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United Reformed ChurchNewsletter for April 2007 |
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Alan Wood As a church, we are in the same state as Mr Micawber with an annual expenditure of £20.0.6d, or even, dare I say it, a guinea! If I may remind you of his words: Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery. (Youngsters, ask your parents – or grandparents! – to translate!) We could see misery, although still some way off, approaching apace, but we now are planning to avoid the forecast misery. As a church, we can see the road stretching a long way ahead, as we discuss what modifications we should make to our church buildings to make them more efficient, relevant and useful to the community in which they are set. Discussions are currently going ahead on the appointment of a suitable consultant to conduct a far-reaching survey on the needs of the local community, and to recommend the shape of any modifications to be made to our buildings. May the gestation period not be too arduous for us to endure, and may all the effort be worth the result. ------------------------------ Lent, daffodils and crocuses, Holy Week, Easter, The Easter Monday Walk, St. George’s Day – these are all portents of spring and sunnier times ahead. The weather doesn’t yet seem to realise it, as shown by the most unseasonable days last week, with freezing temperatures and snow around, which probably made the flowers think that they’d got up too early! So, continuing the same theme - we have a different style of page-filler this month, and special thanks go to the Brownies for their poems on ‘Spring’. Perhaps their very positive desires will persuade the weather to make a rapid change for the better! Part of the Brownies’ brief was to decorate the paper on which their poems were written; unfortunately our production technology is unable to print their poems as offered to us. Perhaps their poems will be displayed on their notice board in Unity Hall for you to see. We hope you enjoy their efforts, and we look forward to printing more of their work. ------------------------------ As you all no doubt are aware, the feast day of St. George is 23rd April. I have recently seen information that his Day was declared a national holiday in the year 1222. So what happened to it?! It is good to see Phyl Cary around again, looking and, we hope, feeling a lot better. Both Evelyn Beer and Lynne Lewis are progressing after their respective falls. Lynne has had her plaster removed, and we expect that some physiotherapy is next on the menu. She tells us that she has walked a few steps without her frame – progress indeed! Lily Moody has been back in Epsom Hospital, and we do hope that she will soon be feeling stronger. We also remember Rosemary Holmes as she recovers from a difficult toe operation. Phil Castle has recently spent a week in Spain, and we trust that he has benefited and is feeling stronger, and that he will continue to improve in health. To all these friends and to Marjorie, Sonia, Mary, Dorothy and Frank, we remember you with love and constantly uphold you in our prayers. ------------------------------ To Sheila and George, shortly leaving for Perth, Australia, to visit Simon and Sara, Abbie and Joel, our warmest wishes for a really wonderful time with the family. Our love and greetings to all. For some considerable time Eileen Horsler has experienced health problems. She and her husband, Mike, will be moving at the end of March to Fleet in Hampshire, where they will be near a daughter and her family. We send them our good wishes and hope that they will settle happily in their new home. It is amazing how much little baby Sophie, with her delightful personality and lovely smile, has become part of our lives since Pamela has had her, and we are all going to miss her when she leaves us soon. She will be adopted by a family that already has a five-year-old daughter. We wish the whole family much happiness together; and we remember Pamela and thank her for the wonderful devoted work she has put in, fostering so many children over the years. We did it! We spent two months worshipping in Unity Hall and the sky did not fall in! Not only were we a lot warmer there but, hopefully, we saved a quid or two. We experimented, got out of our routines for a short while, and tried something new. And you know what? Most people have responded favourably to the experience. Not that we would want to have stayed there forever, of course. There was quite a lot of work involved, setting up and putting away, and it did feel as though we were a bit hidden, a long way from the main road. Some of you missed the organ, and the chairs were not intended for use during worship. On the plus side, the singing was absolutely wonderful! We were all sitting closer together, and there was such a good atmosphere. The sound system was excellent and Rebecca was outstanding on the keyboard. Thank you Rebecca! For me, it was quite a spiritual experience and I am glad that we had the opportunity to try out another space for worship. Over the next many months we will be considering the future of our church and building. Although we went into Unity Hall for practical reasons, we have, I think, learned something about ourselves in the process, that may help us in the future. Pat P.S. Many of you have continued to sit up front in the church over the past few years. Others, dare I say, have started to drift to the back again. Shall we make an effort to sit in a more cohesive cluster, closer to the front? Perhaps we can carry forward some of the things we enjoyed about worship in Unity Hall! Pat (top)Secretary’s
Letter
This year, as most of you know, George and I will be spending Easter in Australia. As you can imagine, we are getting excited about seeing our family again after ten months, although we speak often on the web-cam, an amazing piece of science. The children are so natural and Abbie chats away (takes after her Grandma, I am told) as if she were in the same room, but it’s not quite the same as a good hug! Even the cat comes and looks at the screen when he hears their voices. I hope those of you who attended the Breakfast this morning enjoyed the food and company, and thank you to Phemie for organising this again. It is a good way to start our collecting for Christian Aid. The Spring and Summer will be exciting months for our Church as we begin the process of seeing how we can develop our buildings to make them into more usable, convenient and warm places for our Worship and work amongst the community. We need to pray and think very carefully, not only for our future, but for those that come after us. I really hope that this exercise, although it may be difficult at times, will test our faith and bring us closer together and give us a real purpose and vision for the future. Bulbs, Flowers and
Dvorak! I've been bombarded over the past few months with circulars from banks and lending houses urging me to borrow large sums of money to buy a new car, deck out the kitchen or erect a conservatory -none of which I particularly want. So I'm thinking I'll write to my bank manager suggesting that he can lend me some dosh, instead, to go bulb binging! I did in fact do just that. He replied with a po-faced letter saying that, while a set of Formica tops or a kitchen cabinet was in order, he didn't consider expenditure on bulbs the kind of activity in which the bank would wish to be involved. The man was clearly mad!So I'm not going bulb binging, I haven't got the space in my pocket-sized garden, anyhow. Instead, compact discs are all the rage, and one of my favourites is Dvořak's ‘New World’ symphony. His genius has given me (and thousands of other, too) countless hours of listening pleasure. I often think, as I hear Dvorak's symphony, that we don't have to discover new continents to experience new worlds. Yes, I know travel broadens the mind, but, in my experience, it broadens the middle as well! But, with imagination, each one of us has the ability to discover newness in the worlds that we inhabit. You might go through the same routine every day. Drive along the same road to work, meet the same people as you go shopping, or walk the dog along the same path as yesterday. But your world can become new, if you're on the lookout for its possibilities. It's said that one of the most spectacular scenes in the United States is the sight of all the magnificent colours of New England in the Fall, as the Americans quaintly call autumn. Likewise, when I lived in South Africa, folk flocked to the Namaqualand flowers in August and September. Same old world – new sights today and then gone tomorrow. This world of God's is one of changing surprises and delights. This is particularly true when we see this tired old world as the one Jesus claimed. He talked in imaginative ways about God revealing his care in the beauty of lilies and clothed more stunningly than King Solomon in all his glory. (top)Supper and
Concert - 21st April -
The Christian Pilgrims
Church As you may know, the Christian Pilgrims Church have started using our premises for their services. These are usually on Sunday afternoon. They also hold a monthly night vigil from midnight to 04:00; this would normally take place on the last Friday night of the month (strictly speaking, of course, we should call it the early hours of Saturday morning, but we’re following the principles of the Radio Times programming!) I have spoken with their Pastor, Clement Bamgbade (the ‘e’ is voiced, but the ‘g’ is silent, he says!) and have been looking at their website. I have lifted the following paragraphs from their pages, and hope that these may serve as an introduction for them to this church: The Christian Pilgrims Church (CPC) is a religious organisation with strong emphasis on biblical principles. It developed from a House Fellowship – the coming together of a number of Christians with a common purpose based on the practicality of Christian living and thirst for the true word of God. By Divine leading, CPC was established as a Church in November 1990. It is a church pivoted on love – the agape love of God. It is a church with strong emphasis on ‘unity in diversity’, which is further accentuated by the statement of our beliefs and our mission. The Christian Pilgrims’ Church is a member of Evangelical Alliance (UK) and the African & Caribbean Evangelical Alliance. CPC membership is open to every person who is interested and committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is led by a team of faithful, experienced and committed Christians with (Revd) Brother Clement Bamgbade as the Pastoral Overseer. They will be sending me their Diary of Events so that I can merge their dates into our various calendars. Events for the Easter Period Palm Sunday: For the Morning Service we are pleased to welcome the Rev. Geoffrey Dunstan to our pulpit again. The Evening Service will be a joint service at Ewell, conducted by our Minister. Maundy Thursday: There will be a Service of Tenebrae at Epsom, led by our Minister. Good Friday: Churches Together in Epsom are once again organising the Procession of Witness. Please meet at the Clinic Car Park, opposite the Fire Station, at 10:00. The Procession will form up and move off at 10:10 to join with others for a special service in the High Street in front of the ‘Assembly Rooms’, aka Waterloo House. Those not wishing to take part in the Procession are invited to join the walkers at the venue. Following the Service you are invited back to the Methodist Church in Ashley Road for tea, coffee and hot cross buns. Easter Day: Having arranged a swap-around with Ewell, we are to have Pat for this second Sunday of the month as she leads our Easter celebrations, which will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The joint Evening Service with Ewell will also be at Epsom. Easter Monday: Viv and Stan Baker have arranged this year’s Easter Monday Walk, our fourth in this series. Please see the full-page notice for details of the walk, which will take us over Reigate Heath. If anybody needs transport, please contact Alan Wood.
The CRE visits Sandown Park again The aim of Christian Resources Exhibition is to bring together those who support, work with and provide for the church with those who lead and attend churches of all denominations in the UK. It is a place of coming together, to be enriched and equipped, where people resource one another.
For just £7, or less for advance booking, you can visit the exhibition
on any day, meet over 350 exhibitors and go to an unlimited number of
free seminars, concerts and workshops. The CRE is open from 15th to 18th May. WANTED: Your unwanted Bibles and hymn books! There will be a box in the foyer, and Sheila Carpenter will take them to the Exhibition from where they will be distributed to people who can’t afford their own copy. Alexandra: The flowers smell so sweet in spring,Reminds me of bells that ring; The butterflies’ wings shine in the sun, It gives you the urge to dance and run. The animals are born to the morning light, No-one has a problem, or plight; Happiness surrounds the world, Lying free – not all curled. The honey-bee dances all day long; Everyone’s happy even in Hong Kong. As suddenly as it started, it goes to an end – But don’t worry, because spring will come again. Maurice Young (1922-2007) On Monday, 19th March, a number of Church members made the journey to Bognor Regis. Sheila and I had made this journey many times before, initially for Sunday School outings back in the late forties and early fifties, then afterwards with our children Simon and Suzanne in the seventies and eighties. This time it was different, for it was to give thanks for the life of Maurice Young who was a member of Epsom Congregational/United Reformed Church for many years. We did not meet Maurice until 1970 when we moved to Epsom from Ealing and started to attend the Epsom Church. Maurice was one of the first people to greet us; I will always remember his happy smiling manner and the enthusiasm shown for anything with which he was involved. When we restarted the Boys’ Brigade he was very supportive and visited during meetings and at camp on many occasions. He, along with his wife Joan, was involved with Junior Church and with the Drama Group, which was great fun. After his retirement he moved with Joan to Felpham and transferred his membership to the Bognor Regis Church. Epsom church organisations such as Junior Church, Evening and Afternoon Fellowships spent many summer days in their lovely garden and house on days out. The Thanksgiving Service was conducted by the Rev’d John Gordon, who also spoke about the five years that he had known Maurice at the Bognor church, and the Appreciation was by Rev’d David Helyer. David’s Appreciation of Maurice revealed the facts that Maurice was born on Christmas Day 1922, he excelled at school, becoming the School Captain (by election) and was good at athletics, particularly the 880 yards, one of the hardest races to run, and he was a good all-round sportsman. He made his career in banking, rising to the rank of Bank Manager (when we still had them!) until he retired. Maurice was a leader and a lay preacher; he loved undertaking projects and would see them through to satisfactory completion. Both the Epsom and the Bognor Churches and the U.R.C. in general gained a lot from his life. His Thanksgiving Service also enjoyed tributes from his family, especially from his children and grandchildren. The readings – Psalm 121 and verses from St John’s Gospel, ch. 14 – were followed by a violin solo from Edward, accompanied by his mum Lindsay, who played for us the Meditation from ‘Thaïs’ by Massenet, the performance of which we will remember for many years, and these were a fitting tribute to a man of family and Christian ideals. He was kind, enthusiastic, supportive, ready to listen and above all a gentle leader. Our sympathy goes out to Joan and to Lindsay, Andrew and the grandchildren in their time of sorrow but we rejoice for Maurice who is with his Lord. Charles Wesley’s Tercentenary This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Charles Wesley, the prolific hymn writer of the 18th century and younger brother of John. There will be a series of four illustrated lectures to mark this occasion. These are to be held at St Martin’s Church, Dorking, on all four Thursdays in June. Doors will open at 7 p.m., when refreshments will be available; each lecture will start at 8 p.m., and the proceedings will end at 9.30 p.m. Tickets for each lecture cost £5, and there is a discount for advance booking. Further details are available from Sheila Carpenter – and she ‘would like a friend to go with!’ So off you go and talk with Sheila! U.R.C. Musicians’ Guild On 28th April the Southern and Western Branch of the Guild will be meeting in the delightful town of Farnham, at the welcoming U.R.C., Pat’s previous church, in South Street. Members will enjoy a time of socialising, an introduction to the church and its organ, and a time of singing under the tuition of Rufus Frowde, MA ARCO(DipCHD), the organist and Director of Music at the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court. Music to be studied includes an anthem by Philip Moore, who gave the inaugural concert on our own organ in 1977. If anyone from Epsom or Ewell is interested in attending, Sheila
Carpenter would be pleased to meet you and give you more details.
Lucy: I would like to see the lambs on the hillside, I would like to see the daffodils blooming, I would like to see the burning sun set, But I would most like to see chicks hatching. Calling All Easter Monday Walk arranged by Viv and Stan Baker (Ewell URC) Meet at the ½m. S. from A25 between Buckland and Reigate—turn South at the ‘Black Horse’ pub (RH2 9JZ.) near Reigate Heath Golf Club For those with NavAids, the
car park is Viv says, “The walk is about 3¾ miles and should take about two hours. The walk may be muddy in places if the weather has been wet but it wasn’t too bad when we tried it. There is a pub 5 minutes
before the end of the walk, For more details or for
transport, Churches Together In Epsom are holding House Groups throughout Lent. A service will be held at the Baptist Church in Church Street at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, 15th April, to hear what the groups have been doing and some of the particular insights that they have had during their work. All are very welcome to the service. The ideas and the reports in recent years have been very lively! Friday Zone—from Start to Finish Four and a half years ago, Sandra & Paul Bullock, Lynn Bartram, Stuart Grimshaw, Sarah Ross and myself formed a team to run a youth club for 8-13 yr olds in Unity Hall. We were conscious that there was no single club which catered for both sexes in this age group. Epsom URC funded the set up with £3,000 and the club was born. From an initial membership of 25, we reached a peak of 55 at one time, and averaged 40 children on a Friday during the life of the club. Children came from different schools across the borough and from different faiths. In this way Epsom URC served the community well, and made great use of Unity Hall to bring so many children together for a range of activities. Other adults later joined to help the club from time to time, notably Peter Clarkson, Dave Cullen and Margaret Simpson. Linda Jeeves also helped out before the demands of Tadworth Court made it too difficult. I would like to recognise all those who made this a success, from Epsom URC - John Crocker, and church members, to all of the adults and children who put time and effort into the club. Over the last 9 months of 2006, the founding members gradually retired, with the age of their children taking them outside the club’s scope, and finally in December, it was time for me to make my exit. The absence of sufficient qualified leadership to safely run and manage the club of that membership, with the commitment required, led to my decision to bring things to a conclusion. We celebrated the four + years of activity and fun enjoyed by so many children with a Christmas party in Unity Hall. It is testament to the group that efficiently ran the club, particularly treasurer Lynn Bartram, that the vast majority of funds provided for the set up of the club are now being returned to Epsom URC. An Unusual Paragraph This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual, though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching. There is a clue somewhere within this NewsLetter. Sponsored Walk On 6th May Bethan and the children are doing a 7.5km walk in Windsor Great Park in aid of the Aplastic Anaemia Trust. This is the condition from which Syrawash suffers, and they are all so grateful for the good recovery he has made. If you would like to sponsor them, I have a form. Megan: I would like to paint a lamb’s first breath,I would like to smell a daffodil growing, I would like to see blue tits singing, I would like to hear the soft wind whistling in my ear, And I would like to touch a shimmering waterfall. Women's World Day
of Prayer Service Wasn't it beautiful? I always do enjoy this service, but somehow this year it was extra special and moving, and I found myself with tears in my eyes at times. The readings, the prayers, the inspiring sermon, and having our own Barbara to lead the service. And the hymns. Oh yes, the hymns. ‘Bind us together, Lord’. What could be more appropriate. The Londonderry Air is one of my favourite melodies, I think possibly the most favourite, and it ‘made’ the service for me to have it included as one of the hymn tunes. Then at the end, to join hands together for the Benediction. Yes, all in all, unforgettable.
Badminton Club The members of the Badminton Club were very happy to move their poles to the storage unit in Unity Hall for safety reasons, but we did not expect to then have to negotiate an obstacle course every time we needed them. Because of this we asked the F & GP to provide us with a permanent storage place that was easily accessible, that they kindly did by providing the hooks on the wall in the foyer of Unity Hall, and for which we thank them. With the ends of the poles now protected, we hope that this will satisfy other users of the Hall.
One of our members, Jackie, has recently had several weeks off to undergo an operation, she is now recovering and we hope to have her back with us in a week or two. Longhurst Room Closed Would everybody please note that the Longhurst Room is not available for use from after the Coffee Morning on 12th April to 14th April, for shampooing the carpet. 12th Epsom Brownie Guide
Pack Five of us, two Brownies, Tawny Owl, Gwyneth and I went snowdrop picking at ‘The Durdans’ on Saturday 3rd March; the weather was fine, but just started to rain as we were leaving. There were bunches of snowdrops for the congregation in Unity Hall the following morning and the amount raised for the ‘Lest We Forget Fund’ was £15.95. Thank you to all who donated. Over a few weeks the girls have been working on their World Guiding badge and twelve of them have now earned the badge. With a school residential trip depriving us of a large number of Brownies, we had to change our programme one week and we had a games evening with the few remaining girls. On 14th March the girls prepared for Mothering Sunday and they made cards and decorated picture frames for their mothers. We also practised a special Mothering Sunday hymn for the service on Sunday. We were very pleased to welcome three Brownies and their families to the Church Parade on Sunday.
As our meeting on 21st March coincided with the First Day of Spring and was also ‘Children’s Poetry Day’, we decided to celebrate this by asking each of the Brownies to write a poem about ‘SPRING’, I have passed them on to Alan so he can publish the best. From all of us at 12th Epsom Brownies, we wish you a very Happy Easter. Monday Club Getting ready for Mothering Sunday the children made cards and decorated bags using fabricrayons for their mothers on 12th March. Unfortunately the meeting on 19th March had to be cancelled, as there were no leaders available to run it on that evening. I wish to say a very big ‘thank you’ to Gwyneth Smith and Anne Richardson who have filled in for Rosemary while she recovers from the operation on her foot. We are not sure whether there will be a Monday Club after Easter as two members have told me they are leaving and the family of three children will be moving out of the District some time soon, leaving us with just Louise. If you know of any children between the ages of five and ten, who love doing craft work, please put them in contact with us. (top) Afternoon Fellowship On Thursday, 26th April at 2:30 p.m., we invite friends from other fellowships to join us for our ‘At Home’. Our Minister Pat will be our speaker as she recounts Part 2 of ‘Her Story’, which we await with interest. Part 1 told of growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, subsequently training as a teacher, and then of her call to the ministry. We look forward to the meeting, which will end with us all joining together for tea. (top)Evening Fellowship On Monday, 2nd April, we look forward to a play reading of ‘Mother’s Day’, a comedy by JB Priestley, read by members of the Drama Group. Come along for 8 p.m. in the Longhurst Room.
Women’s Church Council Unfortunately I was not able to be present at the March Coffee morning in aid of the Princess Alice Hospice. A number of friends attended, other than our regular supporters, which was encouraging. We raised £130 for the Hospice, and thanks to you all. For our April Coffee Morning, our charity is the Brigitte Trust, locally based in Dorking, offering valuable help at a time of real need: the Trust supports families at home facing the effects of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Do come and support this worthy cause on Tuesday, 10th April, 10:30 to 12:00, in the Longhurst Room. (top)Copy for the next issue should be with the Editor by 22nd April for publication on 29th April 2007. And Finally . . . The trouble with doing something right first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was. ------------------------------ And seen on a T-shirt:- The reason I'm not busy is that I did it right first time! ------------------------------ And really finally! An Unusual Paragraph Clue: ‘Gadsby’ by Ernest Vincent Wright, Los Angeles, California, 1939 |
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,
Now the clocks have been put forward an hour Spring
must surely be on its way, although from this last week it seems a
long way away still, apart from the glorious daffodils that make me
think how fortunate we are, and how God has a hand in the seasons.
Easter will soon be upon us with its sorrow on Good Friday and joy on
Easter Sunday.
