The Quarterly Newsletter of Christ Church, Warwick, Bermuda
Christ Church 300th Anniversary - 1719 - 2019 Early history of the church
The first settlers, who came in the “Plough” in 1612, had with them the Rev. George Keith, a ‘Scotchman’, as their minister. Two years subsequently the Rev. Lewis Hughes arrived in Bermuda, a Welshman, but so strongly Presbyterian that he had elders ordained in 1620 for his church in St. George’s. In 1679, two thirds of the population were deemed to be of the Presbyterian persuasion and felt themselves gradually driven out of the parish churches and had to seek their spir- itual provision elsewhere. When the Presbyterians, constrained by conscience, withdrew from the parish churches is not certain but it must have been between 1704 and 1719.
The earliest trust deed of the church, of date 1719, bears that Thomas Gilbert gift- ed a piece of land on which it was built, and on which it now stands ” in testimony of his gratitude to God for the good estate he had bestowed upon him out of his love for the people of the Presbyterian persuasion, who were destitute of a tabernacle or meeting house”.
Among the six trustees named are Michael Burrows, who was acting Governor of the colony in 1715 and Abraham Dill, who was one of the building Committee, under whose care Old Devonshire Church was erected in 1716. About that time there were only three ministers for the nine Parish churches.
Christ Church is the oldest Presbyterian church in the British Colonies and the congregation is older than the building and probably dates from the first settlement of the colony in 1612. The church building was not a year in existence till its pulpit was filled by a regularly ordained Presbyterian Minister from Scotland, the Rev. James Paul (1720-1750).
It was during Rev. Paul’s ministry that the great Methodist evangelist, George Whitefield, visited Bermuda. Forbidden by the Governor to preach in the parish churches, though their Ministers had been the first to take him by the hand, White- field found an open door in the Presbyterian Church of Warwick. And there he preached to crowded audiences for eight sabbaths in succession, in fact all the time that he stayed on the island. (Information taken from the book published by the Kirk session of Christ Church called “Presbyterians in Bermuda” 1609-1984 )
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MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
28 February 2019
Dear friends of Christ’s Church, Warwick,
Congratulations to you as you celebrate 300 years of worship, work and witness as a congregation!
No doubt the congregation of today is very different from that of 1719 but just like those earlier, pioneering women, men and children who found inspiration, comfort and guidance for their lives as individuals and as a community in the fellowship of Christ Church, the 21st Century version aims to do likewise and to be a place of blessing on the island where all are welcome and all can find too, the courage to dream dreams.
Your rich heritage serves as a reminder of all that God has done in and through his people in Bermuda in the past and it should also be an encouragement to you to look for how God wants to use you right now, as well as in the decades to come.
Thank you for inviting me, as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to join you to mark such an historic and exciting occasion.
I have been given a brief to fill you in on some details about me – about who I am and what I am about. I hope however, that we might have the time and the opportunity to talk together to discover more about each other than simply the bare facts!
But here are those facts!
Date and place of birth: I was born in Edinburgh and brought up in a small town just outside the city, where my mum too was born and brought up. It is called Penicuik. The exact date - 12/12/1958 Eek! I’m old!
Parents names and occupations: My dad is James Attwell (deceased) and my Mum is Peggy Attwell. Dad was in the navy, then worked for a tailor, then when the family came along he became a banksman at a coalmine. He then moved on to residential care and worked with children. My mum was a book-keeper for a local electronics engineering factory.
Brothers/sisters: I am one of three girls. My older sister was 12 when she discovered she was going to be joined by twin girls! Older sister, a retired primary school and music teacher, is now looking after my mum who is almost 95. My twin has always worked in social care, from childrens’ homes, to a women’s unit, to her current position re-housing homeless people.
Spouse: Rev. Dr. Derek Brown – currently lead chaplain for NHS Highland. We met aged 10 at Sunday School and were in the same year at secondary school. He trained as a Banker then felt called to ministry.
Children: We have a son Simon, (32) and a daughter, Hannah (29) who is engaged to a laid back Aussie called Bryan.
How you became involved in the Church of Scotland: From birth! The congregation I grew up in, made room for all sorts of people to ask all sorts of questions – even awkward teenagers which I was. I went straight from school to train for ministry, having felt called to do so from the age of about 15!!
...continued on next page.
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Positions of responsibility: Having trained for 6 years at Edinburgh University, I became Assistant minister at St Giles’ Cathedral for 2 years and then at age 26 was inducted to Killearnan in the Highlands of Scotland. From there I became minister of Dornoch Cathedral. I am (like your minister) a chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen and in May 2018 I was elected Moderator. I have served on the Church’s Ecumenical Relations Committee and was vice-convener of the World Mission Council until last May. I return to Dornoch in June of this year!
Anything else that you want to include: Feel free to look up https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/ how_we_are_organised/whos_who/the_moderator
Far more important than reading a description of the Moderator, is to know how much of your story is known by God and how much he treasures who you are. He looks over, cares for and calls every one of us! Our God is so good!
I look forward to being with you in April and to adding my voice to yours as together we give thanks for 3 centuries worth of prayer and praise.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Revd Susan Brown Moderator General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
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Dear Friends, The Manse March 2019
The next few weeks will see a busy time in the life of Christ Church. We are half way through Lent, with the opportunity to attend Lenten Services organised by the Warwick Alliance of Churches and to forge closer links with their members. On Tuesday, 9th April, the last of the services, we are hosting in what will be a service to mark the 300th Anniversary of Christ Church which members of the churches in the Warwick Alliance will be especially invited to attend. With their own services on Sunday 28th April they would be unable to attend on that date and so the service on the 9th April is their oppor- tunity to celebrate with us. I hope many of our own members will attend and extend the customary welcome both to the service and the refreshments served afterwards.
There will the traditional services on Easter Sunday – the sunrise service at Elbow Beach which we share with St. Paul’s Church in Paget, and then services at Christ Church at 8.00 and 11.00 a.m.
The next evening the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, will arrive, with her husband Derek, to share in the 300th anniversary celebrations of Christ Church and to preach at the service on Sunday 28th April. We look forward to welcoming them both.
Shortly afterwards, members of the International Presbytery will arrive to conduct the “Local Church Review” (known formerly as the “Quinquennial Visitation”.) I, with two elders from Brussels, conducted the review of the St. Andrew’s Church in Rome last year. The main purpose of the review is to hear of the church’s story and plans for the next five years. To this end the Kirk Session has been engaged in looking at our hopes and aspirations for the next few years. How would we like the life of Christ Church to look and how do we ensure it is a lively, viable and sustainable congregation? This will be especially important in the context of re- ports to be submitted to this year’s General Assembly later that month. While many congregations remain healthy it is sadly the case that too many are in decline and in a situation that is barely, if at all, sustainable by the wider church. Perhaps too often the conclusion of a “Local Church Review” is that the congregation is “in good heart” as no one likes to appear critical even when the extent of the decline is obvious, with little likeli- hood of an improving situation. There is a need for a greater honesty in telling the story of a congregation’s life and an opportunity to discuss concerns and for difficulties to be faced. Much of this was raised at the recent meeting of the International Presbytery earlier this month. As one of the more distant congregations from Scotland it is also a welcome reminder of our place within the Church of Scotland. On Sunday, 12th May, the Rev. Laurence Twaddle, convenor of the visiting group, will preach. I look forward to welcoming him as we were students together at New College, Edinburgh, many years ago.
Whether you are a regular attender at worship, come only occasionally, or have not been for some time, please consider accepting this invitation to the great celebration of Easter and participating in our anniversary events.
Yours sincerely, Alistair Bennett
BAPTISMS
th DEATHS Oct. 28 2018 st Aug. 1 - Diana Caroline Hyde Henry Cambridge Harbutt
th rd Sept. 14 - Sheila Margaret Kempe
Dec. 23 2018 th Sept. 29 - Dr. Gordon MacPherson Black Harry Benjamin Rego nd Oct. 2 - William MacKay Ferguson
th MARRIAGES Nov. 28 - Alan Pigott
rd st Nov. 3 2018 Dec. 31 - Roberta Grant Robinson
Jessica Lee Osborne & Reid Conway Mayor Trott III February - Peter Stubbs
Jan. 19th 2019 March - Roger Younie Andrew John DeFontes & Zoia Grigorevna Iaroshenko
Spring 2019 Page 5 Church Calendar April 2nd 7.30 p.m. Warwick Alliance Lenten Service, Cobbs Hill Methodist Church 3rd Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 7th 8 a.m. Worship and 11 a.m. Worship, with CCY & crèche, followed by informal communion
9th 7.30 p.m. Warwick Alliance Lenten Service at Christ Church Warwick, followed by refreshments in Thorburn Hall. 10th Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 13th 9 a.m. Clean Up Morning in and around the Church property 14th PALM SUNDAY 8 a.m. Worship and 11 a.m. Worship, with CCY & crèche 17th Deadline to have names mentioned in the “In Memoriam” Easter Flower bulletin Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 18th 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service, Christ Church Warwick 19th 10 a.m. Good Friday Service, St. Andrew’s Church, Hamilton 20th 9a.m. Decorating the Church for Easter 21st HAPPY EASTER! 6.30 a.m. Sunrise Service at Elbow Beach, Paget 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Quarterly Communion Services in Church 1 – 4 p.m. Church open for public to view our floral decorations 22nd Arrival of the Moderator of the General Assembly and her husband 24th Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 6 – 8 p.m. Informal gathering with refreshments in Thorburn Hall to meet the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown and her husband, Rev. Derek Brown. All are invited. 25th 3 p.m. Afternoon Tea with the Moderator and her husband in Thorburn Hall. All are invited. 26th Celebration Dinner/Dance at Fourways Inn, Paget 27th 9 a.m. Decorating the Church for the Anniversary Service 28th 11 a.m. THANKSGIVING SERVICE TO COMMEMORATE OUR 300TH ANNIVERSARY! Followed by Time Capsule burial and Tree Planting ceremony. Celebration Lunch in Thorburn Hall. May 1st Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 7:30 West Hall - Bible Discussion Group - All are welcome! 5th 8 a.m. Worship and 11 a.m. Worship with CCY & crèche, followed by informal communion 8th Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 12th 8 a.m. Worship and 11 a.m. Worship with CCY & crèche MOTHER’S DAY! 15th Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall 7:30 p.m. - Bible Discussion Group - West Hall - All welcome! 19th 8 a.m. Worship and 11a.m. Worship with CCY & crèche 22nd Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m. - Bible Discussion Group - West Hall - All welcome! 24th HAPPY BERMUDA DAY! 26th 8 a.m. Worship and 11 a.m. Worship with CCY & crèche 29th Coffee, Cake & Company (All Welcome) 9:30 a.m. Thorburn Hall
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After months, nay years, of planning – the time is almost here for At 3.00pm on the Thursday, there will be an Afternoon Tea, prob- th our 300 Anniversary Celebrations! ably in Thorburn Hall, which Ashlea Boyd and Sophie Wightman No actual date (day or month) for the beginning of Christ Church are organizing. Again, they would appreciate some donations of has been found although it is documented that it began in 1719. savouries and sweets. The Moderator and her husband will be Traditionally, major celebrations have taken place at the end of there, so that you have another opportunity to meet them. April. So this is the reason for concentrating our activities the A dinner/dance has been planned for Friday, April 26th – this will nd week of April 22 , culminating in our Thanksgiving Service on be our gala social celebration, beginning at. 6.30pm. Further th Sunday, April 28 at 11am. information and tickets will be available soon. After abuffet To get ready for the big event, work started a few years ago on meal in the Palm Garden of the restaurant, we can dance the the Fabric of the Church and Manse properties. I’m sure you’ll night away to the sounds of the “Working Title” band. agree that buildings, both inside and out, are looking so much On the Saturday morning, we will decorate the Church similar to better after countless hours of effort by many volunteers, as well Easter Sunday but on a smaller scale. as the companies employed. A couple of years ago, Geoff Parker Our Thanksgiving Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April spearheaded the renovation and painting of the exterior of the 28th. We hope to have a piper in attendance. During the service, Church, and John Ferris has more recently spent many hours on Elders’ Long Service Certificates will be given out. Oliver, our the interiors of Church and halls. He and Carl Soares have also talented organist, has composed the music for a new hymn for us done a fantastic job of making sure all the graves have been to sing and Katie Ewles is collaborating with the lyrics. The Mod- painted and are fresh and sparkling. The “gardening crew” has erator will take part in the service and the hand bell and chancel also been very active – pruning trees and shrubs, cleaning up and choirs will also be taking part. Not to be left out, CCY will be hav- planting around some graves and generally making the graveyard ing their own birthday party! Following the service, the time cap- a more attractive and tidy place. Maybe we should have a special sule will be put in its slot – not to be opened for one hundred anniversary every five years or so, to make sure the properties years! - and a cedar tree will be planted to commemorate the are kept in tip-top shape! occasion. It will be a very special day! The Committee began holding their meetings about three years The Reverends Brown will leave us on the Monday to return to ago - with April 2019 as their target date, and are happy to see Scotland and the Moderator to her duties. their efforts are bearing fruit: The Committee has had setbacks along the way and some ideas We were delighted when it was confirmed that the Moderator of and activities which we had planned for unfortunately have not the General Assembly, the Right Rev. Susan Brown would come happened, including the idea of a special stamp issue honouring to Bermuda for the week of our celebrations. Thanks to Alistair our anniversary and an evening of entertainment in which it had and Judi for hosting Rev. Brown and her husband, the Rev. Derek been hoped to include other church choirs. The committee had Brown at the Manse. also hoped that there would be an activity every other month A commemorative booklet, highlighting the Church’s activities from September until the week of the celebrations; however, during the last fifty years, is in the final stages of preparation. what we ended up with was the Diversity Dinner in September Sincere thanks to Douglas Dalrymple who has spent many, many (organized by the Fellowship Ministry) and the Soup and Sand- hours compiling information and photographs from all over the wich lunch in March after the morning services, hosted by the world, it seems. The booklet will not be printed until just after Loads of Love and Outreach Ministries. It is also planned to have the celebrations are over, in order that it will be as up-to-date as some of our deeds, documents and other historical artefacts on possible by including photos etc. from the week of anniversary display. events. In closing, I would like to thank the committee for their ideas, We have a time capsule ready to be installed and Sandy Williams dedication and support – John Barnett, Douglas Dalrymple, Pat is working on getting relevant information to put in it, so that Lang, Ann Spencer-Arscott, Tina Stovell, Anna Summers and those who open it in one hundred years will know what we’ve Sandy Williams. been up to! We are grateful for those who have gone before us these past Ann Spencer-Arscott and her committee have been putting to- three hundred years, thankful for those in the present who have gether a series of social activities during the week – for afternoon continued the values of the Church and the commitments made and evening, so that as many people as possible have the oppor- for the betterment of our congregation, and we look to the fu- tunity to meet Rev. Brown. ture of Christ Church. May it continue to be an active and vibrant There is a separate Calendar of Events in this newsletter, so congregation, continuing the mission to spread the Gospel and please be sure to mark the events in your diary. Here is a bit of be a vital strand in the fabric of the community that is Bermuda. an expanded version: th On the Wednesday evening, an informal “cocktail party” will take Liz Parker, 300 Anniversary Committee Chairperson place in Thorburn Hall from 6 – 8pm, during which time you will have the opportunity to meet the Moderator and her husband. Many THANKS to LIZ PARKER We hope she will be able to give us some highlights of her mod- and the 300th ANNIVERSARY TEAM eratorial year. It would be most appreciated if members of the for their countless hours of time and effort congregation can contribute some savoury “goodies” for this to make our evening and you can contact Ann Spencer-Arscott to let her know 300th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS that you will bring something. so FANTASTIC!
Spring 2019 Page 7 Report of Presbytery Meeting, Paris, France (Friday, 8th to Sunday, 10th March, 2019) Prepared by Douglas Frith, Presbytery Elder. Introduction This was a regular semi-annual meeting of the International Presbytery and was attended by Alistair Bennett and Doug Frith from Christ Church and also attended by Cindy Campbell in her capacity as a Reader in Training for the Church of Scotland. The host Church was The Scots Kirk, Paris, a congregation in the International Presbytery.
The Local Congregation The Paris church has a sanctuary on the basement level of a building on a residential street just a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysées. On the street level they have an office, kitchen and access to a small garden behind the church. Above the church are apartments. If you are ever in Paris on a Sunday I am sure you will receive a warm welcome if you attend a service – www.ScotsKirkParis.com
Presbytery Meetings format: At the semi-annual presbytery meetings the individual presbytery committees meet and review their various remits and work done since the last meeting on Friday morning. The main presbytery meeting takes place starting on Friday evening and continues on Saturday, lasting anywhere from seven to ten hours. During the meeting we usually have a short presen- tation by the local congregation about their activities. We always have the committee reports and a time slot for other key issues. We also have a Communion Service on the Saturday morning before the meeting resumes and then join the local congregation for their regular Sunday Worship.
Key Points of Interest On this occasion we had special presentations by Very Revd Dr John Chalmers (well known to us in Bermuda) and Revd Dr Doug Gay, author of a recently published book “Reforming the Kirk” and the Principle of Trinity College of the University of Glasgow. They presented on the very real challenges facing the Church of Scotland and the challenging decisions which will need to be taken, possibly at this year’s General Assembly.
At last year’s General Assembly the Council of Assembly presented a draft Strategic Plan which “did not commend itself to the mind of the church” (i.e. was soundly rejected) and a revised version, the Radical Action Plan, is to be presented this year. As noted in my report from the October Presbytery, the Church of Scotland is seeing a persistent decline in at- tendance and membership. But the more pressing issue, highlighted by Dr Gay, is the very low numbers of individuals entering the ministry. This will lead to a very acute shortage of ministers and radical action is required – this is now an urgent driver for change. It will be very interesting to see what comes out of the General Assembly this year as this could have major impacts on the International Presbytery.
Dr Gay noted the fact that some congregations are growing and questioned what they are doing to encourage that growth. One point he highlighted was that congregations which are growing all have an interest and intent to grow. In other words, growth was an active decision and aim of the congregation. He also suggested asking what young people want from their church of the future versus what we want for them.
Each year the Presbytery adopts a charity and this year have chosen to assist the work of St Andrew’s Scots Kirk, Colum- bo, Sri Lanka with Mulleriyawa Ward 8 Project. This is a ward in a local hospital for patients receiving care and treat- ment for mental illnesses and relies on sponsorship and donations. They currently have a project underway to make sig- nificant and desperately needed infrastructure im- provements to the bath- room facilities. Individual congregations are encour- aged to support this pro- ject as they are able.
The next Presbytery meet- ing will be held in Geneva from 11th to 13th October, 2019.
Presbytery members outside the Paris Church before Sunday Service
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COFFEE, CAKE AND COMPANY
The support and attendance have been wonderful! We thank all for their time and hope that they have enjoyed the fellowship together.
The team at Coffee, Cake & Company is pleased to announce that we intend to run the event as a permanent fixture in the Church calendar. Please come by any Wednesday. (NB We will disband for July and August)
Spring 2019 Page 9 Nurture - Christ Church Youth
We’ve had a full calendar over the winter term. On Friday, February 22nd, Paddington 2 was featured at a Family Movie Night, and enjoyed by children and adults alike! On Sunday, March 3rd, our CCY children and leaders hosted a very successful Pancake Lunch following the 11 a.m. Service.
The children continue to practise new songs and have participated HAPPY in several services in March. Join us any Sunday! BIRTHDAY!
3-5 yrs Bubbles class with Senga Tait To our CCY birthdays! 6-9 yrs Splash class with Fiona and Guy Kelly 10-13+ yrs Extreme class with Martha Kirkland March and Boyd Vallis Alex Boyd A crèche provided for any children under 3 years. Seri Fisher Sarah Davis Martha Kirkland, April Nurture Ministry Erin Kelly Grace Amaradasa Alexander Pigott Charlie Kyme
May Grace Harbutt Evie Grantier Levi Mello Ciaran Sinclair Noah Amaradasa Abby Lavery
June Evelyn Bates Pippa Hopkins Maia Daponte Phoebe Tompkins
Spring 2019 Page 10 Message from Fabric Convener (John Ferris )
Since our last article in the September 2018 church newsletter we have kept extremely busy in preparation for our upcoming 300th Anniversary at Christ Church and are on target to meet the tasks we have set out to accomplish.
First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our Fabric Committee team, as well as our many volunteers; for your ongoing help and support. A special thanks to all those that come out on Saturday mornings and to those who are always willing to come together to ensure the church and halls are cleaned and ready on the many occasions when needed, especially after construction and painting projects have taken place.
It has been a year since we have had the landscape company. Joe and his men have been doing a fantastic job at the church and Manse. But we could not manage it all without the additional help we have from our members for spe- cial cleanup projects around the church grounds and graves. Gardening volun- teers have also been busy clearing areas and graves for planting, added over 20 new rose bushes and a variety of flowers, as well as pruning of roses.
Work continues with ongoing painting, cleaning and maintenance Saturday mornings and we invite you to join in to help OR just come out and walk around to see for yourself the many improvements to the church and grounds.
Under the Fabric Committee we have formed new sub-committees to better focus on two specific areas: Graveyard Committee to address the overall maintenance and future upkeep of the graves, including the updating of information, along with the implementa- tion of policies and practices with respect to the church graves. John Ferris, Rev. Alistair Bennett, Mike Barany, Jasmine Garstang, Roger Oldfield, Carl Soares and Sandra Peters Soares
Garden Committee - Beautification and upkeep of the graveyard, church grounds and gardens, including planning and future development of designat- ed areas for a Memorial / Serenity Garden to be a special place for all to visit. John Ferris, Jennifer Davidson (Landscape Architect), David O’Neill, Sandra Peters Soares and Kathy Watson
Volunteers, we need your help! Call or email us today! Contact John Ferris: 704-9382 or email: [email protected]
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Some of the projects that have been accomplished under the Fabric Committee Painting Loads of Love building - exterior and roof Office and South Shore Studio - interior office and exterior building Thorburn Hall - interior walls (by Boyd Vallis and youth group) Thorburn Hall - East and North exterior building Courtyard area - outside West Hall exterior Church entrance - East and West exterior Church - interior walls, ceiling and balcony Church - exterior green shutters and window sills West Hall - interior (by Guy Kelly & family) Church West entrance - refinished Cedar door (by Grant Hall) Cedar bannisters and posts (by Chet Williams) Cedar support beams courtyard - refinished (by Ron Ross) Cedar doors courtyard - refinished (in final stages) Cedar gates North roadside entrance (Kirk & Judy Kitson) Thorburn stairwell (by Malcolm Kirkland) Bleached and re painted Manse roof
Maintenance and Cleaning 200+ graves - power washed, bleached and painted (John Ferris & Carl Soares) Repairs to graves and re-erecting head stones (by Carl Soares) Graves - major restoration work on 20 (by Duane Santucci & Raymond Simons) Clearing of debris and vegetation throughout the church grounds and graveyard Various ongoing interior/exterior cleaning projects - church, halls and buildings Flat roof repairs and painting over office and South Shore Studio Replaced door frame Jenny’s class Replaced and painted three doors in Vestry Replaced and painted door top stairwell Southside Thorburn Hall Built shelves in Bell Tower for storage Removed, replaced interior flooring North & West corners of Church Replaced pew ends north and west corners of church PROFOUND THANKS To John and his incredible team of volunteers for their hard work, dedication and pure elbow grease!
With you, we celebrate the BEAUTY of Christ Church!
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A ‘note’ from David Thompson, leader of Bermuda Overseas Missions Billy Bokosi sent an article to share with our congregation. In the first part he wrote about a famous photograph of a starving child in South Sudan with a vulture waiting in the background. I felt that the story and the photograph are too graphic to share with our members but wish to share the balance of his thoughts about the progress of the school children benefitting from our scholarship programme.
THE HOPE THAT LIES IN OUR HANDS BY BILLY BOKOSI, MULANJE , MALAWI
In whatever we do, let humanity come first, before what we can gain out of the situation. In all we do, let’s always thinks of others and how we can be benefit to humanity. In the same vein, look at a poor Malawian child today, hopeless and homeless but still soldiering on to make a future but helpless. The advent of hope lingers around the corner for this child when the Bermuda Overseas Mission came in from nowhere to lift the dying souls to somewhere.
They came, they saw and felt the suffering of that poor and hopeless Malawian child, gasping for the beauty of his future in the embedded motto among Malawian society ‘Education is the key to our future’ which is always halted by tough life situations an innocent Malawian child unknowingly finds himself in. Cases of poverty, orphan hood, early girl-child mar- riages, malnutrition and the like deter this child from attaining quality education that leads in the quality life we all long for.
Today, the beneficiaries sing another song of joy upon seeing the tremen- dous change in academic and social status. Most of them are outstanding performers in their respective schools - a thing that opens the dawn of hope for many pointing into the betterment of our tomorrow. The enormous life challenges this Malawian child is unknowingly exposed to poses life threatening situations that may take ages to heal if not collec- tively tackled now. It’s a now or never tussle. But solvable and managea- ble with joint efforts to curb the impending hurdles for this innocent child. ‘What else does this hopeless and helpless child of Malawi expect to see other than your helping hand?”
STUDENT PROFILES
All girls go to Chambe Secondary School, are from the village of Muhiyo, T/A of Nkanda, District of Mulanje in Malawi.
Name: Faines nyanyale Name: Enifa Liwonde Name: Florance Chimowa Name: Victoria Phalula Born: 25 November 2006 Born: 02 January 2004 Born: 10 Feburary 2005 Born: 25 November 2004 Age: 13 Age: 15 Age: 15 Age: 15
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Christ Church, Warwick is on
Please like our page and visit frequently to be kept up to date on the latest events All our BEST to David & Sue Garland, who were married and happenings, FIFTY YEARS AGO in Christ Church (March 1st, 1969). They including LOTS of pictures! were married by Rev George Buchanan and have attended In facebook go to: Christ Church ever since. Their children were christened in “Christ Church, Warwick, Bermuda” the church and grew up attending Sunday school in the wonderful years that Fred and Elizabeth Marshall were at Christ Church. with us David & Sue have seen SEVEN The Fabric team is in need of ANY amount of red antique style bricks you may have. Ministers come and go!! That’s LOTS of history! The bricks will be put to good use
Our very best to you both on this happy occasion! around the church gardens! Thank you (in advance) !
Please contact John or just leave them piled against the church wall by the old children grave enclosure by the eastern church entrance. John 704-9382 or [email protected]
We were delighted to appoint KATIE MATTHEWS as our Choir Director Katie has taken on the position on a voluntary basis and we are very grateful for her offer to help!
We happily print and distribute copies of this newsletter, however, if you preference is to receive by email or to read it online, please let us know.
Spring 2019 Page 14 Loads of Love
Gifts to Loads of Love come in all shapes & sizes, from underwear to din- ner jackets, $50 notes to a $5,000 transfer from The Bank of Bermuda Foundation, but the one that made my day was the donation of $250 from Caitlin Boyd. Caitlin celebrated her 8th birthday last November and asked her friends and family not to buy her presents, but rather give her a mone- tary gift so that she could pass it on to Loads of Love. What a generous gift from one so young! Thank you Caitlin...May God fill you with Loads of Love.
Loads of Love is looking for additional volunteers to assist in the kitchen and laundry. As we approach summer our volunteer pool gets stretched with people going on vacation. If you can help out please contact David Thompson at [email protected] Please note you do not have to be a member of Christ Church to volunteer your time to help provide breakfast, laundry and showers to needy people in Bermuda.
We also receive a weekly donation of food and drink from the Port Royal gas station. At the moment, we have a regular pick up person with a backup but we need help with this on Satur- day mornings. We need someone to collect whatever is availa- ble from the gas station between 8am and 9am and drop it off at church. If you can help, please contact David Thompson at [email protected]
This Ministry continues to provide a much needed service to the community. The wonderful thing is that we are appreciat- ed. God bless you all. ~Pat Lang, Convenor
Here are a few photos from Soup and Sandwich lunch for cli- ents and the congregation, celebrating our church’s 300th An-
niversary, as well as the 8th Anniversary of Loads of Love.
Pat Lang will be retiring from ‘Loads of Love’ after 8 years of heartfelt dedication to the programme and especially to the clients. Pat - you will be missed by many! We thank David Thompson for stepping up to the position and wish him the very best .
Excerpt from a short ‘Thank You’ speech offered by one of the Loads of Love clients. “I am thankful and grateful for what Loads of Love does. I may not be all that God would have me to be, but I can thank Mrs. Lang that I am not what I used to be.”
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To these two ‘YOUNGSTERS’!
Hilda Young (left)- celebrating her 90th , and Roger Oldfield (right) celebrating his 81st.
Lovely floral arrangement for todays services (March 24) created by Mrs. Pam Darrell in honour of her late husband, Owen.
EASTER FLOWERS
If you would like a loved one remembered in our Easter Easter BUNNY Riddles "In Memoriam" booklet, please contact Liz Parker at the Q: Why didn’t the bunny hop? office with the name(s) of those to A: No bunny knows. be remembered. Q: What do you get if your pour hot water down a rabbit hole?
A: Hot cross bunnies. If making a donation
Q: What do you get when you cross a bee and a bunny? online, please advise Liz, and please A: A honey bunny! include Q: What kind of music do bunnies like? ‘Easters Flowers’ in the A: Hip Hop! notation on the Q: How does a rabbit throw a tantrum? bank transfer. A: He gets hopping mad!
Christ Church, Warwick - Contacts
Minister Alistair Bennett 236-0400 [email protected] Church Administrator Liz Parker 236-1882 [email protected] Session Clerk Doug Frith 236-2515 [email protected] Choir Director Katie Matthews Organist Oliver Grant 296-5100 [email protected]
Ministry Teams & Leaders
Worship Ministry Communications Ministry Congregational Board Duncan Dawson 236-3648 [email protected] Outreach Ministry David Thompson 293-5319 [email protected] (705-4600) Nurture Ministry Martha Kirkland 236-0383 [email protected] Care Ministry Fellowship Ministry Liz Parker 238-0784 [email protected] Loads of Love Pat Lang 236-0915 [email protected]
CHRIST CHURCH WARWICK PO Box WK130 Warwick, WKBX Bermuda Phone: 236-0400 E-mail: [email protected]
Newsletter Team: Greg Smith (Editor); Mary Ellen Ewles (Production); Roger Oldfield (Printing); Tina Stovell (Distribution);