Small Group Worship

For the four Sunday evenings in May, commencing 6.30pm, Anne Dale will be leading worship and on the 20th she will also be presiding at communion. These services are described as “small group worship” which she is undertaking as part of her lay-preaching training and she is hoping for a small but dedicated group of folk coming to all four services, if this is possible. The first service is 6th May.

 

Forward Planning Group

During Lent this year displays in  the Norfolk Room and in the crush area drew attention to various aspects of our journey to Easter Day. These included details about Lent and the Lent Study evenings, the Palm Sunday Service at the Cross, the reason why we erect the Cross in the city, our Easter Services and….the Easter Garden appeared in the week before Easter Day.

During that time we produced the display at the top of the stairs to highlight the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. We hope you will have noticed that this has been changed with new material. This material was taken from the Service Brochure for the Service in Westminster Abbey on 27th March. It is our intention to update this display from time to time, so do keep your eye on it.

 

Snooker Snax has just ended. The display and other information in the Norfolk Room was produced to welcome people to the church building, to say who we are as a church and what we do.

 

This month includes Christian Aid Week so do keep a look out for eye-catching material. This year CA’s main theme is ‘Global Warming’. We shall link this to the theme of ‘Water’. The ‘water’ theme (part of the Samaritan’s Purse ‘Turn on the Tap’ campaign) will continue up to harvest at the beginning of October. We shall develop this theme over the next few months and tell you more about our Harvest Thanksgiving.

Did you know that one child dies every 20 seconds from diseases related to dirty drinking water?

Or that about one in every six people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water?

 

We hope you will take an interest in this work for the church. The displays are not only for our own members but also to create interest and information for those who cross our threshold – whether Christian or not.

Forward Planning Group

Growth Group

A “growth group” has recently been formed to gather together a small number of people who are interested in discussing ways in which we can grow – in our spirituality – in our discipleship – and numerically. We met for the first time in April where there was no shortage of ideas suggested and discussed and our follow-up meeting will take place on May 24th.  If you have any ideas you feel are appropriate then please pass them on to Elaine or Bob or come and join us.

From Tony Boyington, producer of 'The Easter Story.'

Now that the dust has settled, I just wanted to formally thank you for all the help you gave us during the city-centre production of 'Easter Story'.

As always, the meal your ladies provided for the cast and production team was excellent and it was good, once again, to have the opportunity to meet together, share a meal and to pray beofre the enactment of the Passion.

Can you pass on my thanks also to Andy for his portrayal of one of the robbers in Scene IV - I hope he wasn't too cold. His support is much appreciated as is all the help we get from the members of Central URC.

With kind regards and grateful thanks,

Tony Boyington, Stannington

A Night at the Opera

Arrangements have been made for the Escafeld Chorale to hold their Summer Concert at Central on Saturday 14th July next. This is an event arranged for our own social programme at Central and part of the proceeds will benefit ASSIST.

The programme will include: the Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana: the chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Verdi’s Nabucco; the Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen; Dido’s Lament from Purcell’s Dido and Æneas; the Triumphal scene from Verdi’s Aida; the Waltz scene from Gounod’s Faust…..and a little Irving Berlin.

The soloist will be Nicola Harrison who sang with the choir at Central two years ago (in The Rio Grande and Carmina Burana) and the concert will also feature the Mayfield Wind Sinfonia.
Do book the date. I shall have tickets for sale later.

Geoffrey W Wood

Snooker Snax

The church expresses a very BIG ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone involved in Snooker Snax over the two weeks from April 23rd. 40 members offered their services on the rota: some were responsible for keeping the larder stocked; some did early morning cooking; and overall it was an excellent team effort. Sylvia in addition did much of the coordinating and we are grateful for all her hard work.

The venture was again very successful and generated much interest. Our regulars were with us but we also made many new friends.
So our heartfelt thanks to you all.

And from Bob

Well done to all who have played their part in this marathon event. It took a lot of planning and involved a lot of people and, as with some of the snooker matches themselves, it took a while to get going but there was good “buzz” in the Norfolk Room and some very appreciative customers.

I hope that those who availed themselves of our hospitality took with them a new and a positive understanding of church both from how they were treated and what they were able to glean about our faith. I would like to thank the Forward Planning Group once again for their imaginative display and for providing written information at all the tables about the work of Central in the city.

Particular thanks to the “team” who planned it all, namely Sylvia, Rosie, Ann and Jean.

Bob

Monday Morning Prayer for the Week

These are the people and organisations that we have prayed for in our sessions in April.

 

2 April 2007	The Elders of Central People involved in Easter services & Breakfast Rethink
9 April 2007	Easter Monday Bank Holiday
16 April 2007	Zimbabwe campaign Church Action on Poverty Gideon's International Sheffield Christian Constituency Movement (Hallam Branch) Marathon Runners and the charities they run for
23 April 2007	Snookers Snax helpers & visitors
30 April 2007	Snookers Snax helpers & visitors Bob Warwicker & Industrial Mission in South Yorkshire Anne Dale Jean Wood ( Lettings secretary) Local URC Ministers

Third Thursday Talk 7 pm, 17th May

 Shaun Bennett is the manager of the Christians Against Poverty office in Hackenthorpe, Sheffield.

 

CAP aims to show God’s love in action by providing sustainable poverty relief through debt counselling, advice and practical help. CAP’s unique‘hands on’ approach empowers people to help themselves out of poverty and be released
from the fear, oppression and worry generated by overwhelming debts. Vital financial and budgeting life skills are developed through our services, thus ensuring poverty relief is sustainable.

 

The charity operates through a growing network of centres based around the UK, all opened in partnership with a local church. Over the last ten years, the charity has grown from one man working from his home with a donation of £10, to a national charity with 51 centres across the country.
 

CAP’s vision is to answer the national problem of debt in the UK by having at least one CAP centre operating in every major town and city by the year 2021. We have recently been in a period of consolidation and are now stepping out to achieve our 2021 vision by opening 27 centres a year

Bob

Letter from Madascar

Friends,

 Kerry and I are off to Bali on Friday for the CWM Global Gathering of missionaries. (Yoof joke: Don't know if glow sticks and whistles will be required at this Global Gathering) We're staying at what looks like a very nice hotel on the beach front. We then have a five day stop over in Bangkok on the way home. So this year has seen us go to Madagascar, Kenya, Thailand and Indonesia. Quite an achievement for someone who was scared silly by my tutor John Parry's suggestion that I spend a year abroad.

That's the tropical beaches of the Subject catered for, now the crushes and police brutality. On the weekend before Kerry returned from England I took one of the older boys, Njara, who lives at Akany Avoko, to see Madagascar play Ivory Coast at soccer in the African Nations Cup. We were there at 7.30am and already there was a massive queue going around the stadium.

Tickets went on sale at 9am. The queue was very well behaved until then when it started surging forward. I was trapped in the middle of a crush of people and the police's way of dealing with it was to take off their belts and shape to hit the people with it. I was scared for Njara because he was near the edge of the crowd. We managed to get our tickets safely, though, and entered the ground at 10.30 which meant 4 hours waiting for the kickoff in bright sunshine. We had a good time but Ivory Coast won 3-0.

The sheep and bibles are because we went to Bevalala to hand out the Bibles bought by St Andrew's URC in Sheffield. We went into the poorest areas and called everyone together. We sang hymns, said prayers and the pastor and deacons impressed upon people the importance of the Bible. I then handed them out. It was a great couple of days. Pictures can be seen on the right hand side of my blog. Click on the "Bibles" folder.

I also preached in Malagasy for the first time in that church on Jesus as the good shepherd. I started off making baa-ing noises (when you're not fluent in a language sound and action become very important.) This was great until I got to the climax of the sermon when a small kid went "baaaaaaa" from the balcony.

I hope this finds you all well. God bless and I'll be in contact again after we return from Thailand.

(Catch up with my Malagasy adventures at 360.yahoo.com/philbaiden)

Phil

Model Railway and Bus Exhibition- Saturday June 23rd

Once again there will be an exhibition of model railways and model buses at Central on Saturday June 23rd, from 10am to 4pm. Help will be required with catering and stewarding and it would also be appreciated if there are some men available to help move tables and to help clear up afterwards.

This has become a popular event when there are lots of visitors to the church and it is therefore an opportunity for us to explain what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century and how we function as a church community.

Posters and fliers are now available and if you can find somewhere local to you that will display these it will help publicise the event.

Bob

Safari Supper - June 15th

The popular ecumenical Safari Supper will take place on Friday 15th June commencing 6.30pm at St Matthew’s for the starter course. It will then proceed to Central for the main course, to Victoria Hall for the sweet course, and to St Marie’s for the coffee, etc! At each venue there will be short time of worship including a hymn, reading and prayer, appropriate to our traditions. If you would like to come along to this supper please give your name to Elaine.

Food Festival- June 10th

Once more we are encouraged to take part in the multi-faith Food Festival which this year will take place on Sunday June 10th from 12 noon. We, along with our friends from the other city centre churches, are asked to bring along food both for ourselves and for those who will be passing by in Fargate. Further details may be obtained from Anne Judge.

Food, Film and Faith

This will take place on 12th May 2007.  We have organised a coach to pick us up at church take us to The Deep and bring us home again.  The Deep is a lovely day out; you walk along tunnels and see fish of all shapes and sizes swimming around you.  The Deep is a charitable public aquarium dedicated to increasing people’s enjoyment and understanding of the World’s oceans.  It first opened its doors in March 2002 and so far has welcomed over 2 million visitors from the UK and abroad.  There is a café and also a picnic area if you would like to bring sandwiches.  The price will be £15 each for adults and £6 for children, which covers the bus and entry.  I will put a list on the notice board for anyone who would like to go and I will let you have a ticket when they are available.

John Wesley and Redruth

As a child, growing up in the 1940’s in Redruth, it was not possible to be ignorant of the effect that John Wesley had had on the area in his time. It was a town surrounded by tin and copper mines and consequently the home to the miners who worked down them. I suspect mining was and is in the blood of many a Cornishman. There is a saying that wherever in the world there is a hole in the ground you will be sure to find a Cornishman.

John Wesley  was a friend of the rector, Rev John Collins from his Oxford days. Consequently he would have been made aware of the rough and ungodly miners of Redruth, which must have stirred his soul to come and convert them.

His first visit to Redruth was in 1745 and he mentions the town in his Journal on twenty-eight pages .

1745  10th June: “We called at Redruth.”

1747   4th July: “….about two, I preached in the street.”

1750  11th August: “Saturday eve and Sunday morning I preached at Redruth. Mr Collins preached an exceedingly useful sermon at Church upon the General Judgement. At one, I preached in the street.”                                                           

1753   5th August: “…in the afternoon I rode to Redruth and preached to a large congregation, in an open part of the street.”

1755 14th September: “Soon after ten we went to Redruth Church. A young gentlewoman in the next pew, who had been laughing and talking just before, while the confession was reading, seemed very uneasy; then screamed out several times, dropped down and was carried out of church. Mr Collins read prayers admirably well and preached an excellent sermon.”

1757 Saturday 17th September: “I preached at Redruth in the evening.”
Sunday 18th September: “At eight, many of the French prisoners were mixed with the usual congregation. This was doubled at one;…..It rained all the time I preached; but none went away. A shower of rain will not frighten experienced soldiers. Here I learned of a remarkable occurrence: A few days ago, some hundred English, who had been prisoners in France, were landed at Penzance by a cartel ship. Many of these passed through Redruth, going home: but in a most forlorn condition. None showed more compassion to them than the French: they gave them food, clothes or money, and told them, ‘We wish we could do more; but we have little for ourselves here.’” (The French prisoners of war were lodged in the old workhouse at West End).

1760 Saturday 20th September: “In the evening I took my old stand in the main street. A multitude of people, rich and poor, calmly attended. So is the roughest become one of the quietest towns in England.”
 Sunday 21st September           : “I preached in the same place at eight, Mr C of Cubert preached at the church, both morning and afternoon, and strongly confirmed what I had spoken.”

1762 John Wesley first visits Gwennap Pit and preaches three times on 6th Sept.

1787 Sunday September 9th: “Between one and two I began in the market place , to the largest congregation I ever saw there: they not only filled the all the windows, but sat on the tops of the houses.”

1789 Wednesday 26th August. Last mention in Wesley’s Journal of his being in Redruth….”I then met the society..” (Methodists)  On 22nd he preached from  the steps of the market house.”  

1803. Gwennap Pit, once an open mine working, part of Cathedral Mine, had seats made in 1803, diameter at top 340 feet, 13 tiers of seats. Seats about two thousand persons.

On Whit Monday, Gwennap Pit was the place to be (Hopefully still is!). I remember it as a large amphitheatre with stepped grassy seats. As children we did not go to the service but did go at other times to run up and down and marvel at its size. I remember my dad going on many occasions; he dressed in his formal suit of black jacket and black trousers with a stripe in them. It was one of those occasions!  People came from all over to be a part of the congregation and worship in what had been the place where John Wesley faced the ‘rough, heathen miners’ in its original state as a hole in the ground; and to listen to stirring preaching from an eminent preacher. There many were confronted by the zeal and oratory of an evangelist who made a difference to many lives – John Wesley. This led to the building of many chapels in Redruth and around Cornwall, some in very out-of–the–way places. But that is another story!  

Editor

Forrest Gump Goes to Heaven

The day finally arrived.   Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven.   He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself.  However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.

 

St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you.   We have heard a lot about you   I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven."

 

Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir.   But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam.  I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was."

 

St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions. First: What two days of the week begin with the letter  T? Second: How many seconds are there in a year? Third: What is God's first name?"

 

Forrest leaves to think the questions over.  He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers."

 

Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy.   That would be Today and Tomorrow."

 

The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer.   How about the next one?" asked St. Peter.

"How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve."

Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve?  Forrest,  how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a  year?"

 

Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd... "

 

"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter.   "I see where you are going with this, and I see your  point, though that was not quite what I had in mind....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too.  Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name"?

 

"Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy."

 

"Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. "Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?"

 

"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied.  "I learnt it from the song,

 

"ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN."

 

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."

 

Give me a sense of humour, Lord.
Give me the ability to understand a clean joke,
To get some humour out of life,

And to pass it on to other folks.

This amusing story was passed to me recently

Bill Gates is famous as the founder of the software company Microsoft and Microsoft has two very well known programmes Windows and Word 2000 (RTM).  And those of you who have a computer will know how often a fault - in either program - will cause the computer to crash.

At a recent computer expo, COMDEX, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the car industry and is reputed to have said:

"If General Motors kept up with technology in the way that Microsoft has, we would all be driving in cars costing $25.00 with a fuel consumption that was 1,000 miles to the gallon."

 In response to Gates’ comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:

If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

  1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

  2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

  3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason.

 You would then have to

 pull over to the side of the road,  close all of the windows,
 switch off the car,
 restart it and
 reopen the windows
 before you could continue.

For some reason you would simply accept this.

  4. Occasionally, when executing a manoeuvre, such as a left turn, your car would stall and refuse to restart. And you would have to reinstall the engine to get it going again.
  5. Macintosh would make a car  that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

  6. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "General Protection Fault" warning light or a "You have performed an illegal operation."

  7. The airbag system would ask you, "Are you sure?" before inflating.

 8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously
 lifted the door handle,
turned the key and
grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

 9. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You’d have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
 The End.