CHALLENGE

The Parish Magazine of St Mary’s Sandbach December 2017

Volume 53 No 631

December 2017

Sunday 3rd December 8.00 am Holy Communion Advent Sunday 10.00 am Parish Eucharist 3.30 pm Holy Eucharist 7.00 pm Churches Together in Sandbach Advent Service at St Peter’s Elworth

Sunday 10th December 8.00 am Holy Communion 2 Advent 10.00 am Toy Service 3.30 pm Evensong

Sunday 17th December 8.00 am Holy Communion 3 Advent 10.00 am Parish Eucharist 6.30 pm Carol Service

Sunday 24th December 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Parish Eucharist 4 Advent 4.00 pm Christingle and Crib Service Christmas Eve 11.30 pm Midnight Eucharist

Monday 25th December 8.00 am Holy Communion Christmas Day 10.00 am Parish Eucharist

Wednesday 27th December 11.00 am Holy Communion St John 1

Sunday 31st December 8.00 am Holy Communion 1 Christmas 10.00 am Parish Eucharist 3.30 pm Holy Eucharist

Sunday 6th January 8.00 am Holy Communion The Epiphany 10.00 am Morning Worship 3.30 pm Holy Eucharist

Every Wednesday 11.00 am Holy Communion

Holy Eucharist, Parish Eucharist = Order 2 Common Worship Holy Communion = Order 1 Book of Common Prayer

Coffee Rota December 3rd No Coffee - Christmas Lunch 10th Jean Richardson and Iris Kenilworth 17th Marjorie Burgess and Renee Bickerton 24th Kathleen Davies and Kathleen Beech 31st Joyce Griffith and Lynne Winfield January 7th Stella Craven and Christine Hirst

From the Registers Funerals October 27th Eileen Thompson November 7th Arthur John Yorke Terence Heritage Beesley

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n one of the best questions on dangerous Christian season of I a GCSE Religious Studies Christmas. The season will be paper about 30 years ago, the finished on 27th of December, candidates were encouraged to because of course it is shopping write about the differences that defines seasons: the

between a secular and a prelude is more important than religious Christmas. As a the day. stimulus, this cartoon was By contrast the 40 days of printed on the examination Christmas, starting on the feast paper and I found it on the day itself, will be the least internet again a few weeks ago. attended of the year. The Feast I was fulminating about the of the Nativity has become a batch of excessively lavish and showcase of human values, over-produced advertisements highlighted by primitive that appeared on our TVs the nostalgia and vulgar sentiment. week between All Saints Day No doubt I will be encouraged to and Remembrance Sunday. We think that the larger than could not think of our dead normal attendance at church without being interrupted by over the late Advent season is a the wash of oozy sentimentality sign of the tenacity of a vague encouraged by those adverts. religious faith. But they are For we now enter that very not there because they regret 3

their sins and seek the child molesters or rapists or sovereignty of God in their lives, racists - we shall know that the but in order to achieve pleasure authentic teachings of the from singing carols and exciting Christmas truths are actually their sensibilities with candlelit being taken seriously. atmospherics. Everyone is Christ was born to teach supposed to be nice to forgiveness, got into terrible everybody else (presumably the trouble for that and was killed other eleven months of the year for his efforts. That is God’s they are excused that value which is so often spurned. moratorium). Warm human The season of the High Street, of sentiments are the order of the over-indulgence, disgusting season. After all the period waste and excessive celebrates the sacral values of consumption would be so much liberal western society which is the better as an occasion to little more than a popularised celebrate, in spite of everything, caring culture for those who our redemption. Then we can generally are noticeably put the “e” back and thankfully uncaring and thoughtless of the say “Glory to God in the welfare of others in most of their Highest". daily lives. For when in society the public start demonstrating Thomas Shepherd --- Vicar caring and loving qualities in their attitudes to sinners - to

From the Editor nother successful year for the Challenge Magazine. A big A thank you to all who have contributed, my proof reader, the collating team and distributors as without you it would not be possible. The cover picture is of the new Nativity Figures which were purchased by members of the congregation. The deadline for the January edition of Challenge is: Sunday 17th December but, due to Christmas, will not be published until Sunday 7th January. 4

Christmas Flowers reparing the church so that it looks at its P best in the Christmas season is a big job and we are grateful for the work which several people put in to ensure that St Mary’s will be looking truly festive when Christmas arrives. Hazel and Sheenagh have been responsible for the flower arrangements for many years and have every intention of carrying on but they would welcome more help. This year the plan is to have St Mary’s ready for the many services which precede Christmas beginning on 11th December. If you would be willing to help Sheenagh and Hazel will be very grateful. We will supply Trays and Bowls and Oasis. A simple example arrangement will be at the back of Church. Our aim is to have every window sill decorated. If you would like to help but need more information please ring Sheenagh on 01270 529187.

Autumn Fair

The money raised from the Autumn Fair is a follows: Refreshments £257 Cakes £119 Toys £41 Heather’s Stall £50 Plants £35 Jill's Stall £343 Tombola £106 Guess the Chimney £103 Raffle £119 Stall Rents £52

Total £1225 Thank you very much to all who helped and attended the event. 5

Lack of children quarter of Church of England services do not have a single A child in the congregation, will this decline continue? An average-sized Anglican church has only three children attending each week, while those with the smallest congregations, have no under l6s at all in their pews, the church's figures show. An average of nine children attend each service across all C of E churches. While there has been a decline of 13 per cent in the number of adults attending on a Sunday over the past decade, the number of children has dropped by 22 per cent. As older parishioners die, they are not being replaced by a new generation. Lord Carey of Clifton, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, warned in 2013: “We are one generation from extinction. If we do not invest in young people, there is going to be no one in the future."

Children should read the Bible resenter of Radio 4's 'In Our time', Melvyn Bragg has P encouraged schools to reintroduce Bible readings so that children aren't deprived of the depth of language in the words. He said he thinks it's a disgrace that children don't get to read the Bible in school. The broadcaster and author is an atheist, but he said: "They say it's too complicated; what are they talking about?" He called those who were daunted by the book "Wimps, terrible people". Regarding the difficulty in reading the Bible, he said: "We have to work a bit harder and that's also good". He added that Shakespeare is getting more and more popular and that it is nearly always heard in the original language. Melvyn Bragg described the Bible as "equally powerful". He continued: "I think it is a great deprivation. What have we thrown away? One of the greatest pieces of art, work, whatever way you want to put it. It's awful. As for being too difficult - really? Honestly, we should be too good for that". Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, Melvyn Bragg was giving a talk on William Tyndale, the man who lost his life in 1536 for translating the Bible into English so people could read it without having to learn Latin.

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New church organ will cost £90,000 (Printed with kind permission from the Chronicle) he traditional sound of an organ playing from St Mary’s T Church could be a thing of the past unless £90,000 is raised to replace the failing instrument. Sandbach’s Rev Thomas Shepherd, assisted by members of the congregation, recently launched a fundraising campaign in a bid to buy a new organ. Rev Shepherd said it had become "increasingly difficult" to fix the church’s electric organ because the replacement parts were no longer made. “The problem is that the technology used to build the organ is now out of date, so when it breaks we can’t get the parts to fix it,” explained Rev Shepherd. He added: “A new one won’t be cheap and like so many other churches we have other problems that need addressing, like the roof for example. “However, for St Mary’s to be without an organ would be a real shame for the community.” Although St Mary’s does have an original pipe organ that is centuries old, it has been out of service for decades and would cost about £250,000 to restore. “I would love the pipe organ restored to its former glory but it would cost an astronomical amount,” added Rev Shepherd. “That’s why it’s so important to try and raise enough money to replace the electric organ.” Church organist Kevin Birch said it would be a blow to a community steeped in history and tradition if the church could not raise the required amount. Mr Birch, musically connected to St Mary’s for more than 40 years, has been the church organist for the past six years’. “St Mary’s is a traditional church so for it to be without an organ would be devastating,” added Mr Birch. here is a display at the back of the church with more T information and how you can donate to the fund. As you can appreciate a significant amount of fundraising is required and if anyone has any ideas of ways we can do this, then please contact the Organist Kevin Birch 01270 760778

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A Musical Christmas in Church t promises to be a very musical Christmas at St. Mary’s this I year with a wide range of Carol Services and Christmas Concerts. Local Schools From the 4th to the 15th of December we welcome the local schools and music services for their annual concerts and Carol Service’s. Sunday 17th December - Nine Lessons and Carols Our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols will include many of your favourite Carols, and feature seasonal pieces from the Choir. The Service starts at 6.30pm. Details of all the other services can be found at the front of the Magazine.

St Mary's Music Group o you play a musical instrument? Then come and join us in D the church music group. New musicians are very welcome. We play usually on the first Sunday on the month, and during Christmas services. We practice at 9.15 am before the Sunday service. If you are interested, don't be shy, please contact Heather Bottomley 01270 768744

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Toy Service

he “Toy Service”, on 10th T December at 10.00 am - 2nd Sunday of Advent, is where we encourage members of the congregation to bring NEW toys gifts wrapped with a label suggesting the age and gender of a child or young person who might receive them. It is easy to buy for babies and young children but teenagers are quite as important. Just before Christmas they will be taken to the Sandbach House Family Centre on Crewe Road to be distributed by Cheshire East Social Services to children in their care and in particular need. We should be embarrassed that there is still acute social deprivation and poverty among many families within our nation and local area. It is not likely that this will get easier in the prevailing economic climate. At this time it is for many of us in Sandbach who in so many ways are fortunate and blessed beyond measure, to remember in a practical way those in our community who are less fortunate. Please support this seasonal token of goodwill and bring your gifts to church on that Sunday. Christmas Eve Crib and Christingle Service

t 4.00pm on Christmas Eve, come and join in singing, with A our band, some well known carols and with congregational participation (young and not so young) recount the story of Jesus’ birth. Everyone is guaranteed a part so long as you dress up. Shepherds, wise men (or women!), stars, angels required! Inn keepers, soldiers, oxen and asses are also welcome! Christingles will be distributed and the collection will be made for the work of the Children's’ Society.- please bring your collection tubes and perhaps a bank note for this worthy charity supporting children at risk in our society. 9

Sandbach Events

Sandbach Christmas Market Friday 1st December 3-8pm. There will be a variety of stalls and activities.

Tree of Light Ceremony Thursday 7th December at 5pm at Sandbach Cemetery. An opportunity to remember loved ones and share our memories at this special time. Sandbach Ladies Choir, school choirs and a poetry reading.

Carol Singing CTS will be Carol Singing on Saturday 16th December 10-11am outside Sandbach Town Hall. Collecting for Action for Children.

If you need any further details on the above events then please contact Katie Cavanagh tel 760270 .

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Sandbach Communicare e are a group of local volunteers who work with Ashfields W Health Centre to provide transport to GP and hospital appointments for those who would otherwise find it difficult to attend ... and we need your help!  Are you a car owner with a clean licence?  Can you spare a few hours every couple of weeks?  Do you like meeting new people?  Are you able to lend a hand to someone in need of help?

The commitment is very open-ended, as our volunteers tell us when they can be available and which destinations they are willing to cover. Travel costs will be reimbursed. Most of us lead busy lives these days, so even a limited contribution is valuable and is greatly appreciated by the Health Centre and the patients. For further details or a chat to find out more, please ring :

Roy Farley 01270 759250 or Val West 01270 768535

Friendship happens when people know a lot about you and like you anyway

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AAA view of Christmas

The Shepherds had an angel, the wise men had a star, The Shepherds came from near at hand, the wise men from afar, We too would visit Bethlehem, but it's many years too far, But Christ will come to visit us, He comes to where we are.

Joseph was a carpenter, Mary a teenage maid, The Son of God in poverty was in a manger laid, We'll never see the Son of God unless He gives us aid, But a wounded hand He stretches out, and calls us to be saved.

The inn was overflowing, no room, not e’en a bed, There's now so many lonely and in poverty 'tis said, I hope to see, this Christmas, those poor folk being fed. O Lord, recall that manger, and give them daily bread.

This Christmas I must show my love more than I've shown before. For God has shown His love to me, for all my sins He bore. Let's look beyond the stable, to the tomb with open door, And know His love will keep us now, and then for evermore.

The stable has a message, His hand held out to save, For Jesus Christ was born to die, and rise up from the grave, His hand is now stretched out to you from that empty open cave, Believe in Him, and walk with Him, have courage, and be brave.

So see beyond the tinsel and the lighted Christmas tree, Beyond the cards and wishes, that come to you and me. Tell others "It's His Birthday" and love sincerely, And show your love to God above, now and eternally.

Gerald Gossage

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Christmas Day Community Lunch

here is to be a Christmas Day Community Lunch at the T Wesley Centre (See the advert on the next page). This is for people who would otherwise be on their own on Christmas day, or would struggle to make themselves a good meal.

This will be our fourth Christmas day lunch and it has always been very enjoyable, well received by those coming along. Please spread the word, letting people know if you think they might like to join us. The deadline for getting a place at the table is 18th December, and a booking can be made by calling 01270 750078, or by sending an email to

[email protected]

If anyone could help with providing lifts for people or helping serve the food on the day (at 12:30 and home again about 3pm) please let Karen Foster know

[email protected]

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Christmas And there another angelic message – a call to abandon their sheep and go were shepherds into Bethlehem to see the baby uke’s story of the birth of Messiah. They were given L Jesus is brilliantly directions and a told – the angel’s visit to ‘sign’ to identify Mary to tell her she Him. He would would be mother of the be lying in a long-promised Messiah, feeding trough. the old priest in the Well, at least Temple told by another they would angel that his wife would recognise that. have a son to be called And why the ‘John’, who would shepherds, in prepare the people of this glorious Israel for that event, and story of our then Mary and Joseph making salvation? Because the event the 60 mile journey from needed witnesses, and the Nazareth to Bethlehem, as chosen witnesses would be this required by the Roman census. bunch of scruffy, smelly When they got there, no room at shepherds straight from the the inn, and they settled instead sheep-pen. Nothing could speak for a convenient stable, where more eloquently of God’s Mary gave birth to a boy child. purpose than that. This was Suddenly, Luke changes the not a Saviour for the strong, tone. ‘And there were shepherds rich and powerful, but for …’ – that’s what he actually everybody. The carpenter and wrote, just like that. ‘ And there his wife guarded the Saviour of were shepherds’, doing exactly the world, and the very first what shepherds do, looking witnesses were not kings or after their flocks by night. But priests but a handful of this night was different: yet shepherds. The story of mince pies id you know that mince pies have been traditional English D Christmas fare since the Middle Ages, when meat was a key ingredient? The addition of spices, suet and alcohol to meat came about because it was an alternative to salting and smoking in order to preserve the food. Mince pies used to be a different shape - cradle-shaped with a pastry baby Jesus on top. 16

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Food bank update

hanks to all who have contributed to the food bank, especially T during the harvest period. We now have a very well stocked cupboard, however if you are thinking about making a donation we can always use things suitable for making a meal: pies, stewed steak, chicken in white sauce, meatballs, tins of cooked meat, coffee, sugar, long life fruit juice and toilet rolls.

Please make sure all items have a best before date which is well in to the future to avoid things going out of date.

Over the Summer the number of food parcel requests dropped considerably, so that between May and September our average was only about 4 parcels in a month. During October, however, we were much busier, and the total number of requests for the month was 12. At the time of writing November also promises to be a busy month.

Having lost some of our volunteers we could now do with one or two more people to go on a rota to help with food parcel delivery. This usually involves going shopping in Aldi for fresh items, meeting the lead volunteer at the Wesley Centre, and then going with them to deliver the parcel. It usually takes no more than about an hour in the afternoon on a rota’d day, which would usually be about once a fortnight at the most.

If anyone is interested in helping with food parcel delivery or would like to know more about the way the food bank operates, please send an email to [email protected] .

Karen Foster, for the food bank volunteers. 18

St Mary’s Social Committee

Sunday 3rd December Christmas Lunch

Sunday 17th December Carol Service

Minced pies and mulled wine afterwards

Come along and bring your friends to these events.

Tickets will be advertised in the magazine and on the pew sheets.

Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

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We three kings of Yet the Bible does not give us as much detail as some people Orient are... what? think. Tradition down the centuries has added a great deal A cold coming they had of it more. For instance, we know at this time of the year, just “ from St Matthew that the magi the worst time of the year to were ‘wise’, or learned men of take a journey, and specially a some sort, but we do not know long journey, in. The way’s if they were kings or not. The deep, the weather sharp, the Bible tells us there were several; days short, the sun farthest off, tradition has decided upon in solstitio three, and even brumali, the very named them: dead of winter.” Balthassar, Melchior, and It was 1622, Caspar (or and the Bishop of Gaspar). But Winchester, the Bible does Launcelot tell us that the Andrews, was magi gave baby preaching a Jesus three magnificent highly symbolic sermon to King gifts: gold, and James I. frankincense, Reckoned one of and myrrh. the best Gold stands for preachers ever, kingship, Launcelot frankincense for Andrews’ words worship, and were later taken myrrh for up by T S Eliot anointing – anticipating his and transformed into his death. wonderful poem ‘The Journey of the Magi’. What a vivid picture There is a lovely ancient – we can see it all! The camels’ mosaic in Ravenna, Italy, that is breath steaming in the night air 1,500 years old. It depicts the as the kings, in their gorgeous wise men in oriental garb of robes of silk and cloth-of-gold, trousers and Phrygian caps, and clutching their precious carrying their gifts past palm gifts, kneel to adore the baby in trees towards the star that they the manger. followed... straight to Jesus.

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From the Archives

his month we have a postcard from the 1940’s with views down T High Street, High Town, the Square, Crewe Road back into town and the town centre. You should be able to find somewhere in the pictures; Hungerford’s Café, Leese the Grocer, Meadow Dairies, The Radio House and the Water Tower as well as a couple of Crossville Buses. Stephen Minshull

When you feel you are working all the hours God made, it is worth remembering that He made us as human beings and not human doings

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Tuneful Places Winchester Old - usually sung to the following words :::

While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, an angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.

omposed by George Kirbye (c. 1565 – buried 6th October C 1634). He was an English composer of the late Tudor period and early Jacobean era. He was one of the members of the English Madrigal School, but also composed sacred music. Little is known of the details of his life. He worked at Rushbrooke Hall near Bury St Edmunds, evidently as a tutor to the daughters of Sir Robert Jermyn. In 1598 he married Anne Saxye, afterwards moving to Bury St Edmunds. Around this time he probably made the acquaintance of John Wilbye, a much more famous madrigalist, who lived and worked only a few miles away, and whose style he sometimes approaches. Kirbye's most significant musical contributions were the psalm settings he wrote for East's psalter in 1592, the madrigals he wrote for the Triumphs of Oriana (1601), the famous collection dedicated to Elizabeth I, and an independent set of madrigals published in 1597. There is no record of why the tune was called Winchester Old and whether it relates to the City of Winchester. The Cathedral there is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, with the longest nave and greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe.

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wo lorries loaded with thousands of T copies of Roget’s Thesaurus were involved in a collision soon after they left the publishing house last week, according to press reports. Witnesses to the accident were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied…....

ten-year old, under the tutelage of her grandmother, was A becoming quite knowledgeable about the Bible. Then one day she floored her grandmother by asking, ‘Which Virgin was the mother of Jesus? The Virgin Mary or the King James Virgin?’

boy forgot his lines in the Christmas drama presentation. A His mother, sitting in the front row, tried to prompt him, gesturing and forming the words silently with her lips, but it didn't help. Her son's memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, ‘I am the angel Gabriel!’ The child beamed with acknowledgment, and in a loud, clear voice so that everyone in the audience could hear him say: ‘My Mummy is the angel Gabriel!’

gentleman walked into a restaurant and asked the maître d', A ‘Can you please tell me how you prepare your Christmas turkeys?’ The maître d' solemnly replied: ‘Yes. Well, we let them know right up front they're not going to make it.’

minister asked his Bible class: ‘Why was A Jesus born in Bethlehem?’ A student replied, ‘Because his mother was there.’

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CHURCH OFFICIALS Vicar The Revd. Thomas Shepherd 762379 [email protected] Churchwardens Sheenagh Ashworth 529187 Anne Birch 760778 Sacristan John Percival 765700 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL (PCC) OFFICERS PCC Secretary Mel Robinson 753821 Treasurer Roger Cooke 762118 Covenants/Gift Aid Aileen Higgs 760149

OTHER CONTACTS Organist Kevin Birch 760778 [email protected] Bells John Austin 764851 Mervyn Stubbs 762516 Church Flowers Sheenagh Ashworth 529187 Church Hall Sylvia Watkins 767386 [email protected] BAPTISMS AND WEDDINGWEDDINGSSSS Please Contact The Vicar in Church on Sundays 2pm - 3pm to make the necessary arrangements.

Challenge is edited by John Bottomley. If you or your organisation have reports of events that have already happened, progress up- dates of continuing projects, or any other items to be published in the magazine, please contact me by: tel: 01270 768744 e-mail: [email protected]

Articles must be received by Sunday 17th December More information is also available on the web-site: www.sandbachchurch.co.uk 24