UNITED REFORMED CHURCH ST GILES’ CHURCH OF ENGLAND Contact Secretary: Celia Miller Rector: The Revd Felicity Davies Tel: 01895 904556 The Rectory, 38, Swakeleys Road Administrator: Shellie D’Arcy Ickenham UB10 8BE Church: 01895 634280 Chu Tel: Rectory 01895 622970 am rch Tel: Church 01895 622971 nh Editor: Susan Owen-Thursfield N e Email: [email protected] ew cFork advertising: [email protected] or Tel: 07913 430989 s I For events: Submit online at www.ickenhamchurchnews.co.uk Donations: c/o Patricia Lee at The Office,St Giles’ Church, Ickenham, UB10 8BG Visit ICN Online at: www.ickenhamchurchnews.co.uk I Ickenham URC at: www.ickenhamurc.org.uk d cke lan nham St Giles’ at: www.stgileschurch.co.uk Eng URC rch of February 2018 covenanted with St Giles’ Chu March 2018 URC Daytime Services Sunday Evening Services St Giles’ Daytime Services Sunday Mornings 11.00am The two churches join together on Sunday evenings Sunday Mornings – 8.00am Holy Communion – inc Junior Church most Sundays as follows: – 9.45am Holy Communion (with Junior Church – Children’s space available during - 2nd Sun – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (6.30pm) and Crèche) – (1st Sunday: All Age Service) all services - 3rd Sun – ‘18:30’ Worship + The Word Service Thursdays – 10.00am Holy Communion – Holy Communion, 3rd Sunday of month at St Giles’ (6.30pm) IYFC’S SHOCKING NEW RESOURCE FOR ICKENHAM Participants learnt how to assess for injury (above), and learnt basic CPR (top right) before practising on dummies with demo defibrillators (below right). On 27th November, Ickenham Youth Football Club (IYFC) invited two trainers from the Football Association to lead a special training session to instruct over 30 IYFC adult members and volunteers on how to use IPAD Semi-Automatic Defibrillators. The trainers had previously worked in the Ambulance Service and currently deliver the FA’s Emergency Aid courses. The training was needed because IYFC has recently bought five brand new IPAD Semi-Automatic Defibrillators which have since been deployed across Ickenham. The grant to buy these expensive machines came from Nexen Cnooc, following a successful bid by IYFC and IYFC is very grateful to them for their considerable support. IYFC were pointed in Nexen’s direction by Amrit Samrai, herself an IYFC volunteer with two sons in the Club. On the training night, the adults learned how to assess for injury, place a person in the Recovery Position, administer CPR and, of course, learn how to use the new defibrillator machines. The ‘hands on’ training provided plenty of opportunities to ask questions, have a go using demonstration defibrillators - and also to be the ‘unconscious’ person! Over the next three years, a further 60+ IYFC volunteers will also receive defibrillator training, which has formed part of the FA’s Emergency Aid course since August 2017. All IYFC Team Managers have to take a refresher Emergency Aid course every three years. “As more defibrillators appear in public places, so the knowledge and confidence gained from attending our Club’s training course may well end up helping a complete stranger in the future,” said a Club representative. And the implications of this training and the new defibrillators could be far reaching. According to the British Heart Foundation, less than 10% of people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, but these odds improve dramatically when a defibrillator is available. So IYFC is particularly proud that the new defibrillators are now on standby to benefit the wider Ickenham community too. The London Ambulance Service has been advised of the precise location of all 5 machines and they can direct anyone calling the emergency services to the nearest defibrillator as and when needed. Remember – when calling the emergency services from a mobile phone, always dial the alternative emergency 112 number (rather than 999) because mobile calls to 112 allow the emergency controllers to pinpoint your exact location via the GPS tracking on your mobile phone – which could be crucial to saving a life. AOT COME AND PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY Do join us on the first Saturday of each month from 9.15am-10.00am to pray for our world, our community and ourselves. We meet on February 3rd at the URC and on March 4th at St Giles’. All welcome. DROP-IN FOR THE BEREAVED – St Giles’ Church Back Hall, Need to talk? 2.00pm-3.30pm, Third Monday in the month. Come for a friendly and informal chat over a cup WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN of tea with other bereaved people and bereavement visitors. Just come along or, if you would At St Giles’ Church on Thursdays from 6.00pm-8.00pm and Saturdays like to speak to someone first, please ring 01895 622970. The next meeting is on Monday 19th February (and then Monday 19th March and Monday 16th April after that). from 10.30am-12.30pm. No appointment needed – just come in. 2 ICKENHAM CHURCH NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 NEW BEGINNINGS I write this article on a very cold day just after the start of the New Year. At the URC we are still in a state of flux, with all the building work going on, and juggling to carry out our normal church life with services and activities, and fulfilling our lettings commitments. By the time you read this article, the work will be completed and the new beginnings starting to flourish. I am sure all of our great community is looking forward to the new beginnings of spring whilst we at the URC are also looking forward to the new beginnings and enhancement of our church life. With the building work completed we envisage lots of new and exciting things growing and expanding at the URC. We started with a bequest some seven or eight years ago. This was followed by many discussions and meetings which flowered into an idea followed by consultations and eventually translated into an architect’s drawing. This all looked fine but the bequest was not enough to cover the cost of the project. With ideas of funding flowing from the Development Committee and church members, along with help from Thames North Synod, the final sum was achieved. Eventually Hillingdon Borough Council gave its consent to the plans and in August 2017 work commenced and we were up and running. As the building progressed the Eldership and members of the church could see in bricks and mortar what were the visions and hopes that started as a plan. We could see that it was achieving our initial dreams of encompassing the existing church space into the complete floor plan of the buildings. It has given us the necessary extra space to expand our work and help us all on our spiritual journey, bring people together in a comfortable and welcoming environment. It has truly been a lot of hard work bringing people together in faith, with a joyous spirit and companionship. The seeds have been sown, the acorns planted and the growth begins. We are on a journey which will grow and grow. There is no looking back; join us in going forward together. JOHN MILLER, URC ELDER A CLEAN SLATE Dear friends, January’s New Year resolutions have probably long since flown out of the window – the desire to lose weight that wasn’t quite enough to change the way you eat; a sense that drinking a glass of wine every dinner time might be too much didn’t quite spur you to leave the bottle on the wine rack… And now we are about to enter Lent, with all that ‘giving up’ and introspection as we examine our failure to live up to our own best, much less the perfection of Jesus Christ. I am hugely comforted by the fact that King David, described by Samuel the prophet as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ was imperfect. His lust after Bathsheba led him to commit adultery and then murder, yet he dared to ask God for forgiveness, to be washed as white as snow, to have his slate wiped clean. Whether it’s a conversation that’s gone a bit wrong, or a situation we could have handled better, I wonder how often we wish we could wipe the slate clean and start again? “To err is human, to forgive is divine,” said Alexander Pope. David knew that he was flawed. But he also knew that he was loved. Absolutely. Always. Unconditionally. And forever. By the God of love who created him. And so he dared to ask God for forgiveness. Forgiveness and love go hand in hand. Only the one who knows him or herself to be loved is secure enough to offer forgiveness to another, and only the one who knows him or herself to be loved is able to make themselves vulnerable enough to seek forgiveness. Lent is an opportunity to look inwards. It’s hard to be honest enough to own our flaws, and that’s the reason I choose to give up something for Lent. When I miss the tea/coffee/chocolate/alcohol (whatever) I am reminded of the quest I’m on to ‘own’ my failings, and make myself vulnerable enough to ask God for a clean slate and a fresh start. Like Victor Hugo, I have learnt that “the greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” Lent starts on 14th February this year, a good day to seek God’s Love. With love, Felicity PLEASE NOTE: Felicity’s email address for church related issues has changed to [email protected] FROM THE M04 IckenhamST GILES’ Flooring CHURCH – Advert change for 201603DONATIONS March CHURCHES’ REGISTERS STREET PRAYER LIST Donations to the Weddings at St Giles’ March 2016Come forward and join us this month in St ICN are gratefully 25th November Amanda Conway and Giles’ 8.00am and 9:45am Sunday received and Martin McDonagh Advert as belowservices as we pray for those living or individually Committals at Breakspear Crematorium working in the following roads in the acknowledged in 7th December Alan Howells, aged 87 Parish: writing or by email.