St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News · 2020. 8. 22. · 2 St Thomas’ Church News...

St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News

50p December 2014/January 2015

www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk

2

St Thomas’ Church News - December 2014/January 2015

St Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield In the Wednesfield Team Ministry

Sundays Weekday communion services 8.00 am Holy Communion Wednesdays: 10.00 am 10.15 am Family Eucharist Fridays: 9.30 am (with Junior Church and Tots Church) 6.30 pm Evening Worship Baptism: Sunday afternoon, monthly

Clergy

For enquiries relating to St Thomas’ please contact: Team Rector: Rev’d Nick Watson 01902 731462 Wednesfield Rectory, 9 Vicarage Road E-mail: [email protected] For enquiries relating to St Alban’s please contact: Team Vicar: Rev’d Sam Leach 01902 732317 St. Alban’s Vicarage, Griffiths Drive, Ashmore Park E-mail: [email protected]

Officers

District Wardens: Mrs Norma Thompson, 17 Frome Drive, Wednesfield 01902 305170 Mr Peter Marsden, 70 Orchard Road, Wednesfield 01902 838577

Parish Wardens: Mrs Kathryn Godwin Mrs Veronica Griffiths Organist and Choirmistress: Mrs Gillian Edwards, 16 Greenfield Lane, Fordhouses 01902 783264 Parish Office: St. Thomas’ Church 01902 723310 Secretary: Margaret Walker Requests for Baptisms and Marriage at St Thomas’ – please come to St. Thomas’ Church at 6.30pm on a Friday evening or telephone Reverend Nick Watson on 01902 731462. Do you have an article for the magazine? Or any ideas of what you would like to see included? If so please have a word with Margaret Carroll or Joanna Watson at Church, leave articles in the parish office, or email them to [email protected] or [email protected]. The photograph on the cover is by Julian Williams, and was the winning entry in our calendar competition this year. Congratulations to Julian, and to all whose photos are included in this year’s calendar. See p6 for full details!

mailto:[email protected]

3


Happy New Year!

What calendars shape your life? Is your main ‘New Year’ the First of January, or the First of September? If you or your children are involved in education, the school year often has more of an influence than the ‘main’ one. Or is it the first match of the season? Or if you work in business, the start of the new tax year?

Advent Sunday (30 November this year) is the Church’s New Year. CS Lewis wrote decades ago of God’s wisdom in giving us the seasons of the year, each time they come around both familiar and new. But what would life be like if we really allowed our lives to be shaped by the Christian Year?

What if we treated the beginning of the year as the time to get ready to welcome Jesus as he becomes one of us? What if we spent a few weeks really preparing our hearts and lives for his entrance into our world? What if we found ways of building anticipation and expectation for his arrival, and preparing ourselves for the day when he comes again?

What if, to mark Jesus’ coming, we threw a great celebration, a feast that lasted for twelve days? What if we shared gifts with one another, our neighbours, the poor and the lonely during those days to commemorate the love and mercy he shared with us?

What if we brightened up the darkness of the winter months by remembering Jesus’ glory? What if we traced his steps as he went through all the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea, bringing light and love, healing and hope to the crowds? What if we saw this time of year as the time for our own reaching out in his name, joining Jesus in reaching out to those around us with the Good News of God’s love?

What if we decided to take forty days of serious spiritual discipline at the start of spring to get ready for Holy Week, as Jesus took forty days in the wilderness to prepare for his journey to the Cross?

And what if we saw Holy Week as the high point of our year, a few days on which not just the year but the whole of history turns? What if we started to think of Easter as so important that we decided to take fifty days to celebrate it, not just one special Sunday?

What if we decided to celebrate the Church’s birthday at Pentecost as much as we celebrate major events and anniversaries in our ‘natural’ families? What, for that matter, if we gave the Holy Spirit’s coming the same kind of attention that we gave to Jesus’ birth?

What if we realized that the “ordinary” time which fills the rest of the year, when we no longer mark the “extraordinary” events of Jesus’ life, is actually the time for us to walk daily in the salvation we’ve celebrated during the first part of the year? What if we took seriously that living in the world and finding out who God wants us to be is the way we bring God’s love and goodness to the world every day?

What if we brought our year to a close by honouring all the saints who’ve helped show us the way of Jesus, and by honouring Christ as the King of our lives?

And what if we lived like this, year after year after year?

Shall we give it a try and find out? The Rev’d Nick Watson

Letter from the Rector

Confirmation at St Thomas’ Church

At 6.30pm on Sunday 7th December we will be hosting the confirmation service for the Deanery, with Clive, Bishop of Wolverhampton. All are welcome to join us as the candidates take this next step in their Christian journey.

If you’re interested in finding out more about confirmation and what it means - perhaps you are interested in being confirmed yourself at some point? - please have a chat to Rev’d Nick.

4


St Thomas’ Church St Alban’s Church At the end of Wednesfield High Street Griffiths Drive, near Ashmore Park shops

Sunday 14 December 2.30pm Messy Christmas 10.00am Christingle Service 4.30pm Christingle Service 7.00pm ‘Blue Christmas’

Sunday 21 December 6.30pm ‘Silent Night’ Carol Service 7.00pm Carols by Candlelight

Christmas Eve—Wednesday 24 December 4.30pm Crib Service 2.30pm Crib Service 11.30pm Midnight Eucharist 11.15pm Midnight Eucharist

Christmas Day—Thursday 25 December 10.15am Family Communion 10.00am Family Communion

Come and join us for St Thomas’ Church Christmas Fayre

on

Saturday 6 December in the

St Thomas Centre Doors open at

10.00am raffle - tombola - refreshments - cakes - books - games - bric-a-brac - and much more

..not forgetting a special visit from Santa!

5


Christian Aid News

What if Mary hadn’t made it to Bethlehem?

In Kenya, when hospitals are far away, and transport is too expensive or non-existent, women are forced to give birth in precarious places.

Heavily pregnant, exhausted and alone, 27-year-old Susan Nani began the long and arduous walk to hospital to give birth. But it was just too far to make it in time.

Susan’s baby couldn’t wait any longer. She had no choice but to give birth on the side of the road, with no support or help. Susan’s baby daughter entered the world in dangerous and dirty conditions.

A helping hand

Thankfully, Susan’s community health worker, Magdalene, who has been trained by our partners, found her and arranged for Susan to urgently visit a nurse by motorbike. But complications arose with her placenta, so she was quickly referred to hospital by car. Susan and her daughter received life-saving care in time; many others aren’t so lucky.

Women in Kenya are 40 times more likely to die in childbirth than mums in the UK, leaving their babies to face life without them. And each year, 14,700 babies die on their first day of life.

We are invited to give a helping hand to mothers and babies in Kenya this month by supporting Christian Aid’s Christmas Appeal, which focuses on them and their welfare. There are two extra reasons why we should respond generously: half of all our current fundraising in Wolverhampton is for maternity care in Kenya; also the UK government has pledged to double every pound we raise for this particular Appeal.

So please take home one of the special envelopes that will be available in church from Sunday 21st

December and return it with your gift to one of the Christmas or New Year services. Roger Poole

The Ashmore Park Choir present their annual

in St Thomas’ Church, at 7.30pm on

Tuesday 9th December Tickets: £5 (children £2.50) Seasonal refreshments

Proceeds to CHRISTIAN AID

6


Jar of Grace

Children are hardest hit by emergencies, losing lives, families, homes and schools. UNICEF provides life-saving help and protection for these children. With a permanent presence in more than 190 countries, UNICEF can respond rapidly wherever and whenever disaster strikes, to deliver vital food, medicine and clean water.

There are 59 million children facing conflict, natural disasters and other emergency situations across the world. Emergencies such as the conflict in Syria are a huge focus for UNICEF as part of its goal to reach the most vulnerable children. That is why this year’s Jar of Grace appeal is centred on protecting children caught in such emergency situations.

Please take from the back of church a leaflet that includes a label which can be stuck on an empty jar. During Advent and the Christmas period, put a coin in the jar each time you give thanks for a meal. In January, or at a time to suit yourself, let me have your jar and its contents for sending to UNICEF.

Roger Poole

Tuesdays 9.30-11.00am school term time

Tom’s Tots is our baby and toddler group, which meets in the St Thomas Centre. We’ have a lovely ever-increasing group of families coming along to play, chat and do crafts too!

If you are a parent/carer of pre-school children why not come along - or perhaps you have friends or neighbours who might be interested? The cost is £1 per family, including drink and snack, and we have toast for 20p a slice.

Our Christmas party will be on Tuesday 16th December - there’ll be party food and a special visitor!!!

We would love to have more people along to help - even if just occasionally - in particular to make the drinks, put out the snacks and chat to parents and carers.

For more details call Joanna on 01902 731462.

Ava made a Christmas wreath!

It’s Christmas at….

7


8


An invitation to hope This Christmas our traditional carol service (6.30pm on Sunday 21 December) will have an extra focus. We

are taking part in a national commemoration, holding Silent Night Carols events in churches and at sports

stadiums all over the country to mark the centenary of the 1914 Christmas Truce – a remarkable event

when a carol and football marked a moment of peace.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

The Silent Night Carols programme is introduced by HRH Prince William, Duke

of Cambridge, who is President of the Football Association.

He said: ‘Even in the bleakest of times, Christmas offers peace and hope. This

Christmas, the Silent Night carol services are a powerful way to remember the sacrifice

made by so many in the Great War and to celebrate the peace we enjoy.’

Below is the invitation to hope from the Most Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop

of Canterbury, in the Silent Night Carols programme available

free from www.silentnightcarols.org.

On Christmas Day 1914 the guns fell silent on the Western Front as German and

British soldiers laid down their weapons, to exchange greetings, play football and sing

carols. But they then returned to their hostilities.

This Christmas 2014 we are invited to leave our defended positions and meet those

we might consider to be our enemies, exchange greetings, make peace and sing

carols.

We do this not because of the actions of those soldiers 100 years ago. But because of

the actions of God over 2,000 years ago; as he came to us, at great cost, to bring

reconciliation and peace, joy and hope, life and light. And he came to us not just to bring change for

one day, but for the whole of our lives.

Football in No Man’s Land

Letters from the front-line refer to a game of football played in No Man’s Land on Christmas Day 1914.

The Evening Mail, Newcastle, 31st December 1914 printed this letter:

‘On Christmas Day one of the Germans came out of the trenches and held his hands up. Our fellows

immediately got out of theirs, and we met in the middle, and for the rest of the day we fraternised,

exchanging food, cigarettes and souvenirs. The Germans gave us some of their sausages, and we gave

them some of our stuff. The Scotsmen started the bagpipes and we had a rare old jollification, which

included football in which the Germans took part.

The Germans expressed themselves as being tired of the war and wished it was over. They greatly

admired our equipment and wanted to exchange jack knives and other articles. Next day we got an order

that all communication and friendly intercourse with the enemy must cease but we did not fire at all that day,

and the Germans did not fire at us.’

Although there is no conclusive proof that a match took place, the evidence from letters home suggests that

at least one such game was played on the Western Front during an informal truce over the Christmas

period. Many letters from the World War One trenches have been collected on the website

www.christmastruce.co.uk

Together, let’s pray for true peace in the world this Christmas—and for a growth of peace and

understanding between nations, faiths and peoples in the coming year.

http://www.silentnightcarols.org/

http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/

9


From the Church Councils

District Church Council (DCC)

The DCC met on 19 November.

This was a meeting with a particular focus on one area of discussion, ‘Leading your Church into Growth’. This is a new resource we’ll be using in the New Year as a church, to think and pray together about how we move St Thomas’ forward – praying for growth in numbers of people who are part of church, in spiritual depth and in service to our community. The DCC looked at the reality of the current situation – after some years of numerical growth, for a variety of reasons the congregation is shrinking at the moment. We agreed that this needs the enthusiasm and action of the whole congregation, with the DCC playing a big part in the lead.

The discussion now goes back to the Shared Leadership Team to plan the next steps forward. Watch this space, but please use the prayer to the right, which is the ‘Collect for Church Growth’ recommended by the wider church.

The other main item of business was the finances of the church. We will struggle to pay the parish share this year, and recognise that the church is in a difficult position financially. Despite this, the DCC agreed after considerable discussion to continue our practice of giving 2.5% of general income to support charities and mission agencies whose work matches our priorities as a congregation.

We also reviewed the Appeal, which is now in sight of its targets, and agreed that once the clock repairs are paid for, the fundraising committee and the social committee will disband in their current forms, and combine as a new ‘events and fundraising’ group to build on the energy of the appeal’s social events alongside our established pattern.

The next meeting of the DCC takes place on Tuesday 20 January – please let Rev’d Nick or Maggie Shelley know of any items for the agenda by 7 January.

Parochial Church Council (PCC)

The PCC did not meet in October or November. Its next meeting is on Tuesday 2 December.

The agenda will include the setting of parochial fees for 2015 and progress on the sale of the St Chad’s church building.

Deanery Synod

The Deanery Synod met at St Gregory’s church on 15 October.

The main focus of the meeting was a presentation by the Rev’d David Primrose, the diocese’s Transforming Communities officer, to point us to the many ways in which churches are and can become involved in community transformation and outreach projects.

Other business included the decision to establish a deanery prayer cycle, the setting of venues for next year’s confirmations and to settle the membership of the Synod’s standing committee with the move of Preb. Pat Hawkins to Lichfield Cathedral and Nick’s taking on the role of Rural Dean.

The next meeting of Synod is to be held at Emmanuel, Bentley, on Tuesday 27 January.

Collect for Church Growth

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 St Thomas’ Church to grow in numbers, In spiritual commitment to you, And in service to our local community, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

10


With grateful thanks to Wednesfield magazine for advertising the calendar for us.

Coffee, Cake and Crafts meets most weeks in the St Thomas Centre, alternating between Thursday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. It’s a chance to come along and meet with other people who do crafts, share ideas and have a chat too!

Our last meetings in 2014 will be a “Christmas Special” - with demonstrations, mince pies and perhaps a glass of something?!

Wednesday 3rd December 7.30-9.00pm

Thursday 11th December, 2.30-4.00pm

In January we’ll be meeting as follows:

Wednesday 7th January at 7.30pm

Thursday 15th January at 2.30pm

Wednesday 14th January at 7.30pm

Thursday 22nd January at 2.30pm

Everyone is welcome to join us in the afternoon, the evening, or both! For more information please call Joanna on 01902 731462.

Coffee,

Cake and

Crafts

11


Time ticks by – the clock doesn’t!

You’ve probably spotted that the Church tower looks a bit different from usual – it’s lost its faces!

Engineers from Smith of Derby first came on 22 September to remove the clock dials for restoration, a two-day job on site followed by a couple of months in the workshop so that they hoped to replace the renovated dials well before the severe weather set in, and particularly before Christmas.

Unfortunately, they found that the metal had corroded more than expected, leading to the risk of pieces falling to the road below. That meant negotiating a partial road closure for safety reasons, which put this first part of the work back to October 30-31. This in turn means that the restoration will not be complete in time for the dials to be back in place before Christmas, and then due to the likelihood of severe weather it’s now planned to replace the dials during the February half term break.

So we have a few more months to raise the last couple of thousand to pay for the work! Any help gratefully received…

In the meantime, the restoration is going well. Smiths have sent some pictures of the clock parts in their workshop – you can see full size versions on display in church or on the church Facebook page.

The Rev’d Nick Watson

Our New Archdeacon – and old friend!

We’re delighted at the announcement that the new Archdeacon of Walsall is to be the Rev’d Dr Sue Weller, who played such a great role in leading St Chad’s and helping the whole Team through the difficult process of closing the St Chad’s building and looking ahead in mission and outreach.

The Archdeacon is the senior priest working with the Bishops of Lichfield and Wolverhampton to lead and support the churches of Trysull, Walsall, Wednesbury, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton and Wulfrun deaneries. Archdeacons work particularly with the clergy and churchwardens, and have to be good with the practical and legal bits of church life as well as in helping us to keep our focus on mission and ministry. We know from experience that Sue has the gifts and the kind of faith to do this job excellently!

Sue will take up her new role on 1st January. Please pray for her, and for David and Rachel as they

prepare for this new stage in Sue’s ministry.

12


DONE’S CRAFT

BAKERY LTD.

Quality Loaves, Rolls, Tea Cakes & Scones – to Trade, Shops and Cafés

and Hotels etc.

01543 573922 [email protected]

www.donescraftbakery.co.uk

City Lock & Security Systems 28 years in industry

All types of locks opened, repaired, and fitted including UPVC Door Mechanisms, Security

Alarms Fitted or Serviced. Manual or Electric Digital Door Access

Control Systems, including Intercom Systems

Tel: 01902 618831 Mob: 07958335917

GILL EDWARDS GRNCM ARNCM ARCO

Piano Lessons 01902 783264

Adult beginners very welcome

Roy Quinton

Funeral Directors Serving your community for 20 years

Your local family orientated funeral directors

of distinction, offering a traditional and caring service with attention to detail

FOR 24 HOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

01922 496800

677 Bloxwich Road, Leamore

Branches at

School Road, Tettenhall Wood

01902 744444

Westcroft Avenue, Bushbury

01902 732100 Providers of the Perfect Choice Funeral Plan

Memorial Masons

E.ARROWSMITH & SON

ALL ROOFING, FELT ROOFING,

UPVC FASCIA & GUTTERS ALL PROPERTY REPAIRS,

BRICKWORK ETC.

INSURANCE CLAIMS ESTABLISHED 25 YEARS

185 BROAD LANE, ESSINGTON TEL: 01922 477754

13


As I write this article I expect we are looking forward to our annual Christmas meal on 3rd

December at Pavilions Restaurant. Thank you to all who are coming and I do hope you enjoy the evening. Many thanks to Margaret Glover for all her hard work and time taken with Christmas Dinner arrangements.

On 26th November we hope to go for a short trip to Holly Bush Garden Centre to look at look at Christmas

decorations and for a light lunch and a chat in the restaurant. Lifts are being made available for members who do not have transport. Thank you to Gwen Turner for organising this. Hopefully this coming year the committee will be looking at some more local trips for MU members and maybe a Summer Meal.

As usual at the Church Christmas Fayre Mothers Union will be looking after the cake stall, so I do hope you will bring some cakes along for the cake stall. Many thanks to Carole and Gwen for looking after and organising the stall.

Thank you to all those who have come to speak to our branch this year. The year was ended by a very interesting talk from Roger Poole on History of Street names in Wolverhampton

This year seems to have flown by and it is now nearly time for our AGM and the first meeting of 2015. This will be on 14

th January 2015 at 7.15pm It will be held in St Thomas’ Church, rather than the St Thomas’

Centre. Holy Communion will proceed the AGM. The accounts will be hopefully available for you to see and hear about. We will then have time for a friendly chat afterwards and a cup of tea in St Thomas’ Room.

Our annual Mothers Union subscriptions will need to be paid by our January Meeting. The subscription is £19.50p, an increase of 50p. Please put payment in envelope putting your name on the front.

The next committee meeting is on Saturday 10th January at 10.15am. Thank you to all committee

members Gill Marsden for looking after petty cash and cash accounting and Margaret Glover for all she does too.

Mothers’ Union now has members in 83 countries across the world. These members seek to serve people in their communities through outreach and various programmes, working tirelessly offering Christian care for families.

Looking forward to seeing you all at our next meeting. Non-members are very welcome to join us at our meetings.

Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Jill Ellson, Branch Leader

And a huge thank you from everyone at St Thomas’ for everything that Jill does to lead our Mothers’ Union branch - it is very much appreciated.

A huge thank-you to Margaret Carroll, who is reducing her involvement in the magazine after an amazing 28 years on the Magazine Committee! Her commitment and enthusiasm have been invaluable - and we are really grateful for all she has done. If anyone would like to get involved in any way - whether it’s liaising with advertisers, arranging distribution, editing the magazine itself, or if you’d just like to know a little bit more, please have a word with Nick or Joanna.

14


Reading Mark’s gospel

Each year, our gospel readings on Sunday mornings focus on one of the three ‘Synoptic’ gospels through most of the year. This year we’re using St Mark as our main one, though the others (especially John) appear occasionally.

Why did Mark write his gospel? The most obvious thing about Mark’s gospel is that it’s the shortest of the four. We’re also pretty sure that it was the first to be written. While there’s some debate, I believe that it was written in the early 60s of the first century. For the first 30 years of the church, the stories and teachings of Jesus had been passed down orally, by the words of the apostles and those who remembered him. Some had probably been written down, but as far as we know there’d been no attempt to bring them together in one place.

As it became clear that Jesus might not return in the near future (as a lot of Christians had expected) and as the apostles began to be killed by the authorities, it seems that Mark realised that their memories needed to be recorded while there was still time, and so he wrote his gospel. Many of the letters of the New Testament had already been written. But Christians believe that God makes himself known above all through Jesus, and so it was vital that later generations were able to see him clearly, to know and to share his story.

It seems clear that Matthew and Luke then used Mark’s gospel as the framework for their own, as each independently added other accounts of Jesus’ life and especially of his teaching. That’s why the order of events is almost exactly the same (it’s a bit different in John’s gospel) and why large chunks of both are word-for-word copies of Mark!

What’s distinctive about Mark? Mark keeps the story moving, and keeps it short. He doesn’t give us long passages of Jesus’ teaching, but shows him very much in action. One of his favourite words seems to be ‘immediately’ or ‘at once’ (depending on the translation). We see Jesus as very active, almost urgent, in his care for people and in his challenge to corrupt understandings of God.

Mark doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ birth – he jumps in where Jesus begins his ministry, with the preaching of John the Baptist. At the other end of the gospel he doesn’t tell us much about Jesus after the resurrection – it seems that the original text ends before Jesus is even seen, with angels telling the frightened women at the empty tomb that he has risen. Later authors added extra bits on to the end, but we think that this is where Mark intended his part of the story to end.

So Mark presents Jesus in a very open-ended, ‘over to you now’ way – and so he challenges us to respond to Jesus for ourselves.

Who was Mark? The writer of the gospel isn’t named in the book itself, but from very early times it’s been believed that he was John Mark, who’s mentioned in the book of Acts (chapters 13 and 15). He was a young man when he travelled with Paul and Barnabas – and for reasons unknown to us, he turned back and went home. When he returned to work with the apostles again, they fell out – Paul, with his demanding standards for serving God, didn’t want to risk taking Mark again, but Barnabas, ‘the Son of Encouragement’ gave him a second chance. We believe that Mark went on to travel with the apostle Peter, whose teaching is said to have provided the foundation of Mark’s writing. Peter mentions him in 1 Peter 5:13. He did also work again with Paul, who clearly saw that he had grown beyond any early mistakes. In Paul’s last letters he mentions him several times, with great appreciation of his work and service to God.

It’s sobering to think that if Barnabas hadn’t taken that risk, we might never have had Mark’s gospel – and if he hadn’t written his, then we wouldn’t have had Matthew or Luke either, at least in anything like their current form. So as we go through this year and hear Mark’s telling of the great story of Jesus, let’s remember that we’re hearing from someone who used the second chance he was given – and used it well.

And there’s another thing we can do. As I said at the beginning, the most obvious distinctive thing about Mark is how short it is compared to the other gospels. It’s a good, action-filled read. So why not set aside a bit of time this Advent to read it through in one go? You’ll get a very different view of the story of Jesus from reading it that way, which will help you through the year to make a lot more sense of all the short passages we’ll be reading out in church!

The Rev’d Nick Watson

15


Treasured @ St. Alban’s Church

We are really excited to announce the launch of our new women’s ministry at St. Alban’s Church. Our core aim is to support, encourage and engage women in Wednesfield with a series of events and courses. The team, so far, include women from St Alban’s Church and also Helen Hammond, a fantastic young mum from All Nations Church in Wolverhampton Town Centre. Our co-ordinator is Jo Leach, Rev. Sam’s wife. Our team includes Geraldine Taylor, Ann Harris, Mavoureen Braithwaite, Elaine Bennett and Usha Ramji. We really look forward to seeing ladies from all our local churches and also the community at the events in the future. These events are initially aimed at building friendship and connections between our wonderful Wolverhampton ladies. As we grow and build both the team and our number s, our prayer is that God will use us to truly bless, love and connect with our communities so women can gain a greater understanding of the love of God.

We would love you to come along to any of the events on the 2015 programme. For updates, more information and to book your place, please call the church number on 01902 732317, visit our Facebook page or email Jo Leach at [email protected] .

Friday 5th

December 7.30pm - Creative Jewellery Evening – A lovely creative, Christmassy time, with help to make beautiful gifts from a choice of thousands of beads, cards and wrapping paper. £3.50 entry includes a Pearly Key ring kit, drink and chocolates. Just pay for what you make and enjoy a good chat.

Saturday 7th

February – Creative Calling -10am-2.30pm. A wonderful day to encourage your creativity. Rediscover skills you felt you lost, have a try at new ones and share a fun, reflective and peaceful day. Workshops include: cake decorating, painting, drawing, fabric and wool crafts, make-up and card crafts. £5 for the day includes lunch, refreshments& at least 2 workshops.

LENT COURSE – Every Sunday Night in Lent, 7.15pm – 9.30pm - Christ and the Chocolaterie. Open to men and women! 22

nd February – 29

th

March. This is an exciting programme of study using the film ‘Chocolat’ as inspiration and a talking point. We will start by watching the film together then follow this up each week with thinking about the different characters and how their lives relate to ours and our relationship with Jesus. Following the course we have a fun social; The Chocolate Mystery Night on Friday 17

th April 7pm. Price TBC will include a three course meal.

Look out for our Women’s Breakfast in the Summer. More information to follow.

mailto:[email protected]

16


News from St Alban’s

Here are pictures of two paintings by Ollie Pengilley. One was painted in the summer at a day conference, a kind gift from St Chad's Pattingham. The second, of two individuals, was painted during morning worship back in October in the space of 50 minutes. That's him in the photo!

Rev’d Sam Leach

17


Would you like to advertise in this space?

This magazine is distributed

throughout Wednesfield and also available to buy in Church.

For more details of terms and rates please contact Margaret Carroll on 01902 732092 or email

[email protected]

M.R.BROWN & SON Quality Carpentry & Building Services

All aspects of carpentry and building work undertaken

Fitted kitchens - Worktop joints Fitted bathrooms - Stair spindles

Doors fitted - Canopies and porches UPVC windows and doors - Garage doors

*Quality work GUARANTEED* Telephone Mick on (01902) 683503

or 07973 917670 for a free quotation. 74 Newbolds Road, Fallings Park

City and Guilds

Plumbing, Heating, Bathrooms, Showers, Downstairs Toilets, All

Plumbing Repairs

24 Fairview Crescent, Wednesfield Tel. no. 730780

St Thomas’ Church is on Facebook, and over 300 people like our page! So if you haven’t already, why not join us? www.facebook.com/stthomaschurchwednesfield

Abbeyfield House now has vacancies offering sheltered housing/support and companionship. Our home has a balance of privacy, support and

security as well as the freedom to come and go as you please.

Two home cooked nutritious meals per day. A companionable environment with full

access to health care services. Private rooms with en-suite facilities. We are small and friendly with a family feel.

Please feel free to contact Denise on 01902 307139

Abbeyfield House SHOPPING? If you feel like a nice cup of coffee (or tea) and a breather, (and a biscuit), why not call in at St. Thomas' Room. Coffee is served from 10.00 –12.00, every Friday and Saturday morning.

Everyone is welcome – just pop in

18


What’s on in …

December 2 Tuesday 9.30am

7.30pm Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre PCC meeting in St Thomas Centre

3 Wednesday 1.45pm 7.30pm 7.30pm

D’Eyncourt School Concert in Church Mothers’ Union Christmas Meal “Christmas Special” Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre

4 Thursday 7.30pm ‘Moving On’ evening

5 Friday 2.30pm 7.30pm

Holy Communion at Woden Resource Centre Confirmation rehearsal

6 Saturday 10.00am Christmas Fair

7 Sunday Advent 2

8.00am 10.15am 4.30pm 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church Holy Baptism Confirmation Service with Bishop Clive

9 Tuesday 9.30am 2.00pm 7.30pm

Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre St Thomas’ School Christmas Carol Service Ashmore Park Choir Christmas Concert

10 Wednesday 2.00pm St Thomas’ School Christmas Carol Service

11 Thursday 2.30pm 7.30pm

“Christmas Special” Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre ‘Moving On’ evening

13 Saturday 1.00pm Marriage of Lorraine Sharpless and Michael Johnson

14 Sunday Advent 3

8.00am 10.15am 2.30pm 4.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church Messy Christmas! in the St Thomas Centre Christingle Service

15 Monday 1.45pm Perry Hall School Christmas Service

16 Tuesday 9.30am 7.00pm

Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre - Christmas party! Coppice School Christmas Concert

17 Wednesday 3.00pm Wodensfield School Christingle Service

18 Thursday 7.30pm ‘Moving On’ evening

19 Friday 12.30pm Marriage of Russell Alanthwaite & Natalie Maragliano-Gibbons

21 Sunday Advent 4

8.00am 10.15am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church ‘Silent Night’ Carol Service

24 Christmas Eve 4.30pm 11.30pm

Christmas Crib Service First Eucharist of Christmas Day (‘Midnight Mass’)

25 Christmas Day 10.15am Family Eucharist of Christmas Day

26 Friday No 9.30am Eucharist this morning

28 Sunday Christmas 1

8.00am 10.00am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Morning Service of the Word Evening Worship

19


What’s on in…

January

4 Sunday Epiphany Sunday

8.00am 10.15am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church Holy Communion

6 Tuesday 9.30am Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre

7 Wednesday 7.30pm Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre

9 Friday 2.30pm Holy Communion at Woden Resource Centre

11 Sunday The Baptism of Christ

8.00am 10.15am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church Evening Worship


Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre Centre Management Committee at Rectory

14 Wednesday 7.15pm Mothers’ Union Eucharist and AGM in Church

15 Thursday 2.30pm 7.30pm

Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre Fundraising Committee at Rectory

18 Sunday Trinity

8.00am 10.15am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Family Eucharist with Junior Church Evening Worship


Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre District Church Council meeting

21 Wednesday 7.30pm Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre

25 Sunday Trinity

8.00am 10.00am 6.30pm

Holy Communion (said) Parish Eucharist Evening Worship


Tom’s Tots in St Thomas Centre Deanery Synod meeting at Emmanuel Bentley

29 Thursday 2.30pm Coffee, Cake & Crafts in St Thomas Centre

We wish you, and those you love, every blessing this Christmas and in the New

Year ahead

20


Holy Baptism ‘Shine as a light in the world, to the glory of God the Father’

5 October Sophie Florence Ward, daughter of Amy Williams and Andrew Ward

Lacey Ella Veasey, daughter of Jade Rolls and Adrian Veasey

Jamie Andrew Walters, son of Carolynne and Mark Walters

Ruby Edith Beards, daughter of Emma and Neil Beards

Jamie Matthew Parsons, son of Katarzyna Klusek and Matthew Parsons

2 November Jake Alan John Fergusson, son of Rebecca Simmons and Scott Ferguson

23 November Amy Elizabeth Malpass and Grace Kelsey Malpass

adult daughters of Karen and David Malpass

Caitlin Rebekah Emily Storm Thompson and Abigail Rachael Hania Maude

Thompson, daughters of Karen Malpass and Richard Thompson

Ruby Emily Bolton, daughter of Grace Malpass and Dominic Bolton

Marriage ‘God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them’

4 October Aimee McIvor and Philip Sidebottom

Marriage Anniversary thanksgiving ‘Faith, hope and love abide, and the greatest of these is love’

2 November Mandy and Bob Priest

Funerals ‘God will show us the path of life; in his presence is the fullness of joy.’ (Psalm 16:10)

1 October Norman Thomas (73)

14 October Sylvia Cook (66)

22 October Sybil Horton (78)

5 November Geoffrey Marchant (84)

19 November Kenneth Cooksey (81)

26 November Ernest Bloomer (82)

28 November Eileen Wakelam (86)

In Memoriam Donations have been received

In loving memory of Wallace Frank Done from Elva and family

In loving memory of brother Tom from Edna Haynes

21


Do you have friends or family in New Cross Hospital? Why not send them a

request?

Ring - (01902) 695099 and ask to be put through to Radio Wulfrun

(Mon-Fri 7-10 pm)

Log on - www.radiowulfrun.co.uk

Write - Radio Wulfrun c/o New Cross Hospital

Wolverhampton WV10 OQP

Text - 07807 539789

If your Group would like us to mention any event "on air", please contact us with details.

PORTLAND EYE CARE

SERVICES LTD Established since 1983

Professional Eye Care for All the Family

NHS/Private sight tests

Free children’s frames with NHS voucher

Fast spectacle repair service

Cataract/Glaucoma screening

Contact lens care and fitting

Home visits arranged

Hearing tests by appointment

Chiropodist

We are an independent Opticians that offer an

extensive range of frames and lenses to suit your

budget and needs.

01902 723898 45 Lichfield Road, Wednesfield

WV11 1TW

22


Essington Fruit Farm 01902 735724

More than just strawberries and right on your doorstep!

Top quality local meats including our own Free Range Pork Fresh Fruit and Veg Home-made cakes

Our famous Carvery Roast every Sunday

Monthly Thursday suppers 6.30 - 8.30

Traditional Farm Cooking in our Country Kitchen Hot dish of the day: Tuesday - Saturday

Carvery Roast Sundays

Opening Hours Shop 9-5 Tuesday - Saturday, 10-3 Sundays

Tearoom 11-3 Tuesday - Sunday

St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News · 2020. 8. 22. · 2 St Thomas’ Church News...

Documents

Transcript of St. Thomas’ Church, Wednesfield Church News · 2020. 8. 22. · 2 St Thomas’ Church News...