The Benefice Magazine 40P
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January 2021 40p The Benefice Magazine Who’s Who… Parish Priest: The Revd Fr John Baines 01298 83411 Curate: The Revd Fr David Green 0748 688 9322 Please contact Fr John if you want to arrange a Wedding, a Baptism (also known as a Christening), or a Funeral. Fr John & Fr David’s Rest Day is Friday Licensed Lay Minister: Janet McNicol 01298 812053 Lic’d Funeral Minister: Karen Kidd 01298 78849 Safeguarding: Janet McNicol 01298 812053 Church Wardens: Nanette Riley (Longnor) 01298 83314 David Twigg (Longnor) 01538 373999 Margaret Clulow (Quarnford) 01538 381896 Karen Kidd (Quarnford) 01298 78849 Ann Belfield (Sheen) 01298 84396 George Grindon (Sheen) 01298 84492 Rachel Moorcroft (Warslow with Elkstone) 01298 84568 Reg Meakin (Warslow with Elkstone) 01538 304295 Treasurers: Nanette Riley (Longnor) 01298 83314 Glenn Leathley (Quarnford) Christopher Belfield (Sheen) 01298 84809 John Gilman (Newtown) 01298 83486 Marjorie Mycock (Reapsmoor) 01298 84585 Emma Gould (Warslow) 01298 687190 Reg Meakin (Elkstone) 01538 304295 Magazine Reps: Nannette Riley (Longnor) 01298 83314 Post vacant (Quarnford) Joan Gregory (Reapsmoor) 01298 84429 (if no rep listed for your church/village, please contact the appropriate Church Warden above with magazine enquiries). Headteachers: Anne Collins, St Bartholomew’s Longnor 01298 83323 Janette Mountford-Lees, Hollinsclough 01298 83303 Judith Ackers, Manifold Academy Warslow 01298 84320 Methodist Minister: The Revd Andrew Parker, (Hollinsclough) 01298 23556 2 High Days and Holy Days for January 1 The naming of Jesus 1 Have you ever wondered where the name ‘Jesus’ comes from? 2 Basil the Great - champion of the Church 2 Basil and Gregory - lives of costly discipleship 5 Simeon Stylites - one of the weirder saints! 6 Epiphany 6 Where did the Wise Men come from? 6 What about the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? 8 Nathalan - an early farmer in Scotland 11 Mary Slessor – missionary 12 Antony Pucci - poor, plain and tongue-tied 13 Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers 14 Felix of Nola - saved by a spider’s web 17 Anthony of Egypt - hermit who defied an emperor 18 Amy Carmichael, founder of the Dohnavur Fellowship 21 Meinrad (d 861) - victim of grievous bodily harm 21 St Agnes - child martyr of Rome, 304AD 22 Vincent of Saragossa - first martyr of Spain 25 The Conversion of St Paul 25 St Paul – the first Christian intellectual 31 Maedoc of Ferns 12th Jan: St Antony Pucci: poor, plain and tongue-tied If you have nothing much going for you, Antony Pucci (1819-92) should be your patron saint. He came from nowhere – a peasant family in Tuscany. He went nowhere – he spent his life as a parish priest in the Tuscan city of Viareggio. He was unattractive to look at. He wasn’t good with words – people found him awkward and shy. So why do people still remember him today? Because Antony Pucci used the one gift he did have in the service of others. He was an excellent organiser, and he served his people brilliantly. His care for the sick in the epidemics of 1854 and 1866 was outstanding. He even set up the first seaside nursing homes for poorly children. Antony Pucci used to say that organisation is the servant of charity, not its substitute. But he used his gift for organisation as a way of showing his charity, and for that he was loved. So – if your family is nothing to shout about, if you wince when you look in the mirror in the morning, if you stand tongue-tied in most social situations, don’t despair. Ask God to show you what gift He HAS given you, and use it in the service of others. And in giving to them, you will receive! It is when we lose our lives for His sake, in His service, that we truly find them. Some thoughts for the year ahead… It is what we do with our solitude that makes us fit for company. – CS Lewis Friendship flourishes at the fountain of forgiveness. – William A Ward There is nothing stronger than gentleness. – Ralph W Sockman Love your neighbour, yet pull not down your hedge. – George Herbert Our days are happier when we give people a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind. – has been attributed to Ritu Ghatourney Speak your kind words soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Anon I know where I am. I’ve been lost here before. – Anon We tolerate shapes in human beings that would horrify us if we saw them in a horse. – W R Inge, a former Dean of St Paul’s. 3 l Five Ways to Welcome Wildlife January is the time for new starts so why not try to make your churchyard more wildlife friendly in 2021? Here are five simple things to try, start with one or two. 1 Create a meadow - choose an area of grass in full sun, currently mown short. Leave it uncut for about 14 weeks over the spring and summer. See how many wildflowers come up naturally, you will probably be surprised. Scythe or strim the long grass, rake it up and remove it to a compost heap or use it to make hay. 2 Help your veteran trees - churchyards are fantastic for veteran trees, particularly yews. Gently clear below veteran and ancient trees, removing young saplings, piles of grass cuttings, sheds, grave spoil, old bottles and anything else that is there! Always remove ivy from yew trees but no need to do so from other trees unless advised to by an arboriculture expert. 3 Give wildlife a home - great fun for community events, how about making bird and bat boxes, bug hotels, deadwood piles and compost bays. Swift boxes can fit behind the church tower louvres. Try a range of different sized bird boxes, including open fronted ones for Spotted Flycatcher and Robin. Place a deadwood pile in a shady spot for frogs, newts, slow worm and hedgehogs to feast on the invertebrates there. 4 Be a little untidy – leave an area of tussocky grassland or scrub, perhaps against a wall or round the back. Cut and clear this every two or three years, doing a section each year. This will be fantastic shelter and great for overwintering invertebrates as well as amphibians and reptiles. Hedgehogs love places like this too. 5 Plant for pollinators – fill your flowerbeds or planters with species that are useful to insects. Include native plants and grasses as well as early and late flowering plants. How about some herbs which people can enjoy too? The wildflower Viper’s Bugloss is outstanding for pollinators and very attractive too. Enjoy watching the wildlife which will take advantage of these features and please tell us what you see. All the best, Harriet Carty Diocesan Churchyard Environmental Advisor, [email protected], www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk - individuals and groups in the diocese receive 20% members discount on all CfGA materials. Use the discount code Lich19 4 Post-Christmas money worries? An article from Revd Cassisus Francis of our Transforming Communities Together partnership Do you ever make new year resolutions? I have to admit that I rarely do either, but when it comes to thinking about money for 2021 I am willing to make an exception. Given the last year that we have all had to endure, making some decisions about how to take care of our finances would be a good way to start this new year. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your money and use it for the things you truly value. 1. Take some time to think about your spending habits – How can you use your money for things you really appreciate, rather than finding you’ve spent lots on impulse buys or hype? It’s good to pause and reflect: ”Do I really want this”, “Can I afford it or will I worry about what I’ve spent?”, “If I spend this, what does that mean for my other plans?”. 2. Review your subscriptions - Grab a pen and dig out your bank statements for the last six months and have a look at the subscriptions and direct debits you have going out. Ask yourself where you can cut back, what you could stop, what have you forgotten about, and what would you love to keep. This might also be a time to review your charitable giving – which giving will you sustain, and which might change? 3. Consider the 50/30/20 rule for budgeting - the 50/30/20 approach can help you manage your spending by focusing on three main areas: aim to spend no more than 50% of your income on Must-Haves (the stuff you need, e.g., rent/mortgage, bills, food, transport); aim for no more than 30% of your income to go on Wants (just for fun, e.g., dining out, hobbies, Netflix, travel); and try to set aside 20% of your income on Savings [and Giving] (e.g., emergency fund, retirement, debt repayments, charitable donations, tithing). 4. Do a yearly costs budgeting exercise – We all know that there are regular events that still manage to creep up on us. So why not think ahead - print off a blank calendar and mark the important days and events (the fun ones like birthdays, and the less fun ones like the car MOT). Write down how much each important item will cost, and try to save a small amount each month to reach your goal. There are tools like Christmas Money Planner that can help with some of the big events so they can be affordable and enjoyable. 5. What tips can help you to make the best use of your money? – Sign up to get regular updates from a website like MoneySavingExpert or Citizens Advice.