The Recovery Course participating we encourage guests to maintain This 16 week Recovery Course is for people their existing support and fellowship; the who are trying to follow the Christian faith, are course is not a substitute for these NEWSLETTER struggling with an addiction and know they arrangements. need help. It has proved effective in helping Monday nights are well structured, with time JULY 2018 with addictions to drugs, alcohol, pornography, for a simple meal, a brief presentation to sex, gambling, self-harming, overeating and introduce a Step, a short testimonial from a other related compulsive behaviours. team member, followed by confidential Addictions keep us in the shadows, stop us structured discussions in separate men’s and living well and draw us away from good women’s groups. relationships with God and with people around The course starts at 7:00pm on Monday 15th Vicar’s Viewpoint time. Please come along to support, and enjoy th us. They sap our energy, our creativity, our October and runs until the 11 February 2019, One thing new and two repeats this month. the bar and a BBQ at the club. Admission is time and money. at The Warehouse behind St John’s Hampton The new thing is to welcome Caroline free but I would love to encourage donations The course aims to help people with their Wick, KT1 4AL. For more information or to Halmshaw as our Curate, and I am very to the new Teddington CC Pavilion which will recovery. Many people have benefitted from it, book a place, please go to www.st- excited that she is joining our clergy team. She be an asset to the wider community as well as some headed for full recovery, others making stephens.org.uk/courses brings a huge amount of experience from her the club. substantial steps. It has helped those taking The course is being hosted by St John’s church background and her professional One thing new and two repeats is probably a the first steps to address their addiction, while Hampton Wick and St Stephen’s career, as she explains herself [see article good monthly formula for a church. Perhaps it others who have been working on their Twickenham with the support and in below]. For those who might be unfamiliar with works for life in general. recovery for some time, have wanted to take a partnership with 10 or more other churches the job title, a curate is effectively a vicar who Best wishes fresh look from a Christian perspective. The in the area. is training on the job for the first three years course uses the 12 Steps adopted by Peter Mumford after ordination. So Caroline is with us to Alcoholics Anonymous. We work through learn, as much as to serve, but the two things these Steps at Monday night meetings with Parish Registers go hand-in-hand. I look forward to learning Caroline Halmshaw the help of a course book. These give Baptisms – We welcome into Christ’s Church: and serving alongside her. – our new Curate opportunities to learn from other’s experience 20th May: Sienna Bailey, daughter of Marcia The repeats are two events from our After three tough and of addiction and recovery. It is personally and Patrick Dalton; Evie Beatrice, daughter of Teddington 800 festival last year that we all wonderful years of demanding, and requires perseverance, Rebecca Smith and Tom May thought were so good that they ought to be training, it’s a joy to be dedication, and commitment. The weekly 3rd June: Gabriel Torbjorn Jensson, son of made into annual fixtures, (well, perhaps I had coming to St. Mary with meetings are key, offering support, Catherine and Jens Wikholm St. Alban as a new a little say in the matter as well!) The first is encouragement and fellowship. the River Blessing Service which this year will curate. I have loved my Weddings – We wish every blessing on the ordination training at St. Mellitus College and The course is run by people who themselves th marriage of: be on Sunday July 8 , starting in church at am enormously grateful for my time there, for are in recovery from addiction. Whilst th 10 June: Zoe Ridley & Harry Farnden 10am and processing down to the riverside in Joe’s encouragement and for the loving Manor Park Gardens. This involves lots of support of my family, especially Rick, my Parish Office: St Mary’s Parish Hall, Langham Road, Teddington TW11 9HF (8943 2262) river clubs and organisations, a flotilla of husband, and Alec, our son. Vicar: The Rev Joe Moffatt (8977 2767), email: [email protected] boats, the casting of a flower cross onto the I grew up in Radlett in Hertfordshire. My Dad waters and then dragon-boat racing and an was a headmaster, and Mum a teacher before Associate Priest: The Rev Azariah France-Williams (07791 191100), open-day at the Lifeboat Station. It proved to e-mail: [email protected] her ordination in 1987. It wasn’t until my teen Assistant Priest: The Rev Mary Hawes (7898 1504), email: [email protected] be quite a spectacle last year, but also years that the idea of going to church entered reminded us of the deep and ongoing our family life. Mum after years away from the Administration Suzanne Parker (8943 2262) relationship that Teddington has with the & Hall Bookings: email: [email protected] church gradually started attending again. At Thames, much of which has a spiritual first I was horrified and even cried, but went Newsletter Editors: Julien Cozens, Penny Jones and Sue Stevens dimension. along with her! I was astonished to enjoy the email: [email protected] (8943 2262) The second repeat is the cricket fixture services and especially the people – one of Church School: St Mary’s & St Peter’s, Somerset Road, Teddington between the Bishop of Kensington’s XI (made them, Rick, became my husband. Headteacher John Logan (8943 0476), www.smsponline.com up of clergy from across the London diocese) The church supported me in those early years Church Wardens: Sarah Williams (07584 657 914), email: [email protected] and Teddington CC. This is on Wednesday as I explored what faith means in our Robin Field-Smith (07768 697178), email: [email protected] July 18th at 6pm at Teddington’s wonderful challenging and often confusing world. Two For all other contacts: www.teddingtonparish.org Follow us on Twitter @SMWSAChurch ground in Bushy Park. Last year the clergy quite different experiences were significant, won it, but we expect stiffer opposition this one was an encounter with Taizé in France, Typeset and printed by Beechgrove Print, 47 Swinburne Road, Putney, London SW15 5EQ. Tel: 020 3665 8130 where the generosity of the Brothers gave me River Blessing Service: accessible ways. Our own Rev. Azariah glimpses of what it means to know and love France-Williams joined the ranks sharing an God. The other was the year I spent in Sunday July 8th Zimbabwe with the Elim Pentecostal Church. It A service of thanksgiving to celebrate the inspirational talk, which was definitely spirit- was a wonderful year in which I learned from importance of the river to the existence, work led. His talks, and those of others, joined with people who had lived through the brutality of and leisure of Teddington will take place on worship and time for prayer, meant a great war and had forgiven those who had killed Sunday 8th July 2018, led by the Rev Joe opportunity for all young people to get to know their missionary colleagues. Jesus and learn more about our faith. I have had a career as a nurse and midwife, Alongside this, good opportunities for and then for the last 20 years have been fellowship were provided as youth members working in the charity sector, on health programmes in developing countries. As I’ve had multiple chances to interact and been preparing for becoming a curate, my communicate with youth members from other hope is that our church will always be a place churches. This was a great time for new of welcome for all people, a lively hub in our friendships to be formed, as well as for each young person. It will definitely influence community where we can explore together existing ones to be strengthened and my own practice at the club and my approach what it means to know and trust in the developed. These friendships proved to meet the needs of all attending it. I want to boundless love of God for all people. essential, with young people being thank each member of the church for their Caroline Halmshaw encouraged to overcome personal challenges prayers leading up to the weekend, which was an all-round success and certainly a Moffatt. The service will commence at 10am at and succeeding as a result. considered highlight of my year. Pentecost Sunday the parish church of St Mary with St Alban, As a leader, this time was immensely Matthew Edwards, Youth Administrator, and will continue at Manor Road Recreation valuable, enabling me to see a new side to Ten days after Ascension Day, Pentecost, one Teddington Parish Youth Club. of the great festivals of the Christian year Ground from 10.30am. Many local marks the end of the Easter Season and organisations and clubs who have connections celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit. At this to the river will be coming along, and the event Diary for July year’s celebration, the congregations of St will be held in conjunction with an open day at SERVICES – Sundays: Holy Communion (Prayer Book) at 8.00am Mary with St Alban and St Peter & St Paul RNLI. Morning Worship (30 minutes) at 9.00am joined together to welcome the Rt. Revd. Rob Please do feel free to come and enjoy this Parish Communion (with Children’s Groups) at 10.00am Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton as the event. Holy Baptism (most Sundays) at 12.00noon Wednesday: Morning Prayer at 9.00am: Holy Communion at 9.30am preacher at the 10 o’clock service. The Katherine Matthews musical skills and traditions of both churches Church Mice Toddlers Service at 10.30am were well represented in the service, with Sunday 1st 5th after Trinity beautiful anthems and hymns from the choir, Youth Weekend Away 2018: a Youth Meeting, St. Mary’s Parish Hall, 6.00-8.30pm and other hymns with lively accompaniment by Spiritual and Personal Challenge! Tuesday 3rd Memory Cafe, St. Peter & St. Paul, 1.30-3.00pm Azariah and the band from St Peter & St Paul th th adding an extra dimension to our worship. On 18 -20 May, members from our Parish Baptism Preparation Evening, St. Mary’s Parish Hall, 8.00pm Youth Club attended the Kensington Area th Bishop Rob’s graphic sermon using a saw, Wednesday 4 First Wednesday Club, ‘IT: how is it impacting our lives?’ Mina Hogan, 12.45-2.15pm hammer and screwdriver to create a cheese Youth Weekend Away, organised by the Area Thursday 5th Service of Wholeness and Healing, 8.00pm Diocesan team. The weekend was full of fun, and tomato roll reminded us that we should all Friday 6th Holy Communion, Fullerton Court, 11.30am use the skills given to us to become with opportunities to hear and respond to the th Ambassadors for Jesus in our daily lives, and gospel, time to join in group activities with Sunday 8 6th after Trinity Parade Service for River Blessing, 10.00am that we are all equipped through the gift of the other young Christians from across the area, Holy Spirit to make a difference in our local and chances to overcome personal Tuesday 10th Plain and Pearl Knit, Mina Hogan, 7.30pm community, however unworthy and ill- th challenges. The weekend’s theme centred Thursday 12 Parish Lunch, The Anglers, 12.30pm prepared we may feel. The service concluded th with a short commissioning ceremony to mark around Peter and his life story, his Sunday 15 7th after Trinity the continuing work of the Diocese of transformation to faith through to his denial of Wednesday 18th Cricket Match: Bishop of Kensington’s XI v Teddington CC, Bushy Park, 6.00pm London’s Capital Vision 2020, and was Jesus and his life beyond. Such a focus meant Sunday 22nd 8th after Trinity followed by lively and happy conversation over Youth Team members were able to share Ecumenical Communion Service, St. Peter & St. Paul, 4.00pm coffee and cakes in the Parish Hall. personal testimonies and talks from their own Tuesday 24th Plain and Pearl Craft, Mina Hogan, 7.30pm Jo O’Hagan understanding to explain the stories in th Sunday 29 9th after Trinity