Feb. 2008

 

 

 

Each year the P.C.C. and Staff Team set itself a goal that focusses our energies and resources.  This year our goal is to strengthen our weekday ministries.

Our four objectives will be to:  strengthen the Spring (Discoveries shop and Oasis café), grow our groups, strengthen S.H.Y.P. (St. Helen’s Youth Project) and encourage our volunteers.

The Bishop of Wakefield has given permission for us to take a three month sabbatical this May, June and July, and we are aiming to explore some of the countries of Eastern Europe, travelling by car from the Baltic to the Black Sea.  It’s an area that has always fascinated us with its people and culture, for so long hidden from the west by the Iron Curtain.  During our time working in the arts, we would often make excursions into the East, or work with artists from Czechoslovakia and Poland, and we would love to explore more of the artistic and Christian heritage of these countries.  In addition, I would like to visit my father’s birthplace in Poland, near Crakow and explore the legacy of the war which forced him to flee from the threat of Soviet captivity.  We will be taking time out to walk some of the mountain trails, stay in a monastery in Bulgaria and visit the painted churches of Moldavia.  After 17 years of ordained ministry and 13 years of enjoyable ministry here, we are really looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recharge our batteries and find refreshment for the next phase of our ministry here which we hope will be as exciting and rewarding as the first.  We have every confidence in the wonderful leaders and teams who will cover our absence and continue to exercise their God-given gifts.   We see this as an opportunity for the church to grow as well as ourselves.  We hope to be able to keep in touch during the journey and share some of our experiences on our return, and we would very much value your prayers for a safe journey and a time of spiritual growth and enrichment.

        Rupert & Sally

First let me begin by thanking you all for all the prayers you have been offering for us;  especially during the time of political turmoil.   Indeed it was and still remains to be a tense moment and the fact that now things are beginning to calm down a bit and we can even come to town and correspond, is because of God’s grace and favour.

The year had begun on a tense note but surely God had good plans for His people and this far I can only thank Him for the many blessings that He has begun to unfold for the year ahead.  

Erick is doing well, though towards the end of last year, just after the neck surgery, he caught a fever that interfered with the surgery, making one of the screws that had been used for fastening the plate to loosen, and so the surgeon recommended that the screw be removed, meaning that he has to go for another surgery.   This may sound alarming, but we thank God because there were concerns that the screw may have unfastened itself and come out, and possibly even poked the oesophagus, since there was a time he had problems with swallowing any food, and so he was on liquids only.   Luckily the surgeon removed those fears and assured us that this was only because of the fever.  We are still working on the logistics and hopefully next week he should go for the minor surgery.

On a more positive note, the organization that I was doing internship with, International Justice Mission, has shown interest in retaining me as a counsellor in their Aftercare Department, and so for the past few weeks I have been following clearance from Daystar University as I look forward to joining as a full time member of staff.  This is a huge favour from God and I am so humbled with the prospect of being employed this soon, given that in most third world countries, graduates can end up job searching for even five years and yet I have an offer even before my graduation.  As a matter of fact our graduation will be on the third week of June but we are yet to confirm the exact date since the university’s semester dates were adjusted because of the political turmoil that affected the country in the first two weeks of the year.  I will be communicating the exact date as soon as it is available to us, but it should be in the month of June still.

Meanwhile, please continue praying for our nation that God will grant us peace that is long lasting since at the moment what we have is calm but no lasting solution to the election crisis has been found yet.  Please also pray for Erick that he will continue trusting that God is in control of his life and in due season God will give him perfect rest from the unending surgeries.  Lastly, do join me in thanking God for His favour upon my life and as IJM continue to process my application, that I will serve God’s purpose in this organisation.

Our regards to everyone in the parish and once again thank you so much for all the prayers offered for our family and our country during the trying times that God has seen us through.

By now most of you will have heard of the riots in Kenya rising out from the Government election result.

After the morning services at St. Helen’s, there will be some short presentations about the Missionary Societies we support followed by a bring and share lunch and (technology permitting!) a telephone link with one of our Missionaires.  Everyone is welcome and offers of help with the lunch are also very welcome.  The event will take place in the Emmaus Rooms.

11–13 April £175 with Geoff Weaver.  ‘I saw heaven open before my eyes’ said Handel on hearing the Hallelujah Chorus for the first time. Don’t miss this opportunity to sing the great Passion-tide and Easter choruses from his best loved oratorio – a wonderful way to celebrate the post-Easter season.
Geoff is a composer, musician and inspirational conductor who worked for many years with the RSCM.  This event is for those who’d like the challenge of learning and performing this choral work over the course of a weekend. It begins with supper at 7pm on Friday evening and finishes at 4pm on Sunday afternoon.

Women’s World Day of Prayer will be held at Trinity Methodist Church on Friday 7 March at 2.30pm.   The speaker will be the Rev. Dawn Colley, Prison Chaplain.

 

Feb 3	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Family Praise	St.Helen’s
	11am	Holy Communion	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Choral Evensong	St. Helen’s
4	9am	Staff Prayers	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Beaver Group	St. Paul’s
5	9.30am	Toddle-In (toddler group)	St. Helen’s
	3.45pm	Children’s Church	St. Paul’s
	7.30pm	Leaders’ Pancake Evening	St. Helen’s
6	11.30am	Holy Communion	The Spring
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
	7.30	Ash Wednesday Service Followed by Prayer & Meditation until midnight	St. Helen’s
7	9.15am	Boogie Woogie Tots	St. Paul’s
10	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Morning Praise	St. Helen’s
	11am	Morning Praise	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Evening Prayer	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Slow Space (meditative prayer)	St. Helen’s
11	7.30pm	Walton MU	St. Paul’s
	7.30pm	Women’s Fellowship	St. Helen’s
13	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
15		Hilfield Youth Camp Reunion	Barnet
17	9.15am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Morning Praise	St. Helen’s
	11am	Holy Communion	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Slow Space (meditative prayer)	St. Helen’s
18	9am	Staff Prayers	St. Paul’s
	6pm	Beaver Group	St. Paul’s
	2.30pm	Sandal MU	St. Helen’s
19	9.30am	Toddle-In (toddler group)	St. Helen’s
	3.45pm	Children’s Church	St. Paul’s
20	11.30am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	7pm	Bellringing Practice	St. Helen’s
21	9.15am	Boogie Woogie Tots	St. Paul’s
24	9.15am	Morning Prayer	St. Helen’s
	10.45am	Holy Communion	St. Helen’s
	11am	Morning Praise	St. Paul’s
	6pm