Sticking with craft ideas. The Anchors and Juniors at Boys’ Brigade were visited in March by Michelle and Cheryl from reVOLve, an activity promoting volunteer action in North Warwickshire.  The lads were presented with boiled eggs and lots of paints, stickers, furry bits and glitter, and were able to decorate the eggs to their taste.  Assisted by the leaders and older BB members the lads got stuck in and produced some memorable pieces of work, all of which they were able to take home (with strict instructions not to eat the eggs!)   The evening finished with a talk about the Easter story which involved smashing a raw egg on one of the lads head (all the lads wanted to volunteer for this!)  But surprise, surprise the egg was empty - just like the surprise the disciples felt when they visited the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning.   Thanks to Michelle and Cheryl for a great time.

Doug Horley in Tamworth.  Doug Horley (Duggie Dug Dug) is at St Georges Church,

Glascote on Saturday 19th April.  Doug is just about the best Christian songwriter and

children’s entertainer to be found in the UK.  Doug is in Tamworth to lead a training

seminar for those who work with children in a church setting and, with his team, to present a Praise Party for children. 

We’ve booked fourteen places at the seminar, which is on Saturday afternoon, and we have thirty free tickets for the evening Praise Party.  The Party is for children 4 to 14 years olds, we hope all of the Brigade youngsters will be able to attend.  Friends and family are invited as well.  The Praise Party is from 6. 30 ’til 8 pm. Tickets are available from David and Christine Harris (893788) on a first come - first served basis.  Some lifts are available - ask when booking tickets.  Offers of help with lifts would be appreciated. (Several of us have seen Doug and his team in action and know just how much the children will enjoy them.)

We’ve fixed a date for a day Paintballing!  This is for those 12 years and over, family

members and friends welcome.  The big day is Sunday 27th April and the venue is Project Paintball in Penkridge.  Tickets cost £12.50 which includes the cost of hiring equipment, lunch, and your first 100 paint balls.  Additional paintballs cost £6 per 100 (cheaper if you get together and buy in bulk.)  Tickets and full details from David (893788).  The date is quickly getting booked up so don’t leave it too long before you claim your place.

Notice for Boys’ Brigade Officers and auxiliaries - the next Battalion Meeting is on Thursday 10th April at 7. 30 pm in West Bromwich.  See David if you intend to go.

The next Reunited event at St Martin’s in the Bull Ring in Birmingham is on Saturday

12th April starting at 7 pm.  A great night out for those who are 12+.  Contact David or Christine Harris if interested in going.

FELLOWSHIP NEWS

The Virtual Games Afternoon last month was very much enjoyed by the crowd that

attended.  Using two Nintendo Wii consoles, with the pictures projected onto large screens, ten teams competed at the Ten Pin Bowling game and a devilishly difficult car racing game (difficult, that is, for anyone who can drive a car - it proved easy for the youngsters).   The eventual winners were Christine Harris and Charlotte Hughes who played throughout the afternoon one team member short. 

The next Fellowship Business meeting is on Monday 21st April at 7.30 pm.  Let David have items for the agenda by Friday 18th April.

Coming to St John’s Church Hall in April!  On Wednesday 16th April at 10.30 am a Coffee and Craft morning has been arranged by the Fellowship in conjunction with the Volunteer Centre in Atherstone.   Amongst other things a demonstration of how to make bath bombs will be given followed by the opportunity to have a go yourselves.  Refreshments will be provided.  David will host the morning which will last until 12 noon. Everyone is welcome, guys and gals!  During the morning it is hoped to discuss whether a regular monthly activity would be supported.  Do come along if you can.

Have you a spare Bible at home?  There is a desperate need for Bibles amongst the Dalit peoples in India and Wesley Owen Christian Bookshops are appealing for any spare Bibles to try to meet this need.  The Dalit people are the underclass in India being the poorest in Indian society.  As a people they number in excess of 250 million and in recent years have found confidence to turn away from the position in society to which they have always been held.  The Dalit Freedom Network will distribute the Bibles. 

All types of Bible are needed including picture story ones.  So, dig out your spare Bibles and bring them to any Fellowship or Brigade activity in April.  At the end of April we will arrange to take all those donated to the Wesley Owen Bookshop in Birmingham.  For more information visit the Wesley Owen web site at www.wesleyowen.com or speak to David.

Last month we mentioned that over the Easter period the Fellowship would be making an appeal for funds to support the work it undertakes. It’s very pleasing to report that some £1,100 was donated which has secured the work of the Fellowship for the coming months.  A big, big thank you to all who supported the appeal.

POLESWORTH PIONEERS

You will be well aware from the recent publicity that the Band has been looking for a larger practice venue where they can put together the music they have been learning over the winter months with the display routine they have now developed.  Several suggestions have been received for which the Band staff are grateful.  A couple have been actively followed up which has resulted in a local farm building and outside paved area being offered together with the use on a trial basis of facilities at Dordon Combined School.  Hopefully, these facilities will be enough for the Band to get through the next few weeks of practices until the better weather, lighter nights will make practices outside possible.  Thanks to all who helped.

This year the Band has joined a new competition league which better fits the ages of the Band members, it also offers completely different challenges and opportunities to those previously experienced.  The league is the Carnival Band Secretaries League and all competitions are combined with participation in a local carnival.  The two sided approach (competition and carnival) provides a more rewarding day for the band members, staff and supporters. 

The style of the competition demands a more military style of display than the Band is used to but the members are quickly adapting to this.  The staff have entered the Band into three competitions 12th July at Newton, 19th July at Horsley Woodhouse (both in Derbyshire) and 6th September at Irthlingborough in Northamptonshire.  Regarding preparations for the forthcoming band season, the news is that the music is shaping up well and the display has been practised when space has allowed.  The next step is to bring it all together.

AND FINALLY

With lots going on April looks like being another busy month.  I’m particularly looking

forward to the Doug Horley seminar and Praise Party - I’ve a lot of time for his work and he really puts on a great show for the youngsters.  Paintballing is not my scene, I’m happy to leave that to others, but I am pleased that we have been able to arrange the Coffee and Craft morning at St Johns - it will be interesting to see if there is support for a regular event and the form it should take.  It’s good the see the Band coming on so well and the initiative taken by the Staff to move the Band in a new, more appropriate, direction.   Underlying all these activities are the regular Sunday services and Bible Studies for in these are the foundation to everything else we do.

I hope you will be able to share in some of the services and activities at the Fellowship

during the month.

David

 God of our villages; each jitty, street and square.

Please look down on every house; and bless the people there.

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