Magazine Single Page
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Swindon Old Town Partnership of Churches Anglican - United Reformed - Methodist Est. 1969 PARTNERSHIP MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 60 PENCE Our project for 2017: The Foyer Our aim: to raise £6000 our project logo One in Christ - Together in Mission Sunbeams Toddlers’ Christmas Party at Bath Road Church ..... and Father Christmas came too. The toddlers, together with parents and carers, enjoyed their last meeting before Christmas decorating special Christmas biscuits with shiny coloured icing and making a star decoration to take home to hang up. This took place before we all went up into church to hear the Christmas story, building up the nativity scene as the story unfolded. Just as we had finished singing a few Christmas songs and playing our instruments, Father Christmas arrived. He led everybody back downstairs to enjoy a special Christmas snack before he found a present in his sack for everyone, to the delight of all the young people. Your Contacts BATH ROAD METHODIST CHURCH Minister: The Revd. Mark Barrett, 147 Drove Road, SN1 3AQ Tel: 529263 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.bathroadmethodistchurch.org.uk Weekly news items: [email protected] CHRIST CHURCH with ST. MARY’S, Cricklade Street St. Mary’s, Commonweal Road (off The Mall) Vicar: The Revd. Canon Simon Stevenette, The Vicarage, 26 Cricklade Street, SN1 3HG. Tel. 529166 e-mail: [email protected] Associate Ministers:: Revd. Canon Judy Ashby, T.978528; [email protected] Revd. Daphne Hardwick. T. 693721; [email protected] Revd. Norma McKemey. T. 845917; [email protected] Web site: www.christchurchswindon.co.uk Weekly news items: [email protected] Friends of Christ Church: c/o The Parish Office PARISH OFFICE: at the Community Centre, SN1 3HB. Tel. 522832 e-mail: [email protected] Usually the Parish Office is open Monday-Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm, Thursday evening 5.30pm-7.30pm, Sat 10am-12 noon. COMMUNITY CENTRE: Manager Chris Smith, T.617237 or 07582 305760 email: [email protected] IMMANUEL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, Upham Road Minister: The Revd. Robert Jordan, 152 Drove Road, SN1 3AG Tel. 513039. email: [email protected] Church Secretary: Liz Gleed, Tel. 721364. email: [email protected] Web site: www.immanuelurc.org Weekly news items: [email protected] WORKING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH Lawn Community Church, Guildford Avenue and the Salvation Army, The Citadel, Devizes Road. MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTOR: Mr. Eric Sparkes, Tel. 530997. email: [email protected] MAGAZINE EDITORS: Mrs. Diana Swann, 58 Sandown Avenue, SN3 1QQ. Tel. 529897 e-mail: [email protected] Mrs. Margaret Williams MBE, 39 Sandown Avenue, SN3 1QQ. Tel. 421102 e-mail: [email protected] PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL: Secretary: Barbara Aftelak, Tel. 536815; email: [email protected] Chairman: Godfrey Room, Tel. 610010; email: [email protected] Treasurer: David Bevan, Tel. 336667: email: [email protected] Partnership Letter 152 Drove Road, Swindon Peace to you! "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1;5) Since the Christmas season this verse from the Gospel of John has somewhat "persecuted" me, and I want to share that sense of persecution. If anything, I think it is a great passage by which to be persecuted. I can't accept that this is "only" for Christmas season reading. I want it to continue beyond this, I personally need this to be continued in time, and I believe we need it to be true in the world in which we are living. There are so many forms of darkness around - darkness in the life of people we love or in our own personal situation. Some feel darkness affects the churches and, by extension, the Partnership of Churches. There are situations of darkness in our country and in the world. I'm sure it would not take you too long to make up a list, and I could guess it is part of the conversations you have with people you know, and with people you don't, standing in a queue in any place, anywhere. And do you know what? A talk about darkness is true, is real. But is it the only truth, or is there something more to it? I am sure there is something more... There is light, because without light we would never see darkness. Darkness is there, but it's not the only thing that is there - there is also light, and in faith we affirm that darkness will not overcome light. So as we are still at the beginning of 2017, wherever the darkness is, and there may be plenty of it, there is also light. Please allow me to challenge you that wherever you are you also speak about that light which darkness cannot overcome. I have promised myself that I want to make this my calling for this year, and I want to share it with you. As we share light, we will realise it touches our lives and the lives of our loved ones; it will touch the church (and even the Partnership! ☺) and will touch our nation and the world because we are part of each of these, and so we do have to let the light through, and even the cracks in our life will be forms of letting the light shine. So please, don't give up! 2 FAMILY EVENTS BAPTISMS We welcome into the family of the Church CHRIST CHURCH Nov 27 Hayden Boyce Caitlin Harper Close Nicholas James Weston Dec 4 Theodore William Gatherum 11 Amelia Andréa Salter DEATHS We extend our sympathy to the loved ones of BATH ROAD Nov 28 John Haydon Porter, 88 years CHRIST CHURCH Nov 28 Edna Jeanne Linley, 87 years Dec 2 Margaret Ockwell, 90 years Dec 19 Ada Thirza Werrell, 103 years Dec 19 Joan James, 88 years Dec 25 Ronald William Herbert Wiltshire, 90 years Dec 28 Maureen Durbridge, 84 years 2017 Jan 2 Aila English, 98 years Jan 7 Yuet Sim Chang, 76 years Jan 7 Hubert Gordon Lewington, 83 years Jan 7 Doris Hanks, 94 years IMMANUEL Jan 6 Madge Millman, aged 100. Madge would have celebrated her 101st birthday on January 18th. Cover photo: Our thanks to Janet French for providing the photo of The Foyer. 3 Partnership Project for 2017 On January 22nd at our United Service in the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we launched our project for this year. It is to be a home based project this time and we couldn’t have found anything nearer to home than the project chosen which is The Foyer! This is situated right on our doorstep in Bath Road, opposite the Museum, and is a place where young people can find a home after having been in care for much of their lives. The building does not look very big from the outside but when I visited there it was a bit like a tardis in that what I saw behind the facade amazed me! Michelle Mueller, who is the manager, told us at the launch service about the residents and their needs and how they intend to use the money we raise, and part of this they wish to use to employ some craftsmen/women to teach the residents useful DIY skills - hence the logo for the project, designed by Noel Hunt, is a paint brush! I know that some of you have been thinking of innovative ways to raise some money and the project group has arranged some partnership events. The first of these is to be a “Songs of Praise “ afternoon when we will gather in Christ Church Community Centre and sing some of our favourite hymns and then enjoy a cup of tea and cake. This is to take place on Saturday 11th February at 2.30pm. Do come along and enjoy a good sing with Geoff and Tim; there are no tickets for this event but there will be a plate for donations; we promise that you will be able to get home in the light and the centre will be warm and welcoming. Margaret Williams ‘SONGS OF PRAISE’ afternoon Saturday 11th February, 2.30pm in Christ Church Community Centre ‘ Enjoy a good sing with ‘G’ and ‘T’ (not Gin and Tonic but Geoff and Tim!) Tea and cake will be served. Donations for the Partnership Project 4 Bath Road Bath Road Property Fundraising A big Thank You must go to all those of you who responded so enthusiastically to our call for some fundraising for the building and property projects in 2016. The Okus House Group held a very successful Pop-Up French Restaurant, and contributed £700 to Church funds. A ‘Chamber’ Concert raised £415 for the ‘loo’ fund and the Christmas Film Night raised £113.85. We received donations from the Cubs and Junior Church, proceeds from the sale of cards and several personal donations. The Christmas Fayre raised nearly £1000. Well done all of you - if I have missed out your effort, please accept my apologies! However, we still have a long way to go, so we can’t rest on our laurels just yet – if anyone still has any energy left in 2017, new ideas and events will be more than welcome. Dorothy Kennedy on behalf of the Property and Finance Committee Nativity and Toy Service on 11th December The gifts of toys brought to this service were much appreciated by Swindon Women’s Aid. Fellowship Lunch Following the morning service on Sunday 4th December, 72 people sat down to a lunch of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, all cooked by church volunteers. A big thank you to them all, and the great thing is that their hard work was rewarded by the sum of £335.80 being sent to Christmas Care.