Mothers' Union Matters
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Mothers’ Union Matters Views of the Diocesan Festival Left Wendy Sykes in the Diocese of Chester presented six new MU Summer 2016 Speakers at the Diocesan Festival. Here they are Charity Number 221214 being commissioned by Rt Rev’d Libby Lane. Above The Diocesan banner is proudly At the Leadership Conference in Swanwick, some of processed. Chester’s representatives met with visitors from Left Bishop Libby congratulates one Speaker Grahamstown, S. Africa, (one of our new Worldwide on her appointment.. Links -see Page 9), Malaita in the Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka. The Mayor and Mayoress of Stockport with Angela Klabou, our past President, were guests at the service. Read a full report on pages 4 &5. 1 2 From the Diocesan President Diocesan Festival Service Summer is upon us and the gardens are bathed in The beautiful church of St George, Stockport was chosen as the venue this bright sunlight once again. The irises are particularly year, partly to give the Macclesfield Archdeaconry members a shorter resplendent at the moment, not only in glorious journey than they have had in previous years. sunshine yellow but also in green, blue and white, The Diocesan President, Viv Ley, welcomed about which remind me so much of our Mothers’ Union 600 members to what proved to be an uplifting logo! service, with Bishop Libby Lane giving the address Some of you have chosen to hold Deanery Festivals and Afternoon Teas and stirring hymns played on the wonderful over the summer months and I look forward to joining you for these Compton organ there. Viv Ley reminded those special occasions where I can, marking as they will, our 140th Anniversary present of this year’s theme of “A Celebration of Year and affording us the opportunity to celebrate all we are doing and Faith” which, with the celebration of 140 years of have done over the years in the name of Mothers’ Union. MU, would provide the theme for the service. Thank you to all of you who made a special effort to attend our Diocesan Diana Bancroft (Chester Archdeaconry Diocesan President Viv Ley Festival, held at St George’s, Stockport in May this year. It was wonderful President) had written “A call from welcomed everyone to see so many of you there and to share together in our ‘Celebration of heaven”, in which Mary Sumner contacts a Faith’. I am so grateful to our Bishops and clergy for all the support they modern MU member to enquire about the health of the organisation, 140 give us on such occasions and I should like to invite all clergy in our years on from its foundation. She is relieved to find it is still in existence, diocese to come along to any of our celebrations this year to see what but amazed to discover its modern worldwide spread and huge diversity of Mothers’ Union is doing. Indeed, this year I should like to invite all our projects. Whilst modern technology has meant that the spread of her members to look carefully at the work we are doing in our parishes, Ideals worldwide, she was glad to hear that it still works deaneries and diocese, to take note of the work you are particularly proud hard in the UK as well and that the huge sums of money of and to see if you can spot an area of need which you feel we should be raised by members is all used “at the sharp end”. addressing. I should be delighted if you would contact me with your During the service, 6 new MU speakers were thoughts. It is so important for us to flourish where we are planted and, presented by Wendy Sykes and commissioned by just like the irises, to show our colours so that Mothers’ Union can be seen Bishop Libby. to be bringing light to the lives of those most in need in our communities. Bishop Libby’s address was based on the themes of the two Bible readings, the first from Hebrews Ch 12, where With my love and prayers, Viv Paul exhorts us to run the race focussed on Christ, the second from John, Ch 15 which is the passage where If you would like to see what Mothers’ Union is doing in the Province of Jesus likens himself to the vine, with ourselves as the York, have a look at the York_140 group on Facebook or follow York_140 branches and on the love of Jesus for us which transforms our lives. She on Twitter. Don’t forget to let others know if you like what you see! said that she is now something of an armchair sportsman, but in her 3 4 earlier days, she had trained hard to be fit for her two sports of running Lindsay runs for MU and rowing. We must, she said, do as St. Paul says and train to be fit for Lindsay Graham, daughter of General this race – but why? Jesus is our example, he did not race for glory, he Trustee Diana Waller, volunteered to run already had this in the love of his Father, but for the success of his prize the Chester half marathon recently to which is our joy at being in his love. We only run the race because we are raise funds for MU. She completed the already loved; keeping our spiritual muscles fit so that we can receive the run in 1hour 58mins &30secs. The joy of God’s love in our lives and be ready to response from members has been pass this love on to others. God’s faith in us is wonderful. Branches in Di’s our firm foundation, she said, but foundations Macclesfield Deanery sponsored Lindsay need to be built on. As the branches of Jesus’ and she raised over £240 on her “Just vine of love, our love must be pruned and Giving” page, so that the total raised changed so that we can grow. True love is should exceed £600. One of the runners constant when confronted by change; the sap she knows in Carlisle, (where she now which rises in us transforms us and keeps us lives), donated because he used to live faithful. Bishop Libby has been very impressed in Frodsham and his mother was a by MU members she has met during her and her member of the MU branch there! And more funds husband’s 23 years of membership, Congratulations and thanks to Lindsay Diocesan Chaplain, Rev’d Canon Chris are raised by Knutsford especially recently during her visit to for her effort. Humphries, Rev’d Canon Elaine Chegwin– DR Congo; the example of these Deanery. Hall, Vicar of St George and Rt Revd Libby members should encourage us to Lane lead the procession at the start . persevere in our own work. We are Quartet On Friday 6th May 2016, Knutsford Deanery hosted a the means by which communities can be altered – active vine branches, successful theatre evening at the Green Room, Wilmslow. This was a fund raiser for the Literacy Fund. It was a full house, with all 80 tickets sold. We AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES! were treated to a marvellous performance full of humour, which took place in a nursing home for retired musicians. The actors portrayed a A VERY special celebration for collection of 4 artists brought together by a love of opera, conspiring, the 140th birthday of MU will mutually supportive of each other, as they contemplated the fading of take place on the evening of their gift. It was a very enjoyable evening and, including matched funding October 11th. More from Barclays in the Community, the total raised will be £1246. information and tickets will be Thank you very much to all those who supported the event. available soon. Jackie Gibson 5 6 Archbishop Justin Welby praises the work of MU The Archbishop of Canterbury said he MU Enterprises Report “praises God" for Mothers’ Union A conference was held recently at Swanwick, Derbyshire Coleen Starkey, during a service at Lambeth Palace to Joanna Porosinska and David Ewaku had come from London for the event. recommission Lynne Tembey as worldwide president of the global Introductions were made, each person saying where he or she was from Anglican women’s organisation. and roughly how their system worked. There were many different ways. During the service Archbishop Justin Some Dioceses have a lot of Reps, some have none. The new Diocese of Welby said: “The Mothers’ Union in West Yorkshire and the Dales has a Team Leader and a Rep in each of the so many places is an organisation original Dioceses. All ordering in Southern Ireland is now done in bulk via that listens to the voices of weeping. Whether it’s in Burundi, the Congo or Dublin, because of the varying exchange rates of the Euro. Ireland’s South Sudan; whether it’s in homes in cities where, when the local football members have produced a booklet of the popular knitting and sewing team loses, there is a 50 percent increase in domestic violence; whether it patterns and are selling it to raise money. It was suggested that we swap is in the loneliness of weeping by people who are not suffering physically email addresses with our nearest Dioceses so that, if we have surplus but are spiritually empty and lost; it is the Mothers’ Union that exists in the stock which the others could sell , we could get in touch. vision of Mary Sumner to speak of those things that God has provided that We saw the mock-ups of the new Christmas cards and heard about the bring hope, help and a future.