March 2019 - United Church Winchester
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Magazine of
The United Church
Winchester
March 2019
The United Church 01962 849559
Jewry Street
Winchester
SO23 8RZ New website: ucw.org.uk
Minister Revd Tim Searle
Fellowship, Worship and Education
Co-ordinator Pat Fry 01962 880748
Asst Co-ordinator Juli Wills 01962 863057
Pastoral
Co-ordinator Graham Rolfe 01962 861506
Bereavement Sandy Foster 01489 890334
Flowers Distribution Lesley Worrall 01962 882269
Cradle Roll Ann Coleman 07739 793488
Students Sam Barnes 02380 685531
Finance
Co-ordinator Christine Cook 01962 884510
Payments and Expenses Ralph Jessop 01962 843114
Donations and Gift Aid David Worrall 01962 882269
Administration
Co-ordinator Bob Lord 01962 855910
Asst Co-ordinator Dorothy Lusmore 01962 885824
Office Administrator Naomi Honey 01962 849559
office@ucw.org.uk
Mission
Co-ordinators Jo Crocker 01962 622654
Jo Pellatt 01962 849334
Youth Worker Sam Barnes 07742 077114
sambarnesyouthworker@gmail.com
Live at Home Anna Miles 01962 890995
Magazine Editor Barbara Dunton 01962 882012
yours@unitedchurchwinchester.org.uk
2
Minister’s Letter
Sabbatical Reflections: Part 3 – More on
mindfulness
As part of our new church strategy you’ll have noticed that
exploring mindfulness as a church is one of our new strategic
priorities. In case it’s passed you by, here’s the relevant
excerpt from our new website (www.ucw.org.uk) which you
can find under ‘About Us’ (scroll down to ‘The Way Forward’
point 2):
Supporting ourselves and others, of all faiths and none, by
embracing Christian mindfulness in which we seek to
examine our lifestyles from a spiritual perspective, particularly
those aspects that affect our mental health and well-being;
our responsibility for God’s people.
That’s all well and good, you might say, but what do we
actually mean when talking about mindfulness? What’s it all
about? Is it just another meditative technique, or the latest
craze in a long line of self-help fads? Is it Buddhist in origin, and
if so what are we doing with it? Does it have anything to do
with Brian Draper’s soulfulness approach? Well to all of these
questions we could answer; yes … and no!
When talking about ‘Mindfulness’ (capital ‘M’) I’m most likely
referring to the therapeutic approach called MBCT
(Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) which was developed
by Zindel Segal and Mark Williams and was subsequently
turned into a bestselling book by Williams and Danny Penman.
Much of Williams and Segal’s MBCT approach is based on the
stress reduction research of Jon Kabat-Zinn who in the 70s
explored how eastern, particularly Buddhist meditation
practices, could be used to treat the chronically ill. Kabat-Zinn
found that by employing certain breathing techniques, and
centring or grounding exercises like the body-scan, that the
symptoms of stress were noticeably reduced. Williams and
Segal picked up on this research and developed it into a
3
psychotherapeutic approach which encourages the practice
of certain meditations as part of an eight-week course. Their
research showed that those who completed the course were
less likely to relapse into chronic illnesses such as depression or
anxiety. Furthermore, research suggests that continued use of
the meditations might actually change our brain chemistry for
the better.
At the heart of the approach are four key principles:
1. Being aware of our thoughts (as opposed to
automatically following them)
2. Accepting our thoughts and our experience of them
(rather than over-analysing)
3. Being grounded in the present (instead of replaying the
past/worrying about the future)
4. Not-judging our thoughts (rather than feeling guilt or
shame, for example, about them)
By approaching our thoughts in this way, and by taking the
time to slow down and reflect on how we’re thinking, we
become better able to deal with the mental load of our
frantic world. As I mentioned in my December letter, my first
experiences of yoga were as much about becoming more
mentally aware of body and mind in the present, as they were
about the physical exercise itself.
Those of you who are planning to come on our church
weekend in June will have the opportunity to learn more
about mindfulness. Under the guidance of Tim Stead, a
leading mindfulness practitioner and Anglican priest, we’ll
begin to explore what a Christian approach to mindfulness
might look like. Can it help us in our prayer life? Can it deepen
our experience of worship? By becoming more mindful of
ourselves can we also become more mindful of God? I hope
that together we’ll approach some of these questions with an
open-mind and be willing to allow our thinking to be truly
challenged.
Sincerely,
Tim
4
Church Family News
A number of members of our church have
moved house recently. So we send our best
wishes to Martin and Jessica Tringham,
Yvonne North, and Hilary Lock, and hope
that they will all soon be happily settled in
their new homes.
Several members of our congregation are faced with serious
illness. We continue to remember them and their families in
our prayers.
Graham Rolfe
When the Bough Breaks
(A poem in response to the Minister’s Letter in February Yours)
When the bough breaks birds spread their wings
And fly towards another Spring.
Earthbound creatures can but crawl through Winter’s frosted,
rutted lane
Brought to our knees by shock and pain.
Each old, familiar structure gone, with blinded eyes we
stumble on
Our hands upraised to ward off blows
We slip and slide through drifting snows.
Protectively we grow a shell to hide each personal glimpse of
hell
Our sores heal slowly, rarely cured but bravely borne and so
endured.
With faith we find our souls have wings to fold around all
broken things
When the bough breaks.
Rosemary MacMullen
5
Church Flowers
Thank you to everyone who has
helped by donating money towards
the flowers and those who arrange
them. The third task is to dismantle the
flowers and make a pastoral visit to
members.
If you are interested in joining either the team who arrange the
flowers or those who deliver them to our members in need, we
should love to have you join us.
You would also be most welcome to come to All Saints Flower
Club. Our March meeting is on Thursday 28th at 2 pm. We
have a demonstration by Martina Coleman entitled
‘Inspirations’. We meet at the Millennium Hall in Littleton and
the cost is £5, which includes refreshments. We look forward to
seeing you there.
Lesley Worrall 01962 882269
Winchester Churches Christmas Project 2018
The Christmas Project started within our Church in 1993, so 2018
marked 25 years since the very beginning. It started to grow
with the involvement of St Lawrence’s and St Swithun’s parish
the following year and has now grown to be truly ecumenical
with 79 volunteers from 17 different churches, with donations
from nine churches and many individuals. Over the years we
have managed to transform Christmas for many families, and
volunteers have found an extra blessing in their own Christmas
celebrations.
We work closely with a range of local agencies including A2
Dominion Care and Support, Hampshire Children’s Services,
Trinity Centre Women’s Services, Home-Start, Health Visitors,
Winchester Young Carers Project and The Women’s Refuge.
We only take on families referred by such agencies.
6
From mid-November onwards, each pair of volunteers will visit
a family to ascertain their needs and then to shop with, or on
behalf of them. Those visited are in charge as much as
possible – they choose what will make Christmas special for
them. Each family has a set amount of money allocated and
there are no strings attached to our help. Some items chosen
are strictly utilitarian, such as the buying of warm winter clothes
or payment of a worrying bill. Others are food – essentials with
some treats thrown in – or the fun stuff such as toys, presents or
a morale-boosting treat. Among other items this year were a
drone, a printer, petrol and several haircuts.
Last Christmas, as usual, the help given by our wonderful
volunteers was thoughtful and imaginative. We show our
Christian faith and witness in caring for and helping those we
visit. Sometimes the money is not the most important bit –
knowing that someone is prepared to spend time and take
the trouble to listen can mean a lot.
This year the Project helped 27 families
(42 adults + 49 children), 6 single people
and 16 young people living in the City
Road and Sussex Street Hostels. A total of
113 people. We hope that our efforts have helped people at
a difficult time of year and given a glimpse of God’s love
through our practical action. A flavour of what it meant to
some families…
• ‘Thank you for helping to make our first Christmas in our
new home extra special. We had a great time thanks to
your help.’
• ‘We had a lovely time with them [our volunteers].’
• ‘Thank you so much for making our holiday so special! You
managed to turn a difficult year into a happy ending!
Thank you.’
7
• ‘They [our volunteers] have been very kind to us and really
made our Christmas better. The two ladies were amazing
and I would like to tell them THANK YOU!!’
• ‘I can’t thank you enough for helping to put smiles on all
our faces and making this Christmas special. As a family
we enjoyed all the lovely treats and goodies on the table,
a new working kettle and gorgeous clothes for the
children.’
• ‘We went to Asda with our volunteers, it was great! It really
helped us out. It took the pressure off worrying about the
Christmas food. Thank you so much!’
• ‘…we also got a delicious Christmas cake which was such
a surprise!’
Each year, for many years, Isabel Witham has cooked and
decorated eleven small Christmas cakes for our
families – eleven! They are exquisite and
delicious and give families a lovely extra surprise.
Now Isabel has reluctantly decided she cannot
continue so we would like to record our
enormous thanks to her for all she has done for the Project.
One of the agencies said ‘Thank you for being part of such a
special project. I know that this can be challenging but your
kindness makes a real difference. What you may not realise is
that it helps build trust and faith within them that other people
do care and want to support … Thank you for all you do and
your generosity.’
We are very grateful for everyone who supported the Project –
through donations, volunteering and prayer. Thank you so
much. Do consider becoming a volunteer next Christmas!
Helen McTiffin
Joint Co-ordinator
8
A Methodist Church in Barbados
Whilst Alison Wood was recently on holiday on Barbados (now
wearing a hair shirt since reading Tim’s February letter) she sent the
following email to her House Group. They suggested to Alison that
she should send it to Yours as they felt it was worth sharing with
everyone. Hopefully you agree with them. Ed.
I thought I’d just share a little about our experience this
morning attending the service at
Holetown Methodist Church, Barbados. It
was an interesting mix of old and new. It
is many years since I have sung ‘Jesus
wants me for a Sunbeam’, together with
ladies wearing hats (probably 50! – years
I mean, not hats) and yet the screen and
projection were right up to date. I don’t know if you had
Nehemiah chapter 8 as your Old Testament reading today but
I did admire the reader who was faultless with all the difficult
names.
What Clive and I really talked about afterwards, though, were
the notices, welcome and time of sharing. There was such
enthusiasm about all the activities and a microphone was
handed around so that those involved could give more details
and a personal invitation.
Then came the welcome to newcomers and visitors (about
ten of us). We were invited to stand, which we did, only then
to be informed that they would like us to introduce ourselves
and the microphone was passed to each one of us to say
where we came from and a little about ourselves. We were all
given a pen with the name of the church and minister plus her
telephone number printed on it.
After that the names of those with birthdays the following
week had to stand while we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’. There
was a bouquet of flowers and present for anyone over 80.
Finally, the microphone was passed round again so that any
pastoral news could be shared including congratulations,
9
information about people who are ill and someone who had
had a fall.
Although it was a little nerve-racking to do the introduction,
the combination of everything meant that at the end of the
service people very naturally came up to speak to us and we
had things to say to them about their lives and the life of the
church.
I’m not suggesting we necessarily adopt this at The United
Church but it does give food for thought. There was certainly
no chance of visitors being overlooked or not welcomed!
Alison Wood
Annual Church Meeting
Sunday 24 March 2019
The Annual Church Meeting of The
United Church will be held immediately
after the 10.30 service on Sunday 24
March. It will be followed by a Bring and
Share lunch. Everybody in our
congregation is invited to attend the
meeting, although voting is restricted to members of the
church.
This meeting is the annual opportunity to take stock of the
progress of The United Church over the past year. It will
include the presentation of the annual accounts for 2018.
Elsewhere in this edition of Yours you will find reports from the
co-ordinators of the various areas of church life: these will be
taken as read at the meeting, so please look at them before
then.
Our constitution says that elections for membership of Church
Council should take place at the Annual Meeting. Our
minister, Tim Searle, is the Chair of the Council; all other
members are elected for three years in the first instance.
Christine Cook (Finance Co-ordinator), Jo Crocker and Jo
10Pellatt (joint Mission Co-ordinators) have served three years,
but are willing to continue if the meeting agrees.
Helen McTiffin and Lorraine Giffin (both Council members
without portfolio) and Graham Rolfe (Pastoral Co-ordinator)
are retiring from the Council. So there are three vacancies, i.e.
Pastoral Co-ordinator and two members without portfolio. In
addition, a Minutes Secretary is needed for the Church
Council.
There are also vacancies for the following posts:
Worship stewards
United Church representative to the URC Wessex Synod
United Church representative to the Methodist Circuit
Do give these vacancies serious thought. If you feel able to
offer to take on one of these roles (or would like to nominate
someone else!), please tell Graham Rolfe by Sunday 10
March. And if you have any item for the agenda, please tell
Graham by the same date.
The agenda will be published on Sunday 17 March.
Co-ordinator Reports
Fellowship, Worship and Education Report – Pat Fry
Worship is always central to the life of a church; it is good that
we are able to continue to provide two different worship
services on a Sunday, and a short service on a Friday morning.
We are fortunate that so many people are willing and able to
play a part in enabling our services whether as preachers,
worship leaders, stewards, musicians, intercessors, flower-
arrangers, or in a host of less obvious but equally essential
ways behind the scenes: helping with IT, simply being
welcoming, supporting with prayer, sorting the heating, ...and
all the things I’ve failed to mention. We are all grateful for so
much faithful service. In particular, I would like to thank Mike
Foster for organising the rotas so efficiently. If you would like to
11play a practical part in facilitating worship, please speak to
me, Juli, Tim or Mike. It is only a few weeks since I took on the
co-ordinator role, and I would like to stress it is just that – a co-
ordinator for a team effort.
We have six house groups meeting regularly, and during the
year we have explored a range of topics including
sustainability, Bible studies on both Jonah and the post-Easter
stories, and the ethical and pastoral issues raised by the
television series Broken. New members are always welcome.
This year’s Bible month topic will be Colossians, and we will
engage with it during late June and July.
Wednesday Fellowship provides an afternoon of Christian
fellowship with a range of speakers, much appreciated by
some older members. Young children and their parents and
carers find a welcome at Baby and Toddler Group, Coffee Bar
Playtime and Messy Church.
Perhaps the highlight of the year was the Church Re-Launch in
December, and the Advent Angel display. Lots of visitors
came in, and the thoughtful ‘Journey through Advent’ was
much appreciated. Many people had never been upstairs to
the sanctuary before, and were delighted to find a
welcoming and prayerful oasis away from the pre-Christmas
bustle of the city.
We look forward to our church weekend away in June. At the
time of writing, there are still a few places available, so if you
would like to take this opportunity for us to get to know each
other better, please speak to a member of Church Council.
Pastoral Report – Graham Rolfe
At the last Annual Meeting in April 2018, the number of Church
Members was 164. Since then, we have received two new
members by transfer, two people have moved away, and two
members have died, so the current total is 162. During the
year there have been two weddings in the church, three
baptisms and two funerals. We are sad to have to record the
12deaths of June Beard, who was a long-standing member of
The United Church, and Maggie Gerard, who came into
church membership fairly recently. We miss them both.
I am very grateful for the support given by the other members
of the pastoral team and for the regular work done by the
pastoral visitors by keeping in touch with members of the
congregation. The helpers in the Coffee Bar provide an
important part of pastoral care – both with members of the
fellowship and with other customers. The support and advice
of the Live at Home Scheme is much valued.
Two other teams should be mentioned – the hospitality team
who prepare food at various times through the year, and the
team of flower arrangers, together with friends, who deliver
the church flowers to members of the congregation who are
in particular need at the time.
Finally, I must express our thanks to Tim Searle for his concern
and care for members of the congregation, shown in so many
ways. Please pray for the continuing work of pastoral care
within and beyond the church fellowship.
Finance Report – Christine Cooke
The budget agreed for 2018 at last year’s ACM was a planned
deficit of £66k. We ended up with a deficit of just under £50k,
so better than planned, but this was because some of the
agreed capital work has not taken place, and we have not
yet made the final payment on the dais. If all this had taken
place, we would probably have spent another £20k, so would
have ended up with a larger deficit than planned.
If we take out the effect of capital expenditure, the Manse
money, the Reg Wooldridge legacy, and the Roy Smith fund
the planned outcome was a surplus of £1,500, and the actual
was a deficit of £15,437.
13This was a combination of lower income and higher costs. The
lower income was due mostly to lower than expected income
from premises and church organisations.
Higher expenditure was mostly due to the extra one-off cost of
£4.5k for publicity, etc. for the updated website, logo and
open days, which was agreed at Church Meeting, but we also
spent more than expected on Maintenance, Gas and
Electricity.
We are looking at how to improve this in 2019. A small group is
helping Naomi with the invoicing to users of the premises,
which should improve that figure. We have recently changed
Electricity provider, which should save a significant amount
over the year.
We still have a very healthy reserve, significantly above our
stated minimum, but in the longer term, as we complete the
planned building work we need to run a balanced budget.
This may mean we need to look at further savings, or ways to
increase our income. If you are a UK income-tax payer, you
can help with this by ensuring that your giving to The United
Church is covered by Gift Aid. If you are not already doing this
David Worrall or myself would be very happy to talk to you
about how to do this.
The full annual accounts are planned to be complete and
scrutinised by the Annual Church meeting, so that they can be
approved. I will present a summary from the accounts at the
meeting, as there will not be time to go into the full details. A
printout of the full accounts will be available at the meeting,
and copies will also available in advance from the church
office, from Sunday 10 March.
.
If you do have any questions about the figures or the accounts
please let me know, as I am happy to explain them in more
detail.
14Administration Report– Bob Lord
Thanks to all those who work behind the scenes to keep our
building safe, warm, well-lit and well maintained. I am grateful
to Eric Craig, Tim James, Christine Cook, Robin Cook, David
Teale, Martin Ramsey and John Heath.
Thanks also to Richard Coleman for his initiative in improving
our communications. Thanks to his work and the help of Tim
Searle, Dorothy Lusmore and Mike Holt we have a new
website which receives many visitors, and regularly updated
social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter and, by the time
you read this, Instagram. We have an updated logo and
noticeboards, all with the aim of making ourselves more visible
to potential newcomers. Our Church Relaunch Open Days
went ahead at the beginning of Advent, an event which was
enhanced by the wonderful Christmas Revealed and by many
volunteers welcoming our many visitors warmly, offering free
coffee or playing delightful music. We were able share what
we are about with regular users of the building as well those
coming in especially for the Open Days.
In the last year we have updated our Safety Policy, and
implemented a Data Protection and Privacy Policy.
I am grateful to our staff: Naomi Honey offering a warm
welcome in the office, and Dave Gibbons who keeps the
building clean with his unflaggingly cheerful disposition. Finally
thank you also to Dorothy Lusmore for her invaluable help and
support as Assistant Co-ordinator.
Mission Report – World Action Group/World Mission – Jo Pellatt
We have had a successful year of fundraising and recently
sent £6,000 to our World Action Group project Luna Children’s
Charity who train local practitioners in several countries to
provide therapy to children suffering trauma and PTSD. This
brings the total sent so far to £8,000 and we are on track to
meet our target of £10,000 over two years.
15Events have included a sunny summer afternoon of desserts
and ice cream and an autumn evening of curry. We will
shortly be holding our annual pancake event (5 March) and
Mike and Hilary Holt will be hosting an AV evening on 23
March which will be well worth attending. The money that we
have sent most recently will be used to fund an upcoming
training trip.
Our initial two-year support for Luna comes to an end this
summer and the World Action Group would be grateful for
feedback as to whether we would like to continue this support
for a further year, as we have sometimes done with projects in
the past, or whether we should start the process of choosing a
new project. Please let a member of the group know your
thoughts. Just a note that Luna Children’s Charity have a new
working name which is ‘Action for Child Trauma International’
which they feel more accurately reflects the work that they
do.
We marked Christian Aid week with another Big Brekkie; a little
extra to add to the important funds raised by all in our church
who are dedicated Christian Aid Week collectors. The
Traidcraft stall continues to be appreciated by regular and
occasional customers and we were glad that the possible
closure of Traidcraft did not have to happen; many thanks to
those who give their time to allow this to run and particularly to
Hilary Lock and all the time and effort that she dedicates to
keeping it stocked and running smoothly. Fairtrade Fortnight
has a focus on chocolate this year and the Coffee Bar plan to
offer a chocolate cake every day containing fairtrade
ingredients.
As part of the Churches Together in Winchester support for
Syrian families relocated to Winchester, we have been able to
offer our premises to host occasional get-togethers and the
families all feel very at home at United; most recently we had
a Christmas tea and the families were able to enjoy some time
up in the sanctuary to see the Angels. The ladies continue to
meet in the Coffee Bar for conversation sessions, and the Rural
16Refugee Network, through Stella Charman, have utilised the
building for activities in the school holidays.
I represent United on the Circuit Refugee Support Group
which, as well as supporting a Syrian family in Alresford, has
been holding regular coffee mornings to raise funds for
charities connected to refugees or asylum seekers. The group
has come to the decision that it is now time to re-assess their
role and activities, and rather than continue to meet regularly
and hold any more coffee mornings hope to do more hands-
on activity – several members recently volunteered at a
session sorting donations for Southampton Action.
Mission Report – Care for Creation – Jo Crocker
• June 2018 Church Meeting vote for Education for
Sustainability (EfS) focus within The Way Forward
• Green Week The inaugural Winchester Green Week
organised by WinACC, Churches Together in
Winchester and the University of Winchester. The United
Church was a key partner in terms of the coffee bar
involvement (featured on That’s TV Hampshire),
fairtrade shop, Green Service.
• Hope for Planet Earth series in Yours throughout 2018
• Church Council Plus session on EfS in October 2018.
Vision statements out of that in November Yours.
• Sustainability and Church? House Group material ran in
Autumn 2018. Feedback comments in Feb 2019 Yours.
• Ongoing work towards achieving Bronze level on the
Eco Church Awards, including switching to a renewable
energy supplier for electricity (Good Energy), and
measuring the Church’s Carbon Footprint (27 tonnes
based on 2017 data).
17• Advent Revealed Angels constructed by people in our
community using donated and recycled resources (i.e.
very little ‘new’ materials), and most deconstructed at
end of Advent and sorted to be reused (by craft club
and junior church or recycled – plastic, paper and
fabric) leaving only one shopping bag size of ‘rubbish’.
• Formation of an EfS group of leaders who have
developed a framework for the year ahead (see article
elsewhere in this Yours).
Junior Church Report – Pat Fry
This is a brief report, in Rosie Mellor’s absence working for the
Methodist Church in Hong Kong.
Junior Church continues to meet on Sunday mornings as two
or three groups. The programme usually follows the lectionary
using ‘Roots’; also the older group have completed a Youth
Alpha course. New children are always welcome.
Inspirational Christians
This is the sixth and final article in a series introducing
inspirational Christians, as discovered by South Wonston House
Group. The idea is to learn a bit more about what is behind
well-known names and to encourage people to find out more
for themselves. We have heard about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St
Francis of Assisi, Oscar Romero, Cecil Alexander and Julian of
Norwich. This month it is:
Corrie ten Boom
‘Faith sees the invisible, believes the
unbelievable,
… and receives the impossible.’
You are my hiding place;
you will save me from trouble.
I sing aloud of your salvation,
because you protect me. Psalm 32:7
18Corrie ten Boom was born in 1892 into a Calvinist family,
members of the Dutch Reformed Church. Her father was a
watchmaker and Corrie herself trained and qualified as the
first female licensed watchmaker in Holland.
In addition to working in her father's shop, she established a
youth club for teenage girls, which provided religious
instruction as well as classes in the performing arts, sewing and
handicrafts. The family’s faith inspired them to serve their
society, offering shelter, food, and money to those in need,
and they firmly believed that Israel was God’s chosen people
which formed a basis for their work with the Jews.
Together with her family, Corrie became part of an
underground movement for Jews and refugees in the early
1940s and helped many to escape the Nazi Holocaust during
the Second World War by hiding them in their home. Her
father took to wearing the yellow star to show solidarity with
the Jews and they honoured the Jewish Sabbath but made no
attempt at the conversion of those staying in their home.
Through friends, they managed to get ration cards to pass on
to Jewish people who could not get cards themselves. In 1942
the Resistance sent an architect to the Ten Boom home to
build a secret room in a wardrobe, which later became
known as the Hiding Place, and also an alert buzzer to warn
the refugees to get into the room as quickly as possible.
In 1944 they were betrayed to the authorities and the whole
family was arrested for illegally
obtaining ration cards.
However, six people remained
undetected in the secret room
– after four days in hiding they
were transferred along the
underground route and
escaped. Some family
members were released but
her father, Corrie, and her sister Betsy were transferred to a
concentration camp where her father soon died. The sisters
were sent to Ravensbruck, a female labour camp, in Germany
19where they held worship services after hard days at work,
using a Bible that they had managed to smuggle in. Whilst
there they began to discuss plans for a place of healing after
the war but Betsy's health deteriorated and she died on 16
December 1944. Two weeks later Corrie was released due to
a clerical error, shortly before all the women in her age group
were sent to the gas chambers. She returned home alone
and opened her doors to disabled people who were hiding for
fear of execution.
After the war she set up a rehabilitation centre for
concentration-camp survivors and for the unemployed
people who had collaborated with Germans during the
Occupation. Practicing and teaching forgiveness, Corrie
returned to Germany in 1946 and met with, and forgave, two
Germans who had been employed at Ravensbrück, one of
whom was particularly cruel to Betsy. Although teaching and
speaking about the importance of forgiveness, it was a
struggle for it to become personal reality for her as she shook
hands with her sister’s tormentor.
Accounts of her life, work, and teaching on forgiveness may
be found in her book The Hiding Place, and she travelled to
more than sixty countries as a public speaker.
‘It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability that
counts.’
‘Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today
of its strength.’
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.’
‘When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you
don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust
the engineer.’
Corrie ten Boom was Knighted by the Queen of the
Netherlands in recognition of her work during the war and
Israel honoured her with the designation ‘Righteous Among
the Nations’.
Holocaust Remembrance Day was 27 January.
20The Wednesday Fellowship
Join us for fun and fellowship over a good cup of tea.
March 2019
Please read the Weekly Notice Sheets for Events
6 March Yvonne North Making Bags for Presents
13 March A.G.M. Songs of Praise
20 March Pat Fry Pressure Cookers & Daffodils,
TLC for your mind
27 March Barbara Hillier Hebridean Adventure
In January we enjoyed the following events:
23 January Pamela Gilbert New Beginnings
Jesus said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ His promise is to all -
to each of us individuals and to the world as a
whole - his words speak to every aspect of life,
to every place and every time. It is a promise
that finds an echo in the coming season of
spring, and again in the glorious Easter Message
of resurrection and new life.
Yet all too often we forget, losing sight of the transforming
power of God in Christ. In the reading of Ecclesiastes 2: 22-26,
are the words, "there is nothing new under the sun". It feels like
that sometimes, doesn't it? The same problems beset our lives,
the same failings afflict the Church, the same tensions divide
our world. Can things really change? Does it make sense to
talk of hope?
Or is our talk of new beginnings mere naivety? Well-
intentioned but misguided idealism? We claim, for example,
to be a new creation, yet all too often the old self rears its
head in such a way that we despair sometimes of ever
21changing. We long to be different, to follow Christ more
faithfully, but though the spirit is willing the flesh is weak.
If that's how you feel, take heart from the words of Paul to the
Romans. In Romans 7: 14-25, Paul here gives expression to the
frustration we have all felt at our inability to change, but he
speaks also of the hope we share in Christ, reminding us that
what we cannot do, God can.
We speak of new beginnings, but these are not always in
evidence.
For in hope we are saved.
Now, hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we can wait for it with
patience.
30 January Richard Costard Songs from the South
Richard showed us a powerpoint presentation of the history of
slavery which was practiced throughout the
American colonies in the 17th and 18th
centuries. African slaves helped build the new
nation into an economic powerhouse through
the production of lucrative crops such as
tobacco and cotton.
By the mid-19th century, America’s westward
expansion and the abolition movement
provoked a great debate over slavery that
would tear the nation apart in the bloody Civil War. Though
the Union victory freed the nation’s four million slaves, the
legacy of slavery continued to influence American history,
from the Reconstruction era to the Civil Rights movement that
emerged a century after emancipation.
From the 1830s to the 1860s, the movement to abolish slavery
in America gained strength, led by free blacks such as
Frederick Douglas and white supporters such as Willian Lloyd
Douglas, founder of the radical newspaper The Liberator, and
Harriet Beecher Stowe, who published the bestselling
antislavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
22On 22 September, 1862, Lincoln issued a preliminary
emancipation proclamation, and on 1 January 1863, he made
it official that ‘slaves within any State, or designated part of a
State in rebellion…shall be then, thence forward, and forever
free.’
During the afternoon's presentation we sang a number of
songs that had been sung by the slaves including ‘Michael
row the boat ashore’, ‘Steal away, steal away to Jesus’ and
‘Swing low sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home’.
Pamela Gilbert
The letter below was sent to Churches for the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. It was decided to reproduce it in Yours so
everyone has the opportunity to read it.
Leading Church Figures Urge Christians to Participate In Week
of Prayer For Christian Unity (18–25 January)
Christian leaders across the UK have today (18 January) issued
a joint letter encouraging Christians of all denominations to
join in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which runs from 18
to 25 January 2019.
The letter, whose signatories include Archbishop Justin Welby
(Archbishop of Canterbury); Cardinal Archbishop Vincent
Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster); The Revd Michaela
Youngson (President of the Methodist Conference), His
Eminence Archbishop Angaelos (Coptic Archbishop of
London) and Pastor Agu Irukwu (Chair of Redeemed Christian
Church of God UK) – invites Christians to participate in this call
to prayer with the ‘utmost seriousness’.
The letter’s central message urges Christians to ‘pray together
for Christian unity, in our life together, our witness and our
longing to see the Kingdom of God in the midst of our world’
and to ‘find ways to give expression to our search for greater
unity in obedience to the command of Christ that we love one
another,’ citing Jesus’s last prayer on unity taken from John 17.
23The leaders also encourage Christians not just to pray during
the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity but also to get involved
in Thy Kingdom Come – a global ecumenical prayer
movement in which Christians pray for more people to
become followers of Jesus Christ.
Thy Kingdom Come, now in its fourth year, has united over a
million Christians from more than 65 different denominations
and traditions, in more than 114 countries to pray for
evangelisation. It takes place between Ascension to
Pentecost which this year is 30 May–9 June.
Commenting on the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity, Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: ‘We should
never underestimate the power of prayer nor
our need of the strength that God gives us
through prayer. I appeal to all to take to heart
this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Growth in
unity comes about, above all, as a gift of God.
Our shared life in Christ is the powerful source of our shared
mission. May this Week of Prayer, as well as the time of prayer
at Pentecost, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, strengthen our common
life and mission.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: ‘Unity in truth
and faithfulness in witness are gifts to the Church
from the heart of God. Each requires the other.
Please join with us and other faithful servants of
Christ in churches across England as we pray for
the Holy Spirit to work in us to fulfil God’s purpose
(Philippians 2.13).’
Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great
Britain, said: ‘As I meet churches and leaders across Baptists
Together it is very clear to me that God is at work stirring up a
renewed passion for prayer and a fresh desire to work
together because we long to see God’s Kingdom come in our
communities and nations. Pray, deepen relationships and be
part of what God is doing in these days!’
24Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Archbishop of
London, said: ‘As we experience significant
challenges across our own nation and become
more aware of the very real struggles
experienced by Christian sisters and brothers in
the Middle East and around the world, as well
as so many others who struggle in a variety of
ways, it is paramount that we come together and offer our
prayers collectively. It is especially at times of apparent
hopelessness and powerlessness that we call upon God’s
grace and are reminded of the collective strength we have in
prayer, being and offering light in darkness as the Body of
Christ.’
Speaking about Thy Kingdom Come, the Revd Michaela
Youngson, President of Methodist Conference, said: ‘Thy
Kingdom Come is a fantastic example of Christian Churches
working together, not for their own sake but for the sake of all
God’s people. Prayer is at the heart of all we do, leading us to
acts of love and care in response to the love of God that we
see most clearly in Jesus Christ.’
EfS@church
Education for Sustainability – a process of learning, towards
constructive ways of living.
First, let me introduce the group of EfS leaders. We are
individuals with a breadth of experience and passion in areas
of sustainability, leadership, linking theology with issues of our
time, ethics and education: Tim Searle, Neil Messer, Andrea
Berriman, Steve Lawson, Howard Mellor and Jo Crocker. We
aim to be a guiding body, to steer our community along this
EfS process. It is not a working group that has been delegated
to take action for our church.
We share with you the framework we have come up with for
our approach over the year ahead, because all of us in the
church are involved in inspiring each other, learning from
25each other and taking practical action which shapes our
community.
So, what is the point of a framework like this? It helps us ensure
we are taking a holistic approach to a complex and
challenging issue. It will help us ensure everyone is part of it
because we recognise the individual and collective levels of
involvement. We want to make connections between head
and heart and hands – thinking, inspiration and practical
doing. Whenever you have a question or an idea or learn
something or make an observation – throw it into the mix by
raising it with one of the leaders. Out of the melting pot will
come tasks and projects and pieces of work that will call on
particular gifts.
Specifically at this stage we are looking for:
• people who like dealing with statistics and data
• crafters who would like to help make a 3d model of the
world
We have an exciting year ahead.
Coming up:
To follow up on February’s EfS@Church article, over 200
people attended the film Tomorrow shown by WinACC and
the University on 5 February at The Stripe, and many lingered
afterwards for an hour to reflect on the stories shared. They
were inspired to learn of low carbon approaches to food,
26waste, energy, education and democracy. Another
opportunity for anyone to discuss issues of sustainability is
coming up on Saturday 9 March at a WinACC Café
Gathering: informal drop in 10-11.30 at The Bike Hub at Open
House Deli (4a Middle Brook Street).
Lastly, although many of you will be using the ‘Broken’ material
in house groups through Lent, you may be interested to look at
the following material
for use on your own.
Living Lent is an initiative
hosted by JPIT (the Joint
Public Issues Team of
the URC, Methodist
Church, the Church of Scotland and the Baptist Union). You
are invited to become part of an online community who will
respond to the call to climate action by making significant
personal commitments to changing our lifestyles for the
climate. Find out more at https://livinglent.org
Jo Crocker
New Coffee Bar Helpers Needed
The Coffee Bar is a great way that the church
supports the local community and visitors to the
city. It is open Monday to Saturday and is run
entirely by volunteers. If you are interested in
being involved then please contact Pauline Brooks (01962
851554) or speak to Naomi in the church office.
A number of volunteers have joined our team through 'word of
mouth' via church members. Not all helpers are members of
this church. Please also encourage any contacts of yours who
might be interested to get in touch. The time commitment is
very variable, for instance once a week, once a month or
filling in empty slots as suits. Shifts are 9.30–12.00 or 12.00–2.30
Monday to Friday, 10.00–12.30 Saturday. Your availability will
always be sought before the rota is compiled.
27You will be given information and support as a new helper.
We're very grateful to all our helpers, old and new! I hope that
I speak for us all in saying that this is an enjoyable way of
serving our community.
Pauline Brookes
Fundraising Event for Luna Children’s Charity
28PANCAKES!
Join us on Shrove Tuesday to
enjoy freshly cooked pancakes
served with a range of sweet and
savoury toppings.
United Church, Jewry Street
Tuesday 5 March
4.00 pm–6.30 pm
Our Pancake event will be to raise
funds for our overseas mission project
- please do join us to eat lots and give
generously!
The project that we are currently supporting is Luna Children’s
Charity (now Action for Child Trauma International) which is a
charity that helps children who have experienced trauma to
move forward with their lives. It is a child-centred organisation
that trains and supports local people working with children
and young people traumatised by conflict, violence and
disaster.
Skilled and experienced volunteer child mental health and
education practitioners are trained in the UK and overseas to
lead the work. They train local mental health professionals and
others working closely with child victims of trauma, together
with their families and communities, to relieve the symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They use a child-centred
therapeutic protocol, Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy
(CATT), which empowers local communities with a new and
effective individual approach to the treatment of
psychological trauma in children suffering from some of the
29worst effects of violence. Luna’s model not only enables local
people to use CATT, but provides those who have gained a
high level of experience with the skills to train others. This
generates growth in the skills and knowledge needed to
manage and treat PTSD, and ensures the sustainability of the
work. Because CATT may be used by people who are not
mental health practitioners, Luna’s model is able to address
the suffering of children in parts of the world where mental
health services are non-existent or under-resourced.
World Action Group
Mission Project
Audio Visual Evening
We are planning to give another of our
Audio-Visual Presentations in support of the
LUNA Mission Project on Saturday 23 March
2019 at 7.30 pm.
This will include AVs from our visits to India’s
Golden Triangle and South Africa, including
rural life, wildlife, and cultural highlights.
Make it a date for your diary and bring along your friends for
what should be an entertaining and informative evening, with
light refreshments.
Hilary & Mike Holt
April 2019 Yours Magazine
Publication date for the April 2019
magazine (the next one) is Sunday 31
March. The deadline for articles and
notices is Monday 18 March.
All contributions gratefully received.
The Yours Team is: Barbara Dunton and Sophie Armstrong
Email: yours@unitedchurchwinchester.org.uk
30Mental Health First Aid
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take part in the
mental health first aid training course here organised by the
Wessex Synod. The concept was new to me, and probably to
many of you. So let me try to answer frequently asked
questions.
1 Why mental health first aid?
In the developed world there is a huge increase in mental
illness and suicide. Much of this increase is the result of high
levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Getting appropriate
help early is vital. There are many commonsense things we
can do to help ourselves and those we care about cope
before stress gets too bad.
2 What has a mental health first aider learnt?
During the two-day course I had the opportunity to:
a) Hone my listening skills;
b) Learn to be aware of signals that there is a
problem, and when that problem requires
immediate professional help;
c) Learn about less well-known sources of help;
d) Learn about ways of boosting our own
mental health; e) Learn to be aware of
triggers to avoid when dealing with someone in mental
distress, and how to reduce risk whilst waiting for professional
help.
3 What a mental health first aider is not
Just as a first aider is not a paramedic or a doctor, I am not a
qualified counsellor, nurse or doctor. I cannot diagnose, I do
not have medical training.
4 What can a mental health first aider do?
• Listen with greater awareness when someone offloads
stress or anxiety;
31• Notice when someone is struggling, and suggest where
help may be found;
• Address the stigma, prejudice, and inappropriate fear
often associated with mental illness;
• Know what to do in an emergency situation for safety
whilst waiting for professional help;
• Publicise information about self help to manage stress.
Useful website: www.actionforhappiness.org: see Ten keys to
happier living .
Pat Fry
World Day of Prayer
Friday 1 March 2019 at 12 15 pm
United Church, Jewry St
An ecumenical Service prepared by the people of
Slovenia
All welcome
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Church Offertory Envelopes
The new church offertory envelopes starting from April will be
available for collection from the table at the top of the ramp
from Sunday 3 March. If you have any queries about the
scheme please contact Tim Peshall via the church office.
3233
34
Dates for March 2019
1 Friday Worship in the Church 11-11.20am
World Day of Prayer at United Church 12.15pm
5 Baby & Toddler Group in the Hall 2pm-3.30pm
Daytime House Group in the Chapel 2.30pm
PANCAKES in aid of Luna in the Hall 4-6.30pm
6 Fairtrade stall in the Coffee Lounge 10am-2pm
Wednesday Fellowship in Room 1 2.30pm
7 Coffee Bar Playtime in Room 1 10am-1pm
MESSY CHURCH 3.30-5.15pm
8 Friday Worship in the Church 11-11.20am
12 Baby & Toddler Group in the Hall 2pm-3.30pm
13 Wednesday Fellowship 2.30pm
14 Coffee Bar Playtime in Room 1 10am-1pm
TOY SALE for Luna Children’s Charity 10-12noon
15 Friday Worship in the Church 11-11.20am
19 Baby & Toddler Group in the Hall 2pm-3.30pm
Daytime House Group in the Chapel 2.30pm
20 Fairtrade stall in the Coffee Lounge 10am-2pm
Wednesday Fellowship in Room 1 2.30pm
21 Coffee Bar Playtime in Room 1 10am-1pm
22 Friday Worship in the Church 11-11.20am
25 Craft Club in Room 1 10-12noon
26 Baby & Toddler Group in the Hall 2pm-3.30pm
27 Wednesday Fellowship in Room 1 2.30pm
28 Coffee Bar Playtime in Room 1 10am-1pm
Circuit Events in March
Circuit Prayer Fellowship: 14 March at Cadnam
Methodist at 7.30 pm
Circuit Meeting: 19 March at Chandlers Ford at 7.30 pm
Local Preachers & Worship Leaders Meeting: 7 March at
Romsey Methodist Church, 7.30 pm
35Services for March 2019
3 MARCH
9.00 am Word & Worship Revd Robert Kitching
10.30 am Holy Communion Revd Tim Searle
10 MARCH – LENT 1
9.00 am Holy Communion Revd Tim Searle
10.30 am Morning Worship Revd Tim Searle
17 MARCH – LENT 2
9.00 am Word & Worship Revd Tim Searle
10.30 am Morning Worship Revd Susan Keegan
von Allmen
24 MARCH – LENT 3
9.00 am Holy Communion Revd Tim Searle
10.30 am Morning Worship Revd Tim Searle
followed by
Annual Church Meeting
31 MARCH – MOTHERING SUNDAY; LENT 4
9.00 am Holy Communion Revd Tim Searle
10.30am Morning Worship Revd Tim Searle
Additional Services in March
Friday Worship: pause for thought (weekly), 11–11.20 am
Messy Church – 7 March
3.30–5.15 pm (straight from school)
Fun, games, craft, DVD, Bible Stories and a shared meal.
Children must bring an adult with them.
Future date: 4 April
36You can also read
