The Church Magazine of the Parish ofPangbourne with Tidmarsh & Sulham

visionMarch 201 3

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Editorial page 03Gift Day page 04Children's Worker page 06Noah's Ark page 07The Way of the Cross page 08Christian Unity page 09The "IF" Campaign page 10Quick Crossword page 12

Tony in Ghana page 13CIRDIC page 14Prayer Requests page 15Christian Year page 16News page 17Worship in March page 19Parish Directory Back Cover

The 'vision' deadline is 15th ofthe month. Copy received after that date will be held

over to the followingmonth.

Hand written or printed copy can be left in the 'v' pigeon hole in St. James, or sent to:

Mickey Haynes

28 Cleeve Down

Goring on Thames

Reading

RG8 0HA

Digital copy can be emailed to:

ziggit@btinternet.com

Digital (pdf) versions of 'vision' are available on request.

Front Cover ­ A Cross at Lee Abbey, North Devon (stylised) ­ one of 3 crosseson a hill overlooking Lee Abbey, a Christian retreat and conference centre on themagnificent north Exmoor coast. Their website tells us that, "Thousands of guests andcommunity members over the years have found the Crosses to be a great place to reflectand focus on Jesus". Standing alone beneath these realistically sized crosses cancertainly focus attention on the events of that first Good Friday and all that means to us.This is the very core of our faith, and the cross continues to be the symbol of our faith;whether on a chain around our necks, held in our hands during prayer, or standing onan altar as we worship. Often made from fine silver or gold, smooth and polished wood,the reality of the cross is a barbaric, cruel, humiliating, roughly fashioned implement oftorture and death, and that is what these Lee Abbey crosses jolt into your awareness.But paradoxically, at the same time there is a sense of stillness and peace, of hope, andjoy, and holiness. It just seems appropriate in Lent, in the approach to Holy Week, tolook at the cross in all of its forms, and to reflect and focus on Jesus.

Contents

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February Prize CrosswordDespite the Editor’s best efforts to mislead, a record entry of 10 competitors clearly knewtheir Betjeman, recognising “Diana” as the owner of “ponies” and not “pansies”, that had“swallowed their bits.” It did conjure up a rather charming picture though.....! From the 9 all­correct solutions received, that of John Moore came first out of the hat. Congratulations go tohim, together with a bottle of specially selected red wine.Please keep the entries coming in and enjoy this monthʼs “Quick Crossword.”

P.S. Sadly, the anonymous December correct entry remained anonymous.Cantor

Well here we are, another issue already. Not a lot of feedback, but the little I got wasgenerally positive thank you, apart from that about the size of the text! I have made it

slightly bigger this month, so I hope that helps. I really do need your help. As a lot of youknow I don't live in the parish so I am not always aware of what is happening, so please

share your village and church news with me.I hope that everyone will find something of interest in this edition, but I would

particularly like to draw your attention to Reverend Heather's article on the Gift Day, andto encourage everyone to come along. I would also encourage you to invite your friends,

especially those who are not necessarily regular churchgoers. We have been left a legacy of3 wonderful churches by our Christian ancestors, and if we are to pass on this legacy then

we need to generate the income to do so.I would like to include a letters page in future editions, but to do that I obviously need

....... letters (or emails or texts). Let me know what you want to see in 'vision' (and whatyou don't!). I am interested in your opinions, please share them. There is so much

happening in our churches, both locally and nationally, that there must be things we needto discuss. Let's start the debate.

What are you reading? Can you recommend it? A lot of us read faith related books,papers, and magazines, so what are they like? Please let me have your recommendations,

good and bad.Don't worry about the format, grammar, spelling, or any other aspect when you send

anything to 'vision'. I will edit it, so any errors will be mine not yours. Go on, give it a try!Thanks for reading.

Mickey

Editorial

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ChurchPangbourne with Tidmarsh and SulhamRegistered charity number 1127943St James the Less Pangbourne

The Parish churchesIn our parish we have three wonderful heritagebuildings to maintain. They are a great asset and alsovery demanding on resources. Our three buildings, twowelcoming Victorians and an early medieval gem, areshowing their age. The ancient stonework, timber, leadand glass is vulnerable to weather, the years, and sadly,recently to thefts. Church IncomeYour parish church's income is entirely from plannedgiving and other charitable donations. As a charitableorganisation we need to generate 100% of our income,and this comes from donations from our electoral roll(about 160), and activities supported by members ofthe parish.Our budget for 2013 is £ 115,000.With the help and good will of parishioners and friendsthe Christian community can continue the work ofprevious generations, and preserve the church for the future. Planned giving is crucial for thiswork. We invite all church members to join in planned giving, pledging to support the lifeand work of the church, and supporting fund raising events.Planned GivingYour charitable giving shares new life, new vision, new hope in our villages and beyond. Itenables the ministry of the church, including regular Sunday and weekday worship, weddingand funeral services, Baptisms, Noah’s Ark for Mums and Tots, JIGSAW afterschool club forprimary children, youth groups, coffee and chat midweek, home groups, events and socialactivities, support development in Bunghoko, a mission partner in Ecuador, and via theChurch Urban Fund an inner city parish, and to maintain our buildings and churchyards.It costs £2,200 per week to run our 3 churches in the Parish of Pangbourne,Tidmarsh and Sulham.We are holding a Gift Day on March 2nd. Please drop in to St James the Lessbetween 9am and 2pm.•Fair Trade Breakfasts and Lent Luncheswill be served.•There will be children’s activities & music.•Meet the Church Council and MinistryTeam. Bring your prayer requests.•Pledge support to help keep your villagechurches open now and for futuregenerations.•Find out about gift aid.•Discover more about your parish churches'heritage.

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Christian Faith is a lifelong journey. As our thinkingabout God’s generosity and our understanding of hiscall changes so we develop our response. Christiansare challenged to be generous in all parts of life –offering hospitality, giving our time, using our skills inand through our church and for our community.Regular committed giving by church members enablesthe church to carry out God’s mission in the world. Tokeep the buildings we need the help of all ourparishioners. Every contribution, however large orsmall counts, and enables us to keep the 3 churches open and welcoming to all. We inviteour parishioners to give generously to help maintain the church buildings for present, andfuture, village communities.Please pledge your support by committing to a monthly,quarterly or yearly payment.If you would like to give a one­off donation please make your cheque payable to, PCC ofPangbourne, Tidmarsh and Sulham, and send to;

The Treasurer,c/o The RectorySt James Close,

PangbourneRG8 7AP

Public NoticeEvery 6 years the Church of England has a revision of its membership of the Electoral roll ineach parish. This year we ask;• every member of the parish, living in the villages of Pangbourne, Tidmarsh and Sulham andthe surrounding countryside who considers themselves to be a member of the Church ofEngland,• or member of another church who lives in the parish and habitually attends worship in theparish churches• or who lives outside the parish and habitually attends worship in the parish,to fill in the application for membership of the electoral roll in St James the Less,Pangbourne, St Laurence,Tidmarsh or St Nicholas, Sulham.Forms can be found in each of the village churches or are available from the Church Office inthe Pangbourne Village Hall. Please contact the parish administrator Sarah Rasmussenadmin@pangbournenchurches.infoThe closure date for application is Easter Day – March 31st 2013. Please applywhether or not you are on the present roll as the roll must be completely revised this year. Ifyou want to see the parish churches of the Church of England to continue to serve yourvillages with mission and ministry and be available for your significant life celebrations andseasonal services please give your support.

Thank You.

Church

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CHILDRENS WORKER – JUDITH SUMNERI have been involved with children’s work at St James for twenty years, and in January thisyear I became the Parish’s first Children’s Worker. Thanks to a great team of people and a lotof hard work, we cater for children of all ages.All are welcome at our ‘Sunday at Ten’ service at St James, where we have age appropriatechildren’s teaching; either in the hall with games, prayers, singing and craft, or the vestry, fora story and an activity. Our family services at St Laurence and St Nicholas are also inclusive,allowing children of all ages to participate.Noah’s Ark is a friendly welcoming baby and toddler service for the under 5’s and theirparents/carers. The short worship time includes stories, songs and prayers, followed byrefreshments and a chance to get to chat. Noah’s Ark runs every Friday morning from 10.00a.m until 11.30 a.m during term time with a special half term puppet show open to childrenof all ages.For children over the age of 9, we have a Sunday evening group the J.J.'s, who meet atPangbourne Village Hall from 6.15 – 7.30 pm, and an over 13s group who meet regularlyduring the week. The groups have an opportunity to learn about the Christian faith within afun and relaxed environment, usually with food !!. For a little over a year we have also beenrunning a Wednesday after school club, ‘Jigsaw’ (Jesus in games, songs and worship) atPangborne Primary school for children between year 1 and year 6, which includes stories,games, and craft based around a bible character or theme.There are several events coming up in the next few weeks; activities for children during theChurch Gift Day on Saturday 2nd March, the Mothering Sunday service on March 10th, anda ‘Hot Cross Bun’ workshop for families on Good Friday ( 29th March) to help us think aboutthe meaning of the Easter story.Recently, Revd Heather and I attended a diocesan training day for Children’s and Youthworkers and Church Schools. The day was called, ‘Good News for Young People’, and talkedof us not just telling but ‘being’ the good news of Christ. We have a team of people involved inchildren’s work in our Parish in all sorts of ways, from the involvement of the children in thefamily service music at St Laurence to Youth Alpha at J.Js, from refreshments for toddlers atNoah’s Ark to the craft at Jigsaw. In all these things, and many more, relationships are beingformed with our children, young people, and their families. I hope as my role develops tobuild on this; through links with the pre­school, school, and the children’s centre, workingwith the ministry team on family focussed worship, and looking forward to a schools day anda holiday club in the summer, all of which can strengthen and extend the good things that arealready happening. If you have ideas as to how we can improve our ministry to children,would like details of any of the above, or would like to be involved in helping with any aspectof the children’s work, then please get in touch.

Judith Sumner (07866614836) or judith.sumner@ntlworld.com

Young Church

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On Fridays at 10.00 a.m in St James the Less, PangbourneNoah’s Ark is a special service for children between the ages of 0 and 5 years and theirparents/carers. We have a worship time with a story, songs with shakers and a prayer,

followed by refreshments and a craft activity and toys for the children. All are welcome!Noah’s Ark began out of love to support mothers and others caring for very young children.

God gives his love freely to all of us and there is no charge. However, the church dependsentirely on the generosity of it’s members and in response to this, a box near the door is

available for anyone wishing to make a donation to the work of the church.For more information about Noah’s Ark, please contact;

Judith Sumner ­ 07866614836 or Rhian Healey ­ 07971445451Noah's Ark this month

March 1st

March 8th

March 15th

March 22nd

March 29th (Good Friday)

Noah’sArkYoung Church

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The Way of the CrossA popular Christian devotion particularly appropriate to the season of Lent, isto 'Walk the Way of the Cross'. It is a means of engaging actively with the pathof suffering taken by Our Lord on the first Good Friday, when after his mocktrial, scourging, and being crowned with thorns, he was forced to walk fromPilate’s House in Jerusalem to Calvary carrying the heavy wooden cross onwhich he was to be crucified. Originating in Jerusalem, pilgrims began tofollow this route pausing for prayer and devotion at various points. In the late14th century the Franciscans were given responsibility to erect tableaux atvarious points on the route (called Stations), to enhance the devotion of thepilgrims. In 1731 Pope Clement XII set these as fourteen, nine based onscripture and a further five based on popular devotion.Today in most Roman Catholic and “high” Anglican churches you can find thefourteen Stations depicted around the walls by pictures, paintings, or just bynumbers. During Lent pilgrims are encouraged to walk the Stations, eithercorporately or individually, pausing at each Station to meditate and pray.In recent times the practice has become ecumenical and a revised selection ofStations based wholly upon scripture may be preferred. One such Order can befound in Common Worship : 'Times and Seasons' pp 228­254.The traditional Stations are also listed in 'Times and Seasons' page 256.Ideally these are best followed using one of the many small booklets available.One of the best, entitled “Remember Me”, was written by the late BrotherRamon SSF, but now unfortunately is out of print. He wrote it particularly toencourage Christians of all traditions to engage in this devotion.Sadly few Churches are open these days, but even ones that are, like our threechurches, do not have Stations displayed. However, one could still undertakethe devotion by choosing fourteen points, seven on either side of the nave, andas is now the custom in many places, adding a fifteenth Station which could belooking towards the East end, and reflecting upon The Resurrection. If youhave access to the internet you will find lots more about this devotionincluding pictures and devotional booklets that can assist you.At each Station it is customary to begin by saying:

"We adore you O Christ, and we bless you."Response: "Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world."“If you feel the sorrow of Calvary as you complete this devotion, then givethanks for it, affirm your faith in the risen Jesus, and hold the sorrows of theworld before God in love and prayer.” (Brother Ramon SSF)

Canon Norman Brown

I II III IV

V

VI

VII

VIIIIXXXI

XII

XIII

XIV

LENT

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Why Pray for Christian Unity?The Salvation Army sing: “They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

And sit down in the Kingdom of God.Both the rich and the poor, the despised, the distressed,They’ll sit down in the Kingdom of God.”

But to me line 3 should be: “Both the Baptist and Brethren, the Methodist, the Anglican,They’ll sit down in the Kingdom of God.”

Now some people are startled when I tell them that I never pray for Christian Unity, not evenin the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The reason is found in Paul’s letter to theEphesians, 4:1­3: “As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the callingyou have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another inlove. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”So it seems that this unity, this unity of the Spirit, has already been made by God Himself.Our job is not to try to create it but to keep it, to ‘guard’ it as one commentator states, and itseems over the centuries Christians have not been very good at this. Differences over music,over translations, over doctrines, have been allowed to divide us; yet Christianity needsdiversity, because we are a mixed assortment of people. For example, church music whichyou find uplifting may not inspire me. The language of a translation which a new Christianfinds helpful, may not meet the needs of another, older Christian. Such differences have notbeen discussed or debated in a sympathetic manner, but have been argued about, evenquarrelled over, with judgmental attitudes. However, such quarrels are not new, and go rightback to the first century. “My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me thatthere are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another,“I follow Apollos”, another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christdivided? Was Paul crucified for you?” (1 Corinthians 1:11­13)So, Anglicans … was Cranmer crucified for you? Methodists … was Wesley crucified for you?Salvationists … was Booth crucified for you? Brethren … was Darby crucified for you?However, in spite of our differences, and in spite of those first century quarrels, Paul wrote:“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, you are all one in ChristJesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Or, today, we should say: “There is neither Brethren nor Baptist,Anglican nor Catholic, Methodist nor Salvationist. There is neither millennialism or a­millennialism; neither Covenant theology, nor dispensationalism … for we are all one inChrist Jesus.” I do not have to work at being one with someone from a differentdenomination or who holds a different theological position. If we both believe Christ died forour sins and rose again on the third day, we are one, in a unity created by God. Neither do Ineed to pray that we may be one, for we are one ... and I need to recognise that … I need toaccept it … and I need to behave accordingly. How? What was it Paul wrote at the start ofEphesians 4? “Be completely humble and gentle … be patient … bear with one another inlove.” So although I never pray for Christian unity, I often find myself needing to pray forthose Christian graces, to enable me keep and guard that precious unity of the Spirit.

Michael Penny (Chair, Churches Together in Reading)

Wider Church

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IF Campaign Launches outside St Laurence’s Church in ReadingRecently, a group of local activists from across Reading came together to helplaunch a new campaign to help reduce global poverty. The Rev. Robert Westonof Park United Reformed Church explained the reasoning behind the 'IF'campaign,"The world produces enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough food. Hungeris the greatest scandal of our age. This year, with the G8 coming to Britain, we can make areal difference if we act together, and act now." The aim of the IF campaign is to tackle thescandal that sees 1 in 8 people in the world go to bed hungry. The food system is broken.There’s enough food, but it’s not going to hungry people who need it to live. We know we canchange this. All this suffering and death is preventable IF we persuade our governments toact. Nearly 100 leading charities have joined together to demand an end to hunger. In Junethe G8 Summit comes to Britain. This is our chance to end the scandal of hunger. Ourleaders will listen IF we act together and act now.The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Jenny Rynn gave her support for the IF campaignsaying that this could be a major help in achieving the UN’s Millennium Goal to eradicateextreme poverty and hunger.MP for Reading West, Alok Sharma, gave his full support to the IF campaignemphasising the importance of the government’s commitment to ensure that 0.7% of theUnited Kingdom’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is spent on international developmentand aid. This contribution helps to alleviate some of the worst poverty and hunger across theglobe.Bishop of Reading Andrew Proud, reflected on his 9 years of ministry in Ethiopia,where he saw first­hand the impact of multinational companies on the lives of poorcommunities. The displacement of local farmers, to create vast fields of crops to producebiofuels is having a negative effect on the provision of locally grown food for people inEthiopia, creating food shortages. Bishop Andrew encouraged the crowd outside St LaurenceChurch, saying that together we can make a difference and build on the success of the ‘MakePoverty History’ campaign.MP for Reading East, Rob Wilson, also gave his full backing to the project and drewattention to the scandal of food waste, a contributing factor to the global problem of foodshortage. Rob has been involved in an innovative local project using fruit grown in localgardens, parks and allotments to produce fruit juice, jams and other products.Additional Information:Hunger is the greatest scandal of our age. It kills more people than AIDS, malaria andtuberculosis combined.One in eight people on our planet are hungry. Two million children die each year because ofmalnutrition. Yet we produce enough food to feed everyone.The problem is not a shortage of food. There are deep inequalities and rigged rules in thefood system that mean the hungry do not get the food they need to live.The forces keeping people hungry include tax dodging, financial secrecy, land grabs and toolittle investment in small­scale agriculture.

Global Church

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Nearly 100 leading charities have joined together to demand an end to hunger. In June theG8 Summit comes to Britain. This is our chance to end the scandal of hunger. Our leaders willlisten if we act together and act now.We need you to join us to end the scandal of hunger. There is enough Food for Everyone….IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and use the available agricultural land togrow food for people, not biofuels for cars.IF governments keep their promises on aid, invest to stop children dying from malnutritionand help the poorest people feed themselves through investment in small farmers.IF governments stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of peoplecan free themselves from hunger.IF we force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make inthe poorest countries that stop people getting enough food.We want our leaders to act on the four big issues that stop everyone getting enough food.Aid IF we give enough aid to stop children dying from hunger, and help the poorest peoplefeed themselves.Tax IF we stop big companies dodging taxes in poor countries, so that millions of people canfree themselves of hunger.Land IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and use crops to feed people, notfuel cars.Transparency IF we force governments and big corporations to be honest and open aboutthe actions they take that stop people getting enough food.The more of us involved then the greater the pressure we can put on world leaders to tacklethese IFs in 2013. IF our leaders take action then we can start to have enough food foreveryone.To sign up to the campaign go to, www.enoughfoodif.org

[Article based on an extract from a report produced by the Revd. Rob Weston, published by LouiseCole, Churches Together in Berkshire]

The 'IF' campaign's website ­ www.enoughfoodif.org ­ as well as giving details of thecampaign, also allows you to sign an online petition to be presented to the G8 world

leaders meeting in the UK later this year. There is also the chance to email your MP wthencouragement to back the campaign.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as yehave done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40 KJV

Global Church

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ACROSS1. Shakesperean Moor (7) 6. Small blow (4) 7. Small delicate build (5) 8. Mass departure (6)10. Excursion (4) 11. Directed course groups (8) 13. Marx man (6) 14. Nullify (6) 17. Musicalopening (8) 19. Role (4) 21. Stop (6) 22. Greek letter (5) 23. Not generous (4) 24. Explosivenoises (7)DOWN1. Much exaggerated (4,3,3) 2. Expelling air (7) 3. Not short (4) 4. No. 1 batsman (6) 5. O.T.Land for the Jews (8) 6. Animal life (5) 9. Necessities (10) 12. Slovenly female (8) 15. Notprofessional (7) 16. Public speaker (6) 18. Weird (5) 20. On the summit (4)

Answers on page 18

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9

10 11

12

13 14 15

16

17 18 19

20

21 22

23 24

Quick Crossword

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The Reverend Tony Naden in GhanaAs many of you will know, Tony Naden has been working in Ghana for nearly 40 years as aBible translator, and is currently there on what is likely to be his final official engagement.He and his wife Di began working with the Mamprusi tribe in 1974, and the Mampruli NewTestament was published in 2002. Can you imagine what joy it must be to read the HolyScriptures in your own language for the first time? Indescribeable!Tony and Di also worked on a very successful adult literacy project which they handed overto the Mamprusis themselves in 1989. They also trained other missionaries in Dallas,Texas and in the UK.Since 2002 Tony has been a consultant on both linguistic and translation projects for theGhana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation, and has also worked withGhanaian academic linguists.Whilst in Ghana Tony stays in a Benedictine Abbey, where he tries to observe all of thedaily offices as well has doing his work. On this trip, despite severe difficulties withinternet access he has been sending back an e­log, and these are a few extracts from it."Friday Jan. 18 : Set off at 0500, five passengers in a medium­sized saloon car. As thesecond­smallest member, I got to share the front passenger seat with the smallest ­ whenthe driver changed into top gear he ended up with his hand in my pocket!""Monday Jan. 21 : Started working with the Akyodé team on Gikyodé Exodus. Working0900­1200 and 1400­1700, a bit slow as we are just getting started. I had been asked todo a piece for Christian Unity Week and gave a short homily and intercessions duringEvening Prayer.""Father Ambrose left early to drive Bro. Cyprian down to Accra before he flies out onWednesday. The Superior being away the mice played to the unprecedented extent ofdigging out the television during the evening meal and watching Ghana qualify for thequarter­final of the Africa Cup of Nations: I‘m sure St. Benedict would have forbidden itif he had the Latin for ‘football’ and ‘television’!""Tuesday Jan. 29th. : Another chapter or so done ­ now in EXO 28. The Priests’vestments – do you know the three meanings of ‘ephod’ ? I’ve been under the weatherwith digestive problems – something I’ve never had before. I even dared to take a doseof Brother Patrick’s herbal Swedish Bitters, which claims on the leaflet to cure just aboutanything that ails, and to contain just about everything that has ever been used in herbalremedies, in a spirits base. Lily the Pink rides again! If ever you read this you will knowit didn’t kill me." To be continued next month.

[Can you meet Tony's challenge and give the 3 meanings of 'ephod'? There's a'Real Easter Egg' for the first correct answer drawn on March 23rd]

Mission

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Pangbourne Action for the HomelessA street collection in aid of SHELTER was held on the morning of Saturday 26th Januaryin the centre of Pangbourne. The charity works actively to prevent homelessness, believingthat everyone should have a home. More than a million people a year approach them forhousing advice and support. The total of £223.35, raised by volunteer collectors fromPangbourne Action for the Homeless will go towards funding these advice centres. Thecommittee would like to thank all those who contributed towards this encouraging result.Following the successful Upper Basildon Bridge Club charity supper we have also sent£1000 to LaunchPad in Reading, £425 to CIRDIC in Reading, and £250 to the FAITHGroup in Reading.

CIRDIC (Churches In Reading Drop In Centre) UpdateCIRDIC is just off Berkeley Avenue, and has existed since 1990, serving some of the mostdisadvantaged people in the local community. Fully open on 3 days per week, CIRDIC asksno questions of its guests, and provides many services, all free. These include• main meals as well as soup, sandwiches, tea and coffee (proud holders of a 5 star ratingfor the kitchen from Reading Borough Council),• a safe mail address, and telephone for emergencies,• clothing, baths and showers,• a listening ear and access to the following organisations that regularly use the premises tomeet their clients and patients; NHS Nurses including a Mental Health Nurse, NHSoptician, St Mungo’s Street Services Team who find shelter for the homeless, DAIS whohelp people with drug and alcohol problems, Nquire who help people with benefits claimsand other official matters, and Arty Giraffe, who help people through art and dramatherapy.CIRDIC also offers a limited service on Saturday evenings, and a breakfast and a quietperiod on Sunday mornings. Its Midweek Club helps those guests who are ready to move onwith gardening, both at the Centre and at the their allotment, arts projects, cookery, lessonson budgeting, and the occasional outing. To further this project, last year they introduced amembership scheme in which all who are active at CIRDIC, trustees, staff, volunteers andany guests who wish to join, will be seen to hold a stake in the Centre.Income comes from local churches and churchgoers, Reading Borough Council, and firms,organisations and individuals. Manager Mabel Boyd keeps running expenses to an absoluteminimum, and in the year ending 31st March 2012, CIRDIC’s total expenditure was£52,000. Mabel is helped considerably by gifts of food, clothing and labour, provided by agreat team of about 140 devoted volunteers, as well as churches, churchgoers and othersympathetic individuals, firms and organisations in the area. With so much going on theyare now short of space and have drawn up plans to extend the building to provide disabledaccess, additional food storage and activity rooms. The application for planning permissionhas received a sympathetic initial response, so eventually we will need to launch an appealto pay for the extension, which looks like costing about £200,000.

Judith Colgate

Community

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From the RegistersFUNERALS'We commend and entrust you'

22.01.13 Julie Symons(West Berkshire Crematorium)Followed by Service of Thanksgiving in St James the Less24.01.13 Frances Evelyn Thomas(Reading Crematorium)Memorial Service on 23.02.13 in St Nicholas

If you would like to book a Wedding or Funeral, or discuss a Baptism, please contactReverend Heather Parbury on 0118 984 2928 or at rector@pangbournechurches.info

This page is for asking the whole of our Christian family in Pangbourne,Tidmarsh, Sulham, and beyond, to pray for you, a loved one, or anyone oranything else needing our prayers (contact details can be found on page 1).Please pray for the success of the Gift Day. We pray for the support of the whole church

family in making the day happen, for parishioners inside and outside of the church torespond, and for generous hearts.

Please pray for Judith Sumner and her family as she prepares for ordination training.We pray that Judith balances her family responsibilities, her role as Children's Worker, herother church commitments, and the demands of her training, as she continues to serve the

Lord amongst us.

Prayer

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SeasonsLent began at Morning Prayer on Ash Wednesday (13th February) and ends

after Evening Prayer (or Night Prayer) on Easter Eve (30th March). The last twoweeks of Lent are known as Passiontide, with the final week being Holy Week.

Principal FeastsThe Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary is normallycelebrated on 25th March, but because this falls in Holy Week this year, it istransferred to 8th April.

Pincipal Holy DaysMaundy Thursday and Good Friday are both Principal Holy Days (the other beingAsh Wednesday).

FestivalsThe only Festival in March this year is that of Joseph of Nazareth, which is celebrated on19th March.

Lesser FestivalsThere are 7 Lesser Festivals in March, including that of Patrick, Bishop, Missionary,Patron of Ireland, c460, which is celebrated on 17th March.Born in Britain, at 1 6 he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland. He escaped

back to Britain 6 years later, and went to France to train for the priesthood. He then went

back to Ireland as a Bishop, and as a missionary baptised many thousands of people. He is

accredited with writing the prayer known as St Patrick's Breastplate, which begins,

I bind unto myself todayThe strong name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,The Three in One and One in Three.

and includes the verse,Christ be with me, Christ within me,Christ behind me, Christ before me,Christ beside me, Christ to win me,Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

The full text can be found at, http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Breastplate

Christian Year

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PANGBOURNE HERITAGE GROUPEllie Thorne, an archivist at Berkshire Records Office, gave the group a talk on the historyof the Newbury based engineering company Plentys. Originating in Cheap Street Newburyin the 1790’s, they eventually moved out to Hambridge Lane in Newbury, where it stayeduntil the 1990s. Ellie’s talk was inspirational in showing how much can be discovered fromdetailed research, and how to flesh out the human side of the family, and not just theirconsiderable achievements in the field of innovative engineering. If anyone in Pangbourneworked for the company or had any dealings with them, Ellie would be interested to hearfrom them.On the same note, an appeal from Jane Rawlins to add to her archive of Pangbournephotographs. If you have 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or 90’s pictures of Pangbourne people, events, orbuildings, please lend them to her so she can take a copy and return them safely to theirowner. This is living history and we are all part of it!The next meeting of the group on Wednesday 13th March is a members’ meeting. Thefollowing month's meeting on Wednesday 10 April will feature a talk by Sue Broughtonentitled Understanding Military Genealogy. Details of the May/June meetings will be inthe next issue of the Pangbourne magazine. If you would like more information about thegroup please contact Rosie Nurick on 0118 9842565. Lesley Crimp

'Real Easter Eggs'Out of the 80 million chocolate Easter eggs sold each year in

the UK, The Real Easter Egg is the first and only Fairtradechocolate Easter egg to explain the Christian understanding

of Easter. They also give a sizeable donation from profits andFairtrade Premium fees, to their farmers, allowing them to

invest in their community by buying everything from schoolbooks and solar panels to providing fresh water. The Real

Easter Egg is now in its third year of production with morethan 300,000 sold so far. This year the Real Easter Egg has afree activity pack in the box which includes the Easter story,activity poster, free iTune download, and a sticker set. The

resurrection text from Mark can also be found inside the lid. Each egg costs £3.99, ismade from 125g of high quality Fairtrade milk chocolate which has an approval rating ofmore than 95%, and with each sale they make a donation to Traidcraft Exchange (over

£40,000 has been donated so far to this and other charities).As in other years we will be distributing eggs to our Children's Church little ones, and

this year the eggs are also available in Garland's shop in Pangbourne.

News

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They Brought and BoughtOn 5th February the Bring & Buy / Coffee Morning proved to be quite a draw. TheEmbroiderers worked hard to provide a pleasant and worthwhile morning, with stalls forbric­a­brac, cakes, books, a very successful raffle, and of course, coffee, tea, and a selectionof small cakes and biscuits. There was a lot of chat too ­ always a good sign. It was verygratifying to see how many people came through the church doors. As a result, a grand totalof £370.70 was raised, which will be put into a fund to buy and restore textiles for use in St.James' church. Many thanks to everyone who contributed in whatever capacity.

Janet Goddard

Quick Crossword AnswersAcross: 1, Othello 5, Puff 7, Elfin 8, Exodus 10, Trip 11, Seminars, 13, Engels 14, Negate17, Overture, 19, Part 21, Arrest 22, Theta 23, Mean 24, ReportsDown: 1, Over the top 2, Huffing 3, Long 4, Opener 5, Promised 6, Fauna 9, Essentials12, Slattern 15, Amateur 16, Orator 18, Eerie 20,Atop

Craft and Coffee at Pangbourne LibraryEvery 2nd Monday from 2pm­4pmStarting Monday 4th March 2013

Bring along your own cross­stitch, tapestry, embroidery orother needlecraft and join this new group of friendly folkaiming to encourage craft in the community.

See Poster in Pangbourne Library for further details or phone the Library on 9844117

Piano & Cello Concert in St JamesThe concert on Saturday 9th February featuring pianist Ikuko Inoguchi and cellist MariaAllbright, was very well supported and very well received. Their diverse repertoire includedsome more modern music that was fascinating if a little more testing to some. Overall, avery enjoyable event that raised a substantial amount of money via the retiring collection.Thank you to everyone who attended, and to everyone who contributed.Our thanks must also go to Len & Jill Palfrey who generously provided the refreshments.

A Flippin’ Good Time Was Had By All !Children gathered excitedly on Shrove Tuesday at the Rectory. After lots of stirring,beating and flipping, all that was left to do was to choose from the wonderful thingswaiting to fill their pancakes, and thereafter their tummies! The fun continued with toysin the Living Room and an impromptu puppet show, clearly enjoyed by everyone,especially the more ‘mature’ children! A prayer of thanks rounded off a brilliant couple ofhours shared with friends, old and new, for both the children and adults. My Childrencame skipping out of the Rectory with cries of ‘that was fun’ and ‘what a good time thatwas Mummy’. So good in fact, that I had to do it all over again at home the following night!

Laura Powell.

News

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Worship in MarchSunday 3rd Sunday 10th

MotheringSunday

Sunday 17th Sunday 24thPalm

SundaySunday 31st

EasterDay

7:45amSt JamesHoly CommunionOrder 2 BCP

7:45amSt JamesHoly CommunionOrder 2 BCP

7:45amSt JamesHoly CommunionOrder 2 BCP

7:45amSt JamesHoly CommunionOrder 2 BCP

10amSt JamesSunday at TenHoly CommunionWith Children'sChurch

10amSt JamesSunday at TenFamily WorshipCome and givethanks for thosewho mother you.

10amSt JamesSunday at TenHoly CommunionWith Children'sChurch

10amSt JamesSunday at TenPalm Processionwith the Donkey

6amDawn ServiceRectory GardenBreakfast inVillage Hall10amSt JamesEasterCelebration

for all theParish

Egg Hunt forChildren11amSt LaurenceFamily Worship

11amSt LaurenceHoly Communion

11amSt NicholasFamily Worship

6pmSt JamesChoral Evensong4pm Rehearsal5:15pm Tea

6pmSt JamesQuiet Service

6pmSt NicholasThe PassionAccording toLuke

Holy Week ServicesMonday to Thursday 10pm Compline in St James the LessMaundy Thursday 8pm Communion in St James the LessGood Friday 10am Hot Cross Bun Workshop and Worship for all agesGood Friday Music and Meditation at the Cross

12noon ­ 1pm The First Hour in St Laurence1pm ­ 2pm The Secod Hour in St Nicholas2pm ­ 3pm The Third Hour in St James the Less