North Wingfield Team Blog:
The end of the year this blog will be stopped as it has been going for a number of months now and I don't know if anybody is actually reading it. If you are reading this would you mind just sending me a short email saying that you have read it and any comments including which church website you were directed from. Many thanks, Colin. colin_rosemary@outlook.com
15 December 2018
Christingle50 campaign
This year marks the 50th anniversary
of the Children’s Society bringing Christingle to this
country with a service held in Lincoln Cathedral in
1968.
To celebrate this landmark
anniversary, the Children’s Society is running its
#Christingle50 campaign, which aims to support
vulnerable young people through raising funds at
Christingle events and a collaboration with The Royal
Academy of Music.
Some 200,000 10 to 17-year-olds in
the UK are experiencing emotional neglect on a regular
basis, and many are also struggling with other
difficulties at home. The charity found that:
11% of 10 to 17-year-olds
experiencing emotional neglect also do not have their
own bed; 21% 10 to 17-year-olds experiencing emotional
neglect had also been homeless in the last five years;
and 20% of 10 to 17-year-olds experiencing emotional
neglect also lived in a household that had used a food
bank in the last five years.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The
Children’s Society explains: 'Too many young people
will wake up on Christmas morning like any other -
feeling alone and unable to cope.'
The Children’s Society has created
an original song for schoolchildren, congregations or
community choirs to include in their Christingle
services. The song, ‘Light a Candle’, is available to
download and listen to or learn for free from The
Children’s Society website.
You can support young people by
donating to the #Christingle50 campaign, or by attending
a local Christingle Service. For more information,
visit www.christingle.org.
10 December 2018
Christingle:
a generous present from the Moravians
It is the Moravians whom we have to
thank for bringing us the Christingle.
Especially one Moravian clergyman: John de
Watteville.
On 20th
December, 1747, John de Watteville was taking a
children’s service in his Moravian church in Marienborn,
Germany.
He led the children in some hymns, and read out
verses which the children themselves had written to
celebrate the birth of Jesus. Then he explained to the
children that true happiness only comes through knowing
Jesus.
Jesus, said John de Watteville, “has
kindled in each little heart a flame which keeps
burning to their joy and our happiness”.
John de Watteville then
went on to illustrate that ‘flame’.
He gave each child a little lighted wax candle,
tied around with a red ribbon.
He ended his service with a little prayer:
“Lord
Jesus, kindle a flame in these children’s hearts, that
theirs like Thine become”.
The visual aid was a great success with the
children; for the Marienborn Diary for that day
concludes: “hereupon the children went full of joy with
their lighted candles to their rooms and so went glad
and happy to bed”.
The candle and
red ribbon were remembered the following year, and the
following after that.... The years came and went, and as
the Moravians began to travel beyond Germany, so they
took the custom with them:
to Labrador, to Pennsylvania, to Tibet and
Suriname, to the Caribbean and South Africa.
In each country the Christians adapted it for
their own use.
No one knows
for certain when the word ‘Christingle’ was first used
with regard to the custom.
No one even knows where the word ‘Christingle’
comes from.
Some people say it is from the old Saxon word
‘ingle’ (fire), meaning ‘Christ-fire or light’. Another
theory is that it derives from the German ‘engel’
(angel), meaning ‘Christ-angel’.
In any event,
the symbolism of Christingle gradually developed, until
today the Moravians in the British Province use an
orange, representing the world, with a lighted candle to
represent Christ, the Light of the World. Nuts, raisins
and sweets on cocktail sticks around the candle
represent God’s bounty and goodness in providing the
fruits of the earth. Red paper, forming a frill around
the base of the candle, reminds us of the blood of
Christ shed for all people on the cross at Calvary.
In Moravian churches, the
Christingle Service is usually held on the Sunday before
Christmas or on Christmas Eve. The website for the
Moravian Church says:
“We are glad that the Moravian Church has been
able to make this contribution to the wider Christian
world.”
8 December 2018
With Christmas coming up - something to make you smile!
What do you
call a cat in the desert?
Sandy Claws.
What goes oh
oh oh? Santa walking backwards.
What did the dog get for Christmas?
A mobile bone.
Who delivers presents to sharks at Christmas?
Santa Jaws.
What did Adam
say in the Garden of Eden on December 24? It's
Christmas, Eve.
Why do turkeys never go hungry at Christmas? They're always stuffed.
Which
Christmas carol is most popular with new parents?
Silent Night!
Where do
mistletoe go to become famous?
Holly-wood
Why is turkey so popular at Christmas?
Because the weather is a lot warmer over there.
Why do Mummies like Christmas so much?
Because of all
the wrapping!
What is the
best Christmas present in the world? A broken drum - you
just can't beat it!
What’s
impossible to overtake at Christmas? -
The three wide
men!
How do snowmen get around?
On their icicles.
What does Santa call reindeer that don't work? Dinner.
I sent my girlfriend a huge
pile of snow.
I rang her up and asked, 'Did you get my drift?'
2 December 2018
As seen on Facebook (no christian content but may be of interest to those of us who are in our later years!)
1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and
enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no
notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember
there is nothing more dangerous than a son or
daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned
capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for
investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof.
They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for
you to enjoy some peace and quiet.
2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your
children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending
your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for
many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You
gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The
responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort.
Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well
and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it
gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to
keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical
and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do
tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.
4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your
significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money
with your partner. One day one of you will miss the
other, and the money will not provide any comfort then,
enjoy it together
5. Don’t stress over the little things. Like paying a
little extra on price quotes. You’ve already overcome so
much in your life.You have good memories and bad ones,
but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the
past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten
you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be
forgotten.
6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your
partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor
and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has
intelligence and affection.”
7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to
your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the
dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and
creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the
outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.
8. Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but
keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing worse than
an older person trying to wear the current fashion among
youngsters. You’ve developed your own sense of what
looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s
part of who you are.
9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the
news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make
sure you have an active email account and try to use
some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what
old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in touch with what is
going on and with the people you know is important at
any age.
10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions.
They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are
the future, and will take the world in their direction.
Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that
yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
11. Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is
now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time.
You may have been younger, but you are still you now,
having fun and enjoying life.
12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others
become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your
days on the latter. Spend your time with positive,
cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will
seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter
people will make you older and harder to be around.
13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with
your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial
choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family
sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need
theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost your partner
(our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in
with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel
you really need the help or do not want to live alone.
14. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any,
make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance.
You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards,
checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint,
volunteer or just collect certain items. Find something
you like and spend some real time having fun with it.
15. Even if you don’t feel like it, try to accept
invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings,
conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet
people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something
new (or something old). But don’t get upset when you’re
not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and
not everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to
leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go
walk through a field. Get out there.
16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more.
Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if
their listeners are really interested. That’s a great
way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen
first and answer questions, but don’t go off into long
stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and
try not to complain or criticize too much unless you
really need to. Try to accept situations as they are.
Everyone is going through the same things, and people
have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find
some good things to say as well.
17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting
older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a
part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try
to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are,
they are something that life added to you. If they
become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person
you used to be.
18. If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them.
If you’ve offended someone - apologize. Don’t drag
around resentment with you. It only serves to make you
sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone
once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and
expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that
poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.
19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don’t
waste your time trying to convince others. They will
make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and
it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and
set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that
memory sway them.
20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember,
you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a
life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get
to experience a full life. But you did. So what’s not to
laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.
21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even
less notice of what they might be thinking. They’ll do
it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and
what you’ve achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry.
They have no idea about your history, your memories and
the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be
written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time
thinking about what others might think. Now is the time
to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!
21 November 2018
Help someone break the chains of debt
How big are your debts? How long will it take you to
repay them?
Christians Against Poverty has
hundreds of low-income clients who are facing an average
repayment term of more than 600 years. Despite sticking
to their budgets with our support and advice, they will
never, ever be able to pay off their debts.
The good news is that CAP is ready to take these people
through an official process called a Debt Relief Order
to become debt free. The fee is just £90, but their
income is so low, they can’t afford even to do that.
And so CAP is calling on people like you to consider
donating the needed money to help people get out of
hopeless debt.
Netflix and Narnia
Netflix is off to Narnia.
The streaming service is to produce new
Chronicles of Narnia projects for film and television.
The streaming service has signed a multi-year deal with
The C.S. Lewis Company to develop the classic stories.
This makes it the
first time that rights to all seven books including
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, have been held by the same
company.
The Narnia books have sold more than 100 million copies
and been translated in more than 47 languages.
Evangelists ‘believing for the nation to be changed’ in
2020
A major new nationwide evangelism initiative for 2020
was recently launched at Lambeth Palace.
The campaign,
Advance 2020, is a unique initiative on the part of
more than
100 evangelists and ministry leaders.
They have agreed to lead a major evangelistic
thrust in 2020, and beforehand, to multiply the gift of
younger evangelists, through mentoring and
accountability groups.
‘Arise, shine, for your light has come…’ the words of
Isaiah 60 had inspired evangelist Andy Hawthorne with
the vision to start Advance 2020.
He explained: ‘God was saying “step out in faith and do
some big reaping events again”. But I also felt the Lord
say: “And you aren’t going to be the main evangelist”.
'For 25 years I’ve been the front guy for The Message,
but I strongly felt the Lord say “You need to release
younger evangelists”. I’ve gathered 12 younger guys
around me and invested in them, believed in them, and we
have wrestled together on what Gospel we preach to
produce disciples, with a high level of accountability
to each other.’
The group meets regularly and uses a WhatsApp group to
share stories, pray for each other and keep in touch. As
he has road-tested the mentoring vision with his Advance
group, Andy says the 12 have seen thousands respond to
Christ at events across Europe on a regular basis. ‘It
feels like the most significant thing I’ve ever done in
my lifetime … I’ve seen thousands more people come to
Christ.’
There are now 45 groups – men and women’s groups – with
300-400 evangelists. The Advance 2020 vision is to
multiply the groups, mentoring younger evangelists,
sharpening each other’s message, whether they preach
from a stage or share Christ in one-to-one
conversations.
Challenging the evangelists in the room to ‘think big’
in 2020, he said, ‘What would it look like for us to
step up for a year; if we were to multiply the gift of
evangelist to proclaim Christ to 500,000 young people in
that year; if we do this together, praying for an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit through word and deed
mission; if we are spurring one another on;
recommissioning the gift of the evangelist; believing
for the nation to be changed in a year?’
He invited the evangelists to work together, starting
their own Advance groups and bringing them to the
Advance 2020 Summit in October 2019, where 2,000
evangelists are to be recommissioned for a ‘reaping
year’ in 2020. In the run-up to the event, 100 11-18
year olds will also be mentored, starting on The Youth
Evangelism Weekender, 30 November to 2 December 2018.
Andy Hawthorne was joined by Roy Crowne from HOPE, Gavin
Calver from the Evangelical Alliance, Dr Rachel
Jordan-Wolf from the Church of England; Rev Canon Yemi
Adedeji, from HOPE and the One People Commission, plus
Dave Plowman and Wendy Palau, from the Luis Palau
Association, who each committed their ministries to the
Advance 2020 vision, inviting the 100 in the room to do
the same.
Those involved in the project include Hope, the
Evangelical Alliance (EA) and the Church of England.
8 November 2018
The Way I See It
- the future in safe hands?
The
Advent calendars, complete with chocolate, are already
in the shops. The season actually begins at the end of
this month, four weeks when Christians are meant to
think seriously about the future. It’s always been a
human dilemma.
We know a lot about the past – ours
and the history of our race. We know quite a lot about
the present. But the fact is we know nothing about what
might or will happen to us even five minutes ahead. In a
few seconds our life can be turned upside down. We are
introduced to a stranger who eventually becomes our life
partner. The doctor tells us we are pregnant – or
seriously ill. We get the sack or are offered a
wonderful new job.
Anything from a road traffic accident to a
financial windfall to a leak in the kitchen ceiling can
change everything in an instant.
So, it’s not surprising that we are
puzzled by the future. The past can be cherished –
memories are precious. The present is to be lived to the
best of our ability. But what can we do about the
future? Our best laid plans are provisional, at best. No
wonder soothsayers, fortune tellers and the rest have
always done well.
For people who believe in God there
is, however, a bit of help in his Name. In Hebrew it is
‘Yahweh’ (often wrongly transcribed as ‘Jehovah). It
means, more or less, I AM. God simply
exists, a kind of permanent present tense. So, while we see past,
present and future, He is just the Existing One. Yes, I
know that sounds baffling, but it makes sense that the
Creator of everything can’t be part of the time, space
and matter that He created.
When I was a teenager we sang a
gospel song that had a line I’ve never forgotten: ‘We
don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds
the future’. It’s a simple idea, but quite a profound
thought for Advent!
Remembering the end of World
War One
This year Remembrance Sunday
(11th November) marks the centenary of the
end of World War One. Of the 65 million men who were
mobilized, 8.5 million were killed and a further 21
million wounded. Wilfred Owen wrote of those
‘who die as
cattle.’
How should we celebrate this
anniversary? In remembering the Armistice, our response
should be to desire Micah’s vision of universal peace in
our world: ‘They
will beat their swords into ploughshares and their
spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword
against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.’
(Micah 4:3).
However, why keep asking God for
peace, when we continue to see such violence and unrest
in our world? The Bible makes it clear that peace is not
just the absence of war or being untroubled. It means
being in a right relationship with God through Jesus
Christ, with other people and with wider society.
Of course, Micah’s words are
looking to end of time when God will make all things new
in His universal kingdom. However, these promises also
can speak to us now. The ministry of Jesus demonstrated
the kingdom or reign of God breaking into the everyday,
as He healed the sick and brought reconciliation and
hope. When we pray for peace, we’re rejecting the ‘old
order of things’, of violence and war and asking God to
make His kingdom real today. We’re citizens of the new
kingdom, reshaping the old.
The
end of the centenary of World War 1 is a time to
consider peace. Although the war did not bring a lasting
peace to the world, for the Christian there’s a deeper
lesson: peace begins with the healing of hearts, the
restoring of relationships and with a deep, costly
commitment to justice.
29 October 2018
Psalm 139 - God
knows you better than you know yourself
Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space in 1961, reportedly
said ‘I looked and looked but I didn't see God.’ Psalm 139 sees things
from a very different perspective, in which God can be
found everywhere in the universe.
God is all Knowing:
‘You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.’ (v1). God knows my
thoughts, habits, moods, words and choices, including
the things done in secret. He knows me better than I
know myself, and yet still loves me,
despite my faults and failings!
‘Such knowledge is
too wonderful for me.’ (6).
God is all present:
‘Where
can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?’
(v7). In whatever
circumstances we face, God is present with us,
especially in the dark and difficult times. If we know
the path to God, we can find it in the dark!
God is all powerful:
‘For
you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful, I know
that full well.’ (v13,14).
Both the vastness of the universe and the wonder of the
growing embryo in the womb speak of the power of the
creator God. We can trust Him because He knows our
beginning and end and everything in-between:
‘all
the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.’
(16).
How do we
respond to what this psalm says? Are we prepared to
constantly expose our inner life to God and consistently
yield our whole life to Him?
‘Search me, God,
and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.’ (v23/4).
Where is your
life journey taking you?
Can you imagine boarding a plane
for your dream holiday and the pilot’s voice says:
‘Welcome on board.
After take-off, we’ll be serving you a meal and
we’ll do all we can to make your flight enjoyable.
However, I need to tell you – we have no final
destination.
So we are just going to keep flying until we run out of
fuel and drop into the ocean.'
No matter how wonderful the journey
is, what’s the point, if there’s no destination?
And yet many people live their lives like this.
They concentrate only on having the best
‘journey’ that they can, on travelling first class all
the way. But
they never stop to consider where the journey is taking
them – what their inevitable end will be.
Death is the end of our journey
here on earth, but it need not be the end of YOUR
journey. God
does not want you to end your life in death.
He wants it to be the threshold of an eternity of
peace and love in his presence.
Jesus is the way to this truth and life, and he
holds out that ‘ticket’ to you.
A journey with a destination in mind is better
than a journey that will simply…end… one day.
St Paul knew where he was going. In
fact, he couldn’t wait to 'depart and be with Christ,
which is better by far….' (Philippians 1:23)
As for those signs found outside churches:
-
Church carpark sign...FOR MEMBERS ONLY. Trespassers will be baptised!!
-
No God - No Peace. Know God - Know Peace.
-
20 October 2018
What does God do all day?
Ever wonder what God does up there in
heaven? Some
of us imagine God the Father resting on a great gold
throne, surrounded by angels dressed in white, eternally
playing on harps.
And beyond them are millions of people, standing
about. After
all, as one hymn (Jerusalem,
my happy home) puts it:
where ‘congregations ne’er break up and Sabbaths
never end’. To be honest, a fairly awful prospect.
But the Bible says differently. Jesus
talks of His Father as being engaged with the world,
working with us, giving us our daily bread, guiding us,
caring for us, protecting us from evil, answering
prayer, judging wrong and welcoming those who turn to
Him. Where
Christians are working, there the Lord is too: ‘And they
went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them’. (Mark 16.20) So God does not merely sit
there and watch us work, He actually works with us.
In our diocese, over 70 people of all ages have learnt to ring this year ready for Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2018, for the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. They are some of the 2000 people who have joined the national #RingingRemembers campaign to honour the bell ringers who died in WW1.
The new bell ringers have joined teams of current ringers in churches throughout the Diocese of Derby, giving their local churches and communities that iconic soundscape for Sundays, Christmas, weddings and special occasions. New bell ringers soon become 'hooked' on their new activity, enjoying exhilarating new experiences, effective workouts, challenges and rewards and a fun social life.
New ringers are still being recruited. If you are interested, please sign up before 11 November 2018.
On the morning of 11 November 2018, muffles will be used
to make bells sound alternately loud then soft when they
are rung in remembrance of those who gave their lives
serving our country.
In the afternoon and evening the
muffles will be removed and bells will ring out in
celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Armistice:
at 12:30pm for 'Ringing Remembers' and at 7:05pm for
'Battle's Over - Ringing Out for Peace'.
For more information email LearnToRing@derbyda.org.uk.
Facebook: Bell Ringing Derbyshire
Halloween is
on the way
It is that
time of year again – when the pumpkins with scary faces
appear in our shops, surrounded by skeleton costumes,
zombie masks, witch’s hats and sweets with gruesome
names.
How do
Christian parents deal with this annual celebration of
evil and death?
For of course 31st October has pagan
Celtic roots – it was the evening when the souls of the
dead were meant to revisit their old homes on earth.
Most kids
just want the fun of dressing up and scaring their
friends half to death.
They are oblivious to the darker forces behind it
all, or at least do not take them seriously.
Many
Christian families and churches have resolved the
problem not by ignoring Halloween, but by taking it as
only the starting point in a festival, not the end in
itself.
Hence, they allow their children to dress up, but then
take them to a Lights Party, where the whole story is
told, not just the pagan bit.
Instead of discouraging any thoughts of evil and
death, they encourage the children to consider the
darkness – but through a Christian lens.
Christians do not deny death and dying and evil,
but they know that death has no real terrors for us at
all, because it has been defeated through the cross and
resurrection of Jesus.
Halloween is only half the story:
Christianity is the completion, because God in
his love sent Jesus to save us from darkness.
So - Halloween is a time to
remind our children that Jesus is with us in both the
good and bad times of life.
Quotes
"The trouble with quotes on the
Internet is that you can never know if they
are
genuine." -
Winston Churchill.
13 October 2018
Christian fair trade business
Traidcraft may stop selling goods
Traidcraft plc is in trouble.
With very poor recent trading figures and despite
enormous efforts by the staff and management and Fair
Traders, it warns that the present model for the company
may be no longer viable.
Traidcraft's charity branch, Traidcraft Exchange, will
continue to support farmers and lobby government through
its charitable arm, and the decision about closing the
trading arm is still in a consultation period and not
final.
Traidcraft plc first started in 1979, selling fair-trade
coffee, sugar and chocolate as well as rugs and handmade
baskets from Bangladesh. They went on to sell fair-trade
clothes and wine.
Most of
us remember them from church stalls and markets. Their
aim was to keep a close link between producer and
purchaser.
A
spokesperson for Traidcraft said:
'Traidcraft plc's mission to put the principles
of fair trade into commercial practice is not, in any
sense, fulfilled but we appreciate that it is time to
consider new approaches.'
The worse you feel, the more
likely you are to believe in God.
At least
that is a finding from the latest British Social
Attitudes (BSA) survey, which has found that patients
admitted to hospital are more likely to have religious
faith than people in the general public.
It seems
that more than half of us are happy to say that we have
'no religion', according to the latest BSA survey, which
found that 52 per cent of us deny any religious
affiliation.
But this figure drops to only 15 per cent once
you become a NHS patient.
Data from
the Manchester University NHS Trust also shows that
while 40 per cent of the population identify as
Christian, this figure soars to 66 per cent once people
are admitted to hospital.
Love, loss, and remembering
Autumn has traditionally been a time when
Christians explore the big questions about life and
death. Watching the leaves fall and the nights draw in
is an opportunity for all ages to think about love and
loss and remember in special ways.
Children ask questions
about death for all kinds of reasons. It may come from
seeing a local war memorial, or closer to home with the
death of a pet. Or maybe your child has lost a
great-grandparent, grandparent, a family friend, a
teacher, a neighbour, an aunt or uncle.
For some children, the impact of loss has huge
consequences, especially if it’s the death of a parent
or a sibling. However and whenever those questions come,
there are good ways to remember those we see no longer
with family at home:
• Light a candle on important days and say a
prayer. “Loving God, thank you for _ and help us to
remember them well.” This is a simple prayer to say
together.
• Gather some items that remind you of that person
– letters they wrote, photos of them, items of clothing
– and keep them in a nice box. Children can add things
to the box.
• Taking part in charities connected to the person
who died; Race for Life is a family-friendly event that
can honour people who died from cancer, for example.
• Children can help taking care of a gravesite –
pulling weeds, choosing flowers or other items to bring
at special times, washing a memorial stone, etc.
The church also has ways of remembering those we
love who have died. This happens at the start of
November, at All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. A week
later, at Remembrance Sunday, we remember those who died
in wars, and pray for peace.
At All Saints’ Day
(November 1st), we remember those Christians
who have died, who we don’t know personally. A “saint”
is someone whose life shows us how to follow Jesus.
There are all kinds of saints – teachers, artists,
scientists, social reformers, troublemakers, writers,
and many more.
Say that again?
A woman
telephoned her bank and spoke to the accountant who
looked after her holdings. 'I want to make some
changes,' she said.
The
accountant asked for more details. 'Are you interested
in Conversion or Redemption?' he asked.
'Good heavens,' came the
reply. 'I must have got the wrong number.
I wanted the Bank of England, not the Church of
England.'
Temptations are everywhere,
and so is the grace of God.
- Anon
6 October 2018
Prayer for
changing seasons
Follow The Star is the Church of England’s 2018
Christmas campaign. Thousands of Christmas services and
events will be taking place in churches all over the
country in the run up to Christmas.
The
campaign will serve a number of purposes:
More details on their website.
The Revd Barbara
Dale who retired in 2013, died on Sunday, 2 September 2018. Revd
Barbara was Deaconess from 1981, Parish Deacon 1987-1990
of North Wingfield, Pilsley and Tupton (Diocese of
Derby), Parish Deacon 1990-1994 then Team Vicar
1994-2000 of North Wingfield, Clay Cross and Pilsley;
Assistant Curate of Eckington and Ridgeway 2000-2004,
and Team Vicar in the East Scarsdale Team Ministry
2004-2013. Her funeral was held on 18 September 2018.
30 September 2018
Growing numbers of young people train as priests
Growing numbers of young people are seeking ordination
to the priesthood, as the Church of England makes
progress towards achieving a key target of recruiting
more candidates for ordained ministry.
The number of people aged under 32 years old recommended
for training for ordination this year rose by nearly a
third, or 32%, to 169, compared to 128 in 2016, a report
on vocations from the Church of England shows. This
means nearly one in three, or 29%, of those entering
training for the priesthood this year are expected to be
under 32 years old.
The overall number of people recommended for ordination
training is up 7% on last year, from 541 to 580. This
follows a 14% increase the year before, putting the
Church on course to achieving a key target of recruiting
50% more candidates for ordination by 2020.
The figures have been published alongside Ministry
Statistics for 2017 showing just over 20,000 active
clergy in the Church of England, with women making up
nearly a third, or 30% of the total. But the
number of clergy in paid positions in 2017 fell by 50
from 7,790 to 7,740 compared to 2016.
Nearly a quarter, or 23% of paid clergy in senior posts,
such as Bishops, Cathedral Deans or Archdeacons were
women in 2017, compared to 12% in 2012.
Meanwhile, the vocations report shows that women are set
to be the majority entering ordination training for the
second year running, with 54% of this year’s recommended
candidates being female.
Director of the Church of England's Ministry Division,
Julian Hubbard, said: “I am delighted that the Church of
England has seen a rise in the number of vocations to
the priesthood for the second year running. We are
particularly pleased to see the increase in the number
of young women and men entering training.
Catherine Nancekievill, Head of Discipleship and
Vocation for the Church of England, said: “The Church of
England is investing in worshipping communities across
the country from coastal towns to rural areas and urban
housing estates. This rise in vocations to ordained
ministry is a welcome answer to our prayers and hard
work across the country to ensure that we continue to
bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to every community.”
The Church of England is aiming to achieve an increase
in the diversity of those entering ministry and a 50%
increase in the total number of candidates for ordained
ministry by 2020. This is part of its Renewal and Reform
programme .
Safe houses for persecuted Bangladeshi Christians
Barnabas Fund has been building new houses for
Christians among the Santal people of Gaibandah District
in Bangladesh, who have been victims of violent
persecution. One such is Dijen Tado, who was shot in the
chest when he and his family fled a riot back in 2016.
Helped by local Muslims, the police had set fire to the
wooden shacks of all the Christians in the village,
killing at least three, and making about 5,500 of them
homeless.
When local church leaders told Dijen that he would get
one of the new homes, he could scarcely believe it.
“Every day when work was progressing I came to see. I
prayed and waited … I saw a small light that is from
Jesus Christ that I will get a place to live,” said
Dijen.
After living in a wooden shack and then a makeshift tent
for endless months, the sturdy brick house was a dream
come true for Dijen. “Now I have a real place to
live. Not only that, now we have a good toilet, school
for the children and church nearby so we can worship.”
Brick buildings, on church-owned land, make the
Christians far less vulnerable to attack in future.
Fifty homeless Santal families have recently moved into
their brand-new houses. But thousands more still need to
be re-housed.
If you would like to help build new homes, or
donate towards some wells that will provide water,
please go to:
https://barnabasfund.org/us/appeals/victims-of-violence-providing-a-home-will-you-help
Whose fault
is it, anyway?
In a small town a businessman put in planning
permission to build a nightclub complete with dancing
girls. The
local church started a vigorous campaign to block it
from opening.
The church launched a petition and held prayers
in public.
Work progressed, however, right up until the week before
opening.
Then one night a bolt of lightning strike hit the
nightclub and it burned to the ground.
The church members were rather smug after that, until
the nightclub owner sued them all -on the grounds that
they were responsible for the fire. Loudly protesting
their total non-involvement and innocence, the church
members were all taken to court.
As the case began, the judge looked over the paperwork
and observed: ‘I don't know how I'm going to decide
this. It
appears that we have a nightclub owner who believes in
the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation
that doesn't!’
Something definite
Are you in the right place? Are you doing the right
thing?
God has created me to do him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me that he has not
committed to another.
I have my mission.
John Henry
Newman.
22 Setember 2018
Closer ties
The Methodist Conference has welcomed the Mission and Ministry in
Covenant joint report by the Methodist Church and
the Church of England. The report outlines proposals for
bringing the Methodist Church and the Church of England
into communion with each other.
If
accepted, the proposals would enable interchangeability
between presbyteral ministries and see increased
missional opportunities as the two churches work closer
together to support the communities they serve.
The joint
report has already been welcomed by the Church of
England at its General Synod. The Methodist Conference
asked for a further report to be brought to the 2019
Conference.
The story behind the HYMN:
Stand by me
We’ve recently mourned the death of
the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. So it is a good time
to remember another African American song-writer,
Charles Tindley. He not only used his gift to give voice
to thousands of people struggling with pain and
rejection, he also gave them good reason for hope – in
God.
Charles Albert Tindley knew all about
hardship and suffering. He was born to a slave father in
Maryland in 1851, ten years before the Civil War began.
Although his mother was free, she died when he
was very young, and so he was raised by his aunt and
father. They lived in poverty, and from early childhood
he was hired out – ‘wherever my father could place me’.
Yet Charles wanted more out of life.
As a teenager he taught himself to read, and
managed to get to night-school. He had become a devout
Christian and felt called to the ministry.
And so, after completing a seminary course by
correspondence, he was ordained a Methodist pastor, and
went to Philadelphia.
He did not go alone; when just 17 he had married
a local girl, Daisy. They would share 56 years of
marriage and produce eight children.
In Philadelphia, Charles and Daisy
began a small church in a poor section of town.
He was quickly noticed – at 6 foot four inches,
it was hard not
to see him!
He was a born leader, and his little church soon began
to grow…. from nothing to finally 10,000 people.
When he spoke, people could hear an authentic
voice of painful experience, and yet always Christian
hope as well.
Charles knew about poverty and believed
Christians should help: his church offered food banks
and clothing drives to the local community, as well as a
soup kitchen from the church basement.
Charles often went out into the streets of his
rough neighbourhood, visiting the bars to talk to
desperate people about Jesus Christ.
Like Aretha Franklin, Charles knew
that most African-Americans felt trapped in hopeless
situations, and that they were regarded as second class
citizens. So
his music urged them to have hope in the love of God,
and in His protection for them.
This hymn reflects that shining faith.
Stand by me
1. When the storms of life are
raging, stand by me;
when the storms of life are
raging, stand by me.
When the world is tossing me,
like a ship upon the sea,
Lord, who rules the wind
and water, stand by me.
2. In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;
in the
midst of tribulation, stand by me.
When the host of
hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,
Lord,
who never lost a battle, stand by me.
3. In the midst of faults and
failures, stand by me;
in the midst of faults and
failures, stand by me.
When I’ve done the best I can,
and my friends misunderstand,
Lord, who knows all
about me, stand by me.
4. In the midst of persecution,
stand by me;
in the midst of persecution, stand by
me.
When my foes in war array undertake to stop my
way,
Lord, who saved Paul and Silas, stand by me.
5. When I’m growing old and feeble,
stand by me;
when I’m growing old and feeble, stand
by me.
When my life becomes a burden and I’m nearing
chilly Jordan,
Lord, the Lily of the Valley, stand by
me.
Say again?
20 September 2018
Give some ‘mustard seeds’ this Harvest
Did you know that half the population of this country is financially vulnerable? In fact, England has one of the lowest levels of financial capability in the developed world, according to the Just Finance Foundation. A good reason why the Mustard Seed Appeal has returned for another year.
The Mustard Seed Appeal was born out of the Archbishop’s vision for a fairer, more just and equitable financial system that works for all sectors of society. The Appeal, now in its third year was founded by the Archbishop, who made the very first gift to the appeal, which raises vital funds for the work of the Just Finance Foundation.
The Archbishop shares how the Parable of the Mustard Seed relates to the vision of the Just Finance Foundation being a place of refuge and support for all who need it.
With five out of six people who are over-indebted not seeking the help they need, there is still much work to be done. So this autumn the Archbishop is inviting Christians across the country to send a gift to the appeal, and by doing so, help to build financial resilience back into our communities.
Visit: https://www.cuf.org.uk/mustard-seed-appeal
Deliver us... I had been teaching my three-year-old daughter the Lord's Prayer. Then one evening at bedtime she attempted it solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer. ‘Lead us not into temptation,’ she prayed, ‘but deliver us from e-mail. Amen.’
