16

For enquiries about Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals and Pasto-ral Care Support, please contact Rev’d Tim Mullings

revtim@blueyonder.co.uk 07734305940 / 01902 650224

Minister: Rev’d Tim Mullings revtim@blueyonder.co.uk 07734305940 / 01902 650224 Secretary: Mrs Jean Herrington jean.hrrngtn@gmail.com 01902 757290 Contact: Mrs. Catie Boulton catieboulton@gmail.com 01902744928 Hall Bookings Mo Knight 01902 560212

The Diary For Septem ber

Sunday 4th 09.00am Early Worship - Rev. Tim Mullings 11.00am Mid-AM Worship - Rev. Tim Mullings Wednesday 7th 19.00 pm Elders Meeting Thursday 8th 19.00pm Management Committee Saturday 10th “Come and Sing Messiah” (See page 9 ) Sunday 11th 09.00am Early Worship - Rev. Tim Mullings 10.00am Prayer Meeting 11.00am Mid-AM Worship - Rev. Tim Mullings Wednesday 14th 19.00pm Church Meeting Sunday 18th 09.00am Early Worship - Mr. David Nash 11.00am Mid-AM Worship and Communion - Rev. Tim Mullings Saturday 24th 10.00am - 3.00pm Elders’ Training Day Sunday 25th 09.00am Early Worship and Communion - Rev. Tim Mullings 11.00am Mid-AM Worship - Rev. James Makepeace

1 Te t te n h a l l Wo o d Un i te d

Re f o r m e d Ch u r c h

‘Reaching out and loving others in

the name of Christ our Saviour

September 2016

Contact

2

From the Minister…

MY MINISTERIAL WORKING WEEK

The Ministries Committee suggest a minimum of 40 hours per week. This includes Sunday and does not preclude the practice of a designated day off. The Plan for Partnership contains no definition of the working week. Church members are often unaware of what I do all week and how much time I spend doing it. This can lead to two assumptions, that I only work one day a week and that I am available 24/7. I am scoped across 2 churches: 75% at TW and 25% at St.C. On paper this works out that 30 hours per week is at TW and 10 hours per week at St.C. In an ideal world I hasten to add! Clearly the nature and unpredictable pattern of ministry doesn’t always make this possible. As an office holder I am responsible for managing my time with both flexibility and autonomy. As a Minister of the Word the majority, integral part of my working week is spent in my study writing sermons, preparing for worship, planning services, prayer and meditation/reflection. These are core tasks. It is what I’m ordained to do. The preaching of the Word contributes in vital ways to the spiritual health of my congregations. I currently lead 2 services every Sunday (St.C on the 4th Sunday of the month). On average I set 2 days aside for sermon preparation (at 8 hours per day) = 16 hours of my working week. There is then the facilitating of those services. Between 09am and 1pm (5 hours) on a typical Sunday equals 21 hours. I lead a weekly Bible study meeting for both churches. This is scheduled for an hour, but can stretch to 1.5 hours. I spend a couple of hours prepping for this. Say 3 hours in total. Brings me up to 24.5 hours accounted for. There is also an hour’s admin every week (usually Friday). Brings the total to 25.5 hours. Then there are lunch clubs and day centre commitments. 2 hours per conventional week reaching 27.5 hours. So over half my working week is already taken up with the routine, ordinary and expected pattern of ministry.

15

20th July 2016 Mrs Powney 14 Hinks Road Tettenhall Wolverhampton Dear Mrs Powney and Church Friends I am writing on behalf of Tettenhall Wood School Pupils and Staff to thank you very much for your generosity in collecting the Sainsbury’s Active Kids Vouchers again this year. This time, we decided to purchase cooking equipment for our food technology room as we were very much in need of new re-sources to help us with more opportunities of developing the important basic skills required for working in a kitchen environ-ment. Thank you once again, hope you have a good summer Kindest regards Natalie Shirley Tettenhall Wood School GOODS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ORDER:- Can openers, weighing scales, rolling pins, tea towels, a griddle pan, safety knives and aprons

14

PRAYER LUNCHES

12.30pm - 1.30pm In the Meeting Room at

Christchurch.

September Tuesday 6th

Wednesday 14th Thursday 22nd Monday 26th

This is an opportunity to share lunch time with friends, to spend time listening to God and to pray accordingly. Please bring your

own lunch. The first Tuesday of each month will concentrate on the mission and outreach of our churches. For more information contact

Joy Dipple Tel. 750680

Our monthly will be held on

Sunday 11th September, at 10.00am, in the Bampfield Room.

Please support this meeting, as we pray for our church, our world and ourselves. If you don't feel able to pray aloud, please come to

this meeting and pray silently. Your support is important. Thank you.

Jean.

PRAYER BREAKFAST EACH THURSDAY

7:30am

1st September Christ Church 8th September TWURC 15th September Christ Church 22ndSeptember TWURC 29th September Christ Church

ALL WELCOME

3

So where does the rest of my time go? This is a little difficult to quantify, but clearly each day, week, month brings different patterns. I need to plan, structure and prioritise things accordingly. There is always correspondence (mostly of the electronic kind!). Occasional EM3 training days, area meetings, ministers’ meetings, fundraising coffee AMs, flower festivals et.al. Sometimes there are special services to arrange. Now and again even impromptu services/meetings. I also need to make time for prayer, family, rest, and hobbies (golf, cars and computers!). Ministry is unpredictable. The week commencing 17/07/16 involved a pastoral visit to Russell’s Hall Hospital (1 hour round trip, 1 hour visiting) = 29.5 hours. I also attended ICU at New Cross spending an hour with family = 30.5 hours. There was also a wedding preparation afternoon of 1 hour and a school assembly chapel service bringing my hours to approximately 32. This was a week without funerals. Typically I have 1-2 per month. Visiting a bereaved family typically lasts 1 hour. Then the service prep anywhere between 2–4 hours Then there is the funeral service itself followed by cremation/burial say 2 hours all told = 38 hours. For a church member this can often be 4 hours if I attend the wake et.al. So now I have reached 40 hours in total. Some weeks also see church, elders, management meetings. These typically last up to 1.5 – 2 hours = 42.5 hours. Then of course there is pastoral visiting / home communion that can be an hour. Some weeks may see me visiting 2–3 folk. I’ve always made it clear that I’m not a “tea and cake” type of minister. I don’t visit unless there is a pastoral necessity, a time for prayer, laying on of hands for healing, an opportunity to share the Gospel (or to help fix someone’s computer!). So now on average I’ve reached 45.5 hours. Because of the nature of my calling, I cannot shirk my responsibilities. There is no office to leave. I am on duty round the clock and “on call” so to speak for emergencies. However, it is also within my remit to decide how to respond to any request and to feel able to take time off after a particularly busy or demanding period. I am very good with time management. I have a family. I’m not one for burning the candle at both ends. Frenetic activity is counterproductive. I need to be able to focus well in heart, mind and soul. There may be

4

parts of the week that can’t be accurately quantified. When I have quieter weeks I have a creative quality. I read a lot of theological stuff and focus on the life of the congregations, and set aside time for Scripture reading and prayer. The point I’m making here is that I’m not inactive. The guidance from General Assembly makes the point that “there needs to be recognition of the need for ministers to be encouraged and allowed to establish and work within a proper relationship between living and working, doing and being. The Biblical witness on this is rooted in the story of creation. The way God’s period of work is followed by the Sabbath is presented as example and injunction to build into a faith-based lifestyle a creative balance of activity and rest. This guidance is intended to give ministers the challenge and permission to reflect on such balance as they build their own working style, and as they consider the example that their pattern of working offers to all members of the church community.” Furthermore, I also believe that Biblical ministry is and should be shared ministry. It is shared with a plurality elders, pastoral carers, treasurers, and chairpersons of committees. We’re all doing the work of ministry (1 Tim 3; Titus 1:5-9; Eph.4:12). Following God’s principles really does mean a healthier church. This brief examination of my working week highlights my ministerial priorities and the responsibilities I have for pastoral oversight. Other colleagues will have further observations and points to make. On the whole I think I keep a reasonable routine, remain flexible, and encourage a shared approach to ministry in my churches. Needless to say, it is not true that I work only one day a week! In Christ Tim.

To Jim and Dorothy Many congratulations and very best wishes

for the future on the occasion of your

DIAMOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

29th September 2016

13

BIBLE READERS FOR SEPTEMBER 4th September 09.00am Janet Eden 11.00am Tony Westwood

Covenanting Prayers led by Lynne Perkins

11th September 09.00am Fred Hobbs 11.00am Anne Humphrey-Jones

18th September 09.00am Kay Hobbs 11.00am Mo Knight

25th September 09.00am Lynne Perkins 11.00am Sarah Robinson

CHURCH FLOWERS

Our thanks to the following who have donated the flowers this

month. Please ring Sylvia Chatwin (743349) the week you

are due to do the flowers.

4th September Still available 11th September Still available 18th September Sandra Morris 25th September Jim & Dorothy Hewitson

(Please, if you would like to donate towards the flowers, choose a date and

add your name to the flower rota on the wall in the Church vestibule.)

This year we will celebrate our Harvest

Festival on Sunday 2nd October.

Lunch will be served after the 11am

service. Please put the date in your diary!

12

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

4th September Josh Lewis 12th September Rosemary Hariri 14th September Marjorie Relph 16th September Sue Garfoot 21st September Edna Lawrence 24th September Kelby Temple 28th September Becky Scott

Happy Birthday to you To Jesus be true.

May God's richest blessings

Be yours the year through

“The New Start Group will be having afternoon tea on Saturday

10th September at 3.30pm. This will be held at 4 Chatsworth

Gardens, The Wergs, the home of Jean Herrington. For more

information, please ring Jean on 01902 757290.”

And that, really, is the lesson of the Psalm. Despite what may come our way, God is our strength and refuge. We use the word ‘refuge’ to denote the small but significant centre piece on some pedestrian crossings. It means that we can stand on that refuge, half way across the road, safe from the traffic roaring past on either side. Many years ago, monasteries were described as refuges, and those seeking shelter were guaranteed safety. The problem is that, so often, we are in such a rush, concerned with this and that, that we fail to realise that it is God who is guiding and strengthening us. So the Writer of this Psalm encourages us to “be still” and understand that it is God.

Robert Snaith

5

Please let Catie have

articles etc. before

THURSDAY 15th

SEPTEMBER

for OCTOBER CONTACT

Elders’ Training Day – The Season of Invitation, led by our Syn-od Evangelist Rev’d Nick Stanyon

Although this is an Elders’ Training Day, it will be open to all who are interested in learning new ways to evangelise and to share the gospel with neighbours, colleagues and friends. This will take place on Saturday 24th September 10-.00am to 3.00pm, in the Church Sanctuary. (Coffee, tea and squash will be available from 9.30a.m.) Please feel free to attend this day even if you are not a serving elder. It is hoped that as many people as possible will attend, and we will also be inviting friends from local churches to join us on that day. Lunch will not be provided, so it will be necessary to bring a packed lunch, visit one of the local cafes or pubs, or buy something for lunch from one of the local supermarkets. We will be providing coffee, tea and squash at lunchtime and also at regular intervals throughout the day. Please make every effort to join us on this day. We hope that it will be informative, interesting and useful to everyone. For more information, please speak to Tim or Jean or telephone 01902 757290. Thank you. Jean.

6

…by grace God gives us the gift of faith. By accepting this gift we

should not remain secretive about it. Let’s proclaim that we are

Christians and let’s strive to be identified with God’s chosen people.

The great examples of faith demonstrated by Noah, Abraham, Moses,

David and Jeremiah should truly amaze us all. True believers are

spiritual descendants of Abraham, we are able to take part in the race

“for God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit

them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we

finish the race” (Hebrews 11:40). Unbelievers should desire to join

this race, believers should condition themselves like athletes and

through God’s Holy Word become spiritually fit and ready “to run with

endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping

our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to fin-

ish” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

My prayer is that others will join this “race” and proclaim Jesus as

Lord and Saviour and win the prize the “crown of righteousness” (2

Timothy 4:8) by persevering in faith. As God’s soldiers, we should

wear the uniform (Ephesians 6:13-18); be ready for action in

confronting Satan and the real darkness of this world; always be ready

to uphold the Gospel and to bring people to salvation in Jesus Christ

(Revelation 21:3-4).

So Jeremiah 6:16 and Psalm 37:5. Remember that Jeremiah

29:13 and as disciples we have been chosen as Acts 2:22. The Gos-

pel is Romans 1:16 and God will 1 Timothy 6:17 and Psalm 16:11.

Never forget that God John 3:16 and Romans 8:28. So don’t worry

about anything, instead Philippians 4:6-7 and Colossians 4:2. Hold

on to the fact that Proverbs 30:5 and that this 1 Peter 1:23. The

Lord is Proverbs 15:29 and is Isaiah 5:16. As true believers lets Acts

9:31 persevering in faith because Matthew 7:14. Take comfort for

the Lord Amos 4:13 and is forever Ephesians 4:6.

11 PSALM 46

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. We were in the Lake District for Christmas in 2004, and when we woke on Boxing Day, we were confronted with the news of the disastrous tsunami which had struck in the Indian Ocean. For those involved, it was as though the description in Psalm 46 was becoming all too real. A few years earlier, I called to see my aged father, who being partially sighted, and very old, hadn’t quite grasped the news correctly, and informed me of an air crash somewhere. It was 11th September 2001 now referred to as 9/11. Again for those involved it was just as though the earth had given way. On 7th July 2005, lives were ruined or terminated when a bomb exploded on a London bus. Their world disintegrated, for some literally. In more recent times, the people of Syria have been experiencing their world collapsing, under oppression. How can we bring aid to them? The wisest of negotiators is at a loss. For many, who suffer personal tragedies, whether bereavement, illness or redundancy, they use expressions such as “I felt my whole world was falling apart.” – a good summary of verses 2 and 3 of this Psalm. In contrast, we have been celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday, seeing her as someone who has been rock steady in a world that has seen upheaval after upheaval. In a way that reflects the promise of Psalm 46. The Psalm does not say that God will remove the disasters and catastrophes that come our way. What it does say is that God will be our strength and refuge, to help us through. Psalm 23 says “even though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Some years ago there was a painting competition in a particular town, and the subject for the artists to paint was “Peace.” Many of the entries depicted green meadows, grazing cattle and sunshine, whilst others showed beautifully manicured gardens. The winning entry, however, was of a cliff face with a howling gale and lashing rain. It was only on closer inspection that, in the middle of the painting, was a small cleft in the cliff face and, in that cleft, there was a seabird contentedly sitting on its nest, protected from the storm around it by the shelter of the rock. Cont’d overleaf…………...

10

United Reformed Church Worship

and Organisations

Sunday 09.00 Early Worship Church 11.00 Mid - AM Worship Church Communion is celebrated: Monthly

Monday 09.15 - 12.00 Tettenhall Green Kindergarten Pre School Hall 09.30 - 10.30 Bible Study Bampfield Room 15.30 - 17.00 After School Group Bampfield Room 19.00 - 22.00 Women's Institute (2nd Mon in month)

Tuesday 09.15 - 12.00 Tettenhall Green Kindergarten Pre School Hall 10.00 - 14.00 Day Centre Bampfield Room 15.30 - 17.00 After School Group Bampfield Room 18.15 - 19.30 Brownies Hall

Wednesday 09.15 - 12.00 Tettenhall Green Kindergarten Pre School Hall 14.00 - 16.00 Keep Fit Hall 15.30 - 17.00 After School Group Bampfield Room

Thursday 07.30 - 08.00 Prayer Breakfast (alternate with Christchurch) Bampfield Room 09.15 - 12.00 Tettenhall Green Kindergarten Pre School Hall 15.30 - 17.00 After School Group Bampfield Room

Friday

09.15 - 11.45 Tettenhall Green Kindergarten Pre School Hall 10.00 - 14.00 Day Centre Bampfield Room 15.30 - 17.00 After School Group Bampfield Room

Saturday 10.30 - 15.00 Children’s Dancing Hall

7

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

A sick man visited his doctor in a small rural village. As he was leaving he suddenly blurted out: “Doctor, I am afraid to die. You go to church on Sundays. Tell me what lies on the other side.” The doctor thought a moment, then he said simply: “I don’t know.” “You don’t know?” protested the man. “You, a Christian, can’t say more than that?” The doctor was holding the handle of the door into the waiting room of the surgery. On the other side, there was a sound of eager scratching and whining. He opened the door and the patient’s spaniel sprang into the room, leaping on his owner with an eager happiness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Here’s your dog. He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was on the inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here and so when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. It is the same for me. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Lord is there, and that is enough. And when the door opens for me one day, I shall pass through with no fear but with gladness.”

HELP US TO HELP YOU,PLEASE!

The yellow card you have received from your Pastoral Carer with their

telephone number is not only for you to keep but for you to please place

very near your telephone.

This is especially important for those living alone so that relatives or

friends can find the contact number for your Christian friends, or the per-

son who can get in touch with our Minister. We can then pray for you or

help in any other way. If we don’t know you are ill there is nothing

we can do. Norma

8

SHOPPING LIST

If you would like to join us in supporting those in need in our city, please donate any items on this list and place them in the garden store to the right as you enter the outside door to the Church hall passageway. Milk ( UHT or powdered ) Cereal Squash / Fruit Juice (UHT) Pasta Sauce (Jar) Pasta / Rice/ Noodles (dried) Vegetables (Tinned) Tea / Coffee Soup Instant Mash Potato Meat (Tinned) Fish (Tinned) Fruit/ Puddings (Tinned) Couscous / Pulses Sugar Biscuits/ Snack Bars Nappies (any size, sealed pack) Baby Wipes/ Shampoo / Lotion Ladies / Men's Toiletries

Thank you so much - God bless you!

9

Local chamber choir 'Colla Voce' is very pleased to be holding a 'Come and Sing Messiah' day

on Saturday September 10th 2016 at St. Michael's Church, Brierley Hill.

We are inviting local church choirs and congregations to join us for the occasion, which will be a fundraising event for 3 local charities. 'Messiah' by Handel is one of the best loved and well-known pieces of music telling the story of the coming of Christ. It features the famous 'Hallelujah Chorus' which is always very popular. The choir will be singing the entire work, conducted by Richard Ganner and accompanied by a professional orchestra and solo singers. Anyone who would like to come and sing this wonderful piece of music is welcome to join us for an afternoon rehearsal and concert in the evening. The charities we are supporting are Mary Stevens Hospice, the Georgina Unit at Russells Hall Hospital and the Saturday Special Amblecote Christian Centre. All proceeds from this event will be split between these three charities. Tickets are £10 - for singers and audience members. For further information, please contact: 07475 002268. We hope to have lots of visiting singers and audience to join us!