, not as a money making venture, and
these values are still the same today. Some may think of it as purely
a commercial operation, and although the financial side is very important, both in terms of income for the church, and providing funds
for selected charities, outreach is the first priority.
With posters and pictures on the walls, and leaflets in the racks and
on the tables, it is obvious that it is a Christian cafe. We strive to
demonstrate and show God’s love to all, and by talking to, and
listening to our customers, we do get to know of worries or concerns
that they may have, and we try to offer some sympathy and comfort.
We receive many comments from customers about our operation and
the atmosphere in Cornerstone, and how much they enjoy coming. I
do feel that we are a vital link between the Church and the community
at large.
Now for the commercial! We do have a good nucleus of regular
volunteers, but bearing in mind that for 2 shifts a day for 3 days, we
need a minimum of 24 people each week, so more regular volunteers
are needed. Holiday time is a particular problem, where regular
volunteers are on holiday, and there have been several occasions
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when we have had to close early due to staff shortages. This is a
great pity because not only does it affect our income, but also it
reflects on us providing a regular, reliable service to the public.
Obviously we all have commitments in many different ways, and many
are at work full time, but as they say, every little helps. In addition to
our regular volunteers, we also have a list of ‘reserves’, people who
can’t commit to volunteering every week, but are willing to stand in
from time to time when we are critically short.
Please give this your prayerful support, and search your hearts (and
diaries) to see if you can offer a little help. Please speak to Helen
Flinn, Pat Fielding, Joy Watts, Elizabeth and John Hurfurt or myself, if
you can help in any way.
Thank you
Keith Watterson
We continue to remember those recently bereaved, including Chris
Green, Jennie Ferry, and Jan Elliott.
Our best wishes to James Rutledge (son of Gareth and Val) who
marries Rebecca Morelle on 22 November in London.
Congtratulations to Hannah Marsh on her Duke of Edinburgh Gold
Award which she has received at Buckingham Palace.
We welcome John and Helen Barker who have recently moved to
Ashbourne and have joined our fellowship.
We pray for those who remain unwell and those who care for them
including Margaret and Don Cox, Ena and Trevor Staniforth, Elsie and
Ivor Redfern, John Perkins, David Bale, Brenda Hallam and Maureen
and Mike Gilbert. Others are undergoing treatment which is very
unpleasant, including Margaret Cox. Others are undergoing tests, or
waiting for tests, or waiting for appointments with consultants or on a
waiting list for an operation. This can be a very worrying and difficult
time. Noreen Allen and Richard Odell are recovering from hip surgery.
We pray too for others who are in a period of great difficulty for
whatever reason, who prefer not to be named, including those with
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concerns over health issues, concerns for members of their family,
those unhappy in their work or looking for work and those with mental
health difficulties . Some have a great deal of pain in their lives, often
unseen by others. Some find their difficulties cause their faith to be
severely tested. We pray that we may see their difficulties and help
them deal with them. Each week there are names in the prayer book
from the Cornerstone prayer board that are mentioned in our
intercessions. Please remember these people in your prayers.
Rev Tim’s father remains very unwell and Tim is still frequently visiting
his parents in Chandlers Ford. This is a long journey for him. He
continues to have many demands on his time and he needs our love
and support at this difficult time. If there is any way in which you can
help, and maybe reduce his burdens, please let him know. Please
support and pray for Alison too, and Samuel and Jacob.
We continue to pray for Stephen, son of Jonathan and Isabel Hill, our
mission partners in Zimbabwe, who is studying at Derby.
If anyone would like prayer, there are people who pray regularly,
normally on a Thursday at 1pm in the Vestry. Anyone is welcome to
attend. Please contact Margaret Sharples (310072) or Liz Mawdsley
(344420) to know more. After worship on a Sunday, there are people
available to pray with you or for you, at the back of the church. Look
for someone with a yellow badge or ask a steward.
Elizabeth Spencer is part of the Chaplaincy Team at the Royal Derby
Hospital as a Chaplaincy Visitor. She is also a Hospital Visitor at
St Oswald’s Hospital in Ashbourne. Could anyone who knows of
people who are in hospital, or due to be, please let her know, if you
would like prayers or for her to visit (348482).
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. “ 1 Thessalonians Ch
5 v 28
Daphne Dyster, Pastoral Secretary 21.10.14
_____________________
John Latham
Pauline, Louise, Christine and family would like to thank everyone for
their prayers, cards, donations and kindness on the death of
John. We were uplifted by the strength of your prayers.
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How do we ‘Remember’ what we’ve never known?
This has been a year of ‘remembering’. Up and down the land, local
events and national commemorations have reminded us again and
again of the Great War which cast such a dark shadow over Europe a
hundred years ago - a shadow which spawned a second and equally
destructive conflict barely twenty years later.
The problem with remembering is that in the end we can’t. What I
mean is, we can’t remember what we’ve never experienced, whether
that’s a song, a person or a place. Nor can we, in a literal sense,
‘remember’ events which happened before we were born. And that, in
a nutshell, is the problem of having a Remembrance Sunday (as we
do this and every year) or being urged to ‘remember’ those who died
on the battlefield of Flanders and the Somme a century ago. I can,
personally, remember my father, who was there, but I can’t possibly
remember what he went through fourteen years before I was born.
Yet oddly enough every Sunday millions of people all over the world go
to church specifically to ‘remember’ an event that took place not a
hundred but nearly two thousand years ago, the death of Jesus Christ
on the cross. ‘Do this’, he had said, ‘in remembrance of me’. And in
his memory bread is broken and wine shared, exactly as he
commanded, in order to evoke and represent the profound
significance of what he did. We ‘remember’ not because we were
there and saw if happen, but because (like the dark shadow of war)
the event itself still matters, still changes things, still touches our
lives.
That kind of ‘remembering’ demands a response. We should not
simply remember the horrors of two world wars as phenomena of the
past, but as challenges to us to change the future. To remember and
do nothing is not really to remember at all. True remembering changes
us, and in changing us it may, please God, eventually change the
world.
Canon David Winter
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The Christmas shopping season is upon us once again! Have a Fairtrade
Christmas this year!
By buying your Christmas gifts from Traidcraft you are giving twice –
firstly by supporting Fairtrade producers and enabling them to develop
their skills, businesses and livelihoods, and secondly by giving your
friends and family interesting and unusual presents.
By buying your Christmas cards from Traidcraft you are helping to
support three important development charities. In the last three
years, Traidcraft has been able to give over £250,000 to Christian Aid,
CAFOD and SCIAF from the sale of Christmas cards alone.
Did you know that even after 20 years of the Fairtrade Mark, only 2%
of all the sugar and cocoa that is traded in the world is Fairtrade. By
buying your Christmas food from Traidcraft you’ll be helping to change
that - the Christmas cakes are delicious, as are the biscuits and
chocolates!
The Traidcraft Christmas stall will be at The Cornerstone on Thursday
27th, Friday 28th and Saturday 29th November during Coffee Shop opening
hours. As usual there will be a range of crafts, food, drinks and
Christmas cards available. Please come along and support Fairtrade
there. If you have a couple of hours spare to volunteer on the stall, I’d
love to hear from you please!
I also have Traidcraft catalogues available so that you can do your
Christmas shopping from the comfort of your home. Sometimes it is
best to order early before the most popular products sell out! Please
ask me if you’d like one.
This year you can have a Fairtrade Advent too! Also available through
Traidcraft are two fantastic chocolate Advent Calendars containing
Fairtrade chocolates.
The Real Advent Calendar shows a cartoon stable scene and contains
a 32 page Christmas activity story booklet behind the first window
(and of course a Fairtrade chocolate behind every door!). It is made
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by the Meaningful Chocolate Company who are passionate about
ethical trading and faith. A donation from the sale of each calendar
will go this year to support FunziBodo, a clinic providing medical care
to the community of Funzi Island in Kenya.
The Divine Advent Calendar shows a busy and colourful scene of
Christmas decorations and family farmers from around the world
celebrating the Christmas story. The story is told behind each door
(alongside a Fairtrade chocolate of course!). Divine is the only
Fairtrade chocolate company which is 45% owned by cocoa farmers,
giving them a share of Divine’s profits and a voice in the cocoa
industry.
Both Calendars cost £3.99. Please place your orders for them with
me as soon as possible!
Clare Sales (342321 - [email protected])
Shoe Box Project
I know that many of you have already started to
fill your shoe boxes for this year, and they will be
much appreciated and valued. Many of you
came to our coffee morning in October, or
bought items for your boxes from the Sunday
morning stall. We hope this was helpful. We have raised about £600
for transport costs from these efforts. Thank you. If you are new to
our church and haven’t heard of this project before, please ring me for
information.
A reminder that the shoe box service Brailsford is on the
16th November, and at Ashbourne and Kniveton (in the Village Hall)
on 23rd November. Please bring your boxes to one of these services
if you can, or drop them off at my house, or at Wathall’s
(the undertakers – 5 Union Street, Ashbourne). If you have any
problems please ring me.
Lastly, we will be checking the boxes, as usual, after the service at
Ashbourne on Monday 24th November and we would appreciate help
with this, and also with transport to Derby. We usually begin at about
9.30 am, and stay for however long it takes, usually about 2 – 3
hours, depending on the number of boxes, and also the number of
checkers. You don’t have to stay for the whole time of course, just
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just however long you can spare. Checking the boxes is great fun and
enjoyable – come and give it a try.
LATE NEWS! The destination for the shoe boxes this year is
Swaziland (Africa). Clearly we cannot, therefore, include chocolate or
soft sweets - the boxes have to cross the equator. Also, please, no ratlike toys, toy snakes or joke beetles. Hats, scarves and gloves are not
forbidden, apparently. It can get quite cold at night, and in any case
these can be ‘fun’ items. The need is great - the country is blighted
by poverty and HIV/Aids, and it is estimated that there are over
100,000 orphans, with young children having to look after a whole
family of even younger siblings. There is lots more information on the
Operation Christmas Child website www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk
Betty Hadley
__________________________
One World Group
On Friday 10 October Richard Henderson came to talk about world
poverty. He is the Diocese of Derby World Development and World
Mission Advisor, though previously he had been a missionary.
Richard gave us some challenging statistics. The world population is
about seven billion people. Every year one million children die before
the age of five. That is thirty thousand every day due to disease and
malnutrition. Three thousand people die of malaria each day, and half
a million from diarrhoea a year, due to unsafe water. In Sierra Leone
the life expectancy is thirty (in the UK it is seventy).
Only 3% of carbon emissions come from Africa. The Roma Plaza
factory disaster in Bangladesh left one thousand dead and two
thousand five hundred injured. There, people work fifteen hours a day,
six days a week for twenty five pounds per month. Though the cost of
living is less, some things like petrol cost the same as here. If large
British companies did not employ these people they would have no
work at all but their conditions do seem awful. There is no safety net
as we have here and in thirty years little has changed regarding
improved health and clean water provision throughout the world.
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A discussion ensued afterwards showing that it is not as simple as
just sending money. We need to do justice for the people of the world
who are exploited so we can have cheap goods. We should not only
support Christian Aid one week of the year but regularly give to
charities and development agencies who seek to do this.
Do these statistics worry you? They do me. What can we do about it?
We need to prayerfully consider how WE can help.
“Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah Ch 6 v
8b)
Mahatma Gandhi said: ”Live simply that others may simply live.”
When the next meeting of the group is held, (all are welcome) do
please come. There are excellent speakers and we always learn
something new. If you want further information please speak to Stuart
Green or John Hurfurt.
Daphne Dyster
__________________________
News from Kniveton Chapel
This highlight for Kniveton chapel last month was the Harvest Festival,
as no doubt it was in many churches and schools all over the country.
As usual, all the spare surfaces were filled with produce and flowers.
Some things were bought, of course, but much of it came from
gardens around the village.
We had a lovely service, led by Rev. Tim, with children from the local
school taking part, reading harvest poems, and we welcomed friends
from the village to worship with us. As usual we auctioned off most of
the gifts the following evening, with David Bott as the auctioneer. We
gave a parcel of suitable food to the Ashbourne food bank, and raised
over £500 for local, national and international charities.
Our next ‘highlight’ will be the Shoe Box service on 23rd November in
the Village Hall, when the preacher will be Mr Peter Dawson.
Kniveton Stewards
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Tuesday Fellowship. 2.15 pm in Century Hall
There are 3 meetings left this year before we have our Christmas
break, all of which promise to be intereting.
On 4th November Adam Tankard, the Regional Manager for Operation
Christmas Child (Shoe boxes) will tell us about his visit to Rwanda,
which we have called ‘Taking Christmas to Rwanda’.
On 18th November David Holt, who is one of the Mayfield and
Ellastone First Responders, is our speaker. He will bring a short video
of a ‘blue light ride’. This should be quite exciting, if not a bit ‘hairy’!
We will hopefully learn how best to respond as car drivers when we
hear the sound of an emergency vehicle, and wonder where it is!
Our last meeting is on 9th December. We are taking advantage of the
Advent Displays by Methodist Women in Britain to have our annual
Advent/Christmas service. We will be joined by St Oswald’s Mothers’
Union and other friends. We will be using their theme of ‘Journeys’.
The service will be held in the church, and will be followed by tea and
cakes. Please join us – 2.15 pm. Transport enquiries to Brenda
Micklethwaite 01335 347799
Circuit Safeguarding Officer
Our current Safeguarding Officers (John and Elizabeth Hurfurt) agreed
to take on this role until August 2015. We are therefore seeking to
find a new officer(s) to take over from them. If you feel this is a role
you could fill on behalf of the Circuit, please contact me or speak to
John and Elizabeth about what is involved. Each local church in the
Circuit has their own Safeguarding contact person. The Circuit role is
to oversee and support each church.
"Mission Shaped Ministry” Course
The Methodist District are again running this Course which I attended
over the past year. It will be a great benefit to your ministry and that
of the church. Details can be found on the following website.
http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/msm/burton15
Do consider going on the course. It will be a great benefit to your
ministry and that of the church.
Tim Morris
18
A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS
Why not start your preparations for Christmas by attending our
'Celebration of Christmas' with three local choirs and a guest
appearance from local young people who will be performing their own
special Christmas medley! The audience can sing well known carols,
joining in with Cadenza, Chameleon and The Impromptu Choir, who
will also be entertaining you with their selection of popular Christmas
carols and songs.
We hope to see you at Ashbourne Methodist Church on Saturday
November 29th at 7:30pm. Ticket prices are £8 and £6 for
concessions which includes a mince pie and mulled fruit punch.
Tickets can be purchased from The Cornerstone Coffee Shop, Natural
Choice, by phoning 07881 423653 or on the door.
The concert will raise funds for the ACE Wednesday Club and young
people from the club will be joining us to entertain you with a special
Christmas favourite pop melody to get everyone in the festive mood.
ACE Youth Worker Trust is a local registered charity run by volunteers
operating in the catchment area for QEGS. Since 2007 ACE has
sought to make a significant impact on the lives of local young
people by providing targeted youth work and recreational/leisure
activities. ACE currently operates 3 projects: ACE 1-2-1 Mentoring
Project, Wednesday Club and Club 16+ and administers the ACE
Hardship Fund which provides small grants to help disadvantaged
young people who are struggling to pay for travel to/from college, job
interviews and educational materials.
Beadwork will be sold to support
those providing care to the orphans
in the Pinetown area of South Africa
on Sunday 23rd and 30th of November.
Please support the stall in the Century Hall after the morning service.
The work of the Phakamisa project is very valuable at a grassroots
level and you could purchase some nice handmade gifts or Christmas
decorations.
19
DEATH WITH DIGNITY
This is the second of three articles, in which The Venerable John
Barton offers his personal reflections on the ‘assisted dying’ debate.
DIGNITY OR DIGNITAS?
In 1999 Diane Pretty won a court case which would permit her
husband to accompany her to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland, where
she could kill herself and he would not be prosecuted. Mrs Pretty was
suffering from multiple sclerosis and was worried about becoming
helpless as the disease developed.
What actually happened to her? Her health did deteriorate and she
died in a hospice in Luton in 2002. The medical director there said,
“Her death was perfectly normal, natural and peaceful.”
Hospices are expert in palliative care. Many, if not most, hospitals and
GPs are not. Professor Lakhani of the National Council for Palliative
Care said “someone dies in Britain every minute, and 92,000 people
every year have palliative care needs that are not identified. If this was
another illness or condition, that would be regarded as a scandal.” To
put it bluntly, that means many dying people are suffering
unnecessarily.
At the pioneering St Christopher’s Hospice in London, Medical Director
Dr Nigel Sykes says one of their main tasks is to share their knowledge with medical professionals across the board, from ward orderlies
to consultants. He explained that when patients are dying, “a great
deal can be done for the overwhelming majority, not just in terms of
medical treatment, but in seeing the patient within their social
sphere.... Death itself is not necessarily painful. Pain often seems
easier to relieve as death approaches.”
Anxious relatives also need to be cared for. According to Dr Sykes,
their anxiety for the patient is very often a reflection of their own
distress. They can be helped to understand what is really happening.
20
Dying people themselves may be tense because they are wrestling
with problems, which they have not shared with anyone. When those
worries are brought to the surface, the pain lessens and fewer
painkillers are needed. Comprehensive palliative care services treat
the patient as a whole person and will have Chaplains and counsellors
on hand.
There are moving stories of the last few weeks of a person’s life being
the most fruitful of all. The dying playwright Dennis Potter was keen to
share his experience: “The blossom is out in full now … and instead of
saying 'Oh that's nice blossom' … last week looking at it through the
window when I'm writing, I see it is the whitest, frothiest, blossomest
blossom that there ever could be, and I can see it. The nowness of
everything is absolutely wondrous, and if people could see that, you
know.... There's no way of telling you; you have to experience it, but
the glory of it, if you like, the comfort of it, the reassurance.”
The founder of St Christopher’s Hospice, Dame Cicely Saunders, said,
“We will do all we can to help you live until you die”. Should that not
be our ambition for every terminally ill person?
JMA breakfast in The Cornerstone on
Sunday 23rd November 9-10am.
JMA members and friends invited.
Please let Ruth know if you can come
along.
01335 348342 [email protected]
Dear Friends,
Thanks to Carole Thorpe for stepping in as “guest” Editor last month.
A reminder that the next edition will be a combined one for December
and January and I hope to publish it on December 7th. Deadline for
contributions is therefore 26th November. Thank you.
Arthur Watts
21
Looking through the eyes of Jesus
If we could see what Jesus saw,
would our world remain the same?
Would it change our lives for ever more
and ignite our internal flame?
What we see is governed by life’s ups and downs,
No two people will see it the same way.
Through Jesus’ eyes we remove the frowns,
and bring clarity to everyday.
We only see what we want to see,
our vision is selective I’m sure.
Whilst Jesus is seeing the real me,
right down to my very core.
He looks at people and sees a need
that others have failed to see.
He recognises a hungry mouth to feed,
and a longing to be free.
He sees the pain of loneliness
we sometimes try to hide.
He sees only togetherness,
In his loving arms abide.
He sees the pleading in people’s eyes,
when all their hope has gone.
He is a worthy interpreter of sighs,
He knows what’s going on.
He looked on life as through the eyes of a child,
where love, simplicity and trust are the key.
On a world where love always reconciles,
and life stops revolving around “me me”.
22
He sees potential everywhere
Not a negative thought resides.
Those hidden depths he is aware,
and so much more besides.
Open our eyes that we might see
the things that Jesus saw.
Open our eyes that we might be,
in a world we can’t ignore.
Derek Marshall (Notts and Derby District Treasurer)
____________________________
SMILE
LINES
God bless
Thora Hird told this story on a BBC1 programme ‘Praise Be’ about a
little girl saying her prayers: “God bless Mummy, God bless Daddy,
God bless my brother Tommy, God bless Granny – and God look after
yourself, ‘cos if anything happens to you, we’ve had it!”
Sin
A very earnest member of the local church was praising the obvious
spiritual gifts of the new vicar, adding, “We never knew anything about
sin until he came.”
How well do you know your spouse?
At a seminar on Marriage, the minister was stressing how essential it
is that couples discern what is important to their partner. He
challenged the men: “Can you even name your wife’s favourite
flower?” Baffled silence followed, until one husband nudged his wife
with a hopeful smile and hazarded: “It’s MacDougal’s Self-Raising,
right?”
23
Sun
Mon
ASHBOURNE CHURCH ACTIVITIES
6:30pm Mustard (Youth Fellowship)
10:00am Homegroup: weekly
Contact - David Heaton (343418)
2.00pm Craft and Chat in The Cornerstone
Contact - Clare Sales (342321)
7:30pm
Tues
9.00am
10:00am
12:30pm
2:15pm
Wed
9:30am
7:30pm
Thurs
7:30pm
Thurs, Fri, Sat
10:00am
Sun
Tues
Wed
9:15am
9:30am
12:30pm
Homegroup: weekly
Contact - Helen Walker (343910)
kids@cornerstone
Contact - Clare Sales (342321)
Homegroup: weekly
Contact - John & Elizabeth Hurfurt (342859)
Luncheon Club: last Tuesday in month, Century
Hall
Tuesday Fellowship - Century Hall
Contact - Betty Hadley (300699)
Walk and Talk Group: 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesday
Amble & Ramble (easier walking): 2nd & 4th
Weds
Homegroup: fortnightly
Contact - Ken and Margaret Sharples (310072)
Homegroup: fortnightly - 1st and 3rd Thursdays
Contact - Jeff Ffoulkes (300443)
The Cornerstone Coffee Shop
Contact - Pat Fielding (345695)
BRAILSFORD CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Breakfast: monthly, 3rd Sunday
Coffee Shop: weekly
Luncheon Club: monthly, 2nd Wednesday
HULLAND CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Wed
Thurs
7:30pm
2:15pm
Bible Study: monthly, 3rd Wednesday
Women’s Fellowship: monthly, 1st Thursday
KIRK IRETON CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Wed
7:30pm
Fellowship: monthly, 3rd Wednesday
CIRCUIT STAFF
Rev Tim Morris
16 Booth Drive,
Ashbourne DE6 1SZ
Tel: 01335 342408
E-mail: [email protected]
Send “Connections” contributions to
24 [email protected]