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WARKWORTH UNITED REFORMED CHURCH |
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Services and Meetings
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Our Flowers continue to bring joy to those who receive them each week. These are not only church members but others in our Community who give Time, Service & Commitment to enhance the life of our village, as well as support to us, as friends of our church. “Thank you” to the ladies who readily give generously to fill the “GAPS" in the rota. One “Thank you message I received (amongst many) shows how the flowers are appreciated – I quote – Margaret
Burrell |
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Many of you will recall the letter which Paddy enclosed with your Free Will Offering Envelopes. He felt that many may still have doubts about "Gift Aiding" their Weekly giving so he has produced the following:
Perhaps they remember the covenants in the past where one had to commit yourself to paying a certain sum to charity every year for seven years. The charity could then reclaim tax. People were, not surprisingly, wary of this long term commitment. But all that has gone. In 1990 the Chancellor introduced Gift Aid for larger donations. Ten years later Gift Aid was expanded to cover all donations to charity of whatever size. NO STRINGS ATTACHED - gift Aid is applied to the individual donation. There is no long term commitment. HERE'S HOW IT WORKS The Government have announced an intention to reduce basic rate Income Tax to 20%. (I've used this figure as it's easier to calculate)
Simple: All you have to do is fill in a Gift Aid form with your name and address, stating that you are a UK tax payer, you wish the charity to reclaim the tax and you pay in tax at least as much as your total Gift Aid. (Phone Jan Archibald 01665 711304 for form.) If for any reason you wanted to cancel a Gift Aid declaration you can at any time. A big 'Thank You' to the people of Warkworth and Acklington for their generous support of this year's Christian Aid Week. Despite an uncertain economic climate we collected over £2,000 for the third year running. To the £2,032 raised, Gift Aid will add another £272. With the Coffee morning and services we have been able to send a total of £2,359.49 to Christian Aid. That money will help to support projects which can free people in the poorest countries in the world from poverty and oppression. Other work tackles some of the obstacles to improvement in the lives of the poor like unfair trade, historical debt, climate change and HIV AIDS. Finally it is able also to respond to emergencies - this year including floods in Bangladesh and the cyclone in Burma. With its contacts all around the world Christian Aid can spend the money quickly and effectively. YOU may find it of interest to visit the Christian Aid website at www.christianaid.org.uk Thanks to all who helped.
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World Leprosy Mission Day – Sunday 25th January 2009 I would like to thank the Minister for his service on Leprosy Sunday 25th January. A great deal of thought and preparation had gone into the Service. Hilga |
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ACTS – THEN AND NOW Following a successful public reading of the Gospels at the March Synod, the Vision4Life Synod Planning Group, invited every church to put pen to paper and together produce “Acts, Then and Now!” – a hand written copy of the Acts of the Apostles (then) and a story of God’s activity in our church (Acts Now) plus a drawing or illustration. Acts Now at Warkworth United Reformed Church A little while ago Mary, one of our older members, was admitted to hospital with breathing problems. Her condition became serious and she was taken into intensive care where it was feared she might die. During this time when only close family members were allowed to visit her, our church prayed for Mary, as did two other churches in the locality. Mary was aware of this and eventually made a wonderful recovery and was able to return home. One of the first things she did was to attend church and express her gratitude publicly to God. We too, as friends and fellow members, were thrilled at the change in her. At this point Mary was living in a home which no longer afforded her the comfort and freedom from care required by her age and condition in life, but she was unwilling at that time to consider giving it up. Then she became ill again and was re-admitted to hospital where she was critically ill as before. She herself was ready to die and, indeed, wished to. But God hadn’t finished with Mary yet….. What a joy it is to see her every Sunday morning at church and to glimpse her smiling face as she gets there and back by herself! She has brought her infectious joy in what God has done through the skill of doctors and nurses to the community of church, village and her new home; she has also become a source of hope and inspiration for us all. 78 other churches in the Northern Synod have been asked to do this project. It will be interesting to see the completed work being produced by Rev. John Paul of West Denton Church. |
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Thought for the Month
When on holiday last Summer, Geoff & Soo Brooks picked up the magazine of the United Reformed Church in Stratford-on-Avon. How truly it expresses our feelings today when everything seems to be choked by bureaucratic red tape! “Obituary” Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird catches the worm, that life isn’t always fair and maybe it was my own fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies. (Don’t spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies, (Adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but over-bearing regulations were set in place. A report of a teacher suspended from school for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing their job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. Common Sense suffered when The Ten Commandments were discarded, churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims, when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home or a burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded by his parents. Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter Responsibility and his son, Reason. |