01453 822332 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

GL10 2NP

Dear Friends

Enough of me, enough of 2008! Over to you, Richard - with many thanks.....

These were Charles’ last recorded words before being carted off in an ambulance a week before Christmas Day. Young couple, Geoff and Louise (now both Watson), had stopped to see if they could help at the accident scene on the Ebley bypass. They took the message on to the Stroud Sainsbury’s where Charles was to be Father Christmas for the afternoon at the Rotary’s charity collection. Our apologies to those who missed seeing Father Christmas – but I’m sure the real one arrived on time, early Christmas morning.

Matthew and I, as well as the Policeman with the paper work, finally tracked down Charles at the Gloucester Royal. We had been told that he was being taken to Stroud hospital, so the perplexed receptionist there had a puzzling few moments phoning round. Happily, we got the correct venue through to Anne, who was at a school Carol Service. She joined us soon after we got to Gloucester. Matthew later got a friend to repatriate Charles’ bike – it was in a much better condition than Charles.

Within hours of the news breaking (sorry), Kay and I had offers of help from our retired clergy and readers to cover all the Christmas services and beyond. I thank all those who have helped to keep the church affairs running with their advice and actions. I especially thank Father Bill Watson (St Joseph’s) for letting us know about Charles’ accident in a timely fashion, which saved a great deal of family distress. We are extremely fortunate in Stonehouse with the number of active, retired clergy. I’m not sure, but we may be the most blessed in Gloucestershire. It has certainly made my job easier. As well as our normal Christmas services, we also had a funeral and a wedding, but our experienced, retired clergy took those in their stride.

Stephen Bowen, our Area Dean, was helpful and has arranged for Archdeacon, Geoffrey Sidaway, to take the 9:45am service on January 18^th.

Charles is now back home (Christmas Eve) and feeling grumpy (a direct quote from Anne), but then I expect we would all feel that way with a whole leg in plaster and the frustration of not being able to get on with our lives.

The event at the Woolpack is open to all church members (on the church electoral roll or not) and their spouses/partners (see page 11). Our objective as a parish church is to become more effective in our community. To do this, we must first look at how effective we are at the moment and listen to what Jesus is asking us to do with his Church.

Do come along.

Here’s to an interesting 2009!

God Bless.

Richard Hensley.

1^st Thu The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus

Seraphim, Monk of Sarov, spiritual Guide, 1833

Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, Bishop in South India, Evangelist, 1945

4^th SUNDAY SECOND OF CHRISTMAS – EPIPHANY

8.00am Holy Communion – Noel Baker

9.45am Family Communion – Noel Baker

3.00pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel

5^th Mon 2.15pm Women’s World Day of Prayer &

6^th Tue The Epiphany

7.30pm MU Committee Meeting

7^th Wed 9.30am Holy Communion

8^th Thu 7.30pm PCC

10^th Sat William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645

11^th SUNDAY THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST (The First Sunday of Epiphany)

8.00am Holy Communion – Noel Baker

9.45am Family Communion – Sid Riggs

3.00pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel

12^th Mon Aelred of Hexham, Abbot of Rievaulx, 1167

Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth, Scholar, 689

13^th Tue Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher, 367

Kentigern (Mungo), Missionary Bishop in Strathclyde and Cumbria, 603

George Fox, Founder of the Society of Friends (The Quakers), 1691

14^th Wed 9.30am Holy Communion

17^th Sat Antony of Egypt, Hermit, Abbot, 356

18^th SUNDAY SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

- Week of prayer for Christian Unity begins

8.00am Holy Communion – Tony Minchin

9.45am Family Communion – Archdeacon Geoffrey Sidaway

3.00pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel

19^th Mon Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095

3.00 p.m. Cream Tea and Prayer at the Baptist Church
20^th Tue Richard Rolle of Hampole, Spiritual Writer, 1349

21^st Wed Agnes, Child Martyr at Rome, 304

22^nd Thu Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon, first Martyr of Spain, 304

23^rd Fri 7.30 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph's
24^th Sat Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher, 1622

25^th SUNDAY CONVERSION OF PAUL

26^th Mon Timothy and Titus, Companions of Paul

28^th Wed Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Philosopher, Teacher, 1274

9.30am Holy Communion

2pm-4pm Pic ‘n’ Mix – Vicarage

30^th Fri Charles, King and Martyr, 1649

31^st Sat John Bosco, Priest, Founder of the Salesian Teaching Order, 1888

1^st SUNDAY CANDLEMAS

8.00am Holy Communion

9.45am Family Communion and Baptism of Bradley Coughlan

3.00pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel

2^nd Mon The Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Candlemas
7.00pm Licensing of Judith Hubbard

4^th Wed Gilbert of Sempringham, Founder of the Gilbertine Order, 1189

9.30am Holy Communion

2pm-4pm Pic ‘n’ Mix – Vicarage

6^th Fri The Martyrs of Japan, 1597

The Accession of Queen Elizabeth II

8^th SUNDAY THIRD BEFORE LENT (Proper 1)

8.00am Holy Communion

9.45am Family Communion

3.00pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel

10^th Tue 7.30pm PCC

14^th Sat 2.00pm Wedding of Michael Milne and Rosemary Weaver

19^th Thu 2.00pm "Healthy Church" at Hazelwood – alternative to 24^th.

28^th Sat 8.30am Prayer breakfast with PSALMS (venue to be confirmed)

2.30pm Wedding of Anthony Freeman and Claire Roberts

2^nd Mon 7.30pm Churches Together Committee - Baptist Church

6^th Fri 10.30am Women’s World Day of Prayer Service – Bethel Church

9^th Mon 7.30pm PCC

13^th-15^th Fri Eve – Sun afternoon – Retreat at The Marist Centre – ask Kay if interested

22^nd Sun Mothering Sunday

25^th Wed Lady Day

12^th Sun Easter Day

20^th Mon Annual Parochial Church Meeting – venue to be announced

6^th Wed MU AGM plus

14^th Thu 7.30pm PCC

18^th Mon 7.30pm Churches Together Committee – Methodist Church

20^th Wed Spirituality Day – Harn Hill – leader Rev. Helen Burn

4^th Thu MU Quiet Day

15^th Mon 6.30pm Churches Together AGM - B.B.Q

23^rd Tue MU Summer Council

4^th Sat Diocesan Day at Cathedral to celebrate the Year of the Child

14^th Tue 7.30pm PCC

14^th Mon 7.30pm PCC

21^st Mon Churches Together Committee – Bethel Church

23^rd-25^th Wed eve- Fri afternoon – Retreat – Glenfall House

30^th Wed MU Forum

5^th Thu 7.30pm PCC

16^th Mon 7.30pm Churches Together Committee – St Joseph’s

24^th Tue MU Winter Council – Chapter House

8^th Tue 7.30pm PCC

Communicants Collections Stewardship

£ £

2^nd 4^th before Advent 52 141.57 104.00

9^th 3^rd before Advent 56 60.50 222.00

16^th 2^nd before Advent 44 82.72 296.00

23^rd Christ the King 56 88.20 234.00

30^th First of Advent 48 62.40 242.50

Mission Giving: Royal British Legion £ 33.75

Donations: Bike Ride £ 100.00

Coffee Profits £ 100.00

Sale of Santa’s & diaries £ 11.80

Fees: £ 947.00

7^th December Emma Beard by the Bishop of Tewkesbury at St. Cyr's

"Those whom God has joined together let no one divide."

Our Heartiest Congratulations and Good Wishes to:-

27^th December Geoffrey Mark Watson and Louise Monique Greenhalgh

"May they rest in peace and rise in glory."

2^nd December Betty Winifred Wichard (87) Regency Home
(Service at Gloucester Crematorium)

9^th December Violet Connie Laws (98) High Border Lodge
(Service at Gloucester Crematorium)

22^nd December Joan Mary Simmons (73) Crescent Road
(Service in Church followed by burial)

23^rd December Shirley Chapman (73) Festival Road
(Burial in St. Cyr's churchyard, after a service at Kingdom Hall, Stroud)

Our December Meeting was a very happy Party Time. There was good food and drink, entertainment, good singing and, most important, good company. Thank you to all who contributed to make it such a good evening

Our real sadness was that it was the day when Charles had an accident. We send Charles and Anne, Rob, Sarah and Matt our love and prayers and hopes for a continued recovery for Charles.

Our January Meeting will take the form of the AGM followed by a Beetle Drive. All in the warmth of the Lounge at Hazelwood. Visitors will be very welcome.

Give us hope – to look forward to a happy tomorrow.

Give us courage – to face the hardships without losing hope.

Give us faith – so that the joy of receiving Christ will lead us to serve others.

Give us appreciation – for the gifts we have received that we might use them responsibly daring to give friendship, service and love.

Give us Christmas – throughout the year.

This is a special day and especially for us at St Cyr’s.

You are ALL invited to come to the Woolpack at 6.30pm for supper and discussion on whether we are a "Healthy Church".

So don’t book in anything else but come along and join the debate.

Spouses/Partners are also welcome.

If you really cannot manage that day there is another opportunity on Thursday 19th February at Hazelwood at 2.00pm

Individual invitations will be sent out. If you don’t get one, please let us know!

Churchwardens: Richard Hensley Tel: 01453 824910

Colin Matthews Tel: 01453 824737

Happy Christmas from a hot, wet Madagascar.

When I turn on the radio at breakfast time, there is much gloom about the international economic situation.  In Madagascar, the situation is somewhat different. Few people here have mortgages or have bought homes.  Most people in the countryside have no monthly salaries or jobs to worry about loosing.  The national currency, the Ariary has appreciated by almost 40% against the pound and the Euro in the last couple of years.  This makes it cheaper for the Malagasy to import goods but it also means that the grant from USPG for College and our salary is worth 40% less. 

There have been consequences for those working in international firms. The guard's wife at church works in a clothing factory.  Recently, they have been told to only come in for half the week, as orders from America have dried up.  Vanilla sales too are down At the moment, there is plenty of work in Ambatoharanana, as it is the rice planting season.  The fields are all flooded and the race is on to fill them with rice seedlings.  Jean Aimé, a College guard has  taken his annual leave during this period.  No holidays abroad for him, but back breaking work in the fields!  Hard work now will reap a rich harvest later and give the family enough food for the year.

  Students this term have been busy in town.  Last week they went to an international symposium on the Bible, where they learnt about the different bible versions here, and modern Biblical research.  This week the Malagasy council of churches put on a week about organising a project and seeking funding.  Next week the students here will learn about world religions.  Students from the North and East may encounter Muslims around their parishes.

  The College doctor has been a real help.  Someone in a nearby village was attacked by robbers.  They were left with serious head wounds which the doctor was able to treat before sending them to hospital.  A child fell from high up a large eucalyptus tree where he was looking for firewood, but after being checked over by the doctor, was able to walk home.  A sadder story is of the women who called for the doctor only when she began to give birth.  There was an infection in the womb, and the baby was born struggling for life.  The doctor gave the baby mouth to mouth resuscitation but it was unable to breathe on its own, and  passed away. 

A Malagasy Christmas:

Christmas has been celebrated in Madagascar for about 150 years, yet celebrations weren't begun by the first missionaries, as they were Welsh Presbyterians, opposed to the celebration of what they saw as a semi pagan feast.  Rather than celebrating Christmas, the first missionaries insisted on strict observation of the Sabbath.  This upset Queen Ranavalona, who wanted to celebrate the festival of the new moon.  The New Year Festival, celebrated at a dated based on the observation of the moon was Madagascar's main festival.  The Queen even accused the missionaries of "killing the moon".  It was among the reasons that the church was persecuted.

  Christmas was celebrated for the first time in the 1850's by the aristocracy, who were more interested in foreign customs than the faith behind them.  Madagascar opened up to the outside world in 1862 with the rise to the throne of King Radama. 

  Anglican missionaries arrived in 1864 and began translating the prayer book and Hymns Ancient and Modern, among them Christmas carols.  Until now, only Anglicans here have carols.  So, the Christmas carols widely heard today in Madagascar are a gift to Madagascar from the Anglican church.

  These days at Christmas, most churches have a Christmas tree, and a Christmas tree service for the children and those families who can afford to celebrate the tradition of Father Christmas.  The streets here are not so much thronged with shoppers, as sellers.  Pavements are full of people selling plastic Christmas trees and toys from China.  It is sad to think of those who may not have sold their Christmas tree at Christmas time.  There also many live chickens, geese, and turkeys in people's gardens.  Farmers may get up to £5 for a turkey.

  In the countryside in Ambatoharanana, things are much more peaceful.  Most students, having spent Christmas in their parishes, left for their parents.  People are busy in their fields planting out the rice, or tending cows and ducks.  There was a wedding here on Boxing day, which then moved to Violette's community centre for the reception.  The couple, who work in town, had saved up for months to have their wedding in their ancestral village.  Branches made a green avenue to the church.  Now the wedding is finished, they will be planted and sprout roots again.

May God bless you,  

Sam

19 December 2008

More than 250,000 people have fled their homes, losing family and possessions on the way. Some are trying to return home despite the dangers. Many are being given shelter and food by local families who in turn will also need our support.

Christian Aid is working with four local partners to reach more than 9,000 households. Together we are: 

The UK government is a major donor to the DRC and Rwanda and has a vital and unique role to play in securing peace. 

Christian Aid has been speaking out to press the UK government to use its influence to prevent the country being plunged back into war.

We have also joined a coalition of agencies in sending a letter to Gordon Brown, asking Britain to support the rapid deployment of European Union troops to protect civilians and help deliver peace.

We won’t stop helping people in desperate need and we won’t stop calling for peace. Please continue to support our work.

God of peace, you forget no one.
Be gracious to the people of Congo and bless them.
May we who have been given so much,
strengthen our resolve to work and pray for reconciliation
in all parts of the world bloodied by war.
Give us the grace to watch with those who weep
and the endurance to stand with those who wait for a safe return home.
Work through us to hold all suffering people in the palm of your hand
and to heal your broken world. 
So roads scarred by the suffering of your people,
are made into perfected paths to peace.