Magazine St Andrew's Brinsworth St Mary's Catcliffe St Helen's Treeton
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Magazine September 2010 The Rivers Team is a group of four Anglican Churches: St Andrew’s Brinsworth St Mary’s Catcliffe St Helen’s Treeton St Lawrence’s Tinsley September & October Diary Dates Thursday 2nd September St Andrew‘s Focus Group, 7:30pm Sunday 5th September CPAS & Tearfund gift day Thursday 9th September English Heritage open day at St Helen‘s Saturday 11th September Sign Language course - St Helen's Church, 10.00 - 11.30 Coffee morning – St Helen‘s Church, 10.00am -12.00 noon Tuesday 14th September Team Council, St Helen‘s Church, 7:30pm Wednesday 15th September St Mary‘s Focus Group, 7:30pm Saturday 18th September Sign Language course - St Helen's Church, 10.00 - 11.30 Coffee morning – St Helen‘s Church, 10.00am -12.00 noon Tuesday 21st September St Lawrence‘s Church Council— 7:00pm Saturday 25th September The Bigger Breakfast! International men's breakfast day.—Treeton Baptist Church, 9:00am, Guest Speaker Max Wigley - Chaplain, Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Contact Chris Leverton to book. Outreach event. Tuesday 28th September St Andrew‘s & St Mary‘s Church Council—St Mary‘s Church, 7:30pm Friday 1st October Team Harvest supper with Barn Dance - Treeton Community Centre - 7.00 for 7.30pm start (Supper first) Saturday 2nd October Diocesan Development Day on Fresh Expressions - 9.30 - 15.30 - Philadelphia campus (St Thomas Church Sheffield) - to book a place speak to a staff member ASAP. Tuesday 5th October St Andrew‘s Centre Meeting—St Andrew‘s Centre, 7:30pm 2 Editorial by David Bent: Team Rector Swimming The Race I recently had a couple of texts from a friend on holiday along the following lines: ―Spent the afternoon sitting by the pool‖ and ―Just sitting by the pool.‖ I was reminded of this while I was ploughing up and down the pool at St Anne‘s early one morning. I thought pools were made for swimming in, not for sitting by! And that got me thinking about my faith. Do I see the Christian life as a leisure activity, a fitness programme or a race to be run? I enjoy swimming, so there is some of the leisure activity in it; I also try to keep relatively fit, so there is something of the fitness programme. But I don‘t race! The pool is divided off into three lanes: fast, medium and slow and I swim at my own pace overtaking some and being overtaken by others. I think most people get out with a sense of achieve- ment, having completed what they set out to do. There are no losers. St Paul saw the Christian life as a race to be run (not swum). It involves training and it produces a prize. But it is not a race with a single prize, it is a race where we can all be winners providing we start and complete the course. Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. (1 Cor 9:24-25) I have seen a lot of hardship in recent weeks: family problems, financial hardships, people sick and dying, and natural disasters. The challenge for us at these times is not to give up, but to remain faithful to the God who is faithful to us. For some the race of life seems to be long and effortless, for others it is short and a struggle. For most of us it is a bit of both. But for all who complete the race, who remain faithful, there is the promise of a crown of life. The Christian life is not a leisure activity! So let‘s make sure we get off the poolside and, with Paul, “Press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) 3 Wednesday September 8th 7:30pm at St Andrew’s Catcliffe Worship & Keynote Talk Discussion in Small Groups & Refreshments ‗Encounter‘ is an opportunity for us meet together with God and to move forwards with him. If you are concerned to see the kingdom of God advance in our communities, please make this evening a priority. Operation Christmas Child 2010 The time has arrived to start organising this years shoe box appeal. I will shortly be ordering leaflets, posters & DVD's, which will then be distributed to the various churches. This year I will not be as involved in organising the event as in previous years & would appreciate it if a volunteer from both St. Andrew's & St. Mary's churches could coordinate the distribution of leaflets and collection of boxes, and the safe delivery to the warehouse, which will again be at the Masbro' Pentecostal Church, open from the 9th Nov. to 3rd. Dec. Volunteers would be welcome at the warehouse to check and package the boxes. Shoe Box Sunday will be on 27th Nov., a joint service at St. Mary's Church. A fund raising concert; An Evening with Ray Hearne, is to be held at Talbot Lane on 5th Oct at 7.00 pm to help with transport costs incurred in taking boxes to their destination. Tickets are £7.50. Further details about this event can be obtained from Hazel Adebogun 01709 367516. Thanks, Diane Barringer 4 Treeton Trudgers Walking Group On Saturday 2nd October Ron & Carole Robinson will lead an approx 5.5 mile circular walk at Roche Abbey. There are some slopes but no serious hills. All walks start at the top of Washfield Lane, Treeton at 10.00am, where anyone without transport can usually get a lift in someone‘s car. Please wear sensible footwear and bring waterproof clothing and a packed lunch for daytime walks. Please ring Ron & Carole Robinson (0114 2694100) or Ian Wall (01709 519125) for further information. St Helen’s Chatterbox Craft Club ‗Chatterbox‘ meets each week in Treeton Reading Rooms on Wednesdays between 1:00pm and 3:00pm to make items for the Samaritan‘s Purse ‗Operation Christmas Child‘ annual Shoebox appeal. The group consists of around 8 members who knit, sew and stick, collect and buy items for the shoeboxes. Anyone interested in what we do will be more than welcome to join us. NO SKILLS NEEDED. St. Andrew‘s Centre is intended to be used by the people of Brinsworth and the surrounding area for social and community activities. The Church has access for wheelchairs and toilet facilities for the disabled. There is an audio loop system in both the Church and the Centre. Rooms are available for hire for private functions. The following courses are currently running: Monday 9.45 – 11.45 am I.T. Workshop Tuesday 10.00 – 12.00 noon Drawing & Painting Thursday 12.30 – 2.30 pm Further German Thursday 7.00 – 8.30 pm Spanish Conversation Friday 10.30 am Beginners‘ Keep Fit For further information, contact Julie on 01709 361630 Treeton Ladies’ Group The Treeton Ladies‘ Group meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:45. Everyone is welcome. The next meeting will be on September 14th and the ladies will take part in Indian Head Massage. 5 Dear Theophilus… One of the things that I find really encouraging about the early Chris- tians is that they were just ordinary men and women. When he called his disciples, Jesus, a local carpenter, didn‘t do like the other Rabbis did and go to the Temple to pick the best young political and religious minds. Instead he went to the workplace and chose ordinary working men. Men like Peter and John. A few years later Peter and John were going to the temple when they met and healed a crippled beggar. Actually God did the healing. The former cripple and the crowds were delighted, Peter and John preached the gospel and the number of disciples grew to around 5,000. But the religious leaders were not amused! They put Peter and John in gaol and then interrogated them. But Peter and John just kept sharing their faith. We are then told this about the religious leaders: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13) Aside from the healing, the thing that made the impression was that these were ordinary, unschooled men. And the thing that made the difference was that they had been with Jesus. And in this there is hope for us. If nothing else we are ordinary men and women. All we need to do, then, is to spend time with Jesus in prayer, Bible reading and worship with other Christians, and allow him to work in our lives today, as he did in the lives of the early Christians. David Theophilus is the guy for whom Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. (Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1) Theophilus means „Lover of God‟ so, if you love God, it was written for you! 6 Forthcoming Retirement Having served as Team Vicar at St Lawrence‘s Tinsley for the last seven years, Margaret Lunt has announced her retirement; her last Sunday as Team Vicar will be October 3rd. We are delighted that Margaret and Bob will remain living in Treeton and that they will continue to serve The Rivers Team. Do pray for them as they prepare for this big change in their lives and as they seek God's guidance for the future.