the magazine of world vision sponsor a child annual report ... · church flowers/decoration...

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The Magazine of

Ingatestone United Reformed Church

December 2017 and January 2018

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World Vision- Sponsor a Child Annual report 2017

A progress report for Auner Edgardo Melgar, the little boy this church sponsors, has been received. There is a delightful photograph of him on the cover of the report holding a picture he has coloured in. He is only

four years old but is in pre-school and we are told his health is satisfactory. I will put the report together with the picture in the blue folder in the vestibule. In the middle of October I posted his personalised Christmas card together with a small donation to help with other children who are less fortunate. I also sent a message to him and his family wishing them a blessed happy Christmas, and I know it will be well received. The children and their families look forward to hearing from their sponsors. Auner will be five years old in February and no doubt there will be more news to share with you then.

Valerie Rees

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Church Contacts Church Website Church Email Church Telephone Church Minister Church Treasurer

www.ingatestoneurc.org.uk

Bob Furley (Serving Elder)

355875 633143 352917

Church Flowers/Decoration Buildings Manager Lettings Secretary Magazine Editors Organist Pianist Prayer Partners URC under fives (URUS) Women’s Friendship Circle

June Parsons (Serving Elder) Bob Furley Carolyn Searle Tony and Clare Cox Tony Cox (Serving Elder) Carol Brown Valerie Rees (Serving Elder) Sue Furley Rosalie Mullender

352779 352917 355630 353186 353186 353486 222484 352917 353303

Come and celebrate with us

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D ear friends, I wonder when your countdown to Christmas began? Many of the

retailers will have placed their orders for Christmas 2017 before the end of January 2017, if not sooner. They would have planned to beat last year’s record sales despite the threat of, and as we have seen last month, an interest rise. Oxford Street turned on its Christmas lights in October this year to try and entice more shoppers earlier and the Christmas and festive theme was added to the TV adverts many weeks ago. There are, no doubt, many discussions going on among businesses and the economists as to how this will affect Christmas sales, how individuals will be able to afford Christmas, yet still the adverts hype what is needed for the ‘perfect Christmas’.

There is a forced expectation of the jollity that surrounds this season, making it one of the most dreaded times of year for many. And once again the world has missed the whole point of it all.

Christmas isn’t about presents, it isn’t about food, it isn’t about parties nor is it spend, spend, spend. Christmas is a time of joy, of good news for everyone. God has given us the best gift ever. He gave us his Son Jesus. A gift that contains peace, love and forgiveness, everything the world around us so desperately needs to receive.

If we allow the worldly Christmas to overtake us, letting panic and worry drive us, then perhaps it’s time we stopped and asked God to remind us afresh of the deep love he has given in the precious gift of his Son. For if we as Christians lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas who is going to tell others.

Each year the Bible Society produces a series of stickers to place either on Christmas presents or cards which help to share the Christmas message. Even if you have not seen them, maybe our challenge this year is to write an appropriate verse or sentence in our Christmas cards, or even go one step further, and only send cards that reflect the real meaning and message of Christmas.

May I wish you all a blessed and peace filled Christmas, and may the peace and blessing continue to be yours all through the coming New Year.

Every blessing, Ruth

God has given us the best gift ever

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W inter is drawing in and as the days seem to get shorter and the nights longer we are reminded that God is in control. Many people enjoy the cosiness of the long winter evenings which is fine if you

can keep warm and have a safe environment in which to live. We know there are many people, both young and old, who do not have anywhere to call home and who have to make their beds on the street. It is difficult to imagine how uncomfortable and cold it must be in that situation. As Christmas approaches we in this church remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves and thank God for our families and friends. June and Norman Parsons celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on 26th October and we were delighted to be able to share with them and their family on Sunday 29th in morning worship with cake and bubbly afterwards. Several of our fellowship are struggling with ongoing health issues. Ann George remains cheerful and faithful despite the challenges she is having to deal with. We thank God for her and pray she will continue to draw strength from her faith and the prayerful support of this church family. Keith Mathers is still waiting for a knee replacement but remains cheerful and faithful. Please pray for him and Jean as she supports him. Janice Smith has had a difficult few months following a very debilitating chest infection but is looking forward to a holiday with John which hopefully will be a time of rest and recuperation. Pat Tyson is slowly recovering from her fall but still needs further treatment. Other members of the church family needing continued prayerful support are Ron and Carol Brown, June and Norman Parsons, Dorothy Watts, Doreen Williamson, Sylvia Simpson, Ray Reynolds, Rosalie Mullender and Doreen Quinlivan who has recently undergone medical tests. We pray that God’s peace will surround them and that He will grant them strength and encouragement. We congratulate Liz Alderton who has recently been honoured to receive, from the Queen’s Nursing Institute, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s award for outstanding service. More details of her achievement are on pages 14 and 15. Please pray for our minister Ruth as she ministers to us, especially at this busy time of the year, and our pastorate partners Brentwood and Billericay URC. Pray too for Jim as he supports Ruth. Continue to remember in prayer Sue Furley as she leads URUS, Rosalie Mullender as she leads the Women’s Friendship Circle, Carol Brown at Ardtully and Bob Furley as he works tirelessly to look after both the Church and Manse premises. Please support all the Elders in your prayers, that God will strengthen and encourage them in the work they undertake on behalf of us all.

Valerie Rees 6

FAMILY NATIVITY SERVICE

December 10th at 10.30 a.m.

With Roman Road Pre-School

Songs by the children

Nativity Story

Collection of gifts for children in

Moldova

Refreshments in the hall

Please join us

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Women’s Friendship Circle

J anet organised a difficult but fun quiz for us on 4th October and on 18th October Bob Furley gave us a very interesting talk on the history of the Bank of England, showing us some historic memorabilia including old bank

notes. The presentation on 1st November by the Co-op on the general well-being of the elderly was very helpful and informative, and we had another enjoyable social afternoon on 15th November. Once again we are looking forward to the visit of the Salvation Army on 6th December when teas, coffees and mince pies will be served. We are grateful for their faithful visits to us each year, especially as our numbers con-tinue to decline. Please come and support them. Our next meetings are:

6th December: Salvation Army 20th December: Social Afternoon 17th January: Social Afternoon Rosalie Mullender

Family Nativity Service ‘

T his year all gifts and toys received at the Family Nativity Service on 10th December will be sent to the children of Moldova as ‘Safer Places’ in Chelmsford do not require any at the present time.

In 1940 Moldova became part of the Soviet Union but gained its independence after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991. The country is not part of the European Union but now finds itself torn between Russian/Slavic culture and European culture. In reality this means that some Moldovans (typically the younger generations) desire closer ties with Europe and embrace western culture more readily, while others (often the more elderly and ethnically Russian) want closer ties to Russia and other former soviet states. Moldova’s economy was hit hard when the country gained independence and subsequently tensions surfaced resulting in a four month civil war. Now, Moldova is officially Europe’s poorest country with many families living below the poverty line. It is not surprising therefore that Moldova is the least visited country in Europe and on a global scale only Bangladesh and Guinea are less popular destinations. It is against this backdrop of hardship that Christian Mission Inter-national Aid (CMIAID) has established a ministry in the town of Zirnesti which provides the practical care these people desperately need. It provides hot meals daily for the elderly, pays the rent for families struggling with housing, provides firewood for people freezing in winter, and for the many children who have nothing, it provides toys, clothes and educational aids to enable them to attend school. The gifts received at the service will be shipped to CMIAID by Medical Missionary News. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

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Diary for December 2017

3 Sun 9.45am

10.30am

5.00pm

Prayer meeting in the church

Morning Worship with Communion led by Revd. Geoffrey Griggs

Joint Pastorate Advent service at Buttsbury Church

5 Tue 1.30pm URUS United Reformed Under 5’s in the hall

6 Wed 2.00pm Women’s Friendship Circle - Christmas Carols with the Salvation Army. Teas, coffees and mince pies will be served

7 Thu 10.00am Service at the Ardtully Care Home

10 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Family Nativity Service with Pre-school led by Revd. Ruth Mitchell and Sue Furley. See page 6

12 Tue 1.30pm

7.30pm

URUS United Reformed Under 5’s in the hall

Elders Meeting at 7 Deepdene

17 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Morning Worship led by Valerie Rees

19 Tue 1.30pm URUS United Reformed Under 5’s - Christmas Party

20 Wed 2.00pm Women’s Friendship Circle - Social Afternoon

23 Sat 7.30pm Ingatestone Choral Society at the Parish Church - A Celebration Of Christmas. See page 16

24 Sun 7.00pm Evening Worship with Carols by Candlelight led by Revd. Ruth Mitchell

31 Sun 9.45am

10.30am

6.00pm


Morning Worship led by Pastor Ian Moore

IFCT New Years Eve Service at the Parish Church followed by Fireworks at Fairfield Recreation Ground

Christmas Word Chain

C ommencing at the circled ‘A’ in the centre of the grid on page 9 and ending at the circled ‘N’ at the top right corner, create a chain of linked Christmas words. Using each letter only once you can link them

horizontally, vertically and diagonally. HEAVENLY HOST has been highlighted as an example and to aid your progress.

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Diary for January 2018 2 Tue 1.30pm URUS United Reformed Under 5’s in the hall

School aged children welcome

4 Thu 10.00am Service at the Ardtully Care Home

7 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Morning Worship with Communion led by Revd. Ruth Mitchell

9 Tue 1.30pm

7.30pm

URUS United Reformed Under 5’s in the hall

Elders Meeting at 7 Deepdene

14 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Morning Worship led by Chris Harvey

16 Tue 1.30pm URUS United Reformed Under 5’s - Rhyme Time

17 Wed 2.00pm Women’s Friendship Circle - Social Afternoon

21 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Morning Worship led by Amanda Dolan-Harrison


28 Sun 9.45am

10.30am


Morning Worship led by Simon Houlton


O S E B R A R I N

J D A P I Z N E N

O R H G E A T I G

E R E H L U N H R

H D P E L E K I V

M M H S A G E G E

E A Y L E N H W Y

H E R M A T T T P

T H L H Y N N E M

E T A O L E G A R

B R S T S V A E H 10

Rotas for December 2017 and January 2018

Dec 3

Vestry Elder Welcoming Elder Bible Reader Door Steward Communion Servers

Valerie Rees Tony Cox Pat Tyson Jean Mathers June Parsons and Bob Furley

10 Vestry Elder Welcoming Elder Bible Reader Door Steward

June Parsons Carol Brown Liz Alderton Rosalie Mullender


Carol Brown June Parsons Tony Drake Doreen Quinlivan


Bob Furley Trevor Morley Trevor Morley Ron Brown

Jan 7

Vestry Elder Welcoming Elder Bible Reader Door Steward Communion Servers

Valerie Rees Tony Cox Sue Furley Jean Mathers Valerie Rees and Carol Brown


June Parsons Valerie Rees June Parsons Rosalie Mullender


Carol Brown June Parsons Pat Tyson Doreen Quinlivan


Tony Cox Carol Brown Liz Alderton Pauline Ficken

If any of your allotted dates are inconvenient then please swap with someone and let me know. Bible readers are asked to announce the page numbers for both the standard and large print Bibles. Thank you.

Valerie Rees

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Lectionary readings for Dec 2017 and Jan 2018 3rd December Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37

10th December Isaiah 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-13 Peter 3:8-15 Mark 1:1-8

17th December Isaiah 61:1-11 Psalm 126 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-28

31st December Isaiah 61:10-62 Psalm 148 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:22-40

7th January Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11

14th January 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalm 139:1-18 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51

21st January Jonah 3:1-10 Psalm 62:5-12 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20

28th January Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28

The Beauty and Simplicity of the Gospel

O ur Christmas Bible reflections usually focus on the accounts in Matthew and Luke’s gospels. But let us consider the apostle Paul’s brief reference to the birth of Jesus in Galatians 4:4-5: ‘But when the

fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son……..to redeem’. That is it! Mary, Joseph, Angels, Shepherds, Herod, the Magi and all the rest are not under consideration here. The message is that Jesus is the child for whom all time has waited, a unique God directed moment when all the necessary ingredients of the divine plan and history came together. What was the ‘fullness of time’? It was a time of political preparation. The Roman Empire had brought the ‘peace of Rome’ to the then known world and it was united as never before. It was a time of economic preparation. The Romans had negotiated useful trading partners and a transportation system linked to destinations across the ancient world. It was a time of cultural preparation. The Greek language had become the medium of commerce, culture, and philosophy and so it was possible for the gospel and gospel literature to reach a universal audience. And it was a time of spiritual preparation. A famine of the soul, both individual and social, had come upon the world. The failures of paganism and of Judaism, along with a revival of Messianic hopes, characterised much of the ancient world. Thus, in his phrase, ‘when the fullness of time had come,’ Paul points us to the understanding that, politically, economically, culturally, and spiritually, history and time had been orchestrated by the one true sovereign God. In summary, by God’s divine providence, the histories of Rome and Israel, both of which were to figure so prominently in our Lord’s life on earth, had converged. The appointed date for the birth of the Son of God had arrived right on schedule. Jesus could not have been born sooner or later.

Arthur Williams 12

February and March 2018 Magazine Please ensure all articles are given to the editors by

Sunday 14th January 2018

The Light to the Messiah

T here have been many attempts to explain the Bethlehem star and among the many ideas and explanations has been the arrival of a comet, a conjunction (gathering) of planets and even an exploding star.

But none of these stack up against the biblical account given in Matthew 2 with one detail in verse 9 being of special interest: ‘...the magi went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.’ Stopping over a place in this manner does not represent the behaviour of any celestial object known to science or astronomy, and the conclusion can be justifiably made that, just as there is no natural explanation for the three hours of darkness that descended upon the land at the time of our Lord’s death (Luke 23:44), so the Star of Bethlehem cannot be explained in the same way. The star was a temporary and God-given light. God, who formed the light and created darkness (Isaiah 45:7) has often used special, heavenly lights to guide his people, such as the glory that filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) and the temple (1 Kings 8:10). Such visible signs of God's presence are known as the Shekinah Glory, or dwelling place of God. This special light was a visible manifestation of divine majesty. And then there was the manifestation of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, described by Paul as ’the glory of the light’ (Acts 22:10) that shone so brightly upon him as he travelled to Damascus. The great mystery of the birth of Jesus is not about the origin of this special star. It is about why the magi were specifically chosen to follow the divine light to the Messiah and why all humanity has, ever since, been given the same invitation to follow the now risen, ascended and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. The Editors

Note of thanks

W e were so pleased to see such a good response to our invitation to our wedding anniversary celebration on 29th October. We would like to thank you all for the lovely cards and for making the

occasion so memorable. We also wish to thank our family for everything they did, both on the day, and in careful preparation before hand.

Norman and June Parsons

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June and Norman Parsons’ Diamond Wedding Celebrations

T o celebrate sixty years of marriage, June and Norman invited friends and family to join them on 29th October for the morning service, followed by a celebratory reception.

It was wonderful to see so many there, including friends from other churches in the village, and it was lovely to hold the celebration in the Church where June and Norman have worshipped ever since they were married. Throughout their marriage they have supported the church wholeheartedly, giving dedicated effort and commitment, and during the service they were presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, both in recognition of their service and as an anniversary gift. The hymns were chosen by June and Norman and accompanied by their son, John, on the organ. He also played as his wife, Katharine, sang the introit, For the Beauty of the Earth, arranged by John Rutter. Ruth’s address was around the story of the men who Jesus healed of leprosy, and, in particular, the man who ran back to say thank you, and she told us that we should always give thanks to God, looking for the good things in our lives. Ruth then gave thanks for June and Norman’s marriage and gave them a blessing, which was very touching. After the service, there was a glass of bubbly and a hot drink with a slice of delicious wedding anniversary cake. John proposed a toast, and while people chatted and various photographs of June and Norman were projected on the wall, the piano was played by Carol, Josh (June and Norman’s grandson), and Oliver and Oscar (June and Norman’s young nephews). Our sincere thanks go to all those who helped in so many ways to make this day so special.

Jane Parsons Cope 14

Queens Nursing Institute

T he Queens Nursing Institute (QNI) is a registered charity dedicated to improving the nursing care of people in the home and community. It promotes excellent nursing care for everyone, where and when they

need it, and is provided by nurses and their teams with specific skills and knowledge. The QNI supports this by providing education, scholarships and developmental programs for community nurses from all backgrounds and is also instrumental in shaping government policy at the highest level. ‘District nursing’ began in England in 1859 when William Rathbone, a Liverpool merchant, philanthropist and later an MP, employed Mary Robinson to nurse his wife at home during her final illness. After his wife’s death, he retained Mary Robinson’s services so that people in Liverpool, who could not afford to pay for nursing, would benefit from care in their own homes. Seeing the good that nursing in the home could do, William Rathbone and Florence Nightingale worked together to try to develop the service. When too few trained nurses could be found, Rathbone set up and funded a nursing school in Liverpool specifically to train nurses for the eighteen ‘districts’ of the City, and so organised ‘district nursing’ began. Manchester, London and other cities followed suit. The QNI traces its origins back to 1887 with the grant of £70,000 by Queen Victoria from the Women’s Jubilee Fund. A Royal Charter in 1889 named it ‘Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Institute for Nurses’ and gave it the objectives of providing the ‘training, support, maintenance and supply’ of nurses for the ‘sick poor’. Community nursing was of utmost importance in the delivery of care and the Queen’s Nurses provided the highest standards of care, and were considered to be the pillars of the communities they served. Those who enjoy gardening might like to know that the QNI started the National Garden Scheme (NGS) in 1927. It was to raise money to enable the universal district nursing service to be provided for patients in their own homes and communities, and especially for those that could not afford nursing care. The NGS still gives substantial donations to the QNI as well as numerous other nursing charities such as Marie Curie, Macmillan and Hospice Care. Liz Alderton has been a District Nurse for thirty years and she is privileged to continue to do a job that is so rewarding. In 2011, she became a Queen’s Nurse in recognition of her commitment to provision of excellent community nursing and she has now been honoured to receive, from the Queen’s Nursing Institute, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s award for outstanding service. The photo on page 15 is of Liz with the Chief Nursing Officer of Wales, Professor Jean White, CBE, proudly holding a lovely certificate that is actually hand signed by the Queen and was presented to her at a ceremony in a Kensington hotel in late October. The award is given to a few nurses who have given exceptional service to patients and the profession, in any aspect of community healthcare. The award stated of Liz: ‘an

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exceptional patient advocate who demonstrates the highest quality of care to patients in the community’ and also ‘a wonderful role model whose enthusiasm and love of community nursing is infectious’.

In her role as Queen’s Nurse Liz has sat on various policy and health provision committees and working parties, and she is frequently asked to take important health care managers and policy makers out with her to demonstrate the complexity and challenges of the job, as it is a role that is frequently misunderstood. These shadowing visits have resulted in newspaper articles and a Department of Health blog about Liz.

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