The Magazine, July 2004 (Section 1)

Magazine Production Team
Deadline for August magazine: 15th July

Team News

Quiet Day
The next quiet day will be held on the 10th July at Brook Place from 10am to 4pm. The cost is £8 and you will need to bring a packed lunch.

Ministry Training
The deanery are arranging training events to help our churches in important areas of ministry. It was good to see 4 members of the St Andrew's congregation listen to the course looking at new ways of being the church, and now we have two people looking at different models of ministry for the church of the future. As well as people taking part in these courses two people Simon Sellick and Pearl Harvey are assisting with the planning of the autumn course looking at Bible studies. We hope that some of the ideas will flourish in our local community.

Away Day
The Away Day was a good day! The representatives of the three churches met at Ascot Priory and the resulting report was discussed at the last PCC Meeting. The individual ideas will be discussed at DCC level but there will be a Youth Forum in the autumn. The PCC on 20th July will receive ideas from the DCC and form an action plan for the next three years.

TAPS
Thank you to Joan Lindsay-Kipp and Tony Bryant for all that they have done at TAPS. Both feel that after many years the time has come to step down and we are grateful for all that they have done. TAPS remains a very popular group meeting on Sunday evenings in the Langley Hall. We hope to revive the group in September and would like to hear from any one who can give an hour or two per month to help lead the Group.

Ranelagh Applicants
A number of parents have contacted me about Ranelagh applications. Because of the concern I have arranged a meeting on WEDNESDAY 14th JULY at 8pm in the Langley Hall. All parents, whether you consider yourself A or B categories are invited to attend when I will bring you up to date with what has happened and make some suggestions for the application process. The process will be different as the school will no doubt respond to the criticisms made by the Diocese of Oxford at the appeals meeting.

Parish Share
The PCC considered the latest share discussions and at the Deanery Synod it was agreed there would be a flat rate increase of 7.5% rather than the more complicated formula proposed. The figures are depressing in that we simply cannot afford to pay and Easthampstead Parish abstained from the vote because they too feel that the deanery share militates against the urban parishes.

Bishop Stephen
I have met with the new Bishop of Reading, +Stephen and he looks forward to coming to the parish in due course. He will meet the various leaders of our community at the Rectory this month.

Deaconing at Christ Church
Do remember Mark Ackford and Gill Lovell in your prayers as they are made deacon on Sunday 4th July in Christ Church Cathedral.

Canal Cruise Weighs Anchor
The Parish Canal Cruise is ready to cast off. We leave Alvechurch in south Birmingham/Bromsgrove on Saturday 24th July. If anyone would like to come and visit us please do so – call us on David’s mobile number for the exact location. We shall go through Worcester, visit the Black Country Museum and Birmingham.

David

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News from Holy Trinity

Wine Tasting Success
Thank you to all those who supported the Wine Tasting Quiz evening last month. Many stories have circulated, some of which are true! We raised £450 and many people said it was a most pleasant way to raise money. Thank you especially to the Ridgeon family who organised much of it – we are most grateful to them for all their hard work.

Smartie Appeal
The Smartie appeal made £1500 when Gift Aid was taken into account. This was an idea of Christine Davies and we were delighted that so many people responded. The urgent repairs to the tower and roof can now be started and the work will take place during the summer. The path around the church is wonderful! Thanks to Graham Dives for making it happen!

Our Curate is here!
Mark and Suzanne Ackford, along with Catharine (7) and Joshua (5) have moved into 4 Micheldever Way and their telephone number is now in the magazine. Mark will be made Deacon on Sunday 4th July in Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and his first service in Holy Trinity will be Sunday 11th July

Family Service.
On 4th July we have an All-Age Service. Most people thought that the new format was good even if there were teething troubles. At the administration of communion, there will be two points of distribution and we ask communicants to form two lines down the nave aisle. We will attempt to make the service last no longer than an hour.

Baptisms
On 18th July we welcome in baptism at the 10am service, Marjorie and Richard Briggs’ three grandchildren, two of .them twins.

Iona August
During August, we shall use the Iona Service at the 10am service as we did last year.

Sunday School
The Sunday School term comes to an end this month and thanks to Gwen Cooper for leading the team. She is now retiring to the back benches but will still be on the rota. Thanks also to Donna Brown, Julie Comerford, Liz Russell and Cathy Carson who have completed their time on the teaching rota. We are very grateful for all their help and we shall fete them at a suitable point.

David

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News from St Andrew's

Parish Outing
The Parish outing to Christchurch and Bournemouth was enjoyed by all. The day began with the Eucharist at the Priory led by the vicar the Revd Hugh Williams. He gave us a very warm welcome and told us that he knew Bracknell quite well as his father the Revd. John Williams had been parish priest at St. Paul's Wokingham for many years. There were nearly 60 parishioners from our churches in Bracknell who shared in the service and then listened to a guide tell us all about the Priory. In the afternoon people spent time in Bournemouth. As it was such a beautiful day many took the opportunity of spending time on the beach and a few went on a boat ride

St. Andrew's DCC
A very good meeting was held in June looking at some of the challenges
raised by the Away Day at Ascot Priory. The DCC has agreed to have each member responsible for an area of work within the church. Areas identified were the spirituality and worship looking at study groups, meditative services, prayer group and a pilgrimage. Other members expressed an interest in planning the fund raising and community events such as cream teas, quiz nights, and skittles evenings. An important piece of work will be the attempt to improve communications in the church. A suggestion is for a data base of baptisms from which we will send invitations to the Pram and Toddler events, special family services etc. Looking at the older age groups we will be looking to encourage more people to the social events and the coffee morning. Youth work and buildings and Health and safety were also identified as areas of need and DCC members offered help for this important ministry.

Fair Trade Goods
Thank you to Janet Murton for setting up a fair trade shop at St. Andrew's. Our coffee mornings, pram and toddler and early morning breakfasts will now be using fair trade products as will the Tea House run by Jenny in the town.

Pentecost Evensong
A good number supported the service and we will now look to arrange perhaps
one Prayer Book evensong every few months probably for major festivals. This will be alongside our services of Compline, early morning Eucharists, the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross.

Future Events
Berkshire Cream Tea
All are welcome to the St. Andrew's cream tea, to be held on Saturday 3rd July at the church and if the
weather is fine, in the grounds.

Spirituality and Worship
Our next meeting will be on the 19th July at 8pm at St. Andrew's. All new
members welcome.

Fr Jeremy

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News from St Paul's

A month in the life of a new District Warden
After being elected and sworn in at a ceremony attended by our new bishop Steven Cottrell, it was back to reality. The task list was never ending. Reorganising my e-mail folders to cope with the endless e-mails I seem to get, the Sunday notices and of course the diary full of committee meetings ……… and these were just the ones I knew about. I have since attended the Parish away day, taken my turn as DCC minute secretary and become well practised at the art of looking as if I know what’s going on. Thanks to everybody who has supported me through these early stages. Only 2 years 10 months to go!

Ecumenical Affairs
At a recent church meeting the URC asked “to enter into conversation” regarding the future of St Paul’s. To this end the DCC have met twice to pray about and discuss this issue. We have appointed a smaller subgroup to take this project forward.
Our first meeting with the URC elders was on 24th June. We made a formal presentation to our congregation on Sunday 27th June after a shortened 9.15am communion service.
Please pray for the DCC during these very important discussions

Parade Service
We welcome the uniformed organisations to St Paul’s on 11th July for their Summer Parade Service. This is always a very enjoyable non-Eucharistic service.
We will also introduce them to the joys of Ncompass our church music group.

Farningham House
I have recently started to support Catherine in the monthly communion service at Farningham, as part of my role on the extended communion team. The residents enjoy a variety of worship both Common Worship and Book of Common Prayer and are always enthusiastic with their prayer requests.
We ask Gods Blessing on this special group.

Summer Services
We are trying a new service pattern over the summer holidays. Full details will be announced over the coming weeks.

And Finally………….

Christian Aid
I cannot miss this opportunity to thank all who collected for, contributed to and counted this years Christian Aid house to house collection. The total collected for our area was £1733. An impressive 10% improvement on 2003.
A particular thank you to Stuart Robinson and Yvonne Nicholas who co-ordinated this year’s collection. WELL DONE EVERYBODY

Russell Goodburn

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Parish Register

Please remember them all in your prayers

Baptisms

We welcome into the God's family

Holy Trinity
Abbie Katie Chard
Alfie Sheppard
 

St Andrew's
Megan Joyce Elizabeth Hughes
Callum Lewis Noble
Evelyn Rose Agnes McBride
 

Funerals

We commit to God's care

Sophie Mercer	Aged 16
Robert (Bob) Thirlwell	Aged 73
Patricia (Pat) Buddery	Aged 77
Leonard (Len) Whittington	Aged 83
Charlotte Cook	Aged 85
Frederick (Fred) Edwards	Aged 87
Mabel Colwell	Aged 89

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July Diary

This can be found in For your Diary...

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July Prayer Diary

This can be found in Prayer Diary

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Taizé Meditation

These meditations are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the Bible Passage with this short commentary and reflect on the questions which follow.

Luke 10:38-42
Martha wishes to be hospitable, and so she begins at once to serve her guests so that they lack nothing. Then, seeing that she is overwhelmed by all she wanted to accomplish, she begins to worry and hardens her heart to her sister, who had left her all alone. Jesus tells Martha that she accords too much importance to and worries about things that may not be so essential.
Jesus does not criticise the service Martha wants to offer him. He knows that she is preparing all these things for love. And it is perhaps with deep tenderness that he says to her: “Martha, Martha…” But Jesus does not agree with Martha’s criticism of her sister. She too is acting out of love: out of love she dared to go against the customs of the time and sat “at the Lord’s feet.” Mary “chose the better part,” because she chose to welcome what Jesus gives to her. She listens to his Word, which “will not be taken away from her,” for every Word that comes from the Lord’s mouth does not return to him without having fulfilled its mission (Isaiah 55:11).
Jesus’ reaction could seem to be in contradiction with the Gospel passage that precedes the text, the parable of the Good Samaritan. On the one hand, Jesus invites people to act, not to remain indifferent to the needs of others but always to be ready to serve. On the other hand, he praises the attitude of Mary, who does not help her sister and does not serve the guests as tradition required. By approving Mary, Jesus does not want us to remain passive. He says, “Happy those who hear God’s word and keep it” (Luke 11:28). He encourages us to find time in our life to stop and welcome his Word, to remain sitting at his feet, in the position of the disciple listening to the Teacher. And this time of listening, silence and prayer leads us to put the Word into practice, to love more deeply, more freely and more generously.

How do I try to welcome Jesus into my life?

What habits and customs do I have to go against in order to listen peaceably to the Word?

Take time at the end to pray, thanking God for his presence, asking for what you need for yourself, and for those things close to your heart.

Further information on Taizé can be obtained from the Community's website.

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