St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News · 2019-08-13 · College for training from 2011 to...

50p August and September 2019

www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk

St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News

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St Thomas’ Church News August and September 2019

What’s on and Who’s who Sundays: Weekday communion service: 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Wednesdays 10.15 am Family Eucharist with Junior Church 6.30 pm Evening Worship Baptism: Sunday afternoon, monthly To ask about St Thomas’ or St Alban’s churches, including questions about christenings and weddings: Team Rector: Rev’d Nick Watson, Wednesfield Rectory, 9 Vicarage Road, Wednesfield t: 01902 731462 e: [email protected] Parish Office: Administrator Margaret Walker t: 01902 723310 e: [email protected] The office is normally staffed 9am-12noon on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Contributions for the magazine are always welcome. Please leave articles in the parish office, or email [email protected].

Find us on Facebook - @StThomasChurchWednesfield Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @StTWednesfield Or look up our website - www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk

Sue Vaughan Lay minister - Pastoral Care

Margaret Walker Administrator

(Church & Centre)

Jill Ellson District Churchwarden Lay minister -Prayer

Clive Postle Parish Churchwarden

Rev’d Nick Watson Team Rector

Phil Douglas Parish Reader

Helen Hammond Children’s & Families’

ministry enabler

Lucy Smith District Churchwarden

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Looking at things…

For my birthday in June, Joanna gave me a new camera. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket or in my work bag, unlike my old camera which was great but so heavy I didn’t often have it with me. Despite its size, it takes really good photos (thank you!). Especially on holiday, it’s been great getting used to it and taking lots of photos - the challenge now is finding time to edit and make the most of them!

I’ve enjoyed photography, a bit off and on, since I was a teenager - my Dad had a darkroom set up at home, so we could process and print our own black-and-white photos in the days long before digital cameras. When I left home I joined the rest of the world in taking pictures in colour, but of course that was very different from how we use cameras now. A whole holiday might end up

producing two rolls of film, each with 36 pictures on them. Once taken, there was no way to know whether they were in focus, whether someone was blinking in a family portrait or whether the exposure was completely wrong and you couldn’t see a thing! You had to wait until the prints came back from the chemist, and see what you had.

Seeing more, seeing less

It’s much easier now. Most people have phones which take photos we can see instantly - I can set my new camera to adjust its own settings not just to the light but to what it thinks it’s looking at - it can even take several shots of a family photo and keep the one where no-one is blinking! Of course, I see the results straight away. Perhaps the biggest difference is that it doesn’t cost any more to take twenty photos and delete nineteen than to take one. So at the moment my camera is half-full of near-identical photos of scenic photos of the Dorset coast, while I try to decide which one has the best shot of the waves, or the seagull in the best place.

On one level, it’s nice to look back in this way, remembering the moments as I do it - remembering what I saw in that moment that made it worth capturing. But I vaguely remember a different feeling in the distant days of a film camera, when I had to catch the right moment and the right image the first time. There was a different way of looking then. I think I probably saw more in the moment itself, even if the actual picture I ended up later with was nowhere near as good technically as I can make now.

Looking longer, seeing more

One of the good things about using a camera (whether it’s a professional-grade one with a huge lens or the one on your phone) is that it can help you to look at the world differently; to focus (sorry!) on what’s happening in a small area in front of you, and see how things fit together. Some of the best pictures capture a fleeting moment, or somehow give a glimpse of what someone is really like. And the best photos are usually made great by how the different things in the picture relate to each other.

I often take photos on quiet days or retreats as a way to help me slow down and look at things deeply. It helps me to notice things I’d miss otherwise, and in turn that helps me to become more easily aware of God’s presence with me. I do think that part of what Jesus said about the virtue of being childlike (not childish!) might have been about learning what we’ve forgotten - to look properly, to see more openly, to wonder more delightedly at what’s around us. As adults, we often need to give ourselves an excuse, and a camera is not a bad one.

Why not try it yourself? Whether it’s your phone or a camera, have a look around you or take a walk, and look at what’s in front of you in a new way. You might even try taking the photos as if you were still using film - one try at each image, carefully composed and thinking about how the light is falling, what you’re focussed on, how things relate to each other… At the end of that time, ask God to help you truly to see what’s around you, and above all to see him, the maker of the light by which we see and of all that there is to see and photograph.

Rev’d Nick Watson

Letter from the Rector

Lunchtime prayer St Thomas’ Church is open on Wednesdays whenever possible from 12.30 - 1.30pm for quiet prayer, with a short service at 1.20pm. Everyone is welcome.

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Welcome to Tom and Helen!

Rev’d Tom Fish, St Alban’s new Team Vicar, and his wife Helen come to us from the southern part of the Black Country. For the last six years they have been working on an estate near Stourbridge planting Brickworks Church, which they describe as “a church with no building in a place with no name”. Over the last year they have seen a handful of people baptised, and the church is now made up of nearly 40 people, about half of whom are children.

Tom himself came to faith at university. He was challenged by a Christian to read John’s gospel, and half-way through he realised that “Jesus was exactly who he claimed to be. And if the son of God had really walked around on earth and said, ‘follow me’, I had better do so.” So the next morning he went to church, and has been following Jesus ever since.

His early years as a Christian were influenced by the charismatic movement, which gave him a love for worship and fellowship: “No-one else in my family was a Christian, so the church became in a way my new family.”

A change of vicar, followed by a work assignment in the US, brought him into contact with the riches of reformed theology and the value of preaching. In 2001 he took time off work to do the Cornhill Training Course, which gave him a love of the Bible and a new confidence in handling it.

He returned to work part-time, and for seven years was a member of the leadership team at his church in outer London. Then in 2009 he got a “heavenly tap on the shoulder”, calling him to move to a more urban area and explore ministry options. They moved to a flat on an estate in Lambeth in 2010, from where Tom commuted to Oak Hill College for training from 2011 to 2013, before moving to Lye as his training post.

Tom and Helen have two adult children, Christopher and Naomi, who live in Sheffield and Durham respectively. Helen supports Tom in ministry, looks after the garden and for several years has volunteered doing 1-1 work in primary schools.

They are looking forward to moving to Ashmore Park and becoming part of St Alban’s. Tom writes: “It’s clear that God has been at work at St Alban’s in recent years, and we want to join in with that and then discover together where he’s going to leading us all next as a church.”

Tom will be licensing to his new ministry by Bishop Michael on Monday 2 September. Please pray for Tom and Helen, and for all our mission and ministry together across the parish!

Meet our new Archdeacon!

The Revd Julian Francis has been appointed as the new Archdeacon of Walsall. Julian was ordained in 1991, and since 1999 has ministered throughout the West Midlands, in parishes in Lichfield, Coventry and Birmingham dioceses. He’s also been responsible for advocacy and training for Minority Ethnic Anglicans - first in Lichfield Diocese then nationally.

For the last eight years Julian has been Vicar of Edgbaston, also serving recently as interim Archdeacon of Birmingham. In his spare time he enjoys golf, cricket, theatre and cinema.

Julian said: “I am delighted to be returning to Lichfield Diocese, renewing old acquaintances and meeting colleagues and partners in the Black Country. Our churches are wonderfully placed to be a warm, generous and open presence throughout the area. I look forward greatly to working with parishes, chaplains, schools and fresh expressions to share the good news of the love of God we know through Christ and to be part of the joyful transformation of our varied and vibrant communities.”

He takes over from the Venerable Sue Weller who was recently named the new Archdeacon Missioner in the Diocese of Lichfield, a role which combines the responsibilities of Archdeacon of Lichfield with a role as Missioner across the diocese and an attachment at Lichfield Cathedral.

Both Archdeacons will work within the Wolverhampton Area Senior Staff team, led by the Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Right Revd Clive Gregory. Julian will begin the role following his installation and licensing service at Lichfield Cathedral on 8 November. A welcome service for the new Wolverhampton Episcopal Area team will take place at St Peter’s Church, Wolverhampton, on 17 November.

Just in case you’re wondering what an Archdeacon does… They work with the Bishops, focussing on the practicalities of church life from appointments of clergy to legalities and buildings with a lot of pastoral work on the way! Most church members don’t come across them very often, but they play a big part behind the scenes to keep things going well.

Please pray for Archdeacon Sue as she moves to her new role, and for Julian as he prepares for his!

Rev’d Nick

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Christian Aid News

CASE-OVC: Our new partnership project

For the past 28 years, the Wolverhampton Christian Aid Committee has focused its general fundraising on specific programmes run by Christian Aid, supporting each one for a year or two and aiming to raise about £5,000 each time. Latterly, we have supported match-funded projects – those for which the amount we raised is multiplied by an entity such as he EU or USAID.

We have selected as our next focus CASE-OVC (Comprehensive Assistance, Support and Empowerment of Orphans and Vulnerable Children). This is a project run in Kenya by Christian Aid to help children there who are affected or infected by HIV and AIDS. The aims are to improve health and social status of 170,000 such children from 52,000 households, to provide economic help for them, and to strengthen the systems by which their needs can be met. This involves ensuring they can gain access to social services (health, nutrition, education, legal protection, etc).

It’s clearly a very worthwhile cause and there is a bonus in the fact that the match-funding (by USAID) is 19:1, so that every £1 we raise is worth £20.

Supporters’ Sunday

There will be more on this at our Supporters’ Sunday event, which takes place in the St Thomas Centre from 3pm on Sunday 13th October. This is an annual feature of our regular activities and we aim this time to strike a celebratory mood – celebrating what has been, and is being, achieved by Christian Aid and its partners. More details in the next magazine, but make a note of the date. I hope you will come along.

Roger Poole

As we think about our Summer holidays, whether we have just come back or are planning to go away soon, Mothers’ Union is caring for families, for those who cannot afford a summer holiday, those whose life has met with adversity.

Mothers’ Union members regularly provide various types of breaks for more than 4000 people a year in UK & Ireland through their “Away From It All” (AFIA) holiday scheme, supporting families who are experiencing stressful times and otherwise not have a holiday.

Each Diocese of Mothers’ Union in UK & Ireland has an AFIA holiday scheme for those in great need. This year in the Diocese of Lichfield, Mothers’ Union are funding an adventure weekend for 10 Syrian families, they have also received 3 other referrals, one under consideration and another referral expected. We have been asked to pray for these families as they take a break from their difficult situations. These holidays help families to share special times together, which they would not be able to do and build up and strengthen family relationships providing them with special memories for the future.

9th September is Mary Sumner Day when Mothers’ Union members remember their founder. Mary Sumner started the Mothers’ Union in 1876. At our meeting on 14th August we hold our annual Summer Party as we celebrate the life of Mary Sumner. Ann Hodkinson and her husband Ted from MUE sales will be bringing calendars diaries for next year, also a variety of cards for all occasions, books, pens etc for you to purchase or order if you so wish.

We are asking members to bring a donation of food, if possible, to share at the Summer Party. Please ask Vi Blackmoor for advice as to what to bring. Thank you.

Our meeting on 11th September is our Annual Auction. Please bring an item to sell if you have one. A chance to buy Christmas gifts at a very reasonable price. Proceeds will be going to Mothers’ Union Worldwide Funds.

All welcome to come to our meetings, you will be made very welcome if you come along.

Thank you.

Jill Ellson, Branch Leader.

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• Would you like to understand more of how following Jesus can help you live life to the full?

• Have you recently joined the church, or come back after some time away?

• Would you like to be confirmed or baptised?

• Have you got a lot of questions about the Bible, prayer or just life in general?

• Would you like a ‘refresher course’ in the basics of faith?

• Or would you just like to learn more about Christian faith, over tea and coffee with new friends?

Then Life to the Full is for you! It’s a series of 7 evenings (aimed at adults) with Rev’d Nick, over tea and coffee, to find out more about how you can live life to the full with God.

The first session will be in the St Thomas Centre at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 September, and once we know who’s interested we’ll arrange where and when to meet for the following sessions - the current plan is in the table to the left, but we’ll change that if necessary!

If you can’t get to that first session don’t worry - please let Rev’d Nick know and we’ll work round when you’re available!

There’s no charge, and you can drop out at any time if you find it’s not helping you. We won’t put you on the spot or embarrass you. All questions and all kinds of people are very welcome. The title and the whole focus of the evenings comes from how Jesus described why he’d come to earth. He didn’t say he’d come to make us more religious, or just to help us get to heaven when we die. He said, ‘I came that they might have life and might have it to the full.’ (John 10:10).

If you’d like to know more, please call Rev’d Nick on 01902 731 462 or email [email protected].

11 Sept. Jesus: totally human, totally God

Session 2 God: the Holy Trinity; 1+1+1=1?

Session 3 Disciples: life worth living forever

Session 4 The Bible: God’s word, meaning….?

Session 5 Prayer: keeping in touch with God

Session 6 Church & Worship: being part of God’s family

Session 7 Love: God’s greatest command

Getting to know God better and living life to the full isn’t just for adults! Youth Emmaus is for anyone who’s in secondary school and would like to think together about being a friend of Jesus.

The first session will be on Friday 13 September, at 7.30pm in the St Thomas Centre (straight after choir practice). If that’s a good time we’ll meet most Friday evenings - if not, we’ll work out what is!

We’ll think and learn together with videos, activities, discussion and prayer. There may be doughnuts…

Youth Emmaus has three sections;

1. What Christians believe: God; Jesus; the Holy Spirit

2. How Christians grow: Prayer; the Bible; Church; Holy Communion; Being a Christian

3. Living the Christian life: God’s priorities for the world; relationships; your money and your life; sharing your faith

If you’d like to know more, or if you’d like to take part but can’t get there on 13 September, please let Rev’d Nick know and we’ll make sure you get the chance to be part of Youth Emmaus!

Calling all gardeners, photographers, artists, cooks and everyone else to enter the Village Show! Visiting the show is free, so come along to view the entries, have some snacks, and see the results!

Saturday 28th September, St Thomas Centre Look out for more details, contact us at [email protected] or find us on Facebook/Twitter/

Instagram

Over 30 competitive classes, everyone welcome

25p entry per exhibit, free for under 13s

Certificates and rosettes for winners of class,

‘Best in show’ prizes for Adults & Junior categories

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In Genesis chapter 2, the first human being is given a task - to care for the garden God has created. From there on it starts well, but things go downhill quickly…

We don’t need to take Genesis literally to see the impact that our failure as a species to care for God’s creation is having. Pollution, overuse of natural resources, climate change, mass extinctions - we’ve realised in the last decades that we can’t go on like this. And to all the practical reasons for change, to the need to ensure a future for our world, Christians have one extra reason to care for creation - it belongs to God, and we’re meant to be looking after it for him.

Creationtide - 1 September - 4 October The season of Creationtide was first announced by the Ecumenical Patriarch (the Eastern Orthodox equivalent of the Pope) in 1989. It’s now been taken up by many churches around the world, and runs from 1 September (the first day of the Orthodox Church’s year) to 4 October, the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. This covers most northern-hemisphere churches’ harvest festivals, which helps!

Lichfield diocese encourages us from this year onward to mark Creationtide in our worship and our lives. There’ll be more resources and ideas coming out through September, but you can expect to see a strong focus on our care for the world in our Sunday worship, to start with!

Taking our worship into reflection There’ll be suggestions available through September to help us think through what worshipping God as creator means for how we live as stewards of creation. These will be available in print through church and online as usual.

The ’CHADliving’ videos produced by Lichfield diocese (search for them on YouTube) include a lot of practical actions to take as part of being a disciple who cares for creation. Have a look and see what you think!

Moving from prayer into action Thoughts and prayers are a good starting point, but we need to act, too. Our bishops have called on the church to take part in a national day of action for the climate crisis on 20 September - what could you do, and what could we do together, to make a difference and help people wake up to the crisis we’re in?

Beyond a single day, could you make a few small changes in how you live to help care for creation? Different things will be possible for different people, and you might need to ask around or do a bit of research; but how about one or more of these as a start? If it’s a bit daunting to think about a long-term change, why not commit to try something for September, at least?

• Use the car less - share lifts, use the bus or ride a bike if you can!

• Eat less meat, more vegetables

• Avoid using single-use plastics wherever possible

• Switch to an energy supplier using renewable sources of electricity

• If you have a garden, think about how you could support a wider range of wildlife in it

• Or… think of something else and let us know!

Rev’d Nick

400 hymns in two days! It was very appropriate to start at 7am on Saturday with number 1 - ‘A brighter dawn is breaking’ and good to end with a celebration (just a bit out of season) at 8pm on Sunday with number 400 - ‘On Christmas night all Christians sing’. Sorry the photo isn’t great, but I was a bit tired by that point…

I sang most of them (except when there were others there to sing and the piano sight-reading needed full attention...) and played piano or guitar for at least 350. Thanks to Black Country Brass, Gill Edwards, Joanna, Thomas and Immy Watson and Dave Craddock for instrumental help and to the many people who came to sing for a while - in some cases for a long while! I think in the whole 24 hours of singing I was only on my own (apart from God...) for about half an hour.

Thanks to all who've donated, too - with the JustGiving donations and those received in church, it's come to £1,035, which is fantastic and far more than I'd expected. Thanks for your generosity. This will help us to ensure that St Thomas' stays alive and beautiful at the heart of Wednesfield. And of course, far more songs and hymns will be offered in worship here - just not in quite such a concentrated way. Thanks once again. In a strange way I quite enjoyed it... just this once.

Rev’d Nick

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On Thursday 22nd August we'll be running an activity day in the St Thomas Centre for children of primary school age. The day will run from 10-12.30 and 1.30-4.00 - children can come for morning, or afternoon - or bring a packed lunch and stay all day! We'll be learning about Jesus' friend Peter, and there will be crafts, games, singing and lots of activities. The day is free to attend. Numbers will be limited, so to be sure of a place please let us know using the contact details on page 2 your children will be coming. We will need a consent form to be completed and signed by parent/guardian before children stay. As for parents and carers - enjoy time without your children!

Calendar for August

11 Sunday Trinity 8

8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Family Communion Memorial Service

13 Tuesday 10.00am Tom’s Tots Extra – “Under the sea”

14 Wednesday 10.00am 12.30pm

7.15pm

Holy Communion Church open for quiet prayer Mothers’ Union Party in St Thomas Centre

15 Thursday 7.30pm Baptism Preparation evening in Church

16 Friday 6.30pm Choir Practice

18 Sunday Trinity 9

8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Family Communion Holy Communion

20 Tuesday 7.30pm Mindfulness and Meditation in St Thomas Centre


Holy Communion Church open for quiet prayer

22 Thursday 10.00am Seaside Rock activity day in St Thomas Centre

25 Sunday Trinity 10

8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion Parish Family Communion Songs of Praise

27 Tuesday 10.00am Tom’s Tots Extra

28 Wednesday 10.00am Holy Communion


31 Saturday 4.00pm Marriage of Claire Childs and Shaun Dean

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Calendar for September

Date for your diary! 7.00pm Friday 4 October (in St Thomas Centre) Harvest Supper

1 Sunday Trinity 11

8.00am 10.15am

4.30pm 6.30pm

Holy Communion Parish Family Communion Holy Baptism Evening Worship to pray for Creation

2 Monday 2.00pm 7.30pm

Hands of Friendship group in St Thomas Centre Licensing of Rev’d Tom Fish as Team Vicar (St Alban’s)

3 Tuesday 9.15am Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre


Holy Communion Church open for quiet prayer (till 1.30pm)


7 Saturday 2.00pm Licensing of Terry Braithwaite as Lay Reader in Lichfield Cathedral

8 Sunday Trinity 12

8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Family Communion and Junior Church Evening Worship to pray for Creation

10 Tuesday 7.00pm District Church Council Meeting

11 Wednesday 10.00am 7.15pm 7.30pm

Holy Communion Mothers’ Union meeting in St Thomas Centre ‘Life to the Full’ meeting in Church

13 Friday 6.30pm 7.30pm

Choir Practice ‘Youth Emmaus’ meeting

14 Saturday 10.45am Marriage of Mandeep Kaur and Chanden Singh Hans


8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Family Communion and Junior Church Evening worship to pray for Creation

16 Monday 7.30pm Events Committee meeting in Church

17 Tuesday 9.15am 7.30pm

Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre St Thomas Centre Management Committee meeting

18 Wednesday 10.00am 1.00pm 7.30pm

Holy Communion Lunchtime prayer time (church open in quiet from 12.30pm) ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’ group meets in St Thomas Centre




8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Family Communion and Junior Church Evening worship to pray for Creation

24 Tuesday 7.30pm Parochial Church Council Meeting


7.30pm

Holy Communion Church open for quiet prayer (till 1.30pm) ‘Life to the Full’ meeting in St Thomas Centre



28 Saturday 12.30pm

Wednesfield Village Show, St Thomas Centre Marriage of Jaimie Brown and Lee Crosby

29 Sunday Harvest

8.00am 10.15am

6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Harvest Thanksgiving Eucharist Harvest Praise and Prayer for Creation

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Quiz and chips is back!

Friday 18th October, in the St Thomas Centre

Look out for more details in September.

Terry Braithwaite from St Alban’s church will be licensed as a Lay Reader at Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 7th September.

Please remember Terry in your prayers as he begins his new ministry with us in Wednesfield. We look forward to more of his preaching and leading our worship at St Thomas’ as well as at St Alban’s.

Tom’s Tots are holding extra sessions in the summer holidays which are open to all. Crafts will be suitable for primary age children but all are welcome. Refreshments available.

Tuesday 13th August - “Under the sea” Tuesday 27th August - “Endangered animals”

Mindfulness and Meditation

Once a month we provide these sessions in the St Thomas Centre. We spend half an hour practising techniques for non-religious ‘mindfulness’ meditation, which has been found to have all sorts of benefits. After a short break (during which anyone is welcome to leave) we use those developing skills to pray reflectively and meditatively for another 25-30 minutes, led by Rev’d Nick.

Everyone is very welcome. There’s no charge.

7.30pm in the St Thomas Centre

Tuesday 20 August Wednesday 18 September

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Great Prayers - The Canticle of the Sun

Last time we read a prayer which was certainly inspired by St Francis of Assisi, though probably not by him. This one is definitely his own! It fits well with our theme of ‘Creationtide’ through September.

It’s a long prayer of worship. The word ‘Canticle’ just means a poem or song of praise, generally used as part of the church’s worship. The key thing about this canticle is how it reminds us that our praise to God is only part of something bigger - the whole of creation praises God, though we are often deaf to its songs!

Of course, that’s true of all parts of life, not just our worship. We don’t exist apart from the rest of creation, but depend on brother Sun, sister Water, mother Earth and all the rest of our creation family for even the most basic of things - even for life itself. Francis’ great prayer reminds us to thank and praise God for and in all things.

For many of us, the second-to-last stanza jars a bit. The beauties and blessings of the natural world are one thing, and we’re happy to praise God through them - but to call death our sister, and praise God through her - that’s a bit more of a challenge. But until we accept and welcome our own limitations, of which the fact that we will one day die is one, we can’t easily live and pray as part of creation. We’re tempted instead to try to use, exploit and master it.

So through September in particular, why not read this prayer quietly each day, and try to go through your daily life and work more aware of the song of Creation, an endless hymn of praise to God.

Rev’d Nick

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour, and all blessing.

To You, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and You give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour! Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which You give Your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of You; through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace, for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing Your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve Him with great humility.

P.R.A.Y.

For a long time, I’ve recommended a book on prayer called ‘How to Pray’ by Bishop Stephen Cottrell. That’s still a great book (and well worth reading!) but another book with the same title (and the subtitle ‘A simple guide for normal people’) came out earlier this year and is now in my top-recommend spot.

This one is by Pete Greig, who’s the founder of the 24-7 prayer movement, dedicated to prayer and helping others to pray. He’s drawn for this book on his own experience but also that of many others. The book’s quite easy to read, and introduces all the main approaches to prayer as part of a balanced approach, structured loosely around the Lord’s Prayer.

You’ve probably realised that the Lord’s Prayer is becoming ever-more important to me as a structure and foundation for prayer, so this naturally makes sense to me!

To make it even simpler, the author’s managed to break it down into four steps, with lots of ideas and thoughts about how to make the most of them:

Pause Rejoice Ask Yield

The book is linked to ‘The Prayer Course’, which I’d like to run if a few people are interested - let me know!

The videos for the Prayer Course are all available at https://prayercourse.org/sessions/, and you might like to have a look at the first one to get a feel for what it’s all about. You can also download a lot of extra resources to help in using the approaches to prayer from the book.

Why not have a look at the book or the first video, and let me know what you think about it!

Rev’d Nick

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From the Church Councils District Church Council (DCC) The DCC met on Wednesday 22 May and 9 July. Key items for discussion included:

• The Mission Action Plan

• Eco Church

• Responding to the Quinquennial Report on the condition of the church building

• Changes in how we oversee expenditure and accounting

• Baptism preparation and follow-up

• Wednesfield in Bloom and St Thomas’ Day celebrations

• Safeguarding

• Health and Safety annual report

The next meeting of the DCC is on Tuesday 10 September at 7pm. Please give any items for the agenda to Rev’d Nick or Maggie Shelley by Friday 30 August.

Parochial Church Council (PCC) The PCC met on 18 June at St Alban’s. Key items included:

• Welcoming the appointment of Tom Fish as Team Vicar, and planning for his licensing

• Agreeing the admission and licensing of Terry Braithwaite as Reader for the parish

• Accepting the Board of Finance’s offer to write off an historic deficit on St Alban’s share

• Building matters, especially replacement of a damaged wall in the St Alban’s car park

• Discussion of possible future shared study groups, building on those during Lent and Easter.

The next meeting of the PCC is on Tuesday 24 September at 7.30pm. Please give any items for the agenda to Rev’d Nick or Linda Storr by Friday 13 September.

Hands of Friendship Recently about 20 members of the group went on holiday to Llandudno. They had a wonderful time together. We also organise a lunch out once a month for anyone who would like to join us.

On the 9th September there is a day trip to Bourton-on-the water, cost £14.50p. for anyone who would like to come. Payment please if possible, at next meeting on Monday 5th August, if after that date as soon as possible, as coach has to be paid for in advance.

Our September meeting is on Monday 2nd September. All our meetings are in St Thomas’ Centre at 2pm first Monday of the month, with the exception of Bank Holidays, when it is usually on the following Monday. Everybody welcome. Come and have a chat with tea, coffee and cake. Our meetings are always full of fun and laughter and you will always be made very welcome. Meals and trips out are not compulsory to take part in. It is up the individual.

For any further information, please see me.

Jill Ellson

GILL EDWARDS GRNCM ARNCM ARCO

Piano Lessons 01902 783264

Adult beginners very welcome

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From the Parish Registers Holy Baptism

‘Shine as a light in the world, to the glory of God the Father’

2 June Sydney Alarna Mary Ward, daughter of Hayley and Sean Ward Alexzander Norman Ragnar Fletcher, son of Stephanie and Paul Fletcher Kate Elizabeth Walters, daughter of Carolynne and Mark Walters

30 June Jameson George Dwight-Green, son of Kerry Dwight and Rachael Green

Marriage

‘God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them’ (1 John 4:16)

15 June Jessica Paige Rutter and Kristian James Sheriff 6 July April Louise Lawley and Wayne John Smith 13 July Gemma Louise Fox and Stuart Lord Alfred Heaton 27 July Robert Lee Marston and Sarah Margaret Jinman

Funerals

‘God will show us the path of life; in his presence is the fullness of joy.’ (Psalm 16:10)

3 June Freda Jane Powner (97) 5 June Phyllis Ruth Webb (83) 10 June Ann Elizabeth Francis (73) 13 June Wayne Terence Gibbons (46) 20 June Joan Twigger (83) 21 June Melita Marie (Nita) Gripton (68) 28 June Joyce Potts (83) 2 July John Jevon (60) 4 July Dennis William Malpass (75) 9 July Royston Joseph Turley (72) 11 July Alfred Simpson (80) 15 July Vera Anthony (93) 17 July Reginald John Scarlett (75) 23 July Sylvia Mary Ainsworth (90) 24 July Patricia Mary Askey (80) 25 July Josephine Heath (76)

Advice on Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals

If you would like to find out more about how the Church of England can help with these great moments in life, you can easily find out more. The best way is to ask one of our ministers, but you can also find a lot of advice, ideas and resources online now.

The best places to look are those produced by the Church of England itself. You can find links from the church website www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk or go straight to

www.churchofenglandchristenings.org

www.yourchurchwedding.org

www.churchofenglandfunerals.org

In Memoriam

In loving memory of Roy Turley from Kath

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Don and Jan who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in June, and received a congratulations card from Her Majesty the Queen.

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Judging day 2019 The judges came to inspect Wednesfield’s entry for Heart of England in Bloom on Friday 5th July - a glorious, sunny day when Wednesfield was definitely looking at its best.

This year the judges started at The Hub at Ashmore Park and walked to the far end of the bottom shops, looking at St Alban’s Church along the way, as well as the shops, the Ashmore Park Nursery and the Ashmore Inn. Ashmore Park people had thrown themselves into this, their first year of being part of the judging route, and it all looked wonderful. Bob the scarecrow, who made an appearance outside St Alban’s Church, was a particular attraction!

Once in Wednesfield Village the judges toured St Thomas’ both inside and out. It was good that both judges had been last year - and one of them the year before too - and could see how much improved the planting in the church grounds is, including more perennials and the landscaping improvements. Inside church, the “Commonwealth” theme which was chosen for the whole of Wednesfield continued with flower arrangements representing different countries. There were also arrangements by families who go to Tom’s Tots, representing the six different Commonwealth countries which families come from. Adding to the living flowers, there was a display of knitted and crocheted flowers which the Wednesfield in Bloom crafters had produced.

Back on to the route, the judges also saw the work that has taken place behind the St Thomas Centre, with a sensory path and a vegetable garden, and the new rose bed in the Garden of Remembrance.

We once again ended the route at the Gurdwara and showed the judges - and the wider community - how well people of different faiths, and of no faith, work together to make our home a better place. To quote the presenter from Sikh TV who was at the Gurdwara, we show “the Unity in Community”.

On a personal level, it was a fabulous day, and it was a real privilege to show the judges round and to see how much work so many volunteers have put in over the past year. My favourite moment of the day was when one of the Sikh community, who is a regular worshipper at the Gurdwara, came into church and saw that the first display represented India. I happened to be there, and it was very moving to see how touched he was that India had been represented in our church, right by the entrance.

We look forward to 5th September when we find out the result for 2019. On behalf of all the Wednesfield in Bloom volunteers, thank you to all those who worked so hard to make our church look so beautiful inside and out - with flowers, but also with the welcome that we show to those around us.

Joanna Watson

If you’d like to be involved in Wednesfield in Bloom in any way, please do get in touch! Email: [email protected]. Phone: 07960 046118. Facebook and Instagram - @WednesfieldinBloom. Twitter - @WfieldinBloom

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St Thomas Centre, Wednesfield Are you looking for a venue to hold your party,

meeting or community project? Come and have a look at the St Thomas Centre,

at the end of Wednesfield High Street!

Room hire for all occasions Fully equipped kitchen facilities Available 7 days a week Competitive rates Capacity for 100 people

For more details and enquiries on how to book please contact Margaret Walker on 01902 723310 or email [email protected]

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St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News · 2019-08-13 · College for training from 2011 to...

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