Sept. 2007

 

 

Above:  The Spring. Below: Soul Portobello and Greenbelt

 

 

A brief history

Built in 1955 as a Parochial Hall, The Spring has always been a centre of parish life, hosting many theatre performances, the scouts, the famous Mustard Seed Youth Club and many other groups.  Unfortunately it had to be closed in 1985, after the gas heating system was found to be irreparably damaged.   The vision for a new use for this key building led to our first big appeal in 1996 and a year later after much faith and hard work, led by Ron Young, David Littlewood and Gina Rae, we opened the building with a worship service and a prayer balloon launch.

It soon became clear that our original vision was too small, and over the years, The Spring has developed its role to become a much loved cafe and shop, hosting innumerable social events and groups such as the Possability group for people with learning difficulties.  Every Easter and Christmas we host a lunch there for anyone who might be on their own.  Some of the highlights of life at The Spring can be seen in the photographic panels on display in the church.  These include: an African Evening, a Mediterranean Evening, Valentine’s Day Dinners, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Tossing, a Millennium Eve Party, the Jubilee Street Party, Youth  Alpha and Alpha Courses,  Volunteer Tea Parties, a Hilbilly Hoedown!

Faithful Servants of Christ

The most important aspect of The Spring after the centrality of Jesus Christ, is the people who serve there.  They are the mainstay and lifeblood of the place and I cannot thank the staff and volunteers enough for their hard work and faithful witness.   I wish I’d kept a record of everyone who has served at The Spring;  there must be hundreds, far too numerous to name, but for the record I want to thank the staff who have carried the responsibility of keeping The Spring going.

In Oasis there is:  Margaret Richmond, Terry Hollands, Sue Haller, Janet Henshall, Erick Omondi, Emmanuel Were and Sue Holleran.

In Discoveries there is:  Wendy Dalrymple, Gill Cunlilffe, Joan Witts, Audrey Pitchforth, Mavis Thorndyke and Jane Driver.

Their leadership, especially that of Terry and Joan, has  been exceptional and they all deserve our gratitude.

I said I wouldn’t name any volunteers, but there are two who deserve a special blessing for faithfully cleaning The Spring every Monday and they are May Winterbottom and Doris Basu.  They are true saints for their quiet, behind-the-scenes hard work.  Thank you to them and to everyone who helps make The Spring  such a vibrant and joyful place.

Loyal Customers

And then of course there are the customers;  many of whom we have got to know so well, some of whom have asked for prayer or come on an Alpha Course.  We depend on people bringing clothes and bric-a-brac, and we also enjoy serving our customers with loving hospitality.

There are many stories that could be told to remind us of why we’re there and what it means to be a Christian witness.  We will be sharing some of these at the celebration service on Sunday 9th at St. Helen’s, 10.45am.

Vision for the Future

So what does the future hold for The Spring?   One of the most exciting recent developments has  been the development of the Rainbow Cafe in Portobello as an ecumenical offshoot of Oasis, a cafe plant where all the skill and experience of the last ten years has been put to good use, to provide an invaluable service to that part of our parish, as part of our mission.

This will inevitably involve some restructuring as Terry divides her time between the two cafes.   In the New Year we are aiming to employ a Parish Development Officer based at The Spring, who will devote twenty hours to The Spring and ten hours to other parish developments.   To do this we need your support in responding to our October Thanksgiving month and raising the basic level of our giving to ensure the continuing growth and success of The Spring and of the church as a whole.

Part of the task of the new worker will be to develop our plans for the next ten years, which involves enlarging and refitting the kitchen, upgrading our shelving, chairs and tables, enlarging the floor space and improving our storage.   As a major community resource we aim to cover most of the costs through grants and other fund-raising, but as these plans are in their early stages, we would appreciate your prayers.

This month we can celebrate the past with gratitude and look forward to the future with confidence.   We can thank God for His goodness and continue the ministry of hospitality, love and compassion and the  mission of hope to the lost, embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ.

May we continue to grow in grace and serve with love as we enjoy the presence of Jesus Christ, the Living Water, in The Spring and in our hearts.

I love serving God in so many ways;  it’s a joy and privilege to engage in the ministry of Jesus Christ, with God’s grace.

But there’s one thing that always sets my pulse racing, and my heart glowing, and that’s the Alpha Course.  I never tire of seeing how God miraculously moves in people’s lives encouraging them in their faith, resolving questions in their minds, enfolding them with love in their hearts, and enriching them with a deep rooted joy in their lives.

Why Alpha works so well is down to three simple ingredients, that were at the heart of Jesus’ ministry:

As a result we have seen many people of all ages from 14 to 80 renew their faith, come to faith and be encouraged by allowing the Holy Spirit to come into their everyday life, and to strengthen them in difficult or
challenging times.

The Alpha Course is a great place to bring people or invite people who are searching for meaning to life, or who want to renew and strengthen
their faith.

It’s a great place to go if you’ve recently started coming to church, but still have questions and room for growth in your faith.

So do make the most of this annual opportunity to join the course yourself or invite someone you know to the daytime or evening meetings.

We begin with an enjoyable meal on 10 October before the first session ‘Who is Jesus?’ on 17 October and each session will be at 12noon for the daytime course or 7.30pm for the evening course, in the Barnabas Rooms until the 5th December, with a final couple of sessions on 17th and 24th January.  Don’t worry if you can’t come to every session, as we do have tapes you can listen to.   But do make a note of Saturday 24th November when we have two sessions in the morning for a change.   The full time table is listed below.

Oct.
10th.  The Alpha Supper  (for both daytime and evening courses)

17th.  Who is Jesus?

24th.  Why did Jesus die?
31st.   How do I read the Bible?
Nov.
7th.     How do I pray?

14th.   How does God guide us?

21st.   Who is the Holy Spirit?           
24th.   Saturday 10am - 2pm.  (for both daytime and evening courses).

What does the Holy Spirit do?

How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

28th.   How do I resist evil?

Dec.
5th.     How do I tell others?                
Christmas break
Jan.
16th.  Does God heal today?

As always at the beginning of a new season it’s good to look ahead and see where we’re going as a church.

To do so we need to look at where we’ve come from.   In the last year, among many other things we have

This season we can build on these courses and outreach opportunities in three significant ways:

A key to all this is to worship God regularly.   When we give praise to God He replenishes the spiritual reservoirs of our lives, which enable us to overflow with love for others, as Paul writes at the  beginning of his letter to the Philippians:

 

 

 

A letter from Emmaunel Were in Uganda..

It has been reserved for a decade to experience an unexampled acceleration in the course of events.  As an avalanche begins its slow movement, which from being almost imperceptible, gains speed until it comes down with overwhelming power, so the slow development of earlier years has become the rushing torrent of our time.  As we celebrate The Spring’s 10th anniversary this September, I am so grateful to God and to His faithful people who have always faithfully and willingly contributed to the development of this place for the last 10 years.   I am really so very proud of The Spring because it has shaped the hearts of many who have always found it as a home for fulfillment.

Celebration has always been at the heart of God and also as part of His plan. I know most of this month's emphasis is being put on the achievements of The Spring, however there is a lot that we can celebrate in our lives as well, because we live in a very unfortunate and gloomy world with so many calamities.  Yet we have the most magnificent cause for jubilation in Jesus Christ and His power of resurrection.

One of my favourite things about The Spring is that it has an embodiment of community life, and community means sharing who we are and what we have. I have been so much thrilled and thankful to God for life lived by all the volunteers at the cafe;  you are so special in my life and in the life of the community. I hope we shall always discover the true meaning of community which knits us together like a woolly jacket which can then be placed on the shoulders of the lonely, the poor, the fearful and the heartbroken, who have always been fond of the cafe. I strongly believe that we all need to be enfolded in love, but sometimes we find God's enfolding only when we strive to enfold others in our community.

Folks, there is a great power in belief.   It’s the power of the seed. As the  Bible puts it, the seed need not be big, in fact it can be quite small but it does have to be planted.  A seed has great possibilities, and learning how to plant a seed of faith leads to some great adventures.  Any fool can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed. It’s exciting to plant a seed without knowing how many we will get, but it’s worth planting. Little did any one know what as a parish was being planted but now see what God can do in the lives of people as a result of the small seed that was planted ten years ago. The life of faith continually challenges us, but it rewards us too! The life of faith is not for the queasy or reluctant. It’s for those who aim towards full manhood and womanhood. For me, life becomes more and more exciting when I realize that what I believe I will achieve.

Dr. Karl Menninger, the eminent psychiatrist and founder of the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, states that, Attitudes, are more important than facts. The doctor has seen attitudes, mind-sets, beliefs and faith move mountains in people's lives. Why? Because certain things in life are more important than facts. I have discovered it’s not what we see in the mirror that matters; it’s what we have in our hearts that makes the difference. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We always ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God, your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that people won’t feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.  I wish I could say all this physically on the real celebration day because I feel am really going to miss out on a lot. Many times I keep thinking here that I am meant to be somewhere;  maybe at The Spring, maybe at Sandal Endowed School doing an assembly, maybe at the vicarage but I am being reminded by our very hot sun, that welcome back to Uganda. I greatly miss you all and thank you so much for all that you were to me for the period that I was in Sandal.    I am longing for the day we shall meet again.  Finally, as we utterly depend on God and so as we celebrate His goodness over the past ten years, let’s continue to encourage each other to devote ourselves to the apostle Paul's teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and more so to prayer. May God bless you so much, and I wish you all the best as you celebrate your achievements. My love and prayer to all the parishioners. To God our Father be the Glory forever and ever.  Amen.

We would like to thank everyone at St. Helen’s for the kind words and lovely presents we received when we moved at the end of June.   We will miss St. Helen’s and all our friends a great deal but do hope that you will visit us at -
Southlea, Lascelles Lane, Old Malton, N.Yorks. YO17 7HQ.   Tel. 01653 698743.

St Helen’s Gospel singers plus dancers and guests were invited up to the Edinburgh Fringe this year to perform ‘Dignity’. Twenty three performers performed at St John’s Church.  It was a moving experience and an honour to  have been asked to be part of the ‘Festival of Spirituality and Peace’.

It's "box-emptying" time yet again and I am looking forward to having all of those lovely 5 pences etc. to count!  Believe me – they all add up!  Every single penny counts.

On Sunday April 22nd 2007, Craig Orr ran the London Marathon to raise funds for Oasis Academies. Craig’s sponsorship went towards raising over £1.85m to reclaim the Guinness world record for the most amount of money raised through a marathon by the Oasis founder Steve Chalke MBE.

Oasis is in the process of developing ten new secondary schools around the UK – each one unique – but all sharing one clear vision; to raise aspiration, unlock potential and work to achieve excellence and inclusion.

Craig would like to thank to all those who sponsored and supported him.

Craig said "It feels great to have raised over £2000 and helped to recapture the World Record, but more importantly every penny that was donated will change lives and help to transform whole communities in the UK,"  

23rd Walton Beaver Scouts need leaders to help run with our section.   Experience not necessary as training will be provided.   Come in and join in the fun at St. Paul’s on Monday’s 6-7pm.

Contact Kim on 01924 781875

This year’s Soul Portobello was blessed with wonderful sunny weather and an extended programme of events and activities.  The children and young people enjoyed learning street dancing and circus skills and engaging in craft work, including making clay figures and carving a wooden sculpture, which is now sited in the Rainbow Cafe garden, as a Memorial of Hope to the little girl Letitia who used to live on the estate.

The gala on Saturday involved a circus performance, magic tricks, the majorettes and various games and stalls.   Our Sunday worship was well attended with a vivid presentation of the parable of the Pearl of Great Price by Jonathan Robinson of the New Life Christian Fellowship.   The following week we held a talent show with songs from Oliver among the highlights;  as well as an over 50’s barbeque.

The festival culminated in a football match between Bella United and the Baptist Church team with guest players Rupert and Tom Martin, and the trip on three coaches to Scarborough with 150 people enjoyed a day out at the seaside.

Dear Friends,

Greetings from a cold, wintry Paraguay! As you may guess, it’s our winter holidays and so we want to take time to write to you all and bring you up to date with all our news. I think we could describe the last few months as a time of blessings and of buffetings but we are so aware of the God who is in control and whose plans for each one of us are perfect!

The term has gone well and there seems to be a calm in school. Even the parents seemed quite happy at our last parents’ council meeting and that’s quite an achievement!! Finally, we were able to start to use our sports ground on a weekly basis once the threat of dengue fever had abated. In fact, the secondary were so desperate to go that they went even before that. The weekly visits to the ground have made a big difference to life in the school. The pupils love going and the highlight of the day is a barbecue lunch. At first they had classes outside too but finally the classrooms there were finished. The pupils have classes and sports alternately through the day. The ability to let off steam and run has helped enormously and they are calmer for the rest of the week.

After Easter all the camps had to be fitted in. The 5th and 6th grades went off to camp and the weather brightened as if on cue  and they all had a really good time. They say the Bible studies were the best yet as there was a great receptiveness amongst the pupils. This camp was followed by 7th and 8th grades taking up a dad’s offer of his ranch in the Chaco for their camp. This too was a great success and the weather warmed up for them too. Everyone returned saying what a success it had been. The next week 9th grade went off on a survival camp and the weather stayed cold. Mags has photos of them having breakfast in sleeping bags…it looks like a soup kitchen in London!! She also returned frozen but said they’d all had a good time. They took a new pupil with them who comes from a Christian family and a Christian school. She couldn’t get over the enthusiasm of these pupils for spiritual things. The older classes are supposed to be going to the Chaco to dig water tanks in an Indian community but Tim Curtis sent a message saying they didn’t have enough water for themselves at the moment. So, unless it rains soon, we might have to cancel two other camps there. There is still a visit planned with the year11 pupils to Concepcion later on.

At the end of June we had Family day out at our sports ground. It was just like a school fair and was very well attended. The weather was warm and people turned up in their droves including ex pupils. One highlight was the fire engine taking people up their ladder.  Mags was in line for that to get aerial views of the site! It was a great day for good relationships with parents.  Towards the end of the afternoon the wind got up, the weather changed and everyone went home quickly but it had been a great success.

At the beginning of June the Butler family returned to Paraguay to take on new roles. Patrick was ordained in the church to lead the English church and the youth work. Both those roles were a real answer to prayer. We needed someone to take on the church and the youth work had already been started by them and needs leading on. We were particularly pleased in school as it means Patrick and Rosie have a role in linking the church and school. Patrick takes a big assembly once a month and we were able to go into the newly refurbished cathedral for our assembly the other week with Patrick leading. We are also seeing some of our ex pupils attending the Youth service and one or two of them have leadership roles within that. We really praise God for that. Added to all that Rosie has come back to work in school and she will take on Gwen's 7th grade after the holidays. She really enjoyed teaching them for the last 6 months but knows she needs to be in the lower part of school now.

In June we were rocked as a school when one of our teachers died suddenly. Elva was the academic coordinator in the secondary and only 46 yrs old. She was in school on the Thursday but not feeling too good but then many people were ill with bad chests etc anyway. Elva already had a breathing problem. By Thursday night she was taken into hospital fighting for breath  and by Saturday she was pronounced brain dead and she actually died on the Sunday. It was a great shock to all the staff and pupils.  Two weeks later Babs Owen heard her father was in hospital in Wales with a chest infection . Two days after that she heard he had cancer and little time left to live.  She was able to get a flight for the next day and just made it in time to have three days with him before he died. She is still in Wales helping her mum and hopes to return later in the year!

Last week we said Goodbye to two other school families as the Trews went back to Ireland after 8yrs here. Eileen’s mum is waiting for a liver transplant and they want to be there with her.  The Persson family also went back to England after 4 yrs with us.  This makes us 5 teachers down.  On Friday we were pleased to meet Elaine Hutchinson out from Ireland to teach maths and computing and take Stephen Trew’s place. On August 8th we welcome Elaine Black from England to work in the primary and take Andy Persson’s place. Also at this time we have a number of short term volunteers here from England and Ireland  for a few weeks.  Among them is a young, newly qualified teacher called Naomi.  She has agreed to come and help in school until the end of September when we hope Babs will be back. The only snag to all this is that the new folks for primary arrive two weeks after term begins!! Once we settle down we will gain a few other classes. Gwen will teach the infant class which she really enjoys and between us we’ll take 4th grade which we are also looking forward to. Mags keeps her 9th grade too which she really loves. We’d welcome prayer for us with all these changes around.

The bishop is due to leave here by the end of the year.  There is a commission set up to look into finding a new bishop and they have been interviewing all the various congregations, and even us as a school,for our opinions.  They have also looked at various candidates but we know no more as yet.  We pray that the man of God’s choice will be chosen and that he’ll be able to lead the church on.

We are both fine and have just enjoyed a few days break in Buenos Aires.  We took an 18 hr bus ride each way.  We arrived in time to see snow fall on the city for the first time in 90 yrs! Everyone was out with cameras.  It didn’t stick and the next day the sun started to come out but it was still very cold. We had a good break and managed to see many of the sights.

Thank you to all of you who pray for us and support us in our work. We really appreciate all you do. Please keep on praying for the school . We still need some new English staff for all areas of school and we give praise for our needs being met so far. Please pray that God’s kingdom may be extended here in Paraguay.

  God Bless, love Mags and Gwen

P.S.  We’ve had an email from Mags asking the Church to pray for rain in the Chaco.   It’s pretty bad out there and the annual school trips were cancelled due to lack of water.

Some of the gravestones in the lawned plot at the far end of the churchyard have become unsafe and have been laid flat for the safety of visitors and our hard working churchyard team.  The memorials (listed below), require safe fixing into the ground.  If any of the memorials belong to you or your family, please make arrangements for their repair.  Oxley Memorials have offered a discount for work on any of the memorials listed below.  They can be contacted on 01924 372921.

Sabina Wife of Walter Dick - Died 1st July, 1960
? Thompson - Died l977
Alfred Egbert Cockell Died 1st February, 1959
Norah Blanch daughter of Gustavis and Sarah Crossley -Died 14th July, 1986
Arthur Morton - Died 27th November, 1969 and
Ethel Morton - Died 8th December, 1982
Helena Bailey Died 24th February, 1974
John Gordon Chadwick - Died 27th August, 1972 and
Edith Janet Chadwick - Died 5th May, 1980
Elsie Maud Adams - Died 1st October, 1973
Alice Maude Allott - Died 24th December, 1975 and
Charles Richard Allott - Died 5th May, 1986
Ryan, son of Maxine and Jack Kellett - Died 11 April 1975
Gladys Dale - Died 23rd February, 1969 and
Mary Agnes Harrison - Died 12th January, 1972
James Henry Hudson - Died 25th December, 1962 and
Bertha Hudson - Died 29th January, 1993

Do you ever feel rushed off your feet?
Do you want to pray but can’t find the time?
Do you want to escape the ‘phone, mobile, P.C. or T.V?
Do you long for a quiet time to soothe your soul?

Then maybe Slow Space is for you.

Every Sunday from 6-7pm. in St. Helen’s (except on 7 October, 4 November, 2 December when there is Choral Evensong)

Slow Space is a simple name for a quiet time of prayer and praise to provide some breathing space for our souls.   It’s maybe a good place to go if you can’t get to the Morning Service.  It will also provide a space for some prayer for any concerns you might have.  So do come along and give it a go if you feel in need of replenishment and peace.

Destiny Christian Church are hosting an African event on Sunday 23rd September at 2pm- a Congolese Band and Zimbabwean singer: a powerful combination of Gospel music.

Flo Bradley of Wakefield Baptist Church (many will know Flo from working at The Spring), is running a Fairtrade stall (or three) on Wakefield Market: it is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday in the Market Hall and sells Food, Clothing, Handbags, Musical Instruments and more. Flo is hoping to build this into a long-term venture, so do support it.

The Women’s Fellowship are  holding a Coffee Morning on Saturday 13th October from 10am. until 12 noon in the Castle Inn, Barnsley Road, Sandal.   Tickets are £1 which includes coffee and biscuits.   There will be stalls for cakes, books, handmade cards and £1 parcel.   The proceeds  are in aid of Wakefield Riding for the Disabled Association, which takes place at Chapelthorpe.

This event takes place in Wakefield Cathedral on Saturday 20 October.   From 3pm onwards workshops including:  Healing and wholeness for young people - When Prayers Aren’t Answered.  5pm bring your own picnic, drinks are provided.  6pm Multi-sensory and multigenerational communion service.   Speaker Revd. Canon Peter Craig-Wild.  Prayers for healing will take place throughout the day.

Helen Knowles, Director of Fundraising with Wakefield Hospice is flying out with ten other people in October, to Las Vegas.  They will cycle through Death Valley in the Southern California Desert, which is in the state of Nevada.   This 3.4 million acre park is not only the largest in the USA, but arguably, one of the most striking specimens of Mother Earth.   They will be cycling a minimum of 60 miles per day, over 6 days.  Cycling will be off road, and the terrain arduous and testing, with temperatures of 90 degrees F, or even higher during the day.   They start at 3170ft. above sea level and every day they have to cross a pass rangiing from 4317ft. to 5493ft. (4 to 5 times the height of the highest point on the M62 which is 1442ft.).  

Each member of the team will pay all their own personal expenses, including flights.  In addition, each cyclist is asked to raise a minimum of £2,000, thus ensuring that every penny raised will go towards patient care.  Their target is to try and surpass the £40,000 raised by those who went to the Base Camp of Everest in 2005.

Meeting for Parish Link Representatives 20 October in St. John’s Church Hall, Rastrick at 10am until 3.30pm.  Programme will include:

Meet Arthur Mauya and Grace Enoch (Arthur’s assistant), Updating of the Links, Visit 2008, Open Session in afternoon, Sharing Faith,  Act of Worship with South Crossland Music Group.  Refreshments will be provided.   Donation welcome.

Sept 9	10th Anniversary of The Spring
	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Joint Service with St. Paul’s followed by balloon launch, refreshments and faith lunch at The Spring	St. Helen’s
	11am	No service at St. Paul’s
	6pm	Evening Prayer	St. Paul’s
10	6pm	Beaver Group	St. Paul’s
	7.30pm	Women’s Fellowship	St. Helen’s
	7.30pm	Walton MU	St. Paul’s
11	9.30am	Toddle-In (Toddler Group)	St. Helen’s
12	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
13	9.15am	Boogie Woogie Tots	St. Paul’s
16	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Morning Praise	St. Helen’s
	11am	Holy Communion	St. Paul’s
17	9am	Staff Prayers	St. Paul’s
	2.30pm	Sandal MU	St. Helen’s
	6pm	Beaver Group	St. Paul’s
18	9.30am	Toddle-In - (toddler group)	St. Helen’s
	7.30pm	PCC Meeting	St. Helen’s
19	11.30pm	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
20	9.15am	Boogie Woogie Tots	St. Paul’s
23	9.15am	Morning Praise	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	11am	Morning Praise	St. Paul’s
24	6pm	Beaver Group	St. Paul’s
	7.30pm	Alpha Team Training Evening	St. Paul’s
25	9.30am	Toddle-In (toddler group)	St. Helen’s
26	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
27	9.15am	Boogie Woogie Tots	St. Paul’s
28 - 30	Weekend of Celebrations marking 150 years of Anglican worship in Walton.  See inside back cover for details.		St. Paul’s
30	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	No service at St. Helen’s
	11am	Joint service at St. Paul’s