The Parish LANTERN The magazine for Kenwyn with St Allen, Zelah, Allet and Shortlanesend February - March 2021 Church Directory Vicar: Rev Chris Parsons 01872 263015 (day off Friday) email: [email protected] Ordained Local Minister (retired): Rev Bob Humphries 01872 862827 email: [email protected] Worship Leader: John Dean: 01872 279794 Churchwardens: Kenwyn: Helen Perry: 01872 277117 email: [email protected] Martin Wright: 01872 222264 email: [email protected] St Allen: Adrian Hare: 01872 540307 David Burgess: 01872 263935 Parish administrator and PCC Secretary: Helen Perry: 01872 277117 email: [email protected] Bell ringing: Norman: 01872 242569 Choir and organist: Angela Gilbert: 01872 277725 email: [email protected] Mothers’ Union: Tess Dean: 01872 279794 email: [email protected] Wednesday Fellowship: Jean: 01872 271658 Flower arrangers: Val: 01872 222037 To hire the Lychgate room please contact Helen Perry: 01872 277117 email: [email protected] Parish Magazine editor: Jenny King: 01872 225661 email: [email protected] Please submit items for the April/May 2021 magazine by March 15th thank you From the Vicarage We are now well into the New Year with the hope of vaccines helping us to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s been a challenging time for all of us, worse for some than others. Our daily lives have been curtailed in many ways, ways in which we would never have imagined, at least not in the UK. And that has meant we have all had to adapt, in one way or another. Adapting doesn’t always come so easily, especially when we are set in our ways and when it goes on for an extended period of time. But most, if not all of us, I’m sure, have risen to the challenge as best as we are able. In the Bible, in the Book of Joshua, we read of how God helped Joshua to face a new challenge. Joshua was Moses assistant and after the death of Moses, he was charged with leading more than two million people into a strange new land, Canaan, and conquering it. This was an enormous challenge, even for someone of Joshua’s calibre. But God said to Joshua ‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave or forsake you.’ We too can take comfort from these words, because God will never leave or forsake us, despite the gigantic mountain we climb at present. While things may not always turn out how we might like them to, God promises he will never abandon or fail to help us. By asking God to direct us, we can conquer many of life’s challenges. Despite the difficulties we face at present, I think spring is a lovely time of year when we are reminded of God’s creation, with flowers bursting forth, birds building their nests and gathering on the feeders in the garden, not forgetting the frolicking young squirrels. Our newish puppy, Roly, now peers at them keenly through the French doors, taking over from Bertie, who was our Jack Russell. Spring is a sign of new growth and renewed hope. We may not be out of the woods yet but let us remember God’s words and meanwhile let us pray for the sick and elderly and those who care for them, the bereaved, the housebound, those who are finding life difficult in other ways and all key workers. By working together, and with God on our side, we have hope, the certain hope, only he can give. May God bless you all. Chris Parsons 1 Church Matters……. “Happy” New Year doesn’t feel very appropriate at the moment, but after the difficult start to 2021 we can only pray that things improve as time goes by. Back at the start of January the PCC took the difficult decision to keep both churches locked, and suspended services until further notice. Whilst recognising parishioners needs to visit the buildings “Church” is really about the people, with the overwhelming priority to keep everybody as safe as possible from COVID19. Rev Chris is recording worship on You Tube and Anthea and David invite you to join the on-line study group meeting on a Monday evening at 7.00pm. Truro Cathedral is live streaming Services over their You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wkaiiTFnmv1veVsITN2Jg There is the Church of England Daily Hope free phone line (0800 804 8044) available 24 hours a day with reflections, hymns and prayers, and many other on-line events from a variety of churches. Don’t forget Rev Chris is still available by telephone if you need him. (01872 263015). Christmas seems a long time away now, but we were fortunate in being able to hold socially distanced Carol Services at both churches on Christmas Eve which included a small choir at Kenwyn. Tea Time families attended in good numbers for a Christingle Service in early December and wore crowns and waved stars at the January Service marking Epiphany. At the time of writing no firm plans can be made regarding Easter Services etc, but there will be a Lent Course taking place over Zoom. Discussions regarding the consecration of the “unused” section of St Allen “new” Churchyard, are ongoing, requiring the satisfactory resolution of some legal issues. A contractor to refurbish Kenwyn Church bells has been instructed, work is currently underway repainting the actual bellframe, and grants have been applied for. Restrictions mean that ringing cannot take place so, for the first time in many years, no bells were rung at midnight on New Year’s Eve. A leak in the Nave roof at Kenwyn will be dealt with when the weather improves and a gas engineer has advised that, due to the age of the boiler, the intermittent fault should be managed until total replacement becomes inevitable. – Sounds expensive! Notification was received from the Diocese requesting a contribution of £69,502.00 towards the 2021 Ministry and Mission Fund, an increase of around 10%, and the PCC decided to continue paying at the 2020 rate. The money is used to cover the cost of clergy for the Parish plus a share of central costs. The Annual Parochial Church Meeting has been set for Sunday 16th May, so put the date in your diary now. That day Churchwardens will be elected and PCC Members appointed. 2 Helen Perry Please check the facebook page and A Church Near You website for update details regarding church opening and Services Click here: www.achurchnearyou.com/2437 www.achurchnearyou.com/2431 To make a financial donation click here: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/c64372ab-57e9-4ca0-a2de-c27b82faad65?fbclid=IwAR11Zs- ZUEs5cTPKYyTMgfFq1dvRahlf1E471sGVQBMZ5P94UUtRtof_tcY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Old Chinese proverb If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in the character. If there be beauty in the character, There will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the home There will be harmony in the nation When there is order in each nation There will be peace in the world 3 The crafty/creative retreat and weekend individually guided retreat in the new en-suite accommodation has proved to be very popular. It has been very difficult to plan retreats due to the constantly changing Covid-19 rules regarding when we can open. We will contact all those who have expressed an interest in small craft retreats and Individually Guided Retreats to suggest some provisional dates. If you have not already let us know but would be interested in such retreats, then please let us know and we will send the dates to you as well. Please send us your expressions of interest to [email protected]. We are re-opening as much as we are able given the restrictions in place due to the current guidelines. However, we have fewer staff now and they are mostly on reduced hours, so we cannot be open and available every day of the week. We ask for your patience if we are not available to answer your telephone call or email immediately. The Revd Janette Mullett continues to pray daily in the Chapel. If you have any prayer requests email [email protected]. All prayer requests are confidential. Our Prayer Community also continue to pray in their own homes for the communities around Epiphany House and for all whose lives are touched by the current crisis. Epiphany House has a team of experienced Spiritual Accompaniers who will be more than happy to make a phone call to those who may be struggling or feeling isolated at this time. If you would like someone to phone you please email [email protected] giving your name, phone number and best times to contact you and we will do our best to match you up. 4 KENWYN WITH ST ALLEN We invite YOU to Join a small friendly group for mutual support as we get to: Know God Show God Share God Currently we meet online for about an hour each week. Post-Covid we hope to meet in people’s homes. If you would like to join one of our groups now or when we are able to meet in homes, Please do get in touch! 01872 260409 or [email protected] The logo on this flier is used with permission. 5 Rhyme Time The answers to each pair of clues rhyme. One of three which Truro + A member of the landed Cathedral has gentry What a vicar does + A film about a Sovereign's impediment A book by William Thackeray + Also called Our Father The Eucharist or Lord's Supper + Annual message given by the American President Sir Trevor Macdonald used to + Visited Jesus after the present this shepherds Hymn written by John Newton + Held annually on the Thames Last book of the Old testament + TV series starring Judi Dench & Geoffrey Palmer Genus name for the owl + Small cross with Jesus on Hymn with words by Timothy + A book written by Dudley-Smith Alexander Dumas After Job and before Proverbs + Book written by Ernest Hemingway Answers in the next magazine 6 Gardening As we go into a New Year, we sometimes reflect on what happened during the last and boy what a lot to reflect on! Looking back on all the hardships of 2020 makes me look forward to making 2021 a better one.