Sandal Parish Magazine - August 2006

 

 

 

Butterflies you might see in the churhyard.

Worship is central to our life as a church, and we always do our best to create worship services that are inspiring and meaningful. Many people are involved and grow in exercising their gifts.  As well as enabling us to nurture our Christian faith, we hope that the positive experience people have of worshipping God will draw more people into God’s Kingdom. So, as part of our developing worship, we are creating two morning services at St Helen’s beginning on the 3rd September.  The new pattern will be as follows:

Our prayer is that this new pattern will enable us to reach out to more people and to grow as a church.  There are just two things I would ask of

each church member, as we try to build our congregations:

1. Remember that worship is primarily abut pleasing God, not pleasing ourselves. Of course, our worship experience should be uplifting and enjoyable, but God comes first in our worship. So please make the most of this opportunity to establish a pattern in your lives of weekly worship. There will always be times when we have to go away, but even then we can often find another place of worship if we try.  The weekly closeness to Jesus Christ which we find in worship is vital to our Christian life and witness.

2. Please think of those you know who don’t worship and yet, through prayer and encouragement, might be ready to return.  Do use the prayer cards and the invitations which will be available in September to invite people Back to Church on Sunday 24th September, or any other Sunday that’s convenient.

Let’s make the most of this opportunity to renew our commitment to Christ, and to help others along the way.

On a practical note, we will be posting the rotas for all the services on the notice boards in both churches. Do check these, and, if necessary, make arrangements to swap with others, making the changes on the master copy on the notice board.  Children’s groups from 0-11 will meet during the 10.45am service at St Helen’s. Pathfinders and UC’s are encouraged to join in the worship, and they will also meet on alternate evenings.  Our themes in the Autumn will be drawn mainly from Mark’s Gospel, as we explore the dynamic, energetic person of Jesus, and rediscover his true identity.  

As I compile this article the summer heatwave has descended upon us. It is hay cutting time once more. How fast the year rear rolls by.  Our grass cutting strategy reflects the number of volunteers and the practical limitations of mowing around so many different grave types and kerbstones that are generally uneven and in a poor state of repair.  Hence the grass is cut once a year (using hand held ‘brush cutters’), in summer once the main growing season is over. Cutting takes well over 100 man hours to complete! Of course individuals can and in some case do carefully tend individual graves.   There are a small number of War Graves, primarily in the eastern section, that we maintain on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  Looking to the future we are hoping to erect an Information Board in the churchyard near the east end of the church so that much of this information can be shared with all those that use the area.  Also, we are planning to design a small memorial garden for the interment of ashes and an area for quiet personal reflection – this will be near (but not adjacent) to the large beech tree at the east end of the church.

Generally the plant species are typical of woodland edge and grassland habitats although the soil is too nutrient rich for a hay meadow to establish.

The south side of the churchyard (outside the main church entrance) is the oldest part of the site. This is quite shaded and due to the crowded headstones, many of which are collapsed and dangerous, it is difficult to keep this area closely managed. In the growing season, the area becomes overgrown with brambles, nettles and ferns (such as lady, male and broad buckler ferns).  Grasses prevail over much the ground though there are several patches of oxeye daisy, red campion, musk mallow, cranesbill and birds foot trefoil etc.  Butterflies are encouraged by the nectar. Common species such as speckled woods, peacocks, red admiral and tortoiseshell are regularly seen whilst orange tips, brimstone and holly blues are also seen regularly. This year we have had a large number of ringlets for the second year running. Normally this butterfly does well in wetter summers as they did last year. I assume that that this years abundance is a spin off from last year.

Also appearing this year has been the small skipper butterfly.

About 50 Mothers’ Union members enjoyed the Deanery Festival at St. Helen’s on Monday 17 July, and they helped us to celebrate the Centenary of Sandal Mothers’ Union.   Long service certificates were presented to Ursula Royle and Margaret Sutcliffe with over 100 years membership between them!

Our many thanks to the Bishop of Pontefract who led the service and Derek Coombes who played the organ.   Afternoon tea was provided by the committee.  Members please note the September meeting is a Social Afternoon and in October David Beale will give an illustrated talk on “The Yorkshire Dales National Park.”   Visitors are very welcome to both meetings.

You are invited to the Barnabas Room in St. Paul’s Church, The Balk, Walton, to celebrate the 90th birthday of Phyllis Shotbolt between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday 12 August 2006 where a light buffet will be available.   If transport is required, please call Pat on 862827.   Although not essential a telephone call to the above number would also assist in determining numbers.

Women’s Fellowship are holding a coffee morning in aid of Wakefield Hospice, on Saturday 30th September from 10am until 12noon in the Castle Inn, Barnsley Road, Sandal.   There will be stalls for books, cakes and home produce, handmade cards and £1 parcel.

For Piety and the Poor? Saturday 19 August, 10.30am to 3.30pm.  John Goodchild M Univ is to give two talks, based on new research, on the four late 18th century churches in the West Riding:  St James’s Sheffield, St John’s Wakefield, St Paul’s Leeds and Trinity Halifax.  The first of the talks is at St John’s Church, Wakefield and will begin at 10.30am. The second starts at 1.45pm and is at Westgate Chapel. There will be a chance to visit the catacombs at both venues.  There will be ample time to find somewhere for lunch, or to eat a packed lunch at Westgate Chapel where hot drinks will be available.  The cost of this event is £5.00 per person with cheques made payable to Wakefield Historical Society.  To book a place please forward contact details and appropriate payment to Kate Taylor, 19 Pinder’s Grove, Wakefield, WF1 4AH

Last year we obtained funding from ‘Awards for All’ to run creative workshops as part of SHYP’s (St. Helen’s Youth Project) outreach work with young people, families, parents and community members.  The project was managed by Ali Bullivent and fits into the faith caring part of SHYP’s work.  Over the year we have worked with many individuals and groups, and forged stronger links with some already known to us.  We were delighted for Ibrahim to link in with Yorkshire and East Ridings Youth Parliament – 20 young people will take their new African drumming and dancing skills and perform at the national conference in Leicester this weekend.   Young men at Portobello Youth Club and Agbrigg Youth Club challenged Ali Ibrahim and Phil with their enthusiastic drumming.  Ibrahim has run weekly drumming and dance workshops on Sunday afternoons in the Emmaus rooms and encouraged all ages to join in – the youngest attendee has been 5 months old and the oldest 82.  Participants have performed at the St Helen’s Festival and at DIVA festival in the precinct.  Ali and Ibrahim ran music workshops with children from Sandal Magna School who then performed for all the head teachers in the District at Woolley Hall.  The performance of ‘Dignity’ – Sing Out Against Slavery, was created, rehearsed and performed at St Helen’s Festival involving 32 performers plus lots of technical and admin support.  The performance will tour over the next year and a half to various venues including Greenbelt Festival and a high profile event at Holy trinity Church in Hull with Arch- bishop Sentamu.  Visual arts workshops were run by Susan Forbes to link in with ‘Dignity’  Ali and Ibrahim have run singing, storytelling and music workshops  with Trinity After School Club in Ossett and with Boogy-Woogy-Tots in Walton.  Making music, dance and song brings different people together, and helps support and encourage a rich, diverse community for us to live in.  Many people have developed new skills and confidence which can have a profound effect upon what can be regarded as a somewhat fragmented society.  Creative work in the community that is undertaken with professionalism and integrity, within the framework of a positive Christian ethos, can change lives.

Mothers’ Union Sandal	18th Sept - 2.30pm Social Afternoon
Mothers’ Union Walton	14th Aug -  Afternoon Tea with Mrs. J. Foster
Parish Office	St. Helen’s Church, Barnsley Road. Open Tuesday - Thursday 9am - 1pm. Tel. 01924 259966 Email: Office@sandalmagna.fsnet.co.uk. Web: www.sandalmagna.com Contact Bob Bailey. Summer Closing:  August 15th - 30th
The Spring - Oasis Café & Discoveries Shop	Open from Tuesday - Saturday inclusive 10am. until 2pm. 299 Barnsley Road. Tel. 01924 242593. Summer Closing:   August 19th (2pm) - 5th September (10am)
Women’s Fellowship	Contact Judith Parkin on 01924 256045 for more details. 11th Sept. - 7.30pm. A.G.M. & A Medley of Poetry with Pat Jones
Lay Pastoral Minister	Pam Payling - 274366
Urgent	Office business on Sundays contact the Churchwardens. Derek Coombes - 259979. Richard Hay - 865559.  Sue Parkin - 257158
Vicar	Revd. Rupert Martin. Tel. 01924 255441.

July 30	10am	Holy Communion (Joint Service with St. Paul’s)	St. Helen’s
	12.30pm	Baptism of Thomas Birch	St. Helen’s
31	Soul Portobello Week Starts
August 2	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
6	8.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	11am	Holy Communion	St. Paul’s
	11.30am	Open Air Family Service	Portobello
9	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
13	10.am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	11am	Holy Communion	St. Paul’s
	12noon	2nd Sunday Soup after St. Helen’s Service	St. Helen’s
14	3pm	Walton Mothers’ Union	St. Paul’s
16	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
20	8.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10am	Morning Praise	St. Helen’s
	11am	Morning Praise	St. Paul’s
23	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
25	Greenbelt Arts Festival until 28th August		Cheltenham
27	10am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	11am	Morning Praise	St. Paul’s
30	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	2.30pm	Holy Communion	Ashgrove
New Worship Pattern Begins at St. Helen’s
3	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Family Praise	St Helen’s
	11.00am	Holy Communion	St Paul’s
	6.00pm	Choral Evensong	St. Helen’s

 

Brian Bennett, Malcolm Morrell, Anthony Reap, Derek Parker,  Gemma Haller,  Kerry Smith,  Peter Butterfield, Sue Holleran, Margaret Hurley, Adele Owen, Betty Richmond,  Brenda Hanby, Ruth Tetley,  John Allingham, Lucy Burrows, Harold Heaton and Robert Hunt (Son of Phyllis Hunt).

We would appreciate it if you could let us know if anyone needs our prayers, so they can be put in our Focus for Prayer. Pray also for all those who have recently lost loved ones especially the family and friends of Jeanette Nettleton, Ruth Lamb, Fred Spencer and Anne Armitage.