Christ Church Magazine Serving the Community In the Parish of Christ Church Ashton-under-Lyne www.christchurch-ashton.org.uk March 2020 Price 50p CONTACTS Ministers: The whole congregation Administration and Church Maintenance: Church Wardens: Adrian Roberts Stenton Withnall 07761822922 Deputy Warden: Barbara Gaskin 07484611191 Electoral Roll Officer: Andrea McGowan Flower Arranging: Audrey Jones 0161 330 5606 PCC Secretary: Andrea McGowan Verger: Chris Cunday 0161 343 5819 Children: Ministries and Uniformed Organisations: Canon Johnson Sunday School: Elizabeth Travis 0161 339 3681 Child Protection Co-ordinator: Janet Perry 0161 344 0195 Church Lads & Girls Brigade: Janet & Pete Davies 0161 370 2638 Mobile: 07957 333994 Email: [email protected] Rainbows: Jackie Buckley 0161 612 0746 Brownies: Colline Holness 07917633723 Guides: Colleen Roberts 0161 336 2922 or 07538769815 Email: [email protected] Scouts: Chris Wilson 0161 308 2231 Mobile: 07714 457478 (eve) Clergy Serving at Christ Church: Rev’d Dr David Jacks 0161 330 1601 Email: [email protected] Rev’d Alan Hills 0161 432 2964 Email: [email protected] Neil Craine Reader Emeritus 0161 301 2693 Finance: PCC Treasurer: Tony Hoskins 0161 330 5815 [email protected] FOCC Giving Scheme: Philip Blanchard 01457 874513 Gift Aid Secretary: Joanne Moores 01457 765302 Mothers’ Union: Bernice Howarth 0161 330 2002 2 ‘The Office Hour’ for booking weddings and baptisms is held in church on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month between 12 noon and 1pm. (Volunteers welcome; full training given) Pastoral Care: Co-ordinator: Audrey Jones 0161 330 5606 Baptism Enquiries: Elizabeth Travis 0161 339 3681 Home Communion: Audrey Jones 0161 330 5606 Wedding Enquiries: Janet Perry 0161 344 0195 Prayer Ministries: Co-ordinator/Prayer Circle/Prayer Groups: Katrina Deakin 0161 370 7918 Publicity: Church Magazine: [email protected] Pew Sheets: [email protected] Church website: christchurch-ashton.org.uk Social Events: Co-ordinator: Julie Shaw 0161 330 9991 07840 724182 Day Schools: Canon Burrows: Head teacher: Miss S Fildes 0161 330 4755 Chair of Governors: Mrs D Whiteley Canon Johnson: Head teacher: Mr M Bidgood 0161 330 3169 Chair of Governors: Nathan Davies Items for inclusion in the APRIL 2020 Magazine Last date Friday 20th March 2020 in church or ring/text Tracy Temple on 07871974895 Email: [email protected] 3 Is Spring on it’s way?? Welcome to the March magazine, I really do hope Spring is on it’s way, I love the golden daffodils and the blossom of the orchards, the new born lambs and the beautiful singing birds. A bit of sunshine in the morning and evening really does lift my mood. I hope this month you enjoy the articles I have sourced and take note of the important dates coming up as Easter is just around the corner. Have a wonderful month. Thanks Tracy (Editor) Dear Pauline A huge thank you would like to be given to you for your wonderful time dedicated to Christ Church, your services to church as an ALM and through prayer have touched and supported so many people. We wish you so much love and pray for strength and guidance for your challenges ahead. All at Christ Church. Pauline Ward has had to step back due to ill health. 4 ROSE QUEEN VIOLET NEWS An amazing £610 was raised at Rose Queen Violet’s At Home on Sunday 9th February 2020 She hosted a wonderful after- noon at Canon Johnson School with 8 visiting queens who all looked stunningly beautiful. WELL DONE VIOLET!! The next event is; QUIZ AND RETIREMENT PARTY SATURDAY 4TH APRIL 2020 7.00PM TIL LATE Hurst Cross Community Centre, Kings Road, A-U-L. OL6 8EZ £7 adults £2 children Family (2 adults 2 children) £15 TICKETS INCLUDE POTATO PIE SUPPER 5 MAUNDY MONEY Huge Congratulations to Mr. Tom Wragg who has been invited to receive the Royal Maundy Money from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Service at St. George’s Windsor on Maundy Thursday 2020. Tom was selected for his recognition of his dedication to the service of God through the Church of England. What is Maundy Money??? The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony, inspired by The Bible. On the day before Good Friday, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and commanded them to ‘Love one another’. By the thirteenth century the Royal Family was taking part in similar ceremonies. By washing the feet of the poor and giving money and gifts, they were showing humility and compassion. When Henry IV became king, he introduced a new tradition, deciding to give the same number of gifts as his age. So, for instance, when the monarch was forty, he gave forty of his subjects Maundy gifts. It became the custom for the sovereign to perform the ceremony, and the event became known as the Royal Maundy. The origins of Maundy money The first Maundy money ceremony took place in the reign of Charles II, when the king gave people undated hammered coins in 1662. The coins were a four penny, three penny, two penny and one penny piece. By 1670 the king started giving out a dated set of all four coins. 6 The tradition of the king or queen washing the feet of the poor faded out in the eighteenth century, but the monarch still gave people food and clothing. By the nineteenth century the tradition had changed again, and the monarch simply gave people the Maundy money. Maundy money today Maundy money has traditionally been made of sterling silver, apart from the brief interruptions of Henry VIII’s debasement of the coinage and the general change to 50% silver coins in 1020. The use of sterling silver resumed following the Coinage Act of 1971 and after decimalisation in 1971, the face values of the coins were increased from old to new pence. During Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, her portrait on ordinary circulating coinage has been updated four times. However, Maundy money still bears the same portrait of Her Majesty created by Mary Gillick that appeared on the first coins of her reign in 1953. Today’s recipients of Royal Maundy are elderly men and women, chosen because of the Christian service they have given to the Church and the community. The ceremony takes place every Maundy Thursday. There are as many recipients as there are years in the sovereign’s age. At the ceremony, the monarch hands each recipient two small leather string purses. A red purse contains ordinary coins, while a white one contains silver Maundy coins, amounting to the same number of pence as the years of the sovereign’s age. This information was sourced from theroyalmint.com. 7 8 We welcome into God’s family, the Church: BAPTISMS FEBRUARY 2020 2nd February Ava Rose Kenyon 9 AN IMAGE TO COLOUR: 10 The Train of Life Life is like a journey on a train…. With its stations….. With changes of routes… And with accidents! At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel on our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. As time goes by other people will board the train; and they will be significant. I.e. Our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life. Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum. Others will go so unnoticed that we don’t realize that they vacated their seats! Which is very sad when you think about it. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all the passengers….. requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live the best way— love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty—we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life. I wish you a joyful journey this year on the train of life. Reap success and give lots of love. More importantly, give thanks for the journey! Matthew Manning (UK Healer) 11 March Diary 2019 Sunday 1st 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 12.30pm Baptism Wednesday 4th 10.00 am Holy Communion Saturday 7th 10.00am COFFEE MORNING Sunday 8th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Family Communion Coffee after service 12.00pm Office hour Tuesday 10th 7.30pm PCC Wednesday 11th 10.00am Holy Communion Sunday 15th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Service of the Word 12.30pm Baptism Wednesday 18th 10.00am Service of the Word Sunday 22nd 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 12.30pm Baptism Wednesday 24th 9.30am Holy Communion Sunday 29th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Family Communion Coffee after service 12 April Diary 2019 Wednesday 1st 10.00am Holy Communion Sunday 5th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion HOLY WEEK ALL WELCOME TO OUR HOLY WEEK SERVICES Monday 6th 6.00pm APCM Tuesday 7th 6.00pm Taize Wednesday 8th 10.00am Holy Communion Thursday 9th 6.00pm Service Friday 10th 10.00am Holy Communion Saturday 11th 10.00am Coffee morning Sunday 12th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion Wednesday 15th 10.00am Service of the word Sunday 19th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Service of the word Wednesday 22nd 10.00am Holy Communion Sunday 26th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion Wednesday 29th 10.00am Holy Communion 13 14 Book of Remembrance: In loving memory of John Morrell; a Father, Grandfather and Great-grandfather.