cminchin@talktalk.net The Vicarage, Elm Road
01453 822332 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
GL10 2NP
AUGUST 2010
Dear Friends
Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. (James 119-20)
ANGER
I guess most of us know what it’s like to be angry - sometimes at least. Different people deal with that in different ways. Some people need to shout at other folk, to curse and swear. Others cry in frustration. Too many people take out their anger on those whom they love. Others turn the anger in on themselves, which is the source of a lot of depression. The outlets for anger are the same whether or not there is any justification for that anger. So we should not be surprised if the reaction to any anger we may show is not, at least initially, an investigation into what is claimed to have caused that anger, but an attempt (usually futile!) to calm it down. Knowing that doesn’t stop me getting angry (justifiably or otherwise) but I can begin to focus on what I can do about the problem rather than on my reaction to it and my desire somehow to hurt those responsible for the anger in the first place.
THE CHURCHYARD
You already know, of course, that the most obvious thing that causes me to get angry is the churchyard. The strongest reaction I have had to a letter like this one in my time at Stonehouse was some three years ago when I gave a list of things that made me excited or depressed - depressed because I got angry about what some (and I must always emphasise the “some”) people were doing or saying. I have got angry about the churchyard again in the last few months, this time about the amount of rubbish that people (presumably people convinced that they have come to honour their loved ones) dump on other people’s graves. I could get angry and depressed about that and about the amount of money that your Church finishes up paying each year to clear that rubbish away. But thank you, instead, to a great team of volunteers from our congregation, who turned out to load much of the rubbish into a skip and begin the tidying up process that was so badly needed. Thank you too, to all of you who take your rubbish home; to those of you who keep parts of the churchyard tidy; to those of you who follow the rules about memorials, recognising that “your” plot is not just your little kingdom, but part of a churchyard that needs to follow a certain pattern of order and good taste; to those of you who know that your loved ones are not there where you are (rightly) remembering them, but in the hands of God. When I remember to say those thank yous, my anger somehow diminishes!
THE CHURCH HALL
Yes, another thing that has at times got me going is the Church Hall! Characteristically, it is also a subject that gets other people angry with me or with the Church. The way to make anger worse is to respond in anger. I got angry with the way that facility was taken for granted, with the presumption that asserted that we would not presume to do as we had stated, with the delays that we encountered from the bureaucracy of the County Council and from legal representatives. None of that anger did anything for the cause of the Church; all it did was to reduce the quality of other work that I was doing. The sale has now gone through, as you know, but it looks as though it will be some time before we see the premises back in use. I need to let go of my anger over the whole, long, sorry saga, and do what I can, as a neighbour, as a member of the community of Stonehouse to support and help prosper the work of others (statutory and voluntary) for this community whether centred on the Old Church Hall, or elsewhere in the town. And I need to deal too with my anger towards myself - over my failure to drive through our original decision to sell the place six years ago. All I can do about that is to “repent”, to say sorry to the benefactors and supporters of our Church for decisions that lost us money and failed to win friends; all I can do about my anger towards others is to be thankful that the matter has now been resolved. James - the Bible - was right! My anger does not produce God’s righteousness.
THANKFULNESS AND REPENTANCE
I could go on - about how I get angry with American innuendo over BP and Libya, with a number of different forms of self-righteousness (in other people, never in me, of course!) with the need to do all kinds of boring things. What I need to do, however, is to be thankful for all that is good, and to repent of all that I have done - almost always unaware of it at the time - that has fallen short of the glory of God to which we are called. Then, I believe, God gives a new creation and we are freed to take part in the building of his kingdom. So I call on all of you with me to put aside your anger and to enjoy all that God plans to do in you, through you and around you this summer and autumn.
August
1st SUNDAY NINTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 13)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Holy Baptism & Family Communion
we welcome Leyton Raymond Olamide Akhile (parents John & Mandy)
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for Mothers’ Union Overseas
3rd Tue 7.15-8.30pm Prayer for Stonehouse – Bethel
4th Wed John-Baptiste Vianney, Cure d’Ars, Spiritual Guide, 1859
9.30am Holy Communion
5th Thu Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642
6th Fri The Transfiguration of Our Lord
7th Sat John Mason Neale, Priest, Hymn Writer, 1866
8th SUNDAY TENTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 14)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for Mothers’ Union Overseas
9th Mon Mary Sumner, Founder of the Mothers’ Union
Picnic at The Pludds – family day out – all welcome
10th Tue Laurence, Deacon at Rome, Martyr, 258
2.00pm Beautiful Lives Tuesday group to meet
11th Wed Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253
John Henry Newman, Priest, Tractarian, 1890
9.30am Holy Communion
2.00pm Pic n Mix – Vicarage
12th Thu 11.00am Communion – the Elms
13th Fri Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor, Teacher, 1667
Florence Nightingale, Nurse, Social Reformer, 1910
Octavia Hill, Social Reformer, 1912
14th Sat Maximilian Kolbe, Friar, Martyr, 1941
15th SUNDAY THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for Mothers’ Union Overseas
18th Wed 9.30am Holy Communion
20th Fri Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, Teacher, 1153
William and Catherine Booth, Founders of the Salvation Army, 1912 and 1890
22nd SUNDAY TWELFTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 16)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for C.M.S.
24th Tue Bartholomew the Apostle
25th Wed 9.30am Holy Communion
2.30pm MU Committee meet at Audrey’s
27th Fri Monica, Mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387
28th Sat Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher, 430
29th SUNDAY THIRTEENTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 17)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion
6.30pm Holy Communion - Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for C.M.S.
30th Mon John Bunyan, Spiritual Writer, 1688
12.30-3pm Beautiful Lives BBQ – Springfield Court
31st Tue Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 651
September
1st Wed Giles of Provence, Hermit, c 710
9.30am Holy Communion
2nd Thu The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 1901 & 1942
3rd Fri Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher, 604
4th Sat Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester (Oxon), Apostle of Wessex, 650
5th SUNDAY FOURTEENTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 18)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion – preacher Roger Morgan
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for C.M.S.
6th Mon Allen Gardiner, Founder of the South American Mission Society, 1851
2.15pm WWDP & Ladies Committee – Baptist church
7th Tue 6.45-9.00pm Quiet Evening – Holy Trinity, Stroud
7.30pm PCC
7.15-8.30pm Prayer for Stonehouse – Bethel
8th Wed The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
9.30am Holy Communion
2.00pm Pic n Mix - Vicarage
9th Thu Charles Fuge Lowder, Priest, 1880
7.30pm Churches Together committee – Baptist
11th Sat Sponsored Churches Cycle Ride
12th SUNDAY FIFTEENTH AFTER TRINITY (Proper 19)
8.00am Holy Communion
9.45am Family Communion
6.30pm Evensong – Wycliffe Chapel
Retiring collections for R.A.B.I. (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute)
Forward Dates – Please make a note of these.
Even if the event does not affect you please remember it in your prayers.
N.B. Pic n Mix at the Vicarage will now be on the second Wednesday of each month.
September
14th Tue 10.30am Communion at Sherborne House
11.00am Communion at Hazelwood
15th Wed 10.00am MU Deanery Meeting
16th Thu 7.30pm MU Meeting – Hazelwood
– speakers Kay Hensley and Audrey Ricks – ‘Faith and Policy’
18th Sat STALL ON THE GREEN
19th SUNDAY 2.30-4.30pm Beautiful Lives Treasure Hunt – St Cyr’s
21st Tue 7.00pm Service in church followed by LMT meeting
22-24th Wed-Fri Retreat – Glenfall House
25th Sat Beautiful Lives Cocktail Party – Jacobs Cottage
26th SUNDAY ‘Back to Church’ Sunday
6.00pm Deanery Mission Commissioning Service
– St George’s, Nailsworth
October
2nd Sat Open The Book – Stroud Subscription Rooms
3rd SUNDAY Harvest “1”
5th Tue 7.15-8.30pm Prayer for Stonehouse – Bethel
9th Sat 10am-12.30pm Children’s Society Box opening
10th SUNDAY Harvest “2”
12th Mothers’ Union Council - Cheltenham
13th Wed 2.00pm Pic ‘n Mix - Vicarage
14th-17th St Cyr’s Mission – look out for details
17th SUNDAY 6.00pm Deanery Mission Thanksgiving Service
– St Matthew’s, Cainscross
18th Mon St Luke – 7.30pm Service
19th Tue 10.30am Communion at Sherborne House
11.00am Communion at Hazelwood
7.30pm LMT meeting
21st Thu 7.30pm MU Meeting – Hazelwood
- Helen Barton – “Marketing the MU”
7.30pm Deanery Synod Meet – Cainscross Church Hall
31st Sun ‘Light’ / ‘All Saints’ party - Halloween Event
– Stonehouse Live
November
1st Mon All Saints
Stonehouse Live ‘Party’
7.30pm PCC
2nd Tue 7.15-8.30pm Prayer for Stonehouse – Bethel
10th Wed 2.00pm Pic ‘n Mix - Vicarage
15th Mon 7.30pm Churches Together Committee– St Joseph’s
18th Thu 7.30pm MU Meeting – Hazelwood
- speaker – Lesley Barrett – ‘Christmas creations’
20th Sat 10am-4pm LMT Established Teams consultancy - Hucclecote
21st SUNDAY 9.45am Bishop John’s visit (? + Confirmation)
22nd Mon 7.30pm LMT meeting
23rd Tue 10.30am Communion at Sherborne House
11.00am Communion at Hazelwood
24th Wed MU Forum
27th Sat Goodwill Evening – Stonehouse Live
December
6th Mon 7.30pm LMT meeting
7th Tue 7.15-8.30pm Prayer for Stonehouse – Bethel
8th Wed 2.00pm Pic ‘n Mix - Vicarage
9th Thu 7.30pm PCC
16th Thu 7.30pm MU Christmas Party – Hazelwood
21st Tue 10.30am Communion at Sherborne House
11.00am Communion at Hazelwood
History:
At the turn of the twentieth century, our church was popularly, and incorrectly, known as St. Cyril’s. In 1906, the Vicar and churchwardens, made this known to the appropriate authority and the record was corrected. Even so, the incorrect name does appear on old OS and county maps well after that time. I expect St. Cyril’s road in Stonehouse is named so, for that reason. Of course, the church members were never in any doubt.
CHILDREN’S SOCIETY BOX OPENING
Christine Minchin has asked me to take over as Secretary of the Children’s Society. My first box opening will be in church on OCTOBER 9th from 10am until 12.30pm. I would welcome all Christine’s helpers from the past to come along and assist with the count.
Thank you Pauline Stevens
GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL
GLOUCESTER BRANCH STROUD AREA Great News
Over the past 18 months we have had a tremendous increase in our membership with eight new members now playing a part in our varied activities. However, we are still looking for new recruits especially in the Stroud Area where, in the past year, we have distributed 690 bibles in 7 secondary schools.
Please pray urgently about this
and, if you feel led to join with us in the work of making the
Word of God available in the highways and byways of life, please
speak with Bill Griffiths. Tel;
01453-751701
E Mail: billgriff@overburncast.freeserve.co.uk
FACTS AND FIGURES – from our JUNE records
Communicants Collections Stewardship
£ £
6th 1st after Trinity 58 77.18 121.90
13th 2nd after Trinity 53 44.16 371.21
20th 3rd after Trinity 51 42.73 150.00
27th 4th after Trinity 65 97.49 300.70
Mission Giving: Leprosy Mission £ 42.20
Training for the Ministry £ 14.00
British Heart Foundation £ 94.39 (funeral collection)
Donations: £ 60.00
Fees: £ 1341.00
“Made Members of Jesus Christ, Children of God
and Inheritors with all of us of God’s Kingdom in Heaven.”
We offer a very warm welcome to:-
11th July Joseph Oliver Cleave
“May they rest in peace and rise in glory.”
29th June Gladys Jocelyn Page (89) Hatherley Grange
Nursing Home
(burial with graveside service)
14th
July John David Robert Hancock
(83) Grosvenor Road
(at Gloucester Crematorium)
I have received the following and thought it important to share with you all,
Sidney Riggs
This year Professor Edward Kairu, the Executive Director of Christian Aid Partner Maji na Ufanisi (MNU) has asked that the following message be conveyed to our wonderful supporters:
“When I heard that you were giving your time freely and encouraging people to fundraise voluntarily to help organisations like Maji na Ufansi, I could hardly believe it, and wanted the opportunity to thank you directly. Around the world, the money raised in Christian Aid Week is changing lives. For us, here in Nairobi, your continued support is helping us reach new generations of young people like Elizabeth Waithera, Deputy Chair of Kiambiu Youth Group.
“Elizabeth has already seen a transformation within Kiambiu’s young people with MNU’s support. ‘We are changing the living standards of youth through doing something’, she says. ‘I want to see a community that has changed. That’s what I divine in my heart – that the living standard of youth has improved, the living standard of women, of the whole community. . I am in the slum, but my mind is not in the slum.’
May God bless you in the work that you do, as he bless us in the work that we are doing. Your efforts, every Christian Aid Week, are genuinely changing lives. I see it for myself literally every day.”
With our thanks and every best wish,
Jane Gardner,
Regional Administrator.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST
Patron: His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
President: H.W.G. Elwes Esq., H.M. Lord Lieutenant
RIDE AND STRIDE ON SEPTEMBER 11
- A DAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR CHURCH
Ride and Stride, run by the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, is a great way to support this church and churches across the county when they most need help. It’s an annual sponsored walk, bike or horse ride which happens on the second Saturday of September. That makes September 11th a date for the diary in 2010.
Walkers and riders turn out to follow their chosen route between churches which open for the day. Many of them serve refreshments as well as checking you in and providing a friendly welcome, directions and moral support. Whether you prefer a solitary expedition, or to go with family or a group of friends, you know that you’re joining thousands of people countrywide to raise money for an important cause. As Ian Hislop said recently, ‘In the old days the churches used to worry about saving us. Now we have to worry about saving them.’
What’s in it for you, this church and the county’s churches?
· A perfect motivation to get out, explore and enjoy yourself;
· The satisfaction of raising money and taking part in a nationwide initiative;
· 50% of the money you raise goes to the church of your choice;
· The chance to see inside some historic gems which cannot always be open for visits;
· The chance for the church you nominate to apply for a grant;
Even if you are unable to ride or stride, you can ask people to sponsor you to man your church or to carry out specific tasks while you are there.
Further information, together with sponsorship forms, is available from your Local Organiser on the contact details below.
For information about the Trust’s work and how to support it please look at the website: www.ghct.org.uk
For further details, please contact:
Steve Allen: 01453 821704 / 07970 243657
Coffee parties poster
MISSION 2010 - COFFEE PARTIES 13th October - 17th October
Dear Christian friends,
As you know we are preparing for our Mission in October. Our main preparation for our Mission is PRAYER - especially praying for our family, friends and neighbours, and not forgetting ourselves. Some of our congregation have met together and shared the Beautiful Lives course. I personally have found the course very enriching and challenging. The course has helped me to focus on my prayer life and to trust in our LORD. And so I find myself being put forward to share in the organising of our mission coffee parties. I am praying that you will come forward and be open and willing to host a coffee party in October. Appropriate invitations will be produced, and we will invite up to eight of our neighbours and friends to coffee and light refreshments. We will share this time together with two of the mission team.
The coffee parties will take place over four days at various times. Wednesday evening, Thursday and Friday all day and Saturday morning. If you would like to host a coffee party, we would endeavour, with good organisation to arrange times that would be most suitable for you and your friends. If you would like to share hosting with someone that is no problem. If you would like to be a host, but would prefer a different venue to your own home, we can also accommodate this. This is an opportunity for us to reach out in love and hospitality to our family, neighbours and friends, to let them know about our faith through the two mission team members who will be with us.
Our team organising our coffee meetings are John and Corrine Aldis tel: 822325, Val Winder tel: 824723 and myself Glenis Abbott tel: 826797. Please contact us for more details.
With Love and God Bless Glenis x
News from Mothers’ Union ~
Our July Meeting fulfilled its promise of Turkish Delight when Audrey gave us a fascinating insight into her visit to Turkey – but also gave us each some Turkish Delight – the sweet – to chew on. And very good it was!!
Audrey linked the visual sights she shared with us, with so much from the New Testament. I found it fascinating to see Phrygia and Pamphylia on the historic map at the beginning. How many times have we each heard those names at Pentecost?
We were transported back over thousands of years – and enjoyed the wonder of how these places have survived and still speak to us.
Thank you, Audrey, you have converted people to want to go to Turkey – and the Delight was - ? - delightful!
Thank you to those who supported the Stall on the Green. £80 was raised to be split between St Cyr’s and MU.
There will be another Stall on Saturday 18th September – so please bear this in mind when sifting items during August.
The Mary Sumner Day Picnic is on Monday 9th August.
3pm-5pm Approx – for all the family...
The Village Hall, The Pludds, Near Ruardean.
There is space for outdoor games – with the Hall available for a wet day. Please take your Pic-nic but Tea and Coffee will be provided.
We have instructions on how to find the Hall, so please ask me if you need them.
On behalf of our Branch, Kay will be placing flowers in the MU Chapel in the Cathedral on Friday 23rd July. If you are in Gloucester, the little chapel is well worth a visit.
Jean Riggs
p.s. we have since received further donations of £22.50 to boost our funds.
p.p.s. Don’t forget to give your £9 for Families First Magazine to Olga or a committee member. We need to send this money off to the Gloucester office by the beginning of September! The rest of the subscription for 2011 is £13.50 (for an Indoor member it is £ 10.25) so if you are feeling rich enough you can give Olga £22.50 (Indoor member £ 19.25).
Our September meeting will be on Thursday 16th September when Kay and Audrey will tell you a bit about the Faith and Policy Unit.
Have a happy and restful August.
ooooOOOOoooo
The following ‘Church Bloomers’ have been found by Christine and Tony Minchin – Thank you!
A few ‘Church Bloomers’
Fasting and Prayer Conference – includes meals
The sermon this morning “Jesus walks on Water”
The sermon tonight “Searching for Jesus”
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24th in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
Eight new choir robes are needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
Low self esteem support group will meet Thursday at 7pm. Please use the back door.
Every one of these has either been printed in a Church Publication, or announced in church!!