May 2003
From the Manse
Dear friends,
The Lord is risen. Alleluia! We are an Easter people. The joy of the resurrection
should be our watchword. We live in the light of Christ’s victory over
sin and death. Count it all joy, writes James. Rejoice in the Lord always, writes
Paul. (Philippians 4v4).
It has always mystified me that the church in the West that emerged from the
Reformation was marked by solemnity and piety. Look at the old prayer books
of the church. Look at our 1932 communion service. You will see they are full
of prayers of penitence and confession, begging God for mercy.
In contrast read the stories in the gospels of people who encountered Jesus.
In Mark 2 the paralysed man was brought to Jesus. Jesus forgave his sins and
he was healed. He picked up his mat and hurried away. The people praised God.
The woman caught in adultery (John 8) was condemned to death by stoning. Jesus
set her free and told her to go and sin no more.
In Acts 3 the lame man was healed “in Jesus name”. He went away walking
and leaping and praising God.
Yes you do have to repent of your sins, and come to Christ for salvation and
receive God’s forgiveness. But once you have found salvation, once you
have been forgiven, once you know God has accepted you, then you enter into
a life characterised by joy and freedom.
Some of the old liturgies of the church seem to have been written for the un-saved
rather than the saved, for people still dead in their sins, rather than enjoying
the freedom and joy of the new life in Christ brought by the resurrection. Paul
writes, anyone who is in Christ has died to sin and is now alive in Him. (Romans
6 v 8)
Joy is one ‘fruit’ of the spirit. (Galatians 5 v 22) the first is
Love. It is through the Holy Spirit God pours his love into our hearts (Romans
5 v 5). The second is Peace. My Peace I give to you, not as the world gives
do I give to you. (John 14 v 27). The third is Joy.
When people say they find us a happy, clappy church. I say Amen. That is how
it should be. How else do you express that joy in the Lord? This does not take
away our reverence for God, nor our awe at his being, his holiness. But some
have mistaken reverence to mean solemnity. I say, revere the Lord with Joy in
your heart. For you belong to him. We come before the throne of God with confidence.
While I was training for the ministry, I resolved never to wear the black gown
of early Methodist practice. That was born out of the Puritan, pietist tradition.
Rather I wear a white gown. It is a reflection of the white robes Jesus wears,
the garments of righteousness, the garments of praise. It is symbolic of Resurrection
glory. It is a symbol of Joy in the Lord.
“Shout for Joy and sing your praises to the King, Lift your voice and let
your Hallelujahs ring, Come before his throne to worship and adore, Enter joyfully
now the presence of the Lord…” (SoF 496)
God Bless you with Joy and Peace,
Chris
Tissington Well Dressings
ASCENSION DAY
Once again we are appealing for help in baking tray-bakes and cookies for our
stall at Tissington Well Dressing which this year will start on Thursday 29th
May (Ascension Day). We will be there for four days until Sunday 1st June, We
sell cakes for Christian Aid Village Water Projects which is very appropriate
at an event which celebrates and gives thanks for God's gift of clean water.
We also sell foods, snacks and crafts from Traidcraft, the Christian Fair Trade
company, which brings Love and Justice to Trade with the message "Trading
for a Fairer World"
We particularly ask for tray-bakes or cakes which can be cut into squares or
fingers, because the visitors like to buy them to augment their picnics, pop
into their rucksacks or nibble as they walk around the wells and this type of
cake is easier to carry or to pack. But all cakes are welcome - we would never
turn a cake away because of its shape!!!
Each year we run out of cakes so everything will be very much appreciated, as
will help in staffing the stall on a rota basis and delivering the cakes to
Tissington at 10am each morning.
Offers of help to make cakes, staff the stall or transport the cakes to Tissington
can be made to John and Elizabeth Hurfurt– a list for you to sign-up on
will be in the vestibule from Sunday 18th May.
THANK YOU!
Christian Aid Week – 11th -17th May
YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD THIS WEEK…
…WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD?
Campaign for Trade Justice
Collect during "The Week"
Pray
This year Christian Aid is focusing on ordinary people, like Therese in Kinshasa,
the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therese looks after her daughter-in-law
Josephine who is HIV-positive, as is her son Junior who is 16. Josephine receives
support from one of Christian Aid's partners in Kinshasa - Fondation Femme Plus
(FFP) - but the burden of caring for the family falls on Therese. When asked
what motivated her to devote herself so unstintingly she replied:
"It is the love I carry inside me. I can't abandon my grandchildren or
my daughter-in-law. My Christian faith helps me to live and builds up feelings
of love within me"
Therese is helping to change the lives of people around her. She is an inspiring
person. Collectors are inspiring too! By collecting for Christian Aid in Ashbourne
you can help change the world. Money from Christian Aid will help FFP to provide
food and basic medication, transport for teams doing home visits, train volunteer
health workers and much more.
For the collection our town is divided into four areas covered by the Churches
of Ashbourne Churches Together - Anglican, Methodist, URC and Roman Catholic.
Catherine Green is co-ordinating our door-to-door collection and will be looking
for helpers to deliver and collect envelopes during Christian Aid Week (11th-17th
May). Every small bit of help is greatly appreciated, and you will find that
folk are friendly and willing to give to Christian Aid. Because we have a number
of streets to cover, there is something for everyone – so whether you want
to collect from 10, 20, 50 (or more!) houses there will be a street for you!
Please sign up on the list that’s on the noticeboard in the vestibule at
church – I will then contact you to arrange the details. If you have any
questions, please give me a ring.
Many thanks – Christian Aid, FFP and people like Therese appreciate your
help
Catherine Green
This version of the Lord’s prayer is by Movemiento Communale de Mategalpa,
partner of Christian Aid in Nicaragua.
Don’t say “Father” if you don’t behave like a child each
day.
Don’t say “Our” if you only ever think of yourself.
Our Father, who art in heaven.
Don’t say “Hallowed by your name” if you don’t honour that
name.
Don’t say “Your kingdom come” if you are weighed down with material
goods.
Hallowed by your name, Your kingdom come.
Don’t say “Your will be done” if you don’t accept the hard
times.
Don’t say “As it is in heaven” if you only ever think of earthly
matters.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Don’t say “Our daily bread” if you have no concern for the hungry
or the sick.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Don’t say “Forgive us our sins” if you remain angry with your
brothers.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Don’t say “Lead us not into temptation” if you continue sinning.
Don’t say “Deliver us from evil” if you won’t make a stand
against injustice.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Don’t say “Amen”, without considering the words of your prayer.
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Saturday Night Live!
The next Saturday Night Live! is on 24th May at 8pm in Waterside - led for the
first time by our own young people. Please support them and come along.
The worship time lasts for approximately 45 minutes. It is for everyone –
the essential criteria is to be young at heart. Cornerstone is open afterwards
for those aged 25 or under to chill out and for more lively music and refreshments.
Dedication of Easter Offerings
The offerings will be dedicated at a Circuit Service to be held at Brailsford
on Sunday 18th May at 6.30pm. The service will be lead by ladies from Kniveton
Chapel and the speaker will be the Rev Patricia Olivent-Hayes of Duffield. If
you require transport, please contact a steward.
Alma Swan
Annual Leprosy Meeting
The Annual Leprosy Meeting will be held at Hulland Chapel on Thursday 1st May
at 2.15pm. Sister Merle will lead the meeting and there will be a bring &
buy stall and a sale of cards, books etc. All are most welcome to come along.
Betsy Allsop
Methodist Homes
I would like to thank everyone who gave to Methodist Homes during the last financial
year (2002-2003). The total was £1660.42 (confirmed by MHA HQ).
If anyone else would like to know more about the work of Methodist Homes, or
would like to make a donation, please feel free to have a word with me.
Tom Parkinson
Annual Church Meeting
On 7th April, the Annual Church Meeting was held. The following were elected
as church stewards for the year beginning September 1st 2003: Roger Davies,
Elizabeth Hurfurt, Jeff Ffoulkes, Catherine Green, Ian Marsh and David Bale.
Both Val Howse and Chris Mason are standing down as stewards and they were thanked
for their work over the past years.
The following were elected as representatives to the Church Council for the
year beginning September 1st 2003: Gwenda Alcock, Donald Cox, Tim Dutton, Helen
Flinn, Stuart Green, Paul Haslam, Shirley Hill, Val Howse, John Hurfurt, Jacinth
Land, Cliff Lewer, Jacqui Marsh, Eric Matthews, Gareth Rutledge and Judith Starkie.
Reports had been prepared from church groups and committees – many thanks
to those who took the trouble to prepare these. During the meeting there was
an opportunity to ask questions on the reports. If there is anyone who has not
had a copy of these reports and would like a set please speak to Carole Thorpe.
Carole Thorpe
MISSION MATTERS
Songs and Stories from South Africa
Thursday 15th May, 7.30 pm. in the Century Hall.
“See the townships. Hear the music. Help the people.”
A musical mission evening, presented by Revd. Dr. Martine Stemerick, to raise
funds for AIDS relief in South Africa. Do come along and bring your friends
to this interesting evening and give your support.
JMA Party with an Indian “flavour”!
Sunday 18th May at 12 noon in Cornerstone.
Scale up for Trade Justice
See the posters and leaflets on the Mission noticeboards. Join the weekend of
action for Trade Justice 27th-28th June – we will be having an event in
our church on this weekend – watch this space for more details!
Fairtrade’s 2002 Breakthroughs
You may find the following overview interesting - it shows the results of supporting
Fairtrade last year.
Ethical shopping increased six times faster than the overall market.
The retail value of annual Fairtrade Mark sales in the UK reached £45
million. This means that almost £1.50 is spent on Fairtrade Mark products
every second.
Fairtrade Mark roast and ground coffee took 14% of the UK market.
In January, the first fairtrade mangoes were launched in Co-op stores.
In February, the prime minister visited fairtrade registered cocoa farmers in
Ghana.
In March, Starbucks Coffee Company UK started to serve fairtrade coffee as an
option.
In September the UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, started selling Fairtrade
mark bananas. Co-op, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Safeway and Asda already sell
Fairtrade mark bananas. Sainsbury’s now sells around a million a week.
Pret-A-Manger started offering customers Fairtrade Mark coffee as the only filter
option throughout all of its outlets in October. Their filter coffee represents
15% of coffee sales.
The Co-op supermarket switched its own-brand chocolate to fairtrade in November.
Volunteering Opportunity
Ashbourne Community Transport is looking for a volunteer to become Secretary
of the Management Committee of this busy voluntary organization.
Duties would include taking and writing up minutes of committee meetings, sending
out Committee papers and dealing with a small amount of correspondence. Training
can be offered if required.
If you are interested in this opportunity and would like more information contact
Kevin Fradley.
Buy a METHCARE Love Box
A Methcare love box is a box of medical supplies for the treatment of opportunistic
infections associated with HIV/AIDS. You are invited to participate in this
ministry of healing along with Methodists in Southern Africa by making a gift
of £20.00 that will purchase one love box. Cheques should be made payable
to Methodist Church Fund for World and sent to Sheena Atkinson, Mission Education
Administrator, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London. NW1 5JR and
the envelope marled Methcare Love Box.
British Farmers
There is no doubt that over the last few years farmers have had it bad –
some more than others. BSE and foot and mouth disease has brought great hardship
to many. During the foot and mouth crisis we were able to contribute to appeals
and the Arthur Rank Centre in particular was able to do a great deal with the
money raised in terms of helping needy farmers. For many it will take some years
to recover from these events and we need to be mindful of this although their
plight is no longer considered news worthy as other events around the world
have taken over.
There are practical things that we can still do. We can make a point of buying
British food in the supermarkets and we can support farmers markets when and
wherever they occur. Buying British can have a real impact on supporting farmers
rather than having to give to special appeals.
By buying British, we can also help clean up our environment by avoiding buying
food that has travelled half way around the world when we in Britain produce
a perfectly good and most likely better tasting alternative. Apples are just
one example that springs to mind. They seem to come from France, South Africa,
USA and Canada to name just a few countries. Meat and milk are other good examples.
Think twice when buying food from other countries.
Roger Mallard
Friendships make all the difference
Would you like to meet more people and particularly those who share your faith?
Then you might be interested in 'Friends First' - the information service which
has enabled hundreds of Christians of all ages to make friends and relationships
in an informal and pressure free way. For more details look at www.friends1st.co.uk,
contact Katherine Gray on (0121 427 1286, write c/o PO Box 8377, Harborne, Birmingham,
B17 9TE or email info@friends1st.co.uk
Visiting Preacher from South Africa
Rev Welile Sigabi will be preaching in Ashbourne on Sunday 13th July. He is
the Director of The Mooiplaas Centre For Sustainable Development in South Africa.
Rev Chris Eddy has received a letter expressing appreciation for the support
that Ashbourne circuit has given to the Centre. This circuit has donated money
towards the purchase of goats for villages and the refurbishment of the Centre.
More information about the project can be obtained from Royce Warner at 174
Station Road, Hatton, Derbys DE65 5EH.
Easter Holiday Club
Last Thursday (24th April) around 60 children had a great time at out special
Easter Holiday Club. During the day we played games, made things (mainly a mess!)
but most importantly learned about what Jesus did for us.
Many thanks for everyone who helped out on the day,
Roger Mallard
Holiday Club Half Term (May)
The next holiday club will be on Thursday 29th May. Please offer your help and
support for this important ministry. Further details can be obtained from Roger
Mallard.
Roger Mallard
Social Responsibility
Nigeria
Despite ‘civilian’ elections (as opposed to being under a military
dictatorship) occurring in the near future there is significant persecution
of the Christian church in Nigeria as Muslims attempt to turn this secular country
into an Islamic state. Since the year 2000 in the region of Kaduna, 520 our
of 820 churches have been destroyed. Groups from Chad and Niger have joined
forces with Nigerian Muslims to help drive out Christians from their homelands.
Peru
When President Fujimori was in power, he undertook to stamp out the Maoist terrorist
group the Shining Path. Between the government military and the Shining Path,
they managed to kill some 45,000 people, mainly civilians. Many innocent were
caught up in this and some 800 people who were innocent were arrested, beaten
into confession and gaoled accordingly. Walter Cubas Baltazar a Christian was
one such person. He was a union official who campaigned for better rights. He
was arrested and beaten into confessing a crime he did not commit. Even the
factory boss whom he campaigned against stood up for him at the original trial,
but to no avail. It is thought he was signalled out because of his union activities.
Walter was hard working. He clocked off at 7am and ran home to his wife and
then went off to sell fish until 2pm at a local market just to make ends meet
to support his family of five children. Sincing being in gaol, one of his children
has died. Earlier this year the constitutional court declared Peru’s anti
terrorism laws illegal paving the way for hundreds of retrials.
For 10 years he has been in gaol and it may be up to a further two years before
his case appeal is heard. We want his case heard sooner and we want him released
now, pending the hearing. Please write to : President Alejandro Toledo Manrique
asking him to personally ensure that Walters case is reviewed and that he is
released. The president is fluent in English and Spanish. You need to write
Walters name in full in Capital letters (“Walter Cubas Baltazar”)
and give a brief account of your request and address it to: Dr. Alejandro Toledo,
Presidente de la Republica del Peru, Plaza de Armas, Lima 1, Peru.
You can also write to your MP and or MEP asking them to raise Walter with the
Peruvian authorities. If you do not know the address of your MEP or MP you can
call 020 7219 4272 (for MP’s) or 020 7227 4300 (for MEP’s) and obtain
a name and address.
Roger Mallard.
Women’s Network
District Network Evening Meal
District Network are holding an evening meal at Willersley Castle on Thursday
8th May at 6.45pm. The cost is £10.50. The after-dinner speaker is Rev
Ted Ager on “The Church of North India”. If you would like to go,
please contact Alma () as soon as possible as bookings should be in by 27th
April (oops!)
Lunch & Meeting at Brailsford
There will be a lunch at Brailsford Chapel on Wednesday 14th May at 12.30pm.
Tickets (price £3.00) are now available from Gwenda, Betty, Alma etc.
Lunch will be followed by a meeting at 2pm when the speaker will be Mrs Ann
Donaldson of Weston, Stafford. We shall endeavour to arrange transport for all
who wish to go. Please come along and enjoy food and fellowship.
Dedication of Easter Offerings
A Circuit Service for the Dedication of Easter Offerings will be held at Brailsford
Chapel on Sunday 18th May at 6.30pm. The service will be led by the ladies of
Kniveton and the speaker will be Rev Patricia Olivent-Hayes of Duffield. If
you require transport, please contact a steward.
District Day
The next District Day will be at Uttoxeter on Thursday 12th June. The day commences
at 10am with coffee, followed by a business meeting. There will be a break for
lunch (please take a packed lunch) and then at 2pm there will be a service ‘In
Praise of Older Women’.
Alma Swan
Family News
Congratulations to Pauline and John Latham on the birth of a granddaughter,
Bridget Grace, on 26th March.
We also send our congratulations to Michael and Dorothy Prior of our Hulland
Chapel on the occasion of their Golden Wedding on April 25th.
The following need our prayer support at this time: Joe and Enid, Jim Woodhouse,
Pete Mawdsley and those in hospital, Doug Hulme, Tom Little (both in the City
Hospital) and Mrs Barbara Dadge, currently in the D.R.I.
We keep Don and Margaret Cox in our prayers, who continue to be worried about
their granddaughter Gemma. We pray for Gemma and for the rest of her family.
We remember too the families of the late Mrs Phyllis Hallam and the late Mrs
Lillian Shaw whose funerals were held in our Church since the last newsletter.
We pray for all those who have lost a loved one recently. At this Easter time,
we thank God that He sent His Son Jesus so that we may have eternal life, and
we rejoice in the Jesus’ words “Whoever believes in me will live,
even though he dies”.
Thank You!
I feel that I must express my appreciation for all the emotions we have experienced
in our Church since Ash Wednesday.
The Lenten display built up each week along with the meditations
The vision of Encounters with all ages and talents blending together to produce
inspiring words and music.
The moving services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The three empty Crosses placed outside the Church
The Banners and window displays on Easter Day along with the decorated Cross
to welcome our Easter congregations
Thankyou to everyone who played a part both seen and unseen.
How blessed we have been
Marianne Matthews
Tissington Well Dressing
The Well Dressing will soon be upon us and the village is busy preparing for
it. This year Roslyn Baguley, designer of the Town Well, is to feature John
Wesley to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth. I don’t have all the
details but the main picture will show him on horseback.
To make it even more special for Methodists, this well is to be blessed by Rev
Chris Eddy.
We shall look forward to seeing this on Thursday 29th May.
Sandra Alcock
Dates for your Diary
May
Thu 1st 2.15pm Annual Leprosy Meeting Hulland
11th – 17th Christian Aid Week
Thu 15th 7.30pm Songs & Stories from South Africa Century Hall
Sun 18th 6.30pm Dedication of Easter Offerings Brailsford
Sat 24th 8pm Saturday Night Live! Waterside
Thu 29th Tissington Well Dressings Start Tissington
Thu 29th Holiday Club Waterside
Items (including Dates for Your Diary) for the June Circuit magazine to me
by 9pm on Wednesday 14th May
51 Highfield Road, Ashbourne, DE6 1DX., e-mail
ashbournemethodistmagazine@supanet.com or place items in the “Newsletter”
pigeon-hole at church.