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The Green SpireThe Parish Magazine ofSt Andrew, Orford with LongfordJune 2016School News2From the Vicar – What do you expect of a sermon? 3Summer Fun Day and Fair5The EU Referendum6What’s on in June 7 Who’s On in June8Archbishop of York’s Pilgrimage of Prayer 10News from United Society – supporting the poor in Brazil11Shop ‘til you drop12Notice Board14Teddies on the Move15God’s will be done16Time to Pray18Snippets from the Church Times19Changing lives and communities together – CUF20As I see it – by Churchmouse21Praying for the world-wide Church23Vocations, vocations, vocations26From the Registers 27Prayer Intentions for June29The Green Spire is published monthly. Copies are 35p per month, or ?3.50 for a year’s subscription – normally payable in January. Enquiries about advertisements welcome.School News2785745-208915Children in Year 6 acquitted themselves well during the recent round of SATs testing. The results are only published towards the end of term but they approached SATs week with a calm and mature attitude. Some of the papers were more challenging than others – reading was particularly tough. However, there is life after SATs. There are many activities planned so there’s no chance of being bored but life will be a little more relaxed from now on.Children in Year 2 are also tested against national targets but these are all teacher assessed, removing much of the stress that older children face. Many of the tests that the children see are ‘practice’ tests, again removing some of the natural anxieties that they might otherwise face. The introduction of a new curriculum has caused unprecedented chaos in the world of education as we move away from levels to age-related-expectations (AREs). When introduced, AREs were seen to be significantly higher than the old levels and point-score system – typically they amounted to a full year’s progress, so what might have been expected of a Year 4 child would become the expectation at the end of Year 3!Congratulations to Miss Humphreys who is getting married over the Whit Holidays. She will be known as Mrs. Humphreys-Graham.Children in Years Three and Four represented our school at the Tag Rugby event at the end of the half-term. They behaved beautifully and all had lots of fun in spite of the rain!We also played a game of football against Meadowside last night. Although we lost the players showed great team spirit and we’re aiming high! Well done to the Team!And now for a well-deserved holiday. We will be closed for two weeks and re-open on Monday 13th June. Have fun!From the Vicar:Three boys in the playground were bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls them a poem, and they give him ?20”The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a song, and they give him ?50.”The third boy says, “I’ve got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!”A recent article in the Church Times surprised me. Headed “Sermons are valued, but keep it short”, it described the findings of a survey of 1,800 people undertaken by Christian Research. Most of the findings were to be expected. Nine out of ten people thought sermons were still an essential part of Sunday worship - that came as a relief! The favoured length of a sermon was ten to twenty minutes. I have to admit that anything more than fifteen minutes is too long for me, and ten is nearer the mark. Fourteen per cent of man and six per cent of women surveyed thought a sermon should last more than thirty minutes!Where I was really surprised was to find that (according to the survey) neither men nor women favoured personal anecdotes or attempts at comedy and a sense of humour was seen as important by only two per cent of those polled. Personal anecdotes were welcomed by just one per cent of those questioned!Visiting other churches, you soon get to know who preaches a ‘good’ sermon without asking. Members of the congregation will sing the praises of their vicar if he or she is good, though they rarely mention the others! Of those I know about, most use funny stories and personal stories to illuminate their preaching. Often, it is those personal and funny stories that stick in the mind and are remembered long after the sermon was preached.It’s not just local clergy, either. When David Sheppard came to St Andrew’s, he once spoke about being on sabbatical in a remote part of Scotland and being delighted to see the postman drive up the lane in his red van. He likened it to the story of the Father of the Prodigal Son going out each morning to look for his son, hoping that he might be returning.When David Jennings was Bishop of Warrington, he began a sermon by saying that some people like baths and others showers. The bath was a time for quiet reflection before a busy day, and he went on to encourage everyone to find some space in their busy lives to spend time with God each day – time we traditionally call prayer.So from a personal point of view, I’d love to know what you think. Are personal anecdotes and funny stories expected, or are they taboo as the survey suggests?Sermons, though, are just ten minutes (or more in certain parishes!) in a whole week. What about the rest of the time?If we are known as church-goers, we may well be judged by our approach to life. Without even realising it, people often look at us and ask what difference our faith makes. Is it a positive benefit, or a negative one? Do we have something that others would like in their lives too? Our lives are like sermons to the people we know and meet. So do we project a happy, fulfilled and caring personality? Are we seen as fun to be with, or someone who takes everything so seriously? While we shouldn’t be seen as making a joke about everything, being miserable isn’t much of an advert for faith, either. Like a good sermon (in my opinion), we should have a lighter side with a certain depth behind it.No two people are the same. We were made as individuals and there will be certain things in life that more important to us than other people. So there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to Christian discipleship. Some of us are more naturally outgoing; others tend to be quiet and almost reserved. I guess the message is to be true to ourselves and not try to be something we clearly are not.We’ve just celebrated Pentecost, the beginning of the Church. The first apostles (those who were literally ‘sent out’) must have been a pretty mixed bunch. Peter may have been the most outgoing, possibly even gregarious, but each of them made a significant impact on the places they visited. We stand in the footsteps of the first apostles – the modern equivalent, if you like. We are the ones on whom the future of the Church rests so it vitally important that we try at all times to reflect the love of God in our lives.I believe that a little humour and one or two personal tales, told sensitively and at the right moment, will go a long way to help others come to faith. What about you? Michael RaynorSummer Fair and Fun DayDON’T FORGET: Saturday 2nd July – the date of this year’s Summer Fair.We’d like to make this year’s Fair the best in a long while and we’ll only do so with everyone’s help. One of my abiding memories is of those occasions when everyone has rolled up their sleeves and taken part. On the other hand, I don’t remember how much we took each year!SO what can be done?DRAW TICKETS always contribute significantly to the total raised. It’s an opportunity to involve people who may not be with us on the day. I think we often shy away from asking family and friends yet I’ve heard people say they would have been pleased to help if only they’d been asked. Selling tickets might feel like an individual activity, but if we all sell tickets, the cumulative total could be very impressive.As in previous years, we will be asking for donations of ?5 towards the first prize. If you can help, there will be a list in church shortly.HELP ON THE DAY: we have lots of side-shows but we don’t always have enough help to run them all. If we have enough people, you can take it in turns and also look around.BOTTLES: Beryl can usually use a few more bottles, especially the ones to be used as ‘star prizes’. Have a word with beryl about what she still needs.PRIZE TOMBOLA: Margaret still needs a few more prizes for her tombola stall. If it’s something you’d like to win, others are most likely to want to win it as well.3127375285750CAKE STALL: We are always grateful for home-made cakes and biscuits on the day.SPREAD THE WORD: we know that there are other fairs going on at this time of the year so the best way to get a good crowd is to personally invite family and friends to come and support us on the day. Mention it when you sell draw tickets; invite people when you meet them. If you can’t help, please come along anyway. And do take a poster – whether you put it up in a club or shop, or in your front window, it all helps to bring people in. EU ReferendumJust when you thought it was safe to come out of the water, the referendum pops up again! By June 23rd, most of us will have heard enough to keep us going a lifetime, but don’t let that put you off voting. The referendum has been billed as a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity. Whether you feel that opportunity should have been offered or not is another matter: it will take place later this month and the result will have a huge impact on life in this country.Just before the General Election, the House of Bishops issued a statement advising voters to look at the bigger picture. In effect, they were telling us not to think solely about what was in it for us as individuals; but rather to consider how our vote would affect other people, both at home and further afield. I believe the same is true of this referendumThe Church of England has produced a prayer to be used over the next few weeks as the referendum approaches. You might like to use it in your prayers.God of truth,give us grace to debate the issues in this referendumwith honesty and openness.Give generosity to those who seek to form opinionand discernment to those who vote,that our nation may prosperand that with all the peoples of Europewe may work for peace and the common good;for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.MISS DAISY’SProfessional Floristry 699135176530for All OccasionsSoft Toys, BalloonsPlants and CardsDeliveriesAmanda MorrisonStation Road, Great Sankey Tel/Fax: 01925 728973What’s on in June... Sunday 5th The Second Sunday after TrinityJune10.00amSung Eucharist12 noonHoly BaptismThursday 9th 8.00pmThursday Ladies' Club meet at the vicarageSaturday 11th 3.00pmGarden Party in the vicarage garden to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthdaySunday 12th The Third Sunday after Trinity10.00amSung EucharistWednesday 15th 7.30pmDeanery Synod meeting at St Mary, Great SankeyThursday 16th1030amEucharist together with Year 4 childrenSunday 19th The Fourth Sunday after Trinity10.00amSung EucharistMonday 20th 7.30pmLicensing of the Rev Rebecca Crowe at the Church of the Ascension, WoolstonThursday 23rd 7am – 10pm European Referendum – voting in the Hall 7.00pmAccess Music Service Concert in church 8.00pmThursday Ladies' Club meet in the vicarage (to be confirmed due to concert)Saturday 25th 2.00pmWedding of Michael Stanway and Kelly CameronSunday 26th The Fifth Sunday after Trinity10.00amSung EucharistThursday 30th10.030amEucharist together with Year 6 childrenFriday 1st July 9.00amBuses leave for Warrington Walking DaySaturday 2nd 9.30amPrepare and set up for Summer Fair 1.00pmDoors open to Summer FairSunday 3rd The Sixth Sunday after TrinityJuly10.00amSung Eucharist12 noonHoly BaptismThere are regular weekly celebrations of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) on Wednesday evening at 7.00pm and Thursday morning at 10.30am. Celebrations on Saint’s Days are published on the Sunday sheet. All are welcome. Who’s on in June…2016sides-peoplereaderintercessoroffertory5 JunTrinity 2I. AppletonM. HarringtonO. VowlesM. HarringtonK. RowanP. Smith12 JunTrinity 3J. DevereuxM. EllisonN. LeeW. McKinnonB. BoscoeB. Glover19 JunTrinity 4L. GiblinP. SmithDon MillerM. BrownC. WorrallR. Worrall26 JunTrinity 5F. GreatorexO. VowlesL ManfrediF. GreatorexI. AppletonM. Harrington3 JulyS Thomas B. BoscoeB. GloverA. GormanN. LeeE. ChorleyJ. Stamp2016Tea RotaCounting collections5 JunF. Greatorex / L. GiblinI. Appleton / M. Ellison12 JunM. Harrington / L MV. Carter / J. Raynor19 JunB. Boscoe / B. GloverB. Boscoe / B. Glover26 JunM. Ellison / P. Smith3 JulF. Greatorex / L. GiblinI. Appleton / M. Ellison2016Read on Weds EveHall Cleaning5 JunN. Lee (8 Jun)Fr Michael12 JunD. Kirk (15 June)J. Devereux19 JunFr Michael (22 June)C. Worrall26 JunN. Lee (29 June)Fr Michael3 JulD. Kirk (6 July)J. DevereuxChurch Commissioners support missionThe Church Commissioners have recently published their Annual Report for 2015. In 2015, the Commissioners provided ?218.5 million or 15% of the Church’s overall mission and ministry costs. Commissioners-funded projects ranged from clubs and drop-ins to youth work and food bank hubs, all supported by local churches. The helped supporting ministry costs in dioceses with fewer resources and provided funds to support strategic mission activities including:? Strategic Development Funding for large scale projects amounting to more than ?6m, such as the Growing Younger initiative in Birmingham Diocese;? Supporting new churches to be planted across the country from a new City Centre Resourcing Churches fund, such as St Swithin’s, Lincoln;? Pioneering church workers in new communities such as the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and a new housing estate in Exeter.Andrew Brown, Secretary of the Church Commissioners, said: “I want to congratulate the investment team for the continued strong performance, delivering more than 8% in a challenging financial climate. Without this leadership and good stewardship it would not be possible to support the Church as we do. But we must not forget the generous support from parishes, dioceses and cathedrals which provide around three-quarters of the Church’s annual spending on ministry and mission.”The Church Commissioners’ annual report shows a total return of 8.2 per cent on their investments in 2015, exceeding their long-term target rate by 2%. Over the past 30 years, the fund has achieved an average return of 9.7% per annum and, since the start of 1995, grown from ?2.4bn to ?7.0 billion at the end of 2015. This is good news for all parishes as it reduces the pressure to raise Parish Share.Archbishop Sentamu’s six-month Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing across the Diocese of York finished with a Service of Ordination at York Minster on 22 May at 10am.Throughout his Pilgrimage, the Archbishop has set out to meet people, to pray with them and to encourage them to follow Jesus Christ, and to bless what God is doing. He began his journey with Pilgrimage Prayers at St Mary’s Church, Whitby on 1 December 2015 at the beginning of Advent – and has covered an area of 2661 square miles from the Humber to the Tees, and the A1 to the coast – ending on 22 May 2016, Trinity Sunday. Archbishop Sentamu concluded this mammoth event on Parliament Street, York on Saturday 21 May with a spectacular celebration of the Pilgrimage in the heart of the City of York. There was an open invitation to anyone who wished to join him. On his way to the city centre – the Archbishop walked from St Chad’s Church along Bishopthorpe Road for prayers at the Bar Convent ahead of the celebration event at Parliament Street. The Archbishop said: “Praying with those who come to know Christ is a great privilege and a joy. I have prayed with over 20,000 people so far encouraging them in their own journey with God. Encountering Jesus Christ is different for every person. We have said the Lord’s Prayer everywhere - with people we’ve met and places visited along the way, on every walk and journey taken. Jesus said when you pray, say ‘Our Father’ – this prayer says it all”.During his final week in the York Deanery, Archbishop Sentamu led prayers at fifteen local churches, and ten schools including Carr Lane, St Paul’s, Joseph Rowntree, New Earswick, Canon Lee, Clifton Green, St Lawrence, St Oswald’s, Fulford and Heworth. 17432539981TAPS Plumbingfor all your drips, leaks and installations. Free EstimatesNo call out fee.please call Kit on 01925 271301 or 07932 7218481209495-270869News from [United Society formerly USPG]One of the charities we support each year is United Society. They work in three main areas: supporting the emerging Church by training new leaders; in health providing clinics and primary health care, and in education. Here is just one of the latest news stories from Us who are working with the church and local people in Brazil for the good of the poor.Anglicans are speaking out on behalf of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as right-wing political opponents attempt to impeach her and scupper her party’s endeavours to support Brazil’s poor and marginalised.19113558420Since coming to power in 2003, President Rousseff’s Workers’ Party has overseen huge improvements in the lives of low income and vulnerable communities. But right wing opponents – in alliance with Christian fundamentalists – are seeking to have her impeached.According to the Revd Joabe Cavalcanti, a former a trade union leader in Brazil, now a trustee of the Anglican mission agency Us (formerly USPG) and a priest in Southwark, London: ‘Essentially, we are witnessing an attempted coup by right wing politicians who represent the interests of Brazil’s wealthy minority and want to put a stop to social welfare for the poor.’He said: ‘Since the dark days of the continent’s military dictatorships, South America has come a long way. Democracy has been embraced. Now many people fear that those achievements could be put in peril by the current undemocratic, non-electoral and non-judicial attempts to overthrow Brazil’s elected president.’The Primate of Brazil, the Most Revd Francisco de Assis da Silva, told Us he is supporting President Rousseff and her party in their efforts to improve the lives of the poor.He also expressed his concern that fundamentalist Christians were supporting right wing politicians in their opposition of the president. Shop till you drop!On Wednesday 25th May just gone, St Andrew’s Charity Shop had been open for seventeen years!What you see today is very different from the early days of the shop; so much so, that most people probably wouldn’t recognise it from those early days. We opened at first for two mornings a week in the narthex between the main wooden doors and the glass screen. We had one small rail and a table – and a few willing helpers.Money was tight in those days. I’m not sure if we’d managed to clear the debt by then, but if we had, it had only happened recently. Fr Michael had readily agreed to the shop and had (unknowingly) said that if it made just a fiver a week, it would help.The first morning we opened, we made?1.80 and the following day just topped it with ?2.10. But, like all good ideas, word got out, and very soon we were not just selling but also receiving as people gladly brought their unwanted clothes and ornaments to help us.From the very beginning, however, the emphasis was on people, not income. The ‘staff’ (a posh collective name for our willing helpers) soon got into conversation with customers.Part of our agreement for using the church was that nothing would spill over into church – and it didn’t. Well not after we’d cleared up at the end of the session. We hid bags of clothes under the tables at the back of church, suitably covered with blue tablecloths that came down to the floor. In early 2000, we began to sell the surplus clothing. It was stored in the choir gallery and then thrown over the balcony and piled up in the narthex when the driver was expected to make a collection. We even made tea for our customers, using a couple of tables from the Hall placed just in the back of church. (We hadn’t got the kitchen then – just the little room off the narthex equipped with an urn). Like Topsy, the shop grew and grew.In mid August 2005, we moved into the Hall having outgrown the narthex. Albert Yeamans, with help from Dave Sutcliffe, Fr Michael and one or two others, made a purpose-built room to store rails when the shop was closed and to be used to display goods when it was open. It was a major turning point as takings were to prove. When a big retailer (possibly C and A) closed in Golden Square, we bought the display stands that we now use.Over the years, things have developed further. We were given the blue screens to keep the ‘stock’ and sorting separate from the main hall and to make it look more pleasing on the eye when you first walk in. We bought new rails which would easily roll away at the end of the afternoon. We welcomed the Carers’ Association who, through Wired, give advice to carers and others. And we introduced ‘Tea and Toast’. We found we were getting some lovely pieces of jewellery which has proved a welcome and lucrative addition.Possibly the most important benefit of the whole enterprise is that it has helped us make many friends. It is no longer a shop: it is also a point of contact where we can talk to and listen to customers who want to chat. We provide advice through the Wired organisation. We have helped people who may be finding it hard to make ends meet (nothing is overly expensive and everything offers good value) and those who like a good bargain; and because we are part of the community, we are able to be ‘church’ in a very different way. You might be surprised how many baptisms are unofficially booked on a Wednesday! The shop gives visitors a chance to talk about faith in a relaxed atmosphere if they so wish.This week we celebrate seventeen years of St Andrew’s Shop, and we would like to thank everyone who has worked together in the shop to make it such a success. We also want to thank and celebrate our local community who share their lives with us and give us their friendship. It is a mutual relationship and one we are proud of.?484505114300Christian Aid Week appealThis year, we decided to take a collection in church for the work of Christian Aid. We’d like to thank those people who have already returned their envelopes. However, the response this year has been much less than in previous years and it might be that some people still want to give but haven’t brought in theirenvelope. It’s not too late. Any donations made in June will be forwarded to Christian Aid with gifts already received. Thank you.The Big BrekkieThanks to everyone who supported the Big Brekkie in Christian Aid Week. The children performed well, recing a class poem and in a number of songs. It was well attended and raised ?85 for the ongoing work of Christian Aid. Car Boot SaleThanks to everyone who helped with the Car Boot Sale on Bank Holiday Monday last month. In spite of a dreadful forecast (which was depressingly accurate), we raised ?322.46Warrington Walking Daytakes place on Friday 1st July. There will be transport for anyone wanting to walk. Further details will be found on the Sunday sheet later this month.Fridge and Freezers Washing Machines Dishwashers Cookers etc1854679149441Andrew MercerDomestic Appliance Repairs01925 42384007723 967564andymercer22@andrewmercerdarepair.co.uk Teddies on the moveOur Thousand Teddies for Cancer Appeal is about to take it’s next step forward as we prepare for a giant Teddy Tombola at the Orford Park Festival.Most people will know that following the death of Ann Moran, our 33rd Warrington West Scout Group wanted to raise some money in her memory as Ann had worked with the Group for many years alongside her husband, Derek, who is the current Chairman of the Group. It was decided to support Macmillan Cancer Care by gathering and selling a thousand teddy bears.Happily, the idea took off and, as they say on the internet, ‘went viral’. Since then, we have had an amazing response. Not only have we nearly reached the thousand teddies, but have even mnore cuddly toys.The biggest problem we faced was finding a place to sell them. At on etime, you could ‘borrow’ a shop but insurance and other considerations make that all but impossible these days.We are going to run a Teddy Tombola at the Orford Park Festival in June and plan to run stalls at Disability Awareness Day and the Lymm Transport Festival.Our teddies have come far and wide from many different sources. We were sent two large boxes of teddies collected by a Brownie pack who meet in a village just outside Bristol. We even thought we might be getting some teddies from Australia, but it turned out to be a lady now living in the UK but who had kept her Australian email address! It just goes to show that when Scouts pitch in, there’s no end to ‘good intents’! 6159597155The picnic after the service was meant to be kept secret!God’s will be done Church Times Comment 13 May 2016The Archbishops of Canterbury and York together invited every parish to pray for the evangelisation of the nation in the week leading up to Pentecost. The initiative was called Thy will be done. Here in Orford, we joined with members of St Margaret’s to pray on the day before Pentecost.The Church Times wrote an editorial comment which is reproduced below. It’s an interesting insight into prayer: what we ask for and whether prayer is answered.“MANY Anglicans have joined in the Archbishops’ Pentecost prayer initiative “Thy kingdom come”. Many did not — the trickle-down of information about the initiative was patchy. But since all are enjoined regularly to pray for the Church and the nation, we don’t suppose the sum of prayers was diminished by much. Of course, the real work starts here if the prayers are to bear fruit. There are two bad approaches to prayer and one good one. The first is to pray for a particular result, then sit back and wait for the Holy Spirit to achieve it. This is a temptation for the Church in the West, saved from it only by a vast amount of uncoordinated individual service. The second approach is to work for a particular result, and pray that the Holy Spirit will bless it. There is a spirit of managerialism abroad which seeks to counter complacency with effort, but is equally misguided. Only the third approach comes near to the pattern set out in the Bible, however: to pray for the Holy Spirit’s lead, and then, in the power of the Spirit, to attempt to carry out the Spirit’s bidding. The Archbishops do not give many clues, but this seems to be the sort of prayer they advocate: prayer that transforms those who do the praying, making them more conformable to the Spirit’s leading. To pray for others earnestly is to create a desire to help them, and a familiarity that shows how this might be done. This said, Christians must not be afraid to pray with a caveat. The next line in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy will be done”, is frequently prefaced with “but” or “nevertheless”. We pray for what we want, and what we hope God wants for us. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that these might not accord with God’s true purpose, which might be darker and less pleasant than we should like, at least for a time. Anyone who prays for him- or herself knows, as Christ did in Gethsemane, that not all prayers are answered as desired. This includes even those that do not depend on outside forces. As St Paul wrote to the Romans: “The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” God grant me theSerenityto accept the thingsI cannot changeCourageto change the thingsI can change andWisdomto know the differenceWith this in mind, it is surprising that little account is taken of the will of those for whom the Church is praying. When he spoke in parables, Christ was acknowledging that not all wished to enter the Kingdom of God — and this was in a crowd that had actively sought him out. Those working towards the conversion of England, and elsewhere, need to live with the possibility that England might not want to be converted. “Thy kingdom come” is a welcome initiative. But one caveat: any national exercise risks obscuring the individual nature of the task. The Church continues to exist because hundreds of thousands of individuals decide each week to belong and attend. If it is to grow and prosper, the number of those positive individual decisions has to increase. Christians who feel burdened by such a task can improve the odds of this happening by responding to the Spirit’s request to be loving, pure of heart, sacrificial, joyful, and sensitive. In this way they can ensure that any seeds sown by the Spirit will land in good soil. The increase is up to God.”St Andrew’s Charity Shopevery Wednesdayfrom 10.00am to 3.00pm in the HallDrop-in for tea and toast. Carer’s advice desk most WednesdaysTime to PrayNew daily prayer app available to downloadThe latest app from Church House Publishing is now available to download. Time to Pray is a great app to help you pray during the day, when you’re at work, on the bus or train commuting, at home or out and about.Speaking about the new app, Thomas Allain-Chapman, Publishing Manager said: “Time to Pray offers a single form of Prayer During the Day; a shorter, simpler service involving three key elements: Praise, Bible reading and Intercession. The concise and flexible nature of Prayer During the Day makes it easy to fit into a variety of spaces in your day.”“You might say it alone before the rest of the house is stirring, on the bus to work, or in the park (or, sadly more likely, at your desk) over lunch. Even if you are alone when saying it, you will be doing so long many others across the country and beyond who will be following the same pattern alongside you.”Find out more about the app and download it on iOS and Android by visiting: bit.ly/TimeToPray Band donationsThank you to everyone who has contributed to the cost of the Walking Day band this year. Since July last year, we have received ?168.75. If you would like to contribute to the band, one of the best in the whole walk, there’s a container at the back of church on the table. Thanks you.A close shave?A man and a young boy entered the barber’s shop together. After the man received the full treatment – shave, shampoo, manicure, haircut etc – he placed the boy in the chair. “I’m going to buy a paper,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” When the boy’s haircut was completed and the man still hadn’t returned, , the barber said, “Looks like your daddy’s forgotten all about you.” “That wasn’t my daddy,” said the boy. “He just walked up, took me by the hand and said, “Come on, son, we’re gonna get a free haircut!”Snippets from the Church TimesSome imaginative ideas helped to make the Archbishop’s Wave of Prayer a success. They included paper aeroplanes, inscribed with prayers, suspended from the ceiling of St Paul’s, Leamington to an evening prayer-walk around Kirkham in Preston. In Orford, we joined ecumenical partners at St Margaret’s Smile Centre for a wave of prayer from 6am to 6pm!Churches in Canada rallied to the support of communities affected by the recent wild-fires around Fort McMurray. In many ways, church people are offering practical support for those worst affected by the fire. The fire came at a time when the local economy, oil, had already been adversely affected by falling prices.The Train-A-Priest Appeal, run by the Church Times, has raised a magnificent ?60,000 this year. The Appeal supports ordinands in training and offers a lifeline to those in financial hardship. Founded in 1951, it has channelled several million pounds in the direction of those in training and thanks to Hymns Ancient and Modern staff (who print the Church Times) and the Ministry Division; there are no expenses so every penny raised goes to the people who need it.The office of Reader celebrated its 150th anniversary of founding last month. The chairman of the Central readers’ Council, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, said, “More than ever today, the Church needs people who can take what’s going on in the world and reflect on it with a theological perspective.” Readers had a distinct ministry, he said. “You are trained in theology: God-talk is your specialism, which is why the training is tough and demanding.” There are more than 9,000 active readers in England and Wales.Bishop James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, has been granted Freedom of the City – along with the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Bishop James, who chaired the Hillsborough Independent Panel, said, “To have served the City of Liverpool, and especially the families of the 96, has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.” After centuries quarrying limestone from Lincolnshire, masons are now turning to a quarry in France to provide the necessary larger stones to repair Lincoln Cathedral and Castle. Many of the local quarries still have stone but have been built on and developed. Stonemasons use up to 100 tonnes of stone a year just on the cathedral.Changing lives and communities togetherDevelopment workers from the network supported churches with planning a range of activities including a cooking course for people at risk of food poverty in Newcastle, a community cinema project in Lancashire and a weekly lunch club for elderly people in Coventry.The network promoted local partnerships to run projects such as winter night shelters bringing together churches, local authorities, businesses, charitable organisations and others. The details of the work of the Together Network are contained in Changing Lives and Communities Together, assessing the impact of CUF over 2015.The report includes the work of Near Neighbours, the CUF-administered programme to build relationships of trust across different faith and ethnic groups. The programme which works in eight locations across England invested ?1.1 million in grassroots activities last year, giving grants to 330 community projects. More than 2,000 people a week benefited from projects funded by grants of up to ?5,000 awarded by CUF to communities across England in 2015.CUF is now managing the work of the Church Credit Champions Network, the project helping congregations to take action on money and debt issues in their communities and set up by the Church of England's task group on responsible credit and savings.-6985929005The report detailing the impact of CUF, along with a new look and website for the charity, marks its transition from primarily a grant giving organisation to a development agency helping to ensure that church based social action is effective and sustainable. A project run by Together Lancashire, a joint venture between CUF, Blackburn Diocese and the Methodists, which started with helping food banks to work together more closely, has grown to leading a network of more than 70 organisations tackling food poverty in areas from cookery courses to distributing funds for equipment and training. Rev Canon Ed Saville, social responsibility officer for Blackburn Diocese, and a director of Together Lancashire, said: “Working in partnership with the dioceses and other groups including Lancashire County Council, this project has grown from helping around 25 food banks to work in closer co-operation to supporting a range of different programmes on tackling food poverty from gifts of low cost slow cookers to work on growing fruit and vegetables and setting up job clubs. “This has been about identifying the strengths of local communities and encouraging groups to work together to come up with solutions.”As I see it …by Church Mouse“Do they have mice in Buckingham Palace?”This was the puzzle set for me and my wife Millicent when the mouselings came home from school recently. They were each clutching a letter from the Head Moustress which said that school was having a day of celebration for the Queen’s 90th Birthday and they had to wear red, white and blue for the day.It’s all right for her,” said my wife, “with the size of our family, my paws will be worn to a frazzle getting that lot dressed up!”“Stop worrying,” I said, “we’ll go to the charity shop on Wednesday. There’s bound to be something you can cut up; and one ‘people-garment’ will go a long way for mouse-sized outfits.”The next day (because Millicent couldn’t wait for Wednesday) we slipped into the Hall and under the shop door. That’s one advantage of being so small, though there aren’t many! The rails were jammed closely together with no more than a whisker’s space between them. That’s when I realised there was another reason to be thankful for being so small. We had no trouble running up and down the rails, and we soon found just what we needed. We had a good collection of red, white and blue material and while I write this letter for the magazine, the lady mice are sewing their hearts out. They decided on bows for the girls – and bow-ties for the boys. I’m sure they’ll look a real treat. There’s just one thing that bothers me, though, and that is that most of the clothes in the shop were made of much more material than we needed, and being little, we had trouble with the hangers. In the end, we just nibbled off lengths of red, white and blue material from the clothes hanging on the rails. I just hope the shop staff don’t notice when they come in next week.It seems such a shame that they mouselings will only wear their outfits for a single day, or so we thought, until we heard a few of you wondering what to do in church to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. I know a Garden Party might not seem the most original idea (lots of people up and down the country are holding Garden Parties just like those held in Buckingham Palace), but as it’s something the Queen does regularly, it struck me that it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. So, on Saturday 12th June, there will be a Garden Party in the vicarage. It will be Afternoon Tea and it all sounds very grand. I’m told there will be posh sandwiches and delicious cakes, lashings of tea and a chance to sit and chat with one another. I must say, it all sounds wonderful and I just hope the weather is kind.We did think of writing to the Queen to ask her about mice in the Palace but then we thought she might be very busy at the moment. Instead, we wrote direct to the mice and we’re just waiting to see if we get a reply.One of the really nice things about mice is that no matter where they live, or what their station in life, no-one thinks of themselves as better than anyone else. We are all mice! So whether you live in a palace or a shed, a cathedral or a church, we all think of one another as equals, and when we get together, we always talk about the people we know. Sometimes, their antics make us smile! There’s a lot to be said for being an humble mouse.We are looking forward to Walking Day and haven’t decided yet whether to send the youngsters in their red, white and blue one more time. There’s plenty of time to decide – it’s not until the beginning of July. And we’re hoping that wonderful, clever, witty, talented Head Moustress (am I going a little overboard, I wonder?) won’t take too much notice of what Millicent said when the mouselings first brought home their letter and will invite us to travel with the children on the buses. It’s a long way to walk with little legs!Churchmouse Praying for the world-wide Church19253201270Prayer is central to Christian discipleship. At its best, prayer needs to be informed. It illuminates our prayer when we know for whom we are praying and what their situation is. Sunday by Sunday (and day by day), Anglicans around the world take it in turn to pray for one another, following a two year cycle. In our worship in church, we join together with fellow Anglicans in praying for the people of those dioceses. Here are the Churches and dioceses that will be mentioned on the Sundays in June: Sunday 5th June: The Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma)We begin this month in the Far East. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is sandwiched between India, Bangladesh, China and Thailand. Anglican chaplains and missionaries worked in Burma in the early and mid-nineteenth century. The Province of Myanmar was formed in 1970, nine years after the declaration of Buddhism as the state religion and four years after all foreign missionaries were forced to leave. The Province comprises six dioceses.Holy Cross Theological College is a residential college “endeavouring to carry on equipping committed Anglican leaders for our future ministry and Divine Mission throughout our country and our neighbouring countries. Although we are doing this to the best of our abilities, we still need your support and encouragement. Thus, we cordially invite you to support us in prayer, encouragement, suggestion and contribution towards our College either financially, facilities or any other form.”At the end of February this year, the city of Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) became home to the newest Missions to Seamen facility. It is hoped to open a second facility at the deep water sixteen miles south of Yangon at Thilawa.1623060-98425Sunday 12th June: The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican Church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership (but not by attendance), after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million. Other statistics reveal that the Church of Nigeria has 2 million active attendees on a Sunday.[Since 2002 the Church of Nigeria has been organised into 14 ecclesiastical provinces. It has rapidly increased the number of its dioceses and bishops from 91 in 2002 to 161 as at January 2013. The administrative headquarters are located in?Abuja. Its current?primate?is Archbishop?Nicholas Okoh.The Church of Nigeria has continuously opposed the more liberal inclinations of some members of the Anglican Communion, particularly the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. The point of greatest controversy has been in issues of sexuality. The path since 2003 has been a fairly rocky one but the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Communion and the Church of Nigeria have managed to find sufficient common ground to remain one, despite several moves away from communion. Our prayer should be for greater understanding and a willingness to keep looking for the things that unite us.Sunday 19th June: The Church of North India (United)? The Church was inaugurated in 1970 after many years of preparation. It includes the Anglican Church, the United Church of Northern India (Congregationalist and Presbyterian), The Methodist Church (British and Australian Conferences), the Council of Baptist Churches in Northern India, the Church of the Brethren in India, and the Disciples of Christ. Along with the Church of South India, the Church of Pakistan, and the Church of Bangladesh, it is one of the four United Churches.Justice is an important part of the life of CNI. In March this year, they led a silent protest on behalf of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims who are suffering persecution. Dalit Christians, and now members of other world faiths, are oppressed and broken by the caste system. CNI is fighting for equality and justice on their behalf.Sunday 26th June: The Church of Pakistan (United)Like the Church of North India, the Church of Pakistan was formed in 1970. In this case, ?Anglicans, Scottish?Presbyterians?(Church of Scotland),?United Methodists, and Lutherans formed the Church of Pakistan. It is the only united church in South Asia?which involves Lutherans. Though united, it is mainly Anglican in theology and outlook, since Anglicans form the bulk of the 800,000 strong membership and most of the important? HYPERLINK "" \o "Episcopal see" episcopal sees.The church has two?theological seminaries: the?Gujranwala?Theological Seminary and the St Thomas' Theological College,?Karachi.-24130156210There is a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan who is known as the moderator and has responsibility for a three-year term. The United Church of Pakistan is the second largest church in the country after the Roman Catholic Church.Bishop Samuel Azariah [second from left in photo] the moderator of the Church of Pakistan, was host of a conference in Lahore earlier in March on interreligious cooperation. Azariah asked for prayers for peace and “wisdom” from political and religious leaders after the Easter Sunday terrorist attack in Pakistan.Vocation, vocation, vocation – what is God calling you to?Speaking about vocation is a bit like asking for more Sunday School teachers. The generalised notice at the front of church has pretty much no effect; a few face to face conversations along the ‘have you ever thought of ...?’ lines is much more like it. So two questions:? When was the last time you seriously asked God what He wants from you and your life?? When was the last time you asked someone else a question about their own vocation or call?If the answer to either is ‘not recently’ then maybe you need to prayerfully ask God what He may be saying. One of my favourite stories recently is about someone attending a vocations course. The course coordinator was not messing round. She made it very clear that vocation is a serious business, that understanding and feeling affirmed in God’s call on our lives is not something to be done lightly or hurriedly. Therefore the course members needed to get their heads in gear and commit to the whole course – no ifs or buts; no lame excuses about missing the odd session. They were here for the duration. And if this particular course coordinator says it’s Wednesday then you really do need to work on the assumption that it’s Wednesday. So, imagine the fear and trembling of one course participant as she approached the coordinator explaining how she wanted to finish the course early. Nervously she came up at the end of an evening to say that she wasn’t intending to come back for the final two sessions. There was some significant push back on this until the participant said: ‘Look. I came onto this course as a nurse. I am now absolutely certain that God is calling me to be a nurse. I am absolutely where God wants me to be. I’m sorted.’ A core aspect of Renewal & Reform is how we support and encourage all God’s people to discern His vocational call. God has called us afresh in our generation to be salt and light, to love our neighbours as ourselves, to have compassion on a lost and bewildered generation. The Bible speaks of the most unlikely people hearing, and often trying to resist, God’s call – such as Gideon and Jonah; of the changes wrought by the transformational obedience of Ruth and Isaiah; of Elisha’s desire to sustain and develop the ministry of another. Calling comes as individuals and calling comes from within communities – Moses’ calling seemed quite an individual conversation between him and God; Barnabas’ and Matthias’ vocation seemed to have been much more clearly discerned within the fellowship of believers. As a church we need all God’s people to be prayerful and serious both about their own vocation and about calling out the vocation in others. This is not just about getting more clergy, although that is important. It’s back to the nursing story at the start. Our vocation matters to God and to each other. Within Renewal & Reform we are doing work on how to talk to people about their vocation and calling. We are also doing particular work on how to talk vocationally to some of those currently most under-represented in church – young people and people from minority communities. So: when was the last time you seriously asked God what He wants from you and your life? And when was the last time you asked someFrom the RegistersHoly Baptism: 1st May:Jake Neil Anthony DagnallDylan Robert John FrohawkMaddison Poppy FrohawkSienna Rose FrohawkArchie Charles Cameron LloydStuart Charles Harry LloydJordan RussellConfirmation: 8th May:Amy Marie FieldKimberley Susan FieldSarah Louise Tina FieldMaddison Poppy FrohawkFunerals: 4th May:Albert Edward Heath12th May:Sidney Fear20th May:Ian DaleyCommunicants and Collections: 2016SundayCommunicantsMidweekCommunicantsLooseCollections ?PlannedGiving ?1st May31618.25 204.80 8th May3234150.69 319.76 15th May34715.00 191.74 22nd May33727.38 186.51 Donations We would like to thank everyone who has made a gift or donation to our various funds recently. Our special thanks go to:General Fund With thanks for continued prayers from Doris JepsonMike and Mary Patrick - donation in lieu of Phoenix Club subscriptionIn loving memory of my husband, Bill (Year's Mind 21st May) and Birthday memories of my Mum, May Hinton (25th May) from Margaret EllisonLoose coppers from Val CarterVera SmithVerger's fee (1)Elle and EsseHair and Beauty LodgeUnisex Hair SalonLYNETTE and SUELodge Lane, BewseyWarringtonTel: 01925 232282Prayer Intentions for JuneWed1stWinwick RoadOur serversThu2ndElm RoadThose with mental illnessesFri3rdFisher AvenueSt Elphin, WarringtonSat4thEskdale AvenueJunior sporting groupsSun5thThe Second Sunday after TrinityMon6thMendip AvenueThe Children’s SocietyTue7thButtermere AvenueOur Area Dean, StephenWed8thGrasmere AvenueHome Care staff working locallyThu9thPetworth AvenueEcuadorFri10thSinclair AvenueHoly Trinity, WarringtonSat11thLancing AvenueElizabeth, our QueenSun12thThe Third Sunday after TrinityMon13thKeswick CrescentThe Bible SocietyTue14thMarron AvenueSudan and South SudanWed15thDean CrescentMoriting School in South AfricaThu16thCleveland RoadThose who serve the neighbourhoodFri17thKentmere PlaceSt James’, WestbrookSat18thPoole AvenueThose working for justice and peaceSun19thThe Fourth Sunday after TrinityMon20thSeaford PlaceMission Aviation FellowshipTue21stArmour AvenueThe Diocese of VirginiaWed22ndCartmel AvenueBishop PaulThu23rdDensham AvenueChristian Aid projectsFri24thNewton RoadSt Philip, WestbrookSat25thUlverston AvenueThose to be ordainedSun26thThe Fifth Sunday after TrinityMon27thSt Stephen's AvenueMersey Mission to SeafarersTue28thHunter AvenueOur School Governors Wed29thThirlmere AvenueOur CathedralThu30thChiltern PlaceTolerance and understanding globally ................
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