Number 670 August/September 2018
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August/September 2018 Number 670 The magazine of the Bridge Church, Otley
The official Magazine of the
Bridge United Reformed Church, Otley
Minister:- Reverend Jason McCullagh
Telephone: 01943 465509
Email: jason.mccullagh@otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Dear friends
I consider friendship to be one of the key elements of a
blessed life; but to really experience the power of friendship,
you must be a great friend yourself. The Bible has quite a bit
to say about friendship. Proverbs 18:24 teaches us two
important things when it comes to being a friend:
– If we want to have friends, we must first sow friendship.
– If we try to be a friend to everyone then we cannot be a
true friend to any.
Like-minded people are drawn to each other and the
attitudes of those you spend time with tend to rub off on
you. When it comes to friendships, who you keep company
with matters a great deal. Who we choose as our friends is
so very important. Friends should build us up and take us
forward.
A good friend is loyal and has the courage to be truthful with
you – always with your best interests at heart. Their honesty
helps to keep you on track. Such friends will also help you
not to become distracted with things that have the potential
to harm or sabotage your future.
Do you have these kinds of friendships? Are you sowing
friendship? Are you keeping good company and nurturing the
friendships you have? Perhaps there are some friendships in
your life that are a negative influence… you may need to
leave those behind. Pursue godly friends who will help build
your life and take you forward.
Many qualities are necessary for a good friendship, including
honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty and unconditional
acceptance. A friendship should make both people in the
2
relationship happy; both people should have fun when they
spend time together. It's possible that friendship can exist
between two people at one stage of life, but life changes and
personal growth may make friendship impossible at another
stage.
Friendship is a type of relationship between two people who
care about each other. But such a dry definition doesn't do
the concept of friendship justice. Consider these examples: A
friend is the first person you want to call when you hear good
news. A friend remembers that you don't like pickles on your
sandwich. A friend will accompany you on the most boring of
errands and make them seem fun.
That's not to say friendship is easy, though. It demands time
and effort, and it requires that people put someone other
than themselves first sometimes. But in exchange for that
work, a friend can provide an immense amount of support
and comfort in good times and in bad.
How friendship transcends difference is a key issue in our
modern world. In many cultures, people pay a high price for
befriending those of another race or faith tradition. I don't
need to tell you what threats this poses for the future of
humanity, or even of our own church. It's a wonderful thing
when people recognise that they love each other despite, or
even because of, their differences. Embracing difference is
necessary if we are going to live together, but it is always
enriching too, because it is how we build wholesome
communities. What better parable is there of this than Ruth
and Naomi?
Ruth’s late husband was Naomi’s son. While they were
connected by a marriage relationship, they were also dear
friends. Ruth insisted on returning with Naomi to her home
country of Israel. Though Ruth had lost her husband to
death, she did not want to lose her friend. They returned to
Israel together grieving deeply for their mutual loss.
They were faithful to one another. One of Naomi’s relatives
fell in love with Ruth. Their marriage brought peace and joy
to the two ladies
As The Bridge Church continues its growth, the importance of
3
friendship, fellowship and relationships is key. As we gather
for coffee after our worship the hall is filled with the buzz of
chat and laughter, with friendships some old and new ones
developing this makes me smile and remember how
important all our friendships are and also makes us all feel
like we belong to this wonderful family. One thing we all have
in common that truly connects us is the love of Jesus Christ
our lord and our faith and belief. We need to ensure his
message and his word is shared and believed always.
Janie Tomkinson
In this Edition
The editors would like to draw particular attention to the
following articles within the Messenger.
Firstly, the Commemoration of the Window and World
War 1 Exhibition and Flower Festival being held at the
end of September.
We also celebrate the 50th anniversary of T Club and
Supper Club and Andrew Howard has provided an article
giving some of the events and people involved in both
these organisations.
We would like to point you in the direction of the Bible
Study Groups that Jason is going to lead under the head-
ing of “Stories Jesus told” starting in late October. Please
see Page 24 for further details.
Due to the summer break for all activities the diary
section may lack some detail and events. We would ask
that you keep an eye on the Church notices to ensure that
you do not miss any events not listed here!
4
Baptism
On Sunday June 10th we shared the baptism of Joshua
Green and Lenny Mowat children of Richard Mowat and
Lynsey Donoghue.
We hope the family and friends enjoyed the service and their
time with us.
Bereavements
On July 10th Kathleen Thornton passed away peacefully. It
was with great sadness that we heard about Kathleen, she
had been a member of the Church for 50 years. Kathleen
was a friend to many of us and Chairperson and loyal
member of the Women’s meeting. Her funeral service was
held at The Bridge Church on Monday July 30th and a
thoughtful service conducted by Jason. We send our love and
prayers to Jenny and Robert and all the family at this sad
time.
Susan Docker’s brother-in-law sadly passed away in June.
Heather Gilmore’s mother and Liz Wilkinson’s brother John
also passed away in June.
We send our love and prayers to all these families.
As we go to publication, we have just heard of the passing of
Raymond Copeland. Many of us were able to share in his
80th birthday celebrations a few weeks ago and this has
come as a great shock to us. We hold Lynne, Paul, Astrid and
Harry in our prayers at this sad time.
In our thoughts and prayers
We hold these members and friends and their relatives in our
thoughts and prayers: Christine Campbell, Nancy Campbell,
Geoffrey and Dorothy Tillison, Maureen Birch and Dorothy
Clegg.
Please do pass on good news and concerns to any of our
Pastoral Elders or Jason.
5
Dear Friends,
I just want to thank everyone who helped in any way at this
year's Teas On The Lawn to make it such a success. It was
my first year as co-ordinator and without the help & support
of so many of you , I don't think I could have taken on my
'role'!
From the bakers to the gazebo erectors, the sandwich
makers to the balloon blower uppers...the people who gave
of their time to man the tea, coffee & food stalls, not to
mention those washing up...a GREAT BIG THANK YOU! We
made in the region of £830.00 which is truly astounding!
Here's to next year...let's see if we can make even more for
our chosen charity!
God bless each & every one of you,
With love,
Alison Finlay
6
Preaching Plan August—September 2018
Sunday 5th August – Reverend Jason McCullagh
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Sunday 12th August – Reverend Jason McCullagh
Sunday 19th August – Reverend Alan Griffiths
Jason is at Salem U.R.C.
Sunday 26th August – Mr Adam Woodhouse
Jason is at Greenbelt Christian Festival
Sunday 2nd September – Reverend Jason McCullagh
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Sunday 9th September – Reverend Jason McCullagh
Sacrament of Baptism
Sunday 16th September – Mr John Eveleigh
Jason is at Salem United Reformed Church
Sunday 23rd September – Reverend Alan Griffiths
Jason is preaching elsewhere
Sunday 30th September – Reverend Jason McCullagh
Sacrament of Baptism
MINISTER’S REGISTER: JUNE – JULY 2018
BAPTISM
10th June Joshua Green and Lenny Mowat
WEDDINGS
28th July Paul Watson and Dorraine Limmer
FUNERALS
14th June Mrs Betty Bevan (The Bridge Church)
21st June Mr David Dockar (The Bridge Church)
3rd July Mr Brian Dawson (The Bridge Church)
6th July Mrs Alice Ratcliffe (Lawnswood Crematorium
16th July Mr Malcolm Reeve (Lawnswood Crematorium)
18th July Mrs Betty Place (Rawdon Crematorium)
7
A DECLINING CHURCH? AND THE URC
It was interesting to read John Eveleigh’s letter in the June/July
issue of “The Messenger” regarding what is sometimes described
as “A crisis in the Church with serious implications”.
Firstly, it should be said, that the Church throughout the world is
actually GROWING not declining. From a handful of dispirited
disciples and their supporters, after the crucifixion, it has grown,
despite persecution, to cover the world.1 The problems facing the
URC should therefore be viewed in the broader concept of the
words of Jesus Christ when he said to Peter “Upon this rock I will
build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against
it.” (Matt. 16:18).
Although the Church worldwide, and in parts of Britain, is growing
it is often said, that there is a mounting tide of secularism in
Britain. It is also correct to say that the URC, which started with
such high hopes in 1972, has never, with a few local exceptions,
achieved what The URC Manual set out so clearly under points 5
and 6:
5. The unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity
have been obscured by the failure and weakness which
mar the life of the church.
6. Christ’s mercy in continuing his call to the
Church in all its failure and weakness has taught the
Church that its life must ever be renewed and
reformed according to the Scriptures, under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. (my emphasis)
URC membership, as John highlighted, is dropping rapidly
and between 2016 and 2018 a further 42 URC churches
closed (although seven of these have continued as Anglican,
Baptist or Methodist churches). So why is URC membership
declining? There are several factors, far too detailed and
complex to cover in depth here, but some questions do
present themselves. The Bible, in many of the URC churches
is carried in at the start of the Service and in “The Nature
Faith and Order of the United Reformed Church” (see 761 in
Rejoice & Sing) it clearly states:
The highest authority
For what we believe and do
Is God’s Word in the Bible
Alive for his people today
Through the help of the Spirit.
8
Do we really believe this or do we “cherry pick” the pieces we want
to in the Bible and ignore the challenging bits? It is tempting to
choose what we want to believe and it is also easy, too easy, to go
along with what is currently considered to be “politically correct.”
Easy but not I suggest what a Christian should do. In my
experience of General Assembly, Synod, and other churches
Biblical knowledge is often noticeable by its absence. In one Synod
debate two members from Sheffield actually said “Science has
taken over from the Bible”: and that was the end of the
conversation as far as they were concerned !
The Bible does need interpretation but this doesn’t mean it has
outlived its usefulness – quite the contrary in fact! Bible and prayer
are essential elements in the life of a vibrant and outgoing church
which should not be merely a friendly, socially minded group of
people, important as this, but one motivated by the Holy Spirit and
in touch by prayer and the insights of the Bible. These elements,
especially Bible study, are sometimes lacking or very spasmodic
Spiritual not Religious
To return to church attendance particularly the 20-24 age group of
which the URC, in common with other denominations shows a
scarcity. The URC General Assembly this year considered an 11
page report which a task group spent four years working on.
Copies of this report can be made available to any interested
person or group.2 Although the 20-24 year old age group may be
absent from our churches this, the report states, sometimes
means they are not attracted to conventional church practices: but
are often still searching for a spiritual meaning to life and death.
As the Chevin Cross highlighted yet again this year there is a
great spiritual need which Christ can fill and which the Cross points
to. As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations Churches Together
in Otley published a booklet and as the Cross went up I put
photographs of it on Facebook. Within 24 hours some 800 positive
replies and comments were received: many from people who are
non-practising, or perhaps I should say non-church-going
Christians, but who are affected, encouraged, and helped by a
Cross we so often take for granted.
Christian’s today are often under pressure by people who are who
profess to be liberal minded but so often are not. In the name of
Political Correctness there is a tendency by these vociferous
pressure groups to tolerate only their own views. They try to curb
and often vilify those who think differently by stating this is the
twenty-first century as though lessons learned over the centuries
have no relevance today. This poses the question. What can
9
Christians do about it? Opinions vary but some years ago I was
privileged, whilst in Israel, to be taken to the top of what may have
been the Mount of Transfiguration. Whilst there, alone for a while,
the words of God to Peter, James and John came to mind. Ten
simple words “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to
Him.” (Matt.3:17). However, do we listen, really listen, to Jesus or
are we inclined to follow the so-called, self-styled, politically correct
who seem to think they know better than Jesus. Jesus who said “If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will
know the truth and the truth will set you free”. (John 8:32)
The early disciples faced far more dangers and obstacles then we
will ever have to endure. They prevailed because they trusted in
God and His Son, Jesus Christ. This requires Faith: Faith in God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Faith shown in love and service. Faith
expressed through but not restricted to the local church. A faith
based on tolerance, a regard, a love for others that extends
beyond our own immediate family. The words of Jesus evoke a
vision of inter-generational life in which people of all ages and
family backgrounds care for one another physically and spiritually.
We certainly need to be tolerant, as Jesus was, but tolerance can
lead to indifference and the Bible certainly has something to say
about indifference. The church at Laodicea was blessed with
aqueducts that brought lukewarm water into the city. A Bible
message to the Laodiceans says “I know your deeds, that you are
neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So
because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to
spit you out of my mouth!” (Rev. 3:16). Strong words but we do
need to be aware of false doctrines and be positive in our faith.
So how can we influence often seemingly national issues
beyond our reach? Is there an solution and the answer may
seem to NO: but yet there is a way. This is by remaining true
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and trusting in the Holy Spirit.
Two points in the introduction in the introduction to the URC
2018 General Assembly Report need to be carefully
considered and kept in mind
We will be a church that is active in the life of the local
neighbourhood.
Will grow in our practice of prayer and spirituality
Prayer is not just asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of
God and listening to His voice in the depth our hearts. God shapes
the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the
better the world will be and the mightier the forces against evil.
10God speaks in the silence of the heart and listening is the
beginning of prayer. So let us listen for God and then if we feel
moved by the Spirit speak out so as a company of friends we may
benefit from the insights gained. Let us speak out in the name of
the Christ we worship. Let us not always be led by the Politically
Correct society we find ourselves in but feel free to speak of the
Gospel guided always by the Holy Spirit. A final word from James
who many authorities claim was a brother of Jesus. “Whilst we
should care for others we should not be “corrupted or polluted ” by
the world (James 1:27) and speaking out when necessary.
Ron Sweeney
NB A Lead Your Church into Growth Conference, of which
Archbishop John Sentamu is a patron will be held on 24-27th
September. The Revd. Ashley Evans of Bolton Villas Family Church,
Bradford, who is the Yorkshire Synod Evangelist, is organising the
URC church members who will be attending. It will interesting to
see what insights emerge from the conference.
********************************
Witness Essentials – Dan Myer ( Intervarsity Press, 2012)
www. the travellingteam.org and others
General Assembly 2018 – Mission Council Appendix five –
Report from the 20-40 task group.
Bridge Church Traidcraft Stall
The Bridge Church has had a commitment to Fairtrade for
over twenty years – and a Traidcraft stall for the same time.
The stall is set up on the second and fourth Sundays every
month – and is located in the church hall – available for
customers during the coffee and fellowship after Sunday
morning worship. It carries an extensive stock of foodstuffs,
cards and crafts, and there is always a catalogue available if
you want to order items not routinely stocked.
As well as encouraging church members and adherents to
buy fairly traded products the church itself serves fairly
traded refreshments and encourages groups
associated with the church to do the same.
To find out more about Traidcraft please
visit;
http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/
11The Bridge Café
As you read this the Bridge Café is approaching
its first birthday. How time flies!.
We started in September 2017 after nearly 18
months of planning.
The gem of an idea started in an elders’ group and
progressed through Church Meeting, the formation of a
working party, the appointment of 2 co-ordinators and the
recruitment of volunteers.
Initially we opened fortnightly and I remember the flutter of
nerves that I experienced on that first day. In March this
year we took the bold step of moving this to weekly.
We have new people joining us on a regular basis and some,
who are further along their journey, move on to other
facilities as their needs become more complex.
Before we opened, the volunteers were blessed with the help
of Jill Quin and Louise Hanan, both from Harrogate who work
in the field of dementia. They came along to do 2 “training”
evenings with us and they taught us a lot.
• Dementia is an umbrella term for this disease of the
brain, the most common being Alzheimers.
• It is not a natural part of growing old.
• It is not just about losing your short term memory. It can
affect thinking, communication and doing everyday tasks.
• Long term memory can continue to work well.
• 42% of the population knows someone living with
dementia. (I suspect this is rising all the time.)
• Carers can feel isolated.
All need to feel supported in a relaxed atmosphere.
As we have travelled along this journey with our visitors it
has delivered a mixture of emotions. We have felt sad,
uplifted, inadequate, elated, frustrated but also glad that we
have been able to offer some respite to carers along with
practical help and information and a safe and supportive
environment for those living with this disease.
12In John 21 v 16 we read:
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He
answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said
to him, “Take care of my sheep”
We hope that the Bridge Café goes some way to putting
these words into action.
If you would like to join our volunteer team please have a
word with Margaret Hollinrake or myself and if you know of
someone living with dementia and you think they would
appreciate what we can offer, please take a flier from the
table at the back of church, or pass on the ad in the weekly
notices.
Anne Wigglesworth – on behalf of the Bridge Café
The Bridge Café
for those living with dementia
and their carers.
The Bridge Church,
Cattle Market Street, Otley, LS21 1RW
Thursdays
2.00pm – 4.00pm
A social gathering with a variety of activities and
refreshments.
For more information and to book places, please contact:
Margaret Hollinrake - Tel:01943 465141
or Anne Wigglesworth - Tel: 01943 462880
13THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF T CLUB & SUPPER CLUB
This Autumn it will be 50 years since the formation of T Club
& Supper Club. Of course, the Women’s Meeting goes back
much further, commencing in the 1880’s as the Mothers’
Meeting. But in 1968, at the beginning of a new ministry, it
was agreed that two new groups were needed. Although
Women’s Meeting was fine for some ladies on a Monday
afternoon, many younger ladies now worked and there
needed to be an evening meeting to which they could belong
and T Club was born, meeting on alternate Thursday
evenings (hence ‘T’). A Men’s Fellowship already existed but
it needed ‘rebranding’ to attract more men and Supper Club
was born, with the added attraction of a supper. This group
met on the alternate Thursday to T Club and thus babysitting
problems were solved.
A preliminary meeting was held for ladies on 26th September
1968, with the first proper meeting on 10th October and an
attendance of 40 ladies. Knitting refugee blankets followed
by a keep fit class was the subject of that first meeting. The
Secretary was Dorothy Clegg and the Treasurer Doreen
Hogg.
Supper Club had their first meeting on the following Thursday
with the speaker being the minister, Rev. Geoffrey Tillison on
the subject ‘A Man’s World?’. Much humour & discussion
arose followed by a supper of fish & chips. The first chairman
of the club was Frank Hogg* and the secretary Geoff Swift.
Attendance in the first few meetings was about 28. For many
years groups of ladies were keen to cook the suppers for the
men, but in later years that practice began to be challenged
and now the men usually cook their own!
There were no formal programmes printed for the first year
of both groups but the now familiar programme cards were
issued for 1969/70 covering all three groups. These continue
to this day and from 1972 incorporated the Every Person
Challenge theme until EPC was discontinued.
I have been looking back through these programmes to look
at what the clubs have done in the last 50 years. There are
undoubtedly constant themes. Travel features greatly. Every
continent has featured in the programmes (yes, including
14Antarctica) in addition to many places in the British Isles. T
Club have had many talks or demonstrations on cooking,
beauty, fashion, jewellery, flower arranging, aromatherapy
etc. whilst the men have had many sporting themes – Geoff
Cope & Bryan Stott on cricket, & Brian Noble from Bradford
Bulls for instance. The men liked their humour including the
unforgettable Ian Dewhirst from Keighley. On the more
serious side the men heard about the implications of
microprocessors in 1979.
The T Club have given much support to local societies with
many visits to musicals & other stage productions sometimes
with the men. Outside visits have always been an important
part of both groups. Supper Club has visited several
breweries, several power stations, Ackroyds Mill, Garnetts,
Sinclairs, Leeds Bradford Airport, Longley Farm, Dobsons
Sweet Factory in Elland, Yorkshire Air Museum among many
others whereas T Club have visited various gardens, been on
picnics & mystery outings and like Supper Club visited
Ackroyds & Dobsons. The members of Supper Club had to be
‘vetted’ by the U.S. authorities before we visited Menwith
Hill.
There have been notable speakers such as Peter Gibson,
head of the York Minister Glaziers, Sid Weighell (trade union
leader), Bill Mitchell of the Dalesman, Barney Colehan (BBC
Producer), David Lane (Emmerdale & Heartbeat), Arnold
Kellett (Yorkshire dialect) and of course, The Calendar Girls,
an open meeting when the hall was filled to hear some of the
ladies from the Rylstone W.I. tell us of their hilarious
escapades in producing the famous calendar and everything
that came afterwards.
We have had an enormous variety of subjects, serious,
humorous, challenging & educational. There have been
speakers from our own number, two of the most regular
being Ken Day, on his numerous interests such as inn signs
and Bernard Sutcliffe on his travel & walking holidays to
name but two. And how could I not mention John Brooke
from Lightcliffe who enjoys coming to enlighten us in a
humorous way on death & disease in Victorian times in
addition to schools, railways, & town planning. He even gave
Supper Club a tour of Lightcliffe one summer’s evening.
15It is impossible in this article to cover all the main enjoyable
times that both clubs have experienced. But aside from the
speakers they have given the men & women of the church
an opportunity to socialise, get to know each other better
and offer pastoral care.
As we pass this anniversary the numbers of both groups are
reduced from what they were. That is true of all
organisations, in secular life as well as church life, and we
live in a time where young people are not interested in
‘clubs’. However, both groups still offer that opportunity to
mix with others and both groups have always had members
who were not church-goers which is good and an opportunity
for mission! We look forward to the next fifty years!
Andrew Howard
* Frank Hogg, a former very active member of the church
and now living near Sheffield, is still the Life President of
Supper Club and recently celebrated his 100th birthday.
He is still very active – driving, gardening and being
involved in the life of his village and we send him our
congratulations on this landmark event. I know he will
read this because he still subscribes to the Messenger and
takes an interest in what is happening at the Bridge.
16The speaker at our meeting on 2nd May was Catherine White
who spoke about the history of The Grand Theatre in Leeds,
it was a very interesting talk illustrated by slides. She told us
that in 1858 a group of influential gentlemen acquired the
land at New Briggate and financial backing of £15,000 and
started to build a “new theatre worthy of the town of Leeds”.
In 1877 George Corsen, 1st President of Leeds Architectural
Society was entrusted with the design, it took 13 months to
build and was of Romanesque and Victorian Gothic style.
Wilson Barrett was granted a 5 year lease and the theatre
opened in November 1878 with a production of
Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”.
Barrett put on spectacular productions, pantomime, opera,
ballet and plays. He also carried out many improvements
adding a new canopy over the entrance in 1894 and installing
a new stage four years later.
The Grand benefitted during the war years when many West
End Productions were transferred to Leeds, The Grand never
closed during this time.
One of the more glittering occasions was in 1958 when the
Queen, Prince Philip, the Princess Royal and Lord Harewood
attended the Music Festival’s climax, a performance of
Handel’s Samson.
Television and radio caused audiences to dwindle resulting in
closure for a while. In 1964 Television Star Season followed
by My Fair Lady and Oliver, then performers like John
Gielgud, Alec Guiness, Harry Secombe and Tony Hancock saw
audience numbers increase.
Leeds City Council took out a 7 year lease arranging a Trust
to operate the Theatre. In 1973 Leeds City Council bought
The Grand and adjoining buildings for £355,000. A million
pound refurbishment followed, the splendid period tiles and
ornate plasterwork was retained.
The meeting closed with an enjoyable meal.
Phyllis Heslop
17On 6th June. we welcomed some students from Prince
Henry’s, who helped to set up the hall for our Meeting. They
welcomed people at the door and served our coffee and
biscuits. One young man very ably introduced Jason and our
speaker.
Jason spoke about events that had happened fifty years ago,
the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and the wars that were
taking place at that time. He said nothing seems to have
changed, we still have wars and disputes and he emphasised
all we could do was love one another.
Our speaker was Maggi Poppa who’s talk was entitled “what
retirement” she told us all the things she has done since she
retired 18 years ago, she left us all full of admiration. She
became involved in broadcasting, interviewing people for
news programmes. When this ended she joined the
magazine “Down Your Way” she interviews famous people
and writes about them. At the end of her talk she gave us a
list of people she had interviewed and said we could ask her
about any of them.
Maggi is a good speaker and the fees she charges are given
to St. Gemma’s this has totalled more than £18,000.
Christine Pollard
Below are three letters written by pupils of Prince
Henry’s about their experience.
To the family of Otley Bridge Church
I would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to
learn about your
organisation and the work that you do.
I really liked it when we went to look in the church and saw
how beautiful and nicely kept it was. I really liked how each
one of us had a responsibility and something to do, it really
made me feel like I was making a difference and
helping out.
18It was fantastic to meet new people, both guests and
volunteers who made me feel extremely welcome. It was
great to see how much of an enjoyable time people had and
how something so simple and easy can make someone’s
day.
This experience allowed me to get out into the community
and see the great work that the church does. It also allowed
me to become more confident and talk to people and have
open, friendly conversations.
Thank you very much again.
Yours sincerely
Ellysa
To the family of the Otley Bridge Church
I would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity for
learning more about your organisation and the work that you
do.
I really liked it when we got the chance to get to know the
people who visit the church and it was very interesting to
hear about the lives of the older generation who have lived
through many experiences. I think it is especially use to
spend time with these people considering we are younger
and still growing up. The experience has shown me how
there are many differences between old and young people
but at the same time there are many similarities. It was an
overall very
educational experience.
Thank you for what you have done and I sincerely hope we
get the opportunity to visit again in the future.
Yours sincerely
Amrita
19To the Otley Bridge Church Family
I am writing to thank you guys for letting us join you; it was
lovely to meet your Fred and Sylvia, and what I managed to
hear from Maggie about her radio experience was very
interesting.
It was nice for me to see people enjoying themselves –my
grandfather unfortunately passed away before I was born
which left my grandma alone; I appreciate knowing that she
will have people to be around. My grandmother doesn't live
in Otley but if she ever comes to visit I will tell her about
you.
Maggie’s talk was interesting because it taught me that
retirement doesn’t mean never doing anything again.
My father isn’t as young as I’d like him to be and he will
have to think about it soon (well my mother will make him
think about it). Maybe telling him about Maggie’s
experiences will convince him.
Thanks for the coffee and biscuit.
Bonnie
On 4 July 2018 we were given a presentation by Brian
Taylor, Former Chief of the Anti-Trafficking Section of
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC)
Brian has carried out assignments for the United Nations in
many countries for some 25 years, firstly whilst serving as a
senior police officer in West Yorkshire Police, then as Chief
of the Anti-Trafficking Section of the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) based in Vienna, Austria, and,
in recent years, as an international consultant on anti-
trafficking matters.
The presentation highlighted the serious and growing
problem of wildlife crime, estimated to be worth between
$10 and $20 billion annually. It is the fourth largest illegal
20business globally. Only drugs, weapons and human
trafficking are larger. The illegal wildlife trade has been
described the Duke of Cambridge, President of United for
Wildlife, as “one of the most insidious forms of corruption
and criminality in the world”.
The huge scale of trafficking in rhinoceros horn and ivory
has resulted in around 6,000 rhinos being killed in Africa
since 2008 and an estimated 20,000 African elephants
being killed annually. The illegal trade in rhino horn and
ivory is threatening the very survival of some of the world’s
most iconic animals. Moreover, in the past decade, over
1,000 rangers have been killed in the global struggle to
protect wildlife.
Brian told the group about the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) which is the international instrument to control and
regulate the international trade in protected species.
He spoke about other endangered species such as the tiger
and pangolin and gave examples of international efforts
taking place to prevent and combat wildlife crime and help
conserve the world’s varied wildlife population for future
generations.
21WINDOW COMMEMORATION, WORLD WAR 1
EXHIBTION & FLOWER FESTIVAL
TUESDAY 25th SEPTEMBER – SUNDAY 30th SEPTEMBER
We are now only a few weeks away from our commemoration
event. The working group have been working hard to make the
event a big success – all we need now is for people to visit the
commemoration, exhibition and the flower festival. The poster on
the adjoining page gives you the programme for the week.
We need some specific help in the following areas;
Stewarding for the exhibition and flower festival
Helping in kitchen and serving refreshments
Furniture removals/setting up rooms etc
Baking (for the refreshments)
Stewarding for the special events during the week (Film, Band
Concert, special service)
Distributing posters and flyers to publicise the event.
From mid-August (the Church meeting) we shall have the various
rotas on display – and we hope you’ll consider signing up for a
stint or two!
We will also need as much publicity as possible – please invite your
friends – spread the word (either in traditional form or via social
media – let’s make this big!
This event will be the most ambitious that we have staged in re-
cent years and it will be all the better if everyone who is able can
volunteer to do their bit.
With many thanks in anticipation from the working group!
John Eveleigh, Chair, Window Commemoration Working
Group
2223
STORIES JESUS TOL
As autumn gives way to winter, I know this is hard to
imagine in this heat, I am going to offer a short series of
Bible studies based on the parables that Jesus told. I shall
offer each session twice, once in an evening and then
repeated in an afternoon. The sessions will involve input
and discussion and I hope that you will be able to join me.
Jason
Session One:
The Parable of the Sower – Matthew 13. 1-23
Tuesday 23rd October 7:30pm The Caley Room
Wednesday 24th October 2:30pm The Creche Room
Session Two:
The Parable of the Wedding Feast – Matthew 22. 1-14
Tuesday 30th October 7:30pm The Caley Room
Wednesday 31st October 2:30pm The Creche Room
Session Three:
Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10. 25-37
Tuesday 6th November 7:30pm The Caley Room
Wednesday 7th November 2:30pm The Creche Room
Session Four:
The Parable of the Prodigal Son – Luke 15. 11-32
Tuesday 13th November 7:30pm The Caley Room
Wednesday 14th November2:30pm The Creche Room
24Saturday 8th September— Family Fun Night
Hosted by The Reverend Jason McCullagh.
Donations of bottled goods for a tombola would be greatly
appreciated. There is a box in the transept where your
donations may be deposited.
Tickets £8 adults and £5 children.
Friday 12th October - Harvest Supper and Ceilidh
Saturday 17th November - The Heritage Boys
Many of you will remember them from their previous
appearances at The Bridge. If you wish to know more about
them or indeed listen to them please visit their website
which is www.theheritageboys.co.uk
Prayer for Growth
As those of you who were in the service on Sunday 5th
August know, Jason challenged us all to say the prayer below
each Wednesday at 12 noon.
God of Mission
Who alone brings growth to your Church,
Send your Holy Spirit to give
Vision to our planning,
Wisdom to our actions,
And power to our witness.
Help the Bridge Church to grow in numbers
In spiritual commitment to you,
And in service to our local community,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
25CHURCH DIARY - AUGUST - OCTOBER 2018
August
Thursday, 16th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe for
those living with
dementia and their
carers
Sunday, 19th 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
Thursday, 23rd 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
Sunday, 26th 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
Thursday, 30th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Café
September
Sunday, 2nd 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
and Holy Communion
Thursday, 6th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
Saturday, 8th 7.00 p.m. A Family Games Night
hosted by Revd. Jason
McCullagh
Sunday, 9th 10.30 a.m. Family Church and
Promotion Service
Thursday, 13th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
8 00 p.m. 'T' Club Opening Service
led by Revd Jason
McCullagh followed by
Beetle Drive
Sunday, 16th 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
6.00 p.m. Evening Communion
Monday, 17th 2.30 p.m. Women's Meeting -
Opening Meeting: Revd
John Parker
Thursday, 20th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
7.45 p.m. Open Meeting for
church charity
Sunday, 23rd 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
Monday, 24th - WINDOW COMMEMORATION AND
Sunday, 30th FLOWER FESTIVAL
See church notices for further detail
Thursday, 27th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
7.30 p.m. A film of an equine story
set in the 1914-18
conflict
Sunday, 30th 3.00 p.m. Civic Service
MESSENGER MATERIAL DUE IN TODAY
26October
Monday, 1st 2.30 p.m. Women's Meeting – see
notices
Thursday, 4th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
7.45 p.m. Supper Club – see notices
Sunday 7th 10.30 a.m. Family Church Service
and Holy Communion
Thursday, 11th 2 - 4 p.m. The Bridge Cafe
8.00 p.m. 'T' Club: How well do
you know Otley? -
Andrew Howard
Friday, 12th Harvest Supper and
Ceilidh
Sunday, 14th 10.30 a.m. Harvest Festival
MESSENGER AVAILABLE TODAY
NEXT MESSENGER
Material for the next edition of the
Messenger should be in the hands of the
Editor by Sunday 30 Sept 2018 and
will be available for distribution on Sunday,
12th October2018. If possible send by
email to
messenger@otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Comments and statements printed in the Messenger
are not necessarily the opinions of the Editor or
the Bridge United Reformed Church (Otley)
27The Bridge United Reformed Church
Bridge Street
Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 1RW
www.otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Secretary
Susan Richardson
27 Pool Road
Otley
LS21 1HL
Telephone 01943 467938
susan.richardson@otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Treasurer
Andrew Howard
Telephone 01943 461989
andrew.howard@otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Magazine Editors
Alan and Alison Anslow
Telephone 07956550621
messenger@otleybridgechurch.org.uk
Church Publicity and Website Editor
Colin Whitaker
Telephone 07941 234849
Pastoral Elders
Margaret Armitage - 01943 878062
Jane Tomkinson - 01943 464974
Otley Bridge Church
@otley_urc
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