TOKEN
Trinity and Knightthorpe News
March / April 2008
Contents
Token is the monthly magazine for Trinity and Knightthorpe Methodist churches, Loughborough. In this month's on-line issue:-
A happy Easter to you all.
All over Loughborough strange events are taking place. First William Davis have agreed to erect a large amount of scaffolding on the grass outside Emmanuel Church. Next a large number of plywood panels have been obtained on behalf of the Loughborough Churches Partnership. These have been sanded and prepared and an outline picture drawn upon them. This is truly a massive undertaking in different places. Paint and panels and necessary instructions will be going out to church groups and schools as Easter draws near.
I am of course referring to the Biggest Picture in the World which will be erected in Loughborough during Holy Week 2008. Make sure that whenever possible you enter Loughborough using Forest Road so that on each day in Holy Week you get to see the story of Easter growing before your eyes, and before the eyes of our local community. I find myself hoping that we will have enough traffic jams for cars (and bikes) to have to slow down outside Emmanuel Church and therefore have the time to take a good look at the Easter story.
This is a truly awesome project, and will have an impact even beyond our churches and beyond out town. What a wonderful way to tell the Easter story in this year of Hope 08.
At the time of the first Easter, nearly two thousand years ago, the reality of what had taken place did not hit the first disciples straight away. I’m sure it dawned on them in the midst of a deal of bewilderment on Easter Day and afterwards. The disciples had followed Jesus for something like three years, getting to know him and witnessing the important events during his earthly ministry. All the Gospels present us with a Holy Week in which opposition to Jesus is mounting. Political intrigue, betrayal and religious opposition lead to Good Friday and Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus’ followers would have been exhausted, disappointed and possibly disillusioned; or indeed any combination of these emotions.
Then on Easter Day and during the weeks that followed reports come in from Women and Men that Jesus is alive. Two on the road to the village of Emmaus report meeting with him. Encounters are recorded in houses, by the side of Lake Galilee and even to more than five hundred people.
Gradually a tired, dispirited group of disciples is turned into the dynamic bunch who will be the leaders of the early church. As leaders of the Church they could see the bigger picture. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 picks up the key points. “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Let us hope this Easter that our community will see the Bigger Picture of God’s love for the world, through the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The friends of the Leicester Philharmonic Choir invite anyone who reads this to join them in Queens Park and Trinity Methodist Church on 14 June 2008 from 3pm to 7.30pm, when we have arranged for a private visit to the clavier chamber of the Carillon Memorial Tower followed by a 'Picnic in the Park' and an evening "Concert-with-a-difference" at 6pm. Our hosts and musicians are Caroline Sharpe and Chris Hill plus a mystery trumpeter. Perhaps you have never visited the Carillon, or don't know what our organ really can do, not to mention Caroline - our soprano and Borough Carilloneur? Now you have the opportunity. Half the proceeds will accrue to Trinity.
Trinity’s links with the Keir Hardie Methodist Church, then part of the Poplar Mission, began in 1983 when we made a financial commitment as part of the nationwide ‘Thirty Churches Appeal’. In 1988, I was asked by the Church Council to become the liaison person between the two churches in order to make the link human and real.
Over the years, over 45 articles have been written in Token in order for the reality of the situation in Canning Town (Docklands – the ‘East End’) to be understood by our readers. Numerous talks were given to groups within the church and people at Mountsorrel were also involved in our response. Many of our congregation may have forgotten how they were involved in various ways in the past, although those who visited Keir Hardie on their ‘Open Days’ (initiated by Trinity) will never forget the experience. Our Methodist students made outreach visits during Holy Week on three occasions in the 1990s. More than a few of our members made financial contributions to the church and to needy individuals in the congregation. Who remembers the Keir Hardie stand at the Charities Fairs, ‘Dine with Keir Hardie!’ posters and the contacts with Revd Sara Coggin at the Pearsons’ home and as a preacher? Not to mention the gales on Sara’s last visit which reduced our congregation and severed the rail connections between the Midlands and London.
Always our links have been proactive and constructive and changed from being ‘gifts in kind’ in the 1980s to trying to be more spiritually supportive – true empathy – in the 1990s. By 2005 it was clear that the ‘Thirty Churches Scheme’ was dying and could not be revitalized as there was no-one able to promote it. Trinity Church Council was bold enough to approach the Newham Circuit in writing to express our concern – this did not generate a productive response (for the reason already given). In fact, the situation in 1983 can hardly be expected to apply in 2008! The support scheme, which had been taken up so enthusiastically (praise be to God) by our Trinity people, had served its purpose. Our Church Council has now formally ended the link.
I have been totally overwhelmed as I have had an (almost) final look through the notes I made and the resources I collected in being advocate for Keir Hardie. All the earlier reports have been ‘archived’; does anyone feel that those 45 articles should also be archived before I force myself to recycle them?!
Many people have been enriched by close contact with the ‘East Enders’ and I myself, as a geographer, thank Trinity and Keir Hardie for the opportunity to serve and learn in this way.
Between them, Sheila and Marian have loyally produced Token for many years. As most readers will know, I took over the ‘production’ side of the partnership from Marian several months ago. Sheila made it clear last year that she also wishes to give up her responsibilities, but agreed to stay on as Editor until June this year to cover the transition to an entirely new team.
With that in mind, it is therefore time to begin advertising the fact that Token needs someone else to partner me at the helm. The time commitment is for a few hours every few weeks to plan, chase, collate and edit each edition; we now produce eight issues every year.
To undertake this role, a person needs to possess some or all of the following qualities: creative thought, access to a computer with email, a degree of literacy and a willingness to put in the effort at a given time to ensure that each edition is produced by the deadline.
If you think this sounds like you (or you know of someone else who might be suitable), please feel free to call me for a no-obligation chat. I am quite happy to change the way we work together to suit the individual (it doesn’t have to be editor and producer).
We have a few months before Sheila replaces the cap on her red editing pen for the last time; however, I wanted to begin the quest early. Without another volunteer, the future of Token in its current form is definitely in doubt.
From April 2008 the basic rate of income tax will fall from 22% to 20%. “Hooray” I hear you say. Unfortunately this will affect Trinity’s income by reducing the amount of Gift Aid we can claim. Instead of being able to claim £22 for every £78 given under Gift Aid we shall only get £20 for every £80 given. In the last financial year Trinity received £10,941 from the tax man; on the same level of giving this would fall by £1,200 this year. How can Trinity compensate for this drop in income?
About two years ago I wrote a Token article suggesting we need to review our giving – Direct Debit/envelopes/cash – from time to time. Perhaps this is another appropriate time? If you wish your gross giving to Trinity (gift plus Gift Aid reclaim) to remain the same you will need to increase your actual giving by around 2.5%. This does not include covering the inflationary rise in Trinity’s costs (heating, circuit assessment including ministers’ salaries etc.).
There is no cost involved to those who sign the declaration. The money claimed is a return on any income tax you have paid including tax on pensions and savings. In round figures, for every £10 you give to Trinity a further £2.50 can be claimed under Gift Aid (previously £2.82 because of the higher tax rate). In order to know how much can be reclaimed all giving must be done in a traceable way, e.g. using offertory envelopes, standing orders or direct to our treasurer using the appropriate form; and the total amount of giving on which we can claim Gift Aid must be no more than four times the tax paid. I am happy to answer queries on what is sometimes a complex subject!
There are plenty of forms availabe for anyone who wishes to come into the scheme. Offertory envelopes and standing order forms are also available!
NOTES FROM THE TRINITY CHURCH COUNCIL
held on 30th
January 2008
Fundraising Update
Manchester is now happy with our progress and is waiting for our application for Chapel Aid. We have raised £206,940 and, with grants already promised, this could be £368,000. Several fundraising events are planned (see elsewhere in Token).
Re-developement Update
Planning Application has been submitted to Charnwood Borough Council for the demolition of the Prayer Chapel, new windows etc. See the plans in the crush hall.
Focus Group Reports
Our Harvest celebration will be on 12th October. This service will also include, appropriately, the dedication of all groups and leaders within the Church.
There will be retiring collections on two Sundays to support the Church in Ngong.
Two sub-groups – one Finance and one Property - have been set up to discuss several issues before the Finance and Property Focus Group meets again. These issues include cleaning and the disposal of rubbish, room bookings, and the stained glass windows which seem to be missing from storage.
Loughborough Churches Partnership (LCP)
About 400 people attended the inaugural service at All Saints Parish Church. Adam, Margaret Williams and ano will represent us on the Committee.
We are asked to support Hope ’08 in any way we can. It will be launched in the county in February. Street Pastors will hold training sessions in Trinity on Saturday mornings.We are also asked to support The Bigger Picture – details have been circulated and will be advertised.
AOB
Bobby was given permission to take a group to London at the end of March. All safeguarding is in place.
The Sunday morning coffee money will now go towards our commitment to support the South Loughborough Missioner Project (Grange Park).
Trinity Festival – Saturday evening - 21st June there will be food and entertainment - Joyce Grenfell Monologues. There will be something for the children and young people on the Sunday.
The AGM will be on Sunday 13th April at 1.00pm after a Faith Lunch.
The next meeting of the Church Council will be on Tuesday 6th May.
One of the highlights of a visit to Florence was to see the Michelangelo statue of David, a handsome, well proportioned young man in perfect health, whose nudity did not shock, but was admired for its beauty. There are many copies of it because of its physical perfection. It is an icon of the re-awakening of the Greek spirit of beauty in the Renaissance period. Sculptors and painters took up the theme. Such admiration has not evaporated as we admire the beauty of athletes or professional dancers. A night at the ballet (if one has the ultra-rare chance of going) is a treat for the discerning eye. Beauty of form and movement – the fluidity, the coordination of mind with muscle and limb – command our admiration.
Sometimes the church appears in that light. St. Paul made the comparison between the human body and the church, calling it the Body of Christ. There is much to be admired in the church community – the thoughtfulness of worship, the coordination of different offices and functions making possible on Sunday, for example, the friendly welcome, the organisation of the physical aspects of worship and their smooth running, the coordination of different partners in worship so that we know the direction we are taking. There is, in a positive sense, the appearance of a well-ordered and well kept public face.
As for David, a recent news item suggested that the statue might have to be relocated because of a plan to lay down a public transport system in that part of old Florence. The fear is that vibrations might work within the stone and cause decay from within. Such damage would be invisible at first but would eventually affect what we see. St. Paul had something to say about the “hidden” parts of the human body that should be hidden from pubic gaze because of modesty. They are nonetheless essential. We can push the image a little further to remind ourselves of all that happens under our skin, in the deep interior, keeping us healthy and contributing to our outward beauty. If one of these parts goes wrong in any way the whole body suffers and is less effective.
So it is with the church. Many “hidden” ministries function without fuss or complaint, so we are tempted to think that they always will without our intervention. One of these, though it has a public aspect, is that of our Church Stewards. Quietly doing much that we don’t see, they enable our life as a body to go forward. But there is a troubling problem at Trinity. Several of our Stewards are due to “retire” this summer and so far there are no replacements. This is not just a matter of appointment by the Church Council or an approach from our Minister and Pastor. It is a challenge to us, who benefit from this service. There are, no doubt, some among us who could join together with others to fulfil this essential function. The greater the team, the less the demand on any one person.
So ask whether God is calling you, or someone you know and to whom you can talk, to this task. Don’t say immediately, “I can’t, I’m not worthy”. That was Jeremiah’s excuse, but God wasn’t having it and put him straight on the matter. Talk about it to one of our present stewards or to our Ministers, Adam and Jan. May God help you in your thinking and acting.
KNIGHTTHORPE THURSDAY NIGHTERS
Our evening of magic was a truly ‘Magic Evening’. Brian Lord had come along to tell us all about the Magic Circle, with magic thrown in “just like that” – an enjoyable evening. Following the meeting, was a bring and buy sale to raise funds.
7th February saw another enjoyable evening when we enjoyed a fish and chip supper. We all got together to share fellowship with fellow members of our group and had the chance to chat, chat and chat.
We did have to do some work with a quiz to keep the ladies happy while the fish and chips were collected.
For our next meeting, we have a talk on LOROS by Monica Winfield.
We meet on alternate Thursdays at 8pm. We have welcomed a new member over the past weeks and a warm welcome awaits any lady who would like to join us.
Forthcoming meetings: 6th March – “What your Handwriting Says” with Andrea Benson; 20th March – Skittles at the Three Crowns in Hathern.
When I first heard about the Laura Centre in Leicester, I was in great need of TLC as our youngest, dear son, Neil had just been killed. I rang, tentatively, and was given love and care from then on. The Laura Centre offers help to anyone affected by the death of a child and also to children who have suffered loss.
They have a quiet room where you can sit and be peaceful, listen to music, read or light a candle. They offer counselling and support and they have a Book of Remembrance. I have made use of all these services during the past year and found all staff and volunteers particularly friendly and welcoming. I recommend the Laura Centre to anyone in similar circumstances.
The Way Foundation (Widowed And Young) has been a great help to my daughter-in-law. They arrange meetings for young widows and widowers and include children on occasions such as barbeques, picnics and bowling etc. She has found it very helpful to meet others in similar or sometimes worse situations than herself.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all family, friends and members of Trinity who have given me tender, loving care over the past year. I give thanks to God for all the comfort I and my family have received.
February’s Coffee Morning at Knightthorpe was not only a coffee morning, but also a Bric-a-Brac sale.
The morning was a fine one and lots of people came. Selling was brisk, with coffee and bacon butties being sold in the Blue Room. A homemade cake stall also helped to raise over £200 on the day.
Many thanks to all those helpers who always put themselves out to man the stalls.
Our next Coffee Morning on Saturday 1st March will be a coffee and chat, with the chance to paint a panel for “The Bigger Picture”. 60 panels have been ordered for Knightthorpe and paint will be available for everyone to have a go at painting.
Why not come along and help to make the Easter story and contribute to a record-breaking attempt. We open at 10am – be there!
Lately, I have been to a couple of circuit meetings for Sunday School teachers. It has made me realise that at Trinity, we are very fortunate – we still have a Sunday School. Many Churches in the circuit have a Sunday School of one or two children – or no Sunday School at all. I am sure many of you also know of churches where the Sunday School has been lost. At my parent’s church, the Sunday School has gone from nearly 40 (when I left it under 20 years ago) to 2 – on a good day.
At Trinity, we still have a Creche, a Pebbles group (2 and a half to 5 year olds), a Rocks group (5 to 9 year olds) and Boulders (9 plus). In the last year, some of those groups have even grown in numbers.
How do we make sure we keep it this way? Well, we need to work together as a church to keep our Sunday School growing.
Support the Sunday School teachers with your words and prayers. Be really family-friendly as a church. Talk to and encourage our children and their families and all welcome visitors with children.
Offer to help on a Sunday. Our Pebbles group has 11 children in it. Could you help out once a month with our activities (including gluing, painting, cooking and playing games). If you are interested on going on the rota – or in helping any other group, please see Karen or Rachel.
Lastly, be proud and talk about our Sunday School to friends and family. Encourage them to send children along, whether as a one off when they visit Loughborough or more regularly. New children are welcome at any time.
The accounts for the Christmas Tree Festival are now finalised. After expenses and the donation to Hearing Dogs for the Deaf the balance for our fund was £2,296.34. Once again it was a wonderful weekend and we thank all who worked so very hard and all those who supported them in any way.
The Pantomime will have taken place before you read this. We are grateful to the Crystal School of Dance for the enthusiasm we see each Saturday morning and for their generosity. Hopefully we will soon be able to welcome more groups from the community onto our premises.
Dates for your diary:
Thursday 6th March
12.45pm Thursday Lunch
Saturday 15th March
Evening Hathern Brass Band Concert
Thursday 3rd April
12.45pm Thursday Lunch
Saturday 10th May
Evening Organ Concert (David Bristow)
Several other events are being organised but the details are not available yet. These include:-
Please continue to enjoy the fellowship of our coffee mornings. If you have any produce etc to sell please bring it along.
New ideas and help are always welcome!
As we begin the month with Mothering Sunday, give thanks for parents and for all those who have cared over the years. Pray for those who care for elderly relatives and for the work of organisations such as the Abbeyfield Houses. Pray for those who find parenting a daunting task with the pressures and ethos of today’s society.
Pray for the Women’s World Day of Prayer on 7th March, that it would encourage and be a blessing to Christians throughout the world; remembering the Christians of Guyana who prepared the service material.
Pray for the worship in our churches and for Wesley Guild and homechurch meetings during Lent, Holy Week and Easter. May we each use such opportunities to reflect on the Christian way of life: the way of commitment, service to others and living faith.
Pray for the Partnership of Loughborough Churches’ Lent programme at Loughborough Baptist Church, for leaders and participants; also for the Maundy Thursday service and the Walk of Witness on Good Friday.
Pray for the work of street pastors within Loughborough and the training sessions for further volunteers; also for each of the Hope 08 projects and the prayer meeting to support the work on 25th March; that Christians could reach out in a meaningful and effective way to others in our town.
Pray for those of our circuit going to the new national Easter conference, entitled ECG and part of Hope 08, at Llandudno during Easter week. Pray for leaders in their preparation and for all those taking part; that the time could be a blessing for individuals and for the churches they represent.
The focus for this year’s Women’s World Day of Prayer, Guyana is located on the northern coast of South America, sharing borders with Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela. Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning ‘Land of Many Waters’, an appropriate name for a country with many lakes, wetlands, rivers, and tropical rainforests. The well-irrigated narrow coastal plain remains one of the country’s most productive sugar and rice plantation areas.
Guyana has a long history of colonial control. The Dutch first established a trading post in 1580, and settled in 1616. Since then, the colonies have changed ownership between the British, the Dutch and the French, with the British taking final possession in 1803. The colony of British Guiana was officially declared in 1831. Independence in 1966 saw Guyana adopted as the nation’s name. Now officially known as ‘The Cooperative Republic of Guyana’, it remains the only English-speaking country in South America.
A third of Guyana’s population is descended from African slaves, imported by the Dutch to work on sugar plantations. Around half are the descendants of indentured Indian agricultural workers brought in by the British after slavery was abolished. Persistent tension between these two groups has fuelled political instability and is reflected in hostility between the two main political parties, which are ethnically-based. Guyana is rich ecologically, yet more than half the population live in poverty and unemployment rates are at an all-time high. Dependent on sugar, rice production and mining, which together account for half the country’s GDP, the falling price of sugar and bauxite on world markets has hit hard, especially because of the loss of preferential access to EU markets. There has been an upsurge in crime, particularly that connected with organised drug trafficking. Poor relations between the two major racial groupings - the Indo-Guyanese and the Afro-Guyanese - also means racial crime is on the rise.
Religion plays a major part in the Guyanese culture. Guyana’s population is 52% Christian, 34% Hindu, 9% Muslim and 5% ethnic religions. Unusually for South America, Protestants make up the majority of Christians (65%), largely because each colonising nation brought its churches with it. Dutch settlers brought the Dutch Reformed and Dutch Lutheran Churches and German Moravian Missions, and built the first Protestant churches in South America. The English brought the Anglican and Scottish Presbyterian Churches. The Methodist and Congregational Churches, Brethren, and Salvation Army came as free churches. The Roman Catholic Church came as a free church in the 19th century, and became the church of the indentured Portuguese people. Education was a way out of the fields for both former slaves and indentured immigrants after emancipation, and the churches were heavily involved in this. Every church had a school attached to it until the 1940s, when churches began to turn over their schools to the Government. Anglicans are part of the Diocese of Guyana, one of 8 dioceses of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, under the leadership of Bp Randolph George.
Pray for: increased ethnic harmony; President Bharrat Jagdeo and the ruling Indo-Guyanese Progressive People's Party to exercise wise and sensitive government; effective solutions to frequent flooding of coastal areas; increased education and provision for the third of the population that is under 18, so that they are less tempted to emigrate when old enough; and for increased unity and ecumenical cooperation among churches.
The main UK-based mission and aid agencies currently thought to be active in Guyana are Bible Society, CAFOD and USPG.
Information compiled in February 2008 from various sources, by the Revd Mary J Vickers.
KNIGHTTHORPE FELLOWSHIP MEETING
The meetings will re-commence on Tuesday 4th March at 2.15pm and then fortnightly. Revd Adam Wells will be our speaker at the first meeting.
We welcome new members to come and join our friendly afternoons and you will also enjoy a cup of tea and maybe even a cake!
Snail upon the wall,
Have you got at all
Anything to tell
About your shell?
Only this, my child -
When the wind is wild,
Or when the sun is hot,
It's all I've got.
.Prayer, Study, Fellowship and Discussion at Knightthorpe, and Trinity
Fortnightly on Tuesdays
commencing 4th March at Knightthorpe at 2.15 pm
Fellowship Meeting
Wednesday, 12th March and
Wednesday 9th April at 2.30pm
Afternoon House Group
Alternative Wednesdays at
7.45pm
Bible Study
Trinity Homechurch
Groups meet fortnightly
on Monday evening, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning and
evening,
Thursday evening.
If you would like further
information, please consult the
noticeboard at the entrance to the Crush Hall, or speak
to one of the group leaders.
2nd
March
9.15am Revd Kim Goh (S)
10.45am Revd Kim Goh (S)
6.30pm Ichthus Service
9th
March
9.15am Revd Adam Wells (S)
10.45am Revd Adam Wells
6.30pm Revd Adam Wells and Choir
16th
March
9.15am Revd Adam Wells (S)
10.45am Mr Granville Mercy
6.30pm Circuit Service
17th
to 19th March
7.00pm Meditations
20th
March
7.30pm United Service – Baxtergate Baptist Church
21st
March
7.00pm Good Friday - At the foot of the cross
23rd
March Easter Day
8.00am Revd Adam Wells (S)
10.45am Revd Adam Wells (All age worship and S)
6.30pm Mrs Christine Watkins
30th
March
9.15am Revd David Blatherwick(S)
10.45am Mrs Eunice Butters
6.30pm Prof Michael Collins
2nd
March
10.30am Local arrangement
4.00pm Café Church
9th
March
10.30am Mr Granville Mercy
16th
March
10.30am Mr Dennis Doyle
6.30pm Circuit Service
20th
March
7.30pm United Service – Baxtergate Baptist Church
21st
March
5.30pm Good Friday - At the foot of the cross
23rd
March Easter Day
8.30am Revd Donald Wilkes (S)
10.30am Mr John Pipet
30th
March
10.30am Revd Adam Wells
MARCH
Thursday 6th March
12.45pm Lunch at Trinity
Friday 7th March
2pm Women’s World Day of Prayer Service at All Saints Parish
Church
7.30pm Service at the Independent Methodist Church, Herbert
Street
Thursday 13th
March
12.45pm Simple Lunch at Trinity in aid of Christian Aid
Saturday 15th March
7.30pm Hathern Concert Brass Band
Thursday 20th
March Maundy Thursday
7.30pm The Lord’s Supper at Baxtergate Baptist Church
Friday 21st March Good
Friday
12.00pm Walk of Witness, beginning at Emmanuel Church
Sunday
30th March
12.30pm Christian Aid Simple Lunch at St Marys
APRIL
Thursday 3rd April
12.45pm Lunch at Trinity
Sunday 13th April
1.00pm Trinity AGM (after faith lunch)
ADVANCE NOTICE
Christian Aid Week is 10th - 18th May
Saturday 10th May
10km and 20km sponsored walks
Sunday 11th May
Services combining themes of Pentecost and Christian Aid,
followed by Simple Sunday lunch (venue tbc)
Wednesday 14th May
evening: Christian Aid; Past, Present and Future –
presentation at Trinity
Saturday 17th May
Market stall with home produce and 3-course lunch at Loughborough
Baptist Church
Saturday 10th May
Organ Concert (David Bristow)
Saturday 14th June
Carillon Concert
June 21st & 22nd
Trinity Festival Weekend
AD2000 - Praise and Worship Band
The Methodist Church (UK) Website
Bible Gateway - On-Line Bible