WARKWORTH UNITED REFORMED CHURCH |
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Services and Meetings
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Ethel’s Phone Call I have often commented how much joy the flowers bring to friends after being taken from the Communion Table. Margaret
Burrell |
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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS Greetings “Thank You” Visitors Now we look forward to our programme of events:- The Strawberry Tea on Sunday 18th July Harvest and Flower Festival as the next chapters of our church history unfold. I commend to you, John’s ‘Thought for the Month’. (Please click link) Organist 19A High Street
Yours sincerely Natural Empathy Many congratulations to Philip, Beverley and Maddie. ................................. 16 The Butts FLOWER FESTIVAL – AN INVITAION One evening, a few weeks ago, Jan said to me, “Do you think we could do a Flower Festival?”
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Margaret Burrell 16, The Butts, Warkworth, NE65 0SS |
Wilma’s Summer Reminiscences Prior to the Tay Road Bridge opening in 1966 the quickest route from Dundee to Fife was by ferry across the River Tay. Known locally as “The Fifie” it left the pier at hourly intervals. Built in 1929 the “ B.L. Nairn” and the “Sir William High” were paddle steamers but the “Abergraig” and “Scotscraig” were diesel fuelled and had been built in Dundee at the Caledon Shipyard. Soo gives us an insight into “Riding for the disabled” “If Wishes were Horses” Horse and ponies have always played a large part in my life ever since I learned to walk using my “horsey on wheels”. Eventually I experienced the real thing and the rest is history as they say! Viv’s family took part in a great day for Charity Viv and Family would like to thank everyone Thank You for helping us to support a worthwhile |
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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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GIFT DAY 2009 Paddy Conway
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World Leprosy Mission Day – Sunday 21st February 2010 We had a belated “Leprosy Sunday” on Sunday 21st February. The service was taken by our friend Mr John Roughley, the North East Representative for the Leprosy Mission. We had been told that £20 would pay for the drugs to cure a case of leprosy. Thank you, |
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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 – 1 Kings ch 19 vs. 1-15 Elijah was in a bad way. Ahab and Jezebel were after his blood and, as he complained to God, the Israelites had broken their covenant with the Lord, thrown down His altars and killed His prophets. So here he was hiding under a Juniper bush and praying that God would just let him die.
John R. Judson
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MAKING THE PENNIES MOUNT Although in these grey days of February it may not seem like it, May is not far away and among the other joys of May comes Christian Aid Week. We are being encouraged this year to think even more carefully than usual about our response. Like everyone, whether individual or business or charity, Christian Aid has been feeling the chill wind of financial pressure in 2009. Two main blows have landed; one was a £3million drop in the total giving for Christian Aid Week and the other the shrinking of what the £ can buy abroad due to the changing exchange rate. Combined together this has caused a £9million hole in their plans. In response Christian Aid has looked at its own habits and tightened them up. This was not enough so they have reduced the size of their staff in the UK. Unhappily this has still not been enough so on 15th of February the organisation has to decide which of it’s projects around the world it will cease to support. A deeply painful process as we can all appreciate. So we have all been asked to put on our thinking caps and see if we can come up with feasible fundraising ideas. It should be said here that Warkworth’s Christian Aid Week total did not go down last year and that the NE in general sustained it’s level of giving. One thing we can do is consider if we can improve our way of doing house-to-house collections e.g. by collecting as we deliver or by going in a group to collect. The other is to see if we can think of anything else we might do. We do already play our part in the coffee morning each year and this will hopefully continue. However if anyone can think of anything else – possibly something they could do individually or with others on a smaller scale then please let Paddy or myself know. Our friends at St. Lawrence’s have been asked the same thing so we may hear of things we can contribute to as well. And don’t feel constrained by the calendar – if you feel some time other than now to May is the right time for you then please do so. Lindy Conway |
“From Honshu to Howick” This was a most enjoyable evening. We say a very warm ‘Thank you’ to Sally and Roger who arranged it. |
MOTHERING SUNDAY AT
FLOWERS AND CAKE WERE DISTRIBUTED BY THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE CHURCH |
Congregational Meeting – Sunday 20th June 2010 Apologies for Absence:- Mr John Judson, Mrs Mary Dixon, Mrs Eileen Wealleans & Mr Keith Scott. St. Mark’s Amble has been allocated a Non-Stipendary Minister, Mrs Alison Mills, who will be inducted to the mission pastorate, not just Amble. She is willing to give 10 hrs per week to St. Mark’s which, when divided up, would mean 2 Sunday services per month and 2 evenings. The Revd Joan Grindrod Helmn would have oversight of Mrs Mills for her first year. It has been reported that Warkworth and Amble were no longer a Joint pastorate. Who would Warkworth accept as Minister in oversight? Would there be a Formal or Informal relationship with Alnwick? It was proposed by members that, instead of a formal Induction at present, a special service of recognition be held with Alnwick, Warkworth and St Mark’s Amble would be three churches sharing ministry. Settlement Agreements:- Conversations between St James’ Alnwick, their Minister and Warkworth will be the next step so that the finer details can be made. e.g. Comment made by one member:- Next Steps. Margery was thanked by the Secretary for the work she had done in helping to clarify the many problems and doubts which had occurred. The Meeting closed with “The Grace” said together. |