St. James’ PARISH MAGAZINE December 2009 35p www.christleton.org.uk June 2010 JOTTINGS FOR JUNE Tues 1 7.30 pm GAP Prayer meeting - Whitehaven Wed 2 10.45 am United Communion - followed by refreshments 7.45 pm Pastoral and Outreach Committee Fri 4 6.30 pm Choir Practice NB: Last day for contributions to July magazine, preferably earlier, to Janet Milton (335469). You can attach your Word document and e-mail to [email protected] Sun 6 The First Sunday After Trinity - Proper 5 8.00 am Holy Communion (Order 2) 10.45 am Parish Communion (Order 1) 10.45 am Sunday School (Parish Hall) 6.30 pm Evensong - followed by refreshments Prayer Link Road: Bythom Close Neighbourhood Link: Stan Smith Mon 7 10.45 am Holy Communion at Tarvin Court Nursing Home 11.20 am Holy Communion at Oaklands Nursing Home Bereavement Support Group Wed 9 10.45 am Holy Communion 11.30 am Holy Communion at Birch Heath Lodge Nursing Home Fri 11 9.00 am Holy Communion for St Barnabas 6.30 pm Choir Practice Sun 13 The Second Sunday after Trinity: Proper 6 8.00 am Holy Communion (Order 1) 10.45 am Family Service - followed by refreshments 6.00 pm The Crew Youth Group (Parish Hall) 6.30 pm Evensong Prayer Link Road: Capesthorne Road and Sheraton Road Neighbourhood Link: Norma Tissiman page 2 St. James’ Christleton Parish Magazine Mon 14 2.00 pm Mothers’ Union (Parish Hall) 2.30 pm Parish Visiting Group (The Rectory) Tues 15 8.00 am Church Walking Group Contact David Cummings (332410) Wed 16 10.45 am Holy Communion - followed by refreshments Fri 18 Churches Together in Christleton Committee Away Day (Brown Knowl) 6.30 pm Choir Practice Sat 19 5.00 pm Ordination of Rev’d Gill Hibbert as Priest (Cathedral) Sun 20 The Third Sunday after Trinity: Proper 7 8.00 am Holy Communion (Order 1) 10.45 am Parish Communion (Order 1) with Baptisms 10.45 am Sunday School (Parish Hall) 6.00 pm The Crew Youth Group (Parish Hall) 6.30 pm Evensong Prayer Link Road: Church Walks and The Paddock Neighbourhood Link: Judith Edwards Wed 23 10.45 am Holy Communion - followed by refreshments Thur 24 9.00 am Holy Communion for St John the Baptist Fri 25 6.30 pm Choir Practice Sat 26 Village Fete Sun 27 The Fourth Sunday after Trinity: Proper 8 8.00 am Holy Communion (Order 1) 10.45 am Matins - followed by refreshments 10.45 am Sunday School (Parish Hall) 12 noon Baptism 4.00 – 5.30 pm M Crew (Parish Hall) 6.30 pm Evening Communion (Order 1) Prayer Link: Cotton Edmunds and Cotton Abbotts Neighbourhood Link: Ellen Frost Wed 30 10.45 am Holy Communion - followed by refreshments June, 2010 page 3 st. james’ THE RECTORS LETTER Dear Friends Vocation Please pray for Gill Hibbert who is to be Ordained Priest at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 19 June at 5.00 pm. Although Gill maintains her links with St James, her Ordination is in the context of her work as Chaplain to the Hospice of the Good Shepherd and as part of the Chaplaincy Team at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Our congratulations to Gill as she sees the fulfilment of her Vocation to serve in Ministry in this important and very demanding work, as we pray for God’s blessing for her. Obviously once she is Ordained Priest she will have a very full timetable at Hospice and Hospital, but we hope there will be opportunity for her at least to help out sometimes at St James. Hopefully this will be to preside occasionally at the Sunday 8.00 am and Wednesday 10.45 am Holy Communion as part of the Rota which is being put in place for the vacancy when I retire on 18 July. With my retirement in sight it gives me the excuse to reminisce! I was Ordained Deacon in June 1969 and Priest on 24 May 1970. The outward and visible sign of the Sacrament of Ordination is the Laying on of Hands, communicating the gift of the Holy Spirit. I still remember the overwhelming experience as the Bishop was surrounded by other Bishops and Priests. They all put their hands forward and linking through each other to those who laid their hands on me, emphasising the significance of the Gift of the Holy Spirit through the Church to those called to serve as Priest. My Ordination was at Christ Church, Oxford, which, being the College Chapel, is the smallest Cathedral in England, but serves the Oxford Diocese which is the largest Diocese in England and covers, at least in part, 8 Counties. I was Ordained there because I served my first Curacy in the Parish of Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, in the Oxford Diocese. The Parish included a chunk of Slough, and being the Curate I was put down in the Slough end of the Parish! The Parish combined the Church of Gray’s ‘Elegy in a Country Churchyard’ and Betjeman’s “Come friendly bombs, and fall on Slough”. The contrast in the Parish was as wide as the poetry suggests so it was a good training Parish giving wide experience. Incidentally, Fiona and I were married while I was still at Cuddesdon Theological College, outside Oxford. The then Bishop of Chester, Gerald Ellison, had summoned me to the House of Lords for interview to seek his permission for us to marry and for me to page 4 St. James’ Christleton Parish Magazine be Ordained elsewhere than at Chester, but that’s another story! After three years in Slough, where Clare was born, we moved back to Chester Diocese as I became Curate in charge of Rudheath Church in the Parish of St Helen, Witton, Northwich. We really enjoyed our time there, during which Nick was born, but after only 18 months I was appointed as Vicar of Frankby with Greasby on Wirral. By this time Victor Whitsey was Bishop of Chester. During the Induction Service he came over in the first hymn and asked: “How are your finances, lad?” In the next hymn he came over and said: “You’ve got ten years hard graft here, lad!” I not only survived the Service but went on to serve as Vicar there for 18 years. It certainly was ‘hard graft’ but very rewarding and will always be the family home where Clare and Nick grew up. In December 1992 Bishop Michael Baughen wrote to ask me if I would “like my hat to go in the ring for Christleton.” The rest, as they say, is history, as we come to the end of my second 18 year incumbency – but more of that anon. It was a great joy to be able to share in the Confirmation Service on 16 May as the present Bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster, laid his hands on 10 of our members (plus one the previous week), and 2 from Tattenhall, in the sacrament of Confirmation, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Vocation’ means ‘calling’ and that is open to all of us. We don’t hear the term ‘vocation’ used much in today’s society. We hear of job opportunities and maximising potential and career moves but there is little sense of being ‘called’ to a position. As Christians we believe that God calls each one of us by name and that he loves us personally and has a purpose for us to fulfil. May each of us take time and space to listen to what God is calling us to do. What are the gifts he has given us and what is the service he is calling us to in our own ministry? It is a privilege to be called by God and to share in the ministry and mission Christ has entrusted to his Church. Yours sincerely Prayer of the Month: The Collect for the Fifth Sunday After Trinity Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. June, 2010 page 5 Canon Peter Lee’ s Confirmation Retirement he Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster the Bishop of Chester s will generally be known by conducted a Confirmation now, Peter will be retiring ServiceT with Communion on The at the end of July. He will Sunday after Ascension, 16th May conductA his last services as Rector 2010. of St. James, Christleton, on Sunday The Confirmed candidates from 18th July. Peter has led our worship Christleton were; and pastoral care in the village since Emily Adam, Lucy Demmon, Hugh 1992. He has taken on many wider Gibson, Thomas Gibson, Bridget responsibilities and he and Fiona Goodsall, Jonathan Heritage, Anna have always played an active part in Norbury, John Norbury, Sophie Rao, village life. They will be missed by Cynthia Wilcox. (Toby McLeay was so many of us. confirmed on Sunday 9th.) Also from Tattenhall; Samantha Green The Churchwardens have asked and Christine Walley. me to arrange a farewell party as A large congregation witnessed the a chance to say thank you to them service. The hymns were; Crown both. It will take place in the Village him with many crowns, Take my Hall on Saturday 17th July, starting Life, Shine Jesus shine, As the deer at 6.30pm until around 8.30pm.